THANKS!

THANKSGIVING WAS HELD AT OMI'S HOUSE THIS YEAR. WHILE WAITING FOR ALL THE GUESTS TO ARRIVE, MAMA AND THE FRITH READ A BOOK ON THE STAIRS.

THEN PAPA AND THE FRITH READ ANOTHER BOOK.

AND THEN A THIRD BOOK, THIS TIME WITH OMI. SENSING A PATTERN HERE..

FRITH, UNDERSTANDABLY ASSUMING IT WAS SHABBAT, BROUGHT OUT THE CANDLES.

GRANDMA PAT AND FRITH HUNG OUT IN THE KITCHEN FOR A BIT. FRITH DECIDED TO SIT ON THE ANTIQUE TEA TRAY, WHICH TOOK THE ABUSE IN STRIDE.

PAPA'S LOVELY PARAMOUR KAREN WAS IN ATTENDANCE (SHE WAS A BIG HIT WITH THE FRITH, AND WAS ALSO ROPED INTO READING A BOOK OF COURSE) .. KAREN'S MAMA JANET CAME TOO, BRINGING A HUGELY DELICIOUS GUACAMOLE AND SOME HEAVENLY DESSERTS.

FRITH ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE PUMPKIN WITH A CORKSCREW.

MAMA MADE A TOFURKEY, WHICH AS USUAL LOOKED AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN GARNISHED WITH MAGGOTS. TASTED OKAY THOUGH..

MAMA AND THE FRITH TOOK A LITTLE BREAK ON THE COUCH.. MAMA WAS SOMEHOW SADDLED WITH A FRITH HAT. TRES CHIC.

AND FINALLY, FRITH TRIED ON OMI'S GLASSES.HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

CALIFORNIA

CONTRAVENING ALL CURRENT WATER CONSERVATION RULES, MAMA AND THE FRITH TOOK A FORTY-FIVE MINUTE SHOWER THIS AFTERNOON. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME FRITH WASN'T FRIGHTENED BY THE RUSHING WATER, SO WE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE. FRITH MADE "TEA" WITH HER SET OF CUPS WHILE MAMA SAT ON THE FLOOR OF THE BATH AND GAVE HERSELF A PEDICURE. WE LOOKED LIKE A COUPLE OF RAISINS AFTERWARDS. HAPPY CLEAN RAISINS. WITH THE SOFTEST HEELS IMAGINABLE.

KEEP ON WALKING

FRITH HAS TAKEN A LIKING TO SOME OF MAMA'S FOOTWEAR.

THE FAST NEW BLACK FASHION BOOTS..

THOUGH ON FRITH, THEY LOOK LIKE HIP WADERS.

TREASURE

MAMA AND THE FRITH SPENT ANOTHER AFTERNOON HANGING AROUND IN THE GUESTHOUSE.

FRITH LOVES TO GO THROUGH AN OLD WOODEN BOX CONTAINING MAMA'S TREASURES FROM DAYS GONE BY.

A RED CRAYFISH NECKLACE FROM THE RED LOBSTER, CIRCA 1999..

A FRIENDSHIP BRACELET FROM AUNTIE JENNIE CIRCA 1996..

AND AN ANTIQUE JEW'S HARP (THOUGH MAMA HAS ONLY HAD IT SINCE THE MID-EIGHTIES.

AS SHE PULLS EACH ITEM OUT OF THE BOX, FRITH SAYS "OH MY GOODNESS" AND HOLDS WHATEVER IT IS UP HIGH FOR INSPECTION.

SUNNY AFTERNOON

AFTER SPENDING THE MORNING CLEARING OUT THE GUESTHOUSE..

FRITH AND MAMA HAD A PICNIC ON THE NEWLY LIBERATED DAYBED.

THE SUN WAS SHINING, PEANUT BUTTER WAS EVERYWHERE, AND THE FRITH LEARNED HOW TO SIT CROSS-LEGGED.

LATER THAT DAY, WE WENT TO OMI'S HOUSE.

FRITH GAVE AN IMPROMPTU CONCERT FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE, IN THE LIBRARY, IN THE ALTOGETHER.

VISIT WITH OPA

WE VISITED OPA IN TORONTO ON SATURDAY.. MUCH FUN WAS HAD WITH THE CATERING CART.

AND HERE TANTE EMMA LOOKS ON WHILE FRITH CONTEMPLATES HOW BEST TO DESTROY THE MOST NUMBER OF THINGS IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME.

SICK

FRITH AND MAMA GOT SICK AFTER OUR TRIP TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY. HERE WE HAVE THE FRITH PRE-SNEEZE, BUNDLED UP IN AN OUTFIT OF HER OWN DEVISING.. SUNDRESS, FLANNEL PARKA AND MISMATCHED BOOTS.

ALTHOUGH WE BOTH FELT LIKE DEATH WARMED OVER, THE DAY WAS RATHER NICE..

SO WE TOOK A SHORT WALK BY THE RIVER.

LATER, WE CAME HOME AND TOOK PUPPE III APART AND PUT HER BACK TOGETHER A FEW TIMES.

LATER STILL, FRITH PUT ON ONE OF MAMA'S KERCHIEFS AND PLAYED A LITTLE BASKETBALL IN THE BATHROOM.

SCHOOL

TODAY WAS FRITH'S FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL. SHE DRESSED HERSELF - THAT IS HER BLUE BATHING SUIT, WHICH SHE DECIDED TO WEAR AS A HAT.

THEO ALSO GOT DRESSED UP FOR SCHOOL, IN ONE OF FRITH'S NEW T-SHIRTS.

SCHOOL WAS OUTSTANDING. LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE THINGS DOWN FROM SHELVES, WORK AWAY AT THEM, AND THEN PUT THEM AWAY AFTERWARDS.

TAKING THINGS OFF THE SHELVES WAS VERY POPULAR. PUTTING THINGS AWAY, NOT SO MUCH.

WE'RE GOING TO TRY AGAIN IN ANOTHER MONTH. PERHAPS BY THEN THE PUTTING THINGS AWAY GENE WILL HAVE KICKED IN A LITTLE MORE. ALSO, THE LISTENING TO THE TEACHER GENE AND THE SITTING STILL SOMETIMES GENE.

MAMA'S AUNTS CAME TO VISIT FROM HOLLAND, AND BROUGHT FRITHA SOME FUNKY FUZZY CLOG SLIPPERS.

WE ALL MET UP AT AUNTIE MARIANNE'S HOUSE THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR TEA. PHEW, THIS PICTURE WAS HARD WON..

AS USUAL, FRITH LOVED HANGING AROUND IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOM, AND SPENT MUCH TIME PREPARING A FULL-SERVICE PIZZA DINING EXPERIENCE FOR THE PUPPE.

LATER, PUPPE LOOKED ON WHILE FRITH FINISHED HER PIZZA AT THE DESK.

RAZZLE BAZZLE

BASIL'S GRAVE AT THE BACK OF THE GARDEN IS A POPULAR SPOT FOR AFTERNOON PLAYTIME. FATNESS LIKES IT THERE TOO. AND I THINK BAZ APPRECIATES THE COMPANY.