Good day, readers. I am Mac Almeida's grandmother Reba. We live on Cape Cod, the whole family, nearly. I'm an old lady - in fact, a quite little old lady at four foot eleven - and I feel blessed to have kin gathered around.
Of course, Mac calls me Abo Ree. "Abo" is just how Cape Verdeans say "Grandma." Since my late husband emigrated as a child from those islands in the Atlantic off the coast of Senegal, my son Joseph speaks some Kriolu, too, and the term just stuck. Me, I'm as American as they come, retired from a career as a teacher in the Boston schools.
I'm so proud of Mac and the success of her Mac's Bikes shop. I even pop in and help out from time to time when she's short handed, at least when I'm not off at aqua aerobics, garden club, or all my other regular activities. I only live down the street, after all. One of my other activities is keeping track of shenanigans on Main Street with my spyglass. I've even been able to report a few bad guys to the Westham PD, too.
I'll tell you, I sure am glad Mac came through her latest adventure safe and alive. That crazy book group of hers started thinking they were in one of the mysteries they read! But she's fine. They all are. Well, you'll have to read the book herself to find out what happened.
Our author has a copy of the new book to give away. Tell me about your grandma, or another old lady in your life, now or from when you were younger (and include your email address). Good luck, kids!
Maddie Day creates the Country Store Mysteries and the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries. As Edith Maxwell, this Macavity- and Agatha-nominated author writes the Quaker Midwife Mysteries, the Local Foods Mysteries, and award-winning short crime fiction.
Maxwell is President of Sisters in Crime New England. She lives north of Boston with her beau and two cats, and blogs here and with the other Wicked Cozy Authors. You can find her on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, and at her web site, edithmaxwell.com.
Posts
I used to live next to a kind old woman who always went out of her way to help others. Sadly, she's gone now, but I will always remember her fondly. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com
ReplyMy Nana was always in my life. She taught me so much, from cooking to embroidery to gardening. She loved crossword puzzles, Jeopardy and always read mysteries!
Reply[email protected]
We moved a lot so I did not see them a lot, but when I did, I felt so special.
Reply[email protected]
My grandmother had a very hard life. She not only raised her own kids, thirteen including three who died young, but many of her grandchildren as well. Up until she was in her eighties she still used an outhouse and bathed in a galvanized steel tub. Every year we would all gather at her place for Thanksgiving dinner. My favorite memory of her is the year before she passed away when I actually got to hear her play a song on her old pump organ
ReplyMy mimi was one of the most upbeat, positive people I have ever known. I still miss her.
Replybrowninggloria(at) hotmail(dot) com
My grandmother had eight children, most were raised during the depression. She had 25 grand children and many great grandchildren before she passed away. In her sixties she took a job as a crossing guard in our city. She would make sure the children got to school safely (lots of ambulances and semis going through the area) and she would crochet hats, gloves and scarves year round to give out to the children in the Winters. She raised me and taught me to cook, crochet, knit, embroider, and sew, along with tons of other life lessons. I miss her dearly, but think of her often and that makes her feel closer. [email protected]
ReplyBoth of my grandmothers had 11 children and both of my grandfathers died young leaving them to raise them on their own. I was always amazed by my grandmothers as they did all this and never had a job. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyMy children are blessed with a wonderful grandmother. My 91 year old mother-in-law still cooks the dishes she learned from her immigrant Italian mother, and she has taught my daughter to make those recipes, too. She loves going out to lunch with friends and going to the local casino. And, of course, she loves hearing every story about my grandson, her great grandson.
ReplyI only knew one grandmother. She was born in the late 1800's. She had 13 children and raised them with my grandfather. She loved to visit, eat ice cream and playing cards. I really after all these years.
ReplyThank you for the opportunity to talk about my paternal grandmother, MaBushy. I know--weird name but my maiden name is Bush so it makes sense. :) MaBushy was born in 1902. She loved to dress to the max for her job everyday & taught me at a very early age to enjoy shopping in downtown Dallas. Oh the memories! She & I would ride the bus to downtown & shop at Woolworth's which was especially fun during Christmas because the lights & decorations were fabulous. She didn't like to cook so we ate out when I was lucky enough to spend time with her. She loved jewelry, make-up, perfume, mystery novels with a bit of romance, Bonnie & Clyde ( she liked to tell me stories of when Bonnie & Clyde were in the Dallas area) and fan magazines. She was just a lot of fun to be around. [email protected]
ReplyI miss my grandmothers so much. I credit one of my grandmothers for teaching me to bake. I have a set of her measuring spoons hanging up in my kitchen and think of her every time I bake.
Replydonnaing1(at)gmail(dot)com
I love reading these comments about your families. I never got to know any of my grandparents. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyMy Dad’d mother was a really good baker. When I was a kid she’d make apple strudel or pie. She’d let us make shapes out of the extra dough and she’d bake them for us.
Replysgiden at verizon(.)net
Looks like it's going to be a great read. So hoping. My grandma was a character and a half. At 93 she was still walking to Safeway 7 blocks away and carrying home two sacks of groceries each week. She was an excellent cook made the best apple pies from her gravenstein apple tree. She would just take a pinch here, a pinch there, and we'd have the best meal ever. Never used a recipe. Fresh items, especially toms from her garden graced the table often. She taught me how to crochet, & knit. Love Jim Reeves and Slim Whitman. Loved the smell of her place in the winter. For heat she burned sawdust. My other grandma I never knew. She died in childbirth with her 9th child. My Mom was one of 9 children. Third to the youngest. deepotter (at) peoplepc (dot) com
ReplyMy grandmother was widowed at 38 with 6 children. She was a talented cook and baker. She worked at a summer camp as the cook . She lived with our family for 7 years when she was older and had many grandchildren. I wish that I had the strength and talent which she had her entire life. She ruled the kitchen and was the boss.saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyMy grandmother cleaned, cooked and baked into her old age. She was a wonderful cook and we went to her apartment every Saturday for a memorable lunch. Later on when she was too old and not well I still visited. She was on her own from a young age as her husband died young. I wish I was aware of her difficult life and how she strived and survived.
ReplyI love all these elder lady stories! Keep 'em coming!
ReplyI was lucky enough to be able to spend quality time with my grandparents when I was growing up. They lived in Philadelphia, and my grandmother made sure to take me to see the sights each time I visited. I loved going on the tram and subway with her to go window shopping at Wanamakers and Gimbels during the Christmas holidays (the decorations were amazing back in the 60s). I remember going to the movies with her to see "The Birds" and when we left the theatre we had to go through an area that was filled with pigeons on the ground and overhead. And another memory of her is her baking - pumpkin bundt cakes, anise cookies, etc. for the holidays. I miss her to this day.
ReplyOops - left off my email - kuzlin(at)aol(dot)com
Petite woman rock! My daughter is 4'7". (She's of Peruvian Indian descent)
ReplyCompact, without any unnecessary height!
libbydodd at comcast dot net
I treasure the memorirs of my grandmother. She was an incredible seamstress. She woukd see a dress in a store window and go home and make a newspaper pattern of the exact dress and sew it. It would be grander than the stores.So much talent!!
Reply[email protected]