Joyce and I came home from grocery shopping and found a message on our phone answering machine. It was our son Andy (a.k.a., "Daddy") calling from Alaska and reading Grannie's greeting card (stuffed with photos) to four-year-old Abby.
Daddy: "Dear Abby -- Here are some picture of Uncle James and Aunt Amber and your cousin, Baby James -- and Uncle Ben holding Baby James. Uncle Ben cut his hair short. Granddad and Grannie have been dog-sitting Aunt Amber's dog Brody."
Daddy: Remember Brody?
Abby: Yesss!
Daddy: "Granddad and Grannie have been dog-sitting Aunt Amber's dog Brody." (Andy then editorialized: "We do not sit on Brody.") "We watch him run in the back yard and jump. Does Tifa [pronounced TEE-Fah] jump?" [Tifa is Andy's dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Huskey cross,] (Andy again editorialized: "Oh yes! Tifa can jump the fence.")
Daddy: "Uncle Ben is coming to your house in a few weeks to visit. He has never been to Alaska. Uncle Ben loves cats, so he will enjoy seeing your Emma cat. -- Love, Grannie"
Daddy: That was a very nice letter from Grannie. So Abby, what kind of animal is in the picture on the front of Grannie's card?
Abby: Uuuuummmm ... a MOOSE!
