Sunday, April 5, 2020

Trying Times


Hi everyone! I haven’t written a post in a long time, and with our stay-at-home days, now felt like the right time. I sincerely hope you’re all well and that you’ve found things to fill your time.

I stocked up on chocolate, so I’m happy. Too bad I didn’t stock up on toilet paper and tissues. Has anyone noticed, in the middle of all the talk about hoarding toilet paper, that the facial tissues have disappeared, too? Cleaning products? Forget it.

I know that people are having a difficult time during the Covid19 pandemic. Some people are feeling fear and panic. Wasn’t it Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, in his 1933 Inaugural Address, “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself?” Be cautious, use your common sense, and live your life, even if it’s within the confines of your own home. Read a book, watch television, play games or do whatever holds your interest. I hear a neighbor outside mowing his lawn. I live in the far northwest corner of the United States. It’s still cold here and I wouldn’t be out mowing my lawn, but to each his own.

Because of a few health issues, I’ve made my last trip to the grocery store for a while. I’m not willing to take chances so I’m using my common sense and staying at home, looking for things to keep me busy. My writing keeps me busy. My housecleaning keeps me busy, too, but there’s only so much you can do. So here I am, writing a post after a very long time.

I’m a firm believer in humor keeping us going. My daughter has found several jokes online. Some of them are dark humor, but I have to admit that they can still make me laugh.

One of my all-time favorite movies is 1947’s “The Egg and I,” with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. It’s entertaining and based on the humorous memoir by Betty MacDonald. As a newlywed, her husband wanted to start a chicken farm in Washington State. When she visited her family in Seattle, she related stories of her adventures, or misadventures, on the farm. Her sisters talked her into writing the book.

Once, when visiting my grandmother, I saw the book sitting on her shelf and she gave it to me. I’m afraid it’s been sitting on my own bookshelf since the late 1980s. On a whim, I picked it up this morning and started to read it. I’m only a few pages into the memoir and I can already see the humor in it. I have a feeling when I sit down this evening, with the book, that I won’t be able to put it down.

I believe she wrote the book in 1945. In those days no one had ever heard of political correctness. She’s honest in her feelings, and she’s funny. Set aside the PC attitude and enjoy a good story.

So instead of watching a drama on TV, or reading a horror story, try picking up something with humor. Look for the humor around you.

One of my dogs, Sugar, has a “thing” on her neck. It looks awful. I called the veterinarian yesterday and they had me send photos of this “thing.” It seems she probably scratched or cut her neck and it’s turned into a bacterial infection. I drove to the vet’s office (and it felt so good to get out of the house) , parked, and called them on my cell phone. They have a little table outside, by the front door. A young woman stepped outside, set Sugar’s medications on the table, and scurried back inside. I then left the car and picked up the package. Nothing funny about this so far, right?

I brought home antibiotics and a spray for her neck. After I sprayed her neck, my other dog, Murphy, was so excited and wanted to sniff what I’d sprayed on her. Knowing him, he probably thought I did it just for him. One sniff and he made a fast U-turn and ran out of the room. Oh, yes, the spray has a pungent odor. Murphy’s reaction was one of those things you had to see to recognize the humor in it. Sugar is probably thinking, “Spray me again so he’ll leave me alone.” He does act a little pushy from time to time. By the way, Murphy is a very large Yellow Lab trying to run on a hardwood floor. His exit was not graceful.
My whole point is, try to stay busy, use your common sense and look for something that will make you laugh. At the very least, you want something that will put a smile on your face.

My thoughts are with you all and I pray for all of us every day. God bless you and I wish you good health!

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com
(Sorry, but my website is a thing of the past. If I ever work up the courage, I may build a new one in the future.)

The latest Sandi Webster mystery is titled, “No One Will Find Me” and you might find a touch of humor as you get into the story. How do you combine a serial killer, suspense and humor? It can be done.

16 comments:

  1. Great post, Marja!
    It's difficult to maintain a positive attitude in these trying times but it's more important now than ever. Faith and a healthy sense of humor are crucial. Thanks for giving us both of those.

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    1. Thank you, Pat! My positive attitude is that this WILL come to an end -- the sooner the better. My faith is strong and my humor is what keeps me going. Thank you for stopping in.

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  2. Hi, Marja,

    It's so good to hear from you! I smiled when I pictured Murphy slipping and sliding to get away from the odor of the meds. I hope Sugar's "thing" is getting better. I think I may have to take Orly to the vet this week because of a stomach issue.

    I'm in a group chat with my mom, my sister, and my aunt. I'm in charge of daily humor. Much of it comes from the stupid things I do on a daily basis, but I've found lots of funny things online, too, and they help dispel some of the gloom.

    Stay safe and well and I wish you a happy Palm Sunday.

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    1. Sugar's "thing" is still up in the air, but she's only been on her meds for a couple days. I hope your vet is able to see Orly. I'm glad you're able to keep in touch with your family. That's so important. And, like Betty MacDonald, you're entertaining them with real life. Thank you so much for stopping in.

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  3. Hi Marja. Humor can get us through a lot of tough times. I got a kick out of the dog story. The Egg And I was the inspiration for the Ma and Pa Kettle films in (I think) the '50s. They were a favorite of my maternal grandmother and I got to see many of them with her. Only got around to reading the book later, but I recall it was good for some chuckles.

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    1. Thanks for stopping in, John, and I think you're right about the Ma and Pa Kettle films. I'm glad you enjoyed the book, and I think I will, too. Stay healthy!

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  4. Hi Marja,

    Great to read your optimistic approach and love your sense of humor. I can just picture Murphy all excited and then running out of the room. LOL. Sure hope Sugar is okay soon. I've been doing lots of cleaning, so much so, I think my dog wants me to go out more to leave him in peace. LOL. Take care.

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    1. Murphy is the happiest dog I've ever owned -- and one of the funniest. Yes, I've been cleaning and disinfecting, too. Thankfully the dogs have a yard where they can get away from me and my cleaning rags. LOL Thank you for stopping in, and stay healthy.

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  5. Sure is a different time for all of us. I'm far from isolated since my granddaughter and family live with us. Soometimes it seems like nothing has changed--but I really miss seeing my writer friends and sad about all the book events being cancelled.

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    1. Yes, it's a sad time, but look for joy in the little things. Your writer friends are surely thinking of you, and when this is over you can reschedule your book events. I wonder if things will ever go back to what we thought of as "normal." I kind of doubt it, but we're survivors. In the meantime, you've got family living with you. There's joy in that. Take care, and thank you for stopping in!

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  6. Great post, and so glad to "hear" from you. Love puppy shenanigans! Yes, plenty of chocolate, and for me, cokes--but haven't sunk to doing housework yet! Glad you're safe and sound.

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    1. LOL I've sunk to doing a little housework. For me, it's iced tea, although I sure wish it would warm up enough to make sun tea. It sounds like you're safe, too. Good! I love it when people check in with comments so I know they're okay. Thanks for stopping in!

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  7. It's great to be reading your blog again, Marja. I've missed it. Sometimes it was the only thing keeping me writing. I'd often get good ideas from it. Looking forward to reading more from you in the future.

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    1. Thank you, Evelyn! I probably won't go back to posting every week, but I will get back to the subject of mysteries and writing. I guess I've sort of missed doing the blog. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  8. Loved having your blog to read. I, too, remember The Egg and I. Somebody gave that hardback book to my Daddy when he was in the hospital for some reason. I also saw the movie. Hadn't thought of it in years. We're staying busy doing cleaning, picking up groceries (have to order on the internet, they meet us at the door with them) and driving 20 miles to pick up any prescription refills. The sun is out here and I have windows open. When I can, I read all afternoon.

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    1. I'm thoroughly enjoying the book and I'm so glad I finally picked it up to read. In an odd way, this is like a forced stay-at-home vacation. My daughter and I are pretty much doing the same things that you're doing. And the sun is finally out here, so I've been outside, pulling weeds. It's actually good exercise. Stay healthy, and thank you so much for stopping in!

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