NO DUCKS

Katie and her grandfather "Say" at the Kinderhook - 1991

This morning, as we usually do for Sunday breakfast, we use the Make-a-Plates I made about twenty-five years ago. At that time, I made animal drawings on the plates for the granddaughters, and put some of my favorite sayings on the set for us. Today, when Frank finished his French toast, he read the saying “No ducks, es worms.” That was what Katie said, probably in disgust, when her parents asked about the resident ducks at her preschool. Just worms there that day.

As he usually does when he reads one of her sayings, he reminisces about the wonderful times we had with her and her sister when we lived just a few miles away from each other in upstate New York. This morning, he asked me “How big is she now?” I had to smile. I said, “She’s thirty.” Oh. He’s confusing her with her daughter, Adeline, who is just the same age as Katie was then. They’re all in Texas now, and we wish we were closer.

KATIE - 1993

At age eighty-eight, and having had two mild strokes resulting in mild senile dementia, it is understandable that he confuses the generations. It’s also understandable that he confuses Adeline with his Katie. Adeline is almost a Katie mini-me.

ADELINE 2019