Confessions of a Grandma

The poetry workshop concludes each year (this was year #11) with a public reading.  Last night was the event. Our leader is a retired English professor and a respected poet .  She holds the workshop each April at the town library.  In addition to the support and feedback that we get from other group members as part of the workshop, we get a personal consultation with Mary Jane. At the reading, she must surely feel like a midwife helping each of us give birth to our poems.  I am always grateful to be a small part of this event. Mary Jane is also a dedicated gardener.  I am linking this vimeo of a garden tour for Linda Reeder.

I call this a side dish here merely for the sake of those who feel a meal is not complete unless there is some kind of meat on the plate. I ate this with a small salad and called it dinner. Artichoke Heart Rosti  (pretend there are those two dots over the o in rosti because I am too lazy right now to look up yet again  how to do that on the computer) 3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 1/2 cup small artichoke hearts, chopped       (I used plain canned, not marinated) 2 T chopped fresh parsley 2 T vegetable oil, divided Thaw potatoes by rinsing them under warm running water.  Drain on paper towels. Mix potato, artichoke, and parsley in a bowl. Heat 1 T of oil in a frying pan (one with sloped sides) over medium-high heat. Add potato mixture and press into a flattened circle with a spatula. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Invert the rosti onto a plate.  Heat remaining oil and slide the rosti back into the pan.  Cook for 6 to 7 minutes more.  Go for nicely browned and cris

There will be an unexpected winter-like snow storm in the middle of spring. I have determined this based on years of previous experience.  I had my snow tires taken off today.  That greatly increases the likelihood of snow.  And frankly, it has been cold enough. It is nice to not have to listen to the click-clack of the studs on bare road though. I have a 2010 Prius.  It has a key, but you just press the "power" button to start it up.  There is no place to actually put the key in the car--in your pocket or purse is fine as long as it is within a certain range. When I got to the garage first thing this morning, I could not find the key.  I searched my purse, my pockets, and then all over the car.  Since I drove it there, I knew it had to be somewhere nearby.  I said I was sure it was somewhere in the vehicle so it could be started.  I left for a walk but the mechanic came running after me.  He couldn't start it--I must have the key somewhere on my person.  I

Do you do Pinterest?  It's a great use for any spare time you may have.  It will suck it all up like a virtual vacuum cleaner and then start to suck in the time designated for the important things in life--like checking your e-mail and catching up with blogging pals--or like going outside and participating in real life. It's cheap entertainment.  Cheap entertainment can be a good thing.  I mean, it doesn't have to mean  that life is pathetic and sad.  Life is what we make of it, afterall. This morning I came across a Pin: A list, 10 Random Acts of Kindness for the Christmas Season.  Can you make a list of random acts to perform?  This cracked me up.  I giggled about it all morning long. I go for cheap entertainment and I am quite easily amused. Speaking of being amused, I saw/heard this  (Jesus Shaves) on Facebook -- not quite the compelling time vacuum as Pinterest, but I laughed until tears were flowing down my face. Well, laughter has some identified health ben

As many of you may know,  I find the concept of insurance distasteful.  I  consider it gambling that something bad is going to happen to me while the insurance company is gambling that it won't.  In either case, it seems like a lose-lose situation for me.  However, even though the concept strikes me as screwed up, I am grateful that I do have insurance.  I will even go out on a limb here and state my opinion is that anyone who thinks this country does not need good universal health care is living in a fantasy world. I am eligible for Medicare--age will do that for a person.  I have a supplemental plan that includes prescription medication coverage.  I really had no difficulty signing up for any of this a year ago.  Also, because my bike accident involved a motor vehicle, my car insurance paid for medical expenses related to that.  It is easy to be grateful for insurance when I consider that the combined expenses for that little bike accident adventure rang in at over $11,000.  I

To all those who celebrate Easter, my wishes for a happy one!  These are the results of time with the grandchildren--bunnies, chicks, eggs, and bird nest cookies.  I did not have the noodles you are supposed to use, but Dane suggested pretzel sticks would work just as well and taste good too.

The view out my back door this morning, April 16.  At least the sun in out.  It won't last.  Hard to believe it was up to 80 degrees on Monday though.  Between the mountain snow melt in the warm temperatures and the heavy rains yesterday, there will be flooding down hill of us for sure.  I opened up some windows on Monday.  The winds that were ushering in the cold front also blew in a great deal of pollen.  I sneezed about twenty times in a row before I thought to close the windows again.  At least all the rain and snow settled the pollen for a bit. Spring means spring cleaning. I emptied out my closet and gave it a scrub. I did some purging, although not enough.  Anyway, a trip to the Salvation Army is in my future. We did some baking this past weekend.  My loaf of bread is on the left and my son's loaf of bread is on the right.  I follow a recipe and he throws ingredients together from memory.  I bake bread once or twice in any given year.  He bakes a

I have missed making cards over the winter.  Since I airlines give a weight limit, I did not drag supplies to Florida.  So it was fun to get together for a playdate with my card making friends.  The idea for the sea gull card was stolen from Donna. This is my creation, as is this. I made the last card the next day.  I used stamps and gelatos for the water color effect.  Gelatos are a new toy for me.  They were great fun to use and I want to do more experimenting with them. I did the cards, I went to a poetry reading, I went to a long restorative yogi/Reiki class which also featured aroma therapy.  It was a full weekend.  Today I have library volunteer time and the poetry workshop tonight.  Tomorrow I am going with friends to a story reading at the Renegade Writers in Burlington.  Then I am having a visit from the grand kids.  I needed the restorative yoga because I feel so pressed for time!

There is a reason we call it mud season. The middle of the road is muddy, but the thawing releases its own sweet scent. the sun is shining & warm, the sky is blue, a rushing stream washes the air. I am grateful for this day.

I had turned my television on briefly on Monday night after coming home from the poetry workshop at the library.  I did not see anything that I wanted to watch so I turned it off and read until bedtime. Tuesday rolled around and I had a meeting with my regular writing group.  I switched on the TV set before I headed off to the library once again to see if I could catch some of the news. This was all I could see. I called Comcast's automated service and pressed "1" for a refresh--"all that is usually needed" according to the non-person on the other end of the line.  When I got back, the same screen.  I called Comcast again and eventually got connected to a live person who assured me this was "a common problem that I can help you with right now." Press the cable button, then the power button. Try that again. Again. Read the cable box serial number to me. Find the input button on the TV remote.  Press that. Press that again. Unplug th

Most Vermonters are celebrating spring, otherwise known as mud season.  People are happy to see the slush and mud because it means the temperatures have finally gotten above the freezing mark.  Tiny shoots promising crocus blooms and even day lilies can be seen huddled along sunny walls.   The ducks and geese up the road are happily splashing in the melting skating rinks that have covered so many lawns.  Robins are hopping around, poking through the mole hills and mouse trails that have wrecked those lawns not covered in water. Personally, I have not been able to get warm since last Wednesday morning.  Here I am, ready to go out for my exercise walk:

I tried my hardest to stay in Florida: *On the drive to Sarasota, my neighbor and I were so deep in conversation that we completely blew by the airport.  We got turned around and managed to find the airport right there by the side of the road where "you can't miss it." * I went check in but I only one boarding pass spit out.  A note saying my reservation on the second plan could not be found.   I had to get in line for the counter for the transfer in JFK.  It got straightened out. *I glanced at my boarding pass and headed up to wait at gate 6.  I sat there for a while when it occurred to me that there should be a plane at the end of the gate (there was not) and that there should be more potential passengers than just me (there were not).  I checked my boarding pass again.  Gate B9, seat 6C.  The plane had just started boarding when I got to the right gate. *The rest of the trip was uneventful.  Obviously, I was meant to get back to Vermont. I wonder if one feels

Oops!  I almost missed it!  I have rolled over into the four digits.  My last post was number 1000. I don't even remember what I was thinking that prompted me to start a blog in the first place.  Whatever the reason, I was not alone.  Eventually, I found myself in a whole community--a diverse and enriching community, for such is the power of words. Like the kindergarteners I saw a couple of months ago, I plan to wear a crown. They were celebrating day 100 of school life.  Post 1000 of stuff and fluff on Confessions of a Grandma needs a crown! So thanks to the readers and writers out there--near and far.  Thanks to my children, my beloved husband, and friends who give me stuff to natter on about, and special thanks to my grand children who are the reason I can call myself a grandma.