BEARSUIT

FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS OF THE FRITH IN A VERY SWEET BORROWED BEARSUIT (THANK-YOU HOLDEN!) PLUS SOME ASSORTED HALLOWEEN PICTURES...

CRABBY FRITH

GRANDMA PAT AND GRANDPA KEN TOOK THE FRITH ON A SHOPPING EXPEDITION TO WALMART .. THIS KICKY NEW HAT WAS ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES.

GRANDMA PAT ALSO BROUGHT SOME PRESENTS FOR THE FRITH IN THIS BEAUTIFUL WICKER BASKET, WHICH FATNESS TOOK TO IMMEDIATELY.

WE ALL WENT TO EAT AT CRABBY JOES, WHERE FRITH W0RKED VERY HARD ON PERFECTING HER CRABBY JOE FACE.

YOU BE THE JUDGE.. PRETTY GOOD HUH?

THE HAM GOES ON

I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE...

BUT IT IS APPARENTLY VERY AMUSING.

LATER, THE TOILET PAPER ENJOYED A RESURGENCE OF POPULARITY.

AS DID THE UPSTAIRS THE OFFICE SUPPLIES.

BEING AN ACORN IS VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS.

SPRING

MY LITTLE FRITH.. SOON YOU WILL BE ONE WHOLE YEAR OLD.

YOU WERE BORN ON A COLD DAWN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER - YOU SEEMED TO GROW IN HARMONY WITH THE COMING OF SPRING. WHEN YOU WERE THREE MONTHS OLD, THE TREE OUTSIDE OUR BEDROOM WINDOW BEGAN TO COME INTO BUD. EVERY MORNING I'D SING TO YOU, AND TOGETHER WE'D LOOK AT THE BRANCHES, EACH DAY A LITTLE HEAVIER, MOVING GENTLY IN THE WARM MORNING BREEZE AGAINST THEIR BACKDROP OF CLEAR BLUE SKY. EVERY MORNING YOU'D BE JUST THAT LITTLE BIT MORE GROWN UP, AND EVERY MORNING THE LEAVES WOULD BE JUST THAT LITTLE BIT BIGGER.

THE CYCLE OF LIFE CONTINUES, MY SWEET BABY. LEAVES HAVE BEEN TURNING ORANGE AND FALLING OFF TREES IN DROVES ALL OVER OUR LITTLE VALLEY TOWN. OUR TREE HELD OUT LONGER THAN THE REST, BUT YESTERDAY THERE WERE LEAVES ON THE GROUND. I SHIVERED WHEN I SAW THEM; THIS TIME OF YEAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO DIFFICULT AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE WITH THIS INEVITABLE SIGN OF THE COMING OF WINTER.

THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. THIS YEAR THERE IS YOU, MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL. THIS YEAR, AND FOR EVERY WINTER TO COME, YOU'LL BE HERE TO REMIND US THAT SPRING WILL COME, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. WITH THE LIGHT OF EVERY DAWN, THERE IS YOU - AND LIFE RENEWS ITSELF.

RETURN OF THE HAM

THIS GIRL IS CELL PHONE OBSESSED. LUCKILY HER AUNT RUTH BROUGHT HER A CELL PHONE OF HER VERY OWN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

NOW SHE'LL PICK IT UP AND CHATTER AWAY INTO IT, IN HER OWN PRIVATE LANGUAGE.

HAM II.

AND YET MORE HAM.

STILL LIFE WITH BOOT

THIS WAS QUITE A WEEKEND.. IT WAS HOLDEN'S BIRTHDAY (HE TURNED TWO) AND THE FRITH WAS INVITED. HERE SHE IS AT THE FRONT DOOR PLAYING WITH GUEST BOOTS.

.. AND HELPING HOLDEN UNWRAP HIS PRESENTS..

FRITH DOESN'T GET TO PLAY WITH OTHER KIDS ALL THAT OFTEN - SO IT ALWAYS KIND OF AMAZES ME THAT WHEN SHE DOES GET THE CHANCE, HOW EASILY SHE ADJUSTS TO IT. SHE JUST LEAPS RIGHT INTO THE FRAY AND GETS INVOLVED.

BACK HOME, THERE WAS BAKING TO BE DONE.

AND FINALLY, MAMA'S OLD FRIEND DANA CAME TO VISIT. SHE AND THE FRITH GOT ALONG SWIMMINGLY (FRITH SEEMED TO FIGURE THAT DANA WAS SIMPLY A VERY LARGE CAT) AND DANA TOLERATED ALL THE TAIL-PULLING AND EAR-TUGGING REMARKABLY WELL.

NEWSWORTHY

MAMA HAS BEEN PIRATING NEWSPAPERS EVER SINCE OMI LEFT FOR THE CONTINENT.

FRITH THINKS THEY ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE FAMILY. DARN GOOD THING, AS GOD/GRAND-FATHER TERRY POINTED OUT YESTERDAY DURING A QUICK VISIT, THAT FRITH IS PUTTING FEWER THINGS INTO HER MOUTH THESE DAYS.

HERE SHE IS TRYING TO PICK OUT A HALLOWE'EN COSTUME. MAMA WOULD LIKE TO DRESS HER UP LIKE A LOBSTER. NO REAL REASON.

EXCEPT THAT IT MIGHT BE KIND OF FUN.

OH CD

SUDDENLY, A MANIC RESURGENCE OF INTEREST IN THE CD COLLECTION.

THE ALPHABET EXPLODES

GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN FRITH WOULD PICK MILDLY AT ONE OR TWO CORNERS OF THE ALPHABET MAT..

NOW THERE IS A DAILY ALPHABET MASSACRE.

POST-BATH PRE-BED FRITH, JUST NOSING AROUND IN THE CUPBOARDS.

WHAT A DAY WHAT A DAY

WHATEVER WAS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW GOT FRITH ALL EXCITED..

SO EXCITED IN FACT, THAT SHE HAD TO EAT. ACTUALLY, THIS PHOTO IS A COUPLE OF DAYS OLD. SHE DISCOVERED HOW TO OPEN THE BACKUP FRIDGE, AND RAIDED IT.

SHE FOUND SOME OLD FAT-FREE CHEESE-FOOD SLICES AND GNAWED THEM INTO SOMETHING MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLING SWISS CHEESE.

EATING DAIRY DID ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD FOR THE SNUFFLY COLD SHE'S BEEN HARBOURING FOR A FEW DAYS.

HERE ARE OMI AND THE FRITH JUST BEFORE OMI LEFT FOR VIENNA, LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AS USUAL.. I THINK FRITH IS POINTING OUT THE NEW DENTS ON MAMA'S CAR. STUPID SHOPPING CARTS.

ONE LAST SHOT OF FRITH AND OMI, A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE OMI'S AIRPORT LIMO CAME TO PICK HER UP. WE MISS YOU OMI! COME HOME SOON!

SHOES, SCRAMBLE AND SCHWABEN

FIRST THE BIG NEWS - THE FRITH HAS STARTED TO CRAWL WITH HER BELLY OFF THE GROUND, INSTEAD OF THIS ENDLESS PAINSTAKING MILITARY SCRAMBLE SHE'S BEEN AT FOR WEEKS.

WITH WINTER COMING ON, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP HER SOCKS ON, WITH LITTLE SUCCESS. SO I WENT THROUGH HER MOUNTAINOUS COLLECTION OF FOOTWEAR, TO SEE IF ANY OF THOSE HAD STAYING POWER. AS IT TURNS OUT, MOST OF THEM DON'T FIT ANY MORE. BUT EVEN IF THEY HAD, I'M QUITE CERTAIN THEY STILL WOULDN'T HAVE STAYED ON. THE FRITH APPROACHES ANY SIGN OF FOOTWEAR AS A PERSONAL CHALLENGE.

MAMA BEAR AND OPA CAME TO VISIT, SO WE ALL TROOPED OVER TO THE SCHWABEN INN FOR DINNER..

AFTERWARDS OMI, WHO IS ALREADY MISSING THE FRITH TERRIBLY IN ANTICIPATION OF HER (OMI'S, NOT THE FRITH'S) MONTH-LONG TRIP TO VIENNA, HAD A CUDDLEFEST/PHOTO-OP SO SHE'D HAVE SOME GOOD SNAPS TO TAKE WITH HER TO THE CONTINENT.

OMI KISSES!

PASTA!

THIS IS THE PICTURE OF A FRITH WHO ATE A NON-FRUIT RELATED ITEM FOR DINNER. TO BE SPECIFIC, AN ENTIRE BOWLFUL OF PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE. BEHIND THE CAMERA, THERE IS ONE VERY PROUD MAMA.

AFTERWARDS, FRITH EXPLORED THE PRESENT GRANDMA PAT LEFT FOR HER - A PURSE ALL HER OWN TO EMPTY OUT, FULL OF FUN FRITH-TYPE THINGS, LIKE A PURPLE BATH SPONGE AND A COLOURFUL SLIPPERY SCRUNCHY. SHE ACTUALLY ROMPED AROUND THE ROOM UNTIL BEDTIME WITH THE PURSE OVER ONE ARM. INTENTIONAL OR NOT, STILL VERY AMUSING FOR MAMA.

THE FRITH AND THE SNAIL

THIS SNAIL TURNED UP STUCK TO THE FRONT DOOR TODAY, REMINDING ME OF THAT OLD JOKE WHICH I WON'T BOTHER TO RETELL..

WITH THIS WIDE SHOT, YOU CAN SEE THE FRITH, A REFLECTION OF MAMA AND AT THE VERY TOP, THE SNAIL STUCK TO THE DOOR.

GOOD-BYE, SNAIL.