Today I got a letter from two of my most favorite ladies….

There have been a few favorite women in my life,  My wonderful wife, the greatest grandma’s ever created, my awesome mother in law, my beautiful daughters, some really close friends.  Still you might say these two stand out because well, they were first.  The two faces I saw staring down at my cousin and I in our basinet.

My special delivery arrived from the wild, wild, west and it cracked me up on several levels.  Erma Bombeck the queen of reality based funny said, “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” How apropos.

Here is the tie-in.  When I opened the envelope and took out the letter, a minute amount of plant like substance spilled out.  My first concern was who the hell commandeered my mail and snuck some weed in here.  The closer I looked the more I realized the color was wrong.  (I’m guessing  :o)

When I opened the letter, I smiled and realized that it was a small portion of sage enclosed.  I often tell my mother that being stuck in the Midwest makes me miss the smell of sagebrush.  So all the letter said was “this is a present from your Aunt and I from her backyard”.

Naturally, my next move was to put the letter to my face and take a huge sniff.  Let me tell you in case you’re not tracking here.  Sagebrush has a very strong smell that helps discourage critters from eating it.  I am also fairly sure God did not intend you to snort it….too late.  After nearly choking to death, I realized a little late that “all things in moderation”, well you get the picture.

The point is the smell I yearned for reminded me of our hometown and such a small gesture made me laugh, smile and maybe sigh a little.
(Whoa, that sounded a little metro!)

How often do we complain about what we don’t like?  What seemingly insignificant thing, moment, happenstance makes you happy?
Here are a few of mine in no particular order:

Barely missing a pile of poop when cutting the grass.
(Anyone who has scraped crap off a wheel with a flat head screwdriver…)

Water and ice dispenser in the door of the fridge

Watching my Aussie launch 5 feet into the air to catch a Frisbee

Any day with minimal pain.  (After 50, no days are completely pain free)

Watching the sarcastic smirk that screams “pathetic” on the faces of all my kids (you too Amanda) when I say something funny and crack myself up for 20 minutes.

My grandson’s laugh and the way he says “yellow”

The way my Puerto Rican friend says “jello” see above

Bacon

Riding in the jeep with the top off.

Riding in the jeep with her top off.
(Subtle difference in vernacular huge difference in experience).

Any “Harry Potter” movie or book with my family.

Fried Egg sandwiches.

Trout Fishing

Writing

Bowling with my buddies

Fire pits and campfires

Rum

Smiling

Fresh cherry tomatoes from my own plants.

Camping with my family

Callie’s Chicken

Giggling my ass off when my neighbor’s daughter won’t let her brother in the back door until he says she’s pretty.

Any day off except sick days.

Those damn biscuits at “Red Lobster”

Tree’s and Tree houses.

Muscle Cars

Story telling

The History Channel

“Pulling Handles” with my mother

Any “Apple” product.

“No cavities” from the dentist

Key Lime Pie from the Peppermill in Reno

Disneyland

Pizza

My rock fireplace

Dump Cake

All books and bookstores

Loose jeans

Smelling coffee in the morning.

Music

Movie theatre popcorn

Slip on shoes

Making my wife laugh.

The list is never ending so why focus on what sucks?   Think about Mrs. Bombeck she had to go through life with the name “Erma” for Pete sake.  Another beaut of hers…”Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, ‘No thank you’ to desert that night. And for what?!”

In between the seriousness of life is the act stupid fun part.  Make someone happy.  Take time to smell the sagebrush. Enjoy life today while you can because you’ll probably stump your toe in the morning and wake up with a fever blister.

Thanks you two!!!