January 31 2011
One of the best things about crockpot cooking is the way your house smells so good all day long. Today I made this recipe for beef stew. Stayabed Stew 2 lbs beef stew meat, 1cup little tiny peas, 1 cup sliced carrots, 2 chopped onions, 1 tsp. salt, a dash of pepper, 1 can tomato […]
January 31 2011
SATURDAY PART 1: I woke up early and got to the gym before it opened. THAT’S never happened before. Sedentary Sal would have sat in the car for 8 minutes and read a book. (I always travel with reading material.) But Stepping Sal got out of the car, walked along the strip mall sidewalk for […]
January 30 2011
Friday is fish fry night in Rochester. When I was growing up here, every Catholic church, every social club and every restaurant served fried haddock, French fries, cole slaw, and a roll on Friday nights. Every Rochesterian had their favorite fish fry place. My father belonged to the 40/8 club on University Avenue, so that’s where we […]
January 28 2011
Tonight I did a book talk at the West Irondequoit library. www.rochester.lib.ny.us/irondequoit/ What a busy place! People browsing bookshelves, people reading, people using computers, people sitting and talking. I’m feeling really grateful for everyone who braved the snow and cold to come and hear about some ghosts from Rochester past. That’s the power of books. […]
January 27 2011
The pedometer is a great visual reminder that every day is a chance to start again. Was yesterday a bad day? Did you fall into a fountain while texting at the mall and then find out that 1,000,000 people watched you do it on YouTube? As someone who has been known to trip a time or […]
January 26 2011
Have you ever been to Books, Etc. on Main St. (Rte. 31) in Macedon? It’s a great used book store run by John Cieslinski. My writing group meets there in John’s back room on Tuesday nights. Step inside with me. Outside the windchill is below zero, and my breath blows down Main St. before me, […]
January 25 2011
No, it’s not Antarctica. It’s Panorama Plaza in Penfield, New York. If you look closely at the picture on the left, you’ll see some little wheels sticking out of the snowbank. Yes, that is an upside down shopping cart buried in the snow. Modern art or what passes for it in Rochester in January. Day […]
January 23 2011
Today I exercised my mind with a game of Scrabble with some friends. I might have won except that Sue got a triple word score for 36 points, and Karen stole my spot for her own word. They wouldn’t let me use qi, although I swore it was some kind of Oriental energy thing. Can […]
January 23 2011
Today the family and friends of Bill Faucette (see Day 21) gathered together to recount the steps of Bill’s life. The funeral was held at the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church on Adams St. in Corn Hill. Dating back to 1910, Mt. Olivet was the first African American Baptist church in Rochester. Now the outside is a beautiful blend […]
January 22 2011
Today I had to step where nobody wants to go – calling hours for my dear friend, Bill Faucette, who died on Sunday. Bill and I taught next door to each other for over 10 years. Along with Mary Ellen and Dick, we shared a big old basement room that had been partitioned off into 4 […]