January 20, 2016

9 people you'll meet as a grandparent

January 20, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

people grandparents meet

NINE
Co-grandparents. Otherwise known as the in-laws, or the other grandparents. These folks are now your partners for life in this grand gig called grandparenting. Partners in loving your grandchildren as only grandparents can. Hold them close. Have their back and they'll...

January 16, 2016

Saturday movie review: Twinsters

January 16, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

When it comes to book selections, I typically read a couple novels then alternate with a non-fiction of some sort, usually from the biography, memoir, or essay categories.

I do the same with movies. I watch a few dramas then feel the need to balance out the fiction with something real, some sort of documentary. As I recently watched and reviewed THE REVENANT, CONCUSSION, and JOY (funny that they were all dramas based on true stories, right?), I found myself craving a documentary this week.

Twinsters

The winner of my scroll through Netflix Streaming was TWINSTERS, an autobiographical film about a twenty-something Korean gal named Samantha who lived in California and, in a bizarre twist...

January 13, 2016

The concussion discussion from a grandparent's perspective

January 13, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

My Q&A with Being Brain Healthy author Ruth Curran

concussion movie poster Will Smith's film CONCUSSION, based on the true story of one brave doctor's unrelenting efforts to enlighten the NFL about the effects of continual trauma to the brains of football players, has opened the eyes of many to the dangers of America's favorite sport. Concussions affect far more than just football players, though, and the movie has also opened the door for many important discussions about the effects of brain injuries of all sorts, suffered by all ages, regardless of the cause.

I have long been concerned about concussions in my rambunctious, active, sports-loving grandsons, so I turned to Ruth Curran, author of Being Brain Healthy, to assuage some of the worries and concerns I have as a grandmother. See, grandparents, unless they're in a situation where they serve as primary caretaker for their grandchildren, have little say in the day-to-day care of their beloved grandkids, can't restrict certain sports or activities. That doesn't mean we have no concerns.

being brain healthy by ruth curran Here, Curran addresses my concussion...

January 11, 2016

Perfectly natural, plus GRAND Social No. 189 link party for grandparents

January 11, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

Perfectly natural

My daughter, Megan, mother to my three grandsons, arranges for an annual family portrait with a professional photographer. Though the photos always look super to me from my biased grandma perspective, try as they might — photographer, Mom, and Dad — one or another of the boys (or parents) are looking away or blinking or being unhappy or uncooperative in each and every shot.

The same happens when I attempt photos of all three boys together (as a trio or with me). Even more so when Megan and Preston pose with their boys. The results tend to be far from perfect when seeking perfection.

family at beach

Megan and Preston visited San Diego over the weekend, the boys in tow as

January 09, 2016

Saturday movie review: The Revenant

January 09, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

THE REVENANT starring Leonardo DiCaprio is violent, bloody, gory, graphic, and difficult to watch — so much so at times that I had to look away or close my eyes.

It's also one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and, as one grandma friend eloquently put it, has "so much beauty, compassion, cleverness, humor.....a heart full of love and loyalty."

the revenant movie