Grandma Doesn't Wish To Be Young Again - A Story and a Song

Why "Grandma Doesn't Wish to Be Young Again"

Most of the lyrics I write carry a piece of my heart, and this one comes straight from my parents' lives. The opening verse of "Grandma Doesn't Wish to Be Young Again" offers a small glimpse into their story.

They took their vows in a quiet little town and spent hours just driving around together. My dad had this teasing grin that could make my mom laugh even when she was mad at him, a skill he definitely used to clear the air!

Today, my mom and dad are together again, which makes this song mean the world to me. 

Before that reunion, though, I watched my mother navigate life after losing him. That experience inspired the story of a grandmother learning to live fully in a world where her husband has gone on ahead.

Mom once said to me that losing Dad was like losing half of your body. I could feel the shift. Losing Dad affected us all, but Mom, I suspect, more than anyone.

Why An Upbeat Tempo?

When people hear a song about grief and aging, they usually expect a slow, tear-jerking ballad. 

But I wanted something entirely different. I went with a fast, upbeat tempo on purpose. It took many iterations to get the sound I wanted to match my words. That part was frustrating, but in the end, the final result is what I was going for.

Life doesn't stop moving just because we experience loss, and our memories of the people we love are usually vibrant and full of energy. 

The driving rhythm mirrors that enduring spirit, transforming a bittersweet story into something that feels alive, moving forward, and surprisingly uplifting.

The Real Meaning Behind The Title

The title says it all: "Grandma doesn't wish to be young again."

While my mom might have liked the idea of reliving her youth, she made it clear as she got older that she had no reservations about leaving when her time came, because it meant being with my dad.

For the character in my song, turning back the clock holds no appeal. Going backward would just take her further away from where Grandpa is patiently waiting for her. 

Instead of wishing for lost years, she finds comfort in her memories of him, which give her the strength to keep going each day. She even reminds her kids and grandkids not to fear getting older, seeing aging simply as a privilege.

It's just a personal reflection on love that outlasts the years, and I'm so glad I could share the story behind it with you all on the blog today. Perhaps you'll find your family in these words.

Oh, I forgot to mention: the wedding photo in the main image is of my mom and dad on their wedding day.

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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

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How I Put My Lyrics to Music and Create Songs - A Basic Introduction

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🎵 I write and produce story-driven lyrics. Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording.🎵 ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved - Original Lyrics Authored | Sound Recording: Produced With Digital Assistance (Vocals and Instrumental) 2026. Licensed digital composition (Commercial Rights Held). The visual artwork may include AI-assisted digital elements. SOCAN Member.

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NEEWOLLAH FESTIVAL

A fun holiday travel review

Festival in Independence, Kansas

Independence, Kansas is a small town located in Southeast Kansas situated along the Verdigris River and close to the Oklahoma State Line.  It is the home of the Little House on The Prairie Museum where the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.

Back in 1919, the City Fathers decided to provide a way to eliminate the typical Halloween pranks that had been occurring around that holiday. To that end, they began a program of positive activities for kids of all ages. These activities included several parades throughout the day and evening of October 31st, with  decorated cars and carriages, along with Queens and Princesses from area festivals. These included their own town Queen who was elected based on the number of votes bought at a penny each.

The festival was interrupted by The Great Depression and World War II, but in 1958 local businessmen revived and elaborated on this festival and brought it back as a 3-day celebration. The festival is named NEEWOLLAH (Halloween, spelled backwards).

Neewollah

This annual Halloween festival held in Independence, a town of only 8,500 inhabitants, is today the largest annual festival in all of Kansas. During the festival, which now is a 9-day celebration, the town grows to 75,000 people. 

Events have grown to include three parades, including one for the kiddies, and a Grand Parade. There is also a Chili cook-off, a musical, and the Queen Neelah pageant. 

There are food vendors, an Arts and Crafts show, and a Fun Run. You will find a bandstand for nightly entertainment. This festival has activities for everyone of any age. 

A Musical is a planned part of the festival each year. In 2026, the musical will be Disney’s FROZEN. The show is always performed by a local cast and live orchestra. 

Summary

This year’s Neewollah Festival will be held October 23 - 31, 2026. To find out more about Independence, Kansas, including its Neewollah Festival, the free park & zoo, the several interesting museums, and the Children’s Summer Theatre, please visit: http://www.indkschamber.org/

*Travel Review of the Neewollah Festival in Independence, Kansas

    ~Written by Wednesday Elf

**Source of images: Pixabay

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LIANTIANHONG Montgomery County,Independence,Kansas Travel PosterCheck PriceIndependence Kansas KS JS04 Vintage Athletic Sports T-ShirtCheck PriceKANSAS TRAVEL GUIDE 2026: Cultural Landmarks, Event-Week NavigationCheck Price

 

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Kong Wubba Halloween Bat for Dogs Reviewed

Some toys are just too cute!  I bought this Kong Wubba bat for our Labrador retriever, Watson.  He loves Wubbas and the bat seemed like the perfect Halloween gift.  Of course, I gave it to him weeks before Halloween.  He immediately started carrying it around as his favorite new toy.  He even "flew" the bat around the backyard so it could get a good look at it's new home.

The Wubba bat is absolutely adorable with it's big smile and silver wings.  Like other Wubba toys, it has the long floppy tails that make it easy for a pup to catch and carry.  It also has the squeaker in the round "head" which seems to bring great joy to Watson as he bites down on the Wubba.

Watson's Bat Wubba is black and orange, as shown in the photos.  However, the bat Wubbas on Amazon are black and purple.  Either set of colors are awesome!

Watson and His Wubba

 

KONG Wubba Bat Toy

 KONG Halloween Wubba Bat Small 2 Pack Check PriceThe black and purple colors of the bat that is available on Amazon are perfect for Halloween or anytime of the year!  

The silver wings on all of the bats make them glisten in the sun when our dog is running through the yard with the bat in his mouth.  The reflective wings also make this Wubba easier to find. 

The rugged reinforced nylon exterior is durable and great for dogs chewing, biting, and playtime.  

Wubba's are always fun toys for the toss-and-catch game between people and pets.   

This Wubba's height is 9.5 inches and has a 7" wide wingspan.  

 

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Kong Wubba Halloween Bat for Dogs written by:

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Cavatelli Maker Review Make Homemade Pasta Easy

 Cavatelli is a traditional Italian pasta with a small rolled shape. You can find cavatelli at your local grocery store, but you can also make them at home.

This cavatelli maker has been in our family for years. My mother gave this to Fran and me shortly after we were married. We have been married for 54 years, and I don't know how long she had it before giving it to us. I guess this simple kitchen tool will outlive us all.

We make our homemade cavatelli with three simple ingredients. You can find the recipe here on my blog:  Homemade Cavatelli.

Here is a plate of our homemade cavatelli made fresh with our cavatelli maker. I remember my grandmother making these all by hand. She would shape every single one with a simple roll of her finger. The cavatelli maker makes this process much easier.

Here is a short video of our grandson Tyler cranking out the cavatelli. 

We always make several batches at one time so we can freeze them for later. Check out our recipe above for ingredients and instructions for making these with the cavatelli maker.

The cavatelli maker is easy to clean and store. Just rinse it with warm water until the rollers and blade are clean. 

Amazon has a nice selection of cavatelli makers.

      

O'Creme Wooden Roller Cavatelli Pasta Maker – Original Italian Pasta Roller Machine – Non-Stick Coating Wooden Rollers Gnocchi Maker Pasta Attachment – Easy to Clean and Precision Cut

 

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Hallmark's Alive and Talking Pumpkin

 

There are some really interesting products being made for Halloween and I cannot believe I missed this one.  It is Hallmark's motion activated Halloween Alive and Talkin' Pumpkin'. He measures 11 inches high by 7 inches wide, features a number of different Halloween-theme faces and, when you pass him by, he'll make a comment like: 

"Is that a mask? Please tell me it's a mask!"

"Have a nice fright!"

"Hope Your Halloween is Delightful."

"Ever since the carving, I just have this empty feeling inside..."

If you have seen the animated pumpkin up close and personal, be sure to let us know what you think. Meanwhile, I'm hoping I run into one out there in the real world.

As it turns out, this fun jack-o-lantern was made in 2013 and has been discontinued. However, you can still find Hallmark's Alive and Talking Pumpkin here on eBay.

Happy Hauntings!
Boo-renda

Quick Links:

Pumpkin-Themed Halloween Gifts for You and Your Kids.

Vintage Play-Doh Count Creepy Head Dracula Set Reviewed.

Discover the When Witches Go Riding Halloween Poem.

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Custom Family Photo Calendars

Many times I have made designs that people can purchase on a variety of products, but sometimes I make templates on products that people can add their own photo personalization to, such as these custom family photo calendars.

There are currently three layouts to choose from in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle. This first one is great for smaller photos that people would like to have a frame around the photo. Each page has a frame of sorts on it to showcase each photo. This calendar begins with a green circle frame for January, a pink circle frame for February, and a blue circle frame for March, followed by square black frame for April, a blue textured look rectangle frame for May, and then the pattern repeats up through November. The month of December has a colorful miniature Christmas balls frame that is a rectangle frame.

You can choose from three sizes, small, medium, and large, for this calendar. And also whether you prefer a long single page for each month, or a two page option that folds between the image and the month.

You can also pick from various styles/designs for your calendar part, such as colorful seasons, large numbers, modern bubbles, and more. It's a fun way to personalize each calendar even more. There's also a selection of wire binder colors to choose from.

Personalized Add Your Own Photos DIY Calendars
by CherylsArt

This next calendar option has a template placeholder where the border color around each photo acts as the frame. Each photo will fit into a rectangle shape, that almost takes up the full picture part of the page. If the product page shows an edit button, you can select that and choose a background color, if you want the pages to have a different border color other than white.

The same custom options that are mentioned for the above calendar also applies to this one.

Add Photo Custom Printed Calendars Any Year
by CherylsArt

This last option features a rectangle picture template, without any border space. The image will print to the edge.

Add Photo Create Make Your Own Calendar for 20xx
by CherylsArt

Whichever calendar option(s) you choose, be sure to select the appropriate year that you want, and edit any text templates. When I upload my photos or images, I make them around 12 inches in diameter and a DPI (dots per inch) or 300. They don't need to be any certain shape.

All of the above calendars also have the option to choose from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 month options. You will also select the start date and end date for each calendar that you order.

There are 21 language and culture styles to choose from too!

Calendars make great Christmas gifts, especially when there are a number of special photos that you want to share from throughout the year! If you want to mark off birthdays, anniversaries, school events, etc., then use the Calendar Grid Transparency to mark your dates off.

I have ordered a calendar from Zazzle and it turned out very well. The printing was great and it has a nice smooth finish.

Have you ever ordered a personalized photo calendar before? Thank you for considering CherylsArt on Zazzle for your personalized calendars.

Cheryl Paton

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Hallmark Christmas Movies Reviewed 2026

If it's October, it's Hallmark Countdown to Christmas! Countdown begins Friday, October 16th with Tis The Season For Set ups with Victor Webster, Barbara Niven and Amanda Schull as they navigate party planning, ski resort festivities with a little matchmaking thrown in the mix to keep ski resorts and holidays Hallmark festive.

Hallmark is again bringing over 30 new Christmas and holiday movies across the Hallmark network whether it be live or streaming.

Eagerly awaited and anticipated 2026 Hallmark Christmas movies are:

 

Holiday Touchdown A Bear's Love Story

Enjoy a superfans grandson mission to help celebrate his grandma's 500th game as a superfan with a little romance added for good Hallmark measure. Watch for appearances by the Bears' coach and players.

The first movie in collaboration with NFL was Holiday Touchdown: A Chief's Story which was Hallmark's number one movie. 

Last year the Bill's had their turn with Holiday Touchdown: A Bill's Love Story and this year its the Bears turn with the Bear's backdrop for holiday Hallmark + football with Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley and Marsha Mason.

 

Weekend Premieres

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the end of the year Hallmark will premiere a new movie.  A few double features weekend are sprinkled throughout the season too! 

 

A few to look forward to:

• A Grand BILTMORE Christmas which is a sequel with Niall Matter
• Return To Christmas with Paul Campbell and Rachel Boston
• Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True with Lacey Chabert 
• Christmas In Blue Dog Valley with Andrew Walker 

Air dates can be found on the Hallmark.com site along with the entire schedule for Christmas Countdown. 

 

Hallmark Christmas Movies To Bookmark And Watch Again

Three Wise Men And A Baby And Three Wiser Men And A Boy

These three Hallmark movies are the trifecta of quality holiday movies at Hallmark. The Hallmark A Team of  Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell stars and their chemistry make these movies annual favorites and amongst the most popular in the Hallmark Christmas catalog. 

 

Three Wise Men And A Baby

Three Wiser Men And A Boy

Three Wisest Men

 

Christmas Under Wraps and Sequel A Cozy Christmas Inn

Jodie Sweetin (Full House) and David O'Donnell star in the sequel of old loves reuniting. Candace Cameron Bure starred in the first. Garland Alaska takes the center stage with new and old loves. Both movies are charming and also on the rewatch list when Hallmark Christmas movies begin. 

 

Favorite Holiday Royalty Movies (Also Most Watched )

A Royal Christmas with Lacey Chabert

Crown For Christmas with Danica McKellar 

 

 

A Merry Scottish Christmas 2023

This movie remains in the top tier of holiday movies with  Party of Five vets Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf play siblings on a family trip to Scotland. Family reunions and mysteries are on the travel agenda.. Filmed in Ireland and Scotland and the Duns Castle Estate is beautiful to watch 

 

Haul Out The Holly And Haul Out The Holly: Lit Up  Sequel 2022

Always worth rewatching and bring your of humor. Vintage Hallmark chemistry with Lacey Chabert  and Wes Brown. Mix a few inner Grinches plus the annual HOA competition for decorating to win the coveted prize! Enjoy these light hearted romcoms of Hallmark Christmas.

More Hallmark Christmas Movies Reviews

Hallmark Christmas Movies 2025 Reviewed by The Savvy Age

Hallmark Christmas Movies 2024 Reviewed by The Savvy Age

Hallmark Christmas Moves 2023 Reviewed by The Savvy Age

Hallmark Christmas Movies 2022 Reviewed by The Savvy Age

Hallmark Christmas Movies 2021 Reviewed by The Savvy Age

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A Fun Halloween Story Song To Add To Your Spooky Playlist

With Halloween season in full swing, I've been having a lot of fun leaning into a completely different kind of storytelling. 

While I usually write lyrics inspired by real-life moments, family milestones, and special occasions, I've wanted to step outside my comfort zone lately and dabble in the spooky side. 

Building on another track I just put out, "Haunt Me," I set out to write another Halloween song purely for fun: a classic, atmospheric ghost story with a tragic twist.

The result is my new song, "My Grave." 

A Spooky But Fun Story Song - Boo!

The story follows a woman caught in a bittersweet, ghostly loop. Every morning, she wakes up reaching across an empty, cold mattress, sliding her feet into the slippers her partner bought her last fall while a strange chill lingers in the hallway. 

Time has completely stalled for her: mail sits untouched on the table, her watch on the mantel has stopped ticking, and her reflection is hidden behind a foggy mirror. 

Convinced her partner is just out of reach, she watches neighbors walk by outside without a glance, feeling the eerie weight of being unseen by the living world.

The emotional turning point hits when her partner finally returns home, collapsing on the couch in agonizing tears and crying out, "Why did you die?" In that heartbreaking instant, the illusion shatters. She realizes the truth: she is the one who passed away, and she has been haunting the halls. 

Instead of moving on, she stays behind, lingering as a spirit and waiting patiently for their final day together.

Writing this was such a blast because it bends the rules of a traditional love song into something haunting and theatrical. 

I hope it adds a little bit of spooky storytelling to your October playlist.

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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube:  Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify:    Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe: Join the Journey: Get New Songs and Stories in Your Inbox

My Website: Drageda.com

How I Put My Lyrics to Music and Create Songs - A Basic Introduction

*********

🎵 I write and produce story-driven lyrics. Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording.🎵 ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved - Original Lyrics Authored | Sound Recording: Produced With Digital Assistance (Vocals and Instrumental) 2026. Licensed digital composition (Commercial Rights Held). The visual artwork may include AI-assisted digital elements. SOCAN Member.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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