by Marlene Bumgarner | Dec 15, 2019 | Child development, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting
Keeping Traditions Alive Two weeks ago I flew to Los Angeles to spend Thanksgiving with my son’s family and to keep a family tradition. I packed my English tart tins and a rolling pin in order to introduce my youngest grandchild to making mince tarts. My son has...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Oct 24, 2019 | Child development, Community, Family, Grandparenting
It Takes An Aunty My granddaughter’s Aunt K.K. came over to help with pumpkin carving this week. She hefted the extra-large pumpkin Bean had selected at the pumpkin patch on to our dining room/craft table and turned it around several times, looking for the best...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Oct 13, 2019 | Aging, Child development, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting, Nature
The Pumpkin Patch Adventure This was the week Bean and I made our annual pilgrimage to her favorite pumpkin patch. We’ve been doing this together since she was three years old and now she’s eight and knows the routine quite well. “I’ll start...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 29, 2019 | Family, Grandparenting, Travel, Writing
I’m Baaa-aaak! It’s hard to believe, but the last day I posted to this blog was May 14, my mother’s birthday. I had no particular desire or intent to stop writing here, but I was trying to stay focused on the one writing project that had kept me awake at nights...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Apr 11, 2019 | Aging, Family, Grandparenting, Nature, Travel
My Cure for Wanderlust Each winter I hunker down, read, write, and watch a lot of British mysteries. During my hybernation, I tell myself I’ll be content to stay inside my little house for ever. But then the sun comes out, the crocuses and daffodils begin to flower,...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Feb 12, 2019 | Aging, Back to the Land, Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting, Nature
A Conversation With My Granddaughter “Grandma, why are your gloves way up there where you can’t reach them?” I was stretching high over my workbench for the long-handled pruning shears when my eight-year old granddaughter piped up. I dropped down on my heels and...