She's come a long way from the innocent babe-in-the-woods she once was. She's firmly in her teen years, standing a head and a half taller than her grandmother, taller even than her grandfather. She has a secure sense of humour, well-entrenched on the ironic side.

And she's a chatterbox. As are her close friends. With whom she is in constant contact. They speak on a continual basis, in fact, engaging in long, convoluted and often hilarious conversations. They do this remotely as far as physical presence is concerned, but not emotional attachment.

While she's devotedly speaking with me about any number of things that take her attention, she also continues an ongoing conversation with one of her girlfriends whose birthday is today. Her girlfriend is bemoaning the fact that she is all alone, and it's her birthday. Her parents are busy working and while her grandmother has promised to take her out for an ice cream treat, somehow she feels abandoned.

She isn't, of course, she lives on a farm and her parents are busy doing farm chores.

And her little sister, twelve years of age, is at home, with her. That doesn't count, she is definitely not thrilled with her sister's constant presence. Her sister is a troublesome pest. Not so, my granddaughter tells me in an aside; she likes the little sister, she's adorable and good fun.

But according to our granddaughter's texting companion, her sister, who knowing perfectly well this is her birthday, insists that it is also her stuffed bear's birthday, an auspicious event that deserves celebration.

"She's only doing that", she texts my granddaughter, "because she knows she's irritating me. And she knows perfectly well also that her stuffed bear's real birthday is in May! She never lets us forget that fact. Now, all of a sudden, because it's my birthday, it's her stuffed bear's as well. I'm getting really annoyed!"

After reading the texted conversation to me, we look at one another and burst with laughter.