A "Quiet" Evening :-)

During the last several months, Mom has been staying with me off and on while she did physical therapy. Our evenings have been full and we've enjoyed doing puzzles, watching Murder, She Wrote (one of mom's favorites), reading, word searches, doing family history, discussing the scriptures, etc. She even helped me stuff bears at Christmas time. :-)

The other night, however, was time to reintroduce Mom to her childhood years. :-) Together we watched Rudolph Valentino in Son of the Sheik (1926), which was actually his last film. It has been said Valentino could "make love to you with his eyes", making him a heartthrob of the 20's and of silent film. Although born in 1922, Mom only remembers seeing one silent film, King of Kings about the life of Jesus Christ, in the theater as a child. At the time of Sheik she was only 4 yrs. old, and the first "talkie" was released only a year later in 1927. Although pretty young when the silent film era ended, she does remember hearing others talk about Keaton, Chaplin, Garbo and even Valentino.

I can't say I converted her to my new hobby, but we laughed and talked together as we watched. And according to Mom, one of the best parts: she didn't need her hearing aids! :-)

Humble Pie

The other evening I was watching two of my grand-daughters for a few hours, Lillian age 2 and Abigail age 4. They'd had a great time reading books and playing Barbies but had moved to racing round and round the kitchen island.

Grandma/Me: "I need you to stop being wild and running around."

Abigail (totally confused): "But why can't we be wild?"

The question was asked with such innocence that my sister, Linda, buried her face in her scarf to keep from laughing out loud. Perhaps because I really didn't have much of an answer. :-)

The suggestion they could watch a movie was met with great enthusiasm and Abigail raced off to make her choice, coming back with Disney's Fantasia.

With both girls quietly sitting together on the couch, Linda and I were chatting at the kitchen table. I mentioned the movie they were watching and an upcoming part I remembered.

Me: "It's the part with those creatures that are part horse, part human . . . I don't remember what they are called."

Linda: "Hmmmm. I'm not sure what they are either."

Suddenly a little head (Abigail) popped up over the back of the couch, and with a lilt in her voice she declared with a bright smile: "They're centaurs!!!"

She then returned to her movie, innocently oblivious to the total astonishment on our faces. :-)

Bears, Bears and more Bears! :-)

For several years I've wanted to make a stuffed animal for each of my grandchildren. With the perfect pattern, lots of cuddly material and several bags of stuffing, this last Christmas was the year!

The Bears

Kimberly, Alicia, Megan & Natalie

Adelaide & Ethan

Aaron, Emma, Rebekah & Moriah

Teagen

Lillian & Abigail