Griesbaum Girls

My sisters all share something in common.  All of our first born children are boys. Ben, Lisa's only son, and Tucker,  Libby's only son, get a chance to speak. They usually do not say much. Maybe because they are outnumbered and cannot get a word in.  They often just observe and listen.  College, social media, Covid, music, are a few of their (quiet) observations. 

Liz discusses what happened after the attackers were caught and how friends, family, and most importantly, her truth, helped her to move forward.  

Your twenties are certainly a time of change, transition, and challenges.  These years of your life can the best and the toughest because they are the most defining. Our friend Liz reminds us that it is how you handle the challenges you do not anticipate that may define you the most. Her story is an excellent reminder of how women should never let their guard down and how you never know how brave you are until you have to be.  Thank you Liz!

Libraries are the hubs of our communities, places for people to learn, find entertainment, and socialize.  The coronavirus pandemic has changed how our local libraries operate.  Libraries are more important than ever serving as crucial resources during a confusing time.  If libraries are the hubs then librarians are the heart.  A librarian is the original search engine!
Support your local library and shout out appreciation for your local librarian - even if she shushes you!

Sometimes all you need is a second chance, because time wasn't ready for the first one.

Join our very fit friends Kelly and Barbara for a discussion about yoga, exercise, and accountability.  It is never too late to get started!  Find our how these fitness trainers got their start and how you can too. Now is the time.  You can do it.  Like Olivia sings, Let's Get Physical! 

The sisters sit down and reminisce about how time flies while on Spring Break with the families.  The conversation takes place over Easter weekend which brought up many memories of our Dad.  Easter 2006 was unexpectedly his last Easter celebration and he had sent this Easter card to his friends and family : Blessed Easter Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely, in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a martini in the other, body thoroughly worn out and screaming "Woohoo, what a ride!" 

Pat Strullmyer was one of the first female administrators in an Illinois Correctional facility.  Pat talks candidly to Libby and Lisa, Pat's daughter-in-law, about her experiences climbing the ladder in the 1980s and 90s before #metoo and about her fight for equal pay.  She shoots straight from the hip and tells us how she maneuvered an all-male environment at work and at home. 

As the median family size continues to decrease, middle children are becoming extinct.  How boring will this world become if there are no middle children? You may think birth order is overblown, but us middle children are determined to solidify our place in the family.