Most Liked Family Blogs (545)

Some people count their blessings based on material wealth. I guess there is nothing wrong with that really.

For me, I count my blessings with my health (very active at 67, still do 100 push up a day), but most especially the love of my children, and my friends.

I have decided to go back and live permanently in California as I am now fully retired.

I will be very close to all my children and grandchildren and live very modestly and simply. Of course, I still hope to travel the world as I am accustomed to and just smell the roses and enjoy nature which I love very much.

My youngest daughter offered to drive with me and I am more than thrilled with this adventure.

We are leaving today, it takes at least two days before we get back home. I will not be able to baby sit this blog but thanks all for your read and or comment if any.



This was taken in Utah at the salt basin.

On top of the mountain covered with salt.





My poor X5 loaded up to the ying yeng.


My addiction, vegetables.
Last week at the Bay Area's Farrners' market. June 12, 2018



At the corner suite of my favorite place Winstar 19th floor by the North Tower, October 2018

today in Oakland airport, my first time to use it, and quite stressed free. I normally fly through San Francisco, because of Delta and United but boy how easy and less crowded Oakland is. Jan. 20, 2019

And that's the Pacific Ocean behind me through the window.
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Taken today 7/20/22

I was inspired by Imp's blog about 'I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM' and weeks later I'm getting to actually do the blog.

My dad was born in New York City.
Like most kids, my dad had an after school job. His was making (bicycle) deliveries for a sundries/pharmacy store. I'm told after a while, he was offered a position to work inside at the fountain serving ice cream, making milk shakes, sodas and banana splits. From this job, he actually learned how to make ice cream.

War time came along and he and his buddies decided to serve their country by joining the Navy.

They asked what kind of jobs he had and his answer was "I know how to make Ice Cream" Good... they assigned him to the commissary aboard the USS Missouri where he got to see many stops in the Pacific Ocean. Ice cream on the ship was packaged in thick paper pint-size cartons shaped like 'bricks' hundreds of them.

The story told was the money they made in the Navy was invested in watches and jewelry purchased on shore leave and sold to the guys who had to stay on the boat. The profits from that bought them money to buy raw ingredients to make more ice cream. Soon they were bartering and again turning profits back into their side business. With surplus ice cream they soon sold to guys from other boats docked at the same port.

If you've seen any Navy movies or documentary, they could signal from boat to boat using a version of Morse Code and a signal light.

As 2 boats got close they would shoot a steel cable of the bow of the other boat and they would tighten it. Duffel bags were used to pass mail from boat to boat. When they learned it was the Missouri "Do you have any ice cream?" was a popular request.

My dad was on the Missouri when Japan signed a surrender with the United States. He came home with a badge mounted to a wooden plaque to signify his assignment.

Back to civilian life and my dad tried a being a business owner. Although he was in the right place at the right time, that wasn't his calling in life. Long hours for a guy starting a family was too much for him. He had a sundries store across from a school and bought a new style machine that could make soft serve ice cream. Something different from scooping hard ice cream out of gallon tubs. He had 2 flavors. Vanilla and Chocolate.

His only competition at the time was a guy across town who only had soft serve in one flavor... Vanilla.

I'm told my father sold the business and went to work for someone.

Oh, that guy across town was Tom Carvel.

All I ever wish for in life is to be happy with Christ, a lovely job, a nice home, and a loving family that I can always look forword to go home to when the day is over that's I ever asked for.

My grandivas are in their mid to late twenties now. One of my cutest memories from when they were in elementary school is about the time texting began. The girls got phones and I got a text at work from the oldest one. I texted back and for a few text we enjoyed each other. Then it occured to me she turned me into the little girl I once was passing notes in elemetary school. Neither of us was supposed to be texting from school or work but there we were both being kids.

Now she is a flight attendant, today in Amerstdam posting photos on FB showing how happy she is. Yesterday she face timed me while she was doing her make up. She was cute as hell when the phone call started but then as she piled crap (makeup) on her face, did her cheeks, eyebrows, lashes, then fixed her hair all while face timeing she ended up looking like she belonged on a magazine that would give every man a boner. She always let me know how she was having fun being single but now she has a boyfriend for two months.

My first question was "good sex?" and she said yes. Funny question from a grandma but tough if anyone has a problem with that.

I believe I wrote about hospice being called in for my Dad over a month ago. He was so bad off. I figured since Hospice was called his departure would be soon, not the case. In my youth I heard a saying "Waiting on someone to die is the longest wait"

I took Mom some chicken for dinner yesterday, while I was there she called Dad and put him on speaker. He sounds great, a bit confused at times but enough clarity to declare Mom is the Love of his life. He knows the life situation outside his world is bad and he expressed how he missed her but wants her to stay safe.

It's just weird not being able to see him on one hand but on the other I'm glad Mom was forced to stay home for awhile and catch up on some rest.

When the time comes maybe we can celebrate his life at his funeral standing 6 feet apart. Haven't let myself thing abbout the funeral in our current situation, couldn't stand the thought of his body being thrown on a truck. Wouldn't affect me but it would kill Mom.

It's no secret that a good percentage of the Asian women on CS are Philippine working in other countries. It could be cities like Hong Kong, Singapore or Dubai where they are contracted to be domestic help and in many cases, English teachers for young children.
The ones who have a medical background usually hire out as nurses or health care workers.

One profile stated she is an OFW. That acronym was new to me and it means Overseas Filipino Worker and describes people who leave their country in search of opportunity that is not available in Philippines.

My father was in the Navy during WWII and traveled the Pacific. While docked in the Philippines, one of his buddies met a hospital worker and they started a relationship. After the war, she came to America where they married and lived happily ever after!

There is a large Philippine community in Miami and some women I've met were in the medical field having received their nurse training in the Philippines.

A lot of credit goes out to the women who accept the challenge of working in a foreign land to aid their families back home!

Just thinking….

remembering the day I explained death to my son, when he was 3 years old. That was the day we were in my favorite Forest, connecting with our Earth mother and Creator. We walked around listening to the sounds of insects and animals around us, smiling at sprouting tree’s, and hugging a few big one’s along the way. I think it was after we both relieved ourselves at the root of some trees, and offered mother some old veggies that we came across the fallen tree. She was massive, and he was curious. The tree had been there for a while, as it was partially broken down already. I told my son “this tree is sleeping with Earth mother, see?” I reached down and grabbed some of the bits of disintegrated wood, allowing him to watch it fall loosely from my hands ( I probably should have asked the tree permission to do this; darn it, I wasn’t thinking to ask at the time ). After he watched me scatter the particles, I told him: “When we sleep with Earth mother, we don’t wake back up, and after a while of sleeping with her, we go back to her body and become part of her again, just like this tree. This is what Nanna Jackie and your hamster Angus look like right now, cuz they’re sleeping with mother Earth too”. To which, his eyes widened and he let out “Oooooh!” And from the way he said it, I could tell, even at age 3, he understood what I was telling him.

My siblings and I have been 'orphans' since April of 2017, when my last parent made her exit from this life. Her pictures, words, mannerisms, efforts, and other elements of her existence often cross my mind. Even more so, is the fact that persons who knew her remind me that I look, speak/sound, act and think like a younger version of her. Unfortunately, that very similarity may have been the cause of our frequent 'head-butting' whilst she was here. All I can cherish now are the memories.

A part of showing love is cherishing those that you care about. They may be friends, family, pets, work colleagues, neighbours, etc. It is especially important, I think, to cherish those who give meaning to our life, even if indirectly so. A phone call, a small token/gesture, a kind note, a word of thanks, a smile, a hug, a wave....a little can go a long way.

Don't wait...let's cherish each other today.

Ha ha my son left his 12 yr old son with me for a week. I haven't watched a boy child in almost 50 years. When the divas were little I was younger and still in the working force with much more energy or patience than I have as a retiree. I was a bit scared at first. The family left ALL the Christmas leftovers with me since my man child eats a LOT. That actually does my heart good is having a good eater in the house since I have to fight with the tiny furball to eat, she hates to be bothered with eating.

So far it's been fun. I give him an early morning chore and when he is done he can do anything he wants all the rest of the day. Mostly he wants to game, which gives me time to game. Him on the comupter and me mine. Then we watch a movie together. I get to enjoy his laughter. At dinner time he cleans his plate, that makes me very happy. Also nice to have someone to cook for.

He also talks my ear off but I can deal with that, harsh as it is. Crappy Pandemic keeps me from taking him places so we are stuck in the house with each other. He begged to stay with me which makes me feel mighty special.

One day my son texted to tell me to make sure he joined a zoom program for learning and I said No Way Jose - I'm not a practicing disciplinarian, I'm just a Nai Nai that gets to spoil her grandchild and I"M loving it.

I'm only 3 days in - hope it keeps going this well. Today I'm going to teach him how to play backgammon.