Housebrand Ranch Wisdom

My grandparents on my mother's side, Glen and Thelma McKinnon were sage people (and that is perfect adjective because they were really wise, and lived in Randolph amongst all the brush).I was lucky enough to inherit this plow from them- now it's in my front yard adding to our overall stylishness. I find myself wondering often what they would do with some situations and it always helps me! So, today I'm going to pass along some of their wisdom that I use in my daily life.

1. This is a mantra that I repeat to myself over and over in my head when needed. I've even taught it to my older children. Grandpa used to observe about people who had differing opinions that, "It's just their way. It's a hell of a way, but it's their way."

2. Whenever I feel like I'm getting behind on my housecleaning, I console myself with this apt wisdom from Grandpa. "Vacuuming is just a damn bad habit women have."

3. My grandma always signed our birthday cards, "Love you more than tongue can tell! XOXOXOXO." I never really fully understood that one until I had my own children, and now I get it.

4. Whenever we had something to complain about Grandma would sing,
"It's easy enough to be happy when life rolls along like a song,
but the man worthwhile is the one who can smile when everything goes dead wrong."

5. She told us how to treat our husbands.
"Hug him every morning,
Kiss him every night.
Give him plenty loving-- treat him right.
Cause a good man is hard to find."

6. Grandma loved to give advice through song. If our mother was cross with us, she'd sing "Ah those little icy fingers pressed against the window pane...." and let it hang. This was her condensed version of "Scatter Seeds of Kindness," a hymn that got her point across. Here are the words of he 3rd and 4th verse:
If we knew the baby fingers
Pressed against the window pane,
Would be cold and stiff tomorrow
Never trouble us again,
Would the bright eyes of our darling
Catch the frown upon our brow?
Would the prints of rosy fingers
Vex us then as they do now?

Ah! Those little icy fingers,
How they point our memories back
to the hasty words and actions
Strewn along our backward track.
How those little hands remind us,
As in snowy grace they lie,
Not to scatter thorns- but roses-
For our reaping by and by!

I know it sounds crazy, but if my sister starts to sing that to me (and you better believe she dares to!) it actually makes me smile to think of my Grandma subtly reminding us to be better Moms.

I could really could go on and on about my wonderful grandparents. And this is only on one side of my family. There's so much more. Someday I would like to get more into family history-- does that sound like a total copout? Yeah, I know it does. Please share any favorite advice from your parents or grandparents with me.