Rob's family

I am the ghost of Town Severe Bearing a story that you must hear A tale from Halloween night That I am sure that will give you a fright The ship I boarded on was dark The ship of the voyage I would embark Behind me I heard a howl Making me let out a loud yowl I prepared for something obscene But 'twas only a ghost, Yelling "Happy Halloween!" -G. Coleman

In September 2010, Gretchen was babysitting for the editor of the neighborhood newsletter.  So she wrote ...

"Dad! Can we make homemade ice cream?" ask Melinda With considerably less trepidation than several years ago I decided this would be okay. Off we go to the store to buy ingredients. Whole milk, vanilla yogurt, frozen berries. $14 / quart for frozen yogurt - cheap. Halfway through production Gretchen (sweet tooth girl), Melinda and me (king sweet tooth) try the stuff. "Yum!" says Gretchen. "Yum" says Dad. "Yuck, I hate yogurt" says Melinda. "What?" I just laughed. Turns out frozen yogurt - she loves, just not (all) the ingredients. Still churning - but it's looking good.

Melinda posted this the other day...

Green is something alive: Leaves and plants, Clovers and grass. Green is certainly A color with class Green can be a food in your fridge: A grape or an apple. A pear or a lime. Green is a color That's simply sublime. Green is a lizard, Green is a frog That's hopping and hopping Through a green bog. -- Melinda

Melinda's turned into a bit of a procrastinator.  Lately we've been finding ourselves bugging her about getting stuff done (Tracey more than me, I'm more for letting her deal with the consequences).  We've had a couple issues with LATE nights.  So we mildly bug. All weekend, we've known that she has a "math magazine" assignment to do.  She'd had it for a month and started it Friday.  So we bugged her.  17 times this weekend.  Tonight I checked in with her on how much remains... "I'm almost done, just two pages left."  So, I pulled out the bribe.  "Finish it tonight - two days early" and tomorrow I'll take you girls out for ice cream."  The reply "How about I finish it tonight and tomorrow you take me to the library?"

Elephant Days The elephant that lay a – graze Happy to lay, in the haze Watching her daughter as she plays 10 beautiful, beautiful ballets Is happy to give lots of praise. She remembers when she did that Way, way back in the days The Sun I am the warmness, I am the light. I shine real high, but not at night. I am a medium star, Right at the bar. People depend on me to live, To give the light I always give. My job is really fun. Yes, I am the sun. Geese The geese fly high, high, high in the sky. To them, worries to not apply. They have no wait, no stand-by. If geese can do it, why can’t I? Ice Cream Ice cream has a certain gleam. It has a taste, just like a dream. It seems to whisper “Why don’t you eat me?” I like it very much. Do you agree? Writing My pen twirls across the paper. I am the character. I decide whatever I want to be. I am in charge. I am me. Reading Do you want to sail a ship, Fly an airplane, Be a lion, And create a space ship, All in one day? If you do there is a...

Gretchen very much wants to get her poetry published.  Here's her latest - she is sending to Zoo books. People aren’t amazed with my bird shape of a figure. But I can talk, sing, and dance like any one of you. I am attractive and pretty with my smooth, rainbow colored feathers. I can learn just about anything you teach me to do. My scent is a mixture of tropical fruit and warmth. I can fly high in the sky, anytime I want to. I can screech loudly, sing beautifully, or talk. Putting things together, I am glad to be a beautiful, exciting, and talking parrot.