To quote my childhood friend, “Oh bother.” But here we go…
In my immediate world…
The world in general
When I was younger, I loved to play softball. Growing up, my parents would often play softball with my brothers and me, and often the neighborhood kids would also join in our games.
Together as a family, we would also go watch the Oakland A’s. We enjoyed those moments.
Nowadays, my favorite sport is lounging by the swimming pool. Now, I have not gone totally soft; I enjoy water aerobics too.
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash
Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash
When I was a child, I enjoyed our holiday traditions. My sweet mother, Dotty Allen, made sure our childhood days were the best that they could be. Each holiday we spent together held so much magic and warmth and I have missed those days.
For every holiday and a few special Sunday mornings, Mom would make us those Pillsbury Orange Rolls to go along with our breakfast. We thought they were heavenly! As a child, my bedroom was right off the kitchen, and I loved to wake up to the sounds of mom singing in the kitchen while preparing breakfast.
The day before Easter, we would dye eggs, a family tradition my brothers and I looked forward to each year. Mom would buy the Paas Easter Egg Dye kits, grab coffee mugs from the cabinet, and make the colorful concoctions. I loved how the dye stained the inside of the cups, and I was always a little sad when the colors finally faded.
In the evenings after the boys went to bed, Mom and I would hide eggs in the house or in the backyard. On Easter morning, it was fun to watch my little brothers find the colored eggs. We even filled plastic eggs with jelly beans or chocolates and hid those little gems too.
Mom always made a special dinner for Easter too. She always made a ham with all the fixings. I loved it when my grandparents could visit too. Now, one year, I will never forget was when my Grandpa came into our kitchen laughing with my Grandma. When we heard their laughter, my brothers and I ran to greet them. On that rare occasion, they were affectionate with one another. It was the first and last time, I ever witnessed them kissing. Grandpa leaned down and sweetly kissed my Grandma. Then he stood up, wrapped an arm around my Grandma, and asked, “Isn’t she a sweet Honey Bunny?”
I have always cherished those special moments with my family.
Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash
If I could make my pets, my Max and Mitzi, understand one thing it would be for them to know how much I love them. This furry pair has brought so much joy to my life. Dogs should really live long lives….
“There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”
Anne Shirley
My parents named me after two great-grandmothers, Anna Strassberg (Annie) and Tamer Anna Payton (Ann). My name is a shortened version of Hannah, meaning “grace” or “God’s grace.” The Latin variation means “year,” and the Celtic version means “priceless.” In Turkish, Ann means “mother.” And if my family followed our German roots, I would be called Anja, meaning “eagle.”
Ann found popularity in 1934 and again around 1987. My nickname, Annie, remained center stage during the years 1896 and 2019.
And finally, while people spell Ann/Anne differently, this old-fashioned or should I state, this timeless name dropped in popularity over the years. According to the Babycenter, in 1961, the year I was born, my name ranked in 54th place out of 100 girl names.
Yet, this proud Grammie must admit, I have found pride in the fact that “Ann” has wiggled its way into the names of two sweet granddaughters: Jessica Ann and Kylie Ann. And Marie has found its way through several generations: Elva Marie, Dotty Marie, Ann Marie, Leslie Marie, and Sierra Marie.
So as far as names go, my parents didn’t do such a lousy job, and after all these years, well, it’s kinda grown on me.
During my senior year of high school, I had to take a career aptitude test. It offered a series of questions to help me discover careers that meshed with my personality, strengths, and personal interests. Usually, most students had two or three top career choices, but not me. I had five. My friends laughed at my varying suggestions for my future career, and even my school counselor chuckled at my results, for they were all over the place.
My top five career suggestions included:
And the funny thing is that I have worked/dabbled at all five recommendations. At thirty-three, I decided to go to school to get my teaching degree. Over thirty years later, I have my BA in English and my masters in cultural and linguistic diversity. And I have been teaching for over twenty-five years.
When I first moved to Colorado, I worked a temporary job in a hardware store and later found another temporary job as a switchboard operator for private companies. Still, my first real job in Colorado was when I began working for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). I loved working outdoors. My crew cut trees, built fences and rafting sites, and planted trees. We looked for wildlife and cleaned recreational areas. And when the administration got behind on their work, they pulled me in to work as a secretary.
For a time, I dabbled in photography. I took black-and-white photography classes and learned how to develop my own work. I took photos for friends, senior pictures, and nature shots when I had the chance. One year, a photo took first place for a nature shot for BLM. But I drew the line at wedding pics. After four weddings, I discovered that the sweetest women become scary mothers of the bride, and the blushing bride often turns into a bridezilla. Nowadays, my old Canon Rebel and my Sony Digital collect dust. I really need to pull out the Sony and start shooting again. I have only taken pictures on my iPhone in the year and a half since I finally started using my this device. Hmm, I see new adventures on the horizon.
In college, I started writing for the school magazine and paper. I won writing contests, published poetry, and received a writing scholarship. In my senior year of college, I was asked to attend a poetry seminar to share my work. I was one of seven invited, and I was the only one in the room who did not have a master’s degree or was not currently working towards their master’s. During that time, a professor asked me to participate in a symposium because of an essay I had written about women and children after divorce. It was published, and I am proud to admit that I was included with Ivy League professors, not too shabby for a late bloomer who always worried if her writing would ever be “good enough.”
Now, I have a blog that all began with family stories and genealogy. Over the years, my blog has grown as I have included short stories, poetry, flash fiction, and even writing challenges. And just today, I was shocked to discover that my subscribers have grown. I now have over 1,000 subscribers. Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed that my family blog would grow like this. Funny how life has twists and turns and offers blessings and joy at every stage of our lives. And I must admit that I am forever amazed at the promise, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4).”
So I wonder; what is in store for my future adventures? For this Grammie, it’s incredible to realize that new journeys await just around the bend.
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