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Sue Spitulnik

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Sue Spitulnik

I am a retired grandmother that grew up in western New York State, left for 25 years, and am now back in the area. I happily live with my husband and two cats. I am pro-military, writing, food, family, and quilting. I am con-exercise, insulting commercials, and lack of common sense. I have met some great friends through this website.

Let Your Children Serve You

I have a confession.  When I was a young mother, I didn’t have the patience to have my children help me in the kitchen.  I liked to get things done quickly, neatly, and with the expected outcome.  I didn’t know I was making a mistake by not letting them help, thus learn about cooking and responsibility.  The good part, they are both over 40 now and the main cooks in their households.  I’m proud of them for learning despite my actions.

Children like to feel like they are contributing.  I found with my grandson that if I asked for his help, instead of giving instructions and making demands, we had a good time.  At age one he was allowed to get all the pans out; he would  crash bang the lids, spread an obstacle course around the kitchen, then put them all in a circle with himself in the center.  It kept him occupied for a long time. He then graduated to wanting to help wash the dishes, then to cracking eggs for me while baking.  (One ended up on the floor and not in the bowl.  My daughter looked at me, shook her head and left the room.  I didn’t yell at him, just cleaned it up.  The rules change when you get older and it’s a grandchild.  I’m pretty sure she didn’t think it was fair.)

I remember some friends of ours who have three boys; they had to make the peanut butter and jelly sandwich different for each one.  How?  One wanted the jelly on the bottom, another had to have the jelly on top, and the third wanted his “fo-ded” (folded) not cut!  Mom was smart enough to make them all the same, and just place them on the plate the correct way.  One day Dad was on duty and he had to call Mom to find out the rules.  We are still laughing about it.

Let your kids take over the kitchen to celebrate this day.  If they are little, let them play with the bowls and spoons; if a little bigger, share the cooking but let them do the planning; the meal doesn’t have to fancy, a bologna sandwich will do; you get the idea; the only rule, they are not allowed to call for take-out.  Help them learn that serving (giving) is a wonderful trait that will take them farther in this world than any other.

 

 

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Dedicated to Dack S.

I’m looking forward to football season, or should I say the start of the games that get the teams into the playoffs.  I don’t pay much attention to the pre-season games because I’…

Source: Dedicated to Dack S.

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What Was Your Favorite Stuffed Animal?

Kenny Chesney sings a song that has a line in it telling about a little girl dragging her teddy bear up the stairs.  If you are a parent I’m sure you could quickly name your child’s favorite stuffed animal.  If you are a younger person you may still have your childhood teddy bear or critter of choice.  I had two: one was a bear with a music box that played Brahms Lullaby and the other was an octopus.

I know a young man who has finished graduate school and is a sports announcer in a good size city.  He worked in our town for a while, and a stuffed cat from his alma mater came with him.  When he left town, I had the privilege of taking him to the airport; the stuffed cat was on top of his carry on bag, never out of sight.  It represented home.

My grandson’s most favorite stuffed animal, of way too many, was a tiny beige dog he named Pongo.  It was the one thing he had to have with him or he won’t go to sleep.  Pongo accidentally ended up in the laundry at my house once.  I had to take him home at 10PM after searching for him for an hour.  Anything for your grandchild.

I know two different ladies that at the age of 70+ had a teddy bear on their couch.  When I asked each of them who they got the bear from, sadly, I got the same answer.  “I bought it for myself because no one else ever did.”  When my aunt went into an assisted living facility she was very upset she couldn’t have a cat.  We got her a stuffed one that looked so real other residents complained she had a pet in her room.  When we would visit, we would hold it and pet it because it was really soft. Auntie slept with it on her bed.

I’m sure there is a psychological reason that humans like their teddy bears.  I’m guessing it’s a different for everyone.

Oh, it’s also National Hug Your Boss Day.  With today’s political correctness B.S. and sexual harassment allegations, I wouldn’t suggest doing that.  Maybe give him/her a teddy bear instead.

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Pediatric Nurses Day

The picture has the correct name for this day; National Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day.  I truly hope no one in your family or circle of friends ever needs to get to know one of these very special people, but we know life isn’t always fair.

My daughter had major surgery when she was 3 1/2 to fix problems in her urinary tract.  I’m thankful it wasn’t cancer or a blood disorder.  Luckily she hasn’t needed more surgery as she ages.  That Doc did a great job.  Where, you might ask.  At Chanute Air Force Base Hospital in Rantoul, Illinois.  That was way back in 1978.  The base isn’t open anymore.

As a young mother, away from home, with two children and an Air Force husband, that was not an easy time in my life.  If you haven’t had any connection with a branch of the U. S. military, I will tell you they are a brotherhood.  In base housing, your neighbors are generally immediate friends, because they are away from home, just like you.  There is a bond produced by understanding that a military member’s life is not his/her own.  When the government of the country the member has signed their life away to, says jump. you jump.  It’s not a question, or a I’ll think about it, it’s how it is.  The families bond together just like the active duty members do because it’s necessary.  (I’m not complaining, just trying to explain.  I do digress.)

The nurses, techs, room cleaners, and doctors in a military hospital are all active duty military members, or they were in 1978, maybe it’s different now.  Anyway, I admire them highly.  Taking care of someone you can communicate with is one thing, caring for a baby is another.  Taking care of a child or teen that wants no part of a stranger can be trying too.  I have noticed that sick children seem to be calmer than non-sick.  My daughter’s surgeon said she didn’t feel good enough to be a brat, until he fixed her.  It was worth it.

I am an emotional person.  I cry at things in movies that others don’t even see as poignant. I cry when I’m happy, when I’m sad, and when I’m frustrated.  So, again, I admire any nurse that can care for a child, do their best, comfort the parent, then watch them walk out of their lives as quickly as they appeared.  Maybe it’s the quick come and go that makes it easier for them.  I couldn’t do their job without getting attached.

I’ll repeat, I pray you never have to know one of these caring, capable, super-human nurses.  I’m thankful they exist.

 

 

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It’s Never Too Late to Start

September 7th has five National Days attached to it so we’ll have a little fun, then learn that it’s never too late to start.

It’s Neither Snow, Nor Rain Day referring to having our mail delivered in all sorts of weather. Be appreciative!  After a long cold, rainy day your mail carrier might go to his/her local bar to warm up with some hot Acorn Squash (Day) soup, order a Salami (Day) sandwich, then cool the tongue with a Beer (Lover’s Day).  I know, silly, but you have to admit, it works!  Sort of!  And I know Facebook will probably only recognize the Beer part; maybe the mail carrier.

So let’s look at Grandma Moses;

Anna Mary Robertson Moses (September 7, 1860 – December 13, 1961) is an example to us all of an individual who successfully began a career in the arts at an advanced age. A renowned American folk artist, Grandma Moses first started painting in her 70s after arthritis made it difficult to embroider, her original medium.

Grandma Moses’ exhibitions were so popular during the 1950s that they broke attendance records all over the world.

“A cultural icon, the spry, productive nonagenarian was continually cited as an inspiration for housewives, widows, and retirees. Her images of America’s rural past were transferred to curtains, dresses, cookie jars, and dinnerware, and used to pitch cigarettes, cameras, lipstick and instant coffee.”

  • 1950 – Cited as one of the five most newsworthy women.
  • 1951 – Honored as Woman of the Year by the National Association of House Dress Manufacturers.
  • Age 88 – Mademoiselle Magazine named her “Young Woman of the Year.”
  • Awarded the first honorary doctorate from Philadelphia’s Moore College of Art.
  • 1969 – A United States commemorative stamp was issued in her honor.
  • 2006 – Her work Sugaring Off (1943) became her highest selling work at US $1.2 million.  Sugaring Off was a prime example of the simple rural scenes for which she was well-known.
  • Grandma Moses’ painting, Fourth of July, was given, by Otto Kallir, to the White House where it still hangs today.

g-m-4th

Did you catch that?  She started painting at age 70, and was “Young Woman of the Year” at age 88.  We should be so lucky!

I admire the bloggers I have contact with, some of them are under 30.  I didn’t have enough life experience to write at that age.  Like I said above, it’s never too late to start.

 

 

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What are you reading?

It’s National Read a Book Day.  Give yourself permission to take time for yourself and read something you like; an old-time western, a poignant love story, the biography of someone you admire, a kids book about animals (because you still like the pictures), a spy novel,  a young adult story so you can remember how innocent we once were.

I’ve mentioned before, this long family saga novel I have written.  I’m working on the fifth draft, tightening and removing the fat.  (It’s harder than writing it the first time!)  I have had about ten people read it so I can utilize their feedback to improve my work.  It’s interesting to discover each person wants me to slant the story to fit how they think.  My most recent reader was the only one under the age of 30.  When she got to the ending, at 4 AM, she woke her husband to tell him the outcome.  I had surprised her.  That’s a good thing.  Personally, I’m glad it wasn’t me she woke up at that time and told her so.  Her husband defended her and said he does the same thing to her.

So what is my book about?  It’s about how far a mother will go to secretly stay in touch with her only child after his father has disowned him for not following family tradition of becoming a doctor; about the wife that can continue to love her  husband and protect  his reputation because she has that secret contact.  It’s a portrayal of friendship and support between different sets of people and how many secrets they keep from some to help others; the story of four generations of a dysfunctional family that knows how to present themselves as happy and whole.  It’s fiction, not about my family, but each character has surprisingly similar characteristics to someone I am close to, and/or parts of myself.  That frightened me when I first started the project.

In one of the writing groups I belong to, most of the members are published authors.  One of the ladies has offered to help where she can; her advice was to make sure I don’t have too many was’s on a page.  If I do, I am telling the story, not showing the action.  WOW!  I just read page 16 of my manuscript and I found seven was’s in one paragraph.  I have a lot to learn! At least now I know one thing to look for.  After thinking about it for a time, I am actually looking forward to rewriting that segment.  It will definitely be better when I get done, maybe not the best it could be, but certainly better.

As you read your book, enjoy the story, then think about the fact it was probably not the author’s first draft.  In fact, it could have been the 50th or 100th draft.

 

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