• Long ago Christmas wishes + wishbone from Angie

• Mensa Men

Mike's hoping to get into Mensa as a legacy.

• Remembering October 2006: Stephen turns 50 in the Big Apple

They came from far and wide to join Stephen in Woodside, Queens, NYC, as he turned 50.
Have you ever seen people so happy to get bagels?

We took subway rides...

... got lost in Coney Island...

... hung out in Central Park...


... played the piano in FAO Schwartz...

... and Pat toasted Stephen's and Mary's "issues" at Sapori D'Ischia on their 10th wedding anniversary.

Good times!

• Chess lessons

Danny thought he'd pass along what he'd learned about chess in his after-school programme. "Grandma, do you know where the guard [knight] moves?" No, Danny, I don't. "ANYWHERE IT WANTS TO!"

• Farewell to radiation

Dad bids a fond farewell to daily visits to Sunnybrook Hospital. The lovely Anne (mauve scrubs) was his most constant companion, aside from Big Gray.* Dad left a bag of Jelly Bellies for his technicians to remember him by.

* A nickname wittier than it might seem: a gray (symbol: Gy) is the SI unit of absorbed radiation dose.

• Avonlea, here is your queen!

Ellen as Anne of Green Gables at the Word on the Street festival (29/09/08).

• And then in my spare time...

... I built this backyard fountain. However, I don't really like the colour and so I'll probably be taking it down soon.

Two of Kristy's more edible talents:

Smoked trout and apple in phyllo pastry ˜˜˜˜˜

and
a Reuben calzone ˜˜˜˜˜

• Patrick and Stephen contemplate the muscle needed to take over Coney Island. (NYC, October 2006 )

• Maiden, Evil Queen and the Prince Who Can Do Anything He Wants

This princess dress (£5 at Sainsbury's) inspired Sarah to invent a game called Maiden, in which she is kidnapped by the Evil Queen (Aunt Mamie) and tormented by the queen's son, the Prince Who Can Do Anything He Wants.

In the beginning, however, Danny had no costume. But with complete confidence, he asked, "Grandma, do you have a prince's costume? Look in all your closets." So Danny's ingenious grandma did look in all her closets and came out with... a fancy (not to say fanciful) shirt from Danny's daddy's own childhood - obviously a more flamboyant sartorial era for boys.

Then Aunt Barb remembered that she had months earlier purchased a pair of pants for Sarah - brown velvet, with a ruffle down the side - but that so much time had gone by, they were no longer Sarah's size. They were, however, perfect for a prince who could do anything he wants. So Barb went over to her place, got the pants, and the game was even further underway. Add a tiara or two and some necklaces for a medieval effect and voilà - a true costume drama.

Post script: The game eventually petered out, and Danny was found crawling under the kitchen table in his finery. Evil queen/Aunt Mamie admonished him to take off the brown velvet pants. "Why?" Danny demanded. Because they were a new pair of pants and the velvet was getting crushed at the knees, she explained. "Okay," Danny agreed reluctantly, adding with a final show of defiance, "but this is my dad's shirt."

• Ellen gets in on the act

Not to be left out, Ellen asks, "Do you have a beautiful dress for me, Aunt Mamie?" And Aunt Mamie's first communion dress gets its first airing in some time.

• The Trailer Park Boys... of Sandy Beach Trailer Park and Resort.

• The story behind the picture

In this photo taken on his birthday, Danny is holding a toy pork chop in his mouth, a joke present given to him by Aunt Jane. This is the backgrounder: on Boxing Day 2007, we gathered at 18 Lynedock to open our presents. Towards the end of the mighty gift exchange, the following dialogue took place between Jane and Danny:
Danny: Aunt Janie, what present did you get me for Christmas?
Jane: I don't buy presents for one person, Danny, I buy presents for the family.
Danny: But what did you get for me?
Jane: Well, you know the turkey and the ham that you ate yesterday for Christmas dinner? I bought that for everyone.
Danny: I don't want food. I want a present.
Jane: Then look at the nice picnic set that I gave to your family - that was from me.
Danny: I want a present for me only!
[tension builds until Aunt Barb intervenes.]
Barb: Look, Danny! This shirt is from Aunt Jane and me; she picked it out.
Danny [holding shirt, all smiles]: I knew you didn't just get me meat!

• mini-teachers

i'm sarah again ONE DARK night i was a sssssssss!HY student and PRINNCABLE WEIRDO was just killing his students and little cutie teacher was C-R-A-Z-Y and the evil was...........younan younan younan!(mary)

• Fighting spiders

Original spider built this web. After a week or so, interloper spider tried to drive original spider out. Wise little Ellen asked, "Why can't they share the web and be happy friends together?" Update 18/09/08: I recount this story to Ellen's less compassionate grandfather, who suggests, "Why don't we just kill both of them?" Why, indeed.