Confessions of a Grandma

I started a project from One Skein Wonders edited by Judith Durant (Storey Publishing).  It's the floral mesh shawl on page 196.  I may have bitten off more than I can chew.  It's a lace pattern with a chart.   Patterns are mathematical and I am not very mathematical.  Knitting charts--and this is quite a small one besides--make me break out in a cold sweat, but even the verbal instruction seemed beyond me on this one.  The first attempt was a disaster so I pulled that out.  At least I had only completed the tedious collar and only about seven or eight rows of the pattern. The second attempt went better for the tedious collar but there were problems as soon as I started on the body.  For one thing, it clearly was not going to be a shawl  but a poncho. A poncho I could live with, but too many other mistakes have led me to unravel twice now.  I got thirty-nine rows into the pattern before completely messing up one of four...

Mike was an avid hunter in his youth.  Later in life, he put whatever instincts, honed senses, and eagle-like eyesight he learned from those early experiences to work--he hunted old and obscure  parts for the surprising number of individuals who care about restoring antique American motorcycles.  Now that he has retired from that business, he still indulges his hunting passion.  Now, he hunts sharks' teeth and other fossils on the beach...And, he is one of a regular crew who are out there early each morning hoping to scoop up the best find.  It's usually a friendly kind of competition. I just can't beach comb with that kind of focus  so I mostly walk and scan the sea and sky.  Plus which, I don't care to get up before dawn. Mike does  indulge my gathering habits with his hunting skills--finding some nice shells for my collection.  I did make a major find myself and I just have to boast about it, though.   Clearly it is the f...

A post about teaching social norms by Retired English Teacher  reminded me about the "teacher look." (not me!) For me it is all in the cock of the right eyebrow, the slight degree of narrowing the left eye, and the proper amount of pursing of the lips.  I had it down long before I was teaching, because my younger brothers used to say, "Oh, no, she's giving us the eyebrow,"  when I was being displeased with their shenanigans as kids.  That look earned me those "smoker mouth" wrinkled lips without the smoking, but say what will, the teacher look is effective communication. Now, when we were working, we got in the habit of taking a winter vacation to a warm spot--most often the Bahamas.  This involved a flight from Burlington to Pittsburgh to West Palm Beach to Marsh Harbour.  Since we travelled during school vacation, there were always lots of families with young children on at least the first leg.  While waiting for boarding, Mike got...

 The sign warns against trespassing.  Okay, I'll stay out. I forgot my jungle clearing machete anyway.  Lining up for the golf course. The crowd will really grow in the next few weeks. The beautiful live oaks are on the golf course.  This particular walk took me on a loop around the course and a nearby airport. Caspersen Beach walkways have all been refurbished. No more splinters! Last night an impressive thunderstorm rolled over the area, ushered in by equally impressive winds.  Well, it was impressive to me although nothing like the extremes Mother Nature has been known to deal out around the world.  We sat on the lanai and watched the show.  This morning there is a whole new crop of oranges fallen off the high branches.  Now, see, a Vermont snow storm is beautiful to watch from the vantage of a window in a cozy room, but the next morning it is out with the shovels and snow thrower.  The appeal wears off rather quickly. ...

Roses blooming in January in Venice, FL. The Venetian Waterway--rarely this deserted looking.  Every fisherman is issued a heron to guard the bait bucket.*   Hard to believe I soak in these colors on a daily basis and still struggle with keeping the blood pressure down. The salt air maybe??  * Sorry, Patti, the herons are not for hire .  This is a generous volunteer effort on the part of retired herons.  At best, the might get a small stipend or a free snack on some bait shrimp.

Has anyone ever successfully mashed potatoes with a plastic potato masher?  What is the point of such an object?  This one didn't even come from the dollar store.  It wouldn't necessarily snap in two if you tried to use it, but it wouldn't mash a  potato either.  Hence, I suppose, "smashed potatoes."  I suppose that these are meant for use with those pots that have the stick-free coatings that you have to baby or they might give you serious medical problems.  Maybe no-stick is not entirely useless, but I prefer my cast iron fry pans and my two All-Clad pots.  With a good seasoning, cast iron pans are pretty stick-proof.  I do clean mine with salt and hot water once in a while and re-season.  They are heavy and they can leach some iron into food (which may be good or bad, depending).  All-Clad is expensive, but I pretty much use two pot sizes so that's all I invested in AND I got the larger size at a deep discount because it ...

I read recently that the expensive walking shoes actually are hard on the knees.  This gave a slight bit of vindication.  I do have walking shoes that I wear out on a regular basis.  I have always hated spending the money for somethng that just does not last very long. Part of the problem, perhaps, is the shape of my feet.  With narrow heels and wide forefoot (Hm, sound duck-like), something is always rubbing or pinching.  Holes wear into the shoes OR (worse) into my feet.  In either case, out those shoes have to go. However, a couple of years ago, I bought these Speedo brand flip flops.  They are by far the most comfortable things I have ever had on my feet except warm, cozy socks.  And I can wear them while walking, even a brisk exercise walk, if the weather permits bare toes.  They cling to my feet--no rubbing, no pinching.  There is enough cushion on the bottom and a quick swish in sudsy water and a rinse off keep them fairly clean...