During one of my recent library presentations, a grandma mentioned that she has so much more patience now than she did when she was a mom. We all agreed with her and wondered why that is. Of course we all know that age and experience have a lot to do with helping to put things in perspective. Plus, knowing we’ll be able to go home at the end of the day helps, too. But the librarian had another theory and she ran off to grab a book from the shelves: (more…)

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Jacob Jankowski, the narrator of Water for Elephants, is so old he can’t remember his exact age—ninety something he tells the reader in the first sentence. He also can’t remember all the names of his grandchildren, the offspring of his five children. He’s often left sitting alone in his wheel chair in the hallway of his assisted living center with only his memories to keep him company. He seems to delight in being as obstinate as he can with the staff who tend to him. But beneath his prickly exterior is a sweet, sentimental old man who takes us back to his twenty-third year. He is about to graduate from Cornell Veterinary Medicine School when an accident happens that changes the course of his life and takes him on a fascinating journey with a traveling circus. (more…)

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Looking for a clever way to tell your parents or in-laws that they’re going to be grandparents? Consider giving them a copy of That’s What Grandparents Are For. The author, Arlene Uslander, told me that’s how one woman announced her big news to her in-laws. Another young woman bought a copy and asked Arlene to sign it: “Lots of love to an amazing Grandma and Grandpa,” with the grandchild’s name. (more…)

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Today’s post is an important milestone for me—it’s my 100^th post. With Thanksgiving this week I want to express my gratitude to all of you readers, especially you grandmas who’ve enriched my life by sharing your blogs, books, and comments with me.

It seems fitting that for my 100^th post I share a book that has hundreds of fun, low-cost activities for grandparents to share with their grandchildren whether they’re near or far. Grandloving: Making Memories with Your Grandchildren is written by a grandmother, Sue Johnson, and her daughter-in-law, Julie Carlson. This unique writing team knows first-hand the challenges of long-distance grandparenting. Sue and Julie have lived in different states since Julie’s three boys (now 15, 11 and 5) were born. Both Sue and Julie are former teachers and have included their favorite ideas in their book along with tips and activities (more…)

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Grandparents — Let’s Have Our Say! At our July GaGa Sisterhood meeting twenty grandmas engaged in a lively discussion that was long overdue:...