Look &/or listen as my guests share the stories of the Things they keep, the things that matter, the things they’ll leave behind.

The newest grannie, Marsha Rothwell, started us off with her unique show and tell. It’s a lamp she made many moons ago that sits in a place of honor in the living room of the family farmhouse on the coast of Massachusetts.

One day years ago she & her family, including many young grandchildren, did what they often did… they went for a walk on the sandbars near their seaside home. On this particular day there was a super low-tide & a full moon. They had taken pride in the fact that their beach was always free of trash, but that day they came across a tire buried in the sand. Marsha & her family tried to remove it & when they did they found it wasn’t empty. As Marsha pulled on the tire a huge claw reached out!

Sadly they weren’t able to dislodge the tire, but with the help of a young boy who was nearby they got the 4 pound lobster. After taking it to the shore and taking lots of family photos with it, Marsha cooked it and enjoyed every morsel.

So what did Marsha do with what was left of the lobster? She decided she would create something to honor that beautiful day at the beach with her family! She took a gourd, paint & that lobster claw and made a lamp that represents the sand, water & sky.

Every time she looks at the lamp she’s transported back to that sunny day, walking with her family, trying to cleanup the beach & the lobster who came to dinner. It’s quite a conversation piece when guests visit! Her family knows very well the story of this handmade lamp…they were part of it.

Next up is grannie #1 Beth Sobiloff! I first met Beth in the summer of 2023 at an adult summer camp for location independent (vanlife, full-time travel, digital nomads…) people. Beth arrived in her Two Grannies on the Road van & impressed me with her warmth & passion for life!

Beth brought a family of porcelain Siamese cats & a mouse to show and tell. She has had this set since she was a child. She grew up in Ohio, the 5th child of 6 to a tool & die maker Dad and a homemaker Mom. They didn’t take many family vacations, but this set was a souvenir from one special vacation on Put-in-Bay Island in Lake Erie. It was only an hours drive away but Beth & her family had a blast. Before leaving her Mom asked what she wanted to remember her time there and Beth chose this Siamese cat & mouse set. This set sits on a shelf in Beth’s living room as a reminder her of the wonderful family time she had.

Family is super important to Marsha & Beth as is “travel”, whether to a sandbar nearby or only an hours drive away… it’s all about building deeper connections, community & legacy one town at a time.

They shared how their parents & grandparents had thoughtfully passed down their Things that mattered to them. They keep those Things to this day!

Marsha hopes her lobster lamp will remain in the family farmhouse after she dies…. the story will most certainly be passed down too! Beth wants to make sure her family knows the story of her porcelain cats. She wants to make sure they know its not just something to dust.

Beth, inspired by my Things That Matter story-sharing gathering at Camp Indie, decided to give her oldest granddaughter her nesting owls (like the dolls) as a high school graduation gift. She, her siblings & cousins had played with those owls when they were little. Her granddaughter was thrilled to have it! She placed it on her desk at college to remind her of all the fun times she had with her granny.

I TOTALLY enjoyed this conversation with the Two Grannies on the Road! Their love of people & places runs deep! I’m grateful to have met Beth at Camp Indie 2023! And I’ve had fun following along on their travels around my old neck of the woods. I lived in Northampton, Mass for 15 years before moving to Brooklyn. Check out these lovely & lively woman on their adventures HERE

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Let’s build more connections, community & legacy by sharing & listening to the stories of the Things that matter. Things don’t matter, but the stories that get attached to them often do. ______________________________________________________________________________

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