Unplanned School Vacation!

Vol. 1  Chap. 524

     Unplanned School Vacation!

        I’m Thinkin’ There is Not Much Chance

        Bella’s Friends Get to Sing and Dance

        At Her Sleep~Over Birthday Fete!

        Say, "Pandemic" and What You Get

        Is a World That’s Turned On Its Ear!

        Full~On Panicked Corona Fear!

        They’ve Added Weeks to Our Spring Break!

        Cancelled All Sports for Heaven’s Sake!

        I’ve Told Mom She Can Count on Me

        To Shepherd Bella Watchfully

        For the Entire Strange Duration

        Of This Unplanned School Vacation!

        Social Distancing’s What I Hate!

        I Predict Right Out of the Gate,

        Kids Grow Sick of Isolation!

        Give Us School or School Vacation!

        Who Ever Heard of School~Free Time

        When Hangin’ with Friends is a Crime?

        Long 'fore Corona We've Been Clean!

        We've All Perfected Our Hygiene!

             Happy Birthday Bella!

               Stay Healthy All!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Empty Self Esteem!

Vol. 1  Chap 523

      Empty Self Esteem!

     I’m Not One to Grouse and Complain

     But One Thing ‘Bout Drives Me Insane,

     That’s When Well~Meaning Adults Act

     Like Kids are Chicks Whose Shells Just Cracked!

     When You Feed a Steady Diet

     Of Endless Praise, We Don’t Buy It!

     Superlatives are Meaningless

     When They’re Not Earned, So Let Me Guess!

     You Read Somewhere That Self Esteem

     Is Fragile, So You Feed a Stream

     Of Praise, When No Praise Has Been Earned!

     Is That Cuz One Time You Were Spurned?

     Join with Those of Us Who Have Learned

     Esteem’s Hollow When It’s Not Earned!

     When You Master Your Toughest Chore

     You’ve Earned the Right to Crow!   What’s More

     You’ve Added to Your Arsenal

     Firm Knowledge That You Can Do Well,

     That's Born of Sweat, Perserverence ...

     If Lucky, the Right Audience!

    

                     You Got This!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Snow Bunny!

Vol. 1  Chap. 522

          Snow Bunny!

      There’s Times When I Think It’s Funny

      Some Folks Call Me a Snow Bunny!

      Ever Since Back When I Was Small

      I’d Strap on Boards and Zoom Down All

      The Killer Slopes That I Could Find!

      Adrenalin Junkies Are Kind

      Of Crazy!  Yes We Really Are!

      We’re Born Under a Shooting Star!

      At Big Bear, With the Mann Fam’ly,

      Plus Mom, Audrey and Crazy Me!

      The Sun Just Clears the Mountain’s Peak!

      Look Close!   That’s Me!   That Blurry Streak!

      Hard to Think of Another State

      Where Fun Choices Are Quite This Great!

      By Morning, Ski the Mountain Side …

      Then Swim the Ocean’s Evening Tide!

      A Snow Bunny?   That Sounds Too Tame!

      I Swear to You, My Claim to Fame

      Is I’m Who Added Gray Hair To

      Our Mom’s One~Time All Red Hair~Do!

                Sorry Mom!   Zooooooom!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Report Card Reward!

Vol. 1  Chap. 521

         Report Card Reward!

         On Some Days We’re Both Serious!

         Today We’re Both Delirious!

         I Don’t Think There are Any Girls

         Who’d Miss a Chance to Get Their Curls

         Worked On By a Pair of Hair Pros!

         True We Gave No Chorus of “No”s

         When Mom Said That Most Lovely Word,

         “Salon” … Our Report Card Reward!

         True, Mom Bribes Us to Get Great Marks!

         Since Pre~School Our Mom Lights the Sparks

         That She Believes Will Motivate

         Me and Aud Both to Concentrate!

         While I’m in the Hair~Dresser’s Chair,

         I Hear, “Which of This Gorgeous Pair

         “Wants to Convince My Young Daughter

         “To Study Hard, Like She Aught’a?”

         Truth is … and I’m Sure Mom Knows This …

         No Bribe’s Needed For Either Miss!

         But Here is Where We’re Both Stylin’!

         Here’s Where We Just Can’t Stop Smilin’!



             Congratulations Once Again! 

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Audrey's New Semester!

Vol. 1  Chap. 520

         Audrey’s New Semester!

          I’m Not Just Sayin’ Audrey’s Smart!

          I Think We Know That Smart’s Just Part

          Of What Makes Her an Ideal

          Student as Well as One Sharp Gal!

          She Takes French II!   Oui, Oui It’s True!

          Her Class Schedule’s All A.P. Too!

          There’s English, History and Math!

          Advanced Chemistry Lights the Path

          That She’s Laid Out, College Pre~Med!

          I Feel Up Tight Having Just Said

          That List of Killer Courses She

          Embraces!  Better Her Than Me!

          “How Do You Handle the Pressure?”

          “Do You Know Some Secret Measure

          “That Helps You Stay Serene, Focused?

          “Is Your Calm All Hocused~Pocused?”

          “Of My Classes, You’ve Just Named Five!

          “The Sixth is What Helps Me to Thrive!

          “Music Conjures Rapt Behavior!

          “My Time In Band … That’s My Savior!”

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

Try To Keep Up!

Vol. 1  Chap. 519

        Try To Keep Up!

      I Think It’s High Time That We Met!

      I’m Daphne!   I’m the Fam’ly Pet!

      These Gals Saved Me from Certain Doom!

      I’m Ready to Lower the Boom

      On Any Foe That Should Appear!

      I’ll Bite Their Front!   I’ll Bite Their Rear!

      These Gals Saved Me!   I’m Indebted!

      Treat Them Kind or You’ll Regret It!

      That’s Not Just Boast … Not Just Bluster!

      No Guy Gets Near My Girls, Buster,

      ‘Til I’ve a Nose~Full of Their Scent!

      That’s How Dogs Determine Intent!

      Big Red Mama’s Sappin’ My Strength!

      She’s Running On Her Own Wave Length!

      Sees Twelve Mile Trail, Runs to Time It!

      Each Killer Hill, She Must Climb It!

      She Doesn’t Run No Simple Trail!

      I Try to Keep Up!  Sometimes Fail!

      That’s Why On Her Next Hill Climb, She

      Will Be Passed By My ATV!

   

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa

The Sumpthing Bowl!

Vol. 1  Chap. 518

         The Sumpthing Bowl!

            I’m Not Quite Sure Who’s In Control

            But I’ve Been Thinking, On the Whole,

            We’d Best Retire “The Super Bowl”,

            Now That Brady’s Gotten Too Ol'!

            I Look Back On All My Ten Years,

            And My Mind Plays Back All the Cheers

            That Erupted from Ev’ry Room!

            Once They Startled Me In the Womb!

            If You Knew Pats Like Aud and Me,

            You Wouldn’t Buy Controversy!

            The Coach Takes His Whole Team on Tours

            To Visit Wounded Warriors!

            No Press Allowed When These Crews Choose

            To Boost Morale, Chase Off the Blues!

            Or Just to Schmooze and to Enthuse

            Our Troops!   That’s Something They Can Use!

            Wait … What?   Brady Just Might Return?

            That Changes Things from Stem to Stern!

            Any Chance for Next Season’s Run,

            He Brings ‘The Gronk’ Back, Just for Fun?

                   Happy Super Bowl, Everyone!

Your Grampa Sure Loves Y’All!

Love~Grampa