"Why, Soitenly!"

Haven’t written in a while, but the last few times I did, the reader response was very low. What are you doing wrong?? I think most of them see “Dear Muz” and just go to the next blog … which is okay. As you know, this is more for the kids and grand-kids to read later and not so much for this present blog audience, though many of them knew and loved you.

[Blog readers: Do you feel sufficient guilt? It was my best shot at passive-aggressive manipulation to get responses!]

Your cousin, EC, died and his funeral was yesterday. I know how close you were … close enough you could really have some knock-down-drag-out-no-holds-barred verbal fights and then go get a McDonald’s hamburger together! I also know that your determination to see him come to the Lord had a LOT to do with him finally giving his heart and life to Jesus … and that was when he was well into his 80s, as I recall.

It’s also interesting that his funeral would come on April 15. Your cousin, Janet, said he loved paying taxes and I don’t know if she was being sarcastic or not. I know Elaine and Mike were there to represent our part of the family. They had a wonderful visit with Shirley and saw Bob, Willette, Diana, Betsy, and Andrea as well as the few left from the Mitchell clan. A shrinking clan as far as the first and second generations from your parents.

Don’t know if Rex or Alan made it up for the funeral, though I doubt Alan would be able to get off work. I do know when it comes to anyone representing our small part of the Mitchell family, you could always count on Elaine far more than you could any of us boys.

Last night Jan and I kept the kids while Josh and Heather went to see a Braves game down in San Diego. Good thing I didn’t go as Josh and I have never seen the Braves win a game, but he has when I was not along. Braves won last night 6-1 after a butt-kickin’ from the Padres in the last game.

They enjoyed a night out together and we enjoyed playing with the kiddies. They never cease to fascinate me … Jackson and his conniving ways, Logan’s incredibly sweet personality, and Lilly’s captivating smile and “evil” laugh that seems to come at absolutely random times. All of them just melt our hearts. But you know all about that having had a slew of your own, both grands and great-grands.

Anyway, after watching about 90 minutes of some kid’s contest shows they had recorded, I turned over to NCIS while Jan was putting the twins down and it was just Jackson and me. The word, stupid, was used in the conversation on NCIS and Jackson is not allowed to use that word. Anyway, I hadn’t even noticed the word used when Jackson told me, “Grindaddy, I don’t use bad words like ‘stupid’”.

I told him I was proud of him for not using bad words. Then Janice came home later and asked me what bad show I was watching on TV with Jackson. I told her we were watching his recorded shows and when we’d seen them all, I turned it to NCIS (one of your favorite shows). She said Jackson told her I was watching a bad show … and then it clicked: He’d heard the word, stupid, and therefore the show was a bad show.

I certainly understand why Josh and Heather don’t want him to use certain words, including the “S—-d” word, because he will be calling his brother and sister (or his parents) that word. However, as he matures he will certainly need to rely on that word for any discussions relating to politicians on any level … especially the present administration and congressional leaders!

One more, just for Jackson to read later on … he called me on Tuesday night and said, “Grindaddy, come to my house and we’ll go get ice cream! I have a dollar … it’s right there.” The last 2 or 3 times I took him to get ice cream, it was just a ruse for me to get him out of the house! Once in the car, he just wanted to go to our house to escape his brother and sister … and maybe his mom and dad! Who knows, but he wasn’t interested in ice cream.

So I told him, “But you don’t eat the ice cream.” He put the phone down, looked at his mom and had this very perplexed look across his face (so I was later told) and said, “Grindaddy said I don’t eat ice cream.” He was quite upset with that accusation from me and hung up the phone. A couple of minutes later he called back and repeated his offer for me to come to his house and then we go get ice cream.

Of course, I’m no patsy and certainly am not going to cave in to some almost-three-year-old’s demands, giving up my evening of relaxation just to drive into town for a kid to not eat another ice cream cone from McDonald’s. There comes a time when a parent or, in this case a grandparent, must take a stand. You would certainly understand that.

However, since he ate his ice cream this time, I guess I’ll save that “stand” for another time.