What Can I Say? – I’m Not Awake Yet!

Here it is Easter Sunday and while I wanted to post something funny, my mind has been drawing a blank in that arena. So, I will share with you something philosophical, then some trivia, and perhaps by the time I am through, a funny thought will come to mind.

Philosophical:

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”  – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Trivia:

Yesterday after watching an old Agatha Christie movie with Helen Hayes in the role of Jane Marple, when the movie ended, we were enticed to stay seated to watch the next movie which was another Agatha Christie film but this time with Jean Stapleton and Peter Ustinov as the stars. We didn’t watch it but did write down the title to watch it perhaps sometime later today. Seeing Peter Ustinov’s name reminded me of a movie we saw many years ago with Ustinov in the starring role alongside Aldo Ray and Humphrey Bogart entitled “We’re No Angels.”  

At times my memory amazes me. I mean that movie came out in 1955 when I was just 15 years of age. I loved it then and I am pretty sure were I to watch it again now, I would like it today as well. What does this movie have to do with today’s post? Well, probably nothing but seeing Peter Ustinov’s name and face reminded me of a quote he made many years ago which went like this”

“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.”

On that note, allow me to share with you some unusual trivia you may or may not have known:

Did you know that Rocker Rod Stewart was once a gravedigger….or that entertainer Victor Borge used to play the piano at funerals….or and here is one that I truly enjoyed….The inscription on actress Joan Hackett’s grave marker reads. “Go Away! I’m Sleeping.”

In case some of you do not remember these three entertainers, allow me to give you a few hints to jog your memory. 

Rod Stewart is a British rock and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer. 

Victor Borge was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television. One of Borge’s other famous routines was “Phonetic Punctuation,” in which he read a passage from a book and added exaggerated sound effects to stand for all of the punctuation marks, such as periods, commas, and exclamation marks.

Joan Hackett was in the 1969 film “Support Your Local Sheriff” with James Garner and Walter Brennan.   Ahh, the good old days!

Oh, here is something to think about:

Gossips are the spies of life.

Funny thought:

Here’s yet another thought for you all to ponder over that has to do with crazy names some cities and towns have. Did you know that there is a place in Delaware called Corner Ketch? Yup, it’s rumored that Corner Ketch – an unincorporated community in New Castle County, Delaware – got its name from a rough-and- tumble bar, whose patrons were so quarrelsome that townspeople would warn strangers, “They’ll ketch ye at the corner.”

Well, that’s all I got this week. That’s about as funny as I get today. We made it through yet another week without any unusual surprises. Our health is good, and as the saying goes or the one that I remember:

I woke up this morning, am on the right side of the grass and I am still taking nourishment. But….don’t you just love it when I add a “But?” But…..

” Coffee where’s my coffee?“

Until next time! Y’all take care now, ya hear!

Metaphors/Time

Hello folks:

‘Tis me, and I am back again one week later with yet another attempt to exaggerate the truth to elicit yet another smile from those of you that take time from your busy schedules to read my dribble.

What am I taking about – well, let me open this week’s post with something that while it probably would not happen today, it could? Is it funny? I think so but you be the judge. Picture this if you will: A man or woman walks into a bookstore, meanders up to the desk where various clerks are diligently working doing whatever it is they do and asks this question:

“Where is the self-help” section?  The clerk closest to the customer stops what she is doing, walks over to the customer, shrugs her shoulders and replies: “If I tell you, won’t that defeat the purpose?”

Each week I try my best to find the funnier side of things to share with those of you following my nonsense. While it is true, sometimes I wander off point and write something more profound than comedy, but the bottom line is that looking at the funnier side of things, especially in today’s atmosphere and world conditions, assists with taking the edge off things enabling us to cope just a bit better.

But before I drift off to funny land, allow me to share with you two things I think about that help me cope. For instance, say I sit down at the computer to do some writing be it something to place on Facebook, create a post such as this one or perhaps start a fourth book and nothing comes to me – nothing, nada, zilch. What do I do? I think of the metaphor:

Books are the keys to your imagination.”

If I feel stumped regarding what to write, I peruse my library of books and sure enough one of them will provide me with the inspiration I need to spark my imagination and shortly thereafter I am back at my computer pounding on those keys. 

Now if, when I wake, I feel like my “A” game is still hidden under those covers, well, then I think of music. What type of music? Well, country (think Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and the like) is my “Go-to” medicine when things have me down or I just need a pick-me-upper. Sometimes, it is just the song title itself that gets me in a better mood, but more times than not it is a memorable “hook line” that gets me out of my mood.

Take the song “The Gambler” sung by Kenny Rogers.

For those of you not familiar with the song, I am referring to the verse that goes like this:

You’ve got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them
Know when to walk away, know when to run.
You never count your money while you’re sittin’ at the table,
There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.

See what it is telling us? Play the hand you have been dealt the best you can. These two methods (my books and my country music) have served me well over the years and more so during these, our twilight years. Books spark my creative side of my brain and before long I come up with a thought or two enabling me to write something, be it a Facebook quip, Lakeland Musings post, or the thought of writing a fourth book. Listening to my country music picks my spirits up and before I know it, I am dancing throughout the house which can last anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes. Listening and dancing does wonders for my spirits and puts me back in the happy frame of mind I prefer to be in.

Now that I am in what is sometimes referred to as the twilight years, some might say that “life (or age)” should be looked upon as a staircase. Each passing year becomes a step up that staircase. Some might say that as we take each step up the staircase, another year passes (I hope it is a long, long, staircase). How do we approach this staircase? By being very optimistic. If we are lucky, being optimistic about such a trip up that staircase will enable us to become more experienced, a wee bit wiser, and as the old saying goes “the good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise” more at peace with ourselves by the time we get to the top.

Okay, enough with my viewpoint of life as I see it during my twilight years. Let me move on to something a bit educational. I know, I promised comical, but the post isn’t over yet.

Did you ever think there would be a town called Why? There is. It is a town called Why, AZ. It is approximately 30 miles north of the Mexican border where Lukeville, AZ and Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, border each other, and 10 miles south of Ajo, AZ.

According to Wikipedia, the town derives its name from the fact that two major highways, namely Routes 85 and 86 originally intersected in a Y-Intersection. At the time of its naming, state law required all city names to have at least three letters, so the town’s founders named the town “Why” as opposed to simply calling it “Y.” The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) later removed the old Y-intersection for traffic safety reasons and built the two highways in a conventional intersection south of the original intersection. Oh, and by the way, it has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. What’s that? You want to know what the population of this town is? As of the 2020 Census there were 148 residents. Nuff said!

As to the comical stuff I promised, well, here are questions that have been bugging me for some time now:

Do astronauts change their clocks when they move over different time zones in space?

What do Greeks say when they don’t understand something?

What happens if a Queen gives birth to a pair of Siamese twins? Who gets to be king?

If a taxi-cab driver were to drive backwards to the destination given him, would he end up owing his passenger money?

If a bouncer at a bar gets drunk and unruly, who throws him out?

If you had a three-story house and were on the second floor, isn’t it possible that you can be upstairs and downstairs at the same time?

Well, that’s my piece for this week. In conclusion, due to my advancing years, I tend to see life through Forrest Gump’s eyes.  If you will recall, Forrest’s quote was:

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

While it might have sound silly on the big screen, for those of us now in our eighties, we are proof that it means:

“You should always expect the unexpected!”

Allow me to end this post with yet another metaphor and one that I believe in whole-heartedly:

“Life is a song; we each get to write our own lyrics.”

Y’all have a nice day now, ya hear. Until next time!

How Much do We Think About the Aging Process?

Seeing that I turn 82 this year, I got to thinking about various things that pop into my mind when thinking about the aging process. Things I might add, I probably should have begun thinking about several years ago. But, hey – I am not the sharpest tack in the box and as the saying goes “Better Late than Never!”

So, what things should we consider? Age, beauty, physical shape, and so forth!

I am sure that many individuals might say beauty, attractiveness, and so forth and I might have considered that. But truth be told, let’s face it, despite our best efforts to “stay in shape”, chances are our booty sags, our bellies expand, and the attractiveness we may have had many years ago gives way as might be expected when one thinks of what we know as “The Circle of Life!” Wrinkles – as much as most of us do not relish them – tell a story if but one takes the time to read them. One might even say that the lines and wrinkles in our face have been earned and we should look upon them as a face map (roadmap if you will) reflecting where we’ve been and depending on circumstances also reflect how we’ve weathered the journey.

Another thing I have noticed during this aging process is how both our energy and priorities change the older we get. I can remember when I had a strict schedule that I followed religiously but that has sort of disappeared over the years. However, that is not all bad. Energy that is waning should be looked upon as a hint that we need to “prioritize” those things that are truly important at this stage of our lives. While our hearts may suggest that we do this or that and believe me when I say that, at times, intentions of the heart may be very strong – we must keep in mind that aging has the tendency to affect the energy one must have in order to accomplish those intentions. How do we do that? One way I do it is to journal about what I consider to be important at this time of my life.

My list is somewhat short and probably shorter than many others at this stage in life, but nonetheless, having such a list enables me to wake up each morning and face each day with a smile. What is on my list? Things like:

Stretch daily and have a daily step goal I try to meet day in and day out.

Spend time looking and taking in what mother nature has provided us.

Writing every morning.

Eating right 24/7 which means making sure I stay hydrated; eat healthy foods that will sustain me (but allow myself to indulge on a truly special occasion).

Finally, face up to the fact that even though we might be in our sixties, seventies, or eighties and beyond we must recognize the fact that:

We need to find what gives us a sense of purpose. What is truly fulfilling and satisfying to us every day.

What’s on our bucket list, if we even have one and if not, why not make one?

Recognizing the fact that we only go around one time I must ask the question:  

What, at this point in my life, do I truly consider to be important for the time I have left?

Live life to the fullest because none of us know what tomorrow might bring.

Until next time!

It’s That Time Again!

Yup – it’s still ticking!

Thought for today:

Where does a thought go when it is forgotten?

When all is said and done, would you have said more than you have done?

And now for the comical side of me:

You know you’re getting old when you get winded while asking your doctor why you get winded.

Y’all have a nice day now, ya hear!

Willie or Ray – You be the Judge!

One never knows what time of day a thought or two will enter this rattle-brained mind of mine giving me the urge to write something for this here blog site. Sometimes it is in the morning, sometimes in the evening and there have been times when the idea pops into my head shortly after I retire for the evening. But whenever it is, you can be sure that I may just incorporate the idea or ideas into a future blog post. This week’s blog post is the result of listening to two of my favorite country artists, namely Willie Nelson and Ray Stevens.

Lately, I have been trying to wean myself off listening to or even watching the news. As a matter of fact, I just recently deleted an app entitled “Smart News” from my cell phone because the only news it wants to share with me is the war in Ukraine; children taking guns to school threatening to kill fellow students; members of both political parties bad mouthing each other; negative, negative, negative!!! It is a shame that our news media – be it television, the internet, or newspapers only think negative type news items are what is needed to sell newspapers or boost the ratings of television shows.

Over the years I have learned that it is better to laugh than cry and/or worry about certain things and by certain things – I am talking about things beyond my control. I prefer to get by, if you will, by reading funny stuff and/or listening to wild and crazy music which you will soon understand by the two songs I have decided to write about this week. One of the songs was written back in 2015 and is sung by Willie Nelson which merely goes to show how long it’s been since people thought we humans – began – how shall I put this delicately – goofing up.

The other song was written in 1984, is sung by Ray Stevens and really tickles my funny bone especially if you try to put yourself into the song (by that I mean picture yourself in the church watching all this comedic mayhem unfold).

Well, after listening to, watching, and reading the various news items crossing the airwaves today, Willie’s song entitled: “It’s All Going to Pot” comes to mind. But then wanting to think happy thoughts and smile, Ray’s song entitled “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” also comes to mind.

Its All Going to Pot

Mississippi Squirrel Revival by Ray Stevens

You determine which song gets you laughing and thinking positive. Me, as much as I love Willie Nelson, I opt for Ray Stevens.

Have a good day! Y’all come back now, ya hear!