More GRAND news to brighten your day . . .
Bob Dylan on the cover of . . . AARP?
Of course he is! But who would’ve guessed he’d be channeling Frank Sinatra and Irving Berlin on his new cd, Shadows in the Night? Dylan admits to loving American standards, from the 1920s to the 1960s. He also reveals that his wise grandmother once told him that ‘happiness is not the road to anything; it is the road.’ “My grandmother was a wonderful lady,” Dylan said. Click here to read more, and hear a few tunes.
Richard Branson welcomes twin grandkids
Richard Branson welcomed twin grandkids recently, sharing this photo of the two precious bundles, Etta and Artie. “I’ve been trying to stop myself from posting too many photos of our gorgeous new grandchildren, but like any proud granddad I can’t resist! Branson said. We agree and send hearty congrats to the entire Branson family.
Use pix of Grumpy Granpa and Naughty Nana Honey jars; links below
A honey of a grandson
After talking with a bee farmer about Colony Collapse Disorder, twelve-year-old Henry Miller began a bee farm of his own, and soon created Henry’s Humdingers Honey, a line of four spicy/sweet honey products. Grumpy Grandpa offers a flavor explosion of red pepper & garlic; Naughty Nana is a spicy ginger mixture. Henry’s stories about his grandparents are adorable, and he offers a free recipe book that features Nana’s Bit of Bourbon, One Grumpy Fish Taco, Heaven and Hellfire Cheesecake, and lots more. A portion of all sales goes to The Foundation For the Preservation of Honey Bees. Click here to order.
Wine is Good for Memory
A study in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias found that light and moderate alcohol consumption seemed to improve ability to remember things from events, and increased volume in the hippocampus, important for episodic and long-term memory. Researchers postulated that alcohol could trigger the release of some brain chemicals important to thinking and processing; but heavy (5+ drinks at once) and long-term drinking has negative effects on your brain.
It’s never too late to rock
Learning to play and playing a musical instrument helps keep your brain young. Website Apollo-M is offering unlimited access to thousands of lessons, eBooks, videos, podcasts, web TV shows, digital sheet music—and more, for only $4.95 a month. The service covers all types of music and musical instruments and even offers one-on-one lessons. According to Gary Turner, Co-Founder and CEO of Learntoplaymusic.com, “It’s like NetFlix for the world of musicians.” And it’s good for your brain.
G-kids keep you sharp
We don’t need scientists to tell us G-moms love caretaking G-kids, but it’s good to know that it also keeps us mentally sharp. A study published in Menopause, found that G-moms caretakers of G-kids lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. Too much time, however, (5+ days a week, as a caretaker) appeared to make grandma’s mental state a little shaky. Overall, 1-day-a-week G-mom caretakers scored highest on cognitive tests, while 5-day-a-week G-mom caretakers scored significantly lower.
Shut texting down
No one should text while driving. Period.
Technology and Apps That Help Avoid Distracted Driving
Sprint’s Drive First Application – this application is installed at the carrier end of the service. When activated, the app senses movement and disables many features of the smartphone, including texting. It does allow access to GPS, music, and three key contacts.
CellControl – This Android App consists of hardware that’s secured in the vehicle and an app that monitors driving behavior. It’s often used by parents for their teen drivers. The app disables functions like call answering and texting while the vehicle is in motion.
Any attempt to disable or remove the device triggers an alert from CellControl.
Canary – This app reports abnormal driving to parents. For example, parents can set maximum speed limits, and the app will alert parents when those speeds have been exceeded. It also lets parents set up geofences, and alerts parents when teens move outside the predefined area.
DriveSafe.ly – This app lets users hear texts and other notifications, but provides automatic responses so that users cannot respond. It’s a great app to let you know that someone is trying to reach you, while still keeping you safe by preventing you from answering the phone.
