Tag: family
Posted on February 21, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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I’m in my Enya phase—-again. A wispy, cloudy, bubbly, dream state of being. Honestly. Honestly. Honestly. I am living my dream, a dream I’ve held onto through all, the ups and downs, the beginnings and endings and now I’m in the Now. The Now I’ve… Continue Reading “Mermaid Cove”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #bucketlist, #cambria, #centralcoastcalifornia, #coastalcalifornia, #dreamcometrue, #fulfillingadream, #grandparent, #hope, #lifeizgood, #love, #writersresidency, #writing, family, life, livingthedream, love, mental-health
Posted on January 8, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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I’m leaving. Again. I’m melancholy. Again. I don’t want to leave. Again. But I do. Again and again. Everywhere I leave I love. Same goes for the people I leave. Like my visit with Julie and Ken two days ago or my Littles in… Continue Reading “Simplicity vs. Elaboration”
Category: #beachcamping, #californiastateparks, #camping, #central coast, #centralcoast, #gmashavingfun, #grandparents, #hope, #ilovecalifornia, #lifeizgood, #pismobeach, #pleasureway, #solowomencamping, #vanlife, #wintercampingalongthecoastTags: #camping, #campingfriends, #faith, #findinghope, #findinglove, #friendship, #godswhispers, #pismobeach, #pismobeachstatepark, #solocamping, #travelinggrandma, #trust, #vanlife, #writing, campingsolo, family, life, love, lovethyneighbor, mental-health, womencampingsolo
Posted on December 12, 2024
by JANET L BARKER
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For all the years I’ve been visiting my daughter, I rarely explore The City solo. That’s the best way to learn, when you have to figure it out by yourself. Like learning a language, when all roads lead back to you, you eventually get hip. Or… Continue Reading “Trust The Women”
Category: #grandparents, #hope, #lifeizgood, UncategorizedTags: #adultchildren, #bestlifeever, #family, #grandchildren, #grandma #travelinggrandma, #lifeizgood, #lostinmanhattan, #loveofgrandchildren, #manhattan, #newyorkcity, #nyc, #peace, #retirement, #travel, @retirement, coffee, columbuscircle, family, food, life
Posted on November 19, 2024
by JANET L BARKER
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It’s 5:50 a.m. and I’ve had another rough “sleep”. One of the babies woke up, then fell back to slumber and I figured it was as good a time as ever to rise and shine and make a cup of tea and align myself… Continue Reading “And yet we do”
Posted on October 4, 2024
by JANET L BARKER
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At a back to school-type assembly at his private school in Pacific Palisades, my nephew was asked to publicly proclaim to classmates and the well-heeled adults gathered in the auditorium his goal for third grade: I want to make good friends. D is the most… Continue Reading “Friendship”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #beingvulnerable, #bestfriends, #children, #friends, #friendship, #lessons, #makingfriends, #maryoliver, #outofthemouthsofbabes, family, friendships, life, love
Note: This was written prior to the assassination attempt on former President Trump. OK, OK, OK, I’m going to write about our Fourth of July in OK, an in-process family reunion and what it’s like being embedded in Trumpland, Texoma, Oklahoma. Let’s start with… Continue Reading “In “enemy” territory”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #agreetodisagree, #family, #familyreunion, #findingcommonalities, #lovewins, #oklahoma, #oneamerica, #politics, #reunion, #rhetoric, #texas, #texoma, #travel, family, news, trump
Home, not really. South Bay, not really. Schedule, not really. Ambition, not really. Stress, not really. Anger, frustration, blame, regrets, not really. I’m here, sitting on a camp chair overlooking the blustery sea in my sister and cousin’s unfinished Palos Verdes Estates home, a… Continue Reading “Really, not really”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #birthday, #grandma, #gratitude, #growingold, #home, #hope, #lifeizgood, #palosverdesestates, #pleasureway, #purpose, #rvlifestyle, #solowomen, #solowomencamping, #southbay, #thenextchapter, #travel, #travelingwithgrandma, #travellinggrandma, #whatsitallabout, #wisdom, @retirement, celebrations, comingtopeace, fallinginlove, family, gettingolder, grandparenting, momsok, traveling-grandma
Posted on February 8, 2024
by JANET L BARKER
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Hope and sparkling crystals and all things magical and misty-eyed are Queen Melancholy’s cousin. Like George of the Jungle, I swing between the two, between longing for Kauai’s turquoise waters and Cambria’s soul-fortifying coast to the anticipation of missing the icy-slick-sidewalk-skating rink of Winter… Continue Reading “Ordinary Greatness”
Category: #gmashavingfun, #grandparents, #hope, #lifeizgood, @retirement, unconditional loveTags: #babies, #cambria, #children, #faith, #kauai, #loveeverymoment, #newyork, #newyorkcity, #parenting, #thebigapple, #travel, #winstonchurch, baby, book-review, family, grandparenting, love, motherhood
Posted on January 13, 2024
by JANET L BARKER
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You’ve caught me in a Hope Diamond moment: I’m alone. In the apartment. Windows and blinds wide open—high winds and 30-degree temps be damned. I’m in short sleeves. Showered. Hair brushed. Pink lipstick applied. Perfume generously spritzed. Funny how simple acts can make you… Continue Reading “Breaking Bad and other News of the Day”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #breakingbad, #children, #daughters, #grandchildren, #grandmas, #grandparents, #hope, #mother-daughterrelationshipss, #newbabies, #newmexico, #newyorkcity, #nyc, #parenting, #retiredteacher, #whenitstimetogo, family, love, mama, mom, motherhood
Posted on January 1, 2024
by JANET L BARKER
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It’s 1 a.m. and the apartment is quiet. The parents are taking their shifts, The Littles are in Dreamland and I’m two glasses into a new bottle of Rangeland Cabernet and the final season of “The Crown”. It’s raining outside and will do so… Continue Reading “Two weeks ago …”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #2024, #bestlifeever, #findingthegood, #god, #grandchildren, #grandma, #grandparents, #grassisntalwaysgreener, #hope, #joy, #parenting, #peace, aging, family, happynewyear, love, memories, newyearsresolutions