​ I love going back to school. I loved school in whatever grade I was in from the very start. I am an only child and there was never anyone to play with growing up so my only friends were at school. During the summer, it was only grandparents and much older cousins. Unless my Girl Scout Troop was camping over the summer, I never got to see anyone remotely my age. Two summers, I went camping on Catalina with the Scouts and they were okay. It was only for a couple of days and r

As our holiday celebrations have grown over the years, it became very necessary to start planning earlier and earlier. We have always followed a relatively simple schedule: 6 months ahead at all times. The 4th of July is when you plan for Christmas. Easter is planning for Halloween. Mother’s Day cements Thanksgiving. It’s not the details that are being planned. It’s looking the calendar and possible the next’s year calendar to decide who is going to host the celebration, wher

My parents took summer vacations very seriously. They both worked full time jobs so we had very limited family together time any time of the year but summers were worse because they had to keep me occupied during the day. I was often sent to spend time with both of my grandmothers, one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and one in Pomona, California. I enjoyed spending time with the Ingrams’ in Baton Rouge and I always learned a lot. I did not enjoy spending time with the Barnes’ in P

Living on the Pacific Rim does have its advantages – warm evenings fit for all kinds of activities. There is nothing like a fire on the beach at night to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. The sounds of the ocean and the roar of the fire are pure and heavenly to sometimes tired minds. It takes all kinds of effort to make these evenings happen and it is not a solitary activity. It is meant to be shared and so I know I will probably never be able to experience it again. A long st

My community is blessed with an excellent Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings at the local high school. There are fresh vegetables and fruits available as some craft booths, prepared food to go, eggs, meats, several bakeries, and some dried fruits and nuts purveyors. I enjoy attending about once a month. I need only attend once a month because it takes that long to use up all my purchases. I love the seasonality on all of it. The variety is great. The prices are wonderful and

Note: This is the first in a series of “Twenty Five Things”. I’ll do seasons, holidays, etc. It has helped my visualize, remember, and generally like what I am writing about all the better. I’m hoping to link a Pinterest board to each “Twenty Five Things”. Wouldn’t that be the bomb? Summer – hot weather, outside, air conditioning, grass, hot colors all together: magenta, tangerine, gold, cherry red, lime green, turquoise, royal blue – the more the better, seashells, walking a

If there was ever a neighborhood that needed a night out it is ours. Most have lived in the same house for several decades and know each others names and faces. Just because we don’t see one another very often or speak at all is of no consequence. Some houses are rentals and we haven’t met yet but there is time. My grandparents loved to sit out on their front porch at the end of the day and drink a beer and watch the world go by. It was usually very hot during the summer and

My website, lynneanningram.com, and my blog are one year old this week and I have failed them both miserably. I wanted them in place for my higher aspirations of finding a job that included Social Media. I had heard that it was a sore spot between employers and late Baby Boomers so I aimed to try and beat the curve. With another year of life and experience under my belt, I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the whole project again. I don’t have nearly as far to go with the we