Trying Not to Laugh

I have always had a problem with this...you know, trying not to laugh at things that are not supposed to be funny, but somehow I have found I have a weakness in that area. ..

Take the time my sister and I were taking my grandma to a department store. I was trying to show Grandma how to get on the escalator. Well, her timing was all wrong, and she stepped on, started losing her balance and my sister was trying to catch her by the hand and only managed to grab her finger so she started sort of twirling around and then she fell with her legs in the air and her girdle showing,(she had to wear one...). Some man below had the good sense to push the panic button so the whole thing stopped,but what a sight to behold. And all I was doing the whole time was laughing so hard I was crying. Of course I would not have been laughing had she been really hurt, but I could only imagine what all those people were thinking of me laughing at my grandma for her stunt on the escalator...

Or take the time I was in church and the minister was reading the portion of the Bible where it told of Rebeckah meeting Isaac for the first time...The minister read in a booming voice ..."And Rebeckah rose up off of her ass..." (meaning donkey of course) but he had gotten no further than that last word when several of us lost it and started laughing...shameful, I know, but that's what happens when you are sitting with a group of teenagers...


It seems to me the harder one tries not too laugh, the harder it is to hold it in...don't know why, but it's true. I love to laugh, but not necessarily at someone else's expense. So, I try to curb that...but I have failed a few times. And in case you are wondering, yes, I laugh at myself all the time-in fact, I do quite frequently since there is plenty to laugh at! I figure if one can take being laughed at with good humor and grace, then I figure you are truly a good humored person, and not so bad to be around!

Time For Some Lemonade!

Yes, that time is nearly upon us...when the temperature goes up, and a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade would be most refreshing!

I remember when I was just a young teen, so young that I hadn't a clue about making fresh lemonade from lemons. And of all things, I got a job at a health food restaurant opened by a lady who was , how can I say it? She was not a nice person...she put me behind a counter where I was to make the tea and drinks.

One day she stormed in and barked.."Make some lemonade.." and just handed me a sack of lemons. I was too terrified to ask her how, and she didn't ask me if I knew how or tell me how to do it. So, you guessed it, I spent ALL morning squeezing lemon juice into a pitcher, adding some honey into it, and that was it. You can imagine what happened when a customer ordered it and tasted it. Talk about getting chewed out! ! That was an understatement! That job didn't last long, I can tell you! LOL

Anyway, in honor of that sunny, citrus refreshment, I have found some cute and unique finds that reflect that wonderful summer drink. Think about taking a look at these shops to maybe brighten the fading winter blahs, and add some zest to your day!

Pink Lemonade Bunny Slippers:

Made by Emandsprout at Etsy




Lemonade Olive oil Shea Butter Soap:

Made by CrazyKBathandBody at Etsy




A really unique recycled purse from lemon-pineappleade containers:

Made by OhNoUDidntDesigns at Etsy




And finally, this cute little teacup coin pouch purse:

Made by hmmmbymel at Etsy



Enjoy! (And PLEASE don't drink the lemonade I make! )

The Joys of the Forties...

Seriously, I feel like I have lost it sometimes...and may be I have! LOL

Did I use to do these things when I was younger? You know, like the other day I needed to go to the post office and I went to the closet to get my jacket and what did I do? I started to put on my fuzzy bathrobe...

And I find my self doing other things like:

getting ready to pour orange juice on my cereal

paying for something at the checkout then walking out without it

Looking all over for the house for something that is right there in my hand

Accusing someone of taking my craft scissors and finding out I was almost sitting on them

Giving the salesperson that asks me for my zipcode a blank stare then giving them my old one because I forgot my current one

Going to the store specifically to get something I desperately needed only to come home with 10 other things but not what I went in there for

And, something else have noticed is I speak my mind a LOT more than I ever did in my younger years. Is that good? Depends on who you ask! I kind of like myself doing that, it's quite liberating to say " You can go visit your relatives if you want to, but I am stayiing here- because if I go, I may end up causing mutiny on the ship for telling everyone what I REALLY think of them!"


I have a good reason for this you know. I am the mother of four teenagers...and what little brain cells I have left are being sucked up by trying to keep them in order. Yes! That's it, it has to be!

At any rate, I have noticed myself doing goofy things that show my mind is somewhere else...and that is really why I do the artwork I do. It gives me a chance to focus on something, enjoy it, and keep my mind off of what I really don't want to think about. Now, I am off to go find my craft scissors ....

Create Because I Must!

Have you noticed this? No matter how hard times may be, if you go into a craft store, you will see it busy. At least where I am at, it has been.

I think that is because one can almost always find something they can make that is affordable, even in the leanest of times. If nothing else, one could go out in the yard, find some rocks, and paint the Mona Lisa on them, build a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge out of toothpicks, or crochet some toilet paper if things get really bad...no kidding! ( I found a lady on Etsy who actually does this...of course I am sure it is meant as a joke!)

There is something about crafting or art that is akin to therapy..it gives you something to do to take your mind off the fact that your mother in law lives next door, that you have a boss who makes Attila the Hun seem like a pansy, that those bags under your eyes are more like satchels, or the fact that your back goes out more than you do!

I love making messes snipping and sewing and creating...Rarely do I get in a grump when I am in my element - making what I feel is my niche or at least one of my niches! I sort of like the peacefulness of sitting alone in a room, by our big picture window, watch the sun set over the bare cornfields, spying on the next door neighbors, or watching an Andrea Bocelli concert on my portable dvd player. I think that is why so many people make things...it takes their mind off of things and they get the fun of seeing what evolves when they use the creative side of their mind.

I love seeing what others make, and I most likely will always be doing something in the field of art or crafting. It's either that or eat a cartload of chocolate...and since that would only make me have to exercise more, I prefer doing artistic things!

Like a Kid in a Candy Store

My husband and I took a trip to Indianapolis not too long ago for fun, and I wanted to visit a shop my sister told me about called "Quilting Quarters".

I found it, finally, and wow-what a store that was! It was fabulous! It had wall to wall fabric selection of every color and pattern you can think of, it was sorted from fancy, seasonal, colors and all kinds of things. I wasn't expecting such overwhelming choices!

Now, when I think of quilting, I think of old ladies or a group of pioneers sitting in a circle talking about all the juicy things that are going on in the community while they stitch pieces of old nightshirts, worn dresses, and things of that nature...(not that I wouldn't mind being in on that.. )

While quilting is not my thing, (I wouldn't know where to start), it does seem like it would be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together...and I hate doing jigsaws!

I was there at that store because I use fabric with very small prints on it since my characters are so small, and finding fabric that will work is no "small" task... pun intended of course. And they had plenty of fabrics that suited the bill, but I couldn't buy them all...

I did limit myself though to about 5 or so swatches to buy since I knew that I can only use so much and a quarter yard of any fabric goes quite a ways for me.

I could easily spend all day at a fabric store , especially if they have a wide range of things to look at. It's almost as good as going into a bakery...er, but maybe not quite!

Have You Ever Done This??

Ok, so I am not always graceful, nor do I remember what I am supposed to be doing when I walk into a room ....and yes, I am willing to admit I have gotten lazy at times and have done things which have made more work for someone else....I tsk myself for that...

For instance....have you ever:

1. Picked up some underwear at Wal-mart then decided while in the grocery section you didn't need them so you leave them hanging in the canned goods aisle? (Shame on me, I know!)

2. Eavesdropped on a conversation at a restaurant?

3. Put the peanut butter in the refrigerator and the salt in the freezer?

4. Picked the wrong book off the library shelf that sends a bunch falling off the other side?

5. Talked real loud to your sister (or friend) while you are in a public restroom only to find out she's not there but a line of waiting people are?

6. Rushed to a dentist or doctor's appointement, sat in the office for a while, only to find out you are there on the wrong day?

7. Sat on the end of your sister's ribbon belt so that when she went up to the platform to play a piano piece, it unraveled all the way up there?

8. Forgot to put sugar in a sour berry pie and then shrug when someone asks who brought that horrible pie?

9. Gotten into the wrong car at a parking lot and tried to start it only to realize it isn't your car?

10. Put things into the wrong grocery cart and start to roll away with someone else's goods?

11. Spent the day at a big get together only to realize too late you had a huge rip or stain on your seat where you couldn't see it?

12. Asked the woman next to you when her baby is due only to find out she's not expecting?

13. Asked a lady you met if the girl next to her is her daughter only to find out it is her sister?

14. Woke up in the middle of the night to a terrible grating sound, only to realize it is you- snoring?

15. Looked like you just won a big slob contest while making a quick run to the grocery store only to see someone you know really well, so you hide yourself until you think they are gone, only to run into them at the check out?

Yes, all the things above are just a small sampling of things I admit to..there are many more, but I can't write a novel right now so a few will do.

It just goes to show you, we are all human and some of the things we do are silly or amusing.... or maybe not so amusing..but at any rate, I like knowing that goofiness happens to everyone -it's what makes us laugh at ourselves, even if no one else does, and maybe learn a lesson or two along the way!