Friday, January 25, 2013

Life in Our World - This, That, and the Other

A few weeks ago my friend Melanie apologetically handed me a bag filled with some cute matching bowls and plates. She said, “I was going to get these glued together as cake plates, but I've lost my glue. I’m really sorry. Would you mind finishing your own gift?” We both laughed and I happily brought the plates and bowls home.

Calvin glued them together this week with some of his bow-making glue – I doubt they will ever come apart. I think they are so cute and wanted to take a picture of them, but the only props I had to choose from were two cookies in the cookie jar and a grapefruit in the wire basket. Until I spied Levin. I figured he could sit on a cake stand as well as any cake could.

 

Ray traveled all week so Levin and Cali came and stayed with us. Oh what fun it is to have the kids come home. We had a great week together.  There is a reason Cali hasn't blogged much since Levin was born.  He runs high-knees wherever he goes.  He's always begging you to hide, chase, or go.

***

Back when blogging first began and we were all getting to know each other we wrote 100 Things About Me posts. Thing #97 on my list was to someday say something quote worthy.

That day finally came.

I’m taking a class on grammar. Except it’s not called grammar any more it’s called usage (and that makes me chuckle every time I say it because usage sounds like sewage and that hardly sounds more proper than grammar). My instructor wrote on the top of one of my papers: Your answer made me laugh out loud. It was so appro pro. May I quote you on this?

And what would those quotable words be?

I was trying to say how frustrating it is to not write a sentence that ends in a prepositional phrase, and that by trying to write fancier than I speak I end up looking like the Emperor in his new clothes, bare beamed and buck naked with my ignorance showing.

Out of all the carefully constructed sentences in my assignments, that’s the one the professor chooses to remember.

***

Calvin and I disagree on how to feed the chickens. He thinks they should have free-feed. I think they should eat it all up every day so they don’t waste. If they have free-feed they spill a lot on the ground and don’t bother to scratch and pick it up. Calvin is always getting after me telling me they are hungry and I should feed them more.

The other day when Calvin got home from work he went straight out to do the chores before he came in the house. I had not fed the chickens for the day. Before we sat down to eat supper I asked him, “Do you know how much I love you?”

He looked at me, paused a long time, and obviously practicing self-restraint, said, “Then feed my chickens.”

I laughed and he said, “Ask me again.”

I said, “Calvin, do you know how much I love you?”

He said, enunciating very clearly, “Then feed my hens.”

He has chuckled about it ever since and I've tried harder to get them fed before he gets home.

***

Any this, that, or the other in your week?

9 comments:

Ande said...

I love your this and that posts. And you are a make do-er if I ever saw one, using Levin as a prop for a cake stand.

I love the feed my chickens/hens story. It has made me laugh a couple of times.

I think you are very quotable and have fulfilled your goal many times over. Whenever we ask you something you do say, "Neighbor Jane knows!" after all :).

I think what your professor chose to quote you on is very funny, and quite appropriate for you, because that is how you speak. Did you know you write how you talk? It's very enjoyable.

melanie said...

Ande is right. You do write just how you talk and that is why I love to read your blog.

I'm so glad you finished your own gift. They'd still be in the Target bag with no glue to be found. Thank you!

I would have liked to hear Calvin say that. Did you laugh again the second time?

Jill said...

I love it that you and Melanie are good enough friends that she could give you your present unfinished!

I think you say quote-worthy things all the time!

Feed my chickens, hilarious!

Amie said...

I absolutely love that you and Melanie are the kinds of friends that you can be asked to finish your own gift!

I love the chicken story!

PS - Your post about garlic and not liking kittens made me snort and laugh out loud! I was reading from my phone and thought I would come back and write you an appreciative comment but.... anyway, loved it! Love your blog.

Grace said...

Like everyone else, I love this post and love how you write. It definitely is as though you're talking! I love it :).

I love the cake plates Melanie gave you! They are adorable! I'm glad you both have each other.

Alisa said...

I too love that you have a good friend that would just give the gift!

Marie said...

It is such a shame I didn't get to meet Calvin. "Feed my hens" indeed. So funny.

Melinda said...

This just made me laugh. Feed my chickens. Jason just called me to today and said, please call the insurance, I want our money back! So I did. It only took me 3 weeks to do it.

I really wish I could live closer. You would never get rid of me.

Lucy said...

I'm a big fan of speech style writing. I know the folks in grammar/usage land don't and prefer the flowery tongue but the way you write endears you to us readers. Continue please!

Laughing about the chickens/hens story. How well you set Calvin up!