Reviews from

Grandma Bessie & Thanksgiving

A Family Thanksgiving with cornbread dressing.

51 total reviews 
Comment from amahra
Excellent
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Grandma Bessie and her boyfriend of twent-five years remind me of my aunt Mary. She and her boyfriend lived together for over thirty years until his wife died and they married. This was a wonderful story. I really enjoyed it.

 Comment Written 19-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank you very much!
Comment from Sanku
Excellent
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Story of two stubborn cooks!A lovely story about a yearly family gathering and two persons took pride in preparing and serving it.
In India we still dont use premixed products.,though they have started appearing in the market .I think our cuisine is not suited for it.

 Comment Written 19-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank you very much!
Comment from Wendy G
Excellent
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Love your story ... and isn't that often the way?! My sister-in-law would not eat spinach as a child - until it was prepared in such a way that she didn't recognise, and found that recipe to be quite delicious. Looking forward to your next story, this one was a most enjoyable read. Best wishes for the contest.
Wendy

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank you very much, you are very kind.
Comment from SimianSavant
Excellent
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My mom did something similar with venison once. Which sounds pretty benign, compared to feeding it to an unassuming vegan. These days, there is just one type of cornmeal at the grocery stores.

I did not see any grammatical errors or obvious areas for improvement. The piece flows effectively. Nice work.

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank you, coming from a talented writer like you, I am humbled.
Comment from zanya
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A piece of family lore around that special time of Thanksgiving where family members get together to give thanks and to catch up on family goings-on-humorous touch

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank You very much!
Comment from lyenochka
Excellent
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What a hoot! I was surprised that your mom actually 'fessed up to using white cornmeal. I guess two stubborn cooks can insist on their way of making stuffing. But you kept the memories! Best wishes in the contest!!

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank You very much!
Comment from Aspiring2Write
Excellent
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This is a wonderful story. A little humorous. Flows very well. Not a desirable food choice. Wishing you the best in your future writing.

Your Truly,
Joshua Law

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    I really appreciate that review. Thank you.
Comment from Mary Shifman
Excellent
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This is a good story and I enjoyed reading it. It reminds me of all the Thanksgivings at home so long ago when my parents were still alive. Those were wonderful times. Mom made her own stuffing with bread crumbs and it was scrumptious but I never master it. None of my stuffing ever tasted that great so I finally resorted to Stove Top. It's had to mess it up! Good luck in the contest.

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thank you very much!
Comment from Jay Squires
Excellent
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What a lovely story and so well-told, Terry. I try to find something helpful by which the writer can improve a given story ... curmudgeon that I am. I could find nothing constructive to say this time. In fact, I was so drawn in by the pace and the humor of your piece, that it would have been jarring to do anything but go with its flow.

I was going to say your Grandmother was a kept woman for 25 years, but after her bold admission, I'm not certain but that it was "blue eyes" who was kept. Grandma Bessie was a heckuva woman!

As a side note: Merle Haggard was born right here in the city from which I'm writing this. So was Buck Owens. Were real proud of those two. You remember the song, "Streets of Bakersfield"?

Anyway, my friend, you are an exceptional writer: so personal and direct and accurate in your description. Humor and irony peek through your lines and add dimension and surprise, as with, "His wife died three months ago." (I live alone, and don't usually laugh out loud. The timing and unexpectedness of that line forced a spontaneous guffaw!

Keep that superb writing coming, Terry!

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    you are very kind and generous. I do know about the Streets of Bakersfield, I like the version with Buck and Dwight Yoakam. Thank You.
Comment from Susan Newell
Excellent
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This is a perfectly written family memoir. For some reason there is always a competition between mothers and daughters. The ending of your story demonstrated how a daughter could give her mother a comeuppance without being overtly mean or nasty, in an almost casual way. Great job.

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    Thank You very much, you are very kind.
reply by Susan Newell on 18-Nov-2021
    You are very welcome.