Mary over at Momma’s Corner always sends me the most interesting e-mail items. This one about penny post cards, I tucked away after looking at the site because I knew it would make an interesting post some day. Then my friend from Cop Car’s Beat wrote a comment on my birthday post about how many of her loved ones were born in 1936.

So I went looking at the penny postcards from Minnesota and came across this one from that year in Crookston. Since the weather was unbelievably cold up north that winter, the Elks were certainly a hardy group to come up with a dance where you wore summer clothes. Guess we were a much hardier and crazier people in those days. I doubt if my folks attended this event since I was born a few weeks later.

I then checked out Marshalltown, Iowa for Bob and when he saw this old postcard of the local hotel, he took a wonderful trip down memory lane telling me how years later than this postcard, he sold newspapers as a young boy on that very corner.

Here’s hoping you will take a moment and look up some old familiar places in your past or places that existed before you were born that are part of a favorite town’s history. I promise it will make for a few moments of nostalgia and fun.

For my friends from other countries, I am sure you can find similar places for postcards. If you do, please let me know and I will add the URL to this post

Meanwhile, click here
PENNY POSTCARDS

I will be curious to learn about the places you visited so please let me know.

The world is full of wonder and no wonder greater than the first creative story written by a grand-daughter along with a confiding note reading, “ Nana, I think I want to be a writer when I grow up.

Years of teaching have left me aware of the magic of these words. Over time, I watched and nurtured so many budding young authors as they took their first baby steps in writing. That first little light of creativity burned so brightly and I prayed it would be fanned and encouraged as my little writers left elementary school.

I believe in teachers, in and out of the classroom, and I believe my students went on to find encouraging mentors to walk with them as they learned to express themselves through writing; be it in the arts, industry, or science.

This little one is blessed with her mother, Dawn, who writes beautifully, is working on her first book, and is not afraid to write the truth as she sees it.

But enough! It is time to introduce my guest author and illustrator. Jade hails from the state of Oregon where she attends first grade. She lives in a world of Brownie Scouts, fairies, Barbie dolls, and a companion Chihuahua named Tinker belle. Please welcome her to my site. It is my privilege to post her first fictional story

MERMAID ON A BIKE

Long, long, long, long, long, long, long ago. There was a mermaid and her name was Alieea. And she wanted a bike. When she got her bike it was too small! They took it back and then she got another bike and it was too big! And then she got the perfect sized bike, it was a medium sized bike and when she rode it she just had to steer cause she is a mermaid and has no feet, so she just steers. And her bike was the beautifulest bike in the world.

Then she met a mermaid friend and she had a bike that was perfect too. And they could share each other’s bike. Her mermaid friend’s name was Emily. And then when she had a friend she went to her dad to see if she was okay. She got just a tiny cut on her finger. They put a mermaid band aid on it. And then she had a great life. She always wanted to have a friend and then she had lots of other friends. Then they spent the night with mermaid beanbags for their pillows and mermaid sleeping bags and then they saw a mermaid angel and a mermaid faerie. Then they went to pick some berries. But then a horrible seaweed monster came and they ran back home and they lived happily ever after.

Written and illustrated by JADE

Today is Valentine’s Day and may I wish you all the happiest of “Love You” days. Bob brought home special flowers yesterday afternoon and tonight he promises to fix me his famous vegetarian pizza and then we will watch an old classic movie. If the weather is cool enough, I will ask him to fix a fire in the fireplace.

My feelings toward the love of my life are best summed up in a response to his grandson’s question in an e-mail I responded to yesterday morning. I think it is worth sharing in this post as my Valentine tribute to my husband.

Dave wrote:
Wednesday is Valentine’s Day. What do you and Grandpa have planned?em>

My reply:
As to Valentine’s Day, all I can say is that I am blessed with a husband who give great hugs, who says “I love you” many times a day, who massages my feet every night, who tells me how nice I look more often than not, who brings me flowers, and compliments my cooking. . . with someone like your Grandpa every day is Valentine’s Day!
Grandma Maria

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone!

I have been making Memory Books pages for the twins. This act of love is both fun and creative. It also makes me feel as though I am doing something special for Kristi and the babies. When Kenju from Just ask Judy inquired about baby photos in her comments on this morning’s post, like the Nana I have become, I jumped to the task of posting some of the pages in an album. There is much more to do, but what is there now comes from their 2nd and 3rd months. Right now I am working backward so birth to two months will be added as I work on them

This one however tickles me so much that I feel it deserves a post of its own.

From Nana Maria’s Journal of February 8:
We made a trip in the middle of the night to the Emergency room. Danica had a fever and upset tummy. She needed baby Motrin and her mommy needed reassuurance. It all worked out and by 4AM we were back in our beds and Danica was cooing and smiling.

There are more photos in the album on the right. Just click on it and then on the first photo. Click on the next arrow and the photos will stay at a large size.

Kristi and babies arrived on my birthday for a two day visit. I love these visits and my opportunity to share mother-daughter thoughts with Kristi and to hold and play with Danica and Eric.

The twins are growing rapidly so we took advantage of the Big Blow Out Sale at Mervyns. Lots of fun shopping for cute clothing in the six to nine month size since they have already outgrown the zero to three month stuff and are rapidly working their way out of the three to six month clothing.

We did the “shop til you drop stuff” twice and were too tired to even take it out of the car that first night. The next morning right after breakfast we spread it out on the bed. What fun sorting out the new little dresses for Danica and the fine little shirts and pants for Eric. I had the strongest sense of flash back. Suddenly, in my mind’s eye I was back in my childhood playing with dolls and sorting out the clothes I would put on each one. The warm and vivid feeling of that memory stayed with me all day.

Kristi has taken to motherhood, like the proverbial duck to water. I am enthralled and proud of her all at the same time. She balances feeding, changing, and all that comes in-between like a pro. How blessed we all are!