The Gramzie Chronicles

  In a rare turn of events, I actually have three topics this morning, but will choose only one to feature today. No one needs to be riveted here that long! One of my charming pecodillos is the relentless need for simplicity and organization. Oh, I know you are all aware of what I'm going to say! I won't give you the laundry list of what we are trying to accomplish pretty much all at once. This said, the demo in the kitchen was simply to make it manageable for us; the actual work and the disposal of the debris. It was not my idea to start so soon, but Randy had a need to find out just what we were dealing with behind those original, and not well-built, cabinets. He also made me promise not to complain about the upheaval. So, take this as it's intended. I really am not filing a complaint. HOWEVER, I must admit that living out of boxes and piles is the issue. The search for the Holy Grail every time I need something. It's the disorder of the temporary setup in the dining ...

The recent sale of bankrupted 23 and Me has brought the company into the forefront, creating so much controversy on whether or not personal data should be deleted to protect individual privacy. It's a very intimate decision. If I may, I'd like to share now this service has impacted our family. As many of you may know, our daughter was adopted at 4 days old, in a private adoption. We knew just enough information that should the necessity arise, we could find the selfless mama who trusted us with her baby. We promised each other that we would always be transparent about the adoption. At the time, there was still a bit of an expectation that adoption should remain secret. Not at our house. We were proud to be adoptive parents. We also agreed that, should she show good reason for wanting further information about her bio parents, we'd do what we could to answer her questions. We all need to know from where we came. I was never afraid I'd be "replaced" by her wonde...

  Let me preface this post by saying I do believe that we never stop learning, and all information is valuable, whether it applies directly to your life. At the same time, largely due to my middle age indifference, I find myself with my WTF lines getting deeper all the time. Let me explain. Several years ago, I was approached by a good friend who was in need of a new pharmacy tech to work in her lab. I was recovering from a disastrous experience in retail so was open to something new and fresh. The only contingency was that I had to take and pass the board exam to be certified.  I suffer terribly from test anxiety, then add on a new-found case of lacking confidence, I was reticent to take it on. But, I pulled myself up, studied for 6 months on an almost daily basis while working in the lab, ultimately passing the national board. During those study months, I was told that much of which I'd be tested would never be used in the lab. I felt like a darned genius...

  I thought I'd share a snippet of what our living conditions amount to at this juncture. Bear in mind, I am not complaining! All our appliances are functioning, and the water is running. It's plenty early to have this much accomplished but with all the other issues with which we are managing, this is working out great. We are currently sitting with our feet up, relishing the sight of a freshly painted living room. I appreciate that Randy spent his "day off", helping me finish up the walls. Don't you love how clean and fresh a room appears with a new coat? That said, I thought I'd take a moment to show you the demo stage of the kitchen. Honestly, I still have to pinch myself sometimes, knowing my fondest dream is about to come true. This is the room I love the most, even in its raw state. I'm doing my best to make it appear clean and functional but have to admit, I'm not as quick to fire up the oven to bake.  The corner of the dining room is the home t...

We have barely had a flake all winter, very unusual for NW Iowa. Now, the day before the beginning of spring, we are being hit, hard and fast. The unpredictability of what is outdoors is all part of Iowa's charm, after all. As I have downloaded my upcoming continuing education for IFS to be ready for the hours long marathon, and dreading the reality of a daunting job of painting the ceiling in the living room for the second time, I'm feeling more a need to ignore both in favor of a short visit. Just for a brief time... As I've been rebuilding my friends on FB, one special friend is a favored memory of mine. I've missed her presence in my life and am so excited to reconnect. The memory of which I love the most is when she introduced me to the concept of middle age indifference. I have fully embraced that since. It's more of a philosophy, a healthier perspective, and a darned good use of overall humor. It is the ultimate FU to those topics or issues that should not be...

  It all came about innocently enough. Retirement had prompted us to think a bit farther into the future, with things we think we may need in addition to changes we've wanted. One thing that was forefront was updating our main bath. This began last spring. We found a company with an estimate we felt reasonable, made our choices for the walk-in shower and the materials. It only took the tech two days to demo and install, with Randy and I doing the finish work. The painting went well enough, but there was old beadboard to replace. That began what we agreed, in the end, would be our last DIY together. Between his frustration and my anxiety, it might have been a better idea to have had someone else do it. The bath is perfect, however. That led to me deciding my office needed a refresh, so a purge and reorganize was added to a fresh coat of paint. From there, the spare rooms suddenly appeared a bit worn. We emptied both rooms, and I painted the walls and ceiling in both. Colorwashing ha...

 I love music. The words, the notes, the emotions, the memories it evokes. Some of the most significant memories in my life involve music. Music brings back certain smells, feelings, and situations. I recently watched The Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan story. I've added it to the list of movies that I will watch on repeat just because of the music. When Bohemian Rhapsody came out, my grandsons were amazed I knew all the songs featured in it. Who remembers Remember the Titans? Again, a video reminder of the times and its music. There are so many more just like these. Back to Bob Dylan, though. It was a time fraught with protests and unfair laws. Did you know that Pete Seegar's This Land is Your Land was such a controversial issue that the "law" would not let him perform it in public? He defied that edict. But, what I remember about that time, as a young teen attending Catholic school, with no formal music classes offered, the nuns allowed us to sing those songs. In ch...

  My first foray into blogging was titled My Life as Supermom. It helped me navigate so many life events for almost 3 years. The negative political environment left such a profoundly rotten taste in my mouth on Facebook that I took that necessary step to protect my mental health. You'll hear a lot about mental health-related topics here. Recently, in an effort to clear out our shop, Randy came across the book I'd printed of those three years. It brought back so many memories and reasons for me to pick it up again. I'd like to think I'll be smarter and more discerning in my Facebook dealings. I had to rejoin to be able to publish this humble tome. So, here I am! It was 2012 when I ended my writing, so there is much to revisit...in small increments, of course. For those of you new here, I'm sure I need to introduce myself. My name is Nancy and I'm a mom of 3, and a Gramzie of 3 boys. Randy and I have been married for almost 49 years, beginning our lifetime romance...