OK, this one is a bit out of sequence. It first ran in 2003, immediately following the strip I showed you two posts back. I like this particular strip, however, and I’m returning to it regardless. The original of this A&J hangs in the home of a friend, who experienced his own share of hallucinations back in the day. It hangs in his bathroom, actually. I have noticed that often is where my originals end up.
228 responses to “Fondue Memories”
Debbe: We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. No explanations necessary. Come back when you can . Even if you can’t, try though. An occasional post out of character will not concern those of us who know you. I have found forcing myself to say or right something positive or funny when I don’t feel like it, helps me get through the tough periods of my life and bring me back to “normal” quicker. Of course my normal is pretty strange at times!
A time for every season….a time to be quiet and a time to be verbose. I’ve been told that some of the best conversations that I have ever had were when I have not said a word. Listening is a quality that I’m afraid we do not use enough of. So when you are ready, we’ll be hear to listen.
emb: I would to be like you when (or if) I grow up!
Debbe, hugs, time to think, and room to breathe. And what Ghost said.
My father had a habit of speech, when leaving on an errand he had to announce, “I shall return.” I do not know, he never said, if the reference was intended or accidental. When I learned Pacific Rim history, I started responding “See ya, MacArthur.” I’m not sure he ever laughed, well at that any rate.
Unrelated, and for as long as I remember, his phone protocol at work was a sharp, Jones 4367, inserting real name and extension number. But any where else, at home, or someone else’s home, it didn’t matter, a drawl that started loud-fell-and rose again, “Nnnnnyellow?” I never learned if that was his own or borrowed from someone famous. It was such a personal identifier, he would cause confusion on the other end when answering someone else’s phone. “Oh, sorry I meant to call Harry. CLICK.” Moments later, when the phone rang again, and Harry was standing there by then, he’d let Harry answer. If I were calling, I answered with increasingly obscure colors. Red, blue became ecru, fuchsia, puce, or heliotrope over the years. When he refused to wear hearing aids, I had to go back to the Crayola 8 pk to continue the joke. Eventually returning to the polite, ‘Hi dad, it’s [Morphy], your son.’ Remembering isn’t always mourning.
Thank you Debbe, for calling that memory to mind.
Dear Debbe, you have used up so much of your strength in the last few weeks and months, no wonder you have none left over. You will rest and find some other directions for your great talent. Yes, you have an awful lot of talent in writing, in finding the ridiculous in even the bad things that keep happening to you — in finding the important things in life. I wish I could do that but I can’t, so I admire your writings and laugh along with you. Love you and want to see you back in the Village when you can return.
Jackie, you are pretty smart to figure out my age. Maybe you have seen the baby pictures all over Facebook, my first great-grandchild. Little Max sure is cute! Yes, I am 83 and in February will be 84. I feel most fortunate to be in such good shape!
Dear emb, you have my sympathy for your sadness at this time of year. It’s so terribly hard to lose a dearly loved companion of many years. Melancholy thoughts prevail — but we carry on. Take care, and keep posting your interesting science messages. I like reading about the orbits of the planets and about mammals and birds. I want to send you something really great, about whales. Do your interests extend to whales?
Charlotte: Yes, I do. A favorite site, which I’ve posted here before, is a whale-watching site:
http://expl ore.org/live-cams/player/orcalab-base
This is one of several explore.org sites, which will not post here unless break it. I’ve chosen to put a space after the 4th letter in the word explore. What you do is copy the URL above into your browser, but close up the space before clicking on the URL. Right now it’s dark that far N [Hanson I., in the strait N of Vancouver I.], even though PST is 2 hr. [3 hr. for you] behind us, so they are running highlights, mostly of orcas [‘killer whales’] and humpback whales, and associated sea birds. Both whale spp. migrate out of these waters in winter, so there is less to see in real time, and there’s also a lot of bad weather, but not awfully cold, / the maritime effect.
I’ve another interest in whales: their ancestry. Have to go back and see if I’ve posted on that here before.
Sure beats politics, as did a retirement party I went to today. Peace,
Tonight there was also the option of watching the northern lights over Churchill, Manitoba – (use the same technique to get there) http://expl ore.org/live-cams/player/northern-lights-cam Of course, those of you in the northern reaches of the Village may have the opportunity to see this in your own backyard.
It appears we may have lurched our way to an accord that there should be a voluntary embargo on comments, posts, discussions, arguments, flame wars, etc. regarding political topics. If that is indeed the case, I believe the vast majority of us will consider that A Good Thing.
Nothing that we as individuals say here is likely to have the slightest effect on the public events of the next few years, so we might as well confine our discussions to happier or at least less divisive matters. Food and sex come to mind as examples…but I jest. Or do I?
Not that it is at all surprising, but as we approach the holiday season, I find my thoughts returning more and more to memories of my immediate family. One such comes from my father, who grew up on a farm with nine siblings. On Christmas morning, with my grandmother and her older daughters preparing for their celebratory noon meal, they would have fresh fruit (in itself a rare winter treat) along with cheese and crackers, rather than their normal hearty farm breakfast.
My dad continued that tradition for as long as he lived, as did those of us who survived him. So a few days before Christmas this year, I will be purchasing an orange, an apple, a block of Cheddar cheese, and a box of saltine crackers. A small gesture, I know, but one that seems to grow in importance as each year passes.
Oh, and SF, I hope you had a symply fargone natal anniversary today.
Ghost, I ate in my favorite bar-b-que restaurant tonight, a family owned one that I have eaten in since week he opened called Runt’s in Muskogee, Oklahoma. I thought of you because guns are welcomed there along with all police and assorted peace officers who do not pay. The safest place in town to eat.
Ate looking at a wall with Dirty Harry and a bullet from his gun, Annie Oakley and hers, Dillenger and Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, a huge wall display of framed ammo. Tons of photos of hunts and stuffed critters. Runt does a great chicken fried. If you ever come I will the you there.
Put photos on Facebook and will try to post link here. I ate a salad.
Dearest Ghost, I like the Christmas custom in your family. It’s good that you are carrying on the tradition, which is one that I am learning for the first time. Maybe it was unique to your family. It’s a sensible thing to do. I’m trying to picture your father and his brothers and sisters, in the farmhouse, slicing the fruit and sharing it, and passing around the crackers and cheese. Would they have had a Christmas tree? Would this have been in the 1930’s?
Emb I may have said before but I spent two weeks on boat where you are watching whales from near Vancouver. It is a beautiful area, like a fairy tale, snow and glaciers that were pouring waterfalls from everywhere you looked. I could have stayed forever.
The water was so warm you could swim off boat even with snow around you on rocks above and waterfalls pouring. Only touched land twice in two weeks and that
on islands. We did not see whales, they had passed the week before but saw lots of marine life like seals
Here’s the photos from Runt’s tonight from Facebook with the guns welcome sign. And bullets. I thought of Bullet.
By the way, my helper Tony hung my big metal cowhead on shop wall and right below it the big metal star framed by two guns that says “We don’t call 911” We are going to hang all the big metal stars and compass roses again. If they get stolen I may stake out my ysrd.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1704150673230000&id=100009052528502
Have not been lucky / live whale sightings. In June ’52, some porpoises or dolphins from a troopship having just left my bride of 5 weeks for 13 mo. in Germany [short], Fr. [almost as short] and GB, over 8 mo. Saw a dead, probably not fully grown black whale from the Exxon Valdez oil spill on Kodiak I., where we were visiting former BSU students. Then took a one day trip from Anchorage to Juneau, no whales, but interesting.
Despite the weather [expect] double digits below 0 F], had a good day today, actually bittersweet. Here’s an email I wrote my kids with names except for Elaine changed.
““““““““`
‘As of about 1500, I’m up 5 photos of Elaine + 2 hugs. Judy King retired today. [Older son, BUMC pastor 2+ hr. S of Bji.] knows her; you others may not. She was switchboard operator at the old hospital [downtown; new one is just N of these townhomes], after having been a candy-striper, when she was still in high school: 45 years or more.
Handled all incoming phone calls [some of you have heard this before]. I called Elaine once, and got this spritely little voice, who connected me w/ 3rd floor. Said to Elaine, “You have a pixie answering the phone.” “Oh, that’s Judy [maiden name].” Didn’t get to know her well until I began as Family Waiting Volunteer maybe 12 yr. ago, but we have become good friends. Actually, we = a Mutual Admiration Society, telling each other we don’t look our age. At 63, Diane no longer looks young enough to card.
She had scads of surplus photos from the files, and gave me 5 that Elaine is in. One [b&w] = 9 women in uniform for some sort of skit/play/whatever. Military, Red Cross, this or that Armed Force, possibly Salvation Army. Only 3 of the 9, incl. Elaine, have no head covering. At least 3 in varied standard nurse’s caps, others military + Red C. The only one in color = Elaine alone, spiffy gray suit jacket w/ silver buttons, white turtleneck, white gloves, possibly captain’s bars, wh. purse w/ shoulder strap. Other 3 b&w: alone, w/ Sarah Palmer [ward clerk?], and some w/ tall guy, I think an MD, in civvies, Elaine in a trim white suit. Classy gal.
Think I put away at least 30 fat grams from the spread. Light supper ahead: steamed veggies and a ‘small can of tuna,’ as Garrison and Jeannie Redpath sang in the one radio show of Prairie Home Companion that was televised 15+ yr. ago: “Tuna Casserole,” to the tune of “Whispering Hope.” Elaine and many [you could hear them realizing it in the audience] were busting a gut. I had maybe heard the tune once, but didn’t realize the gag until Elaine told me.
Am guessing we’ll have a white yuletide. Unusually warm Nov., all snow completely melted 2x, but last week, lots of heavy snow, mid 20s-low 30s, and now single digits, maybe to –11 F at night, wind, drifts. [Our pastor] due back from vacation today, but won’t have to preach Sunday: annual children’s program, theme ‘the animals.’ Copy edited BUMC bulletin yesterday, made a decision or two for [pastor] in his absence. Nelly Borden, our new [and very good] sec’y / accountant, had trouble w/ a committee announcement, said to herself Evan will fix it, and I did. Told her she had a great future as a copy editor.
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I am surrounded by good people and grateful for that, esp. now.
Peace,
Charlotte/NH: Here I was, trying not to give away your age these past few years! When we made contact some time back, and being of genealogical bent, I looked you up on the ‘net. Thanks to google maps, I even had a nice view of your abode. You’ve got a few years on me, as I’m halfway between 76 & 77.
Someone mentioned coldest temperatures experienced, a topic I believe we went through a few years ago. My coldest was -30F with a 30mph “zephyr” to drive it home. Traditional copper/zinc primates would not have been happy.
GR6
Keep up the traditions – it is what makes us a PEOPLE.
Our tradition at holidays is a place set at table for all those that cannot be with us,
whether because they stepped on the rainbow and gone before
or because miles and commitments keep them from being able
to sit with us.
We also set a place for close family on their birthday, they are always with us in spirit.
What are traditional copper/zinc primates?
That Keillor/Redpath ‘Tuna the food of my soul’ is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzyI_Hh8ufI
Peace,
GM Debbe where ever you are.
I am sure going to miss your cat pictures.
emb
You have another MPR listener in your town – John
.
The 5:13 request for Victory At Sea was me.
Bear, I’ve also followed that practice of setting an extra place at the table for holiday meals since my father passed away.
Sweet Charlotte, 1930’s would have indeed been the time frame for my dad’s early years at home. And yes, they always had a decorated tree.
The minus 64 degree temperature I experienced was at a location north of the Arctic Circle. Fortunately, when the ambient temp is that low, there is seldom any wind.
Interesting tradition I had when my girls were small and when I taught Sunday school. Don’t be shocked! I celebrated the baby Jesus’ birthday with a cake, ribbons, presents and other things the very young could relate to. We’d talk about the Manger, angels, the Wise Men, their gifts, the shepherds gifts. And each child could choose a gift to give the child Jesus. It was at their comprehension level. We’d have the same celebration at our dining table for the girls and for Jesus on birthdays.
We also did Advent calendars and Advent wreathed and candles, prayers, because we are Episcopalian. Daily until 12th Night. I hope they are doing that with Jack as they are Catholic.
Just got my bed made at long last. I began this morning. I am ready to get in it. Left this afternoon to go get my hair done and pickup my prescription at Walmart I needed. Ended up in Muskogee buying all the toys for Jack my grandson in Quincy, IL for Christmas.
Still have some of his school and dress clothes I bought earlier so I am thinking I will drive up there to drop them off. The pile is too big to ship. Santa will have to go in person after she wraps them. I really love him and miss him.
Hi Old Bear, here is your cute cat photo. I will do my best to pick funny ones.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1704260709885663&id=100009052528502
eMb: Copper/zinc primates = brass monkeys [which presumably suffer from the cold].
Jackie: Good ideas on that Sunday School material.
Oh, you had asked earlier for comments on large bras. Cannot claim to be an expert, but I’d guess some padding in the large sizes is there to help maintain shape.
Cep I was room mother for BOTH girls in different school classes at our Episcopalian private day school and Brownie Scout leader and taught Sunday school for young children. I have been on more field trips than one can imagine as each girl went there from pre-K through 9th grade. This takes more patience and character than one can imagine.
One tradition we had was baking cut out sugar cookies and painting them with brushes and colored icing. Imagine five year Olds in a class of twenty cutting, baking and painting a fall leaf that was size of my hand to learn about how God created trees and leaves that miraculously changed colors each year.
I usually managed to work some science, faith, conservation, tree planting and idea that colors in people could be equally different and beautiful. Oh and baking.
Christmas was always about baking and sharing cookies and candies with others as well, giving away our baked goodies. I still try to do that.