Coda

Since my last post......

I updated the picture are the top of the blog to the one I've inserted below.  Steve (our extraordinarily talented, primary photographer) took it.  It was really a very innocent moment; but the cats look downright creepy.

Also, Robby you have been somewhat fixated on baby names lately.  So to add to the previous posting:

• You like the name "Rain" for a girl, which is a very nice name.  We tried to talk you into Sleet, Fog and Hail too, but you aren't going for it.  You joked with Alex that you are also considering "Eduarda".
• We are concerned about your latest boy's preferred boy's name , which is "Joof".  Alex is sure he would spend a lot of time fighting over it, and Steve says his nickname would be "ATM" since he would constantly lose his lunch money to his tormentors.  You did a Google search and found that there are "one or fewer" people who have this first name.  Good thing your future wife will have her own opinions.

As a funny conclusion, here's a perfect song for the wrap up the Name posting at least for now.  The comments to this video say it was recorded at a concert for prisoners in San Quentin (not in Denmark):

What's in A Name?

Here's a list of significant and not-so-significant names & related facts ......

• Alexander the Great - namesake of our Alexander
• Sasha Finley - Mom's nickname for Alex
• Robby Cannonball - Mom's nickname for Robby
• Robster - Aunt Pam's name for our Robby
• Robinator - Steve's name for Robby
• Spidershock79 - One of Robby's online names, the origin of which seems to be forgotten
• Trini Bug - Katrina's (Kate's) childhood nickname
• Stinky - Becca's childhood, and somewhat unfair, nickname
• Korin - We are not allowed to mention the only childhood nickname I've heard of, but there's ever the question of whether to pronounce as Koor-in vs Kohr-ihn.
• Luke - Lucy's current name on Facebook
• Kai-ruh - Most common pronunciation of Kyra's (Keer-uh's) name
• Noel and Larson - Most Canadian-sounding kids in Doha, and previously Houston
• Bob and Bobby - Grandma's names for Grandpa and Dad (as a result, I insisted on calling our boy "Robby")
• Ruthie - Grandma's favorite alternate name for Aunt Pam
• Clyde and Chloe - Per GranNana, names that their parents almost chose for your great grandfather (Burke Rivers, her husband) and for her (Phyllis); in which case, they would never have married 
• Burkey the Turkey - Per GranNana, your great grandfather's nickname made up by his uncle(s); its use was discontinued after he was ordained
• Uncle John - Namesake of Edie's father, Great Uncle John McCausland (also GranNana's brother)
• "Joseph Kerr" - Name your Great Aunt Mary Kerr would not choose for one of her sons, as a namesake of her father Joe Zeller (can you think of why?)
• Gage - Alex's best friend, who Mom once dreamed of as "Battery" (perhaps connecting to "gauge", with car repairs in mind)
• Lars and Olaf - Robby's friends from camp; one actual, one invented by Steve
• The Teams (A, B, B modified, G and H teams) - Robby's school friends in groups or singular
• Pugsley and Pubert - Rather irreverent names for certain neighbors (and a future sister would become "Wednesday")
• Jeffy - Name of another neighbor as understood my Mom for more than 2 years (turns out his actual name is slightly different)
• Gwendolyn Priscilla Smythe - The helpful lady who talks to us through the GPS.
• Fluffius Maximus or Fluffius Minimus - Tiger, depending on the time of year
• Jonathan and Potato - Alex's and Robby's names for Jean Luc
• Bill or Fek'lhr - Names not chosen for brand new kitten Jean Luc, thanks (very much) to Kate
• Rambo - The very unlikely name of a reticent black and white kitty
• Deacon and Sunday - Names of Mom's childhood "church" kitties
• Fat Albert - Steve's childhood kitty
• Lotus Mae - Aunt Pam's childhood kitty

OK, that was fun but exhausting.  Happy Friday !!

Christmas 2016

A few highlights from Christmas just past......  and some pictures to follow......

• Robby. you say you don't know what your favorite present was - though I think it was your Obi-Juan shirt (you want to somehow add "Balogna" to it).  DVD's of the first 2 seasons of "All in the Family" come in a close second.
• Alex, you don't know either.  As a history buff, hopefully you'll like this new book: "Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution".  And a new dress shirt & tie has come in handy for work at Gerrity's (to add credibility when advising customers about pomegranates and firm but small eggplants).
• Steve was happy to get the kitty book in the picture below, but I think his favorite present was a "World's Okayest Dad" mug from Korin.  He was also pleased with matching Life is Good shirts he got for the two of us.
• I was mostly happy that I didn't get too tired and, particularly, didn't get sick (or have a nasty tooth ache like last year).
• Lastly, Robby was quite disappointed that he didn't get a video of Santa.  He set his iPhone up in the living room to record activities around the Xmas tree, but the recording stopped at some point before Santa arrived (his secrets are safe for another year!).
• We had a nice Grotto Party, as usual. You may not realize it, but everyone (especially your grandparents) is happy to have time with teenagers - or recently graduated teenagers, such as those who turned 20 the previous day.
• I've added one extra Christmas tree picture at the bottom, which at this moment is the picture posted at the top of the Carroll Boys blog. It was a magical photo I happened to get while sitting on the couch - for some reason, a ceramic Santa ornament that Grandma made was brilliant.....  and what a sweet picture of Tiger.

As Promised

Time to write a bit, after another long break......  The main theme of this post will be "critter pictures", but will be sure include some recent news.

Great Falls National Park (June 2013)  Steve's Post - Birds on the Potomac River

New Hampshire (August 2013) - Starting with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Jack's kitty Dusty, then a gorgeous dragonfly picture.  Thank you, Steve!!

Lake Ganoga (September 2013) - Humingbirds, as seen and photographed (amazing pictures!!) by Steve from Uncle Dick and Aunt Ginny's deck.

Our Kitchen Cabinet  (Today)  After making my lunch @ 7 a.m., I went looking for a dish towel and discovered Tiger!

Latest Happenings

• Brock's 11th Birthday - We celebrated with Dirt !  .... yummy pudding mix, cool whip, crushed oreo cookies, and gummy worms.  I think your favorite gift was a replacement set of Sony earbuds (bright yellow).  We are still working on plans for birthday dinner at Uncle Bucks in Plymouth.  A kids "event" i.e., trip to Dorney Park is scheduled later this month.
• Sasha and LARP - Sasha, you have taken an interest in LARPing with friends Jarod and Matt.  When first mentioned to me, I thought it must be something completely inappropriate (like "twerking", for example, which we recently learned about from Miley Cyrus).  Turns out it's not X-rated - you can read more here  -->  Live Action Role-Playing   However, it is very important to carefully make weapons (such as bows out of PVC pipe), so as not to accidentally cut one's hand & end up in the Emergency Room getting stitches.  
• Teachers' Strike - Today was Day 11 of our local school district's 2013 strike.  Very bad news for all involved.  Brock is spending a couple mornings every week at his friend Stephen's house, which provides a break in routine.  Sasha has spent some time with his friend Robby.  We hope it is over soon, though seems unlikely as the parties are not negotiating.
• Allowances - Toward the end of the summer, you noticed that your allowances have not been paid in many weeks.  It's true.  I am delinquent, which happens quite regularly with allowance remittances.  I keep thinking about paying up, but not doing so 'cause it seems like a discount should be applied after many fun and somewhat expensive summer activities (like vacations, trips to Camelbeach & Knoebel's, Brock getting locked into the pool building at Nay Aug Park, etc.).  All month, I've had an "Allowance" sticky note up to remind that I must do something.  Ah yes, but what?!?  Brock, I think you are angling to get PS3 game Grand Theft Auto 5 instead of back-allowance...  but all the bleeding in that game is distressing.....  I'll let you know as soon as I decide what to do.  

Critter Finale - As you know, one of my childhood memories involves going with Grandad and Aunt Julie to get fresh chicken for dinner.  We lived in the Dominican Republic then, and trips to the chicken farm were quite memorable.  The "promise" referenced above is to write about this wonderful experience.  As I recollect, it went like this....  Scan the flock of chickens & pick out the one you want.  Then: 1) the chicken is caught, 2) head is cut off using a sharp knife, 3) the headless chicken sometimes escapes and runs around the chicken pen (fascinating to young girls!), 4) it's then placed upside down into a cone until blood drains out, gutted, boiled in water for several minutes, plucked by hand and finally wrapped in paper to bring home.  Very dramatic, for sure.  There are numerous YouTube videos about the process that I can't bring myself to insert here.  So, you'll have to make do with Mike the Headless Chicken.... Brock, thanks for telling me about him; you can see a picture and read more about Mike here:  Lucky Mike   

Summer Solstice

Yesterday was the longest day of 2013.....  appreciated for extra sunshine (no special rites were performed, unless cleaning up kitty litter upon return from vacation has significance).  What have you boys been up to?  Here's a recap: 

Birthday - In mid April, one of Sasha's friends turned 16.  As a surprise, you Sasha and another friend got a lovely gift.  The items below were well-received and probably enjoyed best by young sister Katie.

Visits to Wyncote - A weekend visit to Wyncote in early April provided Sasha an opportunity to kick off spring fishing with Mark.  Steve, Brock and I had time with Lucy touring the Eastern State Penitentiary, followed by playground fun.  On Sunday morning, we made it to church at St. Dunstan's with Grammie and Grandad.  In a return trip over Memorial Day weekend, we helped Grandad celebrate his 76th birthday.

Airsoft and Fishing!  Sasha, you are an active member of the Exeter Airsoft group.  Hours in the outdoors and fun with friends!  As to fishing.....  well, this is absolutely one of your favorite times of year.  Steve has also taken an interest in fishing, and now has 2 poles and multiple implements in his tackle box.  Frances Slocum park has been a good location for trying out new equipment, and catching fish plus the occasional turtle.  Brock, you and I have enjoyed playground time, walks, and "sparky" scooter rides including a fast, frightening ride down the steep hill toward turtle pond (brakes were not so great in steepest stretch, but worked OK toward the bottom).

Tiger - A few weeks ago, Tiger had his annual bath & "slenderizing" treatment i.e., extra fluff is shaved away for the summer.  His flabby paunch is quite noticeable and of no concern to Tiger - petting anywhere including his belly is wonderful.  Sasha has provided this list of his alternate names for Tiger:  Tigrero, Tigroog, Toiger, Fatty, Fat Cat, Chunks of Love, and Love Chunks.  Here is Tiger (pre-treatment) enjoying a moment with Steve's sneakers:

Additions to the Family - Over the winter, our latest batch of tropical fish suffered a premature demise due to hypothermia (secondary cause:  lack of attention to temperature in the fish tank).  Sasha immediately announced that we would introduce lake critters to the tank when spring came along.  So after a recent fishing trip to Frances Slocum, he brought home Flappy the Crappy, and 2 large snails - Dung and Pooh (as in "who flung....").  Next, Dung and Pooh had babies known as the Poohlets.  A couple weeks later after a fantastic job cleaning algae off the fish tank, Dung and Pooh went home to the turtle pond.  Here's a picture taken shortly after arrival:

Crappy seemed to be doing fine, until today that is.....  His favorite food - wax worms.  We has also gorged himself on guppies, but unfortunately didn't keep it all in his tummy (fish parts make a return trip into the tank, only to be cannibalized by other guppies).  This afternoon he passed on to the fish heaven, and will be missed.


Vacation in Washington DC - We got home yesterday from a few days in the Washington DC area.  My favorite was visiting with my cousin Annie, who lives near Bethesda.  Steve's was probably the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport.  I'm not certain that you boys had a favorite, though Sasha you seemed to enjoy talking about fishing with Andrew from "Augie's Adventures" who was trying to photograph Capital Hill at sunset from a park near Reagan National Airport.  And Brock you seemed to especially like climbing on rocks at Great Falls National Park overlooking the Potomac River.


Steve's Mom - Sadly, Steve's mother died on June 7th after being hospitalized in Philadelphia.  It has been a difficult time for Steve and his brothers, as you can imagine.  It is quite an accomplishment for a Mom to raise four boys mostly on her own, and certainly it was not easy for her.  I am genuinely interested in older people, and would have liked to know her better.  Be sure to appreciate your family members - every one of them is important.

Winter is Wrapping Up

Winter is slowly turning to spring....!  The mourning doves came back a few weeks ago.  And today we switched back to daylight savings time, and now get to enjoy daylight past 7 pm.  Wonderful, especially for evening walks and other outings !

Some recent events......

• Visit with Uncle John & Aunt Fran, and rest of the Rivers family at Nockamixon State Park over President's Day weekend.  We, along with several other travelers, had difficulty locating the cabins - but eventually reached Aunt Julie to get directions.  Sasha, you hung out with the fishing guys (Uncle John and Mark).  And Brock, you spent time with Lucy & Noel.  We had a crazy game of charades - I got stuck with "aglet" (who ever heard of that??  turns out it's the plastic sheath at the end of a shoelace)....  In retrospect, I should asked for a different word.  Steve did a good job with "Italian sausage", and Brock remembers getting "transformers".  Sasha, you managed to convey "woodchurch" very successfully - though, Grandad said it was actually supposed to be woodchuck!  I brought along chocolate chip cookies and spice drop cakes, both of which were popular.  We have figured out that cabin time is reasonably comfortable with sleeping pads on top of the bunk mattresses, as well as a humidifier.  The Camry developed a practically-flat tire, but luckily Mark loaned us his "plug into the cigarette lighter" air compressor and we made it Pep Boys in Quakertown for repairs.  The highlight of our trip was a very nice lunch at the Vintage Grill restaurant.  Thank you so much, Steve, for taking pictures !!

• Grammie's book Colors of the Universe has been published.  It's a collection of interesting and lovely poems.  Sasha, this is very timely because your 10th grade English class is about to start work on poetry (you've mentioned that you might get 'brownie points" since your grandmother is a published poet!).  I hope you continue to expand your own poetry writing skills - I've suggested you could write one about airsoft.  In the meantime, here is very simple poem co-written by you and Steve:

                            Tigey Whygee was a cat
                            Tigey Whygee was very fat
                            Tigey Whygee was so lazy *
                            Tigey Whygee could get crazy.

*  As evidence, a disgusting centipede (think miniature dust mop) appeared from under the stove and scurried along the base of the kitchen cabinets.  It arrived next to the kitty bowls as Tiger was having a snack.  Tiger completely ignored the creepy bug, flying legs and all.  At my insistence, you Sasha were trying to "Do something!!" when it scooted back under the stove.  Thankfully, it has not come back (we're wondering if it has visited Sadie's house?).

• In other news, you Sasha has been taking an evening class on making i.e., "tying" fly-fishing flies.  The teacher is your 9th grade algebra teacher (and fellow fly-fisherman) Mr. Romanowski.  We've been introduced to the Vo-Tech high school in Pringle, and get to enjoy the spectacular view of Wyoming Valley on Monday nights.  Also - after much discussion, planning, and gear-purchasing, Sasha is finally playing airsoft with a group of Exeter Township enthusiasts. We've had several weekend jaunts back-n-forth to a park long the Susquehanna River in Harding.  Meanwhile, Brock has been playing with Sean who is staying at Sadie's house during the week.  We made it to the Cub Scout winter fun day at Kirby Park.  Plus, last Saturday Brock and Ben went snow tubing up at Sno Mountain - and then spent the following afternoon together at Ben's house (including trek to Chuck E Cheese).  We've managed to stay pretty busy through the winter months.

• And last, but not least.....  Sasha, yesterday you were laughing hard at the 2 YouTube videos below (and a few others by the same "chef").  Just don't plan to try this at my house!!

I feel it in my fingers

For the first time in weeks, I feel like writing a bit (I have been doing too much Prudential work lately).  A few things worth mentioning......

• Snow Storm - Blizard "Nemo" is finishing a run at the Northeast Coast today.  Here in Wyoming, we got @ 5 inches of snow, it's in the mid 20's and windy.  Sasha, Brock and I got shoveling time in this morning.  Meanwhile, Jon Dodge posted on Facebook that as of 6:45 a.m, it was still snowing at the Walker-McCausland abode on Hill Street, Webster.  Had @30 inches of snow on the ground with lots of drifting.  Plus snow was forecast to continue into the afternoon.  Recently, northeast Pennsylvania has been a great place for avoiding nasty coastal storms.

• Trip to Grooming Cottage - Tiger had gotten smelly, as his excessive fluff can create hygiene issues.  So, we hit the snowy streets of Wyoming this morning and delivered him to Jim's place.  As usual, he meowed pitifully from the moment he went into the cat carrier.  Now he is home, had some kibble to take his mind off the stress, and has disappeared to take a nap.  Might even be using his own kitty bed, which he rediscovered this past week after being banned from people bedrooms.  No bandanna or bow this time....  but here is a picture of Tiger from Christmas Day, followed by a picture of Jean Luc having fun in his kitty condo (thanks to photographer Steve).

• 10-Year Olds Do Not Have Baths - Brock and I have an agreement that I must pay 25 cents every time I refer to evening bathroom time as "Bath" instead of "Shower".  In fact, we generally use Steve Albert jargon and discuss having a "sit-down" or a "stand-up".  Brock, we have decided that I currently owe you close to $5.  Plus we had a dispute last Wednesday after I said "Ba", but never finished the word.  You claim that I owe you 25 cents, while I believe it's only 12.5 cents.  I'm not sure how I would pay the half cent, but perhaps we should round it down and it will end up being 12 cents even.  The outcome is still under debate.

• The Troggs - In the news this week....  Reg Presley, an English singer & songwriter, died this past week.  After hearing about this on the news, I looked up information about his band "The Troggs" and realized that I especially like their song "Love is All Around".  It's been playing in my head for several days.  Sasha, I can tell you don't appreciate this much and you are waiting very patiently to get the computer back.  Here is a nice rendition - simple and sweet (although I admit the characters appearing at the end of this clip are just plain weird).

Next Up - Valentine's Day!!  You boys aren't admitting to having sweet hearts, but my offer to take you card shopping is still out there!

Christmas Day 2012

OK, so I have been neglecting "Carroll Boys".  It's true, and excuses like getting ready for Christmas and upcoming birthdays, my work schedule, etc. don't cut it.  Certain readers are getting quite annoyed with looking at the Camp Lazlo post....  So, finally here we are......  It's Christmas Day!  Here is an update on what we've been doing for the past few weeks.

Thanksgiving - Sasha, Steve and I spent an overnight with Grammie and Grandad for Thanksgiving.  It was very pleasant, including a long walk through Wyncote and neighboring town(s?)  Kyra and Lucy were glad to see us, and we enjoyed Grandad's grilled turkey and Grammie's apple and chocolate pies.  Yum!  Then on Saturday, we had a second Thanksgiving dinner with Brock.....  Italian-style, with penne a la vodka aka "pink stuff".

Lost and Found - While going through our winter gear to figure out what does/does not fit, there was an incredible "find".  Sasha's fly boxes, lost since last December, were zipped into inner pockets of his winter coat for practically an entire year !!  It was been a long time since such joy has been known on Sharpe Street.  Here are the long-lost items  :-)

Tiger - Actually, there's not really much new with Tiger.  .... unless you consider some occasional crankiness, though he is never as out-of-sorts as "grumpy cat" looks (see picture above).  Tiger is taking "Natural Chicken & Tuna Flavored Joint Supplement" for stiffness in his back legs.  It gets sprinkled onto his food, and does seem to help.  Mostly though, he continues to be very fluffy and interested in frequent petting.    Here's a recent, adorable picture of our boy:

Christmas - I mailed out holiday cards, with a photo collage of you boys (Brock with Tiger, and Sasha at Harvey's Creek).  I really must show you the pics sometime soon....  Our Christmas Eve started with a late afternoon service at Grace Church in Kingston.  Sasha, you got to see Dr. Ferraro who delivered you almost 16 years ago (a formal introduction is in order, since you were a few minutes old and unclothed at your last meeting).  Steve navigated another Episcopal service very successfully.  And I grumbled about hymns being played too slowly.  Brock, you went to Dad's house instead - a good arrangement, especially given the length of the service (over 1 1/2 hours!).  This morning, Steve salvaged bacon before it became over-cooked and made french toast for us.  Tonight we had our traditional Christmas night dinner - wimpies and banana cream pie.  Our tree is pictured below.  Favorite gifts:

• Sasha - A Sage 9 foot, 10 weight fly rod - with which you hope to catch Susquehanna river monsters i.e., musky and pike.  Additional fly tying material also seems popular, as you have been busy making flies as the evening wears on.
• Brock - The PlayStation 3 game Far Cry 3, a "shoot 'em up" and "stab 'em through" game.  Probably not appropriate for a 10-year old.  But on the bright side, you are still not permitted to watch Family Guy at my house.

Most cheerful traveler:  Steve, who made 3 round trips from Scranton over the past 30 hours.  

Best surprise:  My gift of a Schwinn red and white bike from Steve.  It's beautiful!

My wish for you both this Christmas Day:  That you grow up to be happy, productive men.

Merry Christmas!

Summer Time !!

Today is your First Day of Summer Vacation !!!  I remember how light and care-free I felt as my class was being dismissed on the last day of school.....  To kick off our summer, this past weekend we visited with Grammy, Grandad, aunts, uncles & cousins.

On Saturday we spent several hours at the Battleship New Jersey in Camden (got to eat lunch in the mess hall!).  Also, you both got haircuts - most noteworthy was the return of Brock's mohawk-style hairdo.  The New Jersey:

On Sunday Sasha went fishing with Mark, while Brock came along to the Morris Arboretum.  The Fernery with a nearby family of wood chucks:

For the summer of 2012..... I'm looking forward to time to relax, time for fun outings, and time with each other.  I'm sure you don't realize how lucky you are to have a bedroom with air conditioning, plus a pool at Dad's house!  Tiger is already enjoying the summer including a break from excessive fluffiness (except for his tail).  Here are pictures of a pudgy, sleepy kitty recently bathed & clipped at The Grooming Cottage:

Special thanks to photographers Steve and Lucy!

Easter 2012

Well, it's Easter evening and I'm enjoying some quiet time after a busy weekend.  Here are highlights of this year's Easter Day:

• Sleeping relatively late for a holiday.  Brock made it to 7:15 !  
• Looking for Easter baskets.  There was mild grumbling that the Bunny did not hide the baskets very well (behind fish tank and inside the clothes dryer).  Maybe he/she will do better next year.
• Going to church.  Good music, and uneventful except for the mouse that Sasha saw scurrying under the pews heading toward the front of the church.  It didn't seem to bother anyone else such as the minister or organist - probably a good thing.
• Tulips!  Steve brought lovely red & yellow tulips, which were the centerpiece for the dinner table.  The colors are similar to the tulips in the photo above, which Steve shot at the 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show.
• Turkey dinner, at Brock's request.  It was my first roast turkey with stuffing that turned out REALLY well (!!)  I am quite proud, and happily acknowledge help from Steve - cleaning & chopping vegetables, cooking green beans, doing dishes, and general encouragement.  Sasha gets credit for mashing 3 bananas for the banana bread (1 additional banana was a casualty, as it fell on the floor).  And Brock gets credit for eating both a drumstick and wing, plus 2 green beans.  I am saving the recipes, mostly off the Internet, and hope to repeat in the future - just not too soon.
• Aside.... due to an unfortunate incident just before dinner in which Tiger knocked two of Brock's Lego Ninjago models off a table, Tiger was banished to the laundry room.  Luckily, Brock made repairs quickly.
• Our Easter egg hunt in the back yard (now that the trampoline is gone, there's lots more room).  Sasha packed plastic eggs & hid them, while Brock and Sterling went 'round finding them.  I have to say Sterling is the tallest egg hunter I've seen in many a year!  The yellow egg floating on top of the pool cover was very imaginative, Sasha.
• Watching Disney's Lilo & Stitch, a surprise from the Easter Bunny.  Was very relaxing and enjoyable to get re-acquainted with the characters, story line, and scenes from the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi.  And nice to think that Grammie, Grandad, Aunt Julie and Mark are going to Hawaii this week!  

Here's to many more happy holidays.  As a bonus, I know you'll like the wonderful "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" song written by Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu.  He performs it with the Kamehameha Schools children's chorus:

When You Were Little - Saturday Mornings

You boys are getting big now - especially you, Sasha, since you seem taller every time I see you.

It's always fun to tell "when you were little" stories.  So, here are some memories to share with you of typical Saturday mornings with younger Carroll boys.

• Eating Breakfast !  I liked to make yummy french toast and pancakes.  Or Dad would make specialties like bologna eggs.  Or sometimes you went over to Chef Grandma's house - she was a wonderful cook plus she let you eat in her TV room (yikes, the rug did get sticky!).
• Going to Fluffy's!  Avenue News, a favorite destination on Wyoming Ave, was a block away (where the "Village II Gold& Silversmith" jewelry store is now).  It was popular among the older crowd (interpretation = "old men") for coffee, snacks and good times chatting it up with the guys.  Lee and Sam Brosso were the owners, and usually one or both were around.  We referred to the place as "Fluffy's", since Lee's father Fluffy worked there most mornings when he was in good health (Fluffy was a retired barber and quite bald, but apparently had lots of hair as a younger man.)  The Avenue News sign advertised "novelties", and I would search in vain for items that could be considered novel.  Anyway, the two of you favored treats such as cookies, chips, candy, juice & chocolate milk.  
• Treks to Butler Street Park !  Sasha, you probably don't remember playing with Lenny who we see at church.  Brock, you still go to the park and played with Adam last fall when temperatures were conducive to playground time. 
• Visiting with Uncle George, Aunt Rebecca and Meow a few houses up Monument Ave.  We had pleasant times stopping in to say hello, getting drinks, and going through the Gerboc toy box.  Meow, Uncle Jason's grey kitty, was very friendly.  We got to see her both at the Gerboc residence and at the Carroll's, as she was well-known through the neighborhood.  Meow would climb up the dogwood tree by Aunt Pam's porch and walk over the roof to visit Wolfie outside Aunt Pam's kitchen window.  And she would climb up the walnut tree to our deck to check on Tiger...  unfortunately, Tiger did not like company so they ended up hissing and spitting at each other (luckily, separated by the sliding door off our dining area) until Meow got tired and slowly made her way back down to the garden.  

But my favorite memory of all is the Lilo & Stitch show which kicked off the ABC Kids Saturday morning line up.  At 9 a.m. every Saturday, we danced and sang through the theme song then watched the show.  Hope you remember too.....  and maybe you'll still get up and dance while you listen to the Lilo & Stitch Theme Song now!

The Story of Tiger

On Friday, Tiger moved from Dad's house to my house.  It has been an emotional week for all of us.  Luckily, Tiger is adjusting well and so far seems happy living on Sharpe Street.  I am so, so glad that he can be with us here.  Tiger has been trying to sit in my lap as I'm writing this post!

Thought you would be interested to hear the story of "how we got Tiger".  Before that, Aunt Pam lost her Siamese cat Misha, who had lived a long and healthy life.  She was interested in getting another Siamese, and heard about a breeder near Sunbury, PA who raised them.  She and Grandma went there looking for a kitten, and brought home Wolfie (named after Wolfgang Mozart).  This breeder also had Maine Coons, and not long after that Grandma went there to get Jessie - a beautiful calico Maine Coon.  You can read more about this interesting, New England breed here:  Maine Coon

Sasha, when you were in second grade we unexpectedly lost our kitty Kyle (who you named in pre-school, following a visit to the vet when she informed me that our girl kitten "Clarisse" was actually a boy - what a shock!).  When we were ready for a new cat, we took a drive to Sunbury, which is @1 1/2 hours away.  You were 8 years old, and Brock was 2.

Dad and I thought we would get a Siamese cat, since we had always had Siamese kitties (first Nicki, then Kyle).  But Sasha, you absolutely wanted a cat who looked like a tiger.  We got to the breeder's house, at found it was loaded with cats (and smelled like them too).  The kittens were upstairs, so we went up and found Siamese kitties of a few varieties.....  and several red tabby Maine Coons.  You were enthralled and fascinated with one especially active "orange" kitten.  Although I encouraged you to check out the Siamese kittens, there was no changing your mind!  The breeder noticed you had fallen in love with that kitten and was kind enough to offer a discount if we agreed not to purchase his pedigree "papers".  We drove home with him sitting in my lap, yowling most of the way.  You immediately named him Tiger.  I have been laughing since you texted me that some of his recent nicknames have been:

• Chunks of Love Tigar
• Hunky Chunky
• Tiger my Hunky Monkey

Tiger was sick to his stomach the first night at our house, but then got settled quickly.  He has always been big, friendly and loving.  He liked being up high from the beginning, and to Dad's dismay caused serious trouble by climbing up stacks of train boxes.  He has also been, as typical of his breed, affectionate with both of you unless teased.  As a young cat he was very playful, and known to scare little Brock by leaping at him and knocking him over.  He has been a wonderful part of your childhood, and I know you are both very attached to him.  Here's to many more years with our round, fluffy, handsome Tiger.

With special thanks to photographer and my best friend Steve (who gave us some kitty items that Jean Luc did not need, shopped with me for the rest, and has shared much good advice), here's a great picture taken yesterday:

Is Sylvester a "Kitler" ?

There are many important questions in life that one MUST answer.  One of them is whether your kitty at Dad's house, Sylvester S., could be considered a "Kitler".

Background Information:  What is a Kitler?  

As explained on the Cats That Look Like Hitler website, Kitler :  "Most cats possess that typically feline facial expression that implies a secret longing for world domination. All cats want to rule the world, that's part of the nature of the species, but to be a genuine Kitler there has to be some other similarity when compared to that ever popular German/Austrian dictator."

The website also points out the following:  "Hitler was a disgusting, pus-ridden lump of excrement from the devil's own anus. Before we go any further, let's just reiterate that. As such, it's entirely appropriate to reduce him to an object of ridicule by comparing his physical appearance and styling to a bunch of fluffy, cute moggies."

Question of the Day:  Which of the following Kitlers (pictures borrowed from the website) does Sylvester most closely resemble? 

Bobje:

MISSAYYY:

Charlie:

Sindy:

What To Do Next?   Vote!!  You can pick the Kitler kitty that Sylvester resembles best!  To do this, click on "comments" below, then tell me whether Sylvester looks most like Bobje, MISSAYYY, Charlie or Sindy in the "Post a Comment" box. 

Hope all Carroll kitties (downstairs and upstairs) are doing well !!  Be sure to pet one for me.