(no subject)
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: Grimm
AGE: Twenty-six and some odd.
JOURNAL: poisoninkbottle
IM: feelinggrimm
E-MAIL: deoxycytidine [at] gmail [dot] com
RETURNING: Trowa, Godzilla.
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: It is literally 'Mother Squirrel'.
FANDOM: Everyday Doings in Healthville, a 1929 children's health reader.
CHRONOLOGY: The end of the primer.
CLASS: Er, I suppose she'd be a hero?
SUPERHERO NAME: She'll not have one.
ALTER EGO: Or one of these.
BACKGROUND:
Healthville is very much like a small town in our own world, with two major differences:
1) It technically exists in the late 1920s.
2) It is populated entirely by anthropomorphic squirrels.
Mother Squirrel--her real first name unknown--is, quite obviously, the mother in a four-member family of squirrels which have just moved to Healthville, the other members being Father Squirrel (name also unknown), Bobbie Squirrel, and Bettie Squirrel. Yes, their last names are all 'Squirrel'. This was a book written for very young children; let's just roll with it. This family does many of the same things that modern human families would ideally do, such as cook and eat meals together, see picture shows, go to school, and so on. As readers, we follow them as they move through a series of situations that prove very helpful in teaching one how to take care of oneself and stay healthy.
Although the focus of the stories are the lessons that Bobbie and Bettie are learning, Mother is often the 'wise mentor' of each individual tale, taking twin roles as both kindly mother and stern teacher, guiding her children through their daily lives and helping them to make wise decisions.
Having just moved to Healthville, Mother allows her children to play outside in their new big yard, mentioning that doing so will keep them strong and healthy. Later, as they head indoors for something to eat, hungry from all that playing, they go to sit down, but she inspects their hands and realizes that they are very dirty. Refusing to allow her children to eat a meal with filthy hands, she sends them off to wash up, only providing them with dinner once they've properly cleaned off after their outdoor escapades. It is not the first mealtime lesson we receive from her, as a breakfast time some days later reveals that Bobbie is attempting to rush it in the hopes of playing with their friend, Johnnie Bushy Tail, while his sister eats at a much milder pace. Scolding him lightly and instructing him on the importance of eating slowly and carefully, Mother makes him wait until his sister is done before allowing them both to go outside and play.
Bettie is not a perfect role model, though. That position is left to Mother Squirrel, as we soon see when she quickly redirects Bettie's misguided attempts to help out by cleaning the kitchen while Mother is busy cooking in it. Even though she is firm with her rules, she is kind, giving Bettie a treat for at least trying to help out.
Ever mindful of her children's health, Mother takes care to prevent them from becoming ill as well, teaching Bobbie the proper way to respond to heat exhaustion and responding to a teacher's note mentioning that Bettie is underweight and undersized by having her drink milk for the calcium in it--and when her daughter refuses, soon changes young Bettie's mind by declaring that all of her funtime privileges will be revoked until she takes better care of herself. She treats Bobbie similarly when he does not brush his teeth before school, allowing Bettie to go on alone while Bobbie is forced to clean up; he is nearly late, which would have put him in twice the trouble, and so the lesson is learned.
She is thoughtful enough to check on her children overnight as well, finding that Bettie has closed her window because it is a bit chilly; opening it to provide fresh air (this is not a modern household, after all), Mother kindly puts a screen in front of the window to stop the direct draft and adds more blankets to her daughter's bed.
There are times when she is not there to catch their errors, though, as in In the Rain. Not at home at the time, she is not there to remind Bobbie to get into dry clothes and warm up after he comes home from walking in a rainstorm; not having remembered his previous lessons, he catches a cold, disappointing her. Similarly, Bettie is found reading in the dark one time, despite multiple previous warnings from Mother. it appears to be a lesson she has difficulty teaching them, as Bobbie also does this later.
Mother is there to put her children to bath and bed when they should go, and to stop them from passing germs to each other by sharing half-eaten food or getting dirt and filth in their food. One night, when there is cake for dessert, she allows Bobbie a piece after he has eagerly eaten twice as much dinner, but refuses Bettie any when the girl squirrel insists on not eating her supper. Mother Squirrel is evidently fond of baking things, as she makes yet another pie later with Bettie's help.
School adventures continue as she must be there to assist her children with their studies (reminding them not to chew their pencils on the way), and provides them with pretty new drinking cups to take with them so that they will not get sick from sharing drinks with other students. Yet again, she holds Bobbie back home until he has cleaned up, and personally takes them to the dentist a few days later, where she is proven very wise as the dentist points out that Bobbie's lack of brushing has led to a cavity. Mother also obviously disapproves of Johnnie Bushy Tail, as every time he is mentioned, it seems to lead to a bit of a rebellion behavior-wise on her children's part; this time, he is responsible for her having to sit them down and teach them that they ought not to drink tea or coffee at that age.
The year continues to wear on, with Mother disallowing picture shows on school nights but passing the time by having her children make candy with her, and taking them to the doctor for their vaccinations.
At the very end, we are treated to a sit-down with the family, each of them reminiscing over the last year. Mother is proud of her children, who have--with her help!--become big, strong, and healthy. She happily reminds them that they will stay that way if they follow her instructions, and it is decided that they will continue to live in Healthville from then on.
PERSONALITY:
Mother is, quite simply, a mother--and she is a damned fine one at that. It is a trait she displays towards most people, wishing for everyone to be well-cared for and healthy. She does not like for anyone to be in danger from their own lack of self-preservation, and will do what she feels she must to make the point without going completely overboard. At times, she can be stern, but when it is called for, can display a wonderfully gentle and loving side.
Firmly set in her beliefs about what does and does not make for a healthy person (or squirrel), Mother refuses to bend to those who would defy those rules. As each person is important, so are the methods by which they are to live! And as she is one of the two adults in the family, her word is, essentially, law. If it is cold, you will put a coat on before going out. If you are hungry for a crunchy snack, you should have carrots and not potato chips. And if the Major's vampires bite you, not only will you wash that wound, you will go to the doctor, have it looked at, stitched up if necessary, any shots or medication you might need as a result, and the proper amount of bed rest afterward. This is not only about physical health, but mental as well; devoting the mind to one's studies and keeping happy are equally important! It saddens her when someone she cares about is hurt or ill, and although she will remind them that it would not have happened if they'd paid attention to her words, she will be there to care for them then, too.
Of course, that does not mean that her household is a dreary prison. The reason Mother cares so much about the health of her children is that she loves all of them very much! There are plenty of rewards for good behavior, such as attending picture shows, and if something simply can not be done, she will find a way to make up for it. Mother also loves to cook a good homemade meal, and more importantly, likes to bake, so expect delicious treats for politeness and obedience. Sometimes, she'll even let you help! Providing you've washed your hands, of course.
Mother is not the sort to be a typical superhero. Disapproving of pain and illness the way she does, she very much will not accept the use of violence as an easy answer to one's problems--if at all! She is more of the protecting and healing sort, taking others under her wing and providing for them whenever possible, whether that's dispensing wise and much-needed advice, giving them food a place to stay when they're going through hard times (and seeing to it that they get themselves picked back up), re-wrapping pressure bandages (with a firm reminder that she does not approve of getting into fights), or standing up to announce that someone will have to go through her first to get to their target (although she will use as non-violent and non-harmful a method of stopping them as possible, and have the police take care of the rest). Depending on the circumstances, she might even be considered a sort of neutral zone at times.
Mother is a bit old-fashioned, being from when she is. Many things about modern society will shock and/or confuse her, such as skimpy women's clothing, fast cars, some of the more hideous viruses known to mankind, women being in positions of great power, so on and so forth. And that's after she gets over no longer being a squirrel. While some things may please her, she'll quietly (or perhaps not-so-quietly) disapprove of others. She will, however, attempt to adjust as much as she can to her new surroundings while keeping herself and her ideals generally intact. A mother's job is to do what she can, after all, and if the children insist on being wild, rebellious things, then she must grin and bear it and hope that enough of what she does sticks to make a difference in this world.
She will, of course, miss her family back in Healthville very much, contributing to her likelihood of taking in almost anyone who needs the help. Mother will also probably collect things in the shape of/relating to squirrels out of a sort of sad longing to be with her true family. She will keep most of her feelings on the matter private as time goes on, unless around someone she would consider a true confidante, as allowing herself to stagnate and wallow in self-pity and despair is, at best, terribly unhealthy.
POWER:
These are all non-canon, but based on who she is as a character in the book and what might be a good, subtle fit for her.
HEALTHINESS
While in Mother's presence, characters (and NPCs) will find that their general health is upped a notch or two. The severity of illnesses are temporarily lessened. Blue moods become just that helpful touch brighter. Injuries heal faster. Even bacteria slow down. Strong individuals grow a touch stronger. It is not a true healing solution; she can not simply touch someone and wipe away their injuries. But sometimes, an extra little nudge is all you need to feel healthier. This power automatically affects anyone/thing within a twenty-foot radius of Mother Squirrel (unless they choose to opt out of it--though I can't see why--or have some sort of counteracting power or whatever). She can not turn this off.
CLEANLINESS
Mother is a skilled hand at the art of cleaning. As such, tasks revolving around cleaning become easier when Mother is nearby. Rubble can be cleared quicker. Stains that seemed impossible to get out manage to slowly fade. Blood is wiped away with little effort. Dust accumulates at a much slower rate. Trash cans take longer to begin smelling of disgusting things. Showers are more efficient in less time. As before, there is no perfect, instant solution, but keeping clean is easier when it doesn't feel like so much work. This power automatically affects anyone/thing within a twenty-foot radius of Mother Squirrel (unless they choose to opt out of it or have some sort of counteracting power or whatever). She can not turn this off.
SQUIRREL SPEECH
Because everyone needs a hilarious, if useless, power. Mother is able to speak to squirrels in their own language, and converses with them with ease. She can convince them to do things for her, and even teach them, although she will not do it if it would put them at some sort of risk. So she can ask a squirrel how its family is doing, and teach it to clean its acorns before it eats them, or have it fetch her a feather-duster, but she will not send it into battle against a villain.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
[The owner of this communicator is a woman, going by the sound of her voice; she speaks clearly, and of no nonsense, but in a calm, relatively quiet sort of way. It is the voice of a person who knows that she does not need to scream and rage to stand her ground or prove her point, and who is quite sure of the validity of her opinions. In fact, it might remind you just a little bit of your mother...]
I must remind everyone to stay away from these men who sell 'hot-dogs' on the street. Their carts do not have places to wash their hands. You must have clean hands before you touch food, or it will become dirty food. The street is also never a good place to make food. Cars and other things make the air dirty. It will get on the hot-dogs.
Dirty food will not keep you strong. You should all remember this.
Perhaps they were not told about these rules. I shall speak to them when I am done here.
If you do not have any other food, you may ask me where to find some that is clean when I am finished.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
"Chew your food before you swallow it," she absently reminded the young man sitting the table as he wolfed down a bowl of cereal as though he would never have the chance to eat it again. "You do not want to choke on your food."
Mother was busy washing the pans she had used to cook the household's morning meal, a pair of rubber gloves on her hands and suds nearly up to her elbows; it was a fine distraction, and one she used very often. She usually found it an ideal time for thinking, as the concentration necessary to see to it that every remnant of food was removed from the plates meant that she could also focus very well on problems that were otherwise difficult to face.
Such as the issue of the electric boxes called 'tele-visions'.
The night before had not been the first time one of her wards had asked her to purchase one, begging to see a kind of program on it. She was not entirely sure that she liked the sound of something titled 'Desperate Housewives', however, and furthermore, from what she had learned by speaking to other women in grocery stores and libraries, it seemed as though the invention had a terrible habit of causing people to become lazy and unimaginative, relying on it to entertain them while they sat and ate very unhealthy things. 'Couch potatoes', they called these poor, unfortunate souls.
And yet, she had also been told of the educational channels, by which one might learn new and fascinating things. Ever one to approve of additional study, and the improving of one's mind, Mother could not help but ponder the usefulness of having such a thing playing in the background while she ironed or mopped. It would certainly assist her in her attempts to understand how this modern world worked. And she could set rules limiting how long it could be on, so that they would not spend too much time in front of it, as well as how far to sit from it and when to have the lights on while watching. That would take care of many dangers.
Perhaps she would invest in one. The teenager at the table had unexpectedly proven to be something of a genius with electric objects. Could it be possible for him to make it so that the television would not be capable of showing things it was not good for people to watch?
"May I have another glass of orange juice?" the young man asked, catching her attention.
"Of course you may," Mother replied, a smile appearing on her face as she nodded toward the refrigerator to indicate that he should pour it himself. "It is very good for you. I am glad that you like it so much."
Yes. She would think about a television some more tomorrow.
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
SQUIRREL
NAME: Grimm
AGE: Twenty-six and some odd.
JOURNAL: poisoninkbottle
IM: feelinggrimm
E-MAIL: deoxycytidine [at] gmail [dot] com
RETURNING: Trowa, Godzilla.
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: It is literally 'Mother Squirrel'.
FANDOM: Everyday Doings in Healthville, a 1929 children's health reader.
CHRONOLOGY: The end of the primer.
CLASS: Er, I suppose she'd be a hero?
SUPERHERO NAME: She'll not have one.
ALTER EGO: Or one of these.
BACKGROUND:
Healthville is very much like a small town in our own world, with two major differences:
1) It technically exists in the late 1920s.
2) It is populated entirely by anthropomorphic squirrels.
Mother Squirrel--her real first name unknown--is, quite obviously, the mother in a four-member family of squirrels which have just moved to Healthville, the other members being Father Squirrel (name also unknown), Bobbie Squirrel, and Bettie Squirrel. Yes, their last names are all 'Squirrel'. This was a book written for very young children; let's just roll with it. This family does many of the same things that modern human families would ideally do, such as cook and eat meals together, see picture shows, go to school, and so on. As readers, we follow them as they move through a series of situations that prove very helpful in teaching one how to take care of oneself and stay healthy.
Although the focus of the stories are the lessons that Bobbie and Bettie are learning, Mother is often the 'wise mentor' of each individual tale, taking twin roles as both kindly mother and stern teacher, guiding her children through their daily lives and helping them to make wise decisions.
Having just moved to Healthville, Mother allows her children to play outside in their new big yard, mentioning that doing so will keep them strong and healthy. Later, as they head indoors for something to eat, hungry from all that playing, they go to sit down, but she inspects their hands and realizes that they are very dirty. Refusing to allow her children to eat a meal with filthy hands, she sends them off to wash up, only providing them with dinner once they've properly cleaned off after their outdoor escapades. It is not the first mealtime lesson we receive from her, as a breakfast time some days later reveals that Bobbie is attempting to rush it in the hopes of playing with their friend, Johnnie Bushy Tail, while his sister eats at a much milder pace. Scolding him lightly and instructing him on the importance of eating slowly and carefully, Mother makes him wait until his sister is done before allowing them both to go outside and play.
Bettie is not a perfect role model, though. That position is left to Mother Squirrel, as we soon see when she quickly redirects Bettie's misguided attempts to help out by cleaning the kitchen while Mother is busy cooking in it. Even though she is firm with her rules, she is kind, giving Bettie a treat for at least trying to help out.
Ever mindful of her children's health, Mother takes care to prevent them from becoming ill as well, teaching Bobbie the proper way to respond to heat exhaustion and responding to a teacher's note mentioning that Bettie is underweight and undersized by having her drink milk for the calcium in it--and when her daughter refuses, soon changes young Bettie's mind by declaring that all of her funtime privileges will be revoked until she takes better care of herself. She treats Bobbie similarly when he does not brush his teeth before school, allowing Bettie to go on alone while Bobbie is forced to clean up; he is nearly late, which would have put him in twice the trouble, and so the lesson is learned.
She is thoughtful enough to check on her children overnight as well, finding that Bettie has closed her window because it is a bit chilly; opening it to provide fresh air (this is not a modern household, after all), Mother kindly puts a screen in front of the window to stop the direct draft and adds more blankets to her daughter's bed.
There are times when she is not there to catch their errors, though, as in In the Rain. Not at home at the time, she is not there to remind Bobbie to get into dry clothes and warm up after he comes home from walking in a rainstorm; not having remembered his previous lessons, he catches a cold, disappointing her. Similarly, Bettie is found reading in the dark one time, despite multiple previous warnings from Mother. it appears to be a lesson she has difficulty teaching them, as Bobbie also does this later.
Mother is there to put her children to bath and bed when they should go, and to stop them from passing germs to each other by sharing half-eaten food or getting dirt and filth in their food. One night, when there is cake for dessert, she allows Bobbie a piece after he has eagerly eaten twice as much dinner, but refuses Bettie any when the girl squirrel insists on not eating her supper. Mother Squirrel is evidently fond of baking things, as she makes yet another pie later with Bettie's help.
School adventures continue as she must be there to assist her children with their studies (reminding them not to chew their pencils on the way), and provides them with pretty new drinking cups to take with them so that they will not get sick from sharing drinks with other students. Yet again, she holds Bobbie back home until he has cleaned up, and personally takes them to the dentist a few days later, where she is proven very wise as the dentist points out that Bobbie's lack of brushing has led to a cavity. Mother also obviously disapproves of Johnnie Bushy Tail, as every time he is mentioned, it seems to lead to a bit of a rebellion behavior-wise on her children's part; this time, he is responsible for her having to sit them down and teach them that they ought not to drink tea or coffee at that age.
The year continues to wear on, with Mother disallowing picture shows on school nights but passing the time by having her children make candy with her, and taking them to the doctor for their vaccinations.
At the very end, we are treated to a sit-down with the family, each of them reminiscing over the last year. Mother is proud of her children, who have--with her help!--become big, strong, and healthy. She happily reminds them that they will stay that way if they follow her instructions, and it is decided that they will continue to live in Healthville from then on.
PERSONALITY:
Mother is, quite simply, a mother--and she is a damned fine one at that. It is a trait she displays towards most people, wishing for everyone to be well-cared for and healthy. She does not like for anyone to be in danger from their own lack of self-preservation, and will do what she feels she must to make the point without going completely overboard. At times, she can be stern, but when it is called for, can display a wonderfully gentle and loving side.
Firmly set in her beliefs about what does and does not make for a healthy person (or squirrel), Mother refuses to bend to those who would defy those rules. As each person is important, so are the methods by which they are to live! And as she is one of the two adults in the family, her word is, essentially, law. If it is cold, you will put a coat on before going out. If you are hungry for a crunchy snack, you should have carrots and not potato chips. And if the Major's vampires bite you, not only will you wash that wound, you will go to the doctor, have it looked at, stitched up if necessary, any shots or medication you might need as a result, and the proper amount of bed rest afterward. This is not only about physical health, but mental as well; devoting the mind to one's studies and keeping happy are equally important! It saddens her when someone she cares about is hurt or ill, and although she will remind them that it would not have happened if they'd paid attention to her words, she will be there to care for them then, too.
Of course, that does not mean that her household is a dreary prison. The reason Mother cares so much about the health of her children is that she loves all of them very much! There are plenty of rewards for good behavior, such as attending picture shows, and if something simply can not be done, she will find a way to make up for it. Mother also loves to cook a good homemade meal, and more importantly, likes to bake, so expect delicious treats for politeness and obedience. Sometimes, she'll even let you help! Providing you've washed your hands, of course.
Mother is not the sort to be a typical superhero. Disapproving of pain and illness the way she does, she very much will not accept the use of violence as an easy answer to one's problems--if at all! She is more of the protecting and healing sort, taking others under her wing and providing for them whenever possible, whether that's dispensing wise and much-needed advice, giving them food a place to stay when they're going through hard times (and seeing to it that they get themselves picked back up), re-wrapping pressure bandages (with a firm reminder that she does not approve of getting into fights), or standing up to announce that someone will have to go through her first to get to their target (although she will use as non-violent and non-harmful a method of stopping them as possible, and have the police take care of the rest). Depending on the circumstances, she might even be considered a sort of neutral zone at times.
Mother is a bit old-fashioned, being from when she is. Many things about modern society will shock and/or confuse her, such as skimpy women's clothing, fast cars, some of the more hideous viruses known to mankind, women being in positions of great power, so on and so forth. And that's after she gets over no longer being a squirrel. While some things may please her, she'll quietly (or perhaps not-so-quietly) disapprove of others. She will, however, attempt to adjust as much as she can to her new surroundings while keeping herself and her ideals generally intact. A mother's job is to do what she can, after all, and if the children insist on being wild, rebellious things, then she must grin and bear it and hope that enough of what she does sticks to make a difference in this world.
She will, of course, miss her family back in Healthville very much, contributing to her likelihood of taking in almost anyone who needs the help. Mother will also probably collect things in the shape of/relating to squirrels out of a sort of sad longing to be with her true family. She will keep most of her feelings on the matter private as time goes on, unless around someone she would consider a true confidante, as allowing herself to stagnate and wallow in self-pity and despair is, at best, terribly unhealthy.
POWER:
These are all non-canon, but based on who she is as a character in the book and what might be a good, subtle fit for her.
HEALTHINESS
While in Mother's presence, characters (and NPCs) will find that their general health is upped a notch or two. The severity of illnesses are temporarily lessened. Blue moods become just that helpful touch brighter. Injuries heal faster. Even bacteria slow down. Strong individuals grow a touch stronger. It is not a true healing solution; she can not simply touch someone and wipe away their injuries. But sometimes, an extra little nudge is all you need to feel healthier. This power automatically affects anyone/thing within a twenty-foot radius of Mother Squirrel (unless they choose to opt out of it--though I can't see why--or have some sort of counteracting power or whatever). She can not turn this off.
CLEANLINESS
Mother is a skilled hand at the art of cleaning. As such, tasks revolving around cleaning become easier when Mother is nearby. Rubble can be cleared quicker. Stains that seemed impossible to get out manage to slowly fade. Blood is wiped away with little effort. Dust accumulates at a much slower rate. Trash cans take longer to begin smelling of disgusting things. Showers are more efficient in less time. As before, there is no perfect, instant solution, but keeping clean is easier when it doesn't feel like so much work. This power automatically affects anyone/thing within a twenty-foot radius of Mother Squirrel (unless they choose to opt out of it or have some sort of counteracting power or whatever). She can not turn this off.
SQUIRREL SPEECH
Because everyone needs a hilarious, if useless, power. Mother is able to speak to squirrels in their own language, and converses with them with ease. She can convince them to do things for her, and even teach them, although she will not do it if it would put them at some sort of risk. So she can ask a squirrel how its family is doing, and teach it to clean its acorns before it eats them, or have it fetch her a feather-duster, but she will not send it into battle against a villain.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
[The owner of this communicator is a woman, going by the sound of her voice; she speaks clearly, and of no nonsense, but in a calm, relatively quiet sort of way. It is the voice of a person who knows that she does not need to scream and rage to stand her ground or prove her point, and who is quite sure of the validity of her opinions. In fact, it might remind you just a little bit of your mother...]
I must remind everyone to stay away from these men who sell 'hot-dogs' on the street. Their carts do not have places to wash their hands. You must have clean hands before you touch food, or it will become dirty food. The street is also never a good place to make food. Cars and other things make the air dirty. It will get on the hot-dogs.
Dirty food will not keep you strong. You should all remember this.
Perhaps they were not told about these rules. I shall speak to them when I am done here.
If you do not have any other food, you may ask me where to find some that is clean when I am finished.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
"Chew your food before you swallow it," she absently reminded the young man sitting the table as he wolfed down a bowl of cereal as though he would never have the chance to eat it again. "You do not want to choke on your food."
Mother was busy washing the pans she had used to cook the household's morning meal, a pair of rubber gloves on her hands and suds nearly up to her elbows; it was a fine distraction, and one she used very often. She usually found it an ideal time for thinking, as the concentration necessary to see to it that every remnant of food was removed from the plates meant that she could also focus very well on problems that were otherwise difficult to face.
Such as the issue of the electric boxes called 'tele-visions'.
The night before had not been the first time one of her wards had asked her to purchase one, begging to see a kind of program on it. She was not entirely sure that she liked the sound of something titled 'Desperate Housewives', however, and furthermore, from what she had learned by speaking to other women in grocery stores and libraries, it seemed as though the invention had a terrible habit of causing people to become lazy and unimaginative, relying on it to entertain them while they sat and ate very unhealthy things. 'Couch potatoes', they called these poor, unfortunate souls.
And yet, she had also been told of the educational channels, by which one might learn new and fascinating things. Ever one to approve of additional study, and the improving of one's mind, Mother could not help but ponder the usefulness of having such a thing playing in the background while she ironed or mopped. It would certainly assist her in her attempts to understand how this modern world worked. And she could set rules limiting how long it could be on, so that they would not spend too much time in front of it, as well as how far to sit from it and when to have the lights on while watching. That would take care of many dangers.
Perhaps she would invest in one. The teenager at the table had unexpectedly proven to be something of a genius with electric objects. Could it be possible for him to make it so that the television would not be capable of showing things it was not good for people to watch?
"May I have another glass of orange juice?" the young man asked, catching her attention.
"Of course you may," Mother replied, a smile appearing on her face as she nodded toward the refrigerator to indicate that he should pour it himself. "It is very good for you. I am glad that you like it so much."
Yes. She would think about a television some more tomorrow.
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
SQUIRREL