All Blog Posts (26)

There's a lot going on in the world right now that gives us GrandBoomers plenty of grey hair.  But, for some of us, the grandchildren are grown up and in college.  This past weekend, our granddaughter, Robin, graduated from Colorado University in Boulder.  The ceremony took place in the University's Stadium.  There were 6,000 in the graduating class and as the grads to be entered, their beaming faces were projected on the Stadium JumboTron for all to enjoy. 

For the moment, all the…

It was with great sadness early today that we found out that Rex Trailer has passed away in Florida.  He was renowned throughout New England for his love for children and the special place in his heart he had for children with disabilities.  In the 1950s and 1960s there was no larger television star in New England than Rex Trailer. His weekend show Boomtown was must family viewing.  For those of you unfamiliar with his name, his bio on Wikipedia will give you a glimpse of his…

I couldn't believe the news flashes that came across my computer homepage.  I know Sandy Hook well. I have family there and was there for a visit recently.  It's a bucolic community in the true New England tradition of farmlands and forests surrounding homes with well-manicured lawns and gardens.

All that was shattered in a burst of gunfire. Twenty-six people, 20 of them children, were gunned down. Horrific. Tragic. How can this happen in Sandy Hook? How can this happen…

GrandBoomers can enter and win this book:

Win a Pipper's Secret Ingredient book!     Enter Snoutz in the Kitchen Photo Contest today.…

Quite frequently, family histories are lost or destroyed over time.  Now you have an opportunity to research your family history thanks to the US Government. The 1940 census records were released by the US National Archives April 2, 2012, and brought online through a partnership with Archives.com. This website allows you full access to the 1940 census images, in addition to 1940 census maps and descriptions.

These records were hand…

Florists lover Mothers' Day. Sporting goods stores love Fathers' Day. The communications industry is probably the largest beneficiary of Grandparents' Day.  While we love to hear from our grandchildren on this day, we certainly don't expect gifts from them...we are more the givers than the getters at this stage of our lives.  For more information on the event, please go back through the archives of featured articles from past years.

In this age of emails, texts and other electronic communication, hard-copy mail has diminished considerably. As a consequence, revenue to the US Postal Service has flagged, while cost of providing mail service has increased with inflation. The result is the announcement of the closing of distribution centers and local post offices across the nation.  This will only make matters worse. Slower transit of mail and making…

With peak summer travel months just ahead, GrandBoomers and the parents of their small grandchildren may be concerned about how the child will react to airport security.  We’ve all read about and seen the stories of meltdowns and confrontations among parents, grandparents and TSA staff at security checkpoints.

GrandBoomers recommends you prepare the child for the airport at home...maybe even rehearsing daily for a week or two before you get to the airport.  As you…

Let's face it. Americans need jobs. Americans are willing to work; to re-program themselves to qualify for jobs in new areas. The current crop of presidential candidates all provide lip service that jobs is their first priority. The administration has said the same. But none of these people has come up with a sure fire way to increase employment. Enter Diane Sawyer.  Sawyer and her staff did the research and found out that many items made in America were the same price or only slightly…

We're coming up on school vacation week and there's something very important that I forgot to mention in the earlier blog about libraries.  No, I'm not suggesting that you pack up the grandchildren and haul them off to a day at the library. While a quick visit to acquaint them with what the library has to offer is OK, you should also look to the library as a resource for discount and free admission passes to area museums and other attractions.  Last week, we visited a local art museum and…

With all the electronic media and games available these days, you might have forgotten about one of the best resources in your community...the public library.  In fact, when was the last time you visited your local library?  Once row upon row of books in racks, surrounded by deafening silence, today's library has morfed into a vital link between GrandBoomers and their grandchildren.  Books are still a mainstay, but now you'll find large areas dedicated to music CDs, videos for everything…

From time to time, GrandBoomers will make editorial comments on major concerns affecting GrandBoomer life.  The availability of Social Security in the future is one of these items. Here, we feel, is a solution. Your feedback is welcome.

Social Security (FICA) has now moved to the forefront of things GrandBoomers have to think about. Some in Washington want to cut benefits. Others claim the system will be bankrupt not too far down the road. No one seems to want to address the obvious…

Yes, even Grandparent GrandBoomers have iPads.  There's a wealth of information out there and one of the easiest ways for GrandBoomers to have it all at their fingertips is to invest in an iPad or iPhone.  Part of the fun is going through the app store and searching for apps that interest you. Many are free and those that cost are usually only a dollar or two.  You might want to research iPad/iPhone games your grandchildren might like...or check out the ones they've already downloaded. There…

According to a recent study, the use of social networking by Baby Boomers has nearly doubled—from 22% to 42% over the past year. More baby boomers have a computer at home with internet access and they use technology to remain connected with their children and grand children. Do you have a grandboomer friend that still does not own a computer?

How time flies.  When we first started GrandBoomers as a forum for young grandparents, one of the major concerns of Grandboomers was what the grandchildren would call them.  GrandBoomers in their forties and fifties were universal in feeling that being Grandma or Grandpa made them sound old.

And now, 15 years later, GrandBoomers are reaching retirement age.  How to enter that stage of life? Many grandchildren are in high school. Grey hair is creeping in.  Maybe so, but GrandBoomers…

In a report just published by the Associated Press-GfK, a poll baby of baby boomers finds that they believe by a ratio of 2-to-1 they won't be able to rely on the Medicare health insurance plan throughout their retirement. This comes as the first baby boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare on January 1, 2011.

According to the poll, forty-three percent say they don't expect to be able to depend on Medicare forever. Only 20 percent think Medicare is secure. The rest…

The incidence of diabetes in children is increasing in the United States. Grandboomers can help their children recognize the…

Let's face it Grandboomers, we're getting older. No longer are the grandchildren only infants or toddlers. Some are now in their teens. In view of that, we have received permission from the National Association of Insurance commissioners (www.naic.org) to…