Letters from Granny

Well, looks like the year is drawing near and all is well in our little corner of the world. Gramps and I are hoping that it is the same in yours.

We are real settled in Daytona Beach, Fl and trying to really remember that it is Christmas time. The weather is in the mid 80's most of the time.............. It seems so strange to us because we are used to snow and lots of it at this time of year. However the people here in Daytona have very unique ways of decorating palm trees and we have been fansinated by their ingenuity. One lady decorated the front of her fifth wheel hitch to look like a christmas tree. Believe it or not it is beautiful.

Gramps has found a gym here that he enjoys going to so he can keep his trim physique. Granny got herself a bike and gets a day or two in now and then to ride around the park. It's not doing much to improve on her fluffy figure though. Good thing she is so beautiful.......... That comes so naturally.

They went into Disney World for a couple days and checked out the Christmas displays. Not too bad but a little less than their expectations. Sure glad they were already here and didn't make a special trip to see them. The choir they have at Epcot was phenomenal. The program they put on about the birth of Christ was breathtaking and in itself made the venture to Disney World worth it. Of course Fantasmic was terrific as well so overall they had a good couple of days riding rides and shopping.

A new place called Silver Springs was pointed out to Gramps and Granny by Janie Balon and they really enjoy it. Silver Springs is a 350 acre nature theme park that surrounds the headwaters of the beautiful Silver River, the largest artesian spring formation in the world. Located 90 miles north of Orlando, just east of Ocala, Florida. About 45 minutes from Daytona, Beach. They have concerts by people like Lory Morgan, Chrystal Gayle, Wayne Newton Brenda Lee and Willie Nelson. Right up Gramps and Granny's alley. Be sure and go there if you get in this neck of the woods.

Granny has not been able to enjoy the beach as much as usual because they have had what is called a RED TIDE. When you go there it makes you cough and it is very hard to breath. She took two of her grandsons to the beach (unaware of the RED TIDE) and they climbed out of the ocean fast because they could not breath. No one really knows what causes it but some suspect it is from seaweed coming up the coast out of the Everglades.

On Dec. 24th Gramps and Granny will be taking a big bird out of Daytona to Denver so they can spend some time with their family. They miss them very much and will be very happy to see them all. After a short visit they will return to their winter haven and stay through March.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who read this.

Blog Granny and let her know how your Christmas holiday went, God Bless us one and all!!


visit www.alwaysunderfoot.com

Now that is the Question????????

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By name I am referring to Nicknames.......

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What caused me to reflect on this was my grandson Hudson.....He had stopped by with a few of his friends. Four to be exact.....and right at dinner time. Hudson has always had impeccable timing.

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Anyway, while he and his pals were sitting around munching on the final remnants of dinner:  I, being a good host, happened to ask, "Hudsie would you and the rest of the fellas like anything else?" 

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Failing to notice the little hunch in Hudsie's shoulders

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 and getting no response I repeated my question this time using his full nickname - "Hudsie Louie Reesie Peacie." To which there was an out burst of laughter that Bob Hope would have been proud of. ???? What? What?

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Hudsie was the only one not laughing.....But the grieve stricken look on his face left no doubt that he wished he were not here. 

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Then it hit me!!!!! (sometimes the light switch has to be flipped more than once) I had used the family nick name in the wrong setting.

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What to do...

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I know, I'll just quietly creep back to the kitchen and load the dishwasher.

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Fiddle-de-de, I can't be expected to call Hudson anything besides his given nick name. I'm the Granny for crying out loud..... It's not my fault his bosom buddies don't get that. Besides Mae and Danny (mom& dad) are the clan members who designated this handle.......Somehow I just couldn't reconcile my blunder. No matter how much I rationalized my poor choice of communication it was "my bad" that had caused Hudsie such total embarassment. 

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So why do we have nicknames......?  What on earth causes us to label the ones we love most with names other than the one they were given at birth? Everybody does it...Come on admit it.......You've got one, right?

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Bottom line I think family nicknames are usually generated by LOVE. We feel the need to make our clan members know they are so special that they should have an extra special name. So as long as there are people out there who think their clan members are special I don't imagine that family nicknames will ever go away. 

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Sorry Hudsie

Gabby Granny - (sometimes called Pidgeon)

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Got a tale to tell about your nickname? Write Granny all about it.

 

This is where I get to speak my peace:

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I say Grannies UNITE!

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 Are any of you other Grannies out there tired of rude, unmannerly people?

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Do you long for the "Good 'ole Days" when the younger people and gentlemen would get up and offer you a seat if the bus was full? Where did it all fade away to?

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The other day I had a young man say, "Let me get that door for you." and thought he was up to something. I actually gave him a Grumpy Granny look. Bless his little pea-pickin' heart. Nobody gets the door for you anymore unless they have an alterior motive. I might be old but the lights are still on.

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Anyway I just began reflecting on how shocked I was and how negatively I had reacted to the politeness the young man had extended. I thought it was such a shame that it had become such a foriegn act to me at this point in time. 

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Yes Mam, Please and Thank You are not even in the dictionary anymore are they? Heaven forbid prayers of thanks should be offered up at the dinner table or there should be any conversation. That's against somebody's rights to get back to a video game or watching the evening news. When's the last time you heard,"May I be excused?"

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Come on Grannie's, if you agree, let's unite.......

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No more fresh baked chocolate chip cookies until there's a turnaround.

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If you agree join me in my

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M - M - M Club 

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Make Manners Mandatory!!!

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That's Gabby Granny's motto!!!