Tag Archives: The Peanuts Gang

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 20)

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It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!!  It’s the World War I Flying Ace swooping in on his doghouse for a visit to Sun City Peachtree!!!

Snoopy— uh, World War I Flying Ace— must be taking a break from his battle against the Red Baron (real name Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthhofen).  He is probably exhausted, although he had just enough strength to call out, “Curse you, Red Baron!” as he often did following previous battles.

‘Ace has been fighting the Red Baron since October 10, 1965, when he first appeared in The Peanuts Gang comics.  He had a lot of ground support from his troops during his battles, beginning with Schroeder, who kept up morale by playing popular World War I songs on his toy piano.  Woodstock and his bird friends served as mechanics, ‘Ace’s sister, Belle, was a nurse for the troops, and their brother, Spike, served as a member of the infantry.  Marcie provided loyal support as the dashing pilot’s French lass.

During the Vietnam War, an American fighter squadron wanted to use Snoopy the World War I Flying Ace as their mascot, so they sought permission from Charles M. Schulz.  Since Schulz was a veteran himself, he granted approval.

Ultimately, Schulz had changed the focus of ‘Ace from the Red Baron-fighting pilot to battling love and loneliness.  As he confided to writer Rheta Grimsley Johnson in her 1988 book, Good Grief, “It reached a point where war just didn’t seem funny.



…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 18)

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The Peanuts Gang is back!  I was so happy to see little Franklin out there on the bench today.  Bloom County got me in a fowl mood, so it was uplifting on this gorgeous spring day to see Franklin smiling up at me with open arms.

I have always liked Franklin, because he is such a kind and smart kid.  We also share some things in common.  Like me, he is a swimmer and a member of a swim club.  Cool!  He also stays busy with all sorts of other interests, just like I do.  The active boy is into playing baseball, hockey, and guitar; and, he’s a member of 4H.  He is also quite the skilled dancer, from leading Marcie in a waltz to busting some hip breakdancing moves.

Thoughtful and supportive, Franklin is always available to help out his friends.  What a great kid!  He even likes hanging out with his grandparents, and often swaps grandfather stories with Charlie Brown.

Franklin and Charlie first met at the beach, and their friendship began when he offered to help Charlie fix his crooked sand castle.  When Franklin took up Charlie’s offer to visit him in his neighborhood, he met Charlie’s friends who he thought were a bit odd.  (It freaked him out that Linus believed in the Great Pumpkin!)  He became friends with all of Charlie’s buddies anyway. 

Peppermint Patty and Marcie live in Franklin’s neighborhood, so they already were friends and classmates. 

Franklin, thanks for visiting us here at Sun City Peachtree.  It was an honor having you grace our bench today!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 12)

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After a short hiatus, The Peanuts Gang has returned to the bench.  I had anticipated the pony-tailed Violet Gray eventually making an appearance, and, sure enough, she did—in a violet dress!

Violet was alone today, but she can usually be seen hanging out with her best pals, Lucy and Peppermint Patty.  She joins them on the baseball field playing left field and sometimes third base.

Did you know that Violet was the first one to not let Charlie Brown kick the football?  She didn’t pull it away to be mean (like Lucy always did); she simply was afraid of having her hand kicked along with the ball. 

I’ll have to admit I never cared much for Violet, because she was a bit of a snob from a higher-class family than the rest of the middle-class gang.  Always bragging about her father, she was constantly aggravating and annoying Charlie Brown.  I felt sorry for the poor little guy, because she was always picking on him!

That brings me to Lucy, who I disliked even more, because she was so darn mean to Charlie.  Most likely, she stopped by the bench for a visit prior to the rest of the gang I’ve been writing about, but I missed her.

I don’t know who will visit next.  Perhaps Charlie or Lucy will stop by again for another visit to my Sun City Peachtree neighborhood bench.

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 11)

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Frieda (with her “naturally curly hair”) stopped by to keep Marcie company, today, on the Sun City Peachtree bench!  Although, at least it looked that way…

More likely, Frieda wanted to show off her beautiful head of red curls to Marcie and (try to) make her jealous.  She is that vain!  The thing is, none of her friends, including Marcie, are jealous of her hair; she just thinks they are and wants to brag about it.  Marcie is too down to earth, though, and Frieda’s hair doesn’t register on her radar.

Frieda is so all about her “naturally curly hair,” that she refuses to wear a baseball cap while playing on Charlie Brown’s baseball team.  She couldn’t possibly cover up those gorgeous curls!

The vain little redhead also has a nasty streak with Snoopy.  She has called the pooch “lazy” and “useless,” because he would rather sleep atop his doghouse than hunt rabbits like other beagles.  This gave Frieda the idea of buying a cat to motivate Snoopy to get over his laziness; however, “Faron” ended up being even lazier!

At least Frieda is nice to Charlie Brown and Linus.  She doesn’t tease them and is sensitive to their feelings.  In fact, Frieda is the only one of the kids that doesn’t tease Linus about his security blanket.  Good on her for that!

As for Frieda’s relationship with Lucy, although they got off to a rocky start, they became friends.  Frieda and Lucy are both outfielders on Charlie’s team; so, during baseball games, they always get distracted chatting with each other, rather than keeping their attention focused on the game.  Oh well; at least it keeps Frieda’s attention off her naturally curly hair!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 10)

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The Peanuts Gang took the day off yesterday, but Peppermint Patty’s best friend, Marcie, came to visit Sun City Peachtree today!

Like me, Marcie has short dark hair, and like me when I was a kid, she never wears a dress.  She most often wears an orange shirt; yellow and orange was my favorite color combination when I was a kid.  Marcie wears glasses, though, something I haven’t yet needed except for reading small print.

I always liked Marcie, because she’s smart, wise, well-read, sweet, caring and honest—everything I always aspire to be. Charles M. Schulz described Marcie this way: “Marcie is one-up on Peppermint Patty in every way.  She sees the truth in things, where it invariably escapes Patty.  I like Marcie.”

Somehow, Marcie and Peppermint Patty, have always remained best friends, even though they nave very different personalities and compete for their crush, “Chuck.”  Charlie Brown is clueless, though, and neither one ever wins his heart.

Marcie is quite a well-rounded kid.  In addition to being a good student (unlike Peppermint Patty), she’s a good ice skater, appreciates the arts (especially “Tiny Tots” concerts), and takes organ lessons.  Organized sports aren’t her forte, however, because she can never get the rules straight.  As Peppermint Patty once told her, “There is no penalty box in baseball.”

You may remember Marcie as the girl who always called Peppermint Patty, “Sir.”  Was it because Peppermint Patty was a tomboy?  I think Marcie was just quirky, but Peppermint Patty called her a “dorky kid” before they became best friends.

Well, it was great seeing Marcie today, and I look forward to seeing who will be next!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 9)

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The moment I have been waiting for has arrived:  WOODSTOCK!

There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to see that little bundle of yellow-feathered cuteness, so I dragged myself out of bed from my post second dose of Moderna- required nap and headed over to the bench.  I was rewarded with the sight of one of my favorite Peanuts Gang characters, Woodstock!  Poor thing; he was looking so confused on his painted rock.  I wonder what he saw that perplexed him so…

No worries, Woodstock, everything will be alright!  Snoopy to the rescue!

Maybe Woodstock’s confused about what type of bird he is, since nobody really knows.  One thing for sure—he doesn’t fly very well, even though his best pal, Snoopy, attempted to teach him how to fly, after the little fellow was abandoned by his mother.

Snoopy, is Woodstock’s “friend of friends,” as the little bird refers to his canine buddy.  Snoopy is the only one who understands Woodstock’s chirps, and they really seem to have a great understanding of one another.  Yes, they do have their squabbles; however, they always make up and hug in the end.

Woodstock, named after the 1969 music festival, may be wing-challenged; however, he is Snoopy’s very capable helicopter pilot.  He is also second-in-command of Snoopy’s Beagle Scouts hikes and is always up for an adventure.  Perhaps that is why he looks so alarmed; Snoopy has left for a hike without him!

Perhaps something happened to his worm.  Like most birds, worms were Woodstock’s favorite food—until he fell in love with one.  I’m not sure what became his favorite cuisine after that.

We’ll never know what Woodstock was thinking today; only Snoopy knows that.  One thing I know for sure, though, is that this little random act of cuteness made my day!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 8)

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The Peanuts Gang took the day off, yesterday, and earlier this morning, the bench near my house remained bare.   When I passed it by on my way to getting my second Moderna vaccine, I was sad to see it empty. 

When I returned, my spirits lifted when I spotted a new addition:  Rerun!

Rerun van Pelt is Lucy and Linus’s little brother.  Born on May 23, 1972, Linus decided to start calling his baby brother “Rerun,” because big sis, Lucy, compared having a second brother to TV reruns.  (I’m sure that’s what my big brother thought of me when I came along after living his first 3-1/2 years with two older sisters.)

Always sporting a cool pair of overalls and spiky hair, Rerun was most often spotted on the back of Mom’s bicycle looking terrified.

At the ripe old age of 1, Rerun joined Charlie Brown’s baseball team.  A few weeks later, their team actually won their first game; however, they were forced to forfeit, due to a gambling scandal.  It was later revealed that Rerun had bet on the game with Snoopy.  At his tender age, it appeared as if Rerun was already making a shady reputation for himself.  As for Snoopy, well, we all know about his shenanigans!

Following the scandal, Charlie Brown wouldn’t let Rerun play on his team, telling him he was too young and too small.  Rerun accused Charlie of discrimination, obtained a court order (signed by no other than Snoopy, the “World Famous Attorney”), and finally got to play.

Rerun also had a go at basketball, when Linus attempted to teach little bro how to play.  The tyke wasn’t any good at the sport, though, and often kicked the ball in frustration, only to have it bounce back at him.  At one point, Rerun tossed the basketball in his closet, closed the door, and said, “You can come out when you learn to behave.”

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 7)

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Today, it was Charlie Brown’s close pal, Shermy, smiling up at me from the bench of little random acts of kindness.  Although Linus was Charlie Brown’s main man, Shermy was his next closest bud in the early years.

Back in the ol’ days, Shermy was always there for Charlie when the going got tough; and, once in a while, he filled in at first base on Charlie’s baseball team.

Here’s a bit of trivia for you:  Shermy was named after Charles M. Schulz’s high school friend, Sherman Plepler and was one of the main Peanuts characters before Linus and Schroeder came along.

You wouldn’t have seen much of Shermy in the animated TV specials after the 1960’s, though.  By then, Shermy had wandered out of The Peanuts Gang.  He later disappeared from the comic strips as well.

Thanks for coming back to see us here at Sun City Peachtree, Shermy!  It has been a long time, but it was great to see you again!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 6)

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I was sad yesterday; the bench was bare both times I checked for another painted rock.  The hummingbird flew away, along with my note to the artist.  Would another Peanuts Gang kid return?  Perhaps Woodstock would fly in and make an appearance!  My anticipation grew as I waited for today.

On my way to the pool, I glanced over to the bench and saw nothing.  “Oh well,” I muttered to myself, wondering if they were gone for good.

As I drove up the street, I glanced over to the bench near the first hole of Sun City Peachtree’s golf course and saw a painted rock!  Has The Peanuts Gang gone on tour?

After my swim workout, I noticed another rock on the bench around the corner on Del Webb Boulevard.  I cranked a quick U-turn to see who was getting wet in the rain.  It was Linus and Snoopy, from April 4th!  I continued towards home, and, although I didn’t get out of my car this time, I stopped to get a glimpse of the rock on that bench near the golf course.  I think it was Pig-Pen!

The Peanuts Gang IS on the move, touring Sun City Peachtree!  I headed up the street to the bench by my house to see if one of Charlie Brown’s other pals was there.  Glancing out the rain-splattered car window, I could see the red piano!  It’s Schroeder, gracefully playing some bars of Ludwig van Beethoven!

I quickly made my way home, parked the car; and, grabbed my camera and umbrella.  When I arrived at the bench, Schroeder was too engrossed to look up.

Schroeder never bothered acknowledging Lucy van Pelt, either, except to express annoyance at her leaning on his coveted toy piano.  (It was Lucy who was so infatuated with the talented prodigy, not Sally as I previously stated, (and then corrected, in a previous post.)

I never felt sorry for Lucy’s rejection by Schroeder, because she was so darn mean to poor ol’ Charlie Brown.  What goes around, comes around, Lucy!

Well, thank you, Schroeder, for bringing some sunshine to my heart on this dreary, rainy day!  I hope one of your buddies visits tomorrow!

…AND ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 4)

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Since a different Peanuts Gang pal of Charlie Brown has made a bench appearance each day, I was excited to see who would be depicted on a painted rock today.  Another warm afternoon (before tomorrow’s predicted thunderstorms) made it conducive for the short walk to the bench to investigate.

Making his painted-rock appearance today was perpetually dirty, dust and dirt magnet, Pig-Pen!  (Having just taken my shower, I didn’t want to get too close for fear of being enveloped by Pig-Pen’s always-present cloud of dirt and dust.) 

Poor guy.  Even when Pig-Pen gets cleaned up, he always manages to attract a huge, dirt cloud around him, the moment he steps outside.  Kind-hearted Charlie Brown accepts Pig-Pen for who he is, though, unlike Patty and Violet who hurl insults at the messy kid.

Tomorrow, the rains will come and wash Pig-Pen off before he is removed from the bench; however, he won’t stay clean for long!