Grace's Invention

Artificial cat checks out the Crawlway

Instructed to come up with an invention for school, granddaughter Grace developed this "Perfume Crawlway" for cats. Designed along the lines of a carwash, the invention takes the cat, once entered, into a spray of perfume (presumably a perfume cats would like). There is also a sparkly dust-shaker. (Bonus!) Using considerable ingenuity to keep an unsealed box upright, she demonstrated the set-up as shown. The success of the project is easily seen: Note the cat [Milani] in the box. [Footnote: Grace points out that the box device, with perfume and sparkles removed, could do in a pinch as a shelter when camping.]

Success!

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2012: My Year of Family and Anniversaries

March 2011 (left to right): Katy Curtis, Maggie Thompson, Paul Curtis, Grace Thompson, Stephen Thompson, Valerie Thompson, Devon Jaruk, Roy Jaruk, Jonah Thompson

This is one of those years of coincidental landmark line-ups. Consider: Mom and Dad were born in 1917. I was born in 1942. My sister Mary was born in 1947. I met Don in 1957. We were married in 1962. Valerie was born in [harrumph] Stephen was born in [another harrumph]. The Cleveland Press folded - and Don and I were hired by Krause Publications - in 1982, the year we moved to Wisconsin. It seemed to me that this is a logical year to celebrate all of that - and to get into more communications with family and friends. It was a shock to learn that my last remaining aunt (Dad's sister) and uncle (Mom's brother) died in 2011, so again: It's time to make an effort to reconnect - and this is a perfect time. I was thrilled to hear this month from a cousin I'd been trying to locate.
When was the last time you reached out to your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins ...? This would be a great year to do it!

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