July - August, 2023
Greetings, Everyone!
First, the good news… The hot, cumbersome neck brace is a thing of the past! My neurosurgeon’s goal was to have it off permanently by July 23, so after wearing it on and off periodically for the two weeks before that, I finally MADE IT! My neck, left arm, and left shoulder still get sore without it, but I just take a couple of Extra-Strength Tylenols and I’m back in business. Thanks to all of your love, prayers, and tangible forms of help, WE made it!!!
I now have a ton of “chores” to take care of – primarily getting rid of all of the crabgrass that has overtaken my veggie garden. I’m waiting for a little tool to arrive from my favorite vendor (Amazon, naturally!) to help me tackle this project. I hope that your gardening efforts have been more productive than mine this summer. Once again, due to the lack of rain, mine have been rather frustrating.
This summer simply flew by. I can’t really point to many “fun” aspects of it, other than a day up north at my niece’s farm, Karen’s beautiful birthday cruise, seeing both the first and last performances of my grandson’s musical Bye Bye Birdie at the Community Theater, watching other grandsons’ baseball and lacrosse games, and having visits in my tiny house with friends and family. So much of the time was eaten up by medical appointments, x-rays, anesthesia, and recently my third MRI of 2023. I guess this all just goes with the territory of getting older and having unexpected issues that interrupt the “normal”…
I mentioned my new terrarium hobby in my last Go Granny! – and I can now report that I am obsessed with making them!
I’ve also been trying to put together a cross-country winter trip by train, bus, and a couple of budget one-way flights to visit some of you who have been so helpful during this challenging year. So far I haven’t booked any tickets yet, but I’m aiming for visits to Illinois to see Debby and Bob in Crystal Lake, Washington DC to visit Yvonne, Arizona for Sam, Pat, and Peg in Oro Valley and Gail in Scottsdale, Washington to see Carol in Vancouver, and Oregon to visit Tom and Linda in beautiful Sisters. My hope is to leave what will no doubt be another intolerable Minnesota winter in January 2024, and return sometime in February. Back when I lived in Europe, this type of travel was easy, frequent, affordable, and dependable, so I want to see how a similar American travel experience stacks up against European adventures. I’ll keep you posted…
Your Secret Recipe That Grandkids Will Make Forever…
For some reason, when I was a kid, Campbell’s Bean with Bacon Soup was one of my favorites! This summer I’ve been living on a similar homemade concoction which I absolutely crave. It’s super-easy, fast to make, freezes well, and I just love it… The secret to its speed is using canned ingredients, so it’s a good idea to keep the following four cans on hand in case the craving hits you this fall:
Quick Bean with Bacon Soup
3 cans of your favorite varieties of beans with their liquid (I like red beans with chilies, navy beans, and cannellini beans, but it doesn’t matter at all which you choose!)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 can of water
½ pound raw bacon, chopped into 1” pieces
½ t. salt
½ t. ground black pepper
Put everything into a pot and simmer for an hour. Remove from the heat and puree the mixture in a blender or food processor. Divide it up into freezer containers and freeze. (I use individual-sized containers or freezer bags.) When you want to eat it, empty a container into a saucepan, add enough water to make the soup your desired consistency, and heat. I like to serve this with a blob of sour cream on top of the soup and a piece of good bread. You could make it fancier by adding some shredded cheddar, diced tomato, and sliced green onion on top if you like.
Cool Looks for Hot Grannies…
My wonderful friend Signe knit me the most beautiful shrug sweater! I absolutely LOVE fuchsia, and Signe’s knitting talent is unparalleled. She’s a genuine artist and pro, and I am so fortunate to know and adore her, but also to have received such a beautiful gift! Thank you, dear Signe!
Ingenious Ideas…
Here are a couple of Netflix recommendations if you must spend a lot of time at home (as I have had to do this year!)…
The Book Thief: This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would put it in the category of Life is Beautiful, which will always remain so as well for me. Many of you may have read the book; I’m currently reading it, but honestly - and this isn’t usually the case for me - I think the film is better than the much-acclaimed, popular book. It is an extremely moving film - great acting (including my favorite - Geoffrey Rush), and Emily Watson (who you will never believe is even in this film, due to her incredible portrayal of the main character’s foster mother), as well as a great storyline in every way. It’s one of those “perfect” films that don’t come along very often. I plan to watch it again; I will probably do so often.
The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem: This is a two-season series, easily the best one I’ve ever watched. Everything about it is perfect - the characters, the acting, the setting, the historical timeline… It has it all, and I will definitely re-watch it again as well. I bought the novel, but haven’t started it yet; the series totally captivated me in every way. I even went so far as to write a note to Netflix about how much I appreciated it! There’s so much drivel on these streaming sites that it’s hard to find really worthwhile things to watch, but this series is definitely worth an investment of time - particularly if you are interested in Judaism, Israel, and WW2 history.
Inventing Anna: This is another Netflix series, and it depicts the true-life character and story of Anna Sorokin, a self-proclaimed (but totally fake) wealthy German heiress. Becoming the darling of New York’s elite in her one-woman con to bilk millions of dollars from the unsuspecting movers and shakers, the force of the series is “Anna Delvey” - played by the wonderful actress Julia Garner, who was “Ruth” on Ozark. She is equally amazing as Anna in this fun (although puzzlingly scratch-your-head story - How in the heck did she DO that???) It’s an altogether different genre and viewing experience than the first series I mentioned, but an entertaining conversation-starter and worth the time if you’re a Julia Garner admirer (and who possibly can not be?).
“I Laugh So That I Do Not Weep” - Abraham Lincoln
As much as I love Abraham Lincoln, I decided to give you a break from his medical woes this time. Instead, I’ll recommend a totally unlikely film for you to possibly explore. I first heard about it from my nephew, and while it sounded pretty insane, I actually watched it with him…and then bought a copy of it for myself!!!
I’m going to wait a couple of years to show it to my grandsons, because I’d like them to have a better grounding in American history first. Also, it’s somewhat gory (although they’d probably love that!). My main reason, however, is that this film does use a considerable amount of actual “fact” concerning this legendary President, but it is fact that is wrapped up in a wildly carnivalesque plot - again “history-based”, but convoluted by the general theme, plot, and title of the film: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.
Okay, now. First of all, I did not have a lobotomy in conjunction with my spinal surgery, so please try to stay with me here. The film was produced by Tim Burton, so that might immediately tip you off that it’s “out there.” It’s a fictionalized “biography” of Lincoln, in which he is a lifelong vampire slayer. It takes the real-life adversarial circumstances of his life and the Civil War, depicting the “evil” surrounding these circumstances as being done by vampires, which Lincoln fights with his axe. Okay, I fully understand if you want to click away now…
Anyway, I think it’s a fun movie, because while it sticks somewhat faithfully to many of the “facts” of Lincoln’s life and the Civil War, the admittedly crazy plot of fighting vampires as symbols of the real-life evil forces affecting Lincoln personally and the country as a whole, make it a weirdly comprehensible portrayal of both Lincoln and the Union-Confederacy conflict.
The film also includes some pretty respectable actors, and the one who plays Lincoln looks remarkably like him. I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that this is a “substantial” story, but I think that if you have teenagers who are beginning to learn about the Civil War, it could be a fun film to watch together as a conversation starter. Just sayin’…
Best Hard-Rockin’ Tune in a Long Time…
Jimmy Lafave has been gone now for over six years, but he will always remain one of my lifetime’s best-loved musicians, singer-songwriters, and inspirational performers. We first met in the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon in Telluride, Colorado (which I think is now closed) many years ago when he was covering Bob Dylan, and we remained in touch periodically at festivals and shows. He was kind, sweet, generous with his music, and he made many friends along the way. It is a blessing to be able to still listen to his voice and songs.
I hope you are enjoying the remaining days of summer. Thank you again for all of your messages, cards, notes, visits, and help along the way. I love you all.
~ Gramma Jamie
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