About

Hi Friends!

My name is Elaine, but some of my favorite people call me Gramma Mac!

I’m an award-winning writer, author, blogger, and columnist who loves to celebrate grandparenting (and life) every day.

WORD NERD?

I’ve ALWAYS loved to write. From childhood, having a fresh piece of paper on my desk and a pen in my hand was reason enough to celebrate and to create. I loved writing research papers (yes, I’m a word nerd) and enjoyed taking any concept and crafting it to convey a feeling or persuade a reader.

Whether it was a term paper, poetry, songs, stories, or letters sent across the miles, I lived to write and I loved to write. Still do.

GRAMMA MAC…

Children don’t come with instruction manuals and neither do grandkids. As a new grandma – years ago – I kept my eyes open for crafts, recipes, traditions, activities, etc. – anything I could do with or for my grandchildren.

I shared pictures of our grand adventures and was constantly asked, “How do you come up with all these ideas?” to which I’d say, “How do you NOT?”

I guess I thought all grandparents did what I was doing – making memories every chance I got. I soon discovered some very committed grandparents with the best of intentions lacked the creativity and/or resources. That realization led me down some unexpected pathways.

My passion for discovering and sharing resources with other grandparents grew. Because I love to write – remember? – I knew I could empower others to create memories and build meaningful relationships with their grands, too.

MY DEBUT BOOK

So how did it begin? Well, I was nominated in an online grandparenting contest for my Advent Angels and Camp Gram ideas. By a vote of the readership, I won first place. That recognition led to an invitation to speak at a women’s ministry event sharing ideas with those in attendance. I put together a little booklet of ideas and seventy-five copies were sold that night. That booklet became the impetus for Celebrate Grandparenting: 101 Ideas to Intentionally Connect with your Grands!.

I gained a few more grandchildren over the years and God continued to open doors for me to encourage other grandparents. I still love sharing ideas while making time to be the best grandma I can be for my own grands. Life changes, as a grandmother, when your grands grow up. We spend time following them from one athletic field to another; cheering them on from the bleachers. And, that’s okay. We take advantage of any time we have to spend with our grands, because as schedules get full there are fewer opportunities to do so.

GENERATIONAL STORYTELLING

My own schedule is full, as I’ve developed and teach a 5-week course on Generational Storytelling now. It’s another way to connect with and engage your grandchildren. Studies show that children who are more aware of their family tree are better able to adjust to tough times than those who aren’t as ‘connected.’ That’s reason enough to share with your grands about their ancestors, and it can easily be done in normal day-to-day conversations.

When you see in your grandchild a trait or a gift that has been passed down through generations, say so. Tell your grand! “Your Great Grandpa was also a talented baseball player.” Or “Grandma Susie could play the piano just like you. Let me tell you about her.” Let them see a world that is bigger than them, and let them know they are connected to that bigger world.

My goal in sharing Generational Storytelling with others is to empower others to preserve and share their own family history for future generations. Five modules cover topics on organization, research, preservation, the basics of writing, and much more. I share how to discover illusive information, how to enhance your family history with timelines, what to do when you find skeletons in your closet, and how to choose between quality and quantity when presenting your family history.

Generational Storytelling is another facet of celebrating grandparenting.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Do you want to become a more intentional grandparent? You’re not alone in this journey. In fact statistics say you’re one in a BILLION (there are over a billion grandparents worldwide). Are you an overwhelmed family historian who doesn’t know how to even begin to organize the information? Just start – let me help you.

I’d love to hear from you. Let me know how you celebrate grandparenting. Tell me about your generational storytelling efforts. Ask me any questions you have – I’m happy to help and if I don’t know the answer, I will attempt to find it.

Please subscribe and let’s get acquainted. I won’t flood your mailbox. I won’t share your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time (though I hope you won’t). You’ll receive (by email) my blog posts on topics including grandparenting, family history, generational storytelling, faith, caregiving, and more.

CELEBRATE EVERY DAY

My hope is you’ll find inspiration, encouragement, truth, and even humor in my words. Thanks for stopping by for a chat, and I hope you CELEBRATE today and every day!