My eldest, a lovely daughter now thirty-seven-years-old ... how the heck did THAT happen? ... is a very busy executive. She has a tough job that demands she be available, and she must respond quickly to questions and demands.

In addition to almost endless phone calls, emails come at her like snowflakes to Minnesota in January, and all need some at least some attention. In her continuing efforts to stay on top of things, she got herself a BlackBerry.

Lucky me!

Her new ability to communicate instantly had made many a morning for me.

It's becoming a regular feature now for my day to begin with my granddaughter's beautiful face smiling at me from her breakfast, or from the car on her ride to school. I see her in whatever outfit she's chosen for her day, in casual poses that give me so much of the flavor of her world ... the weather is obvious, the backgrounds are whatever she's near when my daughter pushes the button, the mood of the morning reflects from her eyes.

The message that comes with the image is short and sweet, and as close to normal for a granddaughter to grammy greeting as can be with us on different sides of the planet.

Now, if there was only a machine that could convey hugs as well as smiles ...