The World On Ice

I am not much of a sports junkie. Baseball is my sport. I may have learned everything I needed to know in Kindergarten, but Baseball is my religion and philosophy for living.

But I must admit, the Olympics have always captured my attention. Olympians are a dedicated group of individuals who spend every waking moment, working toward a four year goal of competing on a world stage.

Although not a big fan of snow, cold or ice, Olympian fever is warming my winter soul. The energy, enthusiasm, the agony and glory - all essential elements of life, take center stage on Whistlers Mountain in Vancouver for the next few weeks. The cultures represented are not only fascinating but one of the few times when we are invited to learn about each other with open arms and hearts. Cheering our USA team but recognizing the skill and dedication of all the athletes. We hear their stories, we learn about their countries, their culture and their sport.

Encourage your child and grandchild to engage in this moment of world unity. For those connected, Twitter has a list of Olympians who Twitter. Connect to their experiences in real time. I'm following @ApoloAntonOhno. That's What a Wise Grandma Would Do.

It Only Takes ONE

From recent headlines comes a story of a group of teenage boys setting another boy on fire, over the price of a $40 video game.

Bullies have been around since the time of Cain and Abel. No tolerance rules fail to take in to account both sides of the story. Preventative action such as talking to children about what makes someone a bully and directing them with positive responses can be much more effective. Teaching our children to act rather than to react is tackled on the PBS Kids web site .

The picture book, One, by Kathryn Otoshi can also provide a valuable lesson for recognizing and celebrating each other, even the bullies. One is a unique blend of colors, numbers and counting that tell a story about standing up and being counted. It opens the discussion and offers support for parents, grandparents and teachers to talk to children about how to stand up to a bully.

Kathryn Otoshi is a children’s book author and illustrator. Her work with such filmmakers as Robert Zemeckis’s (Monster House and Polar Express) and as Graphic Design and Multimedia Art Director for George Lucas (Star Wars), Otoshi brings a brilliant visual perspective to story telling. Her book, One, is an anti-bullying story introducing colors, numbers and counting to young children while skillfully playing upon the larger themes of tolerance, acceptance, and the power of one voice.

Blue’s colorful friends find it difficult to tell Red to stop being a bully. The story captures the dilemma not only of Blue, but of his friends, as well. The simple illustrations define the emotions of the colorful friends and feeling challenged in standing up to the very hot Red.

Along comes One who decides to stand up and say “No” with bold strokes and squared corners. One acts and inspires the other colors to say “Me, Two. Me, Three.” and soon there are Five. Blue finds with the support of his friends he can count, too.

A quiet moment of reading to a child, can open up a world of confidence to stand with a friend, rather than letting them stand alone. To help them understand that to make all the colors count, sometimes it takes just One.

Kathryn Otoshi has presented us with the perfect book for Valentine’s Day. A message that is timeless and filled with the spirit of love and tolerance. And it would certainly go well with a heart-shaped box of chocolates. That’s what a wise grandma would do.

Read more at Character Counts and Shelftalker: A Children's Booksellers Blog. One by Kathryn Otoshi published by KO Kids Books, available in bookstores nationwide.

Wheels In The Air

Staring out at the fog on the tarmac in Seattle, I am bleary-eyed and anxious to get home. Leaving from Boise last night, the flight was delayed an hour, which translated to missing the connection in Seattle. My choices - wait until the following day and fly standby out of Boise or take the delayed flight last night and sleep in the Seattle airport until the next flight to Eugene, OR this morning.

Cellphone in hand, bluetooth in ear, I hustled to contact those waiting on the other side of this delay, the Alaska Airlines clerk continually kept me updated on my options. She suggested the standby flight as the best option because Alaska could not guarantee the connection in Seattle and because of the Superbowl, she thought it likely some would sleep in and miss their morning flight out of Boise.

Not being much of a gambler, I weighed my options with those who had the burden of canceling meetings, appointments and would have to arrange their schedules to pick me up at the airport. The clerk found me in the lobby and told me she had arranged for a hotel in Seattle and would get me on an early flight to Eugene. Done!

From the moment I was given the news about the delayed flight, Alaska has been outstanding in their service, attitude and accommodations. The hotel was excellent, breakfast on the house, shuttle service to the front door and at the airport both in Boise and Seattle. A rare commodity - customer service.

I will write all this in a print format and mail directly to the CEO of Alaska Airlines. Making it their business to make their customer happy. Yes, that is definitely what a wise grandma would do. Hey, they are calling my flight - gotta fly!

The Generation Gap

After watching Frontline's program on Digital Nation, I found myself understanding what this generation gap really means.

For years, I heard the expression and thought it was the difference between parents and children. For boomers, it was a generation of long hair vs short hair, questioning authority and free love. Although few were true "hippies", the boomer generation stood up to government in a way that had not been done since the Civil War. We questioned everything from the war in Vietnam to segregation and women's rights. We did not have the benefit of social media, Facebook, Twittering or going viral with our protests. We used cardboard signs, chanted and had sit ins.

The generation we see unfolding before us is one of nimble fingers and wired brains. We complain that they spend too much time in front of a computer screen or texting to their BFF. While we are trying to adapt to technology, it is all they have ever known.

We worked in grass roots movements, their greener grass comes with wireless connections to communicate and function. Army recruiters are using video games to engage the next generation of soldiers whose technology skills will be essential. Teachers are using games to engage students on whole new levels of learning and comprehension.

Would we have wanted Ford to not build cars? Should Neil Armstrong not have walked on the moon? Should Thomas Edison have left us in the dark?

It is a necessary evolution of young minds and bodies to gravitate toward what they know and to excel beyond our generation's wildest dreams. with new discoveries and innovations from the touch of a screen or the dexterity of the hand. That's what a wise grandma would tweet about.

The Simple Things Stimulate the Muse

It occurs to me, as I sit here savoring the smell of a freshly brewed cup of Americano and pondering the complexity of a slice of toasted Dave's Killer Bread, with just a smidge of peanut butter, that the simple things in life are often the most profound.

I live modestly by choice and by circumstance. I drive an old van, wear hand me downs from my daughter or thrifty buys from the Goodwill. I put out barrels to gather the rain water in the soggy Oregon winter months to water my houseplants and potted plants during the summer. I wash out plastic bags and foil, save rubber bands from the morning paper and carry cloth bags to the market. Simple, really.

I worry about the economy like everyone else. Monthly bills on the rise, groceries, repair bills, insurance. The news from Haiti puts things in perspective but at the end of the day those bills must still be paid. Then something unexpected happens - a piece of toast. That first crunchy bite and each one after that fills my senses and all seems right with the world.

Sure the bills are still waiting to be paid. The crisis in Haiti is devastating and a painful reminder of how precious and precarious life can be. But in the end, it comes down to something simple. A taste, a memory, a smile, a smell, a hug, a tear or even a slice of Dave's Killer Bread. A moment of gratitude and simple pleasure.

Are You Man Enough?

Ever since Seinfeld yelled out on a New York street that someone had stolen his European carry all, it has become fashionable for men to carry purses. Yes, a purse - call it what you will, a rose by any other name is still a rose. Or in this case, a "murse".

Why would they want to? I am always looking for reasons to leave mine behind. More stuff gets lost in them, than is actually ever used. Because we have a purse we think we should carry more than we need and spend more time looking for an item than using it.

I think this is some form of equality for men. We want equal pay for equal work and they want equal carry on luggage. Seems fair, I suppose. But now they will face the same issues women do everyday. "Does this bag match my shoes?" "Oh, I left it in my other European hand bag." "I know it must be in here somewhere." Yes, murses come in every style, color, fabric and size any man could possibly want.

What will they put in these man bags? A hammer or screwdriver? Other than breath mints, what do they need to carry? Cellphone fits in a pocket and they never seemed to have any problem carrying their wallet. Technology is supposed to make our life easier, but obviously it creates more to carry.

But here is the biggest problem with the man bag. Who is going to carry our purse when we our hands are full? Perhaps equality in accessories is not a good thing. Like the airlines, I think we should limit all carry ons. If traveling as a couple - only one bag carries it all and I am all for the man bag being the one. That is what a wise grandma would do.

Recycle Thwarts Reuse

I have been using reusable cloth bags for several years when I go shopping. I even bought bags for my adult children one year as a Christmas bag filled with their presents. The bags come with me when I take my mother in law to the market. I use them to take things to the office, carry goodies to a party or books to and from the library.

The bags live in my car creating a life style change and a habit. But my diligence has brought about an unexpected downside.

A long time subscriber to the reduce, reuse and recycle philosophy, I reused the grocery plastic bags as trash can liners, doggie doo pick-ups and packing material for shipping boxes. Brown bags were reused to line baking dishes, wrap packages and make book covers. Now I find my resource material has disappeared! I have systematically rid myself of these reusable materials by using recyclable bags.

I suppose this is a good thing and was inevitable. I still believe in the cloth bag, but may have to pay for the privilege. But, that is what a wise grandma will do.