GrandmaHowardsHouse

When I was a little girl I loved to read!

Grandma Howard — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:48:00 GMT

     When I was a little girl I loved to read. Every week Mom and Dad would drop me and my brothers and sister off at the public library. They would come back in two hours after the grocery shopping had been done and pick us up. That Saturday afternoon trip to the library was the highlight of the week for me. I would wander up and down the stacks of books picking out the books that I would read during the coming week. I usually checked out between five and ten books per week.
     When I got home from the library I could hardly wait to start reading! I would pile all the books up on my bed. In the afternoon I would lay across my bed and read for hours. When it was time for bed, I would sit up in bed and read while everyone else was sleeping. I read all kinds of books. I loved books with horse stories, fairy stories, adventures, mysteries and fantasy.
      My mother would get mad at me because she would yell up the stairs at me to come down and help clean house. I would answer back that I would be down in a few minutes, but instead I could continue reading. I just had to find out what happened in the next chapter. My mother would also get mad at me because I would not take the books off my bed when I went to sleep. I just shoved them to one side of the bed and I slept on the other side of the bed.
    We did not have a television when I was little, My father did not believe that it was good for us to watch too much T.V. Finally, when we did get a T.V., we were not allowed to watch much of it. I didn't mind anyway, I would much rather read my books.

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Bunny and Friends Help Turtle Keep Clean

Grandma Howard — Sun, 01 May 2011 15:23:00 GMT

    Bunny and friends like to keep clean. Bunny washes his ears. Duck takes a bath in the pond. Silly Mouse combs his sleek grey fur. Poor Turtle has a dirty back and cannot scrub it himself. His neck and legs are just too short to reach his shell on his back.
     Bunny and Silly Mouse help scrub Turtle's shell. Duck likes to watch and give advice. He says,"Scrub to the left! Scrub to the right!"
      Turtle doesn't care which way Bunny and Silly Mouse scrub. He is just happy to have good friends that help him out!

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Bunny and Friends Rescue Mouse

Grandma Howard — Sun, 01 May 2011 02:35:00 GMT

     Mouse was hungry for cheese. The best place to find cheese was in the big house, so Mouse found a hole and scampered inside. Before he could find any cheese, a big yellow cat chased Mouse around the room. Mouse found a window ledge and crawled out on it.
     "Help! Help!" he yelled as loud as he could.
     His friends Bunny, Turtle and Duck came as soon as they heard him yell.
     "What shall we do to save Mouse?" asked Duck.
     Bunny had an idea.
     Bunny climbed on top of Turtle. Duck climbed on top of Turtle and Bunny. Duck reached out and grabbed Mouse by the tail. Whew! Just in time, the cat almost caught Mouse. Mouse is lucky to have such good friends who came just in time to save him from the cat!

© 2011 Roberta L Howard

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Bunny and Friends - Turtle's Birthday Party

Grandma Howard — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:49:00 GMT

It is Turtle's birthday and Bunny is throwing his friend a party! Bunny brings a green spring pea for lunch. Duck brings a red, ripe strawberry for dessert. Silly Mouse makes a hat from a flower for Turtle. Turtle thinks this is the best birthday ever. He is lucky to have such good friends!

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Bunny and Friends Go Swimming

Grandma Howard — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:18:00 GMT

Bunny and friends decide to take an afternoon off and go swimming. Bunny likes to float on his back in his inner tube. Duck and Turtle are at home in the water and they are happy to have their friends join them.
Silly Mouse can't swim so he wears his life jacket and takes a ride on the back of Turtle. A yellow daisy keeps the hot sun off Silly Mouse's nose. He doesn't want to get sun burnt!

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Bunny and Friends-Slumber Party

Grandma Howard — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:51:00 GMT

Bunny and friends decide to have a slumber party. Buny likes to lie on his back and look at the stars. Duck and Turtle just can't stay awake past 9:00 pm! Duck tucks his head under his wing and Turtle goes back into his shell. They both snooze the night away. Silly Mouse is looking at the moon through his telescope and he wonders if it really is made of green cheese!

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Bunny and Friends and the Rainy Day

Grandma Howard — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:29:00 GMT

It has been raining all day! Bunny is trying hard to stay dry under a big daisy flower. Silly Mouse doesn't like getting wet either and holds a flower umbrella in front of him. Duck just loves the water and is having fun splashing in the water puddles. For a joke, he splashes water on Bunny! Turtle doesn't care if he is wet or dry, because he carries his house on his back, and can go inside whenever he wants!

;

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

The Moonlight Club

Grandma Howard — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:58:00 GMT

When I was a little girl, my sister and I had a secret club just for the two of us. It was called the Moonlight Club. On warm summer nights, when the lightning bugs were lighting the evening sky with their friendly glowing bodies, my sister and I would secretly hide bread from supper under our shirts. We would then hide the pieces of bread in our bedroom under the bed. We could not let our Mommy and Daddy know about this or we would get into trouble!
After everyone was in bed, my sister and I would get out of bed. We would get our secret snack of bread and butter and climb out the window. We would sit on the roof of the garage that was under our window. We were very, very quiet so Mommy and Daddy would not hear us. We would eat our snack of bread and butter and look at the moon and the stars. We would whisper secrets to each other. Some of the things that we whispered about was what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wanted to be either an artist or a veterinarian. My sister wanted to be a nurse. After we ate all our snack and we started to get sleepy, we would climb back into our window, climb back into our beds and go fast asleep. Mommy and Daddy never did find out what we were doing in the middle of the night!

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Peas, Peas, Eating Green Peas

Grandma Howard — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:26:00 GMT

   When I was a kid, I hated to eat peas. They were varying shades of green and brown, rolled around on the plate, rolled off the fork and worst of all were mushy! My parents believed that all children should eat everything on their plate before leaving the table, so as to not waste any food. Peas and sauerkraut were the worst food ever and many a long evening was spent sitting at the dining room table staring at a plate of nutritious, but in our mind, unappetizing food which we refused to eat!
    So if I dislike peas so much, why then do I plant peas in my garden each spring and eagerly look forward to picking the first batch and cooking them for dinner? The simple reason is this...those mushy slime balls masquerading as peas are not related in any way to the uncommon delicacy of fresh spring peas!
      Fresh picked peas from my home garden are the first herald of spring and the first crop to come from the garden. They represent a summer full of garden fresh vegetables, both nutritious and delicious. And since peas are the first garden crop, they represent the end of a long cold winter! When these peas are picked, shelled and cooked, they do not resemble in any way the canned peas that have been sitting in the pantry for three years!
     Another reason, I love peas fresh out of my garden, is that they remind of my grandmother. My grandmother was a stern German woman who lived through the depression and never forgot the hardships she endured. She always had a huge garden, with enough produce to supply herself, her grown children and family and all the neighbors. As a child I sat on the front step of my Grandmother's modest home and helped her shell peas. As each pea kurplunked into the bucket, her stern demeanor would loosen and occasionally she would actually smile. After shelling the peas, she would give me a dime and I would spend it all at the ice cream truck that traversed her neighborhood every summer evening after supper.
    Eating that first batch of spring peas encompasses an untold amount of labor. First the peas are planted early in March. It seems too early to be planting anything, there is still a hint of snow in the air. Then after the peas have sprouted, they need to be weeded. A trellis of wire will need to be positioned just so, in order that the plants have proper support. Finally, the peas are harvested. A whole bucket of plump pea pods might yield enough shelled peas to serve three or four hungry people for dinner. The peas are then either steamed or cooked in a small amount of water with salt, pepper and butter. The taste is sublime, but the season for peas is fleeting. In just a about a week or two, all the peas have matured and have been harvested. It is a lot of work for several meals featuring these spring delicacies. But it is worth it for the fresh taste of spring and the memories of my grandmother.

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

What I am listening to now

Grandma Howard — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:59:00 GMT

Once in a while, one discovers an artist so unique and original that others pale in comparison. I am listening to Loreena McKennitt and her CD "the mask and mirror." Loreena McKennitt is not new on the music scene having recorded this album in 1994. She has recorded many other Cd's, the music genre is linked to celtic, and world music. In reality, her music defies classification. On this particular CD, she draws her inspiration from her world travels from Ireland to Marrakesh and from the writings of Yeats and Shakespeare. In particular, one song is a masterpiece. The song is based on her translation of a poem by the 16th century Spanish mystic and visionary St. John of the Cross. McKennitt composes a haunting sound poem that exquisitely marries the lyrics and melody of "The Dark Night of the Soul."
On Easter morning, while I was in church, our minister mentioned "the dark night of the soul" that we all at one time or another go through. I immediately knew what he was talking about. While not perhaps meant in the same context of Loreena McKennitt's music and lyrics, whenever I hear this music I think of God and his great mysteries. To me, that is the measure of truly great art - the ability to move us beyond the superficial and to create in us a new understanding of our own reality.
Life circumstances lately have made me a little philosophical and Loreena McKennitt's music fits my current mood.

Love, Grandma Howard

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Helena at 7 months

Grandma Howard — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:52:00 GMT

Helena and Erica came to visit two weeks ago. It was wonderful to see them both. Helena is growing so fast and developing her own little personality. I can tell she has a lot to say about the world around her! When her Daddy was little, he also had a lot to say! His vocabulary was tremendous and he especially liked to try out new long words. One time when he was very young, probably around 4 or 5 he discovered the word "defecate." Its such a great word to say, it kind of rolls off the tongue. Of course it was even more fun when his friends, not knowing what that word meant, would ask him for a definition!
Here are the latest pictures of Helena that Erica emailed to me. I couldn't decide which I like the most, so I am going post most of them. A friend of mine told me a while back not to worry about not seeing one granddaughter as much as the other -I'll love them both equally. She was right! Although, when I see these pictures of Helena I miss her and can hardly wait to see her again!

Love - Grandma Howard

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Tansy

Grandma Howard — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:15:00 GMT

This is the story of Tansy.
Tansy unexpectedly came to us one summer day in 2003. Grandpa came back from the barn from the morning feeding of the horses and said "You'll never believe this, someone dumped off ten cats in our barn!"

Its a sad fact that when one lives in the country, stray cats are common. We already had so many cats, most of them wild, that we couldn't name them all. A lot of the cats lived in the woods and came into the barn for the cat food that we provided. The cats that were somewhat friendly would receive their vaccinations, a neuter or spay operation and worm medicine. That cats that remained wild or feral would miss out on the needed medical attention. They looked scrawny and ill kept and occasionally we would find them lying dead in the yard or barn.

Immediately we knew that the new cats had to have been someone's pets. They were all friendly. It looked like there were three adults and seven kittens. The mother cat was very young with longish hair, the male cat was a black long hair and the third cat was a gray female. Within days, all the new cats started dying. The young mother did her best to feed her babies while she herself became thinner and thinner. We took as many as we could up to the vet in town. We told the vet to give shots and to neuter or spay all that he could. I didn't hear back from him for two weeks. I assumed that all had died. One day I got a call from him saying come pick up your cat. My cat? What cat? I thought they had died. All did except the young mother, and the vet had kept it all this time until she was strong enough to be spayed.

We brought the young mother home, named her Tansy and marveled at her will to live. She was practically a walking skeleton for months. Finally she regained her health. Tansy seems to know that we saved her. She is now a house cat, she has no desire to venture outdoors. She is always ready to jump in our laps and purr and show affection. When I look at her I see one of God's creatures that had fallen upon hard times, and through sheer will and luck has survived to live the life of luxury. God loves all his creatures great and small...even little kitties.

Love, Grandma Howard

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Elizabeth on Easter weekend

Grandma Howard — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:33:00 GMT

Elizabeth spent Easter weekend with Grandma and Grandpa and the following pictures are all from that weekend. Suzy and Dave were busy with Suzy being taken in the Catholic Church, so everyone felt the best solution was for Elizabeth to stay with us. Grandpa loves to read stories to Elizabeth and she likes it too. She has two favorite books, "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and "Good Puppy". She likes Grandpa to read each of them ten times in a row. One time, Grandpa got tired of the same books, so he bought some new books to read. Elizabeth took one look at the new books and shoved them aside and pointed to her two old favorites. Grandpa can probably recite"Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and "Good Puppy" in his sleep.

Here is Elizabeth trying to feed herself. Is she going to be left-handed?
Here is Grandpa feeding Elizabeth her lunch. Can you believe all the snow we had on Easter weekend? It didn't feel like Easter or spring.
Elizabeth is trying to make her first Easter cookies.
Elizabeth loves to take baths!
Elizabeth sleeping, she looks like a little angel.
Elizabeth in her Easter dress on Sunday morning.

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Helena at Three Months

Grandma Howard — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:47:00 GMT

Here is Helena at three months. I just love the picture where she is just starting to cry. Her Greatgrandma Howard would have said "A little birdie is going to perch on that lip!" I love that picture not because sweet Helena is going to cry, I love that picture because everytime I see it it, I just want to hug Helena! Love, Grandma

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Funny cartoon about Grandpa

Grandma Howard — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:15:00 GMT

Dear GrandChildren,
Here is a cartoon that I found last Sunday. It reminded me of your Grandpa. He is good at making up really silly stories. Just ask your Mom or Dad. I'm sure they can tell some really, really silly stories that Grandpa used to tell when they were little. He used to tell stories about all our cats getting together at the old school house down the road and playing cards. That's one the things that I love the best about your Grandpa, he really has a good imagination!

Love, Grandma Howard

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Dave the Hunter of Deer

Grandma Howard — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:21:00 GMT

  What can I say about Dave? The Golden Retriever. I have to clarify that because Elizabeth's daddy is named Dave and there is constant confusion - we yell "DAVE, GET IN HERE" and sometimes wonder who might come running. Although lately, Dave the Dog isn't doing much running. He kind of totters. Dave is fourteen which is very old for a Golden Retriever.
    Even though Dave is fourteen, totters around and is likely to tip over if a hard wind hits him, he still remembers his doggy instincts. He likes to take a morning walk with Grandpa. There was a time when he would trot ahead of everyone else, with Grandpa trailing behind carrying his cup of coffee. Now it is the reverse. Grandpa is in the lead with Dave trailing behind taking frequent breaks. He'll lay down for a while, gaze around the scenery, and just when you think you might have to go back and help him up, he'll heft himself to his feet and continue on the walk.
    Lately, Dave particularly enjoys his morning walks, because each night a herd of deer grazes in our yard, and the wonderful smells that these graceful creatures leave behind absolutely makes Dave's nose twitch with excited anticipation. One day last fall, on an afternoon walk, Dave suddenly veered off the path and headed into the woods. Grandpa expected Dave to fall down as he climbed over the fallen branches on the ground. Instead, Dave somehow managed to stay on his feet and walked deeper into the woods. Grandpa followed him in, wondering what Dave could be doing. When Grandpa caught up with Dave, Dave was standing over a newly dead full grown deer. A hunter must have shot the deer earlier in the day, and the deer made its way into our woods and then collapsed and died.
    Dave proudly stood over the deer as if he himself had personally bagged the trophy. Grandpa had to take Dave by the collar and lead him back to our yard and into the house. The excitement must have worn Dave out, because he slept most of the rest of the day on the rug in the kitchen.
    Dave spends most of his time sleeping now, occasionally his legs twitch and with eyes still closed he'll make a muffled woof. No doubt he is dreaming of chasing deer and capturing the biggest one. Dave's doggy instinct still lives strong in spite of arthritic legs and slowed responses.
    Fourteen is not a bad age for a Golden Retriever. Every morning brings the anticipation of a morning walk with Grandpa, with exciting smells to discover. Every afternoon is the sweet pleasure of a dream- filled nap, and finally at night a supper with grilled chicken that Grandpa makes especially for Dave on the grill.

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Harold's Night Time Adventure Puzzle

Grandma Howard — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:15:00 GMT

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Stories from Patriot Farm

Grandma Howard — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:04:00 GMT

Stories from Patriot Farm

The stories I am about to tell you are about real animals from a real place called Patriot Farms. There really is a mouse named Harold, a cat named Max, a cat named Lucky and miniature horse named LIttle Rascal. Each of these animals and their friends have many adventures. The first story I'd like to tell is about a little mouse named Harold.

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard

Welcome to Grandma's House!

Grandma Howard — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:48:00 GMT

Hi Elizabeth, Helena and anyone else who might stop by!
Welcome to Grandma's House. We'll have fun together with stories, games, arts and crafts and updates on what is going on with all the critters here at Grandma's house. Sometimes I'll post photos and when I learn how to use the new camera that I got for Christmas from Grandpa, I'll post videos also. I'm looking forward to having lots of fun with you both!

Love, Grandma Howard

copywrite 2009-2011 all images and text Roberta L Howard