Family Living Focus by Nancy Crago Allegheny Co. Cooperative Extension Hugs for Grandparents September 7 is the 25th anni versary of National Grandpar ents Day. Today there are more than 40 million grandparents in the Unit ed States. The image of grand parents has changed over the years. We no longer have the percep tion of frail, aged grandparents sitting in rocking chairs. Those persons are very likely to be our great-grandparents. Most grand parents are living longer. They enjoy good health and are active well into their retirement years. Grandparents Day started in the state of West Virginia. It was founded by a housewife by the name of Marian McQuade. Mari an’s original cause was to spark visitation with lonely elderly peo ple in nursing homes. She recog nized the value of passing down the heritage and wisdom of grandparents to their grandchil dren. In 1978, President Jimmy Car ter proclaimed National Grand parent’s Day to be celebrated an nually in September on the first Energy Supplement For More Energy and Weight Loss Use “MOMENTUM” • Lose weight now • Helps eontiol sugai cravings • Helps preserve lean body mass while you lose fat • All natural capsule foimula • Excellent for migiame headache One bottle for $35 00, 2 bottles for $6B 00 or 6 Bottles for $l9O 00 Free shipping OMAR FISHER 434 NEWPORT RD. RONKS, PA 17572 Sunday after Labor Day. The purpose of the day is to honor grandparents, for grandparents to show love for their grandchil dren, and for grandchildren to become aware of the strength, wisdom and guidance older peo ple can offer. I decided to inter view some young persons to find out how they celebrate National Grandparents Day, to ask them to describe their relationships with their grandparents, and to learn what that relationship means to them. The first two persons I inter viewed were women in their mid twenties. Both were working moms with children. The grand parents are the caregivers for the children while the mothers work. Both women say they can’t put into words the appreciation they feel for what their parents are doing for them. The parents feel secure and comfortable having the grandparents caring for the grandchildren. One woman said, “I just can’t imagine what our lives would be without them. They do so much to help us.” The second woman talked lengthily about the strong, loving relationship that exists between the grandparents and her child. Neither of the women had been previously aware of National Grandparents Day, which is one of our less commercialized na tional holidays. However, both of them wrote down the date and say they are going to start cele brating it this year. Another person I interviewed was a young man in his thirties. He described the close bond be tween his grandparents and him and his siblings. When the grand children were growing up, the grandparents had lived in a neighboring community. There were frequent family dinners, games, and walks on Sundays. The grandparents took the grandchildren on day trips and participated in some family vaca tions. The young man fondly de scribed the guidance he received from his grandfather with his blue ribbon 4-H projects. He identified his grandparents as the persons the grandchildren could talk with when they had a prob lem. Then he shared this story. ‘My siblings and I recently received cards in the mail from my grand mother. We all have birthdays in the same month, and had already received our birthday cards just a couple months ago. When we opened our cards, there was a check for $lOO and a note that read, “Old people don’t need money, young people do.” Our grandmother still is inter ested in what is happening in our lives. My grandfather was, too, until he died last year. As for me, my grandmother knows I’m starting back to school “Get well, not symptom-free and drug dependent. ” Adrian J. Hohenwarter, M.D. Family / Alternative / Natural Medicine Chelation & Intravenous Therapies Nutrition, professional supplementation, HGH Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement for women & men 741 S. Grant Street, Palmyra, PA 17078 Call 717*832-5993 for an appointment or info. GOOD FOOD OUTLET STORES Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 6, 2003-B7 this month and she is excited for me.” These testimonies demonstrate the powerful bonds that can de velop between grandchildren and grandparents. All that is needed is for each generation to spend time nurturing that rela tionship. At the Website for National Grandparents Day, www.grand parents-day.com, you can find information about contests and links to other sites for activity suggestions. For more information, visit the Penn State Cooperative Ex tension Intergenerational Web site www.intergenera tional.cas.psu.edu. Some exam ples of intergenerational games and activities that can be found at this site include the Stump Your Relative Game, The M&M Game, and The Age Line. Finally, while doing the re search for this article I learned that Marion McQuade, the founder of National Grandpar ents Day, is currently in hospice care at 128 Oak Hill Avenue, Oak Hill, WV 25901. How about starting your Grandparents Day celebration by sending a card or letter to Marian expressing your appreciation for the work she did toward recognizing the value of grandparent/grandchild rela tionships? Quick Snack Facts The case is closed and the question cheese or chips? has been answered: America says Cheddar is better when it comes to snacking. A new consumer survey conducted by Phil Lempert, Today Show food trends editor and host of SupermarketGuru.com, reveals the latest stats on America’s favorite snacks. America’s Favorite Snack: Cheese • Forty-five percent of Americans say cheese tops their list of fa- vorite snacks, beating out chips (12 percent), cook ies (11 percent) and even chocolate (3 percent). • Approximately three out of four people (74 percent) say they always or often snack on items that contain cheese. • Snackers selected “taste” as their number one reason for snacking on cheese, followed by “satis fies my hunger” and “ease of preparation/ convenience.” sweet ones. Sliced, Cubed or Straight Up: How We Eat It * Nearly half of Americans (47 percent) snack on cheese cut straight from the block. Senior Expo Is Sept. 12 ELIZABETHTOWN (Lancas ter Co.) Rep. Dave Hickernell (R-98) will host his first Senior Expo on Friday, Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Freemason Cultural Center at Masonic Homes in Elizabethtown. The Expo is designed to be a one-stop information center for senior citizens and their families and caregivers. Exhibitors will be on hand to provide advice and information on a variety of topics that are important to older Penn sylvanians. Admission is free and breakfast will be served. Government agencies that will be represented at the Expo in clude the Pennsylvania Depart ment of Aging, the Lancaster County Office of Aging, the At torney General’s Bureau of Con sumer Protection, the Pennsylva nia Healthcare Containment Council, PENNDOT, and the state Treasury Department. Also on hand will be represen tatives from Community Hospi tal of Lancaster, Hospice of Lan caster County, the American Cancer Society, Manor Care Health Services, Nurses Direct, and other health care and assist ed living organizations. For more information call ei ther of Hickernell’s district of fices, located in Elizabethtown (717-367-5525) and in Columbia (717-684-5525). • Seven out of 10 people prefer savory snacks to • Crackers lead the list of favorite cheese pairings (65 percent), followed by fruit (14 per cent) and bread (10 per cent). • When it comes to cheese and cracker com bos, Cheddar and wheat win (46 percent), with Swiss and rye and Mon terey Jack and onion tied for second with 10 percent each. A Snacking Society • Nearly half of Americans (49 percent) describe their typical eating pattern as a com bination of mini meals and snacks or grazing throughout the day. • Thirty-two percent of people snack most often at work. • Nearly one-third of Americans say they’re snacking more now than they did one year ago.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers