Grandma for One Hour

By Madelon Sheff

Madelon’s fourth book continues with more of her unique take on the current social scene. In addition, she has included recipes told to her by friends and her mother. Now a Pennsylvania transplant, grandmothering still brings her joy, even if it’s in one hour slots. Maddy still dabbles in painting, and jewelry-making. Currently, as an avid believer in lifelong learning, she is studying Hebrew and taking courses in writing and crafts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663233738

Madelon Sheff

Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Maddy has also lived in Florida, where most of her dating adventures  occurred. Now living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,  she is a proud grandmother and a magazine writer. In  addition to volunteering and socializing, she pursues  her interests in Mah Jongg, Bridge, travel, learning and  organizing social groups.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 Madelon Sheff.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or

links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those

of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-3369-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-3373-8 (e)

iUniverse rev. date:  01/17/2022

Contents

Introduction

Dedication

Part I   The Past

Full Circle

Pack, Unpack, Pack

A Shanda* or What If?

Passage to Portugal

The Beautiful Bronx

Part II   Petites

A New Job

Touches in the Night

Mother’s Words of Wisdom

Waiting in the Rain

The Book Club

More than a Nosh

A View to Behold

Part III   The Present

Senior Dating

Why I Don’t Date Anymore

Writing the Mah Jongg Card

Missing School Days

Pandemic! But Don’t Panic

Elevator Adventure

Smile. Dammit!

Part IV   Pet Peeves

Senior Discounts

Appropriate Attire

Safety First

Closed for Lunch

Broadcasters Having More than One Show

Speaking a Foreign Language

Signs in Public Restrooms

Handouts from Medical Professionals

Speaking Too Rapidly

Part V   Post Scripts (Recipes)

Chopped Eggs, Onions, Potatoes

Maddy’s Israeli Salad Recipe

Jarlsberg Appetizer Jubilee

Tasty Tortilla Appetizer

Micro Meat Loaf

Grandma’s Hamburger Mini-Loaves

Ridiculously Easy Meatballs

Easy Fresh Corn on the Cob

Glossary of Terms

Acknowledgements

Introduction

It’s been five years since my last book and here I am in Pennsylvania (Swarthmore), a town that is replete with mature trees and smart and artsy people. Some folks think that this borough is really an arboretum for the trees are very large and leafy, almost touching the sidewalk in some places. I am reminded of Westchester County, New York where I lived for forty years, with its winding roads and charming homes, only more so. Many of the homes are over one hundred years old and are lovingly maintained and treasured. There is an abundance of naturally-occurring stone in the area being used for the exterior of many of the homes.

The weather is a more moderate New York and the geography is such that within minutes you can be in New Jersey or Delaware. Swarthmore is ideally located near major highways, the airport and the city of Philadelphia. The commuter train station is within walking distance from my condo and the ride to Philadelphia is about 20-25 minutes. In addition, my condo has a free shuttle van to the train station. There is a rather new hotel/inn and restaurant near the station that serves as a respectable eatery and gathering place.

Shopping is close by and after a while, the driving which requires a bit of aggressiveness, is okay after one gets used to it. The traffic is heavy most of the time because this a desirable area due to the highly rated school system and so it is of course, congested. I live adjacent to a park and creek, so I do not feel boxed in. The view from my apartment window is delightful, replete with full-bodied trees most of the year and majestic, old homes in the winter.

So what is there to complain about? Really not much except for having to re-invent myself one more time, but it could be worse. After five years, I still do not feel like this is home but I am doing my best, every day, to adjust. I have made some acquaintances through Mah Jongg and the synagogue. I volunteer to work on committees in my condo and got elected