Monday, May 3, 2010

Not Funny But At Least You Won't Sob Into Your Coffee


I want to be funny again. I want to write a crack-you-up post that'll have you giggling and maybe chortling and maybe even guffawing. I want to have a good time here and I want you to as well.

I keep trying to think of something that's amusing. Something that made ME laugh, or, at least when looked back upon, gave me a chuckle. I'm sure something did, something has, but for right this second, not so much.

Well, there is this:
I was talking to my nephew Kian on the phone the other day before he came out for the birthday party.
"Kian," I said, "I'll bet you've grown five feet since I've seen you!"
"I doubt that," he said. "I'm not even five feet tall."
"Well, maybe a foot then," I said. "At least six inches."
"That's far more likely," he said.

Kian is what? Seven? He always cracks me up.

No, almost everything right now is definitely NOT cracking me up, but still- I can enjoy the goodness of things and that's good enough.

Here are some pictures of things in my world today and one of Jessie and her friend Melissa in Lorie's house over in St. Augustine. They drove over there yesterday to attend a sort of party that Lon and Lis were playing at and they stayed at Lorie's house. I know they had a great time. Just staying in Lorie's house is enough to insure that. Lorie, as I have said before, is such an amazing house keeper that I suspect that instead of scrubbing her walls, I believe she may actually paint them once a week or so. They are THAT clean. But it's not an intimidating sort of clean. One has to suspect that she has magical powers which makes it all okay. She certainly has beautiful magical things everywhere you turn.

Anyway, here's a picture of the girls that Lorie sent me:

It's such a beautiful thing when the "young people" like to hang out with us olds. There are two of those young people that like to come and be in plays at the Opera House with us old people. I was talking to one of them the other day about this. I said, "Caleb, how come you guys like to hang out with us old people?"
And he said, "Well, y'all are cooler than anyone I know. Plus, you all know so much more."
"Well," I said, "We'd have to be complete fucking morons not to know more than twenty-year olds at this point in our lives."
He may have been taken aback. I'm not sure.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the yard today:


The Confederate Jasmine is starting to bloom. I love how the buds are twirly and whirly and then open up into those pinwheel blooms with their intoxicating smell. Really. They can knock you out on a late spring evening. Just BOOM! fall over, faint with the scent of them.


Here's the clever bamboo trellis Mr. Moon built for the tomatoes. He is ALL about the garden this year and I have to say it's never looked better.


Potato bloom. Yes. Potatoes bloom.

Can you see the bright green, almost translucent new leaves on the magnolia? They will sturdy-up soon but for now, they are delicate.


Last but not least. When I came in after gathering eggs and went to the sink to wash my hands, I found this little green guy, waiting patiently for a bug to fly by. I love these tiny frogs. He hopped down into the sink below the dish drainer after I took his picture. I imagine he's still there.

And that's my world today. It's Monday. The birds are calling, the wind is blowing in some weather. Everything seems to be waiting, holding its breath between gusts. I hear a frog chugging away in the swamp out back beyond the railroad track, expecting rain to fall on his back soon. The hens are eating the corn I threw them. The new leaves of the magnolia are fluttering.
Nothing very funny but profoundly okay.

And tell me, if you want, what is okay in your part of the world.

30 comments:

  1. Good morning, love. My boyfriend is back to work after being laid off for quite awhile, so that's what is okay here in Ohio.

    I love the frog picture, and what you said to the young man at the theater was funny as hell.

    Much love,

    SB

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  2. Ms. Bastard-Beloved- And now that I have heard from you, there is even more okay-ness here in Lloyd.
    Good morning! Glad the boyfriend is back to being employed!
    You are loved...Ms. Moon

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  3. What's right with my world is that most of the college kids have left town for the summer and for a few short months, things will be more laid back and quiet where I work. I love those little frogs by the way. I have one living in between the screen and the back door and he serenades me all the time!

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  4. The thing that is pretty ok in my world today is that Eli told me last night that my pills must be working a little bit already because I am fun again. This, after chasing him into the bathroom where he jumped into the tub to get away from me and I jumped in after him and pounded on him, whereupon he fell into the tub laughing at me for being a weakling. He called me OLD, you see, hence the chasing. And I am fun again, or at least beginning to be. That is good.

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  5. Lois- Tallahassee does change when the circus leaves town, doesn't it?

    Kori- THAT makes me happy.

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  6. Ms. Moon, you will be funny, and you will be profound. Either is okay with me. Your writing is so evocative and wonderful.

    What's ok in my world is that I've printed my clients' invoices for
    the time I spent on their cases in April, and I find that I was more productive than I thought I was. And I don't have any deadlines today, which is always nice.

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  7. DTG- Don't worry, dear. I have already put him outside. Although he was very cute and I sort of enjoyed having him around.

    E.- It's always nice to realize one has been more productive than one thought. I usually have the opposite problem- I work so hard and have nothing to show for it which makes me think maybe I am NOT working so hard.

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  8. Hi Ms. Moon,
    What's ok in my world is sunshine, yard work and sore muscles from splitting and moving perennials all weekend. I am painting with flowers, it should be lovely in a few years.
    I planted a tiny vegetable garden for the first time in a few years, thanks to your inspiration. Not as impressive as Mr. Moon's garden rows, but the lettuce should still be yummy.
    Love the sink frog!!

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  9. Effing blogger is eating my comments! I like the frog.

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  10. Your okayness came just in time -maybe you can help me handle my breakdown.

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  11. You're real and that's always OK. Who can be hilarious all the time? For me, when I try to be funny, but am not really feeling it, it'll come out as awkward, strange or inappropriately dumb. I seem to learn the hard way quite often... and then trudge on. :)

    If I were Mr. Moon, I'd be all about the garden too, knowing what great meals are going to come from that place in the future.

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  12. Sure wish I could hear the sweet music your daughter and friend were playing. Now that would be fine..did I say that looking at your photos of flowers is like a lesson on nature? I see these great flowers that I don't ever see here on the west coast of Cal-e-for-ne! Hehe! I know California...we are so in a hurry that we forget to pause sometimes and just really observe...of course....I DO try!

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  13. Mel- Oh, that makes me so glad to hear that we inspired you to plant a few veggies. It's just the nicest thing to eat what you've grown.

    Stephanie- Sorry about google. Well, you know what I mean. That frog was cute, wasn't he? Tiny butt.

    SJ- Breakdown? What's going on sweet sister?

    Nicol- I think it's Mr. Moon's therapy for his anxiety. Getting old is the suck.

    Ellen- Well, if you never left the confines of your community, you, too, would have nothing more to do than wander around looking at the flowers.

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  14. What is okay in my part of the world today is just being. Being alive and having a job to go to in the morning (even if it is a Monday and even if said job is excruciatingly boring today).

    Life is beautiful. And when I have a day when I feel that way, then life really IS beautiful:)

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  15. I was gone for the weekend so didn't comment on all your lovely posts, so let me just say a few things:

    1) That mandolin is beyond amazing. What a gift!

    2) I'm so happy that the light is slowly coming back.

    Now, here's a few things you've written about that make me laugh. Recycle them when the well is dry:

    1) Kaboom! and Kaboom! Foam
    2) The man punching the drumstick in "Man vs. Food"
    3) Anything involving Wife Swap or the the word motherfucker.

    That is all.

    XOXO

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  16. Jill- And that truly is a good day.

    Nancy C- Okay. That made me laugh. I'll try to come up with something soon involving the motherfucking Wife Swap show and some of that awesomely motherfucking Kaboom! Foam.

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  17. I see the filtering in of the light in this post =o) Love the silver of the stainless steel behind the frog and the up close twirl of the jasmine.

    What is OK here is that I wrote a poem over the weekend that is a breaking of new ground for me, that I spent time in the yard yesterday whacking back the overgrowth, that my writer's group is gathering at a country house tonight and that I got an e-mail from my favorite virtual son to say he will be coming to visit next weekend.

    It is a good day here. Thanks for prompting me to count my blessings. x0 N2

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  18. As always that magnolia tree is my favorite. Though the photo of the frog excited me a bit.........I'm pretty sure I would have freaked out (unless my daughter was in the room and then I would have her catch it and take it outside).

    I like frogs, I just freak out when they get in my house........unless they are in a critter cage for the kids to observe.

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  19. What's better-than-okay in my world today (joyful, in fact!) is having Jessie&Melissa&Lis&Lon in it ~ thanks for posting the photo ~ what a nice surprise:)

    We all went to lunch at Gypsy, then Lis and Lon left and the girls went to the beach, so I'm here enjoying your blog ~ I did laugh few times and the nature photos are great!

    Love and hugs to you, beautiful Mary xoxox

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  20. What is okay in my world is that my darling darling husband took the day off today because I was feeling crappy at the weekend and he decided to be my hero. That is so very very okay. And has cheered me up all the way.

    I hope you start finding things funny soon. I laughed and laughed today, but I can't remember why.

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  21. Your mood seems to be improving and this makes me happy for you.

    Love the sink frog... i remember my first washing machine toad here in Lloyd! What a surprise THAT was! Then there were the washing machine June bugs.. and the spider poop.. etc... :-)

    Harley and Red and I rode on the rapid today, then caught a trolley all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where we picked you up a trinket and got lots of cool pix. Then we came home and blew bubbles and watched the little birdies fly through them.
    Love you,
    pf

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  22. I dunno...just a mess today.

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  23. good question.
    I will think of something as I tell you I love your jasmine and frog and potato bloom. Now I know why they say eggplant and potatoes are related, same funky blooms!
    I've never seen a potato bloom before. glad the frog is outside now. i was worried about him getting scalded in the sink. i know DTG was worried in a different way. his post and your reply made me laugh.
    i love your convo with nephew.

    okay, what's okay in my part of the world? buy one get two free strawberries, eating them with the bunnies right now as the groceries sit in a pile on the floor. yum.

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  24. I made it to Virginia and that's what is good today. I miss C. and wish that she were here too. Nice room overlooking the Potomac. Some Thai food for dinner and I'm hitting the hay.

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  25. N2- Will we see this poem?

    Rebecca- Well. I do not actually TOUCH frogs. But I like them in theory an awful lot.

    Lulumarie- I just talked to Jessie. She loves you so. Thank-you for giving her and Melissa such a wonderful time.

    Mwa- Now THAT is love.

    Ms. Fleur- Sounds like y'all are having a real big time. I'm so glad.

    SJ- Because????

    Bethany- Sounds like me sharing fruit with my chickens. Lovely.

    Syd- Dammit! Now I want Thai food! Enjoy. Sweet dreams.

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  26. Love the beautiful blooms around your house and that cute frog too.

    Keep hanging on-you will find your joy again.

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  27. I'm sleepy and that is okay. My kids are snoring softly, and I'm all caught up with work.

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  28. Ahhhh....

    The youngs and the olds. That's the way of life isn't it? Jessie is just beautiful and so is that potato blossom! I love that potato blooms look as if they have those tiny, shaped clay pumpkins in the middle. Jessie doesn't favor a pumpkin at all. And that's good.

    Have a nice day. I plan to read about your floors soon :o)

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.