iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Marrying into a family who originated in Kansas was, to say the least difficult to say the least. We traveled to many family events there. To say the least Rods large Kansas family was extroverted! I was still pretty much introverted.. easily embarrassed, and shy. They LOVED that!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Side note Visiting In Tyler Texas… I love a three dog lawful!!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Hint: when baking chocolate cake or anything chocolate basically, add two teaspoons espresso. It won’t taste like coffee, just enhances the chocolate

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Chap 3 We (husband Rod and myself bussed from Maryland to Colorado to tie the knot. Horrible way to travel, I highly “unrecommend” it. Short stops, wailing infants, impatient drivers, chilly temps… I was nervous to meet Rods family.. The first interaction was discerning ..

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Onto chap. 3! After Navy time, I married a Vietnam sailor… moved to Colorado, after growing up at “sea level”, the Colo. mountains were SO incredible! However breathing mile high air took some getting used to! As an introverted, shy human, life itself also took some adjustment.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Time out!! Covid finally caught me! Weird… no fever, no cough, sore throat, muscle pain… only incredible exhaustion !

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Side note .. Me and a kitty at the Cat Cafe in Austin…room full of cats & coffee!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Chap 2 Navy My Navy experience was not character building and, aside from eventually being able to interact with a plethora of cute male sailors the experience was borderline boring.i am occasionally a touch uncomfortable with, “Thanks for your service.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Chapter two..Navy time…made it through the anti women stress of bootcamp. Then assigned to transcribe Morse Code. About all I accomplished military wise, was transcribing something that became obsolete very soon. At this point in time the code is completely gone.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

On to chapter two ….the Navy First adult journey… Joined the Navy to see the world. Women in military still were NOT welcome in the 50s & 60s. Boot camp was way psychologically harder. Several women went AWOL. However for me, after the abuse of childhood, it was a piece of cake.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

SIDE NOTE: .. when you make a birthday Boston Cream cake, and it “disasters”..it turns into a delicious trifle dessert !

…when you hand make a birthday Boston cream cake, and it “disasters”, it becomes a delicious trifle dessert

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Side note Yes, my mother was an abusive alcoholic. However I have learned, in my long life so far.. that HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE. I realize, at this point that her childhood must have been damaging, humans are never born “bad”. I wish she had known what I know about family love

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Chapter 1 con’t The Plum Island school bus… P.I. kids were the only ones bussed to school. 35 of us from K through high school. We brought lunch..all other kids walked home for lunch. We loved the horse chestnut trees around the playground, we filled our lunchboxes daily. School was fear free.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Chapter one cont Siblings: brothers:2: 4 years between us. Older, self sufficient, left home as early as possible. Early on I remember resentment, he left me! Later realized he was surviving. Younger was not healthy, I, at about 8, pretty much was his protector. 300 words is 2 hard!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Still chapter one… but a slight jump ahead. Top of my Christmas grateful list…. Grateful for at 83, 3 kids 15 grand kids, 3 great grands to love… and the heart knowledge that they love me!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

The old movie Mommy Dearest is a copy of how my childhood progressed. Mother was an abusive alcoholic. I lived with fear, but I learned survival. My dad deserted. Faith and books along with the mental power to (in my head) yell at her exactly what I thought of her.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Dog break…. Making my traditional neighborhood gift cookies… this year I even baked doggie treats! Have a fantastic day y’all!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Chapter one con’t Plum Island Tuna fishing was a major part of P.I. life. Average of 20 Huge tuna lined up on the beach often. My younger brother at one point decided to collect tuna eyes, put them in a jar of water, & store it in the outside pantry..disaster when our mother spied all those eyes

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Plum Island con’t. Hurricanes - hurricanes were fierce on the New England coast in the 40s. The raging ocean would eat houses. One year it swallowed out roller skating rink. Bet there are still lots of skates buried in the deep at that spot! After a storm hundreds of “treasures” would be washed up.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Dog break… back to autobiography… Plum Island was a “summer people” place in the 40s. Little cottages, build for summer living. Few winter residences. Hand sink pumps, coal furnaces, wild winters. No heat upstairs.. thick frost INSIDE windows, fun to peel off!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

…..when you decide to organize the linen closet and your dog gets bored

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

During the 40s and 50s growing up on Plum Island was like living on a different planet. Occupations were lobstering, tuna fishing, clam digging, and working at the clam plant where the clams were clorinated. Our lives were run by the tide calendar.

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Part of my great health at 83, can be attributed to where I grew up….on a barrier island off the coast of Massachusetts. Diet consisted of lobster, clams, lots of fish. Air and ocean still pure and clean in the 40s. So grateful!

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

I’m 83, had a horrendous childhood and adolescence…I’m not grateful for that, but it’s made adulthood, even through the really tough times a “ wonderful life”

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grandmadeer.bsky.social @grandmadeer.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Old person here: but fighting old age like it’s a disease!

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