Wednesday Hodgepodge

What do/did you call your grandparents? If it's something unusual tell us the story behind the name. If you're a grandparent what do your grands call you? Who chose your moniker?

My maternal grandmother was "Old Grandma" and my paternal grandmother was "Other Grandma". That's what I called them when I was little to distinguish them because one was older than the other. I don't recall ever saying that to either of them. But as I got older I called them Grandma Alice and Grandma Joan. My paternal grandfather was Grandpa and my maternal grandfather died when I was two. I am Nana to Bennett. My daughter, Kyndal, gave me that name for her dog many years ago so it just transferred to Bennett.

Ever taken a road trip along the California Coast? If so what was the highlight of your trek? If not, any desire to do so? If you were to take a trip along the California Coast what's one attraction you'd have on your must-see list?

On my birthday a couple of years ago we were driving up the Pacific Coast Highway while on a family vacation driving from San Diego to San Francisco. It was absolutely beautiful! The highlight, however, was when it was over, unfortunately. I took one for the team and rode in the backseat so that Brynne could sit in the front seat because she gets carsick. But I also get carsick, so I was queasy the whole time. The views made it more than bearable.

What are three things you don't know how to do?

Sew, bake a good cookie, master the electronics in our house.

Tom Peters is quoted as saying "Celebrate what you want to see more of." If that's true what will you celebrate and more importantly, how will you celebrate?

I would like to see more happy, intact families ... you know, mom and dad and kids all together with smiles on their faces enjoying each other and supporting each other and being that safe place to land. When I am out and about I see a lot of disjointed families, unhappiness, anger, impatience, undisciplined kids and even more undisciplined parents. I feel like we celebrate our family almost every day. Being together and a team is very important to us. We make our time together a priority, support each other in whatever activities of which we are involved, allow each other to have the freedom to be the people God created us to be, but hold each other accountable when we are not holding ourselves up to His standards. To celebrate that I make sure to have family traditions, especially on holidays, and provide lots of family dinners at home. We do a lot of watching movies together and playing board games. We are pretty cocooned within the walls of our home in order to protect our family. It's important to us.

Thursday (February 16) is National Almond Day. Do you like almonds? Which would you prefer -- an Almond Joy or a macaroon? What's something you make that calls for almonds?

I do love almonds, and I would pick an Almond Joy over a macaroon, but I doubt I will indulge in one on Thursday, unless it's in one of my little homemade dark chocolate bites that has a sprinkle of dried cranberries and almonds.

What does Saturday morning look like at your house?

If it's in the winter it involves getting up for bowling league for Eli and basketball games for Brynne. Other than that, it's sleeping in and being as lazy as can be.

Share with us a favorite book you've read this winter.

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book by Wendy Welch. This is a memoir of a man and woman who, on a whim, purchase an old house in the small town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and turn it into a used book store. If you are a bibliophile, and especially if you are an introvert, you will love this book. It's cozy. Wendy even has a blog that I follow. I would love to be able to visit her and her husband there someday.

Insert your own random thought here.

Our family has been nailed with the stomach flu this past week! First it started with Kyndal and then Bennett and then Eli and then Brynne and then Chad (who lives with us) and then cycled back to Brynne. It's nasty and so stinking contagious that you might want to wash your hands right after reading this so you don't catch it. So far I have only felt a few middle-of-the-night hours of dizziness and slight nausea. Hoping we can go into this next weekend puke free.