A Diamond Necklace Played the Pawn

I've mentioned our family is reasonably Trans-Atlantic; except for me. I'm unreasonable but only semi transatlantic. My spouse is German and our children, both born in (West) Germany carried dual passports for a number of years even after we migrated zu das Land der unbegrenzten möglichkeiten. (As long as the money holds out; otherwise you're on your own.)

My children's childhood was filled with Benjamin Blumchen (I found the Scarlet Mouse Ears in the lower left corner interesting), die sendung mit der maus (actually they watched that one with me on Sundays), Pumuckl (my personal favorite for reasons we need not get into), evening visits from The Sandman (lots of clips with the WRONG song; what's that all about?) and we often hosted Peter Lustig's Lowenzahn (I still think he looks like Rik D, but may not be a Hertha SC fan).

The hands-down favorite entertainment was an import from Belgium, Die Schluempfe who were as close to an all-encompassing commercial presence as was possible before Al Gore invented the Internet and Steve Jobs perfected oxygen. We had no viral marketing and dinosaurs still roamed the earth and these weird little blue people were everywhere. Between them, Patrick and Michelle had hundreds of figurines (and at some point today my wife will explain to me, in my dotage that I have it wrong and she will, of course, be right as she has been for nearly 34 years-and if you don't think just ask her).

I have no idea why they haven't had theme parks built in their name on this side of the pond from sea to shining sea but that should be changing as The Smurfs in 3D splashes across all manner of movie screens, from Mom and Pop Kino Korners to multi-plexes starting today. My kids whom I still see as nine and four instead of the adults they are will avoid me like the plague for the next few weeks or they may never get to grow up, at all.

I lean more towards seeing Cowboys and Aliens but for reasons that have nothing to do with either and a great deal to do with Olivia Wilde leaving me to ponder the question posed by that anonymous school child all those years ago 'if you choke a smurf what color does he turn?' Pay attention, Gargamel, you'll know where to add the 'm.' Canvass the town and brush the backdrop.
-bill kenny