Guitar Heroes

 Daddy Steve:  Did you know that April is International Guitar Month?  

Thanks to Minnesota Public Radio, we do now!  In honor of the occasion, Bowie and Sebastian decided to have a jam session.

Bowie: Got your pick ready?

Sebastian: I prefer to strum with my fingers.

These boys have very different styles when it comes to the old axe.

Sebastian: I'm a little bit country,

Bowie: And I'm a little bit rock and roll.

Sebastian: I'm a little bit of Memphis and Nashville,

Bowie: With a little bit of Motown in my soul.

Sebastian: I don't know if it's good or bad,

Bowie: But I know I love it so!

Sebastian: I'm a little bit country,

Bowie: And I'm a little bit rock n' roll.

Bowie: Not bad! I think someone should write that down.

Sebastian: I think maybe they already have, Donny.

And not to be outdone...

Rolf: Vell, I'm little bit Polka!

Acknowledgements to Marty Cooper and Donny & Marie Osmond

Florian Chmielewski, RIP

 

Squirrel Surrender

 Daddy Steve: Regular readers may remember the problems we have had in past years with squirrels eating the flowers on our Magnolia tree.  The moment they began to open up, the blossoms were savagely attacked by these marauding, bush-tailed rodents.  We tried everything to thwart them--netting, sprays, etc.--all to no avail.

Emile: Quelle tragique!

Louisette: Oui, mon petit lemon.

This year, for reasons as yet unexplained, it has not happened.  So far, knock on wood, the tree has remained completely undisturbed...

Naturally, we're delighted by this turn of events; particularly Giancarlo.

Giancarlo: It's a miracle!

Marta: But these are modern times; there are no more miracles.

Giancarlo: I guess it ain't modern times in Gregoropolis!

However, it has led to a lot of very intense speculation among the kids as to what could have caused this change.

Holly Belle: I think the previous vandalism was all the work of one demented squirrel.

Meghan: Yeah, and he just didn't survive past the winter.

Holly Belle: Life is good when you can outlast your enemies.

Luke: Or maybe he got stuck in squirrel prison.

Oliver: There's such a thing as squirrel prison?

Luke: Oh, sure.  Where do you think all the criminal squirrels go?

Oliver: I always thought they got banished to a squirrel Phantom Zone.

Luke: That would only be for extreme cases; not like just stealing someone's nuts.

Holly Belle: Oh good grief, this conversation is becoming ridiculous!

Nathan: I'm afraid that for once I have to agree with Holly Belle.

It's completely absurd.

Holly Belle: See, even Nathan can see that I'm right.

Holly Belle: Wait, what you mean 'for once' you have to agree with me?!?

Nathan: What do you mean by 'even Nathan can see I'm right'?

List Maker

 

Daphne: Dan Ryan, it looks like you're deep in thought.

Dan Ryan: I'm making a list of all the things I want to accomplish this summer.

The first step in any project is to always make a list.

Daphne: Wow, that's quite a list.  You're going to need a very long summer.

Dan Ryan: That's why the second step is to stick it someplace 

where I'll forget all about it.  Like right here.

Daphne: Hmm, I think I know where this is going.  I suppose the final step

is to celebrate your accomplishment with tea and a donut.

Dan Ryan: How did you guess?!?

Daphne: You know, eventually summer will come to an end, and then you'll panic

when you realize that never did any of that stuff on your list.

Dan Ryan: Yeah, but that's ages away.

The Wild Ones

 Daddy John: Despite Gregoropolis having only one motorcycle (and one helmet), some of the boys decided we need a biker gang.

Because as bikers you of course need tough-sounding nicknames, the 'gang' came up with new monikers...

BR is the only one who actually knows how to ride a motorcycle.

So, he is the leader and is "Boss."

Philip Guy is "The Knight," Pete Dakota is "Badlands," and 

Scot-Michael is "Shadow."

Then there is Nicholas Sahara, who does not 100% grasp the concept...

Nicholas: Ooh, this is smashing! I'm "Koala!"

Where are we riding our ten-speeds to, lads?

The Gregoropolis M.C.

Belle vs. Bunny Bandit

 

Holly Belle: So, what do you think of my idea?

Meghan: I don't know, Holly Belle.  It seems a bit extreme.

Holly Belle: It's all about empowerment!

We're taking control of the narrative!

Meghan: Yes! Empowerment!

Holly Belle: Come on, let's get started.

Holly Belle: Noah Conrad, we need to use the workshop for a little while.

Noah Conrad: Well, uh, what are you going to do?  Do you know how to use tools?

You're not going to make a mess or get everything in disarray, are you?

Holly Belle: Don't you have some sheep to chase down?

Noah: >grumble, grumble< Okay, well, I can give you an hour. >mutter, mutter<

Logan: Good grief, have you two lost your minds?!?

What are you doing to those chocolate bunnies?

Holly Belle: Every year Frank eats the ears off of all of our chocolate Easter bunnies.  Meghan

and I have accepted the fact that we'll never get a bunny with intact ears in our Easter baskets, 

but we refuse to give him the satisfaction of actually doing the misdeed.

Logan: I guess I can get behind that.  Besides, I know better than to argue

with a woman holding a saw.  Rock on, then!

Come Easter morning...

Frank: What?!? Is this a dream or a nightmare?

Allen: What are you chuntering on about?

Later on...

Frank: >Chomp, chomp< Oh, it's undeniably more convenient,

but it does take some of the sport out of it.

Harriet: Do you want us to take them away?

Frank: There's no need to do anything extreme.

A Spring In Our Step

 Daddy Steve:  This past Wednesday was the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.  It's a day that we always look forward to here in Gregoropolis.  Truthfully, this past winter could barely be called a winter; it was the mildest one I can ever remember.

Kurt: And Daddy Steve can remember waaaaaay far back.

Paul: Back to the last ice age, I would imagine.

And yet, even a mild winter is still winter.  You just don't have the same sense of freedom that comes with warm days.

James: Yeah, just like the world's tastiest broccoli isn't the same as chocolate ice cream.

Randall: I can't argue with that.

Lately, the kids have been doing a lot of dreaming and planning about springtime.

Lulu et Lottie: 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮 Printemps, Printemps, Printemps, la-de-da-de-da! 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮

Emile: You realize eet ees ztill too early to plant things outzide.

Lulu: If you are ze expert on growing things, zen why are you zo short?

Meghan: We're going through our summer clothes...

Holly Belle: ...and we just realized something.

Both: We have nothing to wear!

Nathan: Oh, good grief.

Ravi: We're planning our nature observations and experiments of the summer.

Patrick: We want to wake people up to the growing climate change crisis.

Ann Marie: I'd say you've got your work cut out for you.

Mikko and Tyler: Outdoors here we come!

Anthony: Hey, come back here!  You still need to wear your coats!

Katie: It may not seem much like spring yet, but this is actually the best spot to be in.

It's all stretching out ahead of us!

Sasha: Right.  It's like we just started reading the introduction of the best story ever!

Kitchen Additions

 Daddy Steve: Uli does so much cooking here at Gregoropolis that we're always looking for ways to help her out.

Uli: But not too much help because only I know how to do things the right vay.

A little while ago, Aunties Sue and Michelli found this handy little grater.

Uli: Ja! Das ist exactly vat I need.  Now I can make the potato pankakes!

Recently, we became acquainted with some ¼-scale vintage toy kitchen appliances from the 1950s (because we spend way too much time on the internet).

They're all metal and modeled after real General Electric kitchen units of the era.

The entire 9-piece set would have cost a whopping $60.00 in the late 1950s -- a lot of money for a toy.  

Old Alice was able to add a bit of context for us...

Old Alice: Well, dearie, you see people really started spoiling their kids back then.

In an earlier time, they would have just sent them outside to find a stick to play with!

We were able to find the ovens and dishwasher on eBay for a reasonable price.  Uli thinks the ovens are a sensible addition.

Uli: Now I can bake even more things at one time.

However, she's not quite sure about the dishwasher (which actually did work originally--batteries not included).

Uli: Nein.  Vhy do I need this?  I already haff dishwashers.

>CRASH!<

Luke: Whoops!

Uli: >Sigh< On the second thought...

Having a dishwasher inevitably leads to a range of differing opinions on how to load it.

Holly Belle: No, no.  You need to turn the plates the other way!

Nathan: I think they need to go on the bottom rack.

Uli: Okay.  All ov you out ov kitchen!  I must make the potato pankakes!