Grandmas are so very special. I had two extremely different grandmas in regards to their personalities, styles, religion, and just about everything. Continue reading
Cool Grandmas
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Category Archives: Relationships
Lessons from Grandma Bauer
Grandma Bauer and Aunt Hyc
My Grandma Bauer was a feisty, loving woman. She came to America from Germany as a young woman. Grandpa Joe also came from Germany. I wish I knew more about their early lives but these are stories I never heard. The first thing she taught me was to be more curious about my relatives because their stories are too important to lose. Continue reading
It’s the Odd-Ball Things
Both mom and dad did so many amazing things for me over the years, but the ones that really stand out were the ones that dad did. We used to tease mom that it was because I didn’t have any happy childhood memories of her, but in actuality, it was because the things that dad did were the odd-ball things. Continue reading
My Dad – My Rock
My dad was my rock. To say I always saw eye to eye with my dad, especially in my teenage days, was an overstatement! We often would butt heads as I was a rather rebellious teenager and didn’t like his rules and restrictions, but I always found him to be the very foundation of my life. Continue reading
A Struggle for Dad’s Approval
I am a pig-tailed, 4-year-old girl, demurely leaning against my dad’s extended knee. He is half kneeling in some wild daisies beside tall sheltering pines. He is grinning with pride at the camera, my right hand is thoughtfully touching his chin. My adoring eyes are on his face as I take the first bite out of a perfect red apple. It is a 1969 photo of peace and approval. It is the goal I seem to be always reaching for. Continue reading
Memorable Firsts with a Memorable Guy
When I was young, I was very intimidated by guys. My siblings were all female and I seldom saw my one male cousin. When I was in seventh grade, I began going to dances at the Junior High School. My girlfriends all had guy crushes and they were always reciprocated. Continue reading
Untangling From Toxic Friends
All relationships are challenging.
When kids are very little it seems that having and making friends just go with the flow. As you get older things get a bit more complicated. Continue reading
Sister…I’m Going West!
It was a beautiful spring afternoon in 1975. My 5-year-old sister, Michelle, and I trekked across the freshly plowed field towards the rock hill on the edge of our grandparent’s acreage. A warm wind was blowing and we stood together on the top of the hill. Without much thought, I began walking down the “backside”. For some reason, Michelle asked me where I was going.
“West”, I answered. “I’m going west!” I repeated. Continue reading
My Feisty Grandma
Grandma Doris is one of the major reasons that I wanted to start Sidetracked Legacies. She was fun and feisty. But she’s been gone since June 2007 and it’s only now that I realize just how little I actually knew about her. Continue reading
Uncle in the Attic? I Had an Aunt in the Garden
One family member that I feel kind of gets overlooked is my Aunt Joan. She is the wife of a very, very, very interesting part of our family, my Uncle Lloyd. He is my father’s brother and we spent a lot of time with this family in Madison, WI. He was quite the guy, let’s say eccentric. His wife, Joan, had to be a saint to put up with him. He was loved unconditionally by most of his family. Continue reading
