Dear Family,

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me--
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

--Shel Silverstein, “Where the Sidewalk Ends”

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“Nobody ever tells you that growing up costs so much!”

--Athena

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Bennerisms:

Dear Family,

“...One minute you're waiting for the sky to fall
Next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all...”

--Bruce Cockburn, _Lovers in a Dangerous Time_

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Dear Family,

“Everything has multiple variables, and _everything_ is non-linear! It's amazing anyone can make any progress at all.”
--Terry Matilsky [hard at work on his gravity/early universe theory...]

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Jemmerisms:

“Pig is my favorite meat. Pepper is my favorite pepper.”

“I love this car [toy with pull-back action], because it's SO frickin' cool! ...It goes, Zoomy! Zoomy!”

As we drive by a wintry Cayuga Lake: “Those really are frozen waves.”

“I think they're called grizzly bears 'cause they've got grizzly hair.”

Dear Family,

It has...ahem...come to my attention that some family members would prefer not to wade through lengthy article excerpts concerning, say, gut dysbiosis and its effect on neuromuscular occlusion...when all they really want is to read the cute things that Jem and Ben said this week.

Therefore and henceforth, my updates will begin with Family News and Isms, followed by fascinating-article reviews and op ed content. I hope this will prove more user-friendly; let me know what you think. :)

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Dear Family,

Jemmerisms:

Looking deeply into my eyes: “There are two Jems in there! See them?”

In NJ, enjoying the carpet: “I'm gonna hop up the fuzzy stairs!”

Staring wistfully out the window, over the mountains, while Ben and he and I discuss the far ranging nature of Sky: “I want to go FAR away.”

Stomping down the path: “That's the sound of the crunchy snow... I like it!”

“I wanna be a train driving on tracks--'cause I wanna drive on tracks.”