An Adventure

 

Last weekend I was going to go for a walk. My plan was to walk the sidewalks in this suburban neighborhood. Grandgirl #1 had a better idea. She knew a path that goes behind the town houses, along the creek, under a bridge to an ice cream store. Isn't taking grandchildren out for ice cream on my job description?  I think it is. So we took off. She wasn't entirely sure of the path and it took us 50 minutes to get to the ice cream shop. Once there she had to sample 3 flavors before making her decision. I had a child's scoop of Dutch chocolate. As we walked along the river I saw patches of water cress. I suggested we bring a rake and bucket next time and make something out of our foraged watercress. Then I looked it up on my phone. Watercress can contain liver flukes and other bugs. I am not sure how many industrial areas this creek goes through but I do know the Purina Dog Chow factory isn't too far away. We decided to leave the water cress for other people to forage. We did have a nice adventure though.

fMini-gold

 Today there was a birthday in my family so the five of us went out to lunch for sushi. After lunch we headed to Trindle Bowl in Mechanicsburg to play mini-golf. I was not expecting glow mini-golf. The course was very dark. Black light illuminated our clubs and balls. Considering how dark it was and how my cataracts need taking care of, I did okay.

Bye, Baby

 I read Carola Lovering's novel, Bye, Baby, via audio book as I traveled east from Minnesota to Pennsylvania. This is a story about the friendship between two women. Both Cassie and Billie narrate the story. They met as young teens in the summer and became friends. The story ends when they are in their mid 30's.  Billie had issues at home. Her mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer disease. Her mother also had a skeezy boyfriend who looked at both Billie and Cassie with lecherous eyes. Cassie had a loving mother and father and an older sister. Cassie was heavily influenced by her manipulative, rich, snobby grandmother. Billie helped Cassie and Cassie helped Billie but at the same time they were helping themselves. Billie is a serious student. Cassie is on her way to being a gold digger. Will their friendship survive? This was an interesting book. Cassie, as a gold digger and annoying influencer on Instagram, was one sided. Billie's character was better defined and more relatable. 

The Bus Driver

 Yesterday was the last day of school for the week. My grandgirls had Valentine's parties with juice and cookies and Valentine's Day cards. Both had decorated containers full of Valentine's Day cards and treats and presents. As the school bus rounded the corner near their home their bus driver asked, "Hey, is your Grandma in town? Is that her yellow car?" This is the same bus driver that toots her horn at us when we walk to school. It's nice to be known.

Three States Per Day

Saw this neon sign at a Mexican restaurant in Youngstown, Ohio.

 Yesterday I drove from Minnesota, through Wisconsin, and into the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Today I left Illinois, drove through Indiana, and into the suburbs of Youngstown, Ohio. I left early because Chicago was expecting a 3 inch snow storm. I didn't see any snow but for the last hour of my drive I experienced a light rain. In my hurry to get through the 460 mile trip I took the turnpike which cost me nearly thirty dollars in tolls. Tomorrow I am only going in two states and the mileage should be only 270 miles.

The Half Moon

 Mary Beth Keane is the author of The Half Moon; a contemporary novel about married life in a small town. The married couple are Malcolm and Jess. Malcolm's dream was to own a bar called The Half Moon. His dream comes true. Jess' dream is to graduate law school and become a mother. She is a successful lawyer but she and Malcolm have fertility issues. They live is a small town within driving distance of New York City. One winter weekend a snow storm shuts down the city and they are left to figure out what are the important things they want together. I enjoyed reading this story about a nice guy like Malcolm and a strong female character like Jess.

Before And Again

 Barbara Delinsky wrote the novel Before and Again. Published in 2918, this book tells the story of MacKenzie Cooper. After a tragic accident in Connecticut, MacKenzie leaves town and heads to a small Vermont town where she works as a make-up artists and makes clay kitchenware in her spare time. She changes her ;name to Maggie Reid to avoid the notoriety she thinks she has. A friend's 16 year old son gets into trouble for hacking computers. The publicity from that puts her anonymity at risk. Maggie is lacking in a lot of things but she is loyal to her friends. I enjoyed reading this large print edition (oh, the joys of getting older).