Mastodawn

D Willobeck 2d ago

I was lucky to spend some time with the grandkids today.
Everyone is stressed.
Their house is topsy turvy because of the city sewage leak. We will host whoever needs a bed while the house is gutted and made whole again.
They all feel anxious.
I said we all feel the weight of the neverending bad news cycle too.
They asked me what I do when I don't know what to do.
I said that I hark back to good advice gifted to me years ago. It goes like...
When you're feeling down and out lift up your head and shout AWE SHIT and then you carry on.
So we went outside and we did just that.
We all felt a smidge better.
I showed them our newest flowers too.
You never know what grandma might do.
Hopefully in a good way not an unhinged presidential kind of way.

@NorcalGma2 AWESOME! I was always the “crazy grandma”, so perhaps I’m not one to comment 🤣😂🤣

Katherine W 2d ago

I only ever knew one grandparent, my paternal grandmother.

She was a meek, unassuming (probably downtrodden) woman. Whenever she visited us, she asked me to read the bible to her. This started when I was 7, and I couldn't pronounce names of people or places, and I didn't like it. She died when I was 10.

I would much rather have had a grandmother who cussed at the sky when things were going wrong.

It's so nice of you to offer to put up anyone who needs during the house cleanup/redoing.

Norcal Gma 2 1d ago

@FiddleSix
I hope I was a fun grandma for the boys.
We traveled lots and they stayed here almost every weekend.
We had giant bins of building toys and weekly craft sessions. We went to music, theater and sporting events with all the kids competing in kid triathlons. They learned to play pinochle.
There were art, ceramic, swimming, surfing and flying lessons. Even accordian for the middle grandson who got a bug for doing something unexpected. Model trains for the oldest and Pokemon for the youngest.
Gardening and video games happened between cooking and life skills adventures.
Now they are kind adults that I believe would help us anyway they could.
My grandmothers were distant and I never got to know them well so I didn't really have an example to follow. I did my own thing.

Katherine W 1d ago

I think you were and are a most excellent grandmother... And that your grandsons benefitted a lot from all the care and love you gave them.

PostcardsFromParadise 1d ago

You hope?!?

It sounds as if you were a most brilliant grandma - and still are.

My guess is that the boys often tell people about you and your amazing energy and incredible kindness.

Norcal Gma 2 1d ago

@PostcardsFromParadise
❤️

David W. Jones 2d ago

@NorcalGma2 Completely understandable about being anxious and upset! But sewer leaks can be fixed and cleaned up after, so recoverable. Love and hugs to all of you!

Plus they get to hang out with Summer, right?

Chris Hessert 2d ago

When I was in the Army and things were bad, someone would shout: "Embrace the Suck!"

It would break the tension, and be followed by a lot of dark humor. Somehow that shared experience, and knowing we were all enduring it together — even if it got worse (and often did) — would pull us back together in grim determination.

You're only defeated when you give up! 🙂

Norcal Gma 2 2d ago

@chessert
Definitely the same idea. We all deserve a break.

Shawn Harder 2d ago

@NorcalGma2 Odds are that you won’t find that particular technique in any self-help book 😄

Norcal Gma 2 2d ago

@sjharder
It always helps. I don't over use it just in case the neighbors are offended. Offending periodically is ok though.

Joseph Elfelt 2d ago

@NorcalGma2 "AWE SHIT" - made me laugh. Thank you.

@NorcalGma2
Go grandma and grandpa, too.

the words are maps 🗺📚🏡🏳️‍🌈2d ago

@NorcalGma2 this is brilliant advice and I think I might need to try it myself 😊❤️

Lloyd Lemons 2d ago

@NorcalGma2
Sorry to hear of your distress, but I see you have the best answer ... and we all carry on, one day at a time. 🙂

Catherine McCarthy 2d ago

@NorcalGma2 🗣️Awe 💩!! Sage advice 💛

Jeri Dansky 2d ago

@NorcalGma2 Having house stress on top of all the bad political news stress is a *lot*.

Beautiful flowers help a bit. Friends and family help, too. But it's still a lot.

Norcal Gma 2 2d ago

@jeridansky
The city had decided to off them flea bag hotel rooms instead of a vacation rental. I advised that they could chose to sleep here or push back for reasonable accommodations. The city reconsidered and offered rooms at the newish Marriott. This is all very unsettling.
The bright spot is that all of the asbestos will be gone.

Jeri Dansky 2d ago

@NorcalGma2 Unsettling, indeed. I'm glad the city reconsidered and will provide rooms at the Marriott.

And yeah, no more asbestos is certainly a Good Thing.

CaliCarol 2d ago

Aw shit, grandma.

Thanks for your lovely posts.