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========================================== {Straight From the Heart} *Grandma's Gift* 1/3/01 ========================================== If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to I appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism, so feel free to Just joined us and want to see all the past stories we've run? ================================================== ================================================== By Darlene Buechel
The coin trick worked until twenty-four years later when, pregnant with my daughter, I again resorted to taping my protruding belly button. My sister Diane was spared the belly coin, but she got to spend her formative years having her ears taped. No, Grandma wasn't confusing my sweet baby sis with a Doberman pinscher. She just knew that Diane's ears would "not stick out" if they were taped back daily. My sister and I were blessed with very blond but very thin hair. Of course Grandma knew that if we kept getting our hair cut it would grow back thicker. I spent my toddler years looking like a blond salad bowl, but to this day my hair is very thin and very straight. In grade school we gave up on the pixie cut (except for one-inch bangs) but Mom did try to curl my shoulder length strands the night before special occasions. Mom would wash my hair, glop it with "Dippity Do" setting gel and twist it onto metal hair curlers covered by a red handkerchief. After tossing and turning all night my morning hair would be nice and wavy for about a half-hour. To this day I have nightmares about those curling sessions and I jolt myself awake screaming "Dippity Don't!" I was a newlywed the first time my husband witnessed this dream sequence and he spent the rest of the night debating whether to send me to a spa or Bellevue. Other memories of my childhood included the typical sibling catfights. Of course, I was careful not to pinch my brother with Mom in view since she'd often warn us "pinching causes cancer". That sage warning did not come from the Surgeon General or even ole Doc Pinney. The source you guessed it Grandma! Along with hitting and pinching, I also spent a fair share of toddlerhood sticking out my tongue and making pig faces. Contrary to many warnings, as far as I can tell my face didn't "stay that way". Now my brother may be another story Just kidding, Dennis. My Grandmother died in 1997 from complications of emphysema. I miss her and truly wish she had heeded the Surgeon Generals admonishment against smoking. I remember as teens we often laughed at the sage advice passed along from Grandma to my Mom to Dennis, Darlene, and Diane. Now, in my thirties, I realize that the old wives tales and wacky advice were really "Grandma's Gift" of caring. A few months ago my sister-in-law was commenting that it worried her that her tyke Emily had an "outie" belly button. I looked up and smiled before gracing her with my advice. "Well, Sandy, why don't you try putting tape on it at night." I ran into Sandy yesterday and she was amazed at the improvement regarding Emily's navel. "I'm glad I took your advice," Sandy commented. I couldn't help but smile. It feels good to be passing along "Grandma's Gift." Darlene Buechel Send Darlene an email and let her know what you thought of her story! ================================================== Thought For The Day: "Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience." - Benjamin Franklin
"Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Kid's Thought For The Day: "If you stand on tiptoe to be measured this year, you'll have to stand on tiptoe for
"There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep."
"Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, on important acts Deep Thought For The Day: You know those shows where people call in and vote on different issues? ==================================================== ==================================================== Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business.) "I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies! Writer's Guidelines
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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