Saturday, November 1, 2025

Dog Days of Autumn

 After running around and getting his exercise in the backyard, Ribsy is relaxing in the doghouse and daydreaming about this dog's life...


Ribsy and his pet human, Chance Victor

His sister Denali, and her favorite human Pete Dakota

And his other sister, Annabelle and her boy BR

Of course, if Ribsy ever entered the Westminster Dog Show, he'd be...top dog!




Saturday, October 25, 2025

Posh For Pie

 

Daphne: Why do you two look so glum?
Hermie: Uli sent us outside to pick flowers for the dinner table.
Rolf: But all flowers kaput!
Hermie: Woe to us. >Sigh<

Daphne: You don't need flowers to make a lovely bouquet.
Just gather up some colorful autumn leaves!
Rolf: Hmmm, really?
Daphne: Of course; it's all about living graciously in a pinch.
I'm a posh girl, so I know about these things.

Hermie: Vas ist 'posh'?
Rolf: A Russian soup?
Daphne: Never mind, dearie, just go get some leaves.

Hermie: Brrr, it's cold outside!
Daphne: Oh, this is excellent!  Now we can arrange them.

Rolf: Uli, here ist der Autumn bouquet.
Uli: Oh! Das ist sehr hübsch! I vill admit I am surprised by your creativity.

Rolf: Ve may have pie?
Uli: Ja, of course.

Hermie: Now ve know, Rolfie; 'posh' means pie!




Saturday, October 18, 2025

David vs. Gregor

Resident art historian Giancarlo is lecturing some of the boys on Daddy Steve's newest garden acquisition...


Giancarlo: Can anyone tell me the name of the famous Italian sculptor
who created this wonderful statue of David?

Chance Victor: Ooh!  I know!  It was Mike Malangelo.
Diego Luis: ¡Bien hecho, papi!  Good job!
Kirwan Mahoney: Must have been a cold day in the studio.

Giancarlo: >Ahem<  
The artist's name was Michelangelo, an Italian of high renown during the Renaissance.
David is a symbol of youthful strength and beauty, and of the civil liberties
as embodied in the constitution of Florence.

Kirwan: He is aware that the symbol is wearing only his birthday suit, isn't he?

Giancarlo: >Ahem!<  
David was carved out of a single, massive block of marble.
When asked how he did it, Michelangelo is supposed to have said he simply 
carved out where David wasn't.

Diego: Un muchacho muy macho.
Kirwan: Un muchacho muy nude-o.

Giancarlo: >AHEM!!<

Later...

Giancarlo: I am surprised you did not join us, amico.
You like the history and art.
Nicholas Sahara: My dear Giancarlo, I've seen it before.
Giancarlo: Seen it...?  How?!? Papa Stefano just acquired it!
Nicholas: Oh, my parents have one.  In the courtyard of our palace back home.

Giancarlo: His parents have one?  
Mamma mia...I need una limonata...

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Reeding Comprehension

 

Meghan: This wobbly table is driving me crazy!

Meghan: One of the legs must be short.
Holly Belle: Or perhaps there's a dip in the floor.  This can be a strange old house sometimes.
Come on, let's go find something to shim it up.

Holly Belle: This is the neatest workshop I've ever seen!
There's not one scrap of wood to be found.
Meghan: Uli was in here cleaning all day yesterday.
Holly Belle: Noah Conrad actually let her in here?!?
Meghan: Would you argue with Uli when she's got a mission?
Holly Belle: Fair point.  
Well, I know one place even she won't go in to clean.

Meghan: Shouldn't we ask the boys before we go in their room?
They always say it's a 'girl free' zone.
Holly Belle: Hmmphf.  I'll remind them of that the next time they're shrieking
about a spider that they want disposed of.

Holly Belle: They keep all kinds of bits and bob in this drawer.
Gosh, don't they ever fold their clothes??
Meghan: Frank was telling me the other day that clothes don't want to be folded
and we have to respect that.
Holly Belle: >Sigh<  What a weirdo.

Holly Belle: A-ha!  This will do the trick!
Meghan: That looks like it might actually be something.
Holly Belle: Nah, just some dumb little scrap of wood.
Goodness knows why they decided to save it.

Later...

John Martin: What are you looking for?
Gavin: The reed on my clarinet cracked, and I was sure I had an extra one in here,
but I just can't find it anywhere.  How can things just disappear?
John Martin: This can be a strange old house sometimes.

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Fall-ing for Autumn

 

Benjamin Roy: What's the cutest season?
Pete Dakota: Awwww-tumn!

BR: How does a gourd pay for stuff?
Pete Dakota: With pumpkin bread!

BR: Halloween is coming...
Pete Dakota: ...so don't let your gourd down!

BR: Don't like fall?

Pete Dakota: Then make like a tree and leaf!

BR: You're simply a-peeling!
Pete Dakota: And you're the apple of my pie.

BR & Pete Dakota Tha-tha-tha-tha-that's FALL, folks!






Saturday, September 27, 2025

Math Major / Drama Minor

 

Ravi: This is my older sister Amita.  
She's studying to be a mathematician.

Amita: I'm particularly interested in dynamical systems and differential equations.

Patrick: That's very impressive!  I can see you two have a lot in common.

Ravi: Oh, and, um, this is our younger brother, Dev.

Dev: I want to be a Bollywood musical star.  Ta-daaaa!

Dev: ...or maybe a cowboy.
Patrick: Well.  Can't win them all, right?

Amita: Funny.  Our aunt says the exact same thing.



Saturday, September 20, 2025

A Green...Toe?

 

Lottie: Oh, woe to me!
Lulu: Ma soeur, whatever ees ze matter??

Lottie: Ze big plant!  She ees so big, I must divide her, 
but I am running out of ze extra pots!

Lulu: Hmmm.  I think I 'ave ze solution.

Later...

Emile: Louisette!  Come at once!
Louisette: >Sigh< Zut alors, now what ees eet?

Emile: See what zat...zat....fille lunatique 'as done now!

Emile: My shoes!

Emile: Well? What 'ave you to say to zees?
Louisette: Erm, maybe eet will become ze fashion?