We're Whimsical

Daddy Steve: Holly Belle has been in very 'managerial' mood lately.

Nathan: That means she's feeling bossy!

Blake: And how!

Holly Belle: We've some nice furniture now, but we need more accessories.  We need more 

objects d'art.

Luke: Who is this Art and what is it he's objecting to?

Holly Belle: Oh, Luke, you exhaust me.

Holly Belle: Katy, be a dear and round up some nice little tchotchkes; sweet little vases and statues--whimsies!  Do you know what I'm talking about?

Katy: I suppose so...

Holly Belle: I want Gregoropolis to be so pretty that it could be on the cover of 

House Beautiful magazine.

Nathan: You'd have a better chance of getting on the cover of Fortean Times.

Holly Belle: Don't pay any attention to him. Have Sasha and Miguel help you; they know all about art and stuff.

Later...

Katy: She said we would know what she wants.

Miguel: But does Holly Belle even know what she wants?

Sasha: Let's start by looking around here.

If you dig deep enough, you can find just about anything in Gregoropolis.  It helps, of course, to be looking for something completely different than what you want.

Miguel: This is a nice little bird statue.

Katy: And look, a china dog!

Sasha: I wonder if we can find the mate.

And of course, there's always the internet!

Sasha: That's a pretty vase.

Miguel: Ooh, I like that...it has a 'southwestern' style.

It was through the course of their internet search that the kids discovered something our UK readers are sure to be familiar with.  Wade Whimsies are miniature figurines made by the Wade Ceramics Co.  As we understand it, they were sometimes offered as premiums in boxes of tea.  They are the perfect Sasha size!

Paul: Look at the tiny hippo!

Nathan: We saw one just like it last year in Cincinnati.  We even watched a video of her birth.  She shot outta her mom like a cannonball!

Paul: Wow, that's cool.

Gino: Neat!

Rolf: Yuck.

 Holly Belle was thrilled with all of her new whimsies.  She took great delight in
arranging them just so.

Holly Belle: It's all so perfect.  You know, I'm so good at inspiring people.  I could be a professional inspirer.  Is there such a thing?

Meghan: You could be the first, Holly Belle.

Nathan: You're sure inspiring me to leave the room!

Dollo's Law

Daddy Steve: Duncan is our resident Gloomy Gus here in Gregoropolis.  He's been in an especially despondent mood lately...

Duncan: >Sigh<  Woe to me.

Frederick: There's lots of stuff to be happy about!

Harriet: Sure there is!  You have a new outfit for summer; new clothes always make me happy.

Duncan: >Sigh<

Frank: What's got you down, old bean?

Wesley: Yes, please tell us.

Duncan: I feel like I never make any progress in my life.  I always seem to end up in the same old place.

Wesley: Maybe Patrick and Ravi can give you some advice.

Frank: Yeah!  They're a couple of brainy kids.  I'm sure they can think of a way to turn that frown upside-down.

Duncan: So my problem is that I never seem to make any progress.  I just end up right back to where I started.

Frank: Lay some words of wisdom on him!

Patrick: Hmm...I've got it!  Dollo's Law!

Frank: What do bananas have to do with it?

Patrick: Bana--? What?!? No, not Dole! Dollo! Louis Dollo.  He was a Belgian paleontologist.

Ravi: Dollo's law of irreversibility states that "an organism never returns exactly to a former state, even it finds itself placed in conditions of existence identical to those in which it has previously lived."
Patrick: Exactly.  It always keeps some trace of the intermediate stages through which it has passed.

Frank, Wesley, and Duncan: ???

Duncan: Oh, well, uh, thanks...

Patrick: Any time.

Wesley: Perhaps Kaveh could translate that into something we can understand.

Kaveh: Well, I think what Patrick is saying is that even if you feel like you are always ending up at the same place, you're really not.  All of your experiences give you additional wisdom and perspective.  They help you navigate through the world a little better; even if the path seems to be the same.

Duncan: I guess that does make sense.

Wesley: It sure does.  What do you think, Frank?

Frank: I think I'm going to navigate back to a very familiar place: the refrigerator!  I'm hungry!

Meeting The New Boy III, Part 3

Previously, in Gregoropolis: The kids have discovered that an unknown boy has been camping out in the backyard the past few days, and it appears that the mystery boy and Nicholas Sahara have a shared past...

Scot-Michael: Nickels, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?

Nicholas Sahara: Please don't call me that.  You know my name is Nicholas.

Scot-Michael: But Nick--

Nicholas: Please.

Scot-Michael: >sigh<  Okay.  But you can still call me 'Scout.'

Nicholas: Scot-Michael, may I present Peter, Benjamin Roy, Tyler, and Mikko.  Gentlemen, this young man is Scot-Michael.

Scot-Michael: Hi, again.  Please call me Scout.  Thank you for use of the tent!

Tyler: Oh, no problem!  C'mon, we'll show you around.

Once Mikko and Tyler have taken Scot-Michael to meet the rest of the Gregoropolis gang...

Pete Dakota: I thought you might be hungry.  I brought your favorite.

Nicholas: Dear Peter, you've gotten to know me too well.

Pete: And I want to know a little bit more, Nicholas.  So, how do you know Scot-Michael?

And at the same time, BR has got the new boy alone...

BR: Okay, spill.

Scot-Michael: >sigh<  I was traveling through Nickels's, er, Nicholas's country--that was my goal, to hike around the world--when his father, the king, hired me as a companion for the prince.  Nicholas had no siblings and was lonely.  I was to also help him with his English; he was learning it from a very prim & proper British nanny.

Nicholas: >sigh<  We got on like a house on fire.  Then came the revolution.  My father, the king, is a good man, but he was deposed by a nefarious band of insurrectionists.  One day, Scot-Michael was just...gone.  I learned later that those loyal to the king spirited him out of the country for his safety.  We never had a chance to say goodbye.

Scot-Michael: I had no way to contact him; I never knew what happened to him.  So, once I got back to the States, I resumed my travels.

BR: I see...

Scot-Michael: Tell me, how is he fitting in here?

BR: Everybody loves him.  Even Stephen Orange, and he doesn't like anybody.

Nicholas: I was sent to America to live and to be safe.

Pete: Why do you call him 'Scout'?

Nicholas: ...It's how I first pronounced 'Scot' as I was improving my English.

BR: And 'Nickels'?

Scot-Michael: Ha-ha, it's how I first pronounced 'Nicholas' while learning his language.  'Scout' and 'Nickels' became our nicknames for each other.

Pete: You don't seem very happy to see him.

Nicholas: I thought he'd just gone without telling me.  I was angry and thought I'd never see him again.  I was frightfully taken aback when I found him in the garden.

Later...

Scot-Michael: So....

Nicholas: Yes, so...

Scot-Michael: Are you safe here?  Are you happy here?

Nicholas: Well, I do miss Papa and Mama, but yes.  They've all been terribly kind.

Scot-Michael: Good.

Nicholas: Are you still on your sojourn around the globe?

Scot-Michael: I'm...tired.  I'd like a place to call home.

Nicholas: Then you must stay here.  The Daddies will be pleased.

And I will be, too...Scout.

Meeting The New Boy III, Part 2

Meanwhile, at the same time that Nicholas is encountering the unknown boy (or maybe not so unknown!) in the backyard...

Tyler: So then I bet him that I could stuff 7 of them in my --

Mikko: I bet you could stuff 10!

BR: Guys, have you seen Nicholas?  He's supposed to be walking Annabelle.

Tyler: Well, then he says --

Pete Dakota: Uh, guys?

Tyler: Do you mind? This is a private conversation.

BR and Pete: GUYS!

Tyler and Mikko: WHAT?!

BR: Have. You. Seen. Nicholas?

Tyler: Oh, Prince Fancypants is outside.  He's probably talking to the hobo kid.

Pete: ...the what?

Mikko: The drifter boy.  We found him squatting in the backyard a couple of days ago, 

so we lent him the tent.

BR: Tent?

Pete: Drifter?
BR: Hobo?

Pete: Backyard?

Tyler: Jeez, get a load of those two.

Mikko: Captains Clueless.

BR and Pete: WHAT drifter boy?!

Tyler and Mikko: THAT drifter boy.

Scout: Hi.

Nicholas: Er, well, yes, hello.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Meeting The New Boy III, Part 1

In a secluded corner of the backyard, Annabelle has discovered something or, perhaps, someone...

Annabelle: >sniff, sniff<  Arf?

Boy: Huh? Who's there?

Boy: Well, look at you!  I bet you're a good pupper!

Annabelle: Woof!

Nicholas: Oh my giddy aunt!  If I've lost Annabelle, Benjamin will have my guts for garters!

Nicholas: Annabelle!  There you are, you naughty - -

Boy: Nickles?!?

Nicholas: Richard the III's ghost!  Scout?!?

Scout and Nicholas: What are you doing here?!?!

Scout: ---

Nicholas:---

Scout: ---

Nicholas:---

Scout: I'd better put my clothes on.

Nicholas: Yes, I think you better had...

TO BE CONTINUED!

Summer's Coming!

Daddy John: Summer is nigh, and my boys are getting ready!

Nicolas Sahara:  Aha!  Here's where you two lolloped off to!  Reclining in indolence.  >sigh<

Well, come along you lot.  Benjamin, Daddy John wants us to sort out the bathing costumes.

Nicholas: Peter, you're a right mess; ice cream all over!  Go and clean yourself up and change your clothes; Daddy John wants to take some photographs.

Pete Dakota: I think he's talking to you.

After wrangling the two wayward souls back into the house, BR and Nicholas dig out their swimming suits...

BR: I dunno, I was pretty lazy over the winter.  I hope mine still fits!

Nicholas: Growing up in a castle, we never had a swimming pool.  We'd vacation on the coast, and there were beaches, but they were quite unsuitable for swimming. 

BR: No worries.  Pete and I will teach you.  Pete is part merboy, I think!

Swimsuits sorted and Pete Dakota cleaned up and changed, my Fantastic 4 line up for summer pictures...

BR, Pete Dakota, Stephen Orange, Nicholas Sahara

Best friends BR and Pete Dakota

Stephen Orange (who is anticipating a summer adventure) and Nicholas Sahara 

HAPPY SUMMER from everyone at GREGOROPOLIS!