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WHY DIDN’T WE PROTEST?

As members of the Silent Generation,   we young women  didn’t  protest much of anything. Why not? 
There was plenty to protest:  racial inequality, sexual harassment,  income disparity for women, abortion rights, the Korean War, to name a few.  But we just sat there and took it.  I suppose there are many reasons, but I have to believe that the birth control pill  freed women from being stuck at home raising big families, feeling they might as well get married as stay single and work the rest of their lives for low wages as a nurse, secretary, store clerk, or teacher.  If you were a “good girl” and didn’t make any waves, some man would come along and rescue you from a dreary, celibate life as an “old maid.”
We’ve come a long way, Baby. Here’s a picture of my two  daughters  with some of their friends at yesterday’s March For Our Lives in Washington DC.   So proud of them I could cry. I may not agree with all of their causes, but I’m happy they feel free to stand up for their beliefs,  and took the time from their incredibly busy schedules to fly to DC with the hope of creating a better world for all of  our grandchildren.

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SHAPE UP WITH SMOOTHIES AT ANY AGE

Have you ever tried a vegetable smoothie, or for that matter, any kind of smoothie?  I used to think of them as a beverage that appealed more to younger people…you know, the kind you see out jogging through the park on a cold Sunday morning,

wearing nothing but a pair of jeggings  and a T shirt,  while  you’re bundled up in a ski  jacket, scarf, and gloves.   A smoothie didn’t seem like a suitable meal for an octogenarian .

But then, I saw  my daughter buy eight boxes of strawberries on sale, which she proceeded to stem, wash, and freeze separately on cookie sheets before bagging.   What in the world was she going to do with all those strawberries?  Put them in her family’s morning smoothies, of course.

 

After that day,  I decided to concoct my own smoothies using low fat  Greek yogurt for protein and probiotics, and fruits or vegetables for added flavor and nutrients—all swirled together in the blender for a couple of minutes.  At first. I  combined at least three fruits with  the yogurt— oranges,  pineapple,  grapes, bananas, blueberries—just about any thing  I could find in the refrigerator or freezer.  Then, I got creative and decided to try vegetable smoothies for a change.    The same amount of yogurt, but this time, with a combination of three vegetables like cucumbers, spinach, kale, asparagus or  tomatoes.  Some people make vegetable/fruit combos, with 60 % fruit, 40% vegetable.  There are hundreds of recipes on the net,but you really don’t need one.   Every smoothie tastes different, depending upon what you’ve thrown in the blender.  A smoothie with a couple of crackers makes a  healthy, low calorie meal.  So, the next time your grandchildren stop by, fix them a #smoothie!

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SHOULD YOU START A BLOG?

Should You Start A Blog if you are #over #eighty?  Especially if you hadn’t used a computer until your were #fifty and never took an #Information Technology class in your life?  I’m beginning to wonder.  I thought I had done fairly well, publishing three books with #Kindle and #Create Space all on my own in the past 3 years.  I have #twitter and #facebook accounts.  But this #Blogger thing is really throwing me for a loop.  I don’t understand all the gadgets in the layout section, don’t know if I should be on Google+ or Blogger, not sure if I have the right settings. To add to my frustration, I called the computer lab at our local library for help and they said no one there knows anything about Blogger!

To make matters worse, I inadvertently posted something that violated some boundary on google, so that post got deleted, and now my page views have gone down.  I’m sure I’ve clicked the wrong button somewhere while I was trying to find out what happened.

I finally got another email from the library that they would try and help me figure it out if I wanted to set up an appointment.  Also, waiting for a book I ordered from #Amazon called #Blogging for #Dummies. (that sounds about right for me).  So, I guess I’ll just keep on trying for awhile, at least until I’ve torn out all of my hair.

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Hooray for Cheap Asparagus

Asparagus is basically an elitist vegetable, often served at upscale restaurants where you can pay
ten or twelve dollars for a glass of wine.   But now is the season when we commoners can enjoy it at bargain prices.  I used to treat asparagus with great care, steaming it for just the right number of minutes to keep it crisp and rushing it to the table before it got cold.  But when my husband brought home a bundle of it last week and requested asparagus quiche for dinner, I decided to try cooking the spears  in the microwave.  One and a half minutes was all it took. Super easy! 
Asparagus is nutritious, delicious, and versatile.  It’s wonderful as a salad—just lay some cold, cooked spears on a bed of lettuce, sprinkle them with red pimento , top with egg slices, and serve with thousand island dressing.
It is a low calorie accompaniment to any meat, poultry or fish entree. But we love it in this quiche recipe which I clipped from a gourmet magazine years ago, then modified the part where it called for home made pie crust.  I haven’t made pie crust for 15 years.  I know it’s good, but the supermarket variety isn’t that bad. 
                                                Asparagus Quiche
Unwrap a pre made pie crust in a pie plate, bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes until it’s dry but not brown.  (You pre bake it so it doesn’t come out soggy). Take it out and let it cool while you prepare the filling:
                                Filling: ¼ pound bacon
                                1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into half inch pieces
                                4 large or 5 medium eggs
                                1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese (can use whole milk or low fat)
                                1 teaspoon salt
                                ¾ teaspoons pepper (unless it makes you sneeze)
                                Pinch of ground nutmeg
                                3 chopped green onions.
Fry bacon until crisp;  drain on paper towel. Chop bacon. Cook asparagus about 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave and let cool. Whisk eggs, ricotta, salt, pepper and nutmeg in bowl. Stir in bacon asparagus and green onions.
Spoon filling into crust. Bake 35 minutes at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until filling is firm. Let cook 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!

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PROLIFIC WRITERS, THICK BOOKS AND ACHY SHOULDERS

If you read my profile, you will see that I’ve published a few books, myself, so I know how much effort goes into producing 600+ pages.  Unfortunately for seniors, heavy hardcover books can leave you with sore fingers and achy shoulders, depending on the severity of your arthritis.

I’ve just returned from the library, and as I stood perusing the shelves, I realized that I was unconsciously bypassing thick books.  I know—I could miss something really great.  But there’s always Kindle if I see a book that looks like a MustRead.  And,  let’s face it, there’s lots of competition for readers among authors, and millions of books on the market. 
Now, gift books are another matter, because they are frequently chosen by a well meaning adult child to give a parent on special occasions.  Gift givers want to appear generous, so they are apt to choose thick books that will look good under the Christmas tree.  Of course,as a recipient, I feel compelled to read these large volumes, employing various devices such as finding a place to prop up my knees to hold the book, or opening it flat on a table while I sit with elbows propped, fists against my cheek.
Naturally, if I am buying a book, I want to get my money’s worth, so I won’t spend $25 for 120 pages. It seems to me 300 or 400 pages is about right for my shoulders.  So authors, don’t worry if you can’t come up with a sequel to War & Peace.

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TWO NAMES YOU SHOULD NEVER CALL A WOMAN

A female who is interacting with colleagues,  salesmen, store clerks and other strangers is addressed in different ways as she navigates through life.  A child, of course, will usually be called Honey or Dear. As a young adult, I was often called Hon, Babe Miss,  or Gal (shudder). A wedding ring brought a  little more respect, especially if there were kids in tow.  You found yourself being called Ma’m more often than not.

Now, if you happened to go into the deep south–someplace like Savannah–you might be called Sugar, no matter how old you were.. It was part of their culture,  and wasn’t referring to anything but your gender.  I always loved it when people called me that.  It was pronounced Sugahh, and you knew it was just a gracious way to make you feel warm and welcome.

Then, along about the age of fifty or thereafter, you notice some of the men you interact with have begun to call you Young Lady.  I know it was meant to be flattering, but it came across as condescending, and made me cringe. It implied that even though I was post menopausal, I still looked pretty decent for my age.

Would a man of sixty like a woman to call him Young Man?  And why wasn’t I called that when I actually was a young lady?

But when you start approaching eighty,  it gets worse;  now they  call you Sweetie or Sweetheart, as if they are patting a little old lady on the head. I do not appreciate hairdressers, waitresses, salesclerks and other strangers using such  terms of endearment.  I am not anyone’s sweetheart but my husband’s.  I know they mean well, but I just wish they knew that a simple,  respectful Ma’m would do..

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JAR LIDS, BOTTLE CAPS, AND PLASTIC CASES

It tough enough for seniors to deal with childproof lids on medications, but it’s almost as bad trying to get a cartridge of computer ink out of it’s plastic case. I’ve been digging at a pack with a scissors now for about 10 minutes, and still haven’t gotten the doggone thing to open up.

Another pet peeve is toilet bowl cleaner.  Ugh, that’s nasty stuff, but we all have to keep it on hand.
Of course, the manufacturers have to be extra careful because it’s not only toxic, it can burn your skin.  You sure don’t want a kid getting even near it.  So of course, getting the cap open is an exercise in frustration.  You twist and turn it this way and that.  Then you pound it and squeeze it.  Just as you’re about to go back  to the #DollarStore and ask the clerk to open it, you finally hit the sweet spot.  Voila, it’s open!

My husband has a cousin who lives in LA.  Last week, she had to walk to the supermarket to find someone who could open a pickle jar. I know, they sell those rubber things that are supposed to help you get a grip, but they don’t really do the job.  Maybe they should have a senior friendly section in the supermarket with easy to open products.