A Grandshaw Joy

I had taken my final dose of Paxlovid. My symptoms are almost entirely gone. So Sheila invited me to the living room to watch TV with her after supper. We watched an episode of the early 2000s British crime show "The Last Detective" then enjoyed the President's great speech. Yay! It is absolutely time for the good guys to take the gloves off and face up frankly and calmly but definitely to the reality that our republic is under attack and all small-r republicans must unite against the autocrats, racists, and xenophobes.

After watching a little of the post speech coverage Sheila headed off to other parts and I was working on trying to get that last %^$&^%$ four-letter word in the NYT Spelling Bee --- Sheila who beats me most days has already reached Queen Bee status, as usual. 

Then the computer dings and this text message pops up:

Few text messages could have brought more joy to Grandshaw I assure you! I knew the show would be a masterpiece.

As usual when the phone rang and I clicked to open the FaceTime call on my MacBook, up popped the expected chaos. Three excited little girls are running around their den, crawling all over their Mother, cushions on the floor, and the sofa/puppet theater. 

The two younger girls ignored the "show" walking/crawling/toddling in and out of the frame while Clementine arranged an assortment of plush  "puppets" from behind the sofa, about half her head showing most of the time... there's a giraffe, a teddy bear, another bear, an alligator, and pig. I cannot possibly explain what went on with those characters, though I think the teddy bear was the antagonist. I can confidently assert that the performers had an excellent time.

After the show I was asked to take a turn telling a story, and of course, "Ghost With One Black Eye" was requested. Our GWOBE is a participatory story. The characters are the five members of the Carlin family. Sound effects and some dialog is supplied by the listeners. As expected an encore performance was requested and given, except I was asked to tell it this time as "The Ghost With Three Black Eyes" and as an grandfather would, I obliged. 

How I love these FaceTime calls. It ain't being there but from 2000 miles away it it sure beats nothing.

Here are a few blurry screenshots that might give a feel for the experience.

Later Note: Brannon sent this picture she took of the three girls listening to the story ...