Any news?

Many years ago when I lived with my parents every Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock the phone would ring and the voice at the other end of the line would ask, “Any news?”  The woman’s name was Jasper and she wrote a column for our hometown newspaper. The column was always full of things like where people ate dinner, a list of folks who were sick, and any exciting social events she might know of (lol). Once she wrote something about my mother’s hair that went something like this, “Snow flakes must have come early this year as Shirley Bell’s hair is now frosted. It is as lovely as a winter snow.”

Mom was not pleased.

Anyway, today I’m sharing a random news story about a nana from Pennsylvania and thought you might have some you want to share. So as Jasper once said, “Any news?”  If so be sure and send it in. We love hearing from visitors!

A Very Naughty Nana

A  Pennsylvania woman who denied leaving her 8-year-old granddaughter behind with stolen goods was ordered to stand trial on shoplifting charges. Elaine Weimer, 50, was ordered to stand trial on Wednesday on charges of retail theft, endangering the welfare of a child, and corruption of minors.

  • Workers at a Wal-Mart store in  testified they confronted Weimer about shoplifting on June 23. The girl returned $199 worth of items in reusable shopping bags she was carrying — but the employees said Weimer denied knowing the girl, got in her car and drove away.

The girl was not charged and told state police her grandmother told her “to get stuff for her grandmother and her grandmother made her hold the bags.”

Obviously not all nanas are nice!

Help Us Celebrate Our Birthday Next Month

August is almost here and there’s lots going on behind the scenes at NanaHood to get ready for our very first Birthday Bash!

NanaHood turns one next month!

NanaHood turns one next month!

It’s hard to believe but on August 11th NanaHood will have it’s first birthday (that’s the date of our first ever post) and boy do we have a celebration planned!

Char and I have been emailing back and forth daily and have come up with lots of fun ideas. We will have offer lots of great prizes for women of all ages. So be sure and stay tuned during the next few weeks as we continue to drop hints about our birthday party plans!

Everyone is invited and we do hope you’ll stop by, register for prizes and wish us Happy Birthday!

balloon

Thursday Thoughts On Teenagers

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago I was a teenager. I slept late and stayed up to the wee hours of the morning. I did what I had to do to keep peace with my parents and for the most part I stayed out of trouble.  I was taller than most of the girls and the guys in my class and I hated that. I spent my teen years wishing I was shorter, that my brown hair was blonde and that my body shape was more like Marilyn Monroe and less like Cher. If I had to sum up my teen years I could do it in one word: misfit.

Remember the Rudolf the Reindeer movie and the Island of Misfit Toys? That’s where I thought I belonged. I was convinced no one in the world looked like I did, had the same problems I did, or felt like I did inside. It wasn’t fun being me during those years.

review_misfit_7

And because of that when it came time to choose what age student I wanted to work with I knew immediately I wanted to work with teenagers.

Working with teenagers in the classroom is different from having your own, for one thing you can’t send your own home at three every afternoon.

A good friend of mine was visiting and she told me about some advice a friend of hers gave his teenage sons. “If you get arrested stay in jail as long as possible. You will be safer there than you will be at home.”

Some teens sail through the teen years as easily as a yacht on smooth water, while others struggle just to keep their heads above water. I wish there was a way to make the ones who struggle understand that so many of the things that you think are important during your teen years really aren’t, but most of them will be like me and have to find that out for themselves.

I love teenagers, even the ones that gave me the hardest time in my classroom. They are like the young trees in my yard. They just need time, some water and some sunshine to help them deepen their roots, grow, and blossom.

tree

Wordless Wednesday and Wisdom

The weight of bearing fruit

The weight of bearing fruit and yes, my dog watered the tire in the background

Grandmother Wisdom: Last Wednesday I shared some of my grandmother’s advice about what to do with pennies, this week I’m sharing something a reader sent in.

My grandmother had a saying that went,”Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”.  I surely didn’t inherit that trait because I am not a morning person!  Even though the place I work requires me to be there at 7:00 am, I have never truly adjusted to it even after 20 years.  I do my best work in the afternoons and evenings.  So even though I have to force myself to “rise early” to get to work, maybe that will account for something in the old saying that she had.  Always enjoy your stories on Nanahood!

Lee Ann

Thanks, Lee Ann! How about you? What piece of advice did your grandmother share with you? Send it in to me at teresa@nanahood.com

Blessings to you,

Teresa

This post is linked up a 5MinutesforMom.com and Marvelous Mommy.  You can join in with the Wordless Wednesday BlogHop by leaving your link below:

Passionate about Peru

Today I’m giving thanks for one of my oldest (but young at heart) friends. Her name is Annette and not only did we grow up together, we went to college together, and we were in each other’s weddings. In fact, there isn’t an important moment in my life that Annette hasn’t shared. Because we know each other so well she doesn’t surprise me often, but two weeks ago she shocked me to the core. I got a text message from her that said, “I’m at the airport. Leaving for Peru.”  My mouth dropped open. Annette has never been out of the country! And to get all the way to the airport before she told me of her plans….I couldn’t believe it! But then again, I could.

Annette’s oldest daughter Kelli has been to Peru several times as a volunteer. She goes with a group from Texas and they work in several orphanages down there. I knew when Annette said Peru that she was with Kelli and they were going to do mission work. For two weeks I have followed them on Facebook and today I am giving thanks and gratitude for missionaries like Annette and Kelli, as well as praising God for their safe return. And for other folks who travel near and far to do God’s work.

In a few weeks I will have a post with more details about their trip, but until then I will share a few pictures with you. Hope you have a great Gratituesday. What are you thankful for today?

Annette with a young disabled girl who lives in one of the orphanges they visited.

Annette with a young disabled girl who lives in one of the orphanges they visited.

Annette's daughter Kelli getting a hug!

Annette's daughter Kelli getting a hug!

Craft time.

Craft time.

Isn't she cute?

Isn't she cute?

gratituesdaynov094

Making Memories at the Lake

What goes together like cake and ice cream at a birthday party? Summer time and water, of course. Last week we rented a pontoon boat and took our crew to the lake. We even took my two grandpuppies and our dog, Murphy. If you look close at one of the pictures you can see Murphy hiding under a chair. His favorite part of the day was eating the hot dog that Bill accidentally dropped.

It was a great way to spend a hot day in July. How about you? Did you make any memories this weekend?

Yes, you can play ring around the rosie in the lake!

Yes, you can play ring around the rosie in the lake!

More lake pictures….

mmmbanner2

Nanas in the News

Here are 3 news stories about grandmothers in the news! Be sure and read them all!

Kentucky

Six years ago an Elizabethtown toddler was murdered and her grandmother is making sure their little girl is not forgotten.

Madison Ann Cundiff, nicknamed Madi by her family, died May 7, 2004 after her father’s live-in girlfriend shook her to death. Madi’s death left not only a void, but also piles of medical and funeral bills.

Madi’s grandmother, Hope Cundiff, is doing everything she can to try to ease the pain of losing a child for other families. She’s raising money for the Madison Ann Cundiff Memorial Foundation. It works to help family members of a murdered child by paying the funeral costs and establish a scholarship fund for siblings.

“I hope we never have to help anyone, but you and I both know that’s not going to happen,” Cundiff said. ”So, we want to be there for the folks.”

Friday night, Cundiff made sure a concert would do just that. She brought together gospel groups from around the area to sing at the New Horizon Baptist Fellowship in Glendale, Ky. Local musicians say they were glad to help.

“We appreciate the opportunity to offer not only our support for the family, but for the community,” said Dave Emery of the Chuck Wagon Gang.

For more information you can visit the Madison Ann Cundiff Memorial Foundation.

(This story came from WHAS 11)

mdayline2

Oklahoma

Police Tasered an 86-year-old disabled grandma in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she couldn’t breathe, after her grandson called 911 seeking medical assistance, the woman and her grandson claim in Oklahoma City Federal Court. Though the grandson said, “Don’t Taze my granny!” an El Reno police officer told another cop to “Taser her!” and wrote in his police report that he did so because the old woman “took a more aggressive posture in her bed,” according to the complaint.

Lonnie Tinsley claims that he called 911 after he went to check on his grandmother, whom he found in her bed, “connected to a portable oxygen concentrator with a long hose.” She is “in marginal health, [and] takes several prescribed medications daily,” and “was unable to tell him exactly when she had taken her meds,” so, Tinsley says, he called 911 “to ask for an emergency medical technician to come to her apartment to evaluate her.”
In response, “as many as ten El Reno police” officers “pushed their way through the door,” according to the complaint.
The grandma, Lona Varner, “told them to get out of her apartment.”

The remarkable complaint continues: “Instead, the apparent leader of the police [defendant Thomas Duran] instructed another policeman to ‘Taser her!’ He stated in his report that the 86 year-old plaintiff ‘took a more aggressive posture in her bed,’ and that he was fearful for his safety and the safety of others.

Remind me not to ever have agressive posture in my bed!

England

Buckingham Palace says Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, are expecting their first child in December, a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II’s first great-grandchild.

A statement issued Friday by the palace said “the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Autumn’s family, have been informed and are delighted with the news.”

Congrats to the Queen!

queen

Have a super Saturday and send me any news stories about Nanas that you think are interesting!