The Gramzie Chronicles

It's really happening!   I've already shared Randy is officially retiring and closing the shop. I had no idea that the anticipation surrounding this was one of the factors affecting my sleep and resulting recurring anxiety. The realization that we are in the last week of February shook me loose this morning. It would appear that the worry surrounding insurance was a bigger issue than I was aware.  Taking the bull by the horns this morning has ended all concern.  I need to digress just a blink. Last year, our shop policy increased over $1000/year. Considering the slow down in what Randy agreed to do or not do, it was prohibitive. The prospect of keeping it past its expiration date this year was not even a consideration. There is something so final  in asking our agent to not renew it.  Now, he's been taking excellent care of us, and this was no different. He graciously offered his congratulations and assured us of a refund for the balance we won't use....

There has been so much happening! The Olympics, State Wrestling, and the impending end of a fun junior high season, not to mention Hawkeye basketball. Combined, this has been a wonderful distraction from the mess in our country.     Each of these events have had common threads: sportsmanship, and those who criticize. Let us examine the criticisms first.  Social media is rife with wanna-be coaches who feel the need to degrade those competing,  Including the one who is supposed to be leading the country, and those occupying the basements in their mother's house.  I've been impressed with the classy, sometimes funny, responses from the athletes .  In regards to the kids competitions, I've seen that at every site there is a Mad Dad, sometimes a Mouthy Mom. You know who I mean; they spend the time their athlete is under the lights by either A) screaming at the coach, B) screaming at the ref, or sadly,  C) screaming at their child.  ...

  Our home is so quiet without those two Granddog girls! Jared got back late last night and they left for Chicago early this morning. We'll miss them. I work consistently to keep our home from the "ick" factor of having a dog inside. Those who have pets know what I'm talking about, and those who would never have a pet inside will appreciate that.  The last thing I want is to have anyone come in and instantly say, "you must have a dog", whether it's hair everywhere or a smell. Not on my watch. The sectional gets vacuumed regularly, even though Bo can't manage to get up on it anymore, as does our chairs. Pillows have washable covers. Throws get a spin, as well. Area rugs are also washable when vacuuming them isn't enough.  All of this got done when the girls left. Speaking of Bo, his incision is healing well and looks good. We don't have to put his boot on him as he has been leaving it alone. The only concern is that he still has yet to put any...

  How do people live without a dog...or cat...or any pet? If you are not an animal lover, I get it. I'm not one of them. Our 8 year old silver Lab is recovering from his third ACL repair. Twice on both legs; the first was his right knee, the second was his left knee, plus a tightening up on the right, and now, a total rupture of the left.  Five days later, the bandages are off, the boot comes off during the day, and he has yet to put any weight on the repaired leg.  His comfort has been in the forefront of our care, enabled by a thoughtful vet and effective meds. The incision was closed with buried sutures, so the temptation to chew out staples was eliminated. His leg being shaved from toes to hip seems to bother him more than anything.  He was a complete nightmare after his initial two surgeries; this time, he could not have been any better. We also have Jared and Gayle's pups here while they travel. They have been the comic relief, giving us some respite from ...

This began so differently than what you're getting. I ended up deleting the entire post, but feel cleansed in doing so.  I hung out so much dirty laundry, even I was horrified. So, you'll understand why I chose not to share. Let's pivot on that note.  Social media, if we are being honest, is but a tiny snapshot of people's lives. I like to call it the Cliff's Notes version. In spite of that fact, there remain those who think they know everything based on those snippets. So in that vein, I am not available on social media to any family members, other than my kids, one sister-in-law, select long-distant cousins, and a beloved cousin who is more a sibling to me than most of my actual sibs. Communication in our family, as we found in the past year, could use some work. Therefore, if any of them want to know what's happening with us, they can reach out, instead of stalking in the background or reading my blog.   Do I reach out to family? Yes, for the most part. Ther...

  I think that sometimes there are those who are under the impression that once your home has been simplified and organized, it automatically stays that way. I wish! But the fact is, keeping  it simple and organized is an ongoing process. It's just easier than starting all over again. I'd like to share a few housekeeping tips I use on the regular. This is an optimal time to check on your pantry. Items like nuts, bread crumbs, corn meal, crackers, to name a few, have a limited shelf life. Do yourself a favor and take a whiff of anything that may have outlived its usefulness. I cannot be the only one who has assumed nuts were okay, only to ruin a batch of cookies when it turns out they were, well, icky.    Same with refrigerated items that may have passed their expiration date. I realize most dates are more suggestions, not hard and fast rules, but really, how long do you need to hang onto something that doesn't get used regularly?   Spices, with the exception of ...

Let's face it; we all have a superpower. Some are readily identified, others may be more subtle in nature. I'm pretty unvarnished here, but I do not share everything (believe it or not).  So when I say that anxiety is a bitch, I'm being pretty vulnerable. Getting to the root of said anxiety isn't always clearcut. Taking control when things are in a free fall is one of my strong points. When mounting anxiety began to affect my sleep, I needed to take a big step back, slow my roll (also part of it), and reflect honestly about why my insides were in a roil.  Step one was identifying the fact that I needed to face a fear. I've carried it around for a long time, but there was something different about it rearing its ugly head now. it required admitting it...out loud. Yesterday, I did just that; confessing to Randy what was scaring me, then having a good cry about it. All he had to do was acknowledge my feelings and let me cry it out. From there, it was time to look aroun...