Photo Kidnapping: A Grandma’s Right in Life

Can there be anything more wonderful than being a grandma? Yep.  A grandma to such sweethearts like these little cherubs.  Isn’t this delightful of Annika and Kiki? And look at how sweet Kardy is.  How fast she is growing.  Each year the girls look more and more alike. I can see so much of Heather, [...]

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Facebook Privacy Policy

OK there’s lots of discussion around the privacy policy on facebook. I can appreciate people’s issues around that. And I understand their angst with identity theft and all going on. But, heck, forget that minor thing—there are MUCH more important things one needs to worry about.  Well, in my view—namely FOUR issues. The first is [...]

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My Personal Détente

If you look at the map of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—the former country of Zaire– is situated almost in the heart of the continent. And if you look at the map of the DRC you will find a tiny place named Nyankunde near the city of Bunia located on the eastern side [...]

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Are You Beautiful?

When my blonde haired blue-eyed daughter was in 4th and 5th grade one of her best friends was named Lisa.  Lisa lived across the street from our house with her grandmother and mother.  Her father was dead– killed many years earlier. He was a revolutionist in his home land of China and fought for the [...]

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Five Ways to Organize and Simplify Your Life

I read lots of articles on how to organize my life. I NEED those articles. And my intentions are good–I mean to organize, clean out and get more healthy.  And I listen VERY carefully.  So, I have summarized the lessons I have gleaned from my extensive research on the subject and will share them with [...]

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Cyber Sex in the 60s

I was reading someone’s blog (Buried With Children) who mentioned that in her writer’s workshop they said you should try and do a comic strip for your blog. And I thought, “Hey, that’s a COOL idea. I can try doing that.”  So, here’s my feeble attempt.  Based on a sad but true story.

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Who Cares Really?

I read a blog post yesterday that said there are six rules to having a good blog. Have a focus/theme. Ask the readers to respond to questions. Create a conversation with your readers. Have an attractive and uncluttered blog. Have guest bloggers. Don’t have too much text that requires a lot of reading. Use a [...]

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Raise Your Hand If You’re A Worry Wort

First off, where in the heck does that expression come from?  I can appreciate the worry part of it but WORT or some use wart?  That makes no sense to me at all.  So, I did a little research and learned that it may have come from a comic strip character that ran in the [...]

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My Most Memorable Experiences

Happiest: This one is easy. Holding my babies in my arms for the first time. Nothing can compare, Danny and Heather. Baby Ted with Grandma VanBelle. Where oh where are Heather’s other photos of her baby brother Jonny?  (She’s the shutterbug NOT ME!!) Saddest: Not being there to hold my mother’s hand as she died.  [...]

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Nuture vs. Nature: The Wonder of Genes

Have you ever looked at your kids and been totally STUNNED to see a family member staring back at you in the way your child talks or acts that is just totally that family member? It can be jarring the first time you make that kind of “genetic ” connection.  I remember the first time [...]

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