Pickles by Brian Crane for July 05, 2021

And where Earl doesn’t create holes in the roof (see Friday’s Pickles)?

and they are willing to pay thousands of dollars to real estate agents to get away from Earl and Opal.

I know of at least two couples who sold their houses and moved to get away from their 30-something live at home kids.

You’re going to miss the free babysitting.

Painful……

I actually agree with the kids. Our first house was right next door to my parents’ house. My dad stayed home but my mother was always interfering and my son preferred his grandmother’s kitchen to ours.

Is she trying to kill her mother?

Never live close to your relatives!!!!

Rip off the Band-Aid.

At least she had the fortitude to tell the truth!

To grow as a person, you often have to hurt people!

If they move, will we see Nelson less often?

What Arnold said " I’LL be back "

How to make your parents wish they had been childless…

She shoulda taken “more upscale, newer, closer to shopping” when she had the option. Hell Hath No Fury Like A Grandmother Spurned. Not even close.

That Opal is shocked here is two-thirds of the problem.

Some truths arrive with a bump, some with a crash.

I wonder if Opal knows how a quad drone works?

Sure, they were ok being there while Nelson was little and they needed the free babysitting.

they must’ve found out that you were spying on them. I meant watching them. :D

There are two houses in town that are not only next to each other but connected. The parents built it for one of the kids to live with their family. I don’t know how well that worked but eventually it/they went up for sale and were on the market for a long long time.

The comments here today saddened me.

Oslo?

We have heard how this pandemic has strained some relationships. Some couples have broken apart because they were spending all their time together and were forced to confront and acknowledge the ugly truth about their marital difficulties. That is sad but it has happened. As for the strip today this has played out in reality of course. My step-father’s parents lived across the street from us but they did not interfer in any way. People respond to situations in different ways. Some parents in this scenario are gracious, understanding, emotionally secure and although perhaps disappointed they do not begrudge their kids moving. Some on the other hand invoke guilt trips, are angry, resentful and bring being hurt to a new level. If the relationship with the kids is solid it will not be impacted negatively by them moving further away. If not, then problems will arise for the long term.

No Nelson in this comic? There goes most of the reason for reading it.

My mother called my Grandmother the Queen Bee! My brother and I still laugh about it!

This story will have a happy ending- for Opal.

Sad all around especially for grandchild

That did call for a “gasp”!

First there should be boundaries…Opal with the binoculars is way over the line! Too close for comfort for me! Depends on how much privacy one wants from family! I saw my grandparents everyday growing up…cherished every minute! Now they’re all gone, parents, grandparents, including all my aunts and uncles! So sad!

Ouch!

Wow, harsh. I feel badly for Opal. I don’t remember this strip getting into so serious an arc. Earl and Opal’s relationship with Nelson is wonderful. Can’t see that ending. Or seeing more of the daughter and son in law?

This had as much chance of happening as Ray and Debra moving away from his parents!

I always liked to keep a little distance between my home and my parents’ home – preferably around 2,500 miles!

My daughter and grandson lived with me for several years in Florida, and my stepson, his wife, and two kids lived downstairs from us in Ecuador for about 3 years. While I love them all and enjoyed being around them, I was elated when they moved out.

I am surrounded by relatives. To the right of me are my nephew’s home and business. On the left is my sister-in-law’s house and next to her is the house of my 3 brothers-in-law. The whole block is owned by my wife’s family! ( It’s why we built a little get-away cottage in the country. )

I saw that coming from a mile away.

What about Nelson? Did you even stop to think what this will do to him?

What about grandson Nelson?

As much as I understand, I would give anything to be able to pick up the phone and call my mom again.

That girl is selfish for telling that truth to her mom! There is nothing wrong with holding certain information back.

Truth hurts. Don’t ask a question that you don’t want to know the answer to

Shots fired.

As for us, we moved to a new job in another state, but not far enough away as we drove ‘home’ for holidays.

Oh no!

I live in a retirement community and my wife is still a practicing Psychotherapist. Sad how many people have moved here so they could connect… sometimes daily… with their kid’s family. It almost always doesn’t turn out well for either.

Don’t move, get rid the husband or boyfriend, whatever it is.

Sometimes honesty is the best policy…

Called it. Cue the tantrums from gramma. I think gramps will be cool with it, though.

It’s not Earl using the binoculars!

Called it.

Oh, no … You should have picked one of her ideas. Seriously.

Well, Sylvia, it’s about time (you told your parents)!