Musing elsewhere: 9 Personal Skills to Encourage in Grandchildren

/

compassion: children with ladybug 

Want to enhance your grandchildren's lives in ways that last a lifetime? Well put away your wallet and encourage kids to develop personal skills rather than accumulate playthings.

Grandparents are uniquely qualified in three specific ways to best encourage skills that make a world of difference when it comes to a child's future success:

  • boomeon bloggerWe have unconditional love for our grandchildren.
  • We support and supplement the values instilled by our grandchildren's parents.
  • We often have fewer work demands and outside obligations than the parents, hence more relaxed, one-on-one time with the grandkids.

Use your time, talents, and unique experiences to help instill important personal skills in your grandchildren by encouraging them to be:

Compassionate. Visit zoos—from open-range to petting—and animal shelters to discuss humane practices in caring for animals. Compassion for humans can be...

Continue reading 9 Personal Skills to Encourage in Grandchildren on Boomeon.com...

11 men I'd love to hug other than my husband

/

As many of you know, about a year and a half ago I was called out of the audience at a national conference by none other than movie star Andy Garcia. He invited me to the front of the stage, in front of hundreds of conference attendees, so he could simply give me a hug. (If you missed that story—or just want to giggle about it again—you can read "On Andy Garcia and me" here.)

Now, when I met (and hugged) Mr. Garcia, I was shocked, surprised, delighted! I never, ever expected such a thing might come of my writing in a movie review of Garcia's latest film that I'd love to give the guy a hug. So if that is all it takes to get a hug from a man I admire—simply putting it down in writing for all the Internet to see—here are eleven other men I'd love to hug...and why:

men to hug

David Sedaris. He doesn't seem the hugging type, so Mr. Sedaris would likely...

Read More

Saturday movie PREview—and giveaway: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

/

The last time my husband and I went to see a movie at the theater, we did as we always do: Jim headed off for the popcorn while I made my way to the theater to nab our seats. As I sought out the correct theater, a middle-aged couple walked just ahead of me. Suddenly the woman stopped in her tracks as her hubby kept walking. The woman was mesmerized by the movie poster in the hallway.

As I got closer, I realized what had caught her eye... and I joined her in front of the colorful, oversized promotion for THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL.

second best exotic marigold hotel

"I can't wait to see this! Did you see the first one?" she asked in dreamy tone.

"Oh, yeah," I said in an equally smooth voice as we...

Read More

Here and Now: February 26, 2015

/

The second edition of my new Here and Now feature...

here and now grandma's briefs

On my mind...

Why can I recall every single word of songs from my youth that I now hear only once a year or so yet simply CANNOT get down the lyrics of current hits I hear on the radio at least once a day? Is it age? Is it because...

Read More

When grandchildren move away: 10 things to send with them

/
When grandchildren move away: 10 things to send with them

Sometimes, regardless of how much we wish things could be different, grandchildren and their parents move away from Grandma and Grandpa. Perhaps there's a better financial situation for Mom or Dad farther away, or maybe it's a marital split that results in beloved grandbabies being relocated farther from grandparents than ever before.

I have always been a long-distance grandma—my grandsons have never lived near me. So I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be to learn grandchildren who lived nearby will soon live miles and miles away. Such a transition is surely hurtful not only for the grandparents, but for the grandchildren, too.

when grandchildren move away

As a longtime long-distance grandma, though, I do know there...

Read More

Saturday movie review: McFarland USA

/

My oldest daughter ran cross-country for a bit in high school, and she and her two sisters all enjoy running events of various sorts still as adults. Which means I knew a little something about the cross-country sport going into MCFARLAND USA, based on the true story of one of the most incredible teams in cross-country history. You need not know a single thing about the sport, though, in order to enjoy and appreciate—as well as root for—MCFARLAND USA.

mcfarland usa movie

MCFARLAND USA is set in 1987 and stars Kevin Costner as the real-life Jim White, a down...

Read More