Caution: Poet At Work

Daddy Steve: April is National Poetry Month.  Our writer Blake has decided to observe it by composing an epic poem.  The trouble is that at the moment, the creative juices aren't exactly flowing.

Blake: I think I'm suffering from writer's block.  Oh, fickle muse, why hast thou abandoned me?

As always, Holly Belle and Meghan are more than happy to offer advice and 'helpful' suggestions.

Holly Belle: Maybe you need one of those poet shirts?

Meghan: Yes!  With the puffy sleeves and ruffed cuffs!

Holly Belle: Or maybe a quill pen and a pot of ink?

Meghan: Perhaps a pair of fingerless gloves and a candle nub to warm your hands?

Holly Belle: Just like Dr. Zhivago!

Blake: Maybe I just need some peace and quiet!

Meghan: Hmf.  Artists can be so temperamental.

Ann Marie: Why don't you take a little walk?  Clear your head and see what other kids are doing?

Blake: Now that's a good idea.

Blake: Hi Stephen Orange, what are you up to?

Stephen Orange: I'm reading a book on giant clams.

Blake: ...Giant...clams?  Hmm, now there's an idea!  Excuse me, I think I feel 

an epic poem coming on!

Blake: Yes...yes, the words are just flowing on the page!

His masterpiece completed, Blake presents it to Stephen Orange to recite.

Mock not the giant clam,

Else upon unwary diver his jaws will slam.

Offend him and go you on the lam,

Or with a snap! you've lost your gams.

His insides resemble uncooked yam,

Dines he at the local dam.

Prefers he custard tarts & jam, 

He does not like green eggs & ham.

Blake: Well?  What do you think?

Stephen Orange: I like it, although it's not strictly accurate.  As is often the case with uncharacteristically large species, the giant clam has been historically misunderstood.  It is neither aggressive, nor particularly dangerous.  And, its shell valves close too slowly to pose a serious threat.

Blake: They don't call is 'poetic license' for nothing!

Scientific Inquiry vs. Household Dust

Daddy Steve: Patrick and Ravi are busy analyzing the 'marine' samples they collected during the Gregoropolis beach party.  Alas, the results are not exactly what they were hoping for...

Patrick: Hmmm...it's all just common household dust.

Ravi: I suppose that's not surprising considering it wasn't a real beach.

Patrick: Yes, it was a very illogical plan.

Ravi: Well, our method may have been flawed but that doesn't mean we can't learn from it.

Patrick: True.  Mistakes can be unexpected learning experiences.  

They are the stepping stones to wisdom

Ravi: Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind.

Patrick: If we always knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called 'research.'

Patrick: Well, now that that's all sorted out, let's have some tea.

Uli: Vat are you boys doing?

Ravi: We're studying household dust.

Uli: DUST?!?  I must see!

Uli: Ach Himmel!

Uli: Ve must clean! Ve must vacuum, vipe, und scrub!

Uli, muttering: Dust, dust, dust, dust, dust...

Barbara: What put a bee in her bonnet?

Beatrix: Who knows? Just swish the duster and broom around to humor her.

Bunny's Revenge

It's the night before Easter and everyone is asleep.  Almost everyone, that is...

Frank: Must eat bunny ears...must eat bunny ears...must eat bunny ears...

Just as the Bunny Bandit is about to attack his next victim, a booming voice calls out!

Booming Voice: FRAAANK!  What are you doing?!

Frank: >gasp<  Who is it?!  Who's there?!

Great Bunny: It is I! I am the Great Bunny!  Why are you trying to make my people deaf?

Frank: G-g-g-gosh, Mr. Great Bunny, I-I-I don't mean to.  I just get this craving for 

chocolate bunny ears sometimes.

Great Bunny: Well, stop!  My people need their ears to hear, as well as for appearance's sake.  A rabbit without ears looks like a fat ugly squirrel!

Frank: O-o-okay, Mr. Great Bunny, I promise I will stop.

Great Bunny: Good!  Now go back to bed.

Frank: Uh, can I go to the bathroom first?

Great Bunny: Fine, but don't leave the seat up.  You know how that irritates your sisters!

Rhoda: Hee-hee!  Did you see the look on Frank's face?

Daphne: Yes, I think he's definitely learned his lesson this time!

Holly Belle: And about time, too.  Those chomped off ears were really starting to vex me.  

Come on, we'd better get the 'Great Bunny' deflated and hidden away.

And come Easter morning...

James: Hey!  Look!  No missing ears!

Rolf: Wunderbar!

Luke: Happy Easter, Frank!

Gavin: Are you okay?

Frank: Well, I didn't sleep so good.  I had the strangest dream.

Luke: Would you like a chocolate egg?

Frank: No, I think I'll stick to these jelly beans.  I've lost my taste for chocolate for some reason.

HAPPY EASTER from all of us at GREGOROPOLIS!

A Side Part-y

Daddy Steve: Today I thought we'd spotlight the three 'side part' girls who reside here in Gregoropolis.

The side part was one of the more elaborate girls' hairstyles that was done for a short time in the 1960s.  As the name implies, the hair was styled with a partial part on the left side of the girls' heads, rather than at the top.

Three side parts: Daisy, Katy, and Marta

Daisy is my original side part, and one of the first girls to arrive at Gregoropolis.  She's part of what I call the 'Sacramento Group,' along with her brothers Oliver and Colin.  I got them all from the same eBay seller in Sacramento, California, and they are all 1969 kids.  Daisy is probably from about mid-year (her strings were the solid black that was used for a short time).

The Sacramento Group: Oliver, Daisy, and Colin

Daisy wearing a never-used old stock pink dress, exactly as she originally would have.

Daisy is a sweet girl and a bit of a dreamer.  She loves the color pink, daisies (not surprisingly), and Barbara Cartland romance novels.

Harriet: Now what are you reading?

Daisy: It's called The Chieftain Without A Heart.  It's very romantic!

Wesley: Good grief, how many of those books are there?!

For an older brunette, Daisy's hair is in fairly good shape.  It's a little fragile in back, but as long as we're careful, it's just fine.  

Daisy's sister Marta was not as lucky.  Before Marta came to live here, she had badly falling hair, so her former parent completely re-rooted her head.  Her new hair is probably not exactly as it would have looked originally.  It's a bit curlier on the ends, and also a tad lighter, with a slight reddish undertone.  I think her hair is very beautiful, and it's nice to have one early brunette with truly rock-solid hair.

Marta is one of my 'Italian' kids, along with her brothers Angelo, Giancarlo, and Gino.

The Italian Kids: Ciao!

Marta is a friendly, kind-hearted girl, and very level-headed; with perhaps the exception of her steadfast belief that the Atlanta, Georgia train system (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority -MARTA) was named after her.

Ezra: So does that mean you get to ride for free?

Marta: Well, no, but it's still a great honor.

Katy is my third side part.  We've discussed her history on the blog previously (Remembrance of Things Past), but briefly: Katy came from a nearby suburb called Golden Valley (which is also the home of that domestic goddess, Betty Crocker).  Turns out that Katy was originally purchased from Dayton's Department Store in downtown Minneapolis, just like Sasha, my childhood Gregor. 

Naturally, Katy, Sasha, and Sasha's best friend Miguel, have all become quite close.

Miguel: ¡Los tres amigos!

Sasha and Katy: ¡Olé!

The side part hairstyles seem to be particularly prone to get disheveled over the years.  The part becomes lost and all the hair that's supposed to go over the top of the head ends up down to the side.  Both Daisy and Katy needed Dr. Pat's hair-styling expertise.

Daisy's and Katy's hair before.  No missing hair plugs; everything was just all out of place.

Personality-wise, Katy is a quiet girl, but when she does speak, she always makes a lot of sense.

Miguel: Her words are full of wisdom

Holly Belle: Well, so are mine!

Nathan: Yeah, but you do go on and on...

We hope you enjoyed this little side part-y!