In September of 2016, I ecstatically added to the burgeoning class of baby-boomers becoming grandparents. There are 70 million Americans a year joining the ranks. Caregiving my granddaughter during the workweek is a bit of heaven, and much comfort to her parents. It’s also longevity enhancing for me: the Berlin Aging Study found that grandparents who provided non-custodial childcare died at a rate 37% lower than for grandparents who did not provide childcare, and even non-grandparents benefited if they did caregiving .
Latest Posts
7 Reasons a Baby Twitches & Moves from Tongue to Toes
Have you noticed how often a baby twitches in his or her sleep, or waves, wiggles and squirms about while awake, including tongue fasciculations? Is all this movement necessary? What can the science of sensorimotor development tell us about these phenomena? Here are 7 reasons why a newborn baby twitches and moves every little and big part of their body. Read more
Ann Barros: Pioneering Yoga Practitioner in Bali, Made Famous in Eat Pray Love
The headline in the Good Times newspaper read: ” Beloved Bali Yoga: How yoga maven Ann Barros became the creative catalyst in an enlightening Hollywood tale…. The article told the story well–we share it here, and we catch up with Ann to discover what came before and after this remarkable and quite deserving recognition, in her own words.
A Screenplay Synopsis for Jack London’s The Valley of the Moon
This is a rather indirect oral history entry–it’s a peek at American writer Jack London’s novel The Valley of the Moon (1913), a semi-autobiographical love drama. His historic glimpse of turn-of-the-20th-century California is compelling. London’s language, especially the slang of the day, is riveting, so too is his strong female character. It’s an important story that speaks to hope and resilience in the face of hardships. My family’s home, way-of-life, and region of land they came to know and explore is depicted in this extraordinary tale, perhaps that’s the true reason I adapted it for the screen. Here’s the logline and synopsis for the screenplay: Read more
A Personal Narrative–Reframing Stories Toward Thriving
It’s been two years since the publication of my essay “Toward Thriving” appeared in Refusing to Quit: True Stories of Women Over Sixty by Dr. Joyce Knudsen, which I will share in this post. Today is November 3, 2017, despite the blogs entry date. Read more