.....and a Time to Laugh

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: "That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!" The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: "The driver just insulted me!" The man says: "You go right up there and tell him off—go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you."

Laughing makes us feel better. In a world where medical miracles happen every day, where DNA has been mapped, where severed appendages can be reattached, researchers can't figure out much about laughing. We know that laughing stretches muscles and boosts heart rate. We know that it decreases stress, which improves immunity and our attitudes. Some say laughing burns more calories than a workout.

One of my goals is to laugh out loud every day just because it makes me feel better. Most days, it is easy with my amusing crowd of peeps. Then, there are days when particular people can make me laugh until I am snorting and leaking (You know who you are!) I don't know why, but I always sleep better after that happens.

There are some episodes in my past that bring instant laughter when I think about them. These may not be funny to anyone else, 'cause sometimes you just had to be there. Like the time Carol Ann and I were trying to leave a Shoney's parking lot and someone had blocked the exit. We drove around and around trying to get out of there. The funny thing was that we had a caravan of cars following us. Carol Ann was driving and managed to control herself until we were able to find an exit.

Another time, I was living in an apartment in Mobile and BG and my 'lil ole sister came to see me. BG got up early and was going to make coffee. Unfamiliar with the layout, instead of turning on the light over the sink, she turned on the garbage disposal. I heard the grinding from my bedroom and yelled, "You have to put some beans in it first!" BG thought I had absolutely lost it.

One gloomy day this past January, I went to bed feeling pretty sad. My bad knee was swollen so much my leg resembled a utility pole, and my sinus cavities were burning between coughs, and I was pretty sure I was going to die. I turned the TV on and there was the Duck Dynasty episode where Phil, Miss Kay, and Willie went looking for a new mattress. In no time, I was laughing and feeling much better.

Scripture is never wrong. NEVER!

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures. We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything. Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie. It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house. After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there. I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then. I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important. It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things. We call it Holy Smoke. Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan. It helps to use your hands (o...

Cedar Trees in Cemeteries

If you ever wander in old cemeteries, and I know many of you do, you are bound to see some cedar trees. The tradition goes back to the early days of the United States and even earlier in Europe. Cedar trees were not always used, but some type of evergreen trees were planted because they were a symbol of everlasting life. Some Cherokees believed that cedars contained powerful spirits, including the spirits of the departed buried beneath them. Perhaps because they are known as burial trees, there are many superstitions that surround cedars. My grandmother told us in no uncertain terms that if we planted a cedar tree, we would die when it was large enough to shade our graves. Some others are: Never transplant a cedar tree; it will bring bad luck. If you transplant a cedar and it dies, you will die shortly. Planting a cedar tree in your yard welcomes poverty. Some say Christ was crucified on a cedar tree, and wil...

Faith, Folklore, and Friends

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