by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 7, 2018 | Aging, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting, Travel
Day One Leaving the Station We left Perth at 7:30 a.m. I sat in my cabin, as requested by our Hospitality Attendant, who had greeted us at the door and led us to our cabins. Examining the various brochures and other reading material that had been provided, I...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 3, 2018 | Aging, Cooking and Eating, Family, Travel, Writing
Flying to Australia Most people I’ve spoken to about flying to Australia say something like “OMG it must be a 20 hour flight! How did you stand it?” Or even more specifically “No way could I sit on an airplane for all those hours. I’d...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Dec 23, 2017 | Family, Grandparenting, Travel, Writing
This time last year I was packing my car to move to San Diego and assume the role of nanny to my youngest grandchild. This year I packed for a very different adventure — nearly a month Down Under, in Australia, which these days is called Oz by many of its residents....
by Marlene Bumgarner | Nov 2, 2016 | Aging, Child development, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting, Travel
Packing Activities in a Suitcase One of the topics we discussed at our second Grandparent Meetup was how to nurture relationships with grandchildren who live far away. Favorites were frequent visits, FaceTime and Skype conversations, affectionate notes mailed...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 20, 2016 | Aging, Child development, Family, Grandparenting, Travel
Do you remember what it was like the first time you watched a city recede beneath you, the houses and cars and people becoming smaller and smaller? I had forgotten, but I remembered last weekend as my granddaughter pressed her nose to the cold glass trying to get as...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 5, 2016 | Aging, Community, Family, Grandparenting, Health, Nature, Travel
Two Grandmothers Went for a Hike Sounds like the beginning of a joke, doesn’t it? But it isn’t — it’s what my friend Ginny and I did last Friday. Ginny and I are usually in a seniors circuit class on Friday mornings (also on Mondays and...