Confessions of a Grandma

My friend Ginnie fell and ended up being loaned a walker for last night from the walk-in clinic.  This morning I dropped off the walker I had for Mike at her place and offered to return the loaner to the clinic since I was going right by there in the process of running another errand. You might think, as I had, that this was a pretty easy thing to do.  Pull into the clinic parking lot, take the walker into the front desk, say, "Here you go, thanks!" and be on my merry way. HA! I got as far as the be-on-my-merry-way  part.  The nurse at the clinic told me to go to the main desk for the whole facility.  The guy sitting at the desk told me I needed to go to the Good Samaritan's office.  "Go to the end of this hall and turn right for the elevators, go down to the basement, turn right, then left and take the first hall on the left, blah, blah, blah."  For one thing I have trouble with left-right directionality and by the time I found the basement/"gro...

Oh! The sun made a brief appearance this morning.  It didn't warm things up very much, but at least we know that it is still out there somewhere.  May be it was crying for help: Rescue me from all these clouds and rain!! I put my winter jacket away yesterday.  It's not that it too warm to wear it (it's not) but that is May already.  I am going to wear my spring jacket.  So what if I have two sweaters on underneath it. I have not done this for a long time.  My this-week's-to-do list is so long that I have started next week's list. The woodchuck (family?) has burrowed two tunnels under the garden shed.  One was bad enough, now they have a condominium development out there.  I was in the shed the other day and I jumped up and down screaming, "Go away!"  I believe that had no effect whatsoever.  At least they have not started chomping down my plants because the plants have not started growing yet.  If only there was a way to get t...

My friend Maggie sent me a meme: #My Writing Process Tour . I am sure she knows that I am somewhat vague about both memes and #s. I looked up an official definition--or at least a wikipedia definition: A meme 1] is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture." A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, ... It is not a new phenomenon and the word itself was coined in 1976, but of course an internet meme is a somewhat specialized type. Maggie is an actual, real-life friend who is also an actual, real-life writer.  Writing is what she does (and does well, which there is no need to mention because it is obvious if you check out her stuff).  She has a blog and it is about writing and the writing life:  mag offleash . It is possible to trace the topic back and learn about how others view and manage their writing process.  I suppose if I were dogged enough, I would keep tracing back just to...

This is a test.   My last post was all wacka-doodle and I have no idea why.  It looked fine in the draft.  I will have to work on this.  Problems!

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 minute...

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 ...