BUT GRAN SAID
My parents are visiting this week from Kentucky. We don't get to see enough of them, at least from our point of view. You might get a different answer if you ask them!

I grew up one block over from my grandparents. I ate as many meals at their house as I ate at my own. I drank my first cup of hot tea at my grandmother's house, learned to fry bacon under her tutelage because it was my great-grandfather's favorite breakfast and was entrusted with the secret that cocoa butter was a staple if you wanted your skin to stay young. My grandparent's house was my harbor in the tumultuous sea of growing up. I even had the benefit of having my greatgrandparents there. Every Sunday we would all make our way to the house on Gartin Avenue for Sunday dinner, which usually consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and homemade pie. After dinner my cousins and I would play tag in the yard and someone usually ended up bandaged by the end of the day.

Most families do not stay within a 20 mile radius of their childhood home. You could argue for or against that, but either way it is still a fact. Children need to know their grandparents, however, because a grandparent's love is a special kind of love. It's all about the fun and not about the clean up afterwards. My grandmother taught me what unconditional love was all about. How do grandparents remain an integral part of their grandchildren's lives from far away? Books, of course!

"Grandmother Remembers" by Judith Levy is a keepsake journal for a grandmother to write to her grandchild. Before my grandmother passed, I sat down with her and filled it out together. We laughed together and I heard stories I had never heard before. It is a book I treasure. As a grandparent with a small grandchild, however, you can begin the book early and keep it until she turns 18, or until she has a child of her own. Judith Levy's book is one of many in this format. If you don't want to adhere to someone else's format, however, you can just buy a journal and begin your own memory book. What was your first glimpse of your granddaughter? Who did you think she looked like? Who does she remind you of, and why? What were you doing when you were her age? What lessons that you learned the hard way would you like to impart to her?

While you are filling in your journal and waiting to give it to your grandchild, you can keep them remembering their grandparents by sending them grandparent books! For toddlers, "Spot Loves His Grandma" and "Spot Loves His Grandpa," both by Eric Hill, tells the story of Spot and his activities with each of his grandparents. At the end of each book the grandparent goes away, but not before telling Spot how much they love him!

"I Love You, Grandpa" by Vivian French, illustrated by Dana Kubick, tells the story of Stanley and how, even though Grandpa may not be up on the latest sports, he still is the best snuggler. One of those "we all have our special places" lessons.

Billy Crystal (yes, that Billy Crystal) became a grandfather recently, and decided it was time to write some books. "Grandpa's Little One" and "I Already Know I Love You" are his love letters to his granddaughter. "Grandpa's Little One" comes complete with a free cd of Billy Crystal reading the book.

Which brings me to another way to keep you in your grandchild's mind. Tape yourself reading your grandchild's favorite book. That way they can listen to your voice as many times as they want.

Grandparents are special people, and any grandchild is lucky to have them. If you can't be with them every day, you can enrich their lives in other

ways. Memories are priceless. I