A funny take on family, fish, taxes

CHRIS ERSKINE has a wonderful way of making us feel connected. Marriage, parenting, cars, yards, friends, baseball, coaching. He strikes just the right chord on the funny bone -- so much cheaper than therapy -- the perspective we sometimes need. The letter to the IRS was a classic: “Hey, Can We Deduct Peeps?” [April 20]. We laughed so hard -- doubled over -- that several cars stopped to see if we were OK!

BARBARA NOWLIN

Cambria

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I agree with Chris Erskine’s observation in “It’s Funny How Things Turn Out” [April 13] on the lifespan of carnival goldfish. I had one that lived for years, even flopped out of the bowl, dried up overnight, was found and thrown back in the bowl and somehow managed to resuscitate itself and continued on for several more years (although he swam in very big circles, as we tore off his fins on one side when we peeled his dry body of the kitchen counter).

I particularly loved the observation about the school auction. I am chairing the one for Sequoyah School (in Pasadena) right now, and have chaired it for the past two years. ‘Tis the season ... we always wake up scratching our heads over what we bought.

CAROLINE PURVIS

Pasadena

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