Last night at 9:30, the boy who made me a grandma was born. Noah Jacksen Smith was 7 pounds, 12 ounces and 19 inches long; in Nathan and Meagan’s words, he is perfect in every way.  The tone in Nathan’s voice when he called was one I’ve never heard before in all the 24 years I have loved him–definitely a “proud of my amazing wife,…

Steve and I were in the middle of giving blood when the phone call came from Nathan telling us that Meagan went into labor at school and is now dilated 5 centimeters. The time is here!  We are about to become Grandma and Grandpa Smith!  Hooray! We’ll leave for Florida early in the morning. Will keep you in touch when Noah arrives. Thanks for your…

Over the years my family has dubbed me, “The Queen of  Leftovers.” Although my list of talents is not overly long, one talent I do have is that I can stand in front of a refrigerator filled with miscellaneous, mysterious leftover food items and envision how they can be reconfigured, transformed, and  given a second chance.…

When Steve and I finished our walk down the long hall and entered Smiley’s room, we saw that he was out of bed and sitting up in a wheelchair. Since he spends much of his time sleeping, we were thankful we had caught him at a more responsive time. After we had greeted his wife, Juanita, Steve knelt beside Smiley and said, “Smiley, it’s so…