Pickles by Brian Crane for January 26, 2024

It does make the heart grow fonder.

It makes her heart grow fonder, right?

Problem with retired husbands, home ALL THE TIME.

Well said, Earl…

Everyone brings happiness. Some by staying and some by leaving.

You can’t be missed if you never leave.

Well, Some of These Days …

Do husbands feel this too? If only they could have some peace or friends over without the wife around?

But did any of Opal’s friends ask “Where is Earl” ?

Amen to that! A little alone time for me is a nice respite.

Nice to know you were missed!

But don’t die.

But out of sight, out of mind, as in that old Stephen Stills song, ‘Love the One You’re With’.

A gift that is always present, much appreciated and costs nothing but some pride…

Spouses need their space from each other. Hopefully, each partner can get that space without having to be intolerable to be around.

Now if I could just get my wife to disappear.

There will be plenty of time for that in future years.

You already knew that from the 12/27/2023 strip.

That’s a little ominous, Earl!

…….AND IT’S ALL FREE

and it is one that you don’t have to wrap, Earl!

You’d miss each other terribly if you weren’t there for each other.

I can relate to this so much!

Sounds sad but it’s true Earl.

LOL!

This is something to experience when you’re a married couple that has been retired.

To improve our sleep quality, my spouse and I sleep apart. We enjoy different movies and hobbies. But we share the grand kids and bills and have lots to talk about at mealtime.

Is this going to be less and less of a thing? With no fault divorce the people who don’t want to be together would just divorce.

So the presence of absence is an absolute present.

Profound

So the absence make the best presents?

Amen … till it’s permanent.

A couple of times a year, I give my wife the gift of my absence for three weeks to a month in the Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains national parks.

Too bad Earl couldn’t leave a fart machine hiding somewhere and then remotely activate it while her friends were there.

Earl puts it in by pulling out.

LOL… The Thrill is gone…. but, they stick together.

This strip is so depressing.

It’s all about balance.