Anne Dierks talks about Granny Camp with members of the HSV Area Chamber of Commerce.When I married Lee he already had two grandchildren, both of whom were in our wedding and have been a big part of my life. Since then Lee’s boys have blessed us with five more grandchildren. Me, a grandmother of seven, I can hardly believe it. My two children have not started producing offspring yet but Stewart has now been married for a year and a half, maybe sometime in the not so distant future. Abbie has a boyfriend that she is saying might be the one. Oh, boy.
For some unknown reason I have been resistant to purchasing Anne Dierks’ book Granny Camp. Recently, my granddaughter Emma asked me if she could come and visit me this upcoming summer. Last time she was here I took her to meet all my friends at the Hot Springs Village police station while I wrote up the police reports. She also got a tour of the newspaper office. I brought her along to see what I do. This time I need to be a little more creative and Anne’s Granny Camp is full of suggestions we can both enjoy. Anne’s book has helped me grow into my role as grandmother, otherwise known as Lola Diane, a little better than Anne’s Old Lady.
Anne’s book is catching fire. She self-published less than six months ago and has already sold over 1,000 books, an incredible feat for a first-time author.
Besides sharing great ideas and a format for Granny Camp, Anne’s book also inspired me to think about my grandmothers, my relationship with them, and to make a point of sharing their stories with my children and grandchildren.
I have assessed my skills that I can share with my grandchildren. I have even picked up the manual for my telephone and camera and learned to use them beyond just saying hello and point and shoot.
I have also been better about corresponding with my grandchildren as individuals instead of the exclusive group conversations over the internet. Anne’s book is truly helping me to be a better grandparent. Not only will Emma come this summer but I am paving the way for her cousin Noah to join us the next summer and then each summer we will add more grandchildren. The summer after Noah we add three at once, twins and a single. By then, I should be an old pro.
Since my grandchildren live in Dallas and in Manhattan coming to my house is a bit of a culture shock. We will spend loads of time outdoors, weather permitting.
Lee has skills to pass on as a grandfather. He is a professional drummer with a symphonic background. Although I am a singer he has better chops for teaching our grandchildren about his music. Lee also had a grandfather that was a poet and those poems should be passed on to a new generation. Lee is an avid volunteer at the animal shelter and knows so much about giving of your time to a good cause. A trip to the animal shelter to walk the dogs and love on the cats is a must.
Granny Camp is far beyond babysitting, it is planned activities for a day or a week. Whatever the time span of your Granny Camp the important aspect is to give your time to your grandchildren. My grandchildren are certainly worth a week of my time each year. Anne warns planning the first year is timely but in the following years the planning is easier and easier. She also gives plenty of pointers on how to allocate your time like putting out your clothes the night before so you’re ready to hit the ground running when your grandchildren wake up.
Some of Anne’s pre-planning involves sending a questionnaire to her grandchildren the week before camp asking for menu favorites. As she candidly put it, "it’s Granny Camp, not nutrition camp." She prepares simple meals her grandchildren are sure to eat.
Anne Dierks’ Granny Camp is a must have for effective grandparenting. To contact Anne directly, her e-mail address is mailto:anne@grannycamp.com.. Visit her website at www.grannycamp.com. Copies of her book are available through Cedar Mountain Books, LLC in Hot Springs Village.
For some unknown reason I have been resistant to purchasing Anne Dierks’ book Granny Camp. Recently, my granddaughter Emma asked me if she could come and visit me this upcoming summer. Last time she was here I took her to meet all my friends at the Hot Springs Village police station while I wrote up the police reports. She also got a tour of the newspaper office. I brought her along to see what I do. This time I need to be a little more creative and Anne’s Granny Camp is full of suggestions we can both enjoy. Anne’s book has helped me grow into my role as grandmother, otherwise known as Lola Diane, a little better than Anne’s Old Lady.
Anne’s book is catching fire. She self-published less than six months ago and has already sold over 1,000 books, an incredible feat for a first-time author.
Besides sharing great ideas and a format for Granny Camp, Anne’s book also inspired me to think about my grandmothers, my relationship with them, and to make a point of sharing their stories with my children and grandchildren.
I have assessed my skills that I can share with my grandchildren. I have even picked up the manual for my telephone and camera and learned to use them beyond just saying hello and point and shoot.
I have also been better about corresponding with my grandchildren as individuals instead of the exclusive group conversations over the internet. Anne’s book is truly helping me to be a better grandparent. Not only will Emma come this summer but I am paving the way for her cousin Noah to join us the next summer and then each summer we will add more grandchildren. The summer after Noah we add three at once, twins and a single. By then, I should be an old pro.
Since my grandchildren live in Dallas and in Manhattan coming to my house is a bit of a culture shock. We will spend loads of time outdoors, weather permitting.
Lee has skills to pass on as a grandfather. He is a professional drummer with a symphonic background. Although I am a singer he has better chops for teaching our grandchildren about his music. Lee also had a grandfather that was a poet and those poems should be passed on to a new generation. Lee is an avid volunteer at the animal shelter and knows so much about giving of your time to a good cause. A trip to the animal shelter to walk the dogs and love on the cats is a must.
Granny Camp is far beyond babysitting, it is planned activities for a day or a week. Whatever the time span of your Granny Camp the important aspect is to give your time to your grandchildren. My grandchildren are certainly worth a week of my time each year. Anne warns planning the first year is timely but in the following years the planning is easier and easier. She also gives plenty of pointers on how to allocate your time like putting out your clothes the night before so you’re ready to hit the ground running when your grandchildren wake up.
Some of Anne’s pre-planning involves sending a questionnaire to her grandchildren the week before camp asking for menu favorites. As she candidly put it, "it’s Granny Camp, not nutrition camp." She prepares simple meals her grandchildren are sure to eat.
Anne Dierks’ Granny Camp is a must have for effective grandparenting. To contact Anne directly, her e-mail address is mailto:anne@grannycamp.com.. Visit her website at www.grannycamp.com. Copies of her book are available through Cedar Mountain Books, LLC in Hot Springs Village.
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