AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Before the great tonsil-removing surgery--and the doctor did mean "great"--as in great big. The adenoids had to come out too.

After surgery. And I hear it just got worse. Gilmore Girl said she looked over at Curly Sue tonight and the tears were dripping off her face. So she gave her some of the $157.00 liquid pain medication and she felt better. Poor little lamb.
The price of the medicine had Mom's tears dripping off her face too, I think.

Get better, Curly Sue. I'm working on a new story. We will sit in the lawn swings, you can lie with your head in my lap and I will tickle your back and tell you all about it. It has a secret cave in it.

That is, we'll do this if spring ever does actually come. But look, a robin. Surely that is a good sign.

And his friend. Yes, surely spring is on it's way and you will feel better soon. And we will tell stories and maybe by then you can even handle a piece of rhubarb. I know you're trying so hard to like it. Get better soon.

Much love,

Grandma and Grandpa, too

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MIGHTY HUNTER aka THE GREAT GARDNER

This is Gilmore Girl. She looks tan but she is of the paleface variety. She is married to The Mighty Hunter, who, magically, in the spring, turns into the Great Gardner. Here is Curly Sue, who has tonsils the size of golf balls and is going to have them removed next week. This is Tuesday, who charms everyone with her impish ways.
This is the birthday cake, made for the Great Gardener's birthday. Gilmore girl was talking on the phone when she was making the frosting and forgot the "stick-a-buttah" and no one could tell the difference. Tuesday thinks the Great Gardner is a great candle blower-outer.
All his gifts were of the gardening variety.He can do some serious lopping with those babies.He already has seeds, sprouting for his mini-greenhouse.
Happy Birthday to a wonderful son-in-law. He is a great husband to our Gilmore Girl, a great daddy to our grandchildren and a great guy all around. We love him.

CURLY SUE'S BIRTHDAY OUTING WITH GRANDMA

When Curly Sue--aka Elasta Girl--saw Butterfly's "day out with Grandma" she decided that is what she wanted for her birthday too. She and Butterfly and Mary Poppins were born seven weeks apart--three little granddaughters who have all turned nine years old.

Here she is, in front of the Clown Car. Isn't she cute?
She has freckles, just like her mother did at age nine.

I gave Curly Sue the camera, just like I had done with Butterfly, and let her take pictures. She started out with some that weren't really great.

The horse barn and water droplets on the window. She liked these trees.

Not sure what her idea was with this shot.

Another barn. We buy apples here.

I taught her how to use the telephoto lens. Her photo taking skills are improving.

It was a c-o-l-d day.

She took lots of photos of sky's.

Yes, she still has the telephoto lens on. Good grief,

A "octopus arm" tree.

Provo City Library.

Downtown Provo is busy with construction. Look at the mountain in the background. Good shot, Curly Sue.

This has always puzzled me. A tiny set of apartments with HUGE trees in front.

More trees.

More construction.

We were going to Ottavios for Italian food. This is how they keep the birds off their lights and window sills. I wouldn't have even noticed it but Curly Sue did.

Almost there.

The doors were locked. A notice said, "Open at 4:00." It was noon.

Curly Sue was not pleased.

So we walked up the street to Gloria's Little Italy.

She took this picture of ornamental grass on the courthouse lawn across the street.

This door better be open.

It was. She was happy. She ordered bow ties with pesto. She LOVES pinenuts and wants to eat them every day.

A nice gentleman took out photo.

Stir your Italian soda slowly, our waiter said, it has a tendency to explode.

Curly Sue stirred. Slowly.

So slowly she almost went to sleep. She told me it was dee-licious,

Because it was her birthday she got a free gelato. She chose coconut.Oh, it was so good!

Next time she is going to choose hazelnut.

We're not sure what this decoration was but Curly Sue took a picture of it anyway.

Other desserts that she took photos of.

When we left it was still cold.

We found this next to the car. It took her about five pictures to get one in focus.

Okay, Grandma, lets go to the movies.

Coraline. "Some doors should never be opened," the movie poster said. it was scary, I thought but Curly Sue grew up watching "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and so it didn't scare her at all.

Another poster says, "Oh my gosh," but in the movie--twice that I noticed--they don't say "Oh my gosh," they say the real thing and I was not pleased. What is the matter with Hollywood? I'll bet 98% of parents in America didn't like that part. The other 2% are deaf. Another part had an old lady wearing hardly any clothes, a few sequins. Really! I was peeved and ashamed of what we present to the world. Can't our cartoon movies be totally clean?
Here is Curly Sue with her 3-D glasses. She's so thin the seat kept folding up on her.

After the movie she wanted to go to Robert's, which is a craft store. She loves jewlery. We talked a lot about what she wants to do when she grows up. Maybe a fashion designer but NOT someone who sews the clothes, just picks out the fabric.They have silly flowers at Robert's.We talked to Gilmore Girl to see if she was still in town and could meet us so I wouldn't have to drive to Outer Mongolia to take her home.

Gilmore Girl was still in town and so she and Tuesday met us at Robert's.

It was a good day for me, and for Curly Sue, too. We decided we should go to Italy together and eat gelato every day.

Happy Birthday Curly Sue and thanks for being such a nice girl. I love you very much.