Sometimes when we contemplate the age old question of why we are what we are… maybe we should just look at old 8 mm movies. My Mom is the one in the blue swimsuit with the white trim.  Isn’t she just lovely beyond belief?  She still is.  Her cousin Claire, now deceased, is the one in the black & white [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the RUBIK’S CUBE’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the RUBIK’S CUBE:  The Rubik’s Cube is considered the most popular puzzle in the world. The Rubik’s Cube is a cube-shaped puzzle constructed of layers of nine cubies that can [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s BEACH PADDLE BALL’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is Beach Paddle Ball: Beach Paddle Ball is a game played with 2 – 4 players, using 16-inch wooden paddles with short handles and a small, hollow rubber ball. HOW is [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the Game of WIFFLE BALL’s turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)…   WHAT is the Game of Wiffle Ball:  The Game of Wiffle Ball, a variation of the game of Baseball, is played with a Wiffle Ball… where a hard ball [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the Game of MARBLES’ turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the Game of Marbles:  There are many variations of the Game of Marbles… but each game is a game of skill, concentration, coordination, competition and fun using small, colored [...]

Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the BOOGIE BOARD’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon and her grandchildren Jake and Maddie)… WHAT is the Boogie Board: The Boogie Board, sometimes called a body board or belly board, is a very short, foam surfboard-type structure with one straight [...]

Every TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids. Today, it’s the STRONGMAN STRIKER’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon)… WHAT is the Strongman Striker:  The Strongman Striker is often called the High Striker… and it’s a game of strength involving a contestant, muscles, a mallet and a bell. WHO plays Strongman [...]

Joann von Goethe wrote, Every second is of infinite value. The living realization of this can happen in a simple game of Arm Wrestling with a grandchild… Alex’s smile tells it all. These are moments locked in his mind… and in the mind of Pop-up. Moments of infinite value.      

Okay. I skydived, or sky-dove… (what is the past tense of skydive, anyway?)… last week, on my 57th birthday, and checked skydiving off my list.  And for the next 51 weeks, I’ll be checking off 56 more things that I want to accomplish. 57 things in 52 weeks. 57 in 52. #2 is just as outside my comfort zone as [...]

If only we all could forever capture our exuberance, enthusiam, effervescence, eagerness and trust and triumph of youth. Last night, the hottest night of the summer, I captured my 6-year old grandson Andrew’s adventures off the diving board.  For these photos, he had one word:  “Awesome!” Yep.  I agree.  But I mean that Andrew is AWESOME… and my greatest wish [...]