There are two programs on the Internet that most people of my generation do not generally use. Facebook and YouTube are used by the younger generations to cultivate friendship and inspire wonder. But because my three children and three granddaughters are all computer literate, I have been cajoled into using them both, occasionally. And sometimes they can provide surprise, delight and awe.

This is how it all started in our family. My daughter Deborah is the proud mother of Katie Mayhew, who has made a reputation as a fine singer of show tunes in our small part of the world. Deborah has posted videos of Katie singing on YouTube, and the one of her singing at the Boston Pops High School Sing-off in 2008, at age 16, is most popular, viewed by over 5,000 people to date.

Anyone in the world who uses the Internet can tune into YouTube and watch almost anything, from a video of the tornado that recently tore through Brooklyn to horses jumping in horse shows to President Obama’s most recent speech.

Last spring a comment was posted from London on one of Katie’s YouTube videos. Michael Strassen, a noted director and producer of musical theatre in London’s West End theatre district, had come across the video of Katie singing Being Alive, the Steven Sondheim song that won her the Pops concert. He posted a comment exclaiming over Katie’s talent — and who are we to argue with a well-known British director/producer of musical shows? Correspondence between Michael and Deborah followed on YouTube, and later moved to Facebook, a social networking site that also provides private messaging, and it became obvious that Michael wanted to get Katie into one of his stage productions. To sing! In London! England! Michael also posted links to Katie’s YouTube videos on his Facebook page, which garnered Katie some comments of high praise from other West End notables.

Last spring and summer Michael Strassen was busy producing and directing Steven Sondheim’s Assassins and participating in putting on a huge 80th birthday party for Sondheim at the Royal Albert Hall. Then he got involved in planning a large fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research to be held in Cadogan Hall in October. It would be the second annual such event, and it would include the 2010 Inspiration Awards for Women.

He contacted Deborah and said he wanted Katie to be part of this show, but he warned her not to tell Katie because it might not work out. Meanwhile, Katie had made a DVD dedicated to Steven Sondheim, her favorite composer and idol. The cover said “Happy Birthday Steven Sondheim,” and on the DVD she performed four Sondheim songs. Deborah sent off six discs to Michael Strassen. When he received them he gave one to Sondheim. Katie also produced a commercial CD of her November 2009 concert with David Crohan (which is for sale on the Vineyard and at katiemayhew.com).

There was one more hurdle. The show was filled with British talent, donating their time and music for the cause. It would cost a lot of money to import a teenaged American girl singer, unknown to Britain or even to America, but when Michael played the DVD to the last person who had to approve this move, that person was duly impressed. “Get her over here!” he ordered, and plans were set in motion.

Free flights were arranged for Deborah and Katie with a car to meet them at the airport and drive them to the Mayfair Hotel in the center of London. Four nights in this five-star hotel where all visiting dignitaries are put up, a possible appearance on BBCs telly, a gala party at the end of the show, a dinner party with Michael Strassen and others, a possible private tour of Westminster — altogether, a fabulous adventure.

My first thought was, “I wish I could go!” My second thought was, “No way can I go!” And my third thought was, “I’ll send Todd in my place.” Todd is Deborah’s companion and has been very supportive of Katie’s endeavors. And so Deborah asked Michael to buy three plane tickets and I would pay him for one of them.

A week went by, and I came across a copy I had made of a Gazette article that author and journalist Nicki Galland had written after she had witnessed Katie winning the Boston Pops Sing Off at Symphony Hall in 2008. A light bulb went off, and I thought how great it would be if Nicki could go to London and cover this unique event for the Gazette — and for me. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I e-mailed Julia Wells, editor of the Gazette and proposed that the Gazette send Nicki to London in October. I received a very nice note back from Julia, politely saying they certainly would cover the event, but no way could the Gazette afford to send a reporter to London for a story. All right, I wasn’t really expecting her to say yes, so it came as no surprise. But it triggered another possibility in my mind — I would send Nicki to cover this event in London. My next thought was that she would need a photographer to take photos of the event about which she was reporting.

My daughter, Sarah, is a professional photographer, a good friend of Nicki’s, and free to travel. It all fit perfectly — all I had to do was convince them to do it. And that wasn’t too difficult. Nicki has a friend in London she can stay with. Sarah wasn’t certain she was up to it, at first, because she was driving her car back to California and wouldn’t get home until Sept. 22. Nine days later she would have to leave for London. “But Mom,“ she cried, “everything in my house has been packed away for three years while it has been rented, and I don’t remember where everything is! And I’ll be exhausted from the long drive.” I was undeterred. “All you need to do,” I told her calmly, “is to find your sheets, make up your bed, get rested, and plan the London trip. You’ll have the rest of the fall and winter to find all your other stuff and get the house ready to put on the market.” She finally picked up on the excitement of this fabulous occasion.

When I e-mailed Michael Strassen and told him that I was sending our own press corps over to cover the event for our local newspapers, he was pleased, and said he would get them complimentary tickets to the show, and also arrange for them to join the rest of the “paparazzi” at the entrance to the theatre to watch the British celebrities enter on the red carpet — like the Oscar Awards in Hollywood.

The next week was hectic — I spent it with one eye on the approach of Hurricane Earl, while making flight and hotel reservations for Nicki and Sarah for the London trip. I got someone over to help Sarah and me batten everything down for the big blow — which never happened. But now all my prewinter work was done — all outside furniture stored in the tool shed, potted vegetable garden removed from its site outside the dining room windows so the wind wouldn’t blow them into the house, garbage cans secured, gas grill tied down. I made all the reservations for Sarah and Nicki; Nicki will fly out of Boston the night of Oct. 2, Sarah will fly out of San Francisco the night of Oct. 1, Deborah and Todd will drive to New York, pick up Katie at her college, SUNY Purchase, and then they will fly out of Kennedy Airport the night of Oct. 2. The big show will be on Wednesday, Oct. 6, and they will all arrive back home on Oct. 7.

Now I am twiddling my thumbs and restless. I have done everything I could to prepare for this momentous event. I have been at a high level of excitement for about 10 days, and now I feel deflated. I can only wait for Oct. 6 to come and go, to read about it from Nicki’s point of view, and see it through the lens of Sarah’s camera. Then maybe an item will appear on Facebook, or a video on YouTube, for the world to see.

Shirley W. Mayhew lives in West Tisury.For more information on the London fundraiser, go to inspirationawards.com.