Homesickness

Grandma I don't feel well!

We heard this refrain four times on our vacation from Ruth and Emily and this is how homesickness starts with real physical pain.  That butterfly feeling in your tummy followed by an overwhelming sense that something is terribly wrong. 

Homesickness in our experience happens under three conditions.

Most frequently about 30 minutes after bedtime, when the lights are turned low, the room has gone quiet and there is nothing to distract the young mind from noticing that: 

• the pillow and sheets feel different and most importantly the smell different, 
• the sounds of the house or hotel room are different and unexplainable and 
• lastly comes the realization that Mom and Dad are not in the next room and you have no way to get to them.

The second condition is illness or accident where your young ward is experiencing physical pain.  Here they just want their parents!  It is an irrational and overwhelming need for the feel, sound and smell of their parents.

The third is when they have been corrected or disciplined.  They experience embarrassment and shock that you that special grandparent, Aunt or Uncle would call them out just like their parents.

The final condition is in the first hour following contact with their parents and here is it the understanding that they do miss them and to see them on an electronic screen or hear their voice on a telephone only makes their hearts ache more.

So what to do when you are hundreds of miles away from Mom and Dad and turning around is not an option!

We found that long comforting talks take one of two bad turns.  

1. The first is they can go on too long and it is your voice and physical closeness not the words that are bring the child comfort and so you have to keep talking along after you want too.  
2. Second with older children is somewhere along the comforting talk they stop being homesick and now it is a game to one up you.  They begin to come up with more and more scenarios about what could happen and how you would get them to their parents or their parents to them, and each scenario is more horrific then the last until you catch on and send them to bed.

You cannot ignore homesickness because it is a real physical pain and you have a real emotionally distressed child you must attend to it.

Solutions!

We found that for bedtime homesickness the best response was to lay down with them in their bed and just hold them,  soon they will fall asleep and you just get up and go back to your bed.  Do not offer to have come into your bed because they are then there for the night.

For the first few hours after a phone call or Skype contact with family it is best to have a fun and distracting activity planned one that they know is coming and can communication to their parents near the end of the conversation giving them a way to say good bye and then be distracted.

For homesickness after both an injury and being disciplined just hold the child and tell them you love them, these words are enough as it is being physical close to you that will calm them.

They will get homesick and is has nothing to do with you or their love for you it has everything to do with being well attached to their parents and this we want this for them.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015twosnydergirls

Chickpea and mushroom spaghetti sauce Vegan

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 19 fluid oz can chickpeas drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 fresh chopped basil 
• 4 cups your favourite tomato sauce
• spaghetti noodles we use Ancient Harvest Gluten Free quinoa pasta

Directions

1. Prepare the vegetables 
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the vegetables until the mushroom are almost cooked
3. Add the chickpeas and spices
4. Heat for a further 5 minutes and set aside
5. Cook your pasta and tomatoe sauce
6. Return your chickpeas and vegetables to the heat and add the basil cook until the basil is bright green
7. To serve pour a portion of the tomatoe sauce on the pasta and top with chickpeas and vegetables

From Our Table to Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Crocheting The 2015 Sky

June 2015

A Red Red Rose

O, my Luve’s like a red, red rose,

Thant’s newly sprung in June.

O, my Luve’s like a melodie

That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair as thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will love thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:

I will love thess till, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run;

And fare thee well, my only luve!

And fare thee weel, a while!

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho’ it ware ten thousand mile.

By Robert Burns

 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Chicken Coop

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Mindfulness Stand Out

Do we really want our children to ‘fit in’?

To fit in they have to be like everyone else and this comes at a cost - their uniqueness!

Grandma used to say if everyone else jumped off a cliff would you jump too?

Of course the correct answer is no, yet everything our children see in this consumer driven world is designed to make them ‘fit in’ to jump off the cliff and like it.

Be mindful of their and your uniqueness.

Celebrate difference in them and yourself.

Embrace your own uniqueness 

And

Stand Out.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

The Fullness of Time

And in this way God moves among us. 

God’s steadfast love and compassion for his children, creates the possibility that we can live in communities of peace.

Communities where everyone is as important as the next person, where uniqueness is celebrated as the gift from God that it is.

Communities where emotional, spiritual and physical well-being are experienced by all.

Communities built on compassion and unconditional love for all members where success is not measure by growth domestic product.  

It is measured by the happiness of it's smallest, most vulnerable members.

Communities built on reconciliation rather than punishment, cooperation verses competition, and Unconditional Love.

A place where God moves freely among us.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Carla's Rice Salad

One of great things about visiting with family that you do not see every day is getting to try new and wonderful recipes.  Carla’s rice salad is just one of many that you will see over the next few weeks.  This salad is both a summer and winter hit and keeps well in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked rice
•  1 cup chopped celery
•  1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup chopped sweet peppers

Dressing

• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2  tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Cook rice and drain
2. While rice is cook chop vegetables and set aside
3. In sauce pan add all ingredients of the dressing and simmer for 3 minutes stirring constantly, remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl combine the rice and vegetables 
5. Stir in dressing
6. Serve

This salad is great served both hot or cold and is a hit at potluck dinners

From our table to yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Wild Rose

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

10 Things to Tell Your (Grand)children in June

We are a treasure trove of knowledge and it is important to share the knowledge we have of our parents, the families we come from and ourselves.

Father’s Day occurs in June:

1)      Describe to each of your (grand)children what you remember about their birth and how you felt to become their (grand)father. (if in the role of father)

Yes this is the same question from May only this times it applies to fathers.  It is important to remember that each of us will have a unique perspective of all life events and it is key to the family story that all perspectives are provided.

 2) Talk to them about what you remember about your father and how you celebrated Father’s Day with him.

 3) Remember your Grandfather to your (grand)children.  What is your fondest memory of him?

Grandpa John loved to go for early morning drives and my fondest memories of these times.

4) Talk to your (grand)children about the type of (grand)father you are striving to be. (if in the role of a father) 

5) Talk about your greatest struggle as a man and how you overcame it or are working to over come.

June 27^th is the American backyard camping: 

As a child of the 50's summers were filled with backyard camping.  Sticks, rope, Mom's sheets and blankets made amazing tents.  Then there was the trip to the local gas station for a bag of penny candy which by the next day was a sticky mess and waking up to the smell of damp candy and sheets brings back fond memories even 60 years later.

6) Share your memories of backyard camping? Create new memories by planning a staycation with your (grand)children plan a backyard camping trip. 

June also brings the end of the school year:

7) What do you remember of those last days of school?  

Mine are never being sure if the dreaded report card would say pass or fail, the end of school was a mix of dread and anticipation.  

8) Did you go on any end of school trips, (grand)children will enjoy these stories and these destinations can become summer destinations for your family.

9) What did you do with your school notebooks and reports?  If you had a traditional way to dispose of these personal possessions describe these and how you feel about it today.  If you have any of your school books take them out and share them.

Recipe:

10) When you think of the month of June is there a favourite food that comes to mind?  Write the recipe out and make it with your (grand)children.

Strawberries clean and fresh sprinkled with white sugar and swimming in fresh cream bring back memories of June, and my Grandmother.  

 Grandma Snyder

© 2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Mindfulness - Say What You Do

What do you mean?!

My children know what I think because I tell them!

That is not true - actions speak louder than words -  children will make sense of absurdities between what we say and what we do.

What does the teenager do with being lectured on drinking and driving his dad’s car then two weeks later watches his dad drive in the driveway coming home from the bar?

Might he conclude that what his father was saying was you can drink and drive your own car not somebody else’s. 

And

When parents are silent on issues of importance children will look to parental behaviours and from this create a parental position.

Be mindful of what you are saying and not saying to the children in your life.

Is there congruency between what you say and what you do?

Talk with your children!

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

My Grace is Sufficient For You

When life is flowing as we desire, when we appear to be in control, all too often there is little thought given to how God’s grace is playing out in our lives.

Yes we offer quick prayers “Thank you Lord for life’s blessings” or words similar too this, however what are the specific blessings we are referring to?  Are we just offering platitudes since really we have done all the work.

We were playing cards with friends when the call came in that Dad was in hospital and five days later we were planning his funeral.  Life that been measured in days and weeks now was reduced to moments.  

We moved through those moments with the pray “Lord Jesus Christ Holy Son of God of Mercy on me…” as a constant refrain because we could nothing else, we had no words.

We made it through that week because God’s grace was sufficient.  During a week when everything was out of control a week we rode a tidal wave of grief, anger and pain God’s power, God’s unconditional love for us was made perfect by our weakness, we felt it because we could feel nothing else, we understood it and knew it to be true.

We prayed Thank you Lord for standing with us, for standing witness to our grief, for holding us from falling and for setting our feet back on solid ground when we healed.

Resilience is knowing that thou we are weak and life is out of our control we will make it through because of God’s grace. 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Vacation Knitting

Being one of those people who does not get car sick I use the time to knit. 

Our trip to Saskatchewan was just such a trip.

While in Myrtle Beach SC Carla purchased a Top This kit from Knit and Purl .

It was Great Aunt Marjorie's job to knit it.

And as you can see Luke not only has a winter hat he has a new stuffy to play with.

If you are looking for a quick and easy hat I recommend this one.


  





The average price online for the kit is $10.00.

This is not a paid endorsement it is my opinion.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Strawberry Pie

In strawberry season there is nothing better than fresh strawberry pie and that is exactly what Great Aunt Carla served the girls upon our arrival in Saskatchewan.  

She calls the recipe her pie plate recipe because it was printed on a pie plate that she received as a wedding present over 30 years ago and she has adapted it to meet her families discerning tastes.

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts strawberries washed and hulled
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large precooked pie shell (to make GF use a GF pie shell or a graham cracker pie shell)

Directions:

1. Mash 1 cup of strawberries
2. In a sauce pan add mashed strawberries and 1 cup water and boil for 5 minutes
3. Add cornstarch to 1/3 of a cup of water and mix until the cornstarch is smooth and add to sauce pan along with sugar
4. Boil until the liquid is clear and has thicken.
5. Take off stove top and let cool
6. Place remaining whole strawberries in your pie crust cutting the berries where necessary to get them all in.
7. Pour the strawberry glaze over top and place in refrigerator to cool
8. Top with whip cream or ice cream and serve

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Canada Day

Happy Canada Day 2015 

We are visiting family in Saskatchewan and so we have spent Canada Day in 

Fort Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

They held a wonderful parade which included candy for the children

and it is the first parade I have been to where 

the crowd and street were sprayed with water 

and the last float was the street sweeper.

It may have had something to do with the number 

of horses in the parade.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Lilies of Jacksonville Illinois

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Knitting the Temperature 2015

May 2015

May

The wind is tossing the lilacs,

The new laugh in the sun,

And the petals fall on the orchard wall,

But for me the spring is done.

Beneath the apple blossoms

I go a wintry way,

For love that smiled in April

Is false to me in May

~ Sara Teasdate

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Mindfulness

The Small Things

“Would you please get me some more butter”

The speaker was a middle aged man with his teenage daughter who responded

 “I don’t want to get it yourself.”  

At the next table a child around the age of 8 got up leaving her own breakfast and retrieved the requested butter.

It is a sad reflection on our ‘get ahead’ and ‘get more’ society that fewer and fewer adults and teens  are willing to do the small things that bring no glory, no reward.

Yet it is exactly these things that children are prepared to do for no reason but it is there to be done.

Our granddaughter picks up garbage in the hotel hallway not because she dropped it, just because it was there and it was the right thing to do.

At what point did we stop noticing and caring about the small things?

This week look for small things that need to be done and do them.

Praise the (grand)children around you for doing the same.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Joy comes with the morning

With each new dawn we have a choice.

We can accept forgiveness and the blessings our Lord desires for us 

Or

We can wallow in our sin and self-contempt rejecting love

And

Diminishing the free will sacrifice of Christ.

Choose Joy each morning and experience God's mercy anew.

Psalm 30:5

For His anger endureth but a moment, and in His favour is life; weeping my endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning

 Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Public Spaces

We had forgotten how important public spaces are to a community and in our case to grandparents travelling with grandchildren.

They provide shade trees to sit under, climbing equipment for children to run and play on, and spaces for parents to gather and interact together face to face.

Through our travels we can assess how important families are to a community by how well they care for their green spaces.

Communities that are growing and nurturing family life have the most amazing parks.

What does the park in your community look it?

What is it saying about your community?

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Summer Pasta Salad

Once again today’s recipe was inspired by a meal that we had.  This time is was the end of season Sewing Club’s banquet at the Grey Rose.  On the salad bar was a vinaigrette pasta salad and I knew just the vinaigrette vegetables to add to our Summer Pasta Salad.

Go Go Quinoa pasta is one of our favourite (this is not a paid endorsement).  You can achieve a very nice al dente pasta what will hold up in a cold salad and not go tough overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of your favourite pasta  
• 2 cups of Summer Vegetable Salad (click here for recipe)
• 1 cup chopped olives, we used a mix of black and green chopped

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta as per the directions
2. Add the Summer Vegetable Salad and olives stir and serve.

This is a great way to use up leftover Summer Vegetable Salad

From Our Table To Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2015 twosnydergirls