by Marlene Bumgarner | Mar 20, 2024 | Child development, Family, Grandparenting
Spring Has Sprung My favorite time of the year has finally arrived, and I’m already thinking of new crafts and activities to do with my grandchildren. When I took Kismet out for her first walk of the day this morning, it was barely 6:00 a.m. and barely light,...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 31, 2024 | Aging, Family, Gardening, Health, Nature
An Early Start Good morning! I’m writing at 7:00 a.m. today after checking in with my online writing group and taking Kismet out for the first of our walks of the day. Shafts of yellow light creep through my Venetian blinds, urging me to wake up and experience...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 3, 2024 | Aging, Community, Family, Writing
Setting New Year’s Resolutions for 2024 I’ve always been cautious about making New Year’s Resolutions. Laying out some things we want to accomplish, improve, or enjoy can be a positive experience. However, we may feel disappointed in ourselves if we...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Dec 21, 2023 | Aging, Child development, Christmas in Yorkshire, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting
Mom’s Christmas Pudding My favorite holiday tradition would have to be baking for Christmas. My mother would come home from church one Sunday and announce – “Right! it’s time to make Christmas Pudding.” I didn’t know for many years how my mother received...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Dec 8, 2023 | Aging, Family, Writing
Downsizing was one goal of my move to Southern California two years ago. Friends my age have for several years been reporting on their efforts to simplify their lives and save their children the emotionally laden task of going through a lifetime of possessions once...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Aug 23, 2023 | Aging, Family, Grandparenting, Travel
Hello again! This summer has gone by too quickly. My original plan had been to write every day, but that didn’t happen. I thought it might be fun to look back over the last three months and figure out where the time went. June My last post here was a tribute to...