GaGa Sisterhood
GaGa Sisterhood
Where grandmas bond, brag, and benefit
GaGazine October 2008
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                 Host    Presenter
Sun, Nov 2   Sandy   Barbara
Sun, Jan 4    Betty    Nancy

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Give the Gift of GaGa

My good friend Joyce, who's not a grandma, recently asked me how she could give a gift membership to the GaGa Sisterhood. So I created a special gift certificate and she gave them to her sister and a friend who just became a grandma. They both live in New York and wrote back to say they were thrilled when they received the gift.
The new grandma said she wanted to give the same gift to a friend of hers who also just became a grandma. She thought she would enjoy it since she recently became a widow after the birth of her granddaughter.
If you know any new grandmas, whether local or out of the area, I invite you to consider giving them a gift certificate for the holidays, upon the arrival of their grandchild or for any occasion. Just send me an email with their information and I'll take care of the rest!

Positive Aging Conference

One of our GaGa Sisterhood members, Marilyn Abedin, launched the Leading Age Institute  with two friends this year. The new non-profit organization was organized to collaborate, support and assist people in the second half of life by launching age-friendly projects and practices.
Their first event will be an informative all day conference on November 12 -  "Achieving Purpose, Meaning and Vitality in the Second Half of Life" - at the Abundant Life Hall in Cupertino. Marilyn told me she's involved in this work because she wants to create, explore, and reshape aging into a much more exciting, positive experience than our parents' generation.
For more details go to their website http://www.leadingage.org/.
 
The Tooth Fairy

Has your grandchild had a visit from the tooth fairy yet? I have a recommendation for a cute book with a very sweet interpretation of what the tooth fairy does with all those teeth she collects. It would make an adorable gift for that special milestone in your grandchild's life. [click here "The Tooth Fairy Book" to read more.]

Greetings!DonnePhoto
Welcome to our October GaGazine. I don't know about you, but I've grown weary of all the bad news in the media. So I'm offering some stories that I hope will lift your spirits!

In Sisterhood,
NancyMellon
Bits of Joy and Inspiration

As the economic news gets grimmer with each passing day, I find myself searching harder for bits of joy and inspiration to lift my spirJoyits - especially now that the unemployment statistics have become personal. Our 35-year old son, Mark, is one of the casualties. He has no job or place to live so we've let him move back home - temporarily! None of us are happy about the situation, but these times call for compromises and flexibility.

Mark is back in his old room, which had become my meditation room. The computer I share with my husband now serves the three of us as Mark works on his job search.

But, as we sat down to Sunday dinner and lit our gratitude candle, a ritual we've been doing since 9/11, I felt grateful for many things. We have a roof over our heads and food on the table that we can share with our son. We are eternally grateful to Matt Thompson, who donated a kidney to Sonny two years ago. I am grateful for my family, especially my two precious granddaughters who bring me so much joy. And I am grateful to all of you who support the GaGa Sisterhood. You inspire me to pour my creative energy into our organization because of your continuing enthusiasm and support.


National Grandparents Day Founder Marion McQuade

Last month I wrote my first "Go-To Grandma" column in Parenting on the Peninsula about National Grandparents Day and its founder, Marian McQuade. When the paper was published, I called McQuade's daughter, DJ McQuade, to let her know about my article. DJ told me her mother passed away on September 26 at the age of 91, surrounded by 13 of her 15 children, 18 of her 43 grandchildren and many of her 15 great-grandchildren.

"We gave Mom a good send off," DJ told me. "The minister was there and we all sang hymns."
 
Thirty years ago Marian McQuade inspired 43 governors across the nation to set aside a day to honor grandparents and with that momentum President Jimmy Carter signed legislation in 1978 proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. What a legacy she left  - not only to her own family but also to millions of families around the country who celebrate the important role that grandparents have in our society. She was a visionary whose tireless efforts focused attention on creating bonds between the generations.


Four days before McQuade died, DJ said she was sitting alone with her mother when a moonbeam shone through the window and illuminated her mother's face. "She already looked like an angel," DJ said. "Her face was radiant and she looked so beautiful." She whispered to her mother: "Aren't you glad you get to go to heaven?" and her mother smiled. Then DJ put headsets on her mother so she could listen to Sarah McLachlan's "Arms of an Angel."

DJ explained "having that experience leaves me with a lot less grief." I was deeply touched and honored that she shared her beautiful story with me. What a blessing for all of them to witness such a sweet passing for a woman so devoted to her family.

DJ said that to honor her mother's work on behalf of the elderly, her family requested that grandparents pass on family histories to their grandchildren, visit with the elderly or volunteer at a local nursing home. As Marian always said, "Make every day Grandparents Day."

You can visit the website at http://www.grandparents-day.com/


Review: Young@Heart

One of the sweetest movies I've seen this year is "Young@Heart." It truly lifted my spirits. This documentary is about a chorus of two dozen seniors whose average age is 80. What began as a collective arts project in 1982 at a center for the elderly in Northampton, Mass., has developed into a popular local ensemble with an international reputation.
 

The film shows them preparing for a 2006 concert and gives you glimpses into the lives of several members as they rehearse such classics as "I Feel Good," "Should I Stay or Should I Go," and "Yes We Can Can." This Pointer Sisters hit whose lyrics repeat "yes we can" 71 times in intricate, staccato patterns is really a metaphor for the group.

If you have any fears about growing old, you'll find inspiration from these seniors who've discovered that the camaraderie of singing in a chorus is good medicine. One of the most poignant stories is about Fred Knittle, who had to drop out of the chorus because of lung trouble. He comes back for one more performance, packing along his oxygen tank, and delivers the performance of his lifetime. As Fred sings his solo in a voice that reminded me of Willie Nelson, I could not hold back my tears.
I hope you enjoy it and maybe even share it with some of your older grandchildren.