Grampa's Feigned Helplesses - brings the best out in Gramma and our Son!

Just WHO is getting FOXED?

I think the phrase is "Crazy like a Fox!"

In our family, dexterity and physical skill is highly prized.   Like the German people revere a fine mechanic, a world class wood carver or a craftsman on an assembly line -- the Howe family near worship's Grampa Milo's bicycle repair expertise and Grampa John Miller's trimphant achievement patiently hammering a squashed French horn back into fully formed existence--and taking the time to actually learn how to play it well.

Some families cherish academic achievement.  We value genius from the wrist down. Being handy is a whole lot more praised among the Howes than being smart.

Gramma Rosie jokes to anyone who will listen that all the "technical skill" passed Grampa (me) by and landed in Jeff's hands. (with a little on the side, just for her)  Oh, little does she know.   I've avoided the temptation to build fine furniture or tinker with our vastly complex, computerized automobile--and concentrated my tactile expertise wholly and completely into the mastery of desk top publishing, video production and Microsoft office software on my computer.

(Our son has devoted much of his professional training to those same skills--so we have much to talk about)

Now to the payoff--

I'm convinced that Tom Sawyer enlisted all that fence painting support from his little buddies in Missouri by faking a broken hand, or a blind eye and deaf ear.

I've discovered on the last two especially, that all I have to do is buy the put-together-kit from Walmart or Shopko--and the good genes kick in.   Rosie will read the plans, the blue prints, keep track of every screw and bolt just for the challenge of it.  Then the mighty Jeff shows up.  She feeds him instructions and screws.  He handles he tools and boom boom crunch crunch new projects get done!

I'm afraid that if I put my oar in--feelings get hurt, there's shouting, differences of opinion get magnified.

I do best getting the project complete by retiring from the field--sitting at the edge and doing something completely unrelated like writing this post.

Did I mention they put together my new table in jig time--and not a cross word was spoken.

All I really have to do now is show my appreciation

P.S.  Feigned helplessness is great for complex paperwork--if you can weaken enough to enjoy it!