Hello all,
Thanks, Claudia, for creating a community of working grandmothers. What a neat idea!
This is my introductory post, and I'll make it about emigration and extended families. [Emigration is the act of leaving one's country to live in another, immigration is the process of becoming part of the new country].
I emigrated from Holland to Canada with my geologist husband in 1969 at the age of 25. I have never been sorry for a single moment, but only recently have we started to realize how much the next generation is deprived of extended family.
I come from a close, matriarchal family.
My mother had 4 sisters and her father died when Mom was 12. "Oma van Eijk" was definitely a presence in our childhood.
I was always a bit scared of her, and did not like the way us kids had to behave better than normal (we were really pretty good) when Oma came to stay with us. We did have some good times together when I went to stay with her in her home. But I did not start to fully appreciate her courageous and difficult life till long after she was gone.
My father's parents were more fun, especially since they lived in a downstairs flat with, oh joy! a backyard with an apple tree, a gap in the hedge that led to Opa's brother's backyard next door, and even a few chickens at the end of the yard.
Besides that Oma only 5 feet tall, if that, and was a lot of fun to measure yourself against.
When I met my husband his redoubtable and remarkable grandmother on mother's side was still alive. "Moele" lived in a huge home filled with antiques and souvenirs of her many years in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. She organized a lavishly catered family reunion every Christmas season where all the nieces and nephews gathered. She told us (in 1965) that she wanted to stay alive to see a man land on the Moon. She did. Quite a lady.
I can't say the extended family was a daily part of our lives, but there was definitely a network of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents that one took for granted and it was there in the background.
My parents used to visit here a lot, Mom almost once a year. But none of my siblings had kids, for various reasons. The family tree has shrunk instead of expanded. Four kids, two grandchildren, one great-grand, at least so far. There is still hope :).
This leaves my children in the world without cousins on that side of the family. My husband's sisters had 5 kids between them, but his family is less close than ours.
This was simply not a big deal when they were growing up. We were part of a rural "back-to-the-land" community, with friends taking the place of family. But the young have all scattered, as they must to find more opportunity than a small resource town can offer.
Fortunately our daughter married into a small but close family and her in-laws live in the same town as us. We are good friends, so we are creating an extended family in that way. It is great!
There really ought to be a word for sideways relations. What do you call people with whom you share a grandchild? Our grandson, who will remain un-named because my girl guards her privacy, has cousins on his father's side. The other grandparents of those cousins live here too, and have kindly included us in a sort of sideways extended family. We have even had Christmas at their place.
What do you call people whose grandchildren are cousins to your grandchild?
We need to enrich this language!
Anyway, that's enough for now....
Ien in the Kootenays, Mother of daughter, 33, who just got her PhD in microbiology, and son, 28, a geologist like Dad who is moiling for gold in the NorthWest Territories, one brilliant grandson, 9.
I market wild whole foods products for middle-aged women who are so exhausted and muddled that they can't even finish their own sentences anymore, like I used to be, and I have a special interest in keeping kids with ADD off drugs! Don't be afraid to ask, I don't believe in "selling" and will gladly share everything I have learned on ADD. (There was originally a link to a site, but it is no longer connected to the author at this update, and I cannot find her. Perhaps she will find us one day.)
Updated 11/27/18
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Aging - Exercise Equals Biologically Younger You
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| Visit happynutritionist.com |
Today I went for my annual physical, thankfully all looks great, I am awaiting results of my blood-work, and do have to schedule my Mammogram, very important!
When I got home, in my inbox was yet another reminder about the importance of keeping our bodies moving...and I thought I'd pass it along.
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Health researchers from King’s College in London have just concluded a study that suggests people who are physically active in their free time may be biologically younger than their less active peers. The research was published several years back in the Journal of the American Medical Association, visit the link for more current articles on physical activity and health.
The researchers looked at the physical activity levels, smoking habits and socioeconomic status of 2,401 study participants. The researchers also collected DNA samples from participants and examined certain DNA characteristics that change as part of the aging process and therefore may serve as a marker of a person's biological age. Overall, the study participants had changes to the DNA characteristics that come with aging, but those who were more active in their leisure time showed less of a change.
"A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related diseases and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases, but also because it may influence the aging process itself," study author Lynn F. Cherkas, of King's College London, said in a prepared statement.
"The U.S. guidelines recommend that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week can have significant health benefits," the researchers wrote. "Our results underscore the vital importance of these guidelines. They show that adults who partake in regular physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals. This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential anti-aging effect of regular exercise."
Walking for 30 minutes a day is the easiest way to add more physical activity to your life. If you’ve been inactive lately, start off slowly with 5 minutes a day, and then gradually build up to 10 minutes, 15 minutes and on to 30 minutes. You’ll have more energy, you’ll feel better, you’ll sleep better and you’ll live longer. Add 5 servings of fruits and vegetables to your new active lifestyle and you’ll feel better than you have in years - and there’s no easier way to get your 5 servings a day than with convenient, delicious Wholefood Farmacy foods.
Updated 11/27/18
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Tips for Self-Employed Grandmothers
I used to love to visit the various article sites to see what I can find...after all, people are writing these wonderful articles to be read. At this update, article sites have become unpopular, as they lend to "duplicate content" on the internet, the same people posting the same articles at all article sites, with links to their business sites. It seems that this is frowned upon in recent years at this 2018 update, as many article sites have closed down, and the links within the articles are no longer active.
Nevertheless, back in the day, the following article caught my eye, and does have some helpful information. I must say that I'm inclined to like the idea of working in my comfy sweats and slippers...but that's because of the kind of work I do at home. Read the following, the article was entitled "What to Know Before You Start Working from Home" by Jerry D. Wilson.
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Working from home is not a trend, it is now considered a very cost effective and efficient way of doing business. A great number of companies today are hiring people specifically to work from their own homes. Some of these companies even financially supplement these home offices with office allowances, the paying of phone and high-speed Internet connections and office supplies.
If you find yourself in this seemingly enviable position here are some things you should think about to help keep yourself at the top of your game.
Dress for success even when working from home
Do not fall into the trap of going to work in your pajamas. While this may sound fun it is not. Your productivity will plunge, your attitude will suffer and your overall efficiency will be below acceptable levels.
How you dress effects the way you think. This may sound funny but it is totally true.
This is why Casual Day at the office may only be coming to work without a tie. In most cases Casual Day does not include shorts, a tee-shirt and no shoes. If you are working from home you should never consider yourself to be on permanent Casual Day.
When I conduct sales meetings I always stress that the participants should dress accordingly. In most cases I issue instructions with the meeting announcement that all attendees should dress Business Casual for my meetings. No ties, no blue jeans and no shorts. If someone wants to wear a suit, that is fine. I would rather see someone over dress than under dress.
For working from home, you should always get up, get showered, shaved and dressed appropriately for your day at work. Do not take shortcuts with your morning routine or your apparel for work. Keeping up appearances will make for a better attitude at work.
Keep your Office out of the Bedroom
It may sound like fun to have your desk in your bedroom but it will hurt you in the long run. If you are going to work from home find a different room to set up your desk. Having your desk in the bedroom will make for some very long days and nights.
The temptation to work after hours will always be there if your desk is in your bedroom. During the night, you might even hear the sound of an E-mail coming in and get up to check it out. (I speak from experience on this one.)
You also need the mental advantage of going to work. I like to tease my wife in front of other people when I joke that my wife makes me walk to work each morning. After a short chuckle and a weird look directed toward my wife I explain that I walk down the stairs and across the house to my home office.
I am able to walk into my home office and begin the day like I was walking into a corporate headquarters. I have a door to my office that I can close at the end of the day when it is time to go home. Having a door to my office gives me the physical border that I need to begin and end the day and help keep my work from invading my home life.
Take a Lunch Break
The tendency will be to cut yourself short with your lunch breaks. Do not do this. Take your breaks. Get out of your office. Go to the water cooler every once in a while.
I found that when I physically left the house for lunch that I was more productive in the afternoons. The break gave definition to the mid-day or halfway point of the work day. Getting out of the house also made it less restrictive to the space I found myself in.
Also, I was able to make friends with people so I could have the interaction that you will miss from working in solitude. Make some lunch appointments with friends, especially those in similar positions as you. Your productivity will flourish because of it.
Limit the Interruptions
Working from home provides temptations for others in the home to interrupt whenever they feel like. This kills productivity and should be limited whenever possible.
One of the best pieces of advice I give for this is to suggest that the person interrupting be asked what they would do if I were working from an office downtown:
Well, you get the idea. If they would not ask you to do whatever it is if you were working downtown then they should not ask you if you are working from home.
Another good visual explanation of how interruptions need to be limited is holding a pencil horizontal. Explain that this pencil represents the time it is going to take to complete the project you are working on. It is fixed, it is rigid and unable to be shortened. Now explain that the interruptions you get only shift the timeline further and further beyond quitting time. The project must be completed and the interruptions only delay the completion of the project.
The one exception I make for this hard and fast rule of limited interruptions is if you have children. You should allow for breaks from work to see them off for school and for when they come home from school. These should be happy times in your family and your children need to see you on both of these occasions. Do whatever you can to make your children feel special during these times and you will not be interrupted so much by them at other times.
A Home Office can be more Productive
Updated 11/27/18
Nevertheless, back in the day, the following article caught my eye, and does have some helpful information. I must say that I'm inclined to like the idea of working in my comfy sweats and slippers...but that's because of the kind of work I do at home. Read the following, the article was entitled "What to Know Before You Start Working from Home" by Jerry D. Wilson.
--------------
Working from home is not a trend, it is now considered a very cost effective and efficient way of doing business. A great number of companies today are hiring people specifically to work from their own homes. Some of these companies even financially supplement these home offices with office allowances, the paying of phone and high-speed Internet connections and office supplies.
If you find yourself in this seemingly enviable position here are some things you should think about to help keep yourself at the top of your game.
Dress for success even when working from home
Do not fall into the trap of going to work in your pajamas. While this may sound fun it is not. Your productivity will plunge, your attitude will suffer and your overall efficiency will be below acceptable levels.
How you dress effects the way you think. This may sound funny but it is totally true.
This is why Casual Day at the office may only be coming to work without a tie. In most cases Casual Day does not include shorts, a tee-shirt and no shoes. If you are working from home you should never consider yourself to be on permanent Casual Day.
When I conduct sales meetings I always stress that the participants should dress accordingly. In most cases I issue instructions with the meeting announcement that all attendees should dress Business Casual for my meetings. No ties, no blue jeans and no shorts. If someone wants to wear a suit, that is fine. I would rather see someone over dress than under dress.
For working from home, you should always get up, get showered, shaved and dressed appropriately for your day at work. Do not take shortcuts with your morning routine or your apparel for work. Keeping up appearances will make for a better attitude at work.
Keep your Office out of the Bedroom
It may sound like fun to have your desk in your bedroom but it will hurt you in the long run. If you are going to work from home find a different room to set up your desk. Having your desk in the bedroom will make for some very long days and nights.
The temptation to work after hours will always be there if your desk is in your bedroom. During the night, you might even hear the sound of an E-mail coming in and get up to check it out. (I speak from experience on this one.)
You also need the mental advantage of going to work. I like to tease my wife in front of other people when I joke that my wife makes me walk to work each morning. After a short chuckle and a weird look directed toward my wife I explain that I walk down the stairs and across the house to my home office.
I am able to walk into my home office and begin the day like I was walking into a corporate headquarters. I have a door to my office that I can close at the end of the day when it is time to go home. Having a door to my office gives me the physical border that I need to begin and end the day and help keep my work from invading my home life.
Take a Lunch Break
The tendency will be to cut yourself short with your lunch breaks. Do not do this. Take your breaks. Get out of your office. Go to the water cooler every once in a while.
I found that when I physically left the house for lunch that I was more productive in the afternoons. The break gave definition to the mid-day or halfway point of the work day. Getting out of the house also made it less restrictive to the space I found myself in.
Also, I was able to make friends with people so I could have the interaction that you will miss from working in solitude. Make some lunch appointments with friends, especially those in similar positions as you. Your productivity will flourish because of it.
Limit the Interruptions
Working from home provides temptations for others in the home to interrupt whenever they feel like. This kills productivity and should be limited whenever possible.
One of the best pieces of advice I give for this is to suggest that the person interrupting be asked what they would do if I were working from an office downtown:
- Would you ask me to help carry in the groceries if I were in an office downtown?
- Would you ask me to change a diaper if I were working in an office downtown?
- Would you ask me to watch the kids?
- Would you ask me to walk the dog?
Well, you get the idea. If they would not ask you to do whatever it is if you were working downtown then they should not ask you if you are working from home.
Another good visual explanation of how interruptions need to be limited is holding a pencil horizontal. Explain that this pencil represents the time it is going to take to complete the project you are working on. It is fixed, it is rigid and unable to be shortened. Now explain that the interruptions you get only shift the timeline further and further beyond quitting time. The project must be completed and the interruptions only delay the completion of the project.
The one exception I make for this hard and fast rule of limited interruptions is if you have children. You should allow for breaks from work to see them off for school and for when they come home from school. These should be happy times in your family and your children need to see you on both of these occasions. Do whatever you can to make your children feel special during these times and you will not be interrupted so much by them at other times.
A Home Office can be more Productive
- You have a quiet atmosphere where you are surrounded by things you love.
- You do not have to listen to the office gossip or office politics.
- You should never be late for work and you are going to love the commute.
Updated 11/27/18
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Passing Down Christmas Traditions
My grandson had his first Christmas last year (2006), came over to my house, had lots of fun opening presents, watching the lights. This year will one that he'll remember, and my son and his wife decided it would be great to stay home and start their own family traditions. So I had a great talk with my daughter-in-law as she asked me about the traditions her husband remembered best.
I think his favorite was Christmas Eve. We'd have like a fiesta, enchiladas, taco's etc Some years we'd have a pinata. Then we'd gather around the Christmas tree and read the Christmas story from the Bible, have a song or two. Somehow they started the tradition of opening one present that night, and they haven't wanted to stop. Then they play games till we told them get some sleep!
Updated 11/27/18
Friday, March 5, 2010
Grandparenting from Far Away
It is Sunday, November 25, 2007. I am in sunny Florida where the temperature is a it-feels-so-good 80 degrees and the sun is glorious. This is my permanent home now as of April 2004. I live on a wonderful little island called Anna Maria Island where the island's slogan is: "Paradise Without Attitude." That couldn't be any more true. Anna Maria is a quaint, charming, historic, laid-back and very friendly "old Florida-like" little barrier island situated on the Gulf Coast between Bradenton and Sarasota, about 1/2 way down the long state. To me, it really IS paradise.
There is only one downside. And that downside is...............my two grandbabies live far, far away in the buckeye state--Ohio. My perfect world would be to have all of my family and dear friends move down here, too. But alas, that is not likely to happen! So, my grandma-hood consists of as many trips to Ohio as I can make, along with phone calls, DVDs made from camcorders, and hopefully, one day soon, webcams.
I was concerned the first time I went back after Truman (my oldest grandchild, now age 3) was only about 18 months, that he would shy away from me. To my unbelievable delight, he seemed to really connect with me, and now he has ever since. Sometimes, he will go through about a 20 or 30 second "hide on daddy's leg" routine from which he quickly recovers. Then.............we speedily proceed to Grandma getting down on the floor ("Grandma, sit on carpet") to play many things. We play with Lightning McQueen and Buzz Lightyear and Dora the Explorer and those great, colorful Lego building blocks that I wish had been around when I was a little tyke. (I think we had Lincoln Logs and wooden blocks, which were certainly okay, but WOW, the colors of those lego blocks are great!) And we play "giggles" that we make up as we go. That's probably one of my favorites, because Truman will get right up close to my face and just giggle, and of course, it makes me giggle, too. It is more precious to me than I can express in mere words! Well, now then, I have a new one! New grandbaby. Truman now has a baby sister and her name is Brecken. He told me on the way to the hospital the day she was born (August 24, 2007) that he wanted a "girl brother." And his other Grandma and Grandpa had purchased for him a very special shirt which said "I'm the Big Brother." He was ready. He was now taking on a new roll of brother. No longer was he a son and a grandson. Uh-uh. He is now a BROTHER, too. And what a brother he is! He is so gentle and loving with little Brecken, it just warms your heart to see him. Even his little voice softens as he speaks to her. Now of course, we all know that will change over time, don't we? One day, she will just be his bratty little sister and he will argue with her and vice-versa. But for now, she is his "girl brother" and it is so cool to see him interact with her. So now, I have two reasons to have a sort of "split" heart! I say this because even though I love beautiful Ohio, I no longer want to live there. I truly deeply love Anna Maria Island and its warmth and beaches. Those are the reasons I moved here. But I surely do miss those little ones! They are absolutely one of the biggest joys of my life. I'm not sure when I'll get to visit again. I know Brecken will have changed a lot and will probably be sitting up and getting some "toofers" and all of those wonderful first-year things that babies do. In the meantime, however, I have the memory of her beautiful little face, surrounded by that incredible mountain of black hair. I have the memory of her sweet, soft, tiny little fingers grasping my larger one. And I particularly have this Truman memory that brings tears to my eyes every time I think of it: he and I were playing out in the dirt with his new little motorcycle shortly before I left to come back to Florida. It was in mid-October, and a rather nice warm day for Ohio that time of year. We were sitting in the dirt and I was telling him about how motorcycles do "hill climbing." So we made a hill-climbing track. And he was racing the cycle up the track. And all of a sudden, he reached over and plucked a late-blooming dandelion. Then he handed it to me, and said "here, Grandma, I picked a flower for you." I don't even have to tell you what that meant to me. So.....a short while later, we went back inside the house, I carrying my flower, which one of the dogs promptly tried to take out of my hand and munch. I was able to retrieve all of the stem, and a portion of the flower head, so of course, I immediately placed it in a safe place where I could press it and save it forever and ever. And even when it crumbles away, I will always have that memory pressed in my heart.
Being a Grandma is incredible! Thank you for allowing me to share my stories about MY grandchildren. Have a wonderful day! Sincerely, Janet
Guest post by Janet aka Oceana
Updated 11/27/18
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Out At the Mall Hanging Out
Yesterday I decided to take my 14-month old grandson to the Mall. What a treat it was for both of us! Instead of pushing him around in his stroller, I decided to give him the same experience his mom and I have when we go together---walking and window shopping.
What a treat it was for EVERYBODY! Just like my daughter was when she was little, my grandson is a showstopper...a real entertainer...and he performed brilliantly for anyone who was willing to stop, watch and listen.
All anyone had to do was smile at him and that was his cue to clap his hands, do a little dance and belt out his version of Whatever! A few times he got a little out of control and grandma had to be mean---but it was all of the spirit of love and no-no.
He took his first trip on the escalator and he loved it. He enjoyed it so much that he cried when he tried to get me to go back up again and I wouldn't. He was also fascinated by the mannequins but didn't dare touch them. I don't think his little mind could process exactly why a life-like figure would just be standing in the middle of a department store and doing absolutely nothing. (Sounds like some teenagers I know).
Just before leaving the mall, my grandson decided he wanted to crawl under one of the tables in the men's department and play a game of "catch me if you can." He quickly discovered grandma wasn't in the mood, which made him cry again. His tears caught the attention of a stranger who wanted to console him. She asked for a hug and after a moment, my grandson reached out to her. Then he put out that great big smile and all was well again.
The whole mall experience was a video camera moment but, of course, I didn't have one. But the memory of hanging out at the mall with my grandson will live in my heart forever!
Originally posted 11/2007 by Beverly Mahone
Updated 11/27/18
Monday, March 1, 2010
Healthy Aging on National Nutrition Month
I came across this article from one of the sources of healthy treats I love, and thought it seemed like a "fit" here, since we as Working Grandmother want to be here to enjoy our grandbabies and grandchildren for a good long time. Some of it we've heard before, many times perhaps, but it never hurts to be reminded again. I hope you'll enjoy, and after you've read it, if you have been at your computer for a while, get up, walk, stretch, move! I'm speaking to myself as well! I'm on my way as soon as I post this.
"According to the Harvard School of Public Health, studies that have followed large groups of people for many years are all drawing the same conclusion:
A sedentary (inactive) lifestyle increases the chances of becoming overweight and developing a number of chronic diseases. At this update in 2018, I heard a report claiming that being sedentary is as harmful as smoking, it is that serious.
Exercise or regular physical activity helps many of the body's systems function better and keeps a host of diseases at bay. According to a US Surgeon General's report, regular physical activity does the following:
* Improves your chances of living longer and living healthier
* Protects against heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol
* Helps protects against certain cancers, including colon and breast cancer
* Helps prevent or control type 2 diabetes
* Helps prevent arthritis and may help relieve pain and stiffness in people with this condition
* Helps prevent the insidious loss of bone known as osteoporosis
* Reduces the risk of falling among older adults
* Relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves mood
* Helps maintain a healthy weight
This article was sent to me by the Wholefood Farmacy, my source for snacks as interesting as their names.
Have a happy, healthy day!
Image Credit: pasja1000 on pixabay
Updated 11/27/18
Newborn Photo Shoot
Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~Author Unknown
Precious granddaughter! Now to turn some of those photos into greeting cards.
Guest post by Heidi Caswell updated 11/27/18
Precious granddaughter! Now to turn some of those photos into greeting cards.
Guest post by Heidi Caswell updated 11/27/18
Sunday, February 28, 2010
First Grandbaby
When my son told me they were expecting, I had no doubt he'd be a great dad. But was I ready to be a grandmother? Sounds old doesn't it?My youngest was 9 at the time and still denies being an aunt. Old is a state of mind, It doesn't matter your age or if your body starts to fall apart. What matters is living in the moment, enjoying life, fulfilling your purpose, living your dreams.
Grandkids are a gift, to help us stay young. Look at Jack snuggling up with his mom, such contentment. I just couldn't resist taking the picture and sending it out on a card.
Grandkids are a joy!
Guest post by Heidi Caswell
Updated 11/28/18
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