A glimpse of life in a Pickles Cartoon

One of  our favorite cartoons which our local newspaper does not carry but which we enjoy when in PA is Pickles.  Brian Crane’s Pickles is a laugh-out-loud comic strip gem that features Earl and Opal Pickles, who have been married for over 50 years, it shows the funny side of family and friendships. Earl and Opal share their golden years with their 30-something daughter Sylvia, her husband, Dan and their beloved grandson Nelson. Their dense dog Roscoe and cynical cat Muffin also enliven the Pickles’ household. Whether observing the differences between genders and generations or taking a wry but sympathetic look at life in the twilight years, Crane’s good-natured wit and dry humor are just downright funny.

Well yesterday on my various errands here and there I was in West Salem, WI  delivering a small end table to the refinisher.  West Salem is home to a fabulous bakery, Linda's which has been designated as the best in Wisconsin.  I never go to West Salem without a stop in Linda's to purchase various delicacies for home and to treat myself by consuming  something special with my coffee right there in the bakery at a table.  

 Yesterday morning was a day of such a treat and I thought of my Grandma Rose who made delicious pastries, the likes of which I have never mastered.  But then when there are real bakeries here opposed to those in the grocery store that  are OK, why bother to try to out master the masters.  It is always a difficult choice and Linda's is always busy with locals buying, ordering special occasion cakes and folks just treating themselves.  Yesterday was no exception.  I chose a  gooey calorie laden Danish pastry filled with cream cheese and apricot and made my way to a table to savor the treat.  So many options and certainly a place where my eyes can get "bigger than my stomach/"  Something else Grandma always said about me.

There  as I sat down and nodded were two elderly couples at separate tables talking about driving, how they do not drive at night and how they do not go very far these days.  They agreed that driving was not so much fun anymore, too many people in a rush and their conversation moved on to differences in aging as one couple mentioned they no longer drive to Arizona for the winter, but fly.  They admitted to not being so sharp in reflexes today as they once were and I thought how very astute these people are to recognize their declining abilities with aging and to not plunge ahead as they would have in their younger days. Astute and considerate so they do not put other drivers at risk.   I was at a table off to the side close enough to overhear their conversation, but able to gaze outside as though I heard not a word.  Then a young mom came in with her toddler son and took the child's table ahead of me.  Soon one couple left.   The remaining couple had their treats to finish and the husband looked at his wife and asked, "Who were those people?"  "How should I know," she replied, "I thought you knew them."  I had to keep my face toward the window as I stifled laughing out loud.  The young mom, burst out with a gale of laughter though and looked at me.  The couple just kept eating their  delicacies oblivious to anything comical happening. 

Just like a Pickle's cartoon, life  shows  us funny moments if we can just catch  and appreciate them when they come our way.   Everyone I told this to laughed out loud today. I am going to have to subscribe to a daily Pickle's if available over the 'net. Here's Earl speaking about donuts.  Hope this makes you smile.