Adventures with Grammy

Welcome to Episode 93 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. Today's guest, Tom Long, began performing as the Singing Santa in 1985 when he was 21 years old. He knew that first Christmas he had chosen the right avocation when a curly headed lad with big brown eyes said he wanted to hear Santa say, "Ho. Ho. Ho." Throughout the years the Magic of Christmas and watching parents light up when their children sit in Santa's lap have fueled Tom's passion for performing as The Singing Santa. An invitation to work with Marie Osmond and an appearance on America's Got Talent added a bit of spice to his role. When he retires from his day job as the general manager of the largest restaurant chain in Virginia, Tom intends to up his Singing Santa productions and hopes to perform with The Rockettes and during the Macy's Parade. Tom says his career as The Singing Santa would not be possible without the support of his wife. Even his three children help out making the Christmas season truly a family affair for the Long household. I began our interview by asking Tom to talk about his children and how he incorporates them into his performances. https://www.singingsantaclaus.com tlong001@aol.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063570041670 https://youtube.com/user/TheSingingsantaclaus Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Founded in 2011 by Aaron Larsen as a way to honor his grandparents, GrandparentsAcademy.com is the world's first and only online academy dedicated to helping grandparents grow meaningful relationships and rich legacies with their loved ones. Our resources, which include guides, videos and social posts, have reached millions of grandparents. Thousands have enrolled as students from all over the globe. To learn more, visit https://www.grandparentsacademy.com/ To register for the 2023 Grandparents Week, visit https://grandparentsacademy.mykajabi.com/grandparents-week-2022-post Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Mrs. Claus has a busy schedule, but she stopped by the Adventures with Grammy Podcast to let you know she is ready to bake cookies with your grandchildren, tuck them in with bedtime stories, and gather around the family room to tell stories and sing songs. We know Mrs. Claus as Debra Weller, our guest on Episode 54, who talked with us about the art of storytelling. Today she will help us count down the days to Christmas ... less than 90 days away ... and share with us a special story. Before we hear the story, Debra will give us insight into her professional credentials and continuing education, including a recent conference she attended. Please visit the show notes to contact Debra and arrange visits with Mrs. Claus or to learn more about storytelling. gigsalad.com palmtreesantas.com DEBRA WELLER-EDUCATOR, STORYTELLER, CONSULTANT 949-295-7634 debteller136@gmail.com https://story-tellingcourses.com @debstoryteller https://youtube.com/c/DebraWellerStoryteller8084 https://www.facebook.com/debra.weller.18 http://linkedin.com/in/debra-weller-904bab1b3 @debstoryteller Instagram https://memorykpr.com/ https://www.magicpolygon.com/ Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Welcome to Episode 90 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. Today’s guest is Paul Entrekin. For most of his adult life, Paul’s feet have been off the ground and in the air flying from one destination to another -- sometimes upside down -- sometimes at warp speed. A retired US Marine, naval aviator and Delta Airline captain, Paul primarily is known today as an acrobatic pilot who owns and flies a Russian MIG 15 fighter jet in airshows across North America. The role he cherishes is grandpa. Today we will discuss his first children’s book, Jasper and the Christmas Faeries, a book co-written with his wife, Lisa, but inspired by his youngest grandchild and only grandson. https://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Christmas-Faeries-Tales-Rufus/dp/163337632X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J928RVKSXZVU&keywords=jasper+and+the+christmas+fairies+paul+and+lisa+entrekin&qid=1664547534&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=paul+entrekin%2Caps%2C913&sr=8-1 Proceeds from the book benefit the respected charity, Pilots for Kids - Aviation Professionals dedicated to helping hospitalized children Paul Entrekin Entrekin Aviation (facebook.com) (51) Entrekin Aviation - Flying the MiG-15 - YouTube Women Can Fly is a volunteer organization whose mission is to promote women of all ages to fly. The Ninety-Nines, Inc., International Organization of Women Pilots(R) The Sky's No Limit - Girls Fly Too! | We’re unique in the world! (girlsfly2.ca) Youth in Cadet Program | Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters (gocivilairpatrol.com) Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Christmas.../dp/163337632X/ Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../jasper.../1141720524... IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781633376328 #Pilot #children #Christmas #charity #aviation #authors #donate #pilotsforkids #entrekin #florida #pensacola #flying Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Focusing on early childhood development is vital for children and for our society. Research has demonstrated facilitating low-stress/high-engagement environments at the earliest ages builds strong, confident learners, who as adults, make up the backbone of a successful society. America's failure to make early childhood development one of our highest priorities is the reason our nation has shown a steady decline in numerous important areas relative to other countries. Today's guest, Dr. Rick Allen, has written Great by Eight, a bold call-to-action that demands intense emphasis on the development of young children, in particular from birth to age three, and continuing through age eight. By investing in early childhood development now, and over the long-term, we can become a far stronger and more unified nation. Great by Eight provides experienced insights on how we can get there. Drawing on nearly thirty years in public administration, extensive work in early childhood program design, and an abundance of emerging research, Dr. Allen sheds light on the remarkable power of early childhood development. He illustrates how parents, caregivers, teachers, community-activists, corporate executives, community-based nonprofit leaders, and forward-thinking policymakers can work together to cut social costs, create a stronger workforce, boost local economic development efforts, and improve our faltering international competitiveness. He clearly demonstrates that most children, given the right environment and support very early in life, can evolve into successful, contributive, and happy adults. In 2001, the University of Washington Tacoma School of Business in association with the Business Examiner News Group named Dr. Allen as a Business Leader of the Year in Pierce County, Washington. The Washington Association for the Education of Young Children recognized him as one of the state's outstanding community-based advocates for children. He was president and CEO of United Way of Pierce County, Washington, a community approaching one million, for more than twenty years. Before that he served eight years as director of the Pierce County Community Action Agency, working predominantly with families in distress. Dr. Allen holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Eastern Washington University, a master's degree in interpersonal communication from Ohio University, and both a master's and a doctorate in public administration from the University of Southern California. Please join me in extending a hearty welcome to Dr. Rick Allen to the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. Rick, I love your book. You have written a no-nonsense guide to ensuring children receive the love and nurturing they deserve. Reading Great by Eight should be a high priority for every adult. Your academic and professional credentials are impeccable. What I didn't mention is that you also have life experiences that the average person can relate to such as bailing hay on an Eastern Washington farm, working as a dishwasher and night janitor in a large restaurant, laying railroad track in central Oregon, working construction jobs in Pullman, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho, and serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam era. What led to your focus on the importance of early childhood years? https://www.rickallenauthor.com/ alvaallen@hotmail.com Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Michelle Booth is the founder and CEO of Make Momentos, LLC, a tech startup whose mission is to offer adults an easy-to-use platform to create keepsake e-books for the children in their lives. Booth has been helping people tell their stories for more than 25 years. She has experience ghostwriting nonfiction manuscripts for a variety of clients including a former White House staffer in the Nixon and Ford administrations, prominent businesspeople and retirees wanting to preserve their stories for future generations. Booth was selected to edit the memoir of a former NBA basketball player. She has written profiles on a state senator and a winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” for Oklahoma Sports & Fitness Magazine and was a regular contributor to the publication. Prior to her work in the publishing industry, she worked with companies in a variety of industries on their strategic marketing efforts. Booth relocated to South Florida with her husband in 2012. She founded Make Momentos, LLC in 2021. Her vision for the company is an extension of the work she does as a ghostwriter: to connect families through the power of storytelling. mbooth@makemomentos.com https://makemomentos.com/ https://www.instagram.com/make_momentos/ https://www.facebook.com/MakeMomentos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBaCjQZ44oyAGrk86swBvAg https://www.linkedin.com/company/make-momentos/ Please take this survey! https://surveys.blubrry.com/adventureswithgrammy Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Russ Wrightson is a homeschooling dad of two boys ages 12 and 14. He says his boys are excited to learn from anything that crosses their paths, including videos, board games and a math book or two. To help facilitate a homeschooling atmosphere Russ considers healthy, he organized a local secular homeschool group he describes as a club. He also serves on the Board of Directors for VAhomeschoolers.org, an inclusive statewide organization that advocates and supports at the state level. https://www.facebook.com/VaHomeschoolers https://www.fahahome.com/ Russwrightson@gmail.com Please take this survey! https://surveys.blubrry.com/adventureswithgrammy Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Our guest today is Eddy Smits, a former professional clown, who hails from Belgium. He says authentic communication with children would heal society's woes and enable children to grow into adults who could face any challenge and be effective world leaders. That statement reminded me of advice I received when my oldest child, Craig, was a toddler. A very wise person told me the qualities we admire in adults are not qualities we admire when children exhibit those same behaviors. That statement stopped me cold and helped shape my philosophy of raising children. Please join me as Eddy and I discuss how his volunteer work as a hospital clown shaped his philosophy of communicating with children. eddysmits.com Patch Adams, M.D. -- Gesundheit! Institute Home - Gesundheit! Institute (patchadams.org) Patch Adams - Wikipedia Movie -- Patch Adams (1998) - IMDb Book -- Amazon.com: Patch Adams: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle On Children by Kahlil Gibran - Poems | Academy of American Poets I’ll lend you for a little while a child of mine God said (all-greatquotes.com) Please take this survey! https://surveys.blubrry.com/adventureswithgrammy Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by clicking this link or by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com Social Media https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Welcome to Episode 85 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. I am your host, Carolyn Berry. Today's guest is Jasmine Jimenez, the author of a new collection of children's books based on true stories of her grandmother. Her first book, Eugenia Hunts for Gemstones, is available, and her second book, Eugenia and the Christmas Dress, is part of a Kickstarter program that needs to be funded by September 4. Jasmine lives in San Diego with her partner of almost 20 years. Together they are creating a farm in Texas, where there are raising honeybees. Please help me welcome Jasmine to the podcast and consider supporting Eugenia and the Christmas Dress. To support the Kickstarter program, visit Eugenia and the Christmas Dress by Jasmine Jimenez — Kickstarter To visit her website, go to Eugenia's Books – Reading is exercise for the imagination. (eugeniasbooks.com) E-mail: jasmineandsage@icloud.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eugeniasbooks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIn93I4JjOg7_i2nqQ6sIvw/videos Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To be a guest on the podcast, visit https://www.adventureswithgrammypodcast.com/p/be-a-guest/ To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com To buy the personalized stuffed bears, visit https://etsy.com/shop/adventureswithgrammy https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure https://instagram.com/grammyadventure https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtr9e59lIBxSeHJk52jJB3Q https://linkedin.com/in/adventureswithgrammy Twitter: @grammyadventure Music: https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Carl Landau, the co-author of Pickleball for Dummies, says the sport has a world-wide, multigenerational following, with more than 5 million players and counting. Playing pickleball is fun way to meet fun-loving people and put an extra pep in your step ... all in the name of having more energy for your grandchildren and even playing a game or two with them. What is pickleball? Carl says it looks a lot like tennis on a miniature court with much less running, which is great if your knees don’t like that sort of thing. Playing pickleball is a safe option for getting more fresh air and definitely way more fun than using an elliptical at the gym. Carl is with us today to explain why people love to play pickleball, how and where to play, and the proper body mechanics for safe and effective play. He also will explain the fine art of “dinking.” Please join me in welcoming Carl to the podcast! Carl Landau Co-Author, Pickleball for Dummies book Pickleball Media / I Used to be Somebody Podcast Email: carl@pickleballmediahq.com Web: http://pickleballmediahq.com/ Video: https://bit.ly/31OFERY https://www.facebook.com/carl.landau.3 https://www.linkedin.com/in/carllandau/ Sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter by texting Grammy to 22828 to get started! To learn more about Adventures with Grammy and books by Carolyn Berry, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com To leave feedback about the podcast and to suggest guests and topics, send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com

There were about 3.7 million homeschool students in 2020-2021 in grades K-12 in the United States (roughly 6% to 7% of school-age children). There were about 2.5 million homeschool students in spring 2019 (or 3% to 4% of school-age children) [note 1]. The homeschool population had been growing at an estimated 2% to 8% per annum over the past several years, but it grew drastically from 2019-2020 to 2020-2021. The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. (The public school average is the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.) A 2015 study found Black homeschool students to be scoring 23 to 42 percentile points above Black public school students (Ray, 2015). 78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools (Ray, 2017). Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income. Whether homeschool parents were ever certified teachers is not related to their children’s academic achievement. Degree of state control and regulation of homeschooling is not related to academic achievement. Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions. Homeschool students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges 69% of peer-reviewed studies on success into adulthood (including college) show adults who were home educated succeed and perform statistically significantly better than those who attended institutional schools (Ray, 2017). https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/ Tina Smith grew up in a small Midwest town, one of 10 kids born into a Catholic family. She married in 2003, became a foster mom in 2004, and became a homeschool mom in 2011. Both her son and her daughter have graduated from high school and in two weeks will further their studies at the local community college. Tina joins us today to share what she learned during her 11 years as a homeschool mom. https://heav.org/ https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/ Adventures with Grammy LLC Visit https://adventureswithgrammypodcast.com to learn more about the podcast and how to be a guest. Join our newsletter mailing list by texting GRAMMY to 22828 to get started, or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ih6vkmJ/grammy To learn about Carolyn's books, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com/ To watch a video about my books and my podcast, visit https://www.kizoa.com/Video-Editor/d340991621k4372585o2l1/Adventures_with_Grammy

Welcome to Episode 82 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. I am your host, Carolyn Berry. Today's episode is all about breastfeeding. Our guest is Dr. Amaka Nnamani, a pediatrician and the author of the children's picture book titled Ziora's Quest: Mommy's Milk Rocks about breastfeeding written from the perspective of a 6-year-old little girl. Dr. Nnamani practices medicine in Hershey, PA. She is a passionate breastfeeding advocate. She is the Chapter Breastfeeding Coordinator for the PA American Academy of Pediatrics and the moderator for the DR. MILK Facebook group -- an exclusive online community for female physicians that breastfeed and/or are interested in learning about lactation. She was one of the AAP’s Section on Breastfeeding abstract reviewers this year for the AAP’s National Conference and Exhibition (NCE) which will be held in October. In addition, she received two grants aimed at improving breastfeeding rates especially in the young and black community. She also is a member of the Pennsylvania Breastfeeding Coalition and recently completed a Breastfeeding Policy course organized by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). My children’s book will be released August 27 to coincide with National Breastfeeding Month. Contact information https://www.dramakannamani.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amakannamanimd/ https://www.instagram.com/ziorasquest/ https://www.facebook.com/Mommysmilkrocks/ https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Human-Significance-Ashley-Montagu/dp/0231034881 La Leche League International https://llli.org Adventures with Grammy Visit https://adventureswithgrammypodcast.com to learn more about the podcast and how to be a guest. Join our newsletter mailing list by texting GRAMMY to 22828 to get started, or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ih6vkmJ/grammy To learn about Carolyn's books, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com/ To watch a video about my books and my podcast, visit https://www.kizoa.com/Video-Editor/d340991621k4372585o2l1/Adventures_with_Grammy

Welcome to Episode 81 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. I am your host, Carolyn Berry. Today's episode is all about bees -- honey bees and how to keep them. Whether you live in the city or the country, beekeeping is an activity that many grandparents and grandchildren enjoy. Our guest today, Covey McConnell, will share information about why beekeeping is important, how to get started and how to stay safe. I have known Covey for many years. She went to school with my older son and his wife, and Covey and I taught at the same high school several years ago. She teaches science -- chemistry and genetics -- and says beekeeping always has fascinated her. Please help me welcome Covey to the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. https://www.honeytraveler.com/honey-by-country-region/united-states/united-states-beekeeping-associations/ https://www.abfnet.org/page/resources **************************************************** Visit https://adventureswithgrammypodcast.com to learn more about the podcast and how to be a guest. Join our newsletter mailing list by texting GRAMMY to 22828 to get started, or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ih6vkmJ/grammy To learn about Carolyn's books, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com/ To watch a video about my books and my podcast, visit https://www.kizoa.com/Video-Editor/d340991621k4372585o2l1/Adventures_with_Grammy

Welcome to Episode 80 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. I am your host, Carolyn Berry. Sarah Beth Goncarova is today's guest. She is an American writer, composer and visual artist known for poetry, children’s adventure novels, and writing for film and television. Her company, CLAY GROUSE KIDS, is a groundbreaking indie press and animation studio that specializes in creating books, read-aloud videos, and audiobooks that inspire creativity and curiosity. Its mission is to help all children, including emerging and reluctant readers, become better readers by creating books that kids want to read, see, and hear over and over again! Her webtoon series is "Adventures with Abba, and her children's chapter books are "The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum" and "The Curious Case of the Creepy Cave." Her children's picture book, "Super Sleuth," will be available for preorder next month. Her book "Harnessing Light" won the 2020 N.N. Light Award for Poetry. Sarah tells her books through her website and offers signed copies. As a visual artist, Sarah has been the grant recipient of the Puffin Foundation and Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. Her visual work can be found in the digital archines worldwide, including at Danube University in Austria, the Brooklyn Museum, and Rutgers University Special Collections. She has been a practicing visual artist for more 20 years. She graciously shared with us the audio version of her book: The Curious Case of the Creepy Cave, which we will broadcast for you today. Gather your grandchildren around. You are in for a delightful treat! Before I introduce you to Sarah, I invite you to visit my website, adventureswithgrammypodcast.com, and sign up for my newsletter. Thank you in advance. You need not take notes; you can find each link we mention in the podcast in the show notes! Let's give Sarah a hearty welcome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK_vcjRI1K8 https://www.claygrousekids.com/ Film/TV: Upcoming Animated Series: https://claygrousekids.com Upcoming Film: https://motorcyclelightashortfilm.com Videos: @youtube: Read Aloud with Abba @tiktok: Just_call_me_Abba Books: @Amazon: The Curious Case of the Creepy Cave @Amazon: The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum @amazon: Harnessing Light @Blurb: A Yearlong Summer @Amazon: Sonia's Song Latest Interview: Abba on LitWorld.org **************************************************** Visit https://adventureswithgrammypodcast.com to learn more about the podcast and how to be a guest. Join our newsletter mailing list by texting GRAMMY to 22828 to get started, or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ih6vkmJ/grammy To learn about Carolyn's books, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com/

Visit https://adventureswithgrammypodcast.com to learn more about the podcast and how to be a guest. Join our newsletter mailing list by texting GRAMMY to 22828 to get started, or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ih6vkmJ/grammy To learn about Carolyn's books, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com/ To learn more about today's guest, visit https://www.shirleyshowalter.com/ Born into a plain-dressing, plain-speaking Mennonite farm family in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, today’s guest, Shirley Showalter, grew up to become a college president, a foundation executive, the author of two books, and the grandmother of three. The values her family and church instilled in her as a young girl are ones Shirley still holds dear: generosity, kindness, and empathy. In the Mennonite community, she says, “a child in need was everyone’s problem to solve, not only the parents. If I saw a ‘plain person’ in a long dress or wearing a bonnet or a plain suit on the street, I would never have hesitated to ask for a ride, for information or even for money. All through my childhood I was being trained to be that same kind of beacon of kindness for others.” That beacon of kindness shines brightly in the recently released book, The Mindful Grandparent: The Art of Loving Our Children’s Children, which Shirley co-wrote with Marilyn McEntyre. It’s a guide to helping grandchildren live with intention and be attentive to others, to nature, and to the diverse, beautiful, and troubled social world around them. The Mindful Grandparent covers wide-ranging topics such as cultivating curiosity, giving meaningful gifts, helping children explore difficult topics, building a grandparent team, honoring adult children's boundaries, and managing technology. Before we welcome Shirly to the podcast, please take a minute to look at the links in the show notes and learn how to be a guest and how to receive my newsletter. Now, please join me in welcoming Shirley Showalter to the podcast.

Welcome to Episode 78 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. Today's guest is Dr. Abigail Stephan. She earned her doctorate a few months ago from Clemson University after successfully defending her dissertation, Examining Intergenerational Relationships in the Family. I along with other listeners of this podcast contributed to her research. Abby will give us insight as to why the grandparent-grandchild must be intentional and have space to be spontaneous; why parents must provide opportunities for grandparents and grandkids to interact; and why bidirectional learning creates strong memories for grandchildren. She also gives us insight into the complexities of the modern family system. Welcome, Abby, to the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. Visit https://adventureswithgrammypodcast.com Join our newsletter mailing list by texting GRAMMY to 22828 to get started, or visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ih6vkmJ/grammy To learn about Carolyn's books, visit https://adventureswithgrammy.com/ To learn more about today's guest, visit https://www.abigailstephan.com/

John Zeno Louizes is a third generation candymaker and the Head Honcho at Zeno's Boardwalk Sweet Shop. He took over the family business in 2003 and has grown it to include four candy retail shops and three ice cream shops. The brick-and-mortar stores are in Florida, but a bustling online candy store means the confections are available nationwide. John, who began working at the store when he was 11, says, “My goal is to make sure we do the best candy making in the world and have fun doing so.” John and I chat about the candy business and why candy and ice cream stores are great places for grandparents and grandchildren to make sweet memories. Be sure to visit the store's website to watch videos of John and his crew making candy and ice cream. Zeno's World's Most Famous Taffy (worldsmostfamoustaffy.com) E-Mail: press@worldsmostfamoustaffy.com

Connie Inukai has reinvented herself three times. Act One was teaching technical writing at the University of Maryland and at Johns Hopkins University for almost four decades. Act Two found her writing books, caring for two young grandchildren, and inventing a product specifically for retirees. Currently in Act Three, Connie has created Write Your Selfie, a program to help people write their life stories with pictures. She says passion has no expiration date! And she is living proof that second-act entrepreneurs can succeed. The key is to be passionate about what matters most to you. Before I jump into my conversation with Connie, I invite you to checkout my redesigned podcast website. I am super excited about all the features. You are welcome to listen to the podcast via your favorite app, or you can listen directly from my website: https://adventrueswithgrammypodcast.com. The link is in the show notes! I hope you enjoy my conversation with Connie. https://www.grandmapreneurinventor.com connie@grandmapreneurinventor.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/connieinukai https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgioDRWbawm4IbSI8-mLgg https://www.instagram.com/GrandmapreneurInventor https://www.facebook.com/grandmapreneurinventor-100693788516273

When grandchildren are young, a sweet treat or new toy is enough to inspire their unconditional love. And then they become teenagers. Suddenly it’s not so easy anymore, for you or for them. Where Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Teenage Grandchildren is a new book that gives grandparents a roadmap to stay connected and deepen their relationships with their grandchildren. It is an action-focused guide to help grandparents understand life through their teenage grandchildren’s eyes. The authors, Jerry Witkovsky and Deanna Shoss, are joining me today to discuss their new book. Mr. Witkovsky spent 47 years working alongside families, 18 of which he served as general director of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago. As a residential camp director in Wisconsin, he introduced the first grandparents weekend in 1970 and invited grandparents to experience the liveliness of their grandchildren in a camp environment and participate in camp activities. The grandparents shared their life stories of their life around the campfire and opened their world to their grandchildren. Deanna Shoss is a long-time marketer, intercultural author, researcher, and founder/CEO of Intercultural Talk, Inc., a marketing firm. She hosts the weekly live stream show, Intercultural Spark. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Two-Worlds-Meet-Grandchildren/dp/1608082725/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=where+two+worlds+meet+by+jerry&qid=1639407726&sr=8-1 Website: https://www.grandparentsunleashed.com/where-two-worlds-meet/

Welcome to Episode 74 of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast. I am your host, Carolyn Berry. Today’s podcast is a different format from the usual guest interview. I, alone, will be speaking, and the topic is my views about gun control, specifically the guns used during school shootings. If you are a hard-right, gun-toting person who believes high-velocity guns and ammunition designed to inflict mass carnage on people should continue to be legal, this episode is not for you. Sadly, if the riddled bodies of little children don’t change your mind, I know nothing I say will do so either, so don’t listen. My audience for today’s episode are those grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and the public at-large who are tired of politicians extending their thoughts and prayers to the victims and the families of those killed at Columbine, Sandy Hook, Uvalde, Buffalo, Boulder, Atlanta, Dayton, El Paso, Virginia Beach, Virginia Tech, Thousand Oaks, Pittsburgh, Parkland, Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas, Orlando, Roseburg, Oak Creek, Tulsa and elsewhere. Thoughts and prayers mean nothing without action. I know the power of people who join to make things happen. Think soccer moms. Think parents of children with autism. If you are as enraged as I am that day after day the news is filled with reports of the slaughter of innocent people who should have been safe learning in their schools, praying at their houses of worship, shopping at their neighborhood grocery stores, and performing their duties in their work environments, then you can make a difference. If you are as irate as I am that Congress has not passed legislation to minimize these killing fields, then you can make a difference. If you are as furious as I am when you hear politicians say, “Guns are not the problem. Mental health problems are,” then you can make a difference. Please continue to listen and I will show you how. There is no doubt the lack of mental health services in the United States is a huge problem, but Guns ARE the issue I am addressing today. In particular, the AR-15, which is designed as a semiautomatic version of the military-grade M16. In fact, the AR-15 first was marketed to the military as a lighter weight version of the M16. It is the AR-15 … gunmen used in the most recent attacks in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tulsa. During the next few minutes, I will give you nine facts, I will ask you to think about five things, I will ask you to do five things to protect our children and grandchildren, and I will give you four resources. Don’t worry about taking notes. Links to the resources and support of the facts I cite are in the show notes. Since I will be mentioning lots of numbers, the complete transcript is in the show notes as well. FACTS The gunman who massacred 19 young children and two teachers and wounded 17 others in Uvalde took more ammunitioninto Robb Elementary School than a US soldier takes into a wartime battle. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said the gunman fired 142 rounds at the children and around the school. He legally bought two AR-15 rifles and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition in the days after his 18th birthday at a cost of about $4,000. Some reports say he saved money working at Wendy’s. Other reports say he bought the guns and ammunition on credit Salvador Ramos took more ammunition into Uvalde elementary school than US soldier takes into battle | The Independent Since the massacre in Uvalde May 24, 2022, there have been 21 mass shootings throughout the U.S. as if June 3, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/02/mass-shootings-in-2022/ According to Gun Violence Archive, from January 1, 2022, to June 3, 2022, 18,346 people have died from gun violence, which includes 222 mass shootings and 12 mass murders. Of the more than 18,000 killed , 695 were children ages 17 years old and younger. During that same period, 15,