Amaze your grandkids this Thanksgiving, plus the GRAND Social link party

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It's Thanksgiving week. And though our plates are overflowing with things to do, what grandma or grandpa worth their whiskers isn't interested in adding more knowledge to their noggin? Especially when it's Thanksgiving-related tidbits we can use to dazzle our little darlings while we're together over the holiday.

So before you participate in this week's GRAND Social link party, add the following 5 Tips for a Better Thanksgiving through Chemistry to your arsenal for amazing your grandkids — and big kids, too — this Thanksgiving (it's more interesting than it sounds, I promise):

When it comes to Thanksgiving, it's best to expand our brains rather than our bellies, I always say. (Actually, I've never said that before in my life. It sounded good, though, don't ya think?)

Enough turkey talk. Time for the main course:

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Saturday movie review: 'The Truth About Emanuel'

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THE TRUTH ABOUT EMANUEL is a wholly original and unpredictable film on grief and the stories that keep us afloat. Emanuel's story is that she killed her mother. Or that's how Emanuel (Kaya Scodelario) puts it in the voice-over in the movie's first scene.

As the dark film begins, it's days before Emanuel's eighteenth birthday. Emanuel detests birthday celebrations, though, because her mother died giving birth to her. Her combative attitude through much of the film makes it seem she detests far more than just her birthdays, including herself.

The Truth About Emanuel
(from left) Kaya Scodelario and Jessica Biel in THE TRUTH ABOUT EMANUEL.

Emanuel lives with her father (Alfred Molina) and a stepmother she treats horribly. She seems fragile and ready to come undone any moment. The situation — and Emanuel's psychological state — take a complex turn for the worse when a young mother (played by Jessica Biel) moves in next door.

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'Labor Day' movie a tender ode to imperfect people... and pie

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I tend to expect the worst yet hope for the best when it comes to movies based on novels I loved written by authors whom I've long adored. Such was the case with LABOR DAY, a film directed by Jason Reitman based on the novel of the same name by author Joyce Maynard.

Joyce Maynard on her grandmotherI read Joyce's novel not too long ago. I literally hugged the book to my chest after reading the final page, I loved it so. Because of my love for the book, when I had the opportunity to screen the film — which opened the Starz Denver Film Festival — I feared I'd be disappointed.

Thankfully my fear was unfounded.

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Veterans Day tribute plus GRAND Social No. 78 link party

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link party

Welcome back, my friends. For those of you who stopped by on Saturday, I apologize for there being no new post. So happens that Squarespace, my host, had technical difficulties Friday afternoon on into the early hours of Saturday, and I was already engrossed in Bloggy Boot Camp sessions by then.

Thankfully things are fine here now, just in time for this moving Veterans Day tribute produced by the husband of my bloggy friend Sandra Sallin. Sandra was kind enough to grant me permission to share her husband's video, When I Come Home, with you.

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Oh, how my grandsons swear

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I didn't let my daughters swear when they were young. I didn't allow them to swear in my presence when they were older, either. For the most part. When they were teens, I did allow them one curse word — that word being crap — that they could use when they rilly, rilly, rilly needed to let loose with exclamations of an unsavory sort.

My daughter Megan is more strict than I am. Sometimes surprisingly so. She has a far more restrictive expected code of behavior than I ever did with my girls. That's mostly, I think, because she's a teacher and sees the horrid lack of respect many school kids have for others (and themselves) nowadays.

Because Megan is so strict — and I say that with genuine admiration, dear Megan — I'm pretty sure Bubby and Mac will never, ever be allowed to say crap.

That said, though, there is one exclamation the boys are allowed to say, and it cracks me up each time it comes out of their mouths. During my visit with my grandsons a few weeks ago, I caught Mac on camera uttering the mighty words of frustration when I was trying to get him to say fire engine or fire truck (and, no, it's not that mangled curse word):

Oh, nuts! Just makes me chuckle every time.

Bubby says it, too, and it's always so unexpected coming out of the mouths of those little boys that I can't help but laugh.

What's especially funny is that, as you can see from Mac's face when I chuckle in the video above, my grandsons have no idea why Gramma finds that so funny.

Truth be told, I'm not exactly sure either.

Oh, nuts!

Yeah... it's just funny to me.

Oh, nuts!

I admit it: It doesn't take much to amuse this grandma.

Today's question:

What chuckle-worthy pseudo curse words come out of the mouths your little ones?

Texting truths tempered with humor, plus GRAND Social No. 71

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Many of you know my thoughts on texting while driving. Bottom line: It's bad.

Beyond the potentially disastrous effects of texting while driving, though, there are other reasons texting — while driving or not — isn't so great. A recent conversation between comedian Louis C.K. and Conan O'Brien  touches on a few of those reasons, and considering that our grandchildren do (or will) use cell phones and text far more than previous generations, I thought it worth sharing with you.

In the following, Louis C.K. makes a profound point about texting, tempered with humor yet oh so true.

It's something to think about next time you see your grandchildren or children texting. Something to think about next time you or I text, since some of us are just as tethered to it as the kids.

On another front: My sister is home! She has many challenges and a tough road ahead, but being home is a great start. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for her. You've made a difference.

And on yet another front:

Welcome to GRAND Social No. 71! Thank you joining me!

link party

How it works:

  • All grandparent bloggers are invited to add a link. You don't have to blog specifically about grandparenting, just be a grandparent who blogs.
  • To link up a post, copy the direct URL to the specific post — new or old — that you want to share, not the link to your blog's home page. Then click the blue button marked with "Add your link" below and follow the directions.
  • You can add up to three posts, but no duplicates, contests, giveaways, or Etsy sites, please.
  • Adding a mention such as This post linked to the GRAND Social to your linked posts is appreciated. Or, you can post the GRAND Social button anywhere on your page using the following code:

Grandma’sBriefs.com

<a rel="nofollow" href="/" target="blank"><img src="http://grandmasbriefs.squarespace.com/storage/GRANDsocialbutton.jpg " alt="Grandma’sBriefs.com" width="125" height="125" /></a>

 

  • The GRAND Social linky is open for new posts through Wednesday evening, so please come back to see those added after your first visit.

  • If you're not a blogger, you have the pleasure of being a reader. Bloggers who link up would be honored to have one and all — other bloggers as well as readers — visit, read and, if so moved, comment, even if just a "Hey, stopping by from the GRAND Social."