I have been running around today “cray cray,” which is worse than crazy. Went off with youngest sister-in-law this morning. You remember her from a former blog where I described her shoe trying on technique. She stands on one leg and tries on shoes. Doesn’t even have to hold on to the display and can keep the flamingo pose while reaching for another pair of shoes and opening the box. I walk around looking for a place to sit. I can’t even hold the flamingo pose while holding on to the shelves! She is a young thing so we’ll chalk it up to that.

I sent her a text to tell her I had stopped for a biscuit and coke and would be right on up to their house. Thought I sent the text to her but I sent it to Stew. I checked between bites to see if she had gotten the text and I read “It’s thundering and raining and lightning here. Suppose to hail, too. If you get here and I’m not outside just come on in.” Well, the sky was blue and the closer I got to their house up at the farm the sunnier it got. No rain, no thunder, no hail. The pavement wasn’t wet. Again, I thought I must be cray cray. I get out of the car and ask her about the rain thinking it must be in the northern part of the county. Now, she thinks I’m crazy. Took me 20 miles up the road with her before I realized I had sent her text to Stew and read a text from Stew he had sent me weeks ago. Was so happy to straighten that out!

We had a beautiful drive up in the country. Blue sky with cotton boll clouds, light gray in the middles and beached white around the edges. Saw 15 buzzards standing around a greasy spot in the road. Whatever it was it was gone when we drove by. That’s probably a good thing. She invited me to lunch with her and baby brother when we came home. When he came in the house for lunch I asked him why he wasn’t working today. “It’s Saturday,” he says laughing. When you leave the daily working world its hard to keep the days straight.

We had a happy lunch, talked about our grandchildren and our upcoming McMurray Fam Jam party and off I went for home. Get to the end of their road, bump out on the pavement and realize I can’t find my phone. Turn around and go back to their house. Baby brother starts laughing when I drive up. I tell them I think I left my phone on the kitchen table. I get out of the car and it’s on the seat! I had been sitting on it. Baby brother says, “I think you need a keeper. Some little lady to follow you around and carry your purse!” I laughed, too, because I know that’s better than the Shady Oaks option.

I love this quote by Dixie Carter talking about crazy folks. “This is the South and we’re proud of our crazy people. We don’t hide them up in the attic, we bring them right down to the living room to show them off. No one in the South ever asks if you have crazy people in your family, they just ask what side they’re on.”

I’m beginning to think I may be the crazy relative. I think Southern folks love eccentrics. They might talk about them but they enjoy their occasional visit. Gives the family something to talk about and brings on laughter. I’m not talking of disrespectful laughter. But laughter in remembering their stories and actions. Found some descriptive Southern sentences to describe the Southern eccentric. I love this one, “You don’t have to hang from a tree to be a nut.” And “Crazier than a dog in a hub cap factory.” This one is funny, too. “The cheese slid off that boy’s cracker.” On the whole list the only one I’ve ever heard anyone say is, “She’s crazier than a betsy bug.” Betsy bugs are horned beetles. They fly around crazy and make lots of noise.

Just read a scientific article stating that humor is a sign of intelligence so guess I’ll quit worrying.

“There is nothing in the world as irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” —Charles Dickens