Confessions of a Grandma

We will be leaving Florida early (really early) on Thursday morning.  We did a lot of packing up yesterday and Mike will start to load the car with the non-essentials today. It's always tricky thing to get the fridge and kitchen cabinets cleaned out.  We are down to a half bag of frozen corn and one egg plus one can of artichokes and one can of evaporated milk.  Doesn't that conjure up a lovely dish for lunch?? I'm hoping that the same cleaning lady who was called in when we got here comes back after we leave.  I have been worried that she thought we made the mess we found on arrival.  I just can't bear the thought that someone would think poorly of our housekeeping skills. We did have a monthly cleaning lady for a while when I was still working and taking care of my mother as she started her journey through Alzheimer's disease.  One day she was arriving just as I was leaving with my vacuum and a bucket of cleaning supplies to go clean (as a g...

A week or two ago, my daughter posted on Facebook: Today I had fun messing with my daughter, who is 9. I had her convinced that as part of the new car seat regulations she would have to now get a car seat and sit rear-facing in the back until she reached 5'4". She was getting all worked up, so I finally told her I was kidding - now she's really mad at me! :D Honestly, I cannot imagine where she got this cruel lying streak that compels her to mess with an innocent child. But, Amy, you really ought to check out this post: Six Decades and Counting - Life Reinvented: Car Seats for Seniors

I've noticed that just when you finally get around to doing a major closet clean out and packed off all those items from the seventies, the 70's look is the new fashion trend.  Could be worse--the 80's look making a comeback.  Heaven help us. I've noticed that cyclist are getting ever more militant about the right of sharing the roads with motorized vehicles...but if they are riding on the sidewalks (the one right next to the designated bike lane on the road), they expect pedestrians to jump out of the way. Or they won't hesitate to wing you with the rear view mirror on their bikes. I have noticed that some people feel perfectly free to comment loudly to a complete stranger about the teen-agers passing by who are sporting multiple tattoos and body piercings.  What if that stranger has teen-aged children with tattoos and body piercings?  What if those two are her children? I've noticed that other people look really nice with polished nails, but I myself ...

My first little ripe tomato...almost too cute to eat. Beautiful salads for our lunches Last fall at my annual physical, my doctor was concerned about my blood pressure numbers creeping upwards.  I monitored at home and it seemed fine, but when I went back for a follow-up visit, my blood pressure was high again.  Then at a second follow-up, same results even though I was watching the salt and taking daily dose of atenonol. My doctor wanted to put me on a different medication, but not just before I would be away for three months as it would require monitoring.  A little scary.  My insurance will not pay for doctor's visits in Florida, only trips to an emergency room.  That seems like a not very practical or cost-effective way to monitor blood pressure and the effects of a new medication, so we made an appointment for yet another blood pressure follow-up in April. In the meantime, I have checked and recorded my blood pressure readings for a week in late January ...

Bird of Paradise Amaryllis In the six years we have been coming to Florida for the winter, I have not seen the amount of blooming that is going on this year.  The sun has been shining for two weeks straight.  In fact, we have had only two showers and one big thunder storm to interrupt the sun shining for the whole month of March to date.  I'm not bored yet, though. I did just talk to my grand son on the phone.  So that makes me want to go home.  I'll bet that the kids have done some blooming of their own in my absence.

Mike went fishing with a friend down on Pine Island yesterday.  I rode down with him and then made a trip over to Fort Myers and toured the Edison-Ford Winter Estates.  It was well worth the trip.  The guided tour was interesting, but what captured me was the grounds.  Everything was in lush spring bloom. The Moon Garden Mike and I stopped for dinner on the way back home.  The restaurant was right on the water, served very fresh fish, and offered a view of the setting sun while dophin and manatees went swimming by.  There was no need for dessert.

After our Saturday night supper, Mike and I headed out to a nearby park.  The parking lot was almost full and people were lined up along the walkway, the beach and the fishing pier to watch a spectacular sunset.  When the last bit of sun sunk below the horizon, there was a mass exodus. But Mike and I sat tight because we had come to see the rising of the super moon.  As the last red glow in the sky faded to the west, we watched the moon come up to the west.  It looked huge and pink in the reflected light.  We were awestruck. I didn't get a good picture of the moon.  I think that was beyond the capability of our little camera.  I do hope that where ever you were, though, you were able to get a glimpse. The sunset from Maxine Barrett Park. a glimpse through the sea grapes. The super moon reflected this reddish glow. What a delightful show...and all for free for the watching.  Some days turn out to be perfect and this was such a day.