EARLY MORNING JO JO AND A STRIPPED ZEBRA

While he was on vacation at the Fort in the West our noble young knight came into Grandpa Sanchos’ bedroom early nearly every morning except when Santa Claus came. Grandpa Sancho was still almost bedridden following surgery on the injury received in the much earlier jousting event. Don Andrew would always peer around the door as he opened it and give Grandpa Sancho a really big grin. Then he broke into a run to climb up on the bed with his old sidekick. In the meantime, this old share cropper had to hurry to get Jo Jo, the Disney clown, tuned onto the television as Don Andrew nestled beside this old man.

On one morning these two were intently watching Jo Jo and The Wiggles and Don Andrew was ready for breakfast. He always wanted grapes but the Duke and Duchess had him eat something a little more nutritional before he could have grapes. As he left for breakfast, he looked straight at this knight’s squire and said, Sancho Panza, we need a donkey. Then he ran off for breakfast.

Befuddled and confused this old grandpa laid on the bed wondering how he was going to come up with a donkey for his small grandson. As he set his gaze on the clutter of the bedroom shelves, Sancho Grandpa had a great thought as he saw the face of a small stuffed zebra staring at him. Why not have a striped donkey?

Grandpa Sancho loves zebras more than most animals in the wild. Zebras are strong, graceful and yet very open to becoming the prey of predators. In a recent university class, the professor asked each member of the group to choose a symbol that each member thought best reflected his or her qualities. Of course, this studious squire chose the zebra. At the conclusion
of the semester each group member shared a gift with each other member. A very nice lady who is Grandpa Sancho’s good friend gave him that zebra inside a black and white stripped ceramic holder.

Now this university student believes in education. It is quite an extraordinary discovery to find out this old laborer could launch a new career with a new and different Master’s Degree. Riding on donkeys and in wagons is getting the best of this old traveler. It’s time to slow down a bit and live the rest of the time on this planet continuing to serve others in a different capacity.

After all these thoughts it was time to call for Don Andrew and try to present the zebra as a donkey with stripes. Well, our young knight is far too sharp for that. Grandpa, that’s a zebra and he has too much hair. The zebra did have a big fuzzy mane. But Andrew, we could get Grandma Sancha to cut the mane.

At that point Don Andrew would have nothing to do with Grandpa Sancho’s nonsense. The zebra was returned to its holder. A couple of days later after the wagon was loaded to head east Don Andrew came running in and asked, Where’s my stripped donkey? Who knows about the imagination of a 3½ year old boy? As he headed east for his home, Don Andrew had that little zebra securely tucked in his hand. It was a gift from his old Grandpa. He would make do with the best donkey he could get. What a neat kid!

BENNY THE JET

While Don Andrew was in the Fort of the West for his holiday vacation he enjoyed a great time with Sancho Grandpa and the rest of the family. Don Andrew had a most enjoyable time until he jumped out of the wagon and raised up under it, on only the third day, and received a very nasty wound on the back of the head. It was as though he had been attacked by one of those windmills.

The remainder of his vacation was more fun and exciting as he began the day with his faithful squire watching such notable works of art as Jo Jo and The Wiggles. The two would also close the evening talking and playing something together. During the day he very busily played and jousted with his cousin from Waxland, Don Sean and his own brother Don Matthew.

It was the night before his entire family loaded the wagon to head east. Our young knight came in and asked this befuddled old laborer, Grandpa, could we watch ‘Sandlot?’ Of course we could. As a matter of fact, the young knight and his trusty squire had to watch it again the next morning. This preempted Jo Jo and The Wiggles. As we watched this marvelous work of art, Don Andrew found a new hero. Isn’t it great little boys can have good heroes? There aren’t too many left to be had anymore.

Benny the Jet Rodriquez was the hero of eight other boys as they played baseball together in some town on the West Coast. Don Andrew was a little afraid of the baseball nabbing beast, Hercules. The more he watched, the more he warmed up the big old dog. Smalls, who narrarated the story, lost his step father’s baseball when he hit his only homerun of the movie into the yard with the beast. That same baseball had been autographed by Babe Ruth. Boy, was Smalls in trouble!

After trying every conceivable way to get the ball out of the yard with the beast, Benny finally had a dream that involved a discussion with the Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, etc. The Babe told him something about heroes being one thing but legends never die. Bennie knew he had only one destiny, at least for the near future. He must go into the territory of the Beast and meet him on his own ground. To do this he must put on his brand new PF Flyers. Of course, he did just that and Hercules came after him, broke the chain, and proceeded to chase Benny all over town. Lots of things happened but to make a long story a little shorter, Benny got the ball, Smalls got grounded for a week, and Hercules became the team mascot after those events.

Well, that’s a tiny bit of the story. That part really impressed our young knight, so much so, he has now decided he must plant his feet and move his arms before he can run anywhere, just like Benny the Jet. Benny ended up playing for the Los Angles Dodgers; Grandpa Sancho’s all time favorite team. Guess what team is the favorite for Don Andrew? He and Grandpa Sancho have been to Dodger Stadium to see our team, the Dodgers play. This faithful squire will keep the Dodger Blue always before Don Andrew, even though green is his favorite color.

Sancho Grandpa had an old Grandpa a long, long time ago.x He dealt this old share cropper misery. You see, he was a New York Yankee fan. Perhaps that is why Grandpa Sancho loves the Dodgers. They played nearly every year in the World Series. That old Grandpa lived long enough to see the Dodgers beat the Yankees four games straight and claim the World Title in 1963. Grandpa Sancho loved his old Grandpa so much but after so many years of losing to him, that one did this old laborer really GOOD!

POP

Anciano Grandpa Pop Journey, great-grandpa to our young knight Don Andrew, was a grand old fellow who lived by himself in San Diego by the Sea. We loaded the wagons, complete with Don Andrew, and went to San Diego to see Anciano Grandpa Pop. This was a couple of years ago. This befuddled old laborer had a great time with Don Andrew in Pop’s backyard playing shovel. Could that have been were Don Andrew developed his first love for digging wormies? Who knows! It really would have been nice for Don Andrew to have his great grandpa’s shovel. Don Andrew enjoyed being with his Great Grandpa.

I am so glad our young knight got to see his great-grandpa when he did because shortly after that Anciano Grandpa Pop died. His daughter lives in a city by the Golden Gate Bridge, along with her husband. They are neat people and provide Don Andrew and Don Matthew with a great pair of grandparents.

Don Andrew is very close to both his old grandpas, as well as his grandmas. But, he has three grandmas. Grandma Sancha’s mother is still quite alive at 93 in the Key City of West, TX, which isn’t really in West Texas at all.

Now, just a little while back it occurred to our 3½ year old knight that he was a little out of balance in life. If he had three grandmas why did he only have two grandpas? He took this question to his mother Doña Duchess. His mom explained all about Anciano Grandpa Pop Journey. This information left even our young knight a bit befuddled and quite troubled in spirit.

At this point, Don Andrew was a bit sleepy and was in need of a nap so he fell asleep (Don’t believe that for a minute—he had to be told to take a nap). Anyway, in a matter of a couple of hours, our young knight awakened from his nap, came into his mother and, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, announced what he must do. Was it a dream? You must draw your own conclusions.

Don Andrew told Doña Duchess he would just dig his grandpa up out of the ground and wipe all the dirt off his face. This way he reasoned he would be back in balance in the grandparent department. Doña Duchess doesn’t dare tell Don Andrew about anymore of his deceased grandparents quite yet. There will be another day.

TRADIN' PLACES (2)

We awaited the final approval of the Chief Medical Practitioner, but alas, it never came. Finally one of his assistants approved us leaving that Dallas Presbyterian medical facility. The wagon rolled south and then a little west and we arrived at the Inn by the River. Doña Duchess was there to help Grandma Sancha, and this befuddled old laborer, get settled in for a good nights sleep.

Grandma Sancha and Doña Duchess then went to get Don Andrew and Don Matthew at that daycare holding facility for those too young to attend the more specialized institutions of learning. Grandpa Sancho rested up from that journey from Never, Never Land.


Finally they all arrived back at the Inn by the River. Don Andrew approached this ancient one and gave him a big hug. Then he just nestled up beside Grandpa Sancho and said very little as he checked the seriousness of the situation. The last time he had seen his faithful squire was when Grandpa Sancho was lying in that medical facility bed in pretty pitiful condition.

Then Don Andrew slowly started, I like you Grandpa. Then our young knight got into motion. I’m going home with you to the Fort of the West. We’ll have fun then. Was he just trying to humor his old squire or was he in denial as to the seriousness of the medical situation? At 3½ what can you expect?

Then it happened. He jumped off the bed, ran and looked behind every door and under everything. Don Andrew, what are doing you? he was asked. I’m looking for our swords, Grandpa. Then he climbed back on the bed beside his old Grandpa and said, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza! He assumed the former position sitting against his ailing old squire. It wasn’t long before Don Andrew said, Grandpa, let’s be Spiderman today! That was a good idea. That way he could be what he wanted and this old squire could enjoy watching him do it.

Don Matthew is just big enough to begin to walk a little. He seems to have a single aim to his movement and that is to approach Don Andrew with hands wide open ready to pull all his hair out. Don Matthew must think this is a formal way to express he love for his brother because he certainly loves him.

A good time was had by all. Then Grandpa Sancho was pooped. There will be a tomorrow. We must return to the Fort in the West. How grateful Grandpa Sancho and Grandma Sancha are every day for all their family.