Confessions of a Grandma

 

 My sister and I attended a book reading that was held at a sculpture park . I took many pictures as we walked around the park before the presentation, but there are far better photos on the website.  The book reading was from Songs from a Voice Being the Recollections, Stanzas, and Observations of Abe Runyan, Song Writer and Performer.  Yes, that is the official title and you can see more here . Excerpts were read by the author and then there was a Q & A. I bought the book but I have not read it yet. From what I heard I think I will enjoy it when it comes up in my queue.  It was a lovely way to spend a lovely almost fall day.

 Kay, in her Musings  today, asked about nicknames. It got me thinking about growing up. My brother Ed considered it his mission to give all the neighborhood kids* colorful and yet strangely appropriate nicknames. Some persist to this day, for better or worse. This past weekend my brother and his wife had a get together of the old gang, sadly somewhat diminished in number. Still, I think it's notable that my brother has maintained closeness with his childhood friends and I have a couple honorary brothers because of it. It was nice to be around people and lots of good food from my brother's outdoor kitchen. He and his wife run a way-stop camp ground for bicyclists who are riding across the state. Their house (not pictured) was built in the late 1700's and was a stop for wagons and coaches for many years. *What happened to neighborhood kids all out playing in yards and schoolyards. Where do kids go these days?? Anyway, I have had several nicknames with various stories attache

 I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up just a few items that I needed. When I went to pay, the checkout clerk asked, "Did you find at least some of what you were looking for?" That was kind of a twist on the usual question.  I had noticed recently that there are bare spots on the shelves and there have been recent times when the store has been out of certain items that are usual on my list. The clerk told me that they were having trouble keeping fully stocked because there are not enough truckers. I didn't plant even a single tomato plant in a pot this year but now I am wondering if I better start planning a vegetable garden. Oh, let's be real -- maybe join a CSA. Yikes! Maybe I am too late! I just checked out a local farm online and their CSA program is sold out through next summer's crops. Also in the news this morning was an article about the school bus driver shortage. Massachusetts is planning to use their National Guard troops to help out and a

  😠Morning News: FBI investigating Vermont State Troopers for creating fake COVID-19 vaccination cards Wait. What?? First of all, how sketchy does one have to be to be part of a market for fake vaccination cards? If you are against vaccination have the courage of your convictions! Second, there are always those with intent to take advantage of the gullible. Even if it means resorting to something criminal. Many get away with it but they all thing that they will be the ones who do. Third, we pay to train and employ police to protect us from those who choose to engage in criminal behavior. So is it money well spent? Not always is what I conclude. Don't cry to me about respect for the badge. It's the person who wears it that either earns respect or not,

  AND The fact that pumpkin spice everything season is starting just tipped me over the edge. I believe the number of grumpy cat memes are evidence enough that I was indeed a cat in a previous life.

 The good news is that my left eye retina is firmly reattached. The bad news is that I still have trouble seeing clearly. I have macular edema in my left eye. My vision is distorted in that eye and I often see double when reading or attempting any close work.  My ophthalmologist was somewhat more encouraging than the retina specialist. He told me that the fluid buildup was in a bad place but that the amount of fluid was not terribly great. I have had a change in the glaucoma medication yet again. The specialist implied that the old med could cause the fluid. My regular doctor thought it could be interfering with reabsorption of fluid caused by the retinal surgery but not directly responsible for the fluid in the first place since it is in only one eye. I'll be re-examined in a month. If the fluid is not gone in that time I will have to have more direct treatment -- that medication being directly injected into my eyeball. In the immortal words of Dorothy Parker, "What fresh hel

 New Orleans was hit by another hurricane. Louisiana's governor was on the news urging everyone to not go out into high winds and flooded streets, flying debris and downed power lines. Well. How dare she impose such restrictions on people? We have RIGHTS to our individual freedoms.

  Animatrons Granny knitting -- the way grandmothers are supposed to act. (according to my daughter) Dane wondered if these were toys since they were is a house filled with dolls and dollhouses. We decided that this opium smoking (the smoke coming from a candle under the robe) figure was not an approriate child's toy on so many levels.  Steamship that cruised Lake Champlain until the 1950's. The hunting camp was a favorite. The Circus Barn was amazing--posters, carousel figures and "miles" of carved parade figurines. There was a special Currier and Ives exhibit. At first it was a disappointment because Dane had heard Currier Knives and expected a whole different display.  But he does enjoy art exhibits -- I have been dragging him along his whole life. It sparked a good conversation about history and how history gets written or represented. Romanticized New England farm life, yes, but let's talk about these pictures of happy, happy life on the plantations. CRT -- c

I took my grandson to the Shelburne Museum. There were many exhhibits that we enjoyed immensely. The Steamship Ticonderoga, the circus barn, the Currier and Ives art exhibit, old school house. country store, Adirondack cabin, stagecoach tavern, railroad station. It was a full day. Dane's favorite was the Adirondack hunting cabin. And what did grandma enjoy the most? Flowers -- the colorful grounds!  Masks were required. There were limits on the number of visitors that could be in the buildings at one time, but on a weekday there was not a large crowd and we enjoyed our leisurely tour.

 We have been having some hot and humid weather.  I do have a window AC unit, but somehow the idea of dragging it out of storage in August seems wrong. I will suffer through although I do confess that my energy has been badly sapped. The only thing I crossed off my to-do list yesterday was to go out for soft-serve ice cream -- a creemee to us here in Vermont. Fortunately, I can set up a fan by my desk and shop on line. I haven't done any crafting all summer but that didn't stop me from putting in a big order for card making supplies. There is way too much truth in this to be funny: And yet: True Story: I took my grandson to a card making group get together a couple of summers ago. At the time there were seven or eight of us who routinely got together to make a few cards, have lunch, laugh, and generally solve the problems of the world in our own minds. My grandson was a fly on the wall as he made a card or two and spent some time on his computer. As we were driving home he said

 I recently read a poem, " In the Museum of Lost Objects " by Rebecca Lindenberg.  Apparently there are such museums. Anyway it got me thinking. Does anyone else feel as though they have lost the entire year, 2020? It's been occuring to me that even though 2021 is more than half over, I am still have a hard time putting the '21 date on things. I think I want a do over, a time reset. It just doesn't seem fair that we have to be a year older when a year was wasted. Consider this my official letter of complaint to Father Time and I am definitely leaving a poor review on YELP.

 The HOA hired a tree company to clear out the dead trees behind the condos. There were a lot of dead trees  and brush grown up around them. They got right to work on Tuesday morning. View from my deck There was a lot of machinery and a lot of activity all day. I was amazed at how fast they could whiz around with the machinery. It did kind of look like prehistoric dinasaurs gobbling up the vegetation. In the evening there was one very confused looking squirrel running back and forth. I hadn't seen a squirrel in the back before but he must have had a nest and store of winter nuts in one of the dead trees. He looked pretty frantic.  By Wednesday early afternoon the work was done. I am not sure if the plan is for expanded lawn or if new trees will be planted. I am also not sure that the view has been all that improved during the day, but we do see an expanded sunset and a much better view of the night sky. I will say the work crew did their job very well though. They knew what they we

 My brother sent me this picture. He's been going through all the paper my mother had stashed away --an overwhelming amount that he had just put in storage. Lucky that he found it because had it been me it would be gone. He has unearthed quite a bit of family history that we really didn't know about growing up. Anyway, the picture is of my father and my Uncle John. I am guessing my dad, on the right, is about five or six which would date this to 1916 or 17. Neither one loks particularly happy to be posing. I will be willing to bet they were scrubbed within an inch of their lives, dressed in the cowboy outfits and ordered to stay still and clean until the photographer showed up.

I mean when clothes start talking to you--   when I was weighed at the last doctor's appointment my reaction was,  "These damn heavy masks." it made the nurse laugh at least. But it's so darn hard! Diets are hard. And so is exercise! Ever notice how much exercise and extra fries sound alike? Sometimes it's just not worth the effort Trust me, this is a real hazard of hot yoga while living alone. Maybe hardest of all is proper attitude

 I did not do any outdoor gardening this year -- not my little patch of ground just off the deck and not in containers. I have been taking care of my houseplants though. They have travelled back and forth with me Vermont to Florida. This spider plant greatly appreciated being repotted. These guys love their spot in  the sun.  I like succulents because they are the most patient with my lack of a green thumb. In the meantime I am getting some beautiful and delicious vegetables at the local farm market -- support hard working farmers, save myself the aggravation of fighting with thieving chipmunks and rabbits, avoid pre-packaged quantities that I don't need or can't use fast enough -- win for me all around.