GrannyXpress

and for the little ones:

* Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails by Nancy Tafuri

*The above list for toddlers was recommended by the Richland Librarians, Richland, SC

Getting Baby To Sleep

We’ve all been there as grandparents, I’m sure…. our little grandchild– delightful, cherubic, sweet-smelling– won’t go to sleep. Either we’re trying to assist our tired adult child, the parent, get the squalling baby to release all that tension into lovely restful sleep, or we’re trying to do it ourselves as temporary babysitters or long-term caregivers….

We draw on all the stuff we did in the past as parents… checking for pins and other possible sources of external discomfort– looking for signs of colic and earache– adjusting clothing to meet with either too-hot or too-cool conditions– rocking– singing– ferberizing– etc.

Eventually we may get the wee one to sleep, but it might be with him/her in our arms or lying in the same bed with them… any stirring starts the whole process over again.

Here is an e-offer that costs about as much as a couple of lattes and seems to guarantee successfully getting your baby to sleep after applying what you learn from a 35-minute audio. Sounds worth a try to me– what do you think? Pass the word on to the young adults who are trying to do it all– Click Here!

GrannyX’s Gluten-free Brownie Recipe

Today is the anniversary of my mom’s death, a year ago. I phoned my Dad to see how he was doing– fine, apparently, but feeling understandably a little down. It is very cold in Saskatchewan where he lives and he said the weather forecast for the next two weeks doesn’t show a big break. This is hard on him. He likes to go out for a walk everyday and that means pushing his wheelie-walker along icy, snow-crusted paths and sidewalks.

We had a long and animated chat about the ills of GMO (my dad is converted– he (Fraser Rempel) was a long-time ’seedsman’, executive for a Saskatchewan seed company, three-time President of the Canadian Seed Trade). He has been influenced by our son and a lot of reading. Or maybe he was just being kind and not using his favorite expletive with me (Horse —-). In any case, it was a nice visit.

Then later in the afternoon, avoiding my real work on my website, I decided to bake some brownies. These are gluten-free brownies. I’m pretty sure that wheat flour and I should part ways. The recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation, as most recipes are, I would guess. Here goes:

Wow– brown rice flour is lovely but also very absorbive (?)– use a cup or more or water and let it sit and absorb, and if it seems a little dense, add a little more water.

Love it!

Organic really is what to wear…

Tip from my hippie son: wear organic! Grandmothers should also buy organic items (toys, clothes, treats) for their grandkids… wouldn’t you want them to have the best of the non-toxic world?

Here are some finds on eBay: (if the bid is over when you get here, just do a search for what you would like to buy organic on the same widget below:)

Vacuum Cleaner Deals

Last week we had a call from the rug cleaners asking if they could do our rug for free in exchange for some referrals to friends. My husband took the call.

The upshot is that we DID have our rug done, and a fine job it was too (friends out there– please use this service! Call and we’ll give you the information). The guy showed us all the gunk that came from the carpet after we had vacuumed (supposedly??) with our cheap-o little cannister, and also vacuumed the dead skin from our mattress (eeeew). Did we buy the vacuum cleaner they were REALLY SELLING? Well, remember, my husband took the call. He showed the fellow how much the vacuum was selling for on EBay (about 1/5 of their cost– over $2000) and then the unexpected happened. The cleaner/salesman said, “Thank you , thank you! I KNOW this is an excellent vacuum but I really hate trying to strongarm older folks who are either senile or on a fixed income… this gives me a way out!” And he left quite pleased with himself. It was a very weird sort of WIN-WIN situation. Take a look at the brand and when you do your research, you will find that they do get an excellent consumer rating on the internet:

Book Review: THE MATURE MIND: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain

I am a Boomer so, naturally I am drawn to what look like positive models for my own old age. I look for people in their 70s, 80s and older in my family and community who seem to be faring well in their maturity, whose minds are keen, and who have activities that they love and work that they enjoy. I don’t generally look to the news or so-call “health/medical literature” since what I find there is generally gloomy accounts that make it sound like everyone is bound to get Alzheimer’s if they live “long enough” or at least some form of clinical depression that results in significant cognitive and emotional decline.

What a joy to pick up Gene D. Cohen’s book, The Mature Mind:The Positive Power of the Mature Brain and read that, as the ancient philosopher would have it, it ain’t necessarily so that we all lose our marbles. In fact, as the book’s subtitle emphasizes, there are several positive aspects to having a mature brain in your skull.

Cohen worked for 35 years as a gerontology psychiatrist and went through a misdiagnosed illness (’they’ diagnosed Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in his own mid-life that appears to have crystallized his already compassionate and keen observations of the aging population he worked with. When he ’stepped out of the box’ and began to design games for older adults, many of his colleagues made the sort of patronizing comments that we are familiar with, implying that he was bucking the status quo and was therefore quite likely heading into senility.

Although this volume appears relatively slim (just over 200 pages), it is packed with the kind of meaty ideas, proofs, and testimonials of the rich possibilities of intellectual, emotional, and creative learning and growth that I have longed to read about. In some ways, the experience of reading reminds me of having read the late Betty Friedan’s book, “The Fountain of Age“. I recall going to my mother, who was quite ill with an undiagnosed brain disorder (it was, in fact, never diagnosed), and regaling her with all the hope and black humor with which Friedan peppered her volume, a work that took on what she saw as the ‘establishment’ that was passing and supporting laws that oppressed the aged (such as mandatory retirement, etc.). Interestingly, Friedan was scathingly critical of gerontology and gerontologists, seeing them as little more than henchmen of a youth-promoting government elite. I was delightfully surprised at Cohen’s respectful and admiring voice throughout this book, and have to admit that this has probably restored a little balance to my recent rant against the medical establishment (and Good Grief! Some of my best friends are doctors…lol).

Still Not Too Late for Your New Year’s Resolve

At last night’s Toastmasters’ meeting we had a debate on the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of New Year’s Resolutions. I argued on the “effectiveness” side.

The New Year calendar date is a good reminder of our resolve to better ourselves… hope springs eternal.

My email bin is full of invitations to get my life off on the right foot in 2008. Here are a couple that you might find interesting to explore:

You want to try your hand at e-commerce in 2008? Maybe you already have a profitable business on-line, in which case you might not be interested in this particular proposal. But, maybe you would like to hear what some of the topnotch internet marketing have done or are doing to promote their successful businesses.

To take part in a series of FREE internet tele-calls with wise industry leaders like Greg Cesar (on powerful use of Keywords), Justin Livingston (”Intimate Marketing”), Donna Fox (”Why events are the ideal way to market to women”) and Many More teachers on the leading edge of internet marketing. These calls are a showcase of the speakers at an upcoming 3-day conference. Go here to learn more and register for the calls.

I personally recommend the interNETworking team that I am a part of for anyone who is currently involved in a network marketing venture that is simply not working out to be what you had hoped for when you signed up. If you love the products you sell, but hate pestering friends and relatives to buy those products, you might want to join me to learn a more successful and respectful system. Take a look here to see if this meshes with any of your desires and experiences and download the free report.

In the mood for optimal health and curious about what the best cleanse might be for you? Click here and check out the different programs available to start the year fresh and cleansed! If you sign up for a newsletter you will also have an opportunity to take part in an introductory 21-day e-health program for FREE.

Have fun with your aims for a healthier, wealthier you this year!

~GrannyX/ Healthia Cynthia

Raggedy Ann Revisited

When my eldest son was little his great-grandmother gave him a Raggedy Andy doll. I have no idea what became of that doll. We moved a lot and he must have got left behind… I am finding that that is my legacy having allowed my husband to do a lot of the packing up whenever we moved (while I looked after the children).

In any case, Raggedy Ann (and her twin, Andy) were the brain children of American artist Johnny Gruelle. He was a cartoonist back in the turn of the 20th Century on to his death in 1938. Initially he did cartooning for adults, but eventually he turned his eye to the juvenile market and really enjoyed development of the Raggedy characters. There is a museum to Johnny and his characters in Arcola, Illinois. The legacy of the Raggedys was carried forward through this museum project by his sons, Worth and Richard, and their respective spouses.

Children, and adults, continue to connect with these cheerful-looking dolls. Here are a number of possibilities to introduce Ann or Andy into your doll collection– or to gift your little grandchild or great-grandchild, as my grandma did:

There are many more variations of this theme on eBay…. just click on any of the above pictures to check out what is up for auction or what can be bought directly. Have fun!