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Jack Levine  By Jack Levine
Most of us are very conscious about making healthy choices when it comes to mealtime. However, we don’t consider how something as tiny as a honey bee can make a difference in the quality of our food. The connection is so strong that the United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency released a joint report on honey bee health. The goal is to protect the honey bee population.
 Charlotte Levine of Tallahassee, FL tending her hive Keeping the bee population healthy will have a direct impact on the quality of our food. “There is an important link between the health of American agriculture and the health of our honey bees for our country’s long term agricultural productivity,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “The forces impacting honey bee health are complex and USDA, our research partners, and key stakeholders will be engaged in addressing this challenge.”
What does this mean to us? According to information released by the government, an estimated one-third of all food and beverages are made possible by pollination, mainly by honey bees. In the United States, pollination contributes to crop production worth $20-30 billion in agricultural production annually. A decline in managed bee colonies puts great pressure on the sectors of agriculture reliant on commercial pollination services.
According to the Acting EPA Administrator, Bob Perciasepe, “The decline in honey bee health is a complex problem caused by a combination of stressors, and at EPA we are committed to continuing our work with USDA, researchers, beekeepers, growers and the public to address this challenge.”
 Earth Angels United, the nonprofit organization working with GRANDparents America Expo-Orlando has been a longtime supporter of pure raw honey and bee health. If you would like to order honey call 407.263.7865. Fresh local honey will be available at the GRANDparents America Expo on September 7th at the Orlando Cultural Park in Orlando.
Jack Levine, the founder of 4Generations Institute and Partnership Director for GRAND Magazine, the digital publication for grandparents and their families, is an advocate for local food production and honey bee health. He and his wife, Charlotte, manage one bee hive in their back yard in Tallahassee to help pollinate their organic garden.
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Jonathan Micocci By Jonathan Micocci – GRAND Car Reviewer AKA Grandpere
 The sound of a car door closing has always been a clue to build quality for me. Certainly in the 1970’s, the soft clunk while closing the door on a Porsche or Mercedes showed us how it could be. Very different from the clatter that occurred when, out of necessity, you hauled off and slammed the door of one of Detroit’s finest. By this measure, the Mitsubishi Outlander is one really well built vehicle (assembled in Normal, IL).
Actually, Mitsubishi calls it a Crossover, which sounds like a halfway house for recovering SUV owners. After all, 7000 pound mommy-mobiles are going the way of the blue whale and the Outlander is a transition step, keeping the ground clearance and ‘sitting up high’ sensation of an SUV while adding some new features like ease of parking and gas mileage.
We’re driving the base model 2-wheel drive ES but there is nothing on the exterior to indicate you can buy this Outlander for just $19K. The alloy wheels look sharp. Newly redesigned for 2013, the Outlander styling is clean and modern.
Opening those doors that fit so well, we find a cabin dimensioned for 4 to 5 full-sized adults plus good cargo space aft. Head and legroom is plentiful, front and rear. The charcoal cloth-covered seats on our model are firm but fit our frames, drawing no complaints after several hours of use. Overall ergonomics are excellent. The fully adjustable leather-wrapped wheel and shift knob are elegant touches in a value-priced model. Gauges are simple and straightforward, with the tach and speedo housed in a coffee can type display. You could option up to more electronic goodies or you could bring your smartphone.
 Driving the Mitsubishi Outlander is a crossover experience… it’s still part SUV remember. I found the electric power steering to be a little numb but I’m a really tough grader in this department. Ride is good. The multilink rear suspension handles one wheel upsets. Braking is firm and linear.
The engine…. we’ll come back to the engine. The 2WD ES model only comes with a 5-speed manual which is probably a good thing. We did not sample the CVT tranny on the higher end models but the stick is excellent, with smooth light clutch and shift forces. If your spouse isn’t sure he/she wants a stick, try this one. And the Outlander needs it because of that engine.
The numbers tell the story: 148 hp and 145 lb/ft of torque are not a lot for an empty weight of 3100 lbs. They are ample and especially so because that stick shift gives you control based on your needs at the moment. Below 3000 rpm, there isn’t much gusto available but it works around town. Let it rev and acceleration is adequate. Out on the highway, the engine got a little buzzy and we picked up some wind noise, though I found I could fix both by driving somewhere near the speed limit. The most endearing quality of this motor is the 24 City/30 Hwy mpg’s, good numbers for a rugged people hauler.
I could see my daughter and her family in Northern California just loving the Mitsubishi Outlander ES and its ample space for kids and cargo. Whether threading through the redwoods or cruising the Embarcadero, the Outlander ES is an excellent value and a fun car… er Crossover.
Specifications as tested:
Engine: 2.0L MIVEC I-4
Hp/Torque 148/145
Transmission 5-Speed Manual
Curb Weight 3,087 lb.
EPA MPG 24/30
MSRP as tested: $19,170
Micocci reviews cars of interest to grandparents for GRAND Magazine. Of course, all cars may be of interest to grandparents and they particularly like high-performance two-seaters.
For questions or to schedule a car review: jmicocci@grandmagazine.com
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Christine Crosby  According to Childstat.gov, approximately 36 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 14 routinely care for themselves—unsupervised. While that may sound reasonable, unsupervised time at home and school often leads to curious behavior that puts these children at risk of being a victim of assault, bullying or kidnapping.
Stranger Danger
In the past parents and grandparents taught their children not to speak to strangers in parks or at the mall. Protecting children from strangers has changed since the explosion of the Internet and the introduction of mobile devices. Parents today should discuss identity theft protection, cyberbullying, and other perverse behavior on the Internet because children can unknowingly invite strangers into the privacy of their home through chat rooms and online games.
A study revealed that 76 percent of Internet-initiated crimes against minors started in an online chat room, according to the US Department of Justice (USDOJ). Teenagers today are just as likely to have a personal mobile device as a computer at home.
Although engaged parents supervise their children’s Internet activities at home, many children access the Internet on their phone, away from home, and without any adult supervision. Thirty-nine percent of all teens admit to sending “sexy” digital messages or material. Forty-four percent of these offenders say they know that unintended recipients receive these personal messages.
Bullying Moves Away From the Schoolyard
Beyond the dangers of risky behavior in chat rooms, children today fall victim to aggressive bullying face-to-face and online. The anonymity of posting hurtful or demeaning information from behind a computer screen seems to increase both the frequency and viciousness of the attacks.
According to Dosomething.org, 80 percent of teenagers use a cell phone. Cell phones are the most common instrument for bullying . Since the Internet reaches beyond the school yard, the attacks never end. The web provides opportunities 24 hours a day for bullies to keep pestering, mocking and teasing their victims.
The Many Faces of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying has many faces. Groups of children “gang up” on one child, sending a constant barrage of taunts and insults that never stop. Sometimes, the victims attack the bully, turning frustration into retaliatory rage. Sadly, many children do not tell parents or school authorities that they are being bullied.
New Jersey lawmakers passed legislation aimed at curtailing bullying in the school environment. Although anti-bullying laws sound beneficial, some experts like Emily Bazelon who wrote a book on bullying isn’t so sure the laws will accomplish their objectives.
Bazelon told NPR host, Steve Inskeep, she believes the New Jersey law focuses too much on the criminalization of bullies and not enough on prevention through better school environments. Bazelon also mentioned that the laws provide strict guidelines for school programs, but that many of these schools lack the funding and support to see these programs flourish.
Bazelon also recommends that parents and grandparents not protect every aspect of their child’s life; they should feel free to communicate with their peers and learn how to handle some of life’s adversities on their own as well. After all, part of growing up is overcoming some of life’s obstacles on our own.
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Colleen Sell It takes nurturing and discipline to raise grandchildren who are struggling with the absence or loss of a parent
By Sylvie de Toledo, LCSW/BCD
Henrietta Casper has a problem. Her 15-year-old grandson is defiant and disrespectful. When she tells him he can’t go out at night, he just walks out the door. Her husband would set firmer rules, but Henrietta can’t stick to them. She promised her daughter on her deathbed that she would always care for Adam, and she can’t find it in herself even to withhold privileges from the boy. Henrietta is falling into a classic grandparenting trap: overcompensation. She is trying to make up for the pain and the loss her grandchild has suffered by attempting to make him happy every moment — in other words, by giving him what he wants.
It’s an easy trap to fall into. Up until now, you have been a grandparent and only a grandparent. You could dote, pamper, spoil, and comfort to your heart’s content. It is hard to realize that you are now a surrogate parent and must also discipline and educate your grandchildren. It can take time for this new reality to sink in. Some grandparents can spend years caught between roles; they stay indulgent grandparents, rarely letting a day go by without buying something, however small, for their grandchildren. Then they don’t understand why they can’t get respect as parents. If you let your grandchildren have French fries and ice cream for breakfast, as one grandma did, it’s hard to make them eat vegetables at dinner. You can’t spoil them and educate them at the same time; you only send them mixed messages.
Grandparents who overcompensate do so materially and emotionally. Not only do they try to soothe their grandchildren with presents and surprises, but they overlook setting limits. They make allowances they never would have made with their own children. For instance, one day my mother told Kevin that he couldn’t’ watch television until he made his bed. An hour later, I found Kevin in front of the television and my mother was making his bed. She never would have done that with us.
It is important to realize that overcompensation doesn’t help a child in the long run. No matter how much you do for your grandchildren, you cannot remove the pain, repair the loss, or fill the void that is inside them. The world has taken away more than you can put back. Nor do you do your grandchildren any favors by giving in. Children need limits to know they are loved and to develop a sense of who they are. All overcompensating does is teach them to expect permissiveness; it lets them feel that the world owes them things and that they don’t have to behave or work to have them. This sense of entitlement can cause all kinds of other problems later in life. Your grandchildren need to deal with their losses in the best way they can, with support and guidance from you and the other adults in their lives. They need a combination of nurturing and discipline, and they need consistency in both. They need to know that you will do what you say you will do, even when they may not like the outcome.
You can’t make up for your grandchildren’s past, but with time and patience, you can build a foundation of trust, love, and security in the present. Real parenting doesn’t bring the immediate smiles and laughter that presents do — sometimes, it brings sour looks and loud complaints—but remember that you are doing more than making your grandchildren happy in the moment. You are giving these children the necessary tools to grow and build their futures.
 Excerpted from Grandparents as Parents: A Survival Guide for Raising a Second Family Second Edition, by Sylvie de Toledo with Deborah Edler Brown.
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Sylvie de Toledo, LCSW/BCD, the founder and clinical director of Grandparents as Parents, Inc., is a child kinship-care expert and author.
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Colleen Sell 
Humor Therapy for the Elderly
By Dr. Marion Somers
My 76-year-old father used to laugh all the time, but ever since he started having problems with his health, he stopped smiling and laughing. How can I get him laughing again?
– Craig in Texas
I use a concept called “humor therapy” quite often, because it has proven to be a very effective device for most of my elderly clients. Good things happen when someone enjoys a belly laugh. It’s like an internal massage for the soul. Humor can take your father away from his aches and pains and concerns, even if it’s just for a moment. That should be the goal of any caregiver.
Each person is different, so you have to read the situation. There is no one way to get someone to laugh again, but it usually works if you draw on his or her past likes. For example, one of my clients was a big Lucille Ball fan, so I bought her a compilation DVD of old I Love Lucy shows. We made a date to watch them, and then sat there laughing together for hours, even though we’d both seen the episodes more than a few times before. Another one of my clients used to love telling jokes, so I bought him a joke book. We spent a good part of one day reading the book. From then on, he would have a joke or two to tell me every time I visited, and the jokes always lifted his spirits. We also watched standup comedy shows on cable television.
So try using humor therapy. I’m sure your father will be smiling again in no time. It’ll also provide you with some lighthearted moments, which you probably need right now, too.
For information and resources, visit the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor.
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Marion Somers, PhD, author of Elder Care Made Easier, has over 40 years experience as a geriatric care manager, consultant, caregiver, and speaker.
10 Benefits of Laughter
1. Protects the heart
2. Reduces physical aches and pains
3. Improves sleep
4. Reduces depression
5. Attracts others to us
6. Exercises muscles
7. Boosts the immune system
8. Improves brain function
9. Relieves stress
10. Creates social connection
For details, go to Top10Zen.
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Colleen Sell Teaching kindness to a new generation
By Dr. Robin Ganzert
The image of a kindly old grandmother and grandfather serving up cookies and gentle wisdom may seem like some iconic Norman Rockwell scene from the past. (Today’s grandparents are more likely to take their grandchildren waterskiing or parasailing in between mentoring at their offices.) But teaching grandkids the wisdom of being gentle and kindly is as important today as ever.
Imparting a sense of humanity is arguably one of the greatest gifts we can give our grandchildren, and having seen our fair share of harsh reality, injustice, and outright cruelty, it is something we are uniquely equipped to deliver. After a lifetime of living, we’re all too familiar with man’s inhumanity to man — much less his inhumanity to animals. More than a million reports of child abuse are filed each year. Some 8 million pets are abandoned each year, and nearly 4 million of them are euthanized in our nation’s shelters. And only a tiny percentage of the 10 billion animals raised on American farms and ranches live under verified, science-based welfare standards.
That’s the world we live in now. The kind of world our grandchildren will live in tomorrow depends very much not only on what we do to make it a better place but also on how we teach each generation to treat others. Those of us of a certain age remember participating in the first national humane education program, the Be Kind to Animals Week campaign, created by American Humane Association (AHA) almost a century ago. That effort helped teach the value of all living things to five generations of Americans and is still being celebrated (this year, May 5 – 12).
AHA recently launched a new humane-education initiative of afterschool programs called LIFE Humane Heroes Clubs designed to help young people understand the challenges that still exist and to engage them in good works that benefit real animals and local communities. We’ve also developed a Humane Heartland curriculum that teaches kids where their food comes from as well as a certification program that ensures farm animals are treated well, so that when kids grow up they can buy food that is in line with their values. Through programs like these and by continually reinforcing humane values in our grandchildren, we can leave a legacy that benefits them, their pets, and the larger world.
So talk to your grandkids about the value of being humane. Celebrate Be Kind to Animals Week with them. Support the creation of a LIFE Humane Heroes Club or other efforts in your community’s school. Teach the next generation the importance of supporting and buying humanely raised food.
While you’re at it, give both your grandkids and your pets a cookie and a hug.
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Robin Ganzert is the president of American Humane Association, the country’s first national humanitarian organization and the only one dedicated to protecting both children and animals. To learn more about Be Kind to Animals Week, Humane Heroes Clubs, or how to support work to protect children and animals, please visit www.americanhumane.org.
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Colleen Sell Exceptional quality picture books that are perfect read-alouds for little ones
By Jan Parish, MEd
“There was one little baby who was born far away. And another who was born on the very next day. And both of these babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes.”
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by beloved and gifted picture book creators, Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury, celebrates babies around the world. With bouncy, rhyming text, this delightful story is comforting and just right to read aloud at bedtime.
Another favorite storybook for little ones is Where’s Spot, by Eric Hill.
 “Where’s Spot?”
“Is he behind the door? Inside the clock? In the piano?”
Little fingers can’t wait to open the flaps in this inviting board book and find Spot, an adorable puppy who hides in clever places. Eric Hill published this number one best-seller in 1980. Today, Spot’s adventures remain popular interactive books for babies and toddlers.
Quality picture books that make children laugh, wriggle, and jiggle and teach them something new every time they open the cover are gems. They are written and illustrated for that purpose. But looking for good baby and toddler books can be overwhelming. There is too much to choose from, so look for these features:
• Bold pictures of a little one’s world
• Sturdy lift-the-flaps
• Simple, short story
• Rhythm and rhyme (that capture your little one’s love for words)
Here’s my list of 10 of the best baby and toddler storybooks. These stories with their familiar themes, playful rhyming words, and stunning artwork will capture your grandchildren’s hearts.
All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Slide and Find by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells
MOO by Matthew Van Fleet, photographed by Brian Stanton
Silly Little Goose by Nacy Tafuri
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Uh-Oh! by Rachel Isadora
Where’s Spot by Eric Hill
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Jan Parish, MEd, (Playful Early Learners) is a nationally-known early childhood development consultant, teacher, author, and parent/grandparent educator.
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Earth Angels United, the nonprofit organization working with GRANDparents America Expo-Orlando has been a longtime supporter of pure raw honey and bee health. If you would like to order honey call 407.263.7865. Fresh local honey will be available at the GRANDparents America Expo on September 7th at the Orlando Cultural Park in Orlando.
