I found this on the Grandparent site I belong to. I thought you might find it particularly interesting Michael.
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Learn to write and tell stories with Bookbite
Nancy Duin 4 February 2010
Hobbies for grandparentsNew-bornPre-schoolPrimary schoolGrowing upPre-teensTeensPrinter-friendlySend to friendPDF
Want to take up writing, research your family tree or learn how to tell stories to your grandchildren? Here's a new way to help you start.
Kate Kinsella (right) – grandmother of nine and great-grandmother of five – published her autobiography at the age of 85. Writing has always been a passion for the retired nurse, but it wasn't until she was 70 that she wrote her first life story – of a friend. To make her writing more satisfying, she signed up for a computer course at an Open Age Centre in London, where she lives, and now visits her local UK online centre twice a week, emailing friends and family abroad.
According to Booktrust, the independent reading charity, many people over 60 are, like Kate, keen to write their memoirs or write fiction or research their family tree but are unsure where to start. They also, say Booktrust, feel that they haven't got the skills or confidence to use computers and explore writing and reading possibilities online.
Bookbite
So Booktrust have come up with a project that they hope will change all this: Bookbite. Through this, they want to encourage England's over-60s to discover new authors and genres, try a range of creative writing activities and interact with others online to share stories and book reviews.
The free Bookbite magazine is available, in England only, from more than 175 organisations (including Age Concern), libraries and UK online centres. It can also be downloaded from the Bookbite website (see below). Celebrated writers such as TV and radio poet Pam Ayres, former poet laureate Andrew Motion and crime writer Val McDermid have contributed stories and poems, and there's lots of useful advice, support and competitions.
And of particular interest to grandparents, the magazine contains an article giving story-telling tips to help you share stories with children.
A useful BeGrand.net link
You and your family history – pass it on
In her blog, Keri tells how she wrote her life story for the two twin granddaughters she's raising
Some useful websites
Bookbite
www.bookbite.org.uk
Includes short stories, poetry, an online writing club and a reading group, book lists, 'How to' guides, downloadable activity sheets, competitions and an online writer in residence.
Digital Unite – home tutors
http://tutors.digitalunite.com/
Sends professional computer tutors to your home to help you learn on your own computer. The service isn't usually free (but investigate Get Digital if you or a learner you know lives in sheltered housing and may qualify for free tutoring).
UK online centres
www.ukonlinecentres.com
The more than 6,000 UK online centres provide people with access to computers and the internet, together with help and advice on how to use them.
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Saturday, 27 March 2010
Monday, 22 March 2010
Undoing the shackles
Over the last few weeks, I've been putting some concentrated effort into finding a way to break non-productive links to the past, corners I've painted myself into, and I've just found a helpful poem by Mary Oliver:
This and more of Mary Oliver's work are in her collection, Dream Work
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The Journey:
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice----
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world
determined to do
the only thing you could do----
determined to save
the only life you could save.
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice----
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world
determined to do
the only thing you could do----
determined to save
the only life you could save.
.Tuesday, 16 March 2010
A Day Out?
Where does one go, what does one do with the unexpected opportunity for a day out?
There are so many decisions to make it’s an indecisive person’s nightmare.
First of all is there enough money to go anywhere at all? If not then that limits the outing to somewhere local, within walking distance, in theory that should make the decision a bit easier. A walk in the park or the local nature reserve, visit the library or maybe walk along streets you don’t normally use and examine other peoples house fronts and gardens. You could give them points out of ten for attractiveness, good taste, tidiness, cleanliness etc knocking points off for 'needs a coat of paint.' 'not enough flowers,' I’m sure you can think of better ideas than I have!
It gets much more difficult if there is some money to spend. Is it enough to get you somewhere AND to buy a drink and/or a meal at the other end or would you need to take a picnic? You decide on a picnic but have you enough food in the cupboard – suitable food – for a picnic? Where did you store that flask and picnic bag?
You’ve make some sarnies, added some fruit and made some coffee (you found the flask and the picnic bag at the back of the cubby hole under the stairs under the camping equipment and sleeping bags), you pile into the car with umbrella – just in case – camera, binoculars, rucksack for the above, warm coat, sun lotion – just in case – bite cream and mossie spray. Now where do you go?
Where’s the map? In the boot under the picnic bag, spare boots, warm coat ………………
You find the map, open it up, close your eyes and stab the page with your index finger. Oh. Mmm. This is going to much easier than you thought.
You unpack the flask, the picnic bag, umbrella, sun tan lotion, bite cream, mossie spray, camera and binoculars, pour yourself a drink from the flask, open your packet of sandwiches, get your book and settle down in comfort on the sofa.
A picnic at home, what a novel idea!
There are so many decisions to make it’s an indecisive person’s nightmare.
First of all is there enough money to go anywhere at all? If not then that limits the outing to somewhere local, within walking distance, in theory that should make the decision a bit easier. A walk in the park or the local nature reserve, visit the library or maybe walk along streets you don’t normally use and examine other peoples house fronts and gardens. You could give them points out of ten for attractiveness, good taste, tidiness, cleanliness etc knocking points off for 'needs a coat of paint.' 'not enough flowers,' I’m sure you can think of better ideas than I have!
It gets much more difficult if there is some money to spend. Is it enough to get you somewhere AND to buy a drink and/or a meal at the other end or would you need to take a picnic? You decide on a picnic but have you enough food in the cupboard – suitable food – for a picnic? Where did you store that flask and picnic bag?
You’ve make some sarnies, added some fruit and made some coffee (you found the flask and the picnic bag at the back of the cubby hole under the stairs under the camping equipment and sleeping bags), you pile into the car with umbrella – just in case – camera, binoculars, rucksack for the above, warm coat, sun lotion – just in case – bite cream and mossie spray. Now where do you go?
Where’s the map? In the boot under the picnic bag, spare boots, warm coat ………………
You find the map, open it up, close your eyes and stab the page with your index finger. Oh. Mmm. This is going to much easier than you thought.
You unpack the flask, the picnic bag, umbrella, sun tan lotion, bite cream, mossie spray, camera and binoculars, pour yourself a drink from the flask, open your packet of sandwiches, get your book and settle down in comfort on the sofa.
A picnic at home, what a novel idea!
Monday, 1 March 2010
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Possibilities we hover on the edge of?
I always enjoy reading Jo Bell's blog, and this post is worth visiting if only for the photo of the signpost!
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