My beloved granny, Midge, turned 99 this past July.  When I tell people this, they inevitably ask me if she is still living independently.  Hmm.  Let me share a typical day and you be the judge.  When I was home visiting, we woke up at 7, went to get her blood work done (she had acute kidney failure four years ago and reversed it with medication and by changing her diet!), came home to eat breakfast, went out to get manis/pedis, drove downtown for lunch at Brodo on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, then went to see the movie Julie & Julia at the Elmwood Regal, then went grocery shopping at Wegman's (Weggie's as it is known by locals), ran a bunch of errands, and finally returned home where she proceeded to pour herself her nightly whiskey and then cooked dinner.  I'll get to the point here.  My granny is more than independent.  She is outrageous.  She is audacious.  She is a dynamo who gets up every morning at 6 to meditate, and then embraces her day despite pain and lives her life with purpose and joy and gratitude. 

And I want to share her awesomeness with the world.  So, like the author of Julie and Julia, I am following suit and decided to start a little blog about my outrageous granny, Midge.  Ultimately, my goal is to come up with 100 things I have learned from her and present it as a 100th birthday present next summer.  When my husband and I were in Italy a few summers ago, I began brainstorming.  I had wanted to organize my thoughts by her 99th birthday but life has a way of interfering with one's plans.  When I saw the movie this summer, I loved the concept of putting a larger work together piece by piece, as well as the thought of possibly sharing it with some other like-minded souls who may also be interested in cooking, living life well and with purpose, and learning about my grandmother Midge and her awesome attitude and wise ways. 

I am also going to share some of my granny's delicious recipes, many of which have the added benefit of being easy to prepare.  She is a fantastic cook and a skilled entertainer (her home is known as Club 44), who, despite the times she lived in, was a career-oriented woman who was at the top of her profession (nursing) and still managed to raise two children, take care of her husband, entertain friends and family regularly, live through cancer, and survive a host of life challenges.  I hope that by sharing my granny’s story and her wisdom that others will be inspired and strengthened to face their own challenges.

In closing this first blog (well, besides a trial one I did in which I forgot my username and password and is now floating in blog limbo!), I just want to thank anyone who reads this, and encourage you to share your stories and/or thoughts.  In this life, we all go through so many trials and it is my goal to share the story and teachings of an incredible woman who it is my fortune to have as my grandmother.