ITT: Best Posts of the Day

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I had no idea it would be so loved.

My children used to play with them in the bathtub, and argue over who had the cutest one.

I CANNOT

          believe my kids are spending the night at your house, right now

JUST, PLEASE

          make sure they wear clean socks to bed

They insisted on being naked in bed because it was, finally, the one time I would allow them to take all their clothes off, because I am a clothing tyrant. Your daughter is sitting in the other office chair buck-nekkid, cradling Lambert in her lap and lamenting the loss of Lambert's mother.

[Eater of Clowns]

socks in bed?!?!

The Floridian does not comment on strategies to maintain warmth in the cold winter months!

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

socks in bed?!?!

The Floridian does not comment on strategies to maintain warmth in the cold winter months!

Hey now it's been a cold winter this year. Got down to the 20's and it sleeted and everything. I just can't sleep with my feet all bundled up in heavy tight cottony stranglers.

[the last yatto]

The 200-foot telephone cord and safety goggles will especially aid in the enjoyment. 

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Across the street from my Grandparent's place was "the little red school house". It's where I went to pre-school. My dad went there too. When he was attending, everything was in German. When I was going to school there it was all English language. However, half of what was said at my Grandparent's was in German 'till I was 7 or 8 years old.

My Grandfather was a large man. He was very quiet. He laughed at most things. I remember him as sitting near his garden or somewhere usually outdoors, silently watching. Overall he was a very quiet person. He was a large presence, but didn't say much. When he did, I listened.

My Grandmother was a very strong willed and outspoken person. She was very political. She made A LOT of food. What she cooked, I ate. She scolded me when necessary and gave me a nickname no one but she ever used.

My Grandfather fought in World War Two. He was awarded a case full of medals, but to the end of his life he never spoke a word about his experience as a soldier, to anyone, that I'm aware of.

However, something curious, at least, did happen.

When I was ten years old a man arrived, who was expected, with his wife. They had travelled quite a distance by motor home to come to my Grandparent's house. I understood right away that this man and my Grandfather knew each other from "the war".

My Grandmother cooked a bunch of food, other family members brought more. Everyone was there to meet these two people. We ate. The ham. The raw beef with onions and crackers. Herring and bread. Pickles. Potatoes, hot, German style with vinegar.

Then my Grandfather and the man stood together at the end of the covered table in the basement, addressing us all. For the first time ever, I saw my Grandfather, this titan of a man, stumble with words and cry.

In 1944, my Grandfather was a part of a large "allied" force which had surrounded a building occupied by 64 German troops. The building was scheduled for airstrike preceeded by allied withdrawal from standoff. Understanding that there were trapped men inside, my Grandfather insisted that he have a chance at negotiation with the enemy combatants. Entering the building, he explained, in German, that the men could surrender now or the building itself would be destroyed, with essentially no probability of survivors. After a period of 45 minutes, my Grandfather emerged with a scattered collection of four German platoons giving themselves up as P.O.W's.

This man who came to visit was one of those men. He had reconnected with his wife after both of them spent 1-2 years in American concentration camps following the war. They had children, and grandchildren. They were German citizens, who, because of circumstance, became Americans.

When my Grandfather passed away, my Aunt and I contacted the couple who had come to visit, to let them know what had happened. That man had died three months prior. Back and forth, with the woman, we spoke about things quite a bit. She was an old woman, who had lost her husband, and had stories about her children and grandchildren to tell me.

[E.O.T.]

 

[Cainad (dec.)]

I'm glad this thread exists, otherwise I might miss stuff like that.

[Jenne]

I do wish sometimes there's an easier re-direct to the original thread, though.  But Cainad, you're right, because I often miss a lot of the good stuff.  ETA: fnordie's usu really excellent at that, but I know some aren't...you can usually click on the quote info above the quote itself and the link's embedded...doesn't always get quoted that way. /clarification  I've been guilty of this myself.

[Doktor Howl]

I do wish sometimes there's an easier re-direct to the original thread, though.  But Cainad, you're right, because I often miss a lot of the good stuff.

Click on the blue quote line.

[Jenne]

I do wish sometimes there's an easier re-direct to the original thread, though.  But Cainad, you're right, because I often miss a lot of the good stuff.

Click on the blue quote line.

Yeah, I just clarified what I meant--I know how to do that now, but not everyone does.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

No mention regarding the size of his moustache, though.

That's no accident.

Would the stache allow him to start an avalanche like that?

No, he would have started AN AVALANCHE OF SEXTORQUE™.

[Iason Ouabache]

It's art when it has an extra layer of meaning, somewhat.

It's art when the people you're trolling go all caps & no punctuation.

It's good art when you get death threats.

[Dimocritus]

I had no idea it would be so loved.

My children used to play with them in the bathtub, and argue over who had the cutest one.

I... Just... What?

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Remington's Christmas gift to me:

[Herbertina Merrique V]