A funny thing happened to two grandmas on the way to the Berlin Wall. This sounds like it’s the first line of a joke. Well, it’s not a joke, but there were many funny times. A Sister's Invitation to Europe Early last fall, my sister asked me if I would be able to...
Nancy Becker
Granddaughter Runs Away With It
It was December of 2023 when I first heard my granddaughter had signed up to run the 2024 half marathon in Lincoln. I was thrilled to hear her news. I knew she liked to run a bit, but never imagined she had set a goal to run the half marathon. Supporting Her Training...
Finding My Calling with TeamMates Mentoring
I worked with TeamMates Mentoring at Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) shortly after Tom Osborne and his wife created the program in the early 90s. As a principal, I loved greeting the mentors because I knew how much the relationship meant to our students. The closer I got...
Being Phased Out of Everyday Updates From My Grandkids
One of the things I miss about having three of our four grandkids in Kansas City is knowing what they're doing and what they're thinking. I don’t expect to be informed about everything or even know what they had for lunch. I don’t even remember what I had for lunch!...
Why My Granddaughter Is on the Cover of Vogue
Just when I felt my oldest grandchild found her niche, she decides to move it up a notch. A New Generation's Work Model I was always under the belief that you worked one job and you stayed there. Yes, you’d adjust what role you may have in the school or company, but...
What I Learned on My Grandson’s Recent Ski Trip
As our grandkids grow older, our ski trips are changing. Our Memories on the Slopes Years ago, when our kids were in elementary and junior high (yes, back in the old days when it was called junior high), we would take our daughters skiing in Colorado during winter...
Can This Old Dog Learn New Tricks?
Our granddaughter bought a puppy. It feels weird to us, but we love that she made the decision and is taking on extra responsibilities. Pet-Free Beginnings Neither my husband nor I grew up with pets. My father was allergic to animals, so other than being around horses...
Home for the Holidays
The holiday season is always a busy and delightful one. I enjoy opening up our home to family members, their children and grandkids. Our grandkids are growing older, so several of them are seriously dating others, and we do our best to accommodate everyone. Almost 30...
What to Do When Children Don’t Want Your Heirlooms
John and I are tired of taking care of the yard, trimming, planting, spraying for weeds and yes, even killing garter snakes. It’s not that we don’t want to do it, but it seems to be taking us more and more time to accomplish our tasks. We take care of all the...