Leave it to an old fart....

There is something about an old coot in bibby overalls. I'm particularly fond of the light blue striped version that my Grandpa Virgil and Great Uncle Ray wore. Grandma Martha and Great Aunt Blanche sure thought they were a couple of stud muffins in those overalls. They would all get together for their weekend card games and if you were sitting under the table, you couldn't tell Grandpa and Ray apart, except by the shoes. That was a good place to be, under the table. you could play with your dolls while everyone played crazy named games and listened to Ray get all worked up about anything and everything.

As far as clothing goes, Grandpa Clarence was more of a gray or blue Dickies utility outfit kind of guy and that was a good look for him, especially years later when he had to wear suspenders to keep his britches up. They made a good torture device . You had to sneak up on Grandpa and snap them fast and run like hell. I think that is why most of the Kaster kids were good sprinters, if you weren't you would probably get your just deserts. Oh hell, they always got you back later. They would snatch your plate on holidays after you waited in line and filled it up with all your favorite goodies. Old Clarence would sneak up on you while you were busy trying to figure out how you could carry the plate, silverware, napkin and maybe an extra roll on the side, without dumping it all on the floor. He'd swoop in, make you think he was helping you by carrying your plate...but he'd say "Thank you, just what I wanted.", and start strolling off with your food. Yeah, you would freak out and he'd give you your plate back...but it never failed to make him smile. If you were laying on the floor watching TV...barefooted as we usually were...He'd sneak up behind you, grab your big toe and slowly twist it, making you roll back and forth, back and forth. We would be in a fit of laughter. It didn't hurt unless you tried fight it and refuse rolling but even then it wasn't that bad. It's not like he wanted to hurt you, just pester you a little. It wouldn't be long and Grandma Evelyn would be yellin, "Clarence!", and off he would go but not before pretending not to hear her the first time, or the second...

Both my Grandfathers have passed on. I miss them. They were real characters. I'm sure I get some of my crazy behavior from them, the rest we blame on my Pops.