I was reading through my Twitter Micro-Blog and noticed a friend commenting on how many people use the word pray without really doing it . I think that holds true in the real world as well as the virtual world, don’t you? So often people will say, “I’ll pray for you,” then they never do. I know I used to be guilty of that on a regular basis. Not on purpose. I would just plum forget.

Then I heard a pastor speak on this very topic. He suggested that when someone asks you to pray, or when you are talking to someone and you tell them you will pray – DO IT RIGHT THEN . Wow! Such a simple concept and yet it had never occurred to me up to that point. In sharing this concept with others, I’ve discovered I’m not alone there.

I immediately decided that I would do that, to the best of my ability. Even when I was in my 30’s I didn’t claim to have the best memory in the world. As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, I am now in my 50s and my memory is not any better. In fact, with all the input I get from grandkids, aging parents, cell phones, text messages, internet info, and iPod, it’s probably a whole lot worse. But that’s OK.

Now when I am talking to someone and they tell me about an issue, I tell them I will pray and I do it right then ! Sometimes I do it in my head. Shhh, don’t tell, but sometimes I even send up a quick prayer while they are still talking. Sometimes, I ask if it’s ok if I pray for them right then and there. I’ve gotten a few shocked looks, but rarely get turned down. And I get a lot of thank yous!

As God brings them to my mind, I try to pray again several times . But by praying for them right away, I know I’ve prayed and I know God is awesome and is working in their lives as well as mine . So I rest content on His promises NOT my faulty memory. As a caregiver , that’s a wonderful thing. As you well know, we are subject to plenty of interruptions so we need that.

So there you have it. One important secret to praying for others is to just do it. Right then, right when you think of it, and again as God brings it to mind. It’s a joy to watch God work in and through us and our prayers, I can promise you that.

Here are some interesting tips, links, and information from Twitter this week for all of us in the Sandwich Generation:

CAREGIVERS:

Preventing the Spread of Swine Flu in Nursing Homes and Senior Centers is an excellent article from Seniors For Living.

A CDC update, Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home , has some very useful information including how it spreads, medications that can help, and steps you can take to lessen the spread.

GRANDPARENTS:

Disney is one of the most popular channels with my grandkids . Particularly since we have a tween! For those who also like Disney, but don’t get it with their current connections, the NY Times reports that “Disney/ABC adds shows to Hulu, joining NBC and Fox/News Corp .”

SANDWICH GENERATION – GENERAL TIPS & ENCOURAGEMENT:

If you, or someone you know, is a hair stylist, Seekzpeace has some really cute stickers for kids when they get their hair cut. Sounds like something my grandkids would love!

Free audio book download, Foxes Book of Martyrs , at ChristianAudio My pastors have all recommended that book. I’m going to have to get it! 

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 Thanks to @RapturReadyNews . Speaking of them, Rapture Ready is one of my favorite sites for news updates from a Christian viewpoint.

CNN reports that the FDA says “stop using Hydroxycut products , which are popular dietary supplements used for weight loss.” Thanks to @NerdNews for that update.

Are you looking for friends from high school, or helping an aging parent track down an old army buddy? PIPL is a great search engine for finding people.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

Be careful if you use Facebook to keep up with friends, family, and even grandkids . There’s a new phishing attack going on. Don’t click on fbstarter links Thank you @JesseNewhart.

That’s it for this week. More updates on the next Sandwich Generation Twitter Tips on Microblog Monday.

“It’s not fair!” The pitiful lament from the sick little one as they sit by the toilet in the middle of a round of throwing up always tugs at my heart. I can’t disagree with them either. As I have always pointed out to my kids, and now to my grandkids, life is not fair! I also often remind them, that’s why we look forward to heaven! Because someday, when we are safe in heaven, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (KJV). Now that’s something to look forward to!

In the meantime though, there are still those sick children and their exhausted and swamped parents. What can we grandparents do to help? A lot will depend on your health and circumstances, of course. I am blessed to be able to dive right in, help with holding, cuddling, and changing, and even rubbing backs while they are at the toilet. I don’t even catch everything any more. Granted, I catch more than I’d like, but it has gotten better. I always figure that so many other people have it as well, such as grocery store checkers, that I’d rather be part of helping. Others may not be able to be so up close and personal due to their own health issues. And still others live too far away to help much (that’s me too for half of my little grand-darlings.) Here are some suggestions for everyone:

Close by:

1. Make grocery store runs for the parents. This will save them time and energy and enable them to have more cuddle time with the sick child.
2. Tuck in a new game, book, or movie to tempt a sick one’s interests. Here’s a frugal tip for grandparents – Keep your eyes open throughout the year for great sales. After most major holidays, many games and toys are on sale for as much as 90% off! Keep a stockpile of these to pull from for these kinds of moments.
3. Offer to take some of the non-sick children out to your house or to a restaurant playland, to give mom/dad and the sick one a chance to rest peacefully for a few hours.
4. Offer to help with laundry. This can easily pile up during colds and flus. Just be careful to wash your hands a LOT to protect yourself from those nasty germs.

Far Away:

1. Call and see how everyone is doing. Offer to read a book on the phone to the sick child and/or a health child. This gives the parents a bit of a needed break.
2. If they live in a city where grocery delivery is available, see if they need to have groceries delivered and provide that for them.
3. Contact a restaurant that delivers and lets you pay over the phone with a credit card and send them a dinner or two. Be sure to ask first to make sure they feel well enough for the food you would be ordering.
4. Send get well cards with fun stickers or maybe even a CARE package with cute little stuffed animals, coloring books, and/or a game. (See #2 above.) If you prepare a box ahead of time and just pop it in the mail the minute you know they are sick, it will probably get there while they are still in the midst of it all.

It’s hard to know your loved ones are ill and makes you feel much better when you can take steps to help them. Just knowing you care and are trying to help will usually cheer up everyone in both households.

“It’s not fair!” The pitiful lament from the sick little one as they sit by the toilet in the middle of a round of throwing up always tugs at my heart. I can’t disagree with them either. As I have always pointed out to my kids, and now to my grandkids, life is not fair! I also often remind them, that’s why we look forward to heaven! Because someday, when we are safe in heaven, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (KJV). Now that’s something to look forward to!

In the meantime though, there are still those sick children and their exhausted and swamped parents. What can we grandparents do to help? A lot will depend on your health and circumstances, of course. I am blessed to be able to dive right in, help with holding, cuddling, and changing, and even rubbing backs while they are at the toilet. I don’t even catch everything any more. Granted, I catch more than I’d like, but it has gotten better. I always figure that so many other people have it as well, such as grocery store checkers, that I’d rather be part of helping. Others may not be able to be so up close and personal due to their own health issues. And still others live too far away to help much (that’s me too for half of my little grand-darlings.) Here are some suggestions for everyone:

Close by:

1. Make grocery store runs for the parents. This will save them time and energy and enable them to have more cuddle time with the sick child.
2. Tuck in a new game, book, or movie to tempt a sick one’s interests. Here’s a frugal tip for grandparents – Keep your eyes open throughout the year for great sales. After most major holidays, many games and toys are on sale for as much as 90% off! Keep a stockpile of these to pull from for these kinds of moments.
3. Offer to take some of the non-sick children out to your house or to a restaurant playland, to give mom/dad and the sick one a chance to rest peacefully for a few hours.
4. Offer to help with laundry. This can easily pile up during colds and flus. Just be careful to wash your hands a LOT to protect yourself from those nasty germs.

Far Away:

1. Call and see how everyone is doing. Offer to read a book on the phone to the sick child and/or a health child. This gives the parents a bit of a needed break.
2. If they live in a city where grocery delivery is available, see if they need to have groceries delivered and provide that for them.
3. Contact a restaurant that delivers and lets you pay over the phone with a credit card and send them a dinner or two. Be sure to ask first to make sure they feel well enough for the food you would be ordering.
4. Send get well cards with fun stickers or maybe even a CARE package with cute little stuffed animals, coloring books, and/or a game. (See #2 above.) If you prepare a box ahead of time and just pop it in the mail the minute you know they are sick, it will probably get there while they are still in the midst of it all.

It’s hard to know your loved ones are ill and makes you feel much better when you can take steps to help them. Just knowing you care and are trying to help will usually cheer up everyone in both households.

Ahhh, the party’s over. The 2009 Blog Party that is. A great time was had by all, many old sites were revisited, many new sites were discovered, and many many prizes are to be awarded over the next few days. As we wait with baited breath to see who won what, I thought I would share with you three of the sites that I enjoyed.

A Frog In My Soup I think one of the reasons I like it is the name is just so great! I love frogs! Mostly I love the stuffed ones. Although we used to live where some cute tiny one inch ones also resided. Those I liked, as long as I didn’t have to touch them. This Frog is one I like! It’s about family, friends, fun, and contests. I like contests too, can you tell?  While I was visiting, I discovered a great article on fun and frugal Easter baskets . I loved that, while she did include candy, it wasn’t the primary thing. Our grandkids get so much candy I like looking for alternatives. Some fun ideas for Easter baskets I’ve prepared in the past include playing cards, books about Easter, and the Veggie Tales Easter DVDs. I also love to include Resurrection Easter Eggs as part of our celebration. As you may have noticed in the right column, I wrote an article about them for eHow. I also found a great site with the directions for making your own Resurrection Eggs . Now that’s a great Frugal Tip for Grandparents!

Speaking of frogs, another site I really enjoyed features nature photos, books, and family – all things I enjoy. Of Books and Memes has a great photo of a frog in midjump in the article Critter Pics . There was also a darling shot of a turtle who had poked his head up to say, “Hello.”   Too cute! My grandchildren will enjoy those photos!

Cute – that leads me to the third site for today. The Cutest Blog on the Block .  This site was indeed cute and sweet. There you can read about Joe and Bethany and baby Lincoln as they travel around the country singing and ministering for the Lord. Next time I moan about too little storage space, I’m going to think of them and stop that moaning! From her site, I followed a link to her husband’s site where I discovered his new business of pencil portraits drawn from photos. They were quite intriguing. This young couple is definitely multi-talented.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed this briefest of brief tastes of some of the fun I had at the 2009 Blog Party. I am already looking forward to next year! And a BIG THANK YOU once again, to 5 Minutes For Mom for hostessing this great event.

Would you like to hear some amazing singing? I received the link to this in my email yesterday. It is beautiful! I wanted to share it with you so that you might take a few minutes to just let the music and the words soak into your heart and encourage you mightily.

Il Divo

I have to admit, I had never heard of the performers before. They are an operatic group called Il Divo. After hearing and seeing this delightful video, I decided to check them out a bit further.

According to the editorial review, they are four of the greatest operatic voices in the world who have been bringing the sound of opera to the world of popular music since their debut in 2002. It would appear they sing in English, Spanish, and Italian.

I am not an American Idol watcher. There are too many other shows I prefer, like all the Law & Orders, along with all the CSIs, NCIS, Numbers, etc. I am, however, familiar with some of the people from Idol, including Simon Cowell. I was interested to discover from Wikipedia that ll Divo was created by Simon Cowell. Guess I’ll be able to think about him a bit more positively in the future

All in all, it was quite interesting to learn about them. They offer an intriguing sound to a wonderful old hymn and I hope you enjoyed the music and the info, as did I. If you are interested in hearing more of their music, you might be interested to know that they have a Christmas CD. It had an interesting mix of Christmas hymns, Christmas popular songs, Christmas opera, and even a lovely rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow.” Definitely an eclectic combination that you’re not likely to already have. I listened to the samples at Amazon and thought it would make a lovely addition to a Christmas CD collection. I’ve added it to my calendar to remember to put it on my list of Christmas CDs to give to my children and grandchildren. (Can you believe it, I really do plan that far ahead sometimes!)

The flu is running rampant all across the country. Colds and sinus infections are keeping it company. Kids are sick, parents are sick, and grandparents are often helping to juggle doctor appointments, rock sick babies, and entertain the healthy and sick ones at the same time. This is a good time for Miss Spider and Magic Schoolbus.

These two children’s educational programs are special favorites of my grandchildren. They are available on TV on such channels as Noggin and Discovery, along with some PBS stations. You can also find most, if not all the shows available on DVD at Amazon , your DVD rental store, etc.

Miss Spider is a family of bugs, including adopted bugs. They feature a mommy and daddy, loving but firm discipline, and good lessons about caring/sharing for your family, friends, and neighbors.

Magic Schoolbus is about field trips Miss Frizell and her class take using her magic schoolbus. They learn about everything from bats to volcanoes to reptiles to the human body. It is fun, entertaining, and very educational.

Grandkids of all ages should find both of these series interesting and entertaining, even if they are used to other types of shows such as Spiderman and Saturday morning cartoons. They make a sick day much more fun, and the kids are learning without even realizing it. If you are watching, while holding a sick child, you will probably be entertained as well. I know I am.

If your grandkids live a long distance away, you might want to send a DVD or two of these, along with some of my other previously mentioned favorites, such as Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends series to them. If they aren’t sick now, their parents can put them away for a future sick day. They will appreciate that thoughtfulness greatly when those sick days arrive. Just be sure to check that they don’t already have them.

What seemed like a basic school assignment opened up many more doors than we expected and we both enjoyed the conversation. Very creative and interesting! And in case you’d also enjoy reading about the therapy dogs, you can find the article at the ConnPost – http://www.connpost.com/pets/ci_11662896 .

Black Friday. I mentioned it in my post on November 22, http://www.sandwichink.com/caregivers-shopping-tools , but then realized you might not know what I was talking about. Black Friday is the name given by stores and extreme shoppers to the Friday after Thanksgiving’s mega-deal shopping madness and fun. Supposedly stores hope to move their accounting figures out of the red column into the profitable black column. I have several close to me who love going out way before the crack of dawn to shop for the absolute best deals ever. It is as much a sporting event as a shopping trip and they look forward to it for months in advance. Me? I enjoy staying home and babysitting. Warmer, cuddlier, and way less dangerous! Have you seen how vicious some of those shoppers can get!

On the other hand, I do enjoy going out later in the afternoon for some sweet deals. Not as sweet as they got earlier, but still not bad. And if I can do it online I’m even happier. Anything that saves us caregivers time as well as money is wonderful!

Whether you prefer my route or the extreme shopping adventure, I’ve got some great info to share with you.

Here are three Black Friday-specific websites with early info to whet your appetite:

http://www.blackfriday.info/ and http://www.blackfriday.info/online/

http://bfads.net/

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/

Also, the Lean Green Family website has a great article on some basics for Black Friday plus some updated info on Cyber Monday  – http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com/2008/11/4-ways-to-make-most-of-black.html . Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday when a lot of computer and tech items go on sale. But according to both BlackFriday.info and Lean Green Family, those items might actually be on sale as early as Friday and if you are thinking of ordering online, they might even be throwing in free shipping. So if you are thinking of any tech purchases for gifts or for yourself, this is the week to really watch the newspaper and check the sites you are most interested in. And keep an eye on the above sites as well!

Due to a variety of different issues, I have gone from not flying until I was 30, to being a white-knuckled flier in my 30s and 40s, to now being a relaxed frequent flyer in my 50s. I have flown several different companies but my favorite airline is Southwest and I appreciate them HUGELY. They are not perfect but no airline is. However their prices are reasonable, their people are wonderful, and their policies work great around my caregiving schedules.Those are all wonderful travel solutions for those of us in the Baby Boomer Generation of caregivers, otherwise known as the Sandwich Generation!

When one friend had to cancel a flight with American Airlines due to illness, they would only allow her one year to use her ticket and she wasn’t allowed to transfer the credit to anyone else. If she had not been physically able to fly during that year, she would have had to get a doctor’s note and MAYBE get a refund. With Southwest, I can cancel tickets right and left and they make it ultra-easy for me to deal with the credit. It goes into my account and I can then use it to make new arrangements for anyone I want, whether myself or someone else. When you are dealing with health issues for more than aging parent, not to mention grandkids, cancellations can be more common than the actual trips, so that is a very important option.

I have learned a trick or two to make flying easier for myself as well as for others who might be traveling with me. This is the first of an occasional series listing some of those tips. Hopefully they will be a help to you if and when you take off into the wild blue yonder.

1. I like to wear comfortable shoes that are easy to slide off and on. When I am going through the security checkpoint, juggling luggage, laptops, and maybe even a fellow passenger, whether grandkid or senior parent, I’m so glad not to have to stress over getting my shoes back on.

2. I try to be sure to put everything that would normally go into my pockets inside my purse or other carryon before getting into the security line. That way I don’t have to stress because I accidentally set off the alarm over my car keys or cell phone. Also, if you haven’t flown recently, be aware that in addition to removing your shoes, you will have to take off sweaters and jackets, and you will have to remove your laptop from its carrying case and put it in a separate plastic bin.

3. Don’t forget the newest security requirements. I like to keep a couple of quart-size plastic bags in my carry-on at all times so that if I do forget, I will have them anyway. (If you are traveling with others, make sure they have put their liquid items – 3 oz. or less – into a plastic bag as well.)

4. I always bring a snack and a water bottle, which I purchase after going through security. That way, if we run into turbulence right away and they can’t bring food around, I don’t regret being too busy to eat before flying. A good friend of mine practices excellent frugality by bringing an empty water bottle. Once she is past security, she fills it up from a water fountain. Just be sure the water at that airport tastes ok. There is one airport I used to fly in and out from that had the worst tasting water!

5. After years of lugging a purse and a backpack, I changed over to a rolling backpack and find that so much easier. Because some planes are smaller than others, I’ve learned to pack the stuff I am going to read, along with my snack, pens, and iPod into a big nylon tote that fits nicely into my rolling backpack. That way, when I get to my seat, I lift out the nylon bag and stick it under the seat in front of me. Then the bigger bag goes up in the overhead bin. If I am going to work on my computer, I pull that out as well. If it is a full flight and all three seats are going to be taken, I usually leave it in the bag that goes up above. It’s just more cramped than I like in that situation, especially if the person in front puts his seatback down.

6. I like to bring my MP3 player with me on the plane. I started doing that back when I was a white-knuckled flyer. I discovered if I listened to praise and worship music on the flight, it kept me a whole lot calmer. Now that I am flying so much and doing better, I still like to have it so I can listen to audio books, classical music to help me sleep in spite of the noise level around me, and yes, if it gets turbulent, I often pop those praise and worship songs back on as well. (Word of warning in case you haven’t flown with one before, you cannot have any electrical device on for take-off and landing. This includes the MP3 player, as well as a cell phone set on flight mode, a DVD player, a computer, a video game, etc. Fortunately, you reach the necessary altitude quickly, and then you can turn any of those on.)

7. There is a great site called Seat Guru, www.seatguru.com , which can give you a lot of useful information on what seats are best on each airline. For me, I’ve learned that if I fly alone I love the emergency row as it gives you a bit of extra room. Due to arthritis and tight seating, I get very achy on a long flight. On those rare occasions I get to sit in the emergency row I’m a happy camper! And I am such a caregiving nurturer by nature, as most of you probably are, I have no problems agreeing to help any and all if there is a true emergency. It’s what I would do no matter where I sat.

When I fly with senior citizens who need extra help, or grandkids who need supervision, I pick a seat in the last couple of rows. I avoid the last row because it doesn’t recline at all, but I love the last two or three rows. I am close to the restroom and the flight attendants. That way, if I have to leave a little one, I know they are safe. And if my companion has to go to the restroom during the flight, it’s easier for them to get there and back when it’s so close. I usually avoid the front because you are no longer allowed to form a line for the restrooms and it can get a little frustrating trying to deal with that and taking care of others.

That said, I do make one exception. If I am traveling with a grandkid, I will often look for an unaccompanied child around the same age or a family with a child around the same age. If I can find someone, I’m very glad to sit up front and let that child and my grandchild have fun talking to someone their own age and keeping each other company on the flight. (I always ask the flight attendant first to make sure it is ok.) We’ve met several nice kids that way and it makes the flight so much more pleasant for the kids AND the adults with them. Instead of “whennn are we going to gettttt there,” we hear, “oh no, we’re there already. I’m having way too much fun to land!” Now that is music to my ears!

8. When it’s time to land and pick up the luggage, I have found it is a piece of cake finding my luggage, which looks like everyone else’s, by tying something bright that will catch my eyes onto the handle. It can be yarn, a bow, a hair ribbon, or whatever. Don’t make it too long, though, or it might catch on something and get stuck.

Well, this article is quite long, so I’m going to end it now and start saving up more tips for the next one. I will leave you with one last recommendation, if you fly often. When my flying started to increase, I read the book, Guerilla Travel Tactics, by Jay Conrad Levinson and Theo Brandt-Sarif. It has many excellent ideas and suggestions. My copy is dog-eared and underlined like you wouldn’t believe! It has suggestions for cheaper tickets, picking out seats, wisely using your frequent flier miles, and more. There’s even a chapter on how to complain properly. Hopefully none of us will need that! You can find used copies of this book at Amazon and half.com.  www.amazon.com www.half.com

I hope that all these travel solutions that have worked well for me will be a great help to you. And now, to quote those great singers of yore, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, “Happy Trails to You.”