Bin There, Recycling That!
Non-toxic tips to recycle your stress, reduce negativity, and repurpose your life.
November 2008-Thanksgiving Issue
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Thanksgiving Humor-Recycled
For
my first family thanksgiving meal debut 30 years ago (in-laws,
out-laws, etc.) I cooked the turkey BREAST DOWN! Eek! Not a good
position to be in when most of the family prefers their meat
bone-dry. Now every time I prepare the big bird, I recite the
mantra, "K.U." No, not the university. It stands for,
"Knockers Up!" A sleazy photographer, for whom I worked--briefly,
I might add--in Bellefontaine, Ohio, said "K.U." to me when I was
sitting for my passport pictures. It was his way of getting
subjects to sit up straighter. And then I did. Arrrrrrgggggghhhhh!
Or
the Thanksgiving, when I was asked to bake pecan pies, which I did with
pride. The crust was golden brown; the pie-top was
caramelized to perfection. As we drove three hours to our dinner, I
imagined the glow I would feel from the praise I would hear from my
family. I sensed that the center of the pie was as smooth as satin.
Make that liquid satin. Pure
liquid. Maybe it was my oven. Or maybe it was the car
heater, which caused the meltdown. All over my lap. The
family teasingly handed out straws. It would be the last time I
would ever wear my new royal blue cordorouy slacks, because the pie had
caramelized within the wales, as well.
The next year, I donated a pint of blood at a pre-holiday collection site because they were giving free pies away in exchange.
The next year, I was asked to bring chips 'n dip. For this, I was thankful.
These
types of failures help mold our holiday humor. Sadly, in some
families, the two words, "holiday humor," are more of an oxymoron than
a reality. Sometimes you can even orchestrate some humor of your
own. One Thanksgiving, I secretly roasted a Cornish hen along
side Big Bird. The family was seated, anticipating the
presentation of the celebratory bird. I carried my large Lenox
china platter to the table and slowly, lowered it to the center.
The Cornish hen was sitting there proudly in the center of the plate,
with room to spare. A lot of room, as it only consumed
roughly 1/16th of the platter. My table guests leaned
simultaneously in to get a closer look. My husband asked,
"Where'd it go?" Success! After this episode,
the expectations for my food were suddenly not so high. But the
mood in the room was very much so.
Care
to share some holiday humor of your own? If you have some flops
that caused you to flip-out, we want to hear about it. Email your
story to me at: bobbe@trylaughter.com.
We'll call it, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling (Carmelized)
Pants!" Remember during this holiday season, that humor
pulls people together. And we can all use a little of this at
every gathering. Now, excuse me, while I look through the
TV directory for the Thanksgiving episode of Cheers. I just
finished A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Two of my all time
favorites.
On a serious note, what am I thankful for? Family. Health. Life, in general. I'm thankful for:
...my family, friends, and colleagues
...my newsletter subscribers
...my subscribers who have offered positive feedback.
...the early success of my newly released book, Bin There, Recycled That!
...the current price of gas. (Never thought I'd say that!)
...humor, wherever I have found it.
Here's a
reminder for when you prepare the turkey for the oven, or when you have
the family gathered for the obligatory photo,
say, "K.U.!" And Friday, when you're shopping and you
encounter the Salvation Army bell ringers around every corner, (yes,
they become a little annoying, but they're just helping a good cause),
say to yourself in time with the chime of the bell, "Guilty!
Guilty! Guilty!" Because this is how you'll feel if you don't
give.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my humor buddies!
Bincerely,
Bobbe White
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