Mom and Gramps and Nature

Mike had this 2 say abt the next installment of his reminiscing over fotos w/Merrie:

April,

Formerly little sis. It is interesting how nature can change the mood of things. Just yesterday I was showing my daughter pictures of my trip to Vancouver to visit Grampa Jim and Gramma Marian, and after 2 weeks of the visit it seemed like mom and our grandparents were getting on each others’ nerves. Then today I had 4 more pictures to show to my daughter which turned all of that around.

In the first picture, mom, who desperately needs to pull up her pants, is walking beside Grampa Jim, who has Lizzie on his back in a backpack which seems to consist solely of shoulder straps. They are walking by a stream in the outdoors with lots of pine trees. Across the stream way in the background, 2 giant silhouetted unicorns prepared for battle, but nobody seemed to notice them. I was beside the stream reaching for stream rocks. I know you might be thinking I could end up injuring my eyes with those rocks, but not to fear formerly little sis, I did not have any eyes at that moment, showing that our Patterson tendency to have eyes mysteriously and unexpectedly disappear was a trait that occurred even at an early age. Grampa Jim’s word balloon said, “Sigh—You’ll be back in Toronto soon.---These visits are just too short.” My daughter said, “I thought Grampa Jim was mad at Gramma Elly for yelling at him about his smoking.” I said, “That only lasted as long as Grampa Jim smoked his cigarettes and during the long coughing fits he had from smoking them. Otherwise, Grampa Jim and mom got along great.” My daughter said, “Huh?”

In the next picture, Grampa Jim has apparently taken off the backpack and Lizzie, while he and mom are sitting on a fallen tree together. Lizzie is in front of them either tasting or licking dirt. In the background, I have found my stream rocks and thrown them skyward, I think in an attempt to appease the stream gods to get my eyes back. Grampa Jim’s word balloon says, “Seems like yesterday you were as small as Elizabeth.” My daughter said, “Why do old people say that?” I said, “Say what?” She said, “’Seems like yesterday’ for things a long time ago.” I said, “When you get old, you lose your short term memory.” My daughter said, “What’s a short term memory?” I said, “It’s the things you remember that just happened yesterday. When you forget them, then the things a long time ago seem like they happened yesterday. Understand?” My daughter said, “No, daddy. Forget I asked.” I said, “Asked what?” My daughter said, “Huh?”

In the next picture, I can see mom and Grampa Jim still sitting on the log and staring at each other. Mom has her arms crossed in front of her breasts and Grampa Jim’s face seems a little flushed. Lizzie has taken dirt and put it in her hair, while I am slowly sneaking up on her. I can sneak up on her, because the stream gods granted my request to get my eyes back. The word balloon from mom’s mouth says, “You still think of me as your little girl, don’t you, dad?” You know, formerly little sis, I really don’t want to think about why mom is protecting her breasts and Grampa Jim’s face looks flushed, after that statement. My daughter said, “What does that mean, daddy?” I said, “Daddies remember their daughters when they were little and cute, even when they are older and not so cute.” My daughter said, “Oh! When I am old, you will think of me like I am now?” I said to her, “Daughter, with your facial features as they are now, you will probably not look much different when you are older.” My daughter said, “Huh?”

In the last picture, mom and Grampa Jim are still on the fallen log, but now it looks like our friend, Good Ol’ Charlie Brown put on a wig and mom’s clothes for the picture where she hugs Grampa Jim. Mom used to say that she sometimes used a stunt double for pictures she had taken hugging Grampa Jim, and it looks like that’s what happened in this one. In the foreground, I am putting dirt in Lizzie’s hair, just like she put dirt in her own hair. I look pleased. She looks startled. I think this is because Lizzie planned to put more dirt in her own hair, and I beat her to it. The word balloon coming out of Grampa Jim’s mouth is “No---but if you’re allowed to grow up, I’m allowed to get mushy about it.” I am not sure what “mushy” meant for Grampa Jim, but it might be the “mushy” way his eyeballs are positioned on his head, or the “mushy” way he grew a left breast. My daughter said, “Oh. Grampa Jim is sad Gramma Elly is old.” I said, “Aren’t we all?” My daughter said, “Huh?”

More tomorrow, formerly little sis.

Love,
Michael Patterson

Hm, I shd hire a stunt dbl 4 fotos. I'd have so much time 4 other stuff, and Mom is such a terrible fotog., she alwayz finds the most unflattering poss angles 4 her shots. MayB if I cd get that girl Grace, who's friends w/Shannon, 2 wear a wig w/my hairdo and colour?

And yeah, pretty much every1 is sad that Mom is old and not-cute.

Apes