[Editorial note: Grama Barb is one of our featured guest authors. She is a popular Lensmaster at Squdoo.com, who has authored over 170 articles.]

I was thrilled to see family working together by including extended family. It brought tears to my eyes when I heard the words “Grandma Marian Robinson will be moving into the White House with her family!” Just stop and reflect on the importance of that example to the world. Family values in action and 2 very happy granddaughters because they will not have a stranger looking after them when Dad and Mom are away but they will have their beloved Grandma with them. Watch this video I found about Grandma Marian Robinson. It will warm your heart that she is living in the White House. Please meet First Grandma Marian Robinson and listen to what she has to say.

http://www.squidoo.com/grandmothers

- Grama Barb

[Editorial note: This week, we are pleased to welcome back our featured guest author, Grama Barb, a popular "Lensmaster", who has authored over 150 articles at Squdoo.com.]

Photo by lyzadanger

Reaching out to family through the use of the internet has been one of the biggest blessings of this age of technology online. All grandparents should be online just for the ease and speed of communication. The internet certainly is a big factor in my life for staying connected and reconnecting with family and friends. I am not a very good telephone communicator and therefore email has improved communications in my family whether it is just across town or half way around the world.

Sharing family pictures is a really important activity in my life as a grandmother, especially when you factor in the other piece of technology that is a must – the digital camera! That little camera is perfect for all photograph-fanatic grandparents. Now we can take 100 pictures without going broke developing them. And the best part – we can share them almost instantly on the internet. Case in point – my husband’s sister just became a great grandmother to twins. I already have seen an adorable picture of them!

Don’t forget that by being online, you are making it much easier for your children and grandchildren to reach out and share with you. A few weeks ago there was an open house event at my granddaughter’s school that I was looking forward to going to, but my health was not very good at the time and I had to stay home. My son had his cell phone with picture taking capabilities with him and he took really cute pictures and sent them “instantly” from the school. It was almost as good as being there! Talk about experiencing TLC – Technology, Love, Connection! Reaching out is a two way street.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Technology, Love and Connection is a great way to ward off depression that often accompanies growing old and the feeling of being left out – cut off from friends and family. I see it here where I live at a seniors assisted living complex all the time. Those who have a computer and are online are doing much better as they are busy emailing family and friends all the time. Those who don’t are often sad that they don’t see their grown grandchildren very much anymore as often they are now living in other parts of the world. Even one “You’ve got mail” a day would cheer a grandmother and grandfather’s heart! It takes so little TLC to Reach Out!

Grama Barb

Part one: Technology-Love-Connection - How it all began in Grama Barb’s life

Read Grama Barb’s informative article on digit cameras and digital photo frames.

If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to bookmark it and email it to a friend!

[Editorial note: This week, we welcome guest writer Grama Barb, a popular "Lensmaster" on Squdoo.com, who has authored over 150 articles there.]

To all grandmothers, whose wisdom, courage and love have paved the path for future generations – we thank you!

Grandmothers are voices of the past.

Role models of the present.

They open the doors to the future.

Technology and Grandparenting go hand in hand – a perfect blend of the old and the new. As a grandmother of 4 ranging in ages of 8 to over 26, I have had to learn the language of technology just to be able to keep up and carry on conversations with my grandchildren.

I bought my first computer back in 1991 and it wasn’t long before I saw an opportunity to use this new tool to bring to life the voices of the past for my children and grandchildren. My love of genealogy had been confined in a cardboard box for many years. I would take it out and work on it for a time each year but I couldn’t seem to get it organized into anything I could pass on to my family. Then one day I read an ad for Family Tree Maker version one. I immediately bought it and went to work.

After many months, I finally had all the data I had at the time in book form for my grandchildren and for the grandchildren of my siblings. This book included the “voices” of the past in the form of my great-grandparents’ stories and of old diaries which all the children can learn from. Stories of hardship and love that everyone is proud of; that make you stand tall when faced with a life crisis and say, “I can do this just like my Great-Great-Grandma did!” Truly our ancestors are still role models for the present.

Grama Barb

Read part two: TLC: “Reaching out” through the introduction of the internet

Learn more about the wonderful role grandparents play in the lives of young children at A Grandmother’s Love.

Click here to get your own copy of Family Tree Maker - excellent genealogy software!

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