Laughter

I could measure wealth by how often I laugh, I think.  So by my standards, I’m filthy rich, because I laugh a lot.  Of course, in the spirit of full disclosure I have to say I’m not always laughing because I think something is funny; I often laugh out of nervousness or awkwardness (which believe me, has created awkward situations more than I care to admit!).  My older kids used to take great delight in making me laugh until I was helpless, and I had to pull off the road on one memorable occasion.

Dearest is more of a chuckler, and he and I exchange witty repartee often.  He enjoys clever puns and making funny recognizable expressions, and does the best Walter Brennan voice of anyone I’ve ever heard who wasn’t actually Walter Brennan.

Boyo is mischievous and always looking for opportunities to set someone up for a prank.  He also has a very quick wit and his sense of humor can seem quite advanced for his age.  Although he is very slim, he’s always had chubby cheeks and dimples, and due to a facial injury when he was young, there is an extra dimple on one side.  Because Boyo always has something on his mind, he is really easy to startle and usually screams at the top of his lungs, and then bursts into giggles; I can’t help joining in when that happens.

Girlie has an extremely expressive face.  Unfortunately, the expressions are often those of displeasure, concern, fear, or sadness.  When she smiles, her face truly lights up, and one can understand how that turn of phrase came about.  And when she laughs – oh! when she laughs – it is a gift you can hold in your heart.  But you have to be looking, or you might miss it.  Girlie giggles or chuckles usually, and getting her to the point of a belly laugh is rare.  Her whole body straightens up out of the usual shoulders-hunched slouch, her eyes open wide, and she shakes with laughter… and doesn't make any noise.

When it happened this evening, it took me by surprise and I just stopped laughing and watched her laugh… I’m still smiling now as I think about it.

This little knitted ear of corn started as a joke that I'm sure has gone way too far and isn't nearly as funny as I think it is.  One of my favorite people in the world is a corn geneticist.  When I obtained this yarn, made entirely of corn fiber, I knew I had to knit an ear of corn for my friend.  I even stuffed it with PLA fiberfill, which is also made of corn.  So I knitted corn, with corn, stuffed with corn.  That's about as silly as it gets, right?  No, in fact a year later, she asked me to knit and felt a gnome hat for her to wear on Halloween, because she loves all things 'gnome'.  While I was knitting the hat for her, I got to thinking about it and decided to knit a tiny red hat, so the ear could be a proper little corn g-nome.  Yes, I am easily amused.  It's a great way to live!