Confessions of a Grandma

The trees are mostly bare as I write this and we are expecting lots of wind from Frankenstorm Sandy over the next few days so I suspect they will be completely bare by the time I get around to posting this. however, there are a few individual trees around that are in full regalia.  There were three maple trees next to the Vermont Meat and Seafood Market where I shopped yesterday.  The were all a brilliant orangey red.  When I parked my car outside the store, I noticed that there were two Japanese tourists taking pictures.  She had a fancy (meaning very high-tech looking) camera and he had a movie camera.   She was slowly walking around one of the trees, snapping away all the while.  He as sitting on the ground tossing up handfuls of leaves and filming as the fluttered back down.  They were still there when I came out of the store, still clicking and filming. Sometimes it is really a good thing to have a reminder.  The awesome beauty is r...

The Vermont fall color on our road is definitely past peak, but I still like the metallic hues that linger the longest. For me, this is about as decorated for fall as a yard ought to be.  My yard is not even this seasonal this year. Although…I have given a nod to the season inside my house. That’s it.  The whole show. This picture represents only about one fifth of the Halloween décor in this particular yard.  I don’t know the home owners so I can’s say anything.  However, it was my house, I would be spending time putting siding over the tyvek wrapping instead of putting on all the holiday displays.  (All right, so I did say something.) I pass this barn often and I always notice the yellow cat painted in the window.  This time I snapped a picture of it. Later in my walk, three deer went racing across the road about fifty yards in front of me.  So fast!  There was no chance of getting a picture of them, but I realized why it is no...

  Our last night in Florida, Mike called from the car port, “C’mon out and watch this light show.   It was one of those nights when lightning was flashing every two seconds off in the distance, lighting up the fluffy clouds but far enough away to be as entertaining as a fireworks display.   I went out to find Mike sitting in my usual chair.  What was that about?  He offered to try to encourage his little buddy to vacate the other chair, but I decided I would just go back inside.       

  Long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks…we must be back in Vermont.  It feels like vacation is over.  Funny how we had things to get done at the Florida house, but it still felt relaxed—like a vacation.  As soon as we got back (about 1:30 p.m. on Monday), we were both, “OMG! So much to do!  How will we ever get it all done?  OMG!  Where to start?  Winter is coming.”  Kind of ridiculous, actually.  Mike went out to mow the lawn while I unpacked.  I went grocery shopping. Two days without the computer on—87 posts to catch up on.  This morning we were out raking and all the while I am itching to get at my sewing machine to finish up a project.   Breathe.   I once went to an educational conference where a doctor from Washington state was presenting a program on what brain research had to tell us about learning and, thereby, teaching.  It was a good workshop, but I particularly remember her saying, “We on the we...

It is time to think about packing up and returning to Vermont.  Wednesday was spent on yard work—weeding where needed,  shaping up some of the bushes, and rearranging some garden borders.  We had a local guy come in to do the spiny plants and we have a neighbor signed up to stop by once a day and pick up any fallen grapefruit.  Thursday will be dust and polish, vacuum and mop—generally tidy up the inside.  Friday we will do laundry, clean out the refrigerator, pack.  Saturday morning we will be good to go after a few closing up details are accomplished. I will have to catch up the new television season when I am back in Vermont.  I won’t be sitting out in the evenings watching sunsets and stars and moon risings, chatting with the neighbors strolling by. I just read Linda Reeder’s post about her SMART television .  My television in VT is not a smart one, although it sometimes gets the best of me.  I can use the on-demand for shows I miss an...

as in cost of living adjustment… not   Those of us who are collecting social security benefits can expect an increase of 1.7% in 2013.  WOOHOO!  We’re in the money! The cost of living adjustment is in place to insure that the purchasing power of social security benefits are not consumed by inflation.  This is determined on a limited time sample.  Apparently, the cost of living did not rise significantly between 8 a.m. and 1:32 p.m. last Tuesday. Well it is obvious that the cost of grocery items have not gone up significantly.  (??)  You can still buy a container of ice cream for about five bucks.  Never mind that ice cream used to come in half-gallon containers.  If you can even find a half-gallon container these days, it will cost more than five bucks.  Don’t quote me on the prices of ice cream, but surely you notice that everything comes in old size packages with less product inside.  Ice cream packages look to be the sa...

Mike has gone off to the beach this morning.  I will give that a pass for the rest of the week, but he doesn’t seem to be as sensitive to the red tide and smell of dead fish.  My stomach lurches at the thought. We cleaned shutters and windows this past weekend.  The shutters on the shady side of the house were badly mildewed.  After a few attempts to get it off, we ended up using a product that attached a spray bottle at the end of the hose.  It contained bleach and it worked, but boy, did I suffer all day yesterday.  Renewed commitment to my homemade cleaners and respiratory masks if I ever attempt that again.  And, I am staying away from the red tide. Last night was one of those toss and turn and fling pillows around the room nights.  I never woke up for long enough to have to get out of bed, but it was NOT a refreshing night’s sleep.  Probably related to chlorine poisoning (over dramatic?).  Earlier this summer I was having nigh...