Grandma and Mabel played a pretend money game for a long time. The rules remained mysterious to Grandma, but Mabel understood. Another mutual project involved fancy scissor-work, trimming away the backgrounds on multiple copies of Daddy's school-portraits to stockpile for future collages. But the longest-lasting and most absorbing activity of all was bead-stringing.
They worked on a necklace together and hung it around Mabel's neck. After that, Mabel starting picking out white beads to make an all-white bead necklace for Grandpa, who had not earned it but was grateful to receive it.
