Things That Make Me Smile

On By annabellaboobopIn Uncategorized

You!! If you’re reading this and starting a smile, you make the list. I want to take a moment to recognize my readers out there. Love y’all and your “following of my blog” makes me smile. If you add comments, I’ll prolly smile even more…

Today while I was sewing the rest of the doll parts for my upcoming retreat I was listening to a comedy channel on Pandora and laughing out loud.

[PHOTO INTERLUDE]

They're inside-out and not filled, but maybe you can see the beginnings of our Long-Legged Lulu doll?
They’re inside-out and not filled, but maybe you can see the beginnings of our Long-Legged Lulu doll? Pls note amazingly even hand-stitching on the orange piece that looks like machine-stitching. Oo’s and Aah’s are appropriate here – or maybe that’s just me. 🙂

[END: PHOTO INTERLUDE]

It’s my newest media addiction: listening to stand-up comedy while I’m sewing in the sun (Netflix is getting way too distracting). So I started thinking about all the things that make me laugh out loud these days, and I’m happy to see that the list is not short!

(some of the) Things That Make Me ROFL, LMAO and LOL:

  1. The Carol Burnett Show (Here’s one I actually own on CD! Subtitles are a youtube bonus and my encouragement to learn a new language if that isn’t your native: Carol and the Jackson Five. It’s PURE GOLD (I think there’s an earthquake during filming and she doesn’t miss a beat. Because she’s amazing.). And there’s so much more…Mrs. Ha-Wiggins!) A whole separate sentence goes to her recent SAG Lifetime Achievement Award presentation (lots of tears, but happy tears so it counts for this list right?). SHEESH. Way to start a happy list huh? I’m crying the happy/sad/happy tears over here – don’t mind me – nothing to look at – moving on.
  2. A station on Pandora called “Comedy Death Ray” (I don’t know why it’s named that – sounds kind of menacing – but it’s not!). I added a few female names to the channel (like Kathy Griffin) and now I’m finding gems like Jackie Kashian, Tracy Ashley, Ophira Eisenberg (of NPR “Ask Me Another” fame!), Erin Foley. And of course there’s Kathleen Madigan. (The fellas are still bringing the jokes – they just came with the channel. John Mulaney, Gary Gulman and Jim Gaffigan also make me smile lots. Like this: :D)
  3. Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County – He’s back on fb only y’all, and it’s a new highlight of my day (he happens to be on a brief sabbatical at the moment but you can spend the time until his return catching up – it’s so worth it).
  4. CakeWrecks – I started following this site recently and now I can’t get enough. I also have a picture to submit of a strange T’giving cake I “captured” in an HEB in San Antonio, TX a few years back…I just need to find it in my files! This is real-life funny in every day life – can’t make this stuff up folks. Nobody’s photo-shopping cakes over there…I’m just sayin’…
  5. Jen Hatmaker – She lives near my hometown, tickles my funny bone AND inspires me on a regular basis. (We didn’t go to college together or anything, but I feel like we could have…)
  6. Scruffy Momo (a.k.a. Scruff-a-licious; Scruff-a-Doodle; Scruff-a-Bee, etc.). He’s such an old soul – a gentleman really, in the form of a small furry being. That’s why he never smiles in photos: he’s approximately 82 years old inside and really can’t be bothered. But you should see him chase a circle when it’s time for a walk! I’ll try to catch video of that to share, because it also makes me (and anyone else nearby) smile a lot.
    Grumpy Doodlebug
    Grumpy Doodlebug (taken on my lunch break today when he realized I wasn’t actually going anywhere; despite the all-black furry haze you can clearly see his frown and lack of approval. So judgmental.)

    Plus there’s the left ear that only raises on special occasions. I haven’t captured the exact details yet – it’s still a random occurrence with no apparent pattern (I’ll keep trying to get a photo – it’s kind of like the Loch Ness Monster – you definitely have to be there).

  7. Heirlooms!!
    Gift from Marge, crocheted by Aaron's mother, which means it must be at least 60 years old - probably older.
    Gift from Marge today, crocheted by Aaron’s mother, which means it must be at least 60 years old – probably older. It’s freshly laundered and kind of curly – I tried to smooth out the middle design for the pic.

    Me and Scruff visited Marge and Aaron today and she shared some more amazing things with me that carry so much of their history. The doily above is one example, and the rocks below are another.

Petrified wood, Rose Rock, Mica, and some other stones I haven't identified yet (clues welcome)
Petrified wood, Rose Rock, Mica, and some other stones I haven’t identified yet (clues welcome)

Aaron was doing well today and we talked about Scruffy as he sniffed around the house. On a good day dogs make Aaron smile, and this makes me smile. 🙂

8 thoughts on “Things That Make Me Smile”

  1. Dbl5sue

    I’m so old — but I also have the Johnny Carson DVDs of the old Tonight Show. 2nd only to Bob Newhart, Carson was the best straight man in comedy.

    I was at the dog park with a couple of babies I was walking for a client who had knee surgery, and one of the dogs there was named Asta. I said to the owner “like the dog in The Thin Man.” He freaked! He was so pleased someone had made the connection. There’s another jewel of comedy no one sees anymore. The Thin Man series people — check it out! And don’t blame me if you make a puddle laughing! — DBL5SUE

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      1. Dbl5sue

        Do It! You’ll love it! Classic movies are so quiet b/c they don’t have all the background music. But the Dialog!!! It’s so quick!

        It’s so smart!

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  3. Dbl5sue

    The first time I remember laughing until I cried was watching the Carol Burnett sketch where she is Scarlett O’Hara walking down the staircase wearing the curtains with the curtain rod still attached. Harvey Korman was Rhett at the bottom of the stairs and he lost it laughing.

    These days I’m such an old lady that instead of crying I’d probably pee myself a little. I know — TMI. God laughs and all middle aged ladies pee in unison.

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    1. Oh so true Dbl5sue – on all counts!! 🙂 I loved how Amy Poehler and Tina Fey mentioned growing up with lots of role modeling coming from Carol Burnett – I felt the same way. I definitely tuned into every show and she seemed like the ultimate performer and really cool human being. (I highly recommend her autobiography!). Thanks for reading my post and for your comments! (It took me awhile to get to them – I got buried in the usual flotsam and jetsam of life. 🙂

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  4. Paardje

    Love this post! 😀 I love to watch the Ellen Show & Just For Laughs Gags while crocheting and I also look up funny videos on YouTube. I love a good laugh 😀 And indeed, those amazingly even stitches on the orange piece of the doll = ooooohh!!

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    1. Thanks Paardje! Hopefully I didn’t cut things too close on those skinny arms/legs (I had to snip tiny cuts in the tiny edge around the curves). I can always mend it onsite – maybe add tiny beads to cover a bad seam…hmmm, could be cute. I agree on Ellen (add Jimmy Fallon and sometimes Jimmy Kimmel!) I lost almost an hour the other day watching clips from their shows of celebrity parents telling funny stories about their kids. It’s the new “Calgon, Take Me Away!” remedy! 🙂

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Thoughts? How are you making art and living life these days?