Grandma's Gleanings
Words and Thoughts from Grandma
Have you ever felt like a piece of information has vanished from your memory? You had it once, and poof, it’s gone. What a terrible experience to know that the information is stored somewhere in your brain, but you just can’t retrieve it. In days gone by, if a gentleman wanted a reminder of something …
Civic, level, madam, noon, race car, and wow would all class under the same definition, for they are all referred to as palindromes. The word palindrome is comprised of two Greek words, palin, meaning again or back, and dromos, meaning running, thus we have a palindrome, a word running back, the same word even when …
Our culture is riddled with deception in advertising. From an energy drink that gives you wings, to diet plans that melt 10 pounds in 10 minutes, to facial treatments that promise to erase those aging lines overnight, we have all been bombarded by outlandish advertising claims. It’s easy to see through most of the …
Even a child is taught early in life the significance of that telephone number. It’s a type of magical number that unlocks a treasure trove of lifesaving resources in a matter of seconds. The three-digit number, 9-1-1, has been designated as the Universal Emergency Number for citizens across the United States. The catalyst for …
The film was what is referred to as a sleeper hit, an unexpected box office surprise. The story revolves around an inventor who accidentally shrinks his own children, along with the next-door neighbor’s children by way of his electromagnetic shrinking machine, and then inadvertently tosses the mini-kiddos out in the trash. These teeny children …
Sometimes reflection is a good thing. After almost 45 years of marriage, I have certainly not mastered the art of being a good wife, but I have most decidedly improved. As I look back on those early years, I quietly giggle in the face of my total ineptness and unpreparedness. Oh, some of those …
The trip, according to our GPS, should have taken approximately five hours, six at the most. This was an exciting time, traveling across our beautiful state to spend the holidays with our children and precious grandchildren. The turnpike travel was moving at a normal pace, and we were making great progress, until we were …
‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.’ Those words, spoken by the Dutch, post-Impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh, would be vividly reflected in a style he used in his 1887 painting, ‘Self Portrait.’ The artist was heavily influenced by Pointillism, a technique of applying paint in a pattern of …
If compromise didn’t exist, agreements would never by attained between people of diverse opinions. The Great Compromise of 1787 is one example of bridging a gap between two different viewpoints. The government of a free nation was being formed when a disagreement arose between the smaller states, who sought equal representation, and larger states, …
Nothing struck more dread into this young, elementary school student than report card day. Most of that achievement summary was great; I always did well in spelling, reading, writing, and any type of history. But noticeably absent from that list is math. We received two math grades, one for computation and one for problem …
On August 25, 1939, a cinematic masterpiece would debut in theaters across the United States. Based on the 1900 children’s novel by L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz would become one of the best-loved movies ever produced, with those beloved characters of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion etching a spot …
If you wear corrective lenses as I do, you may be familiar with the term myopia. Myopia is an eye disorder where light focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. Put simply, your eyes have improper focus. Because the eye is incapable of bringing the light into sharp focus, distant objects will …
One moment of distraction and it happened. I was busy working my evening job behind the deli counter of a small family-owned store close to my home. I was exhausted, working as many hours as I could squeeze into a week, trying to eke out enough money to pay for my college tuition and …
If you had lived in my hometown during the years of my childhood, the place to be on a Saturday morning was the Majestic or Manos Theaters. Both theaters were centerpieces of our main street, along with our Five and Dime Store, a feed store, some Mom and Pop clothing boutiques, and of course, Isalys …