Had company all day today, my great-niece spent the day with me. She came early and brought me and Stew bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. We enjoyed them and we enjoyed having her with us. We took Penelope for two long walks in new territory where there were lots of new smells to sniff. Penelope was so happy following behind the little pink Razor scooter. It was nice and cool on our morning walk but hot when we ventured off in the afternoon.

I was sitting on the porch this morning when she came, watching the cardinals and the fighting finches. The finches are gobbling the seeds as fast as I can put them out. I saw Fatty the squirrel on the seed cake feeder. Gonna grease that pole so he can’t climb up. My woodpeckers and wood thrush love those seed cakes but Fatty can wolf one down pretty quickly.

The morning was cool and I sat in the porch in a sweater waiting for her to arrive. Penelope was under her blanket, too. It was 54 degrees. I honestly think Mother Nature is suffering from menopause! She’s grouchy with her storms and can’t decided what season it is. Shouldn’t complain about these cool mornings because we’ll be scorching soon as she get her hormones straightened out!

After my little niece went home, Stew and I sat on the porch and watched the clouds changing into their night clothes of dark purples and blues and grays. I saw this big cloud that looked just like a huge swordfish and then it morphed into a shark and then back to a regular cloud. I’ve always been a cloud watcher and love to see pictures in their shapes.

I’ve laughed all day spending time with this delightful little girl. Laughter is such good medicine for the soul. We’d play a silly song on the tv and try not to be the first to laugh. Course I lost every time. I just got tickled at these nonsense songs. I apologized to her mother for us listening to the Poo Poo song and the Pee Pee song. Yes these are songs from children’s albums and people actually pay for them. I bet a room full of kids dancing to these songs would be a delightful thing to see. I know they’d be hysterical. We laughed till I thought I might need an oxygen tank. She giggled crazily too. We made Stew listen but he just looked at us like he wanted both of us to go to Shady Oaks!

Early humans had laugher before they started to communicate with words. Babies start to laugh as early as three months, even babies who are blind and deaf. We all have different laughs based on our moods and social experiences. We have chuckles and giggles. I remember when I was little and we’d get the giggles in church. The pew would start to shake and my mother would give us the “you better quit look” but once the giggles burst out they were hard to contain. My granddaughter and I frequently get the giggles and laugh till we’re out of breath. I just love to laugh and doesn’t take much to turn over my tickle box.

Baylor Scott and White Health write, “There are many benefits to a belly laugh, including enhancing oxygen intake which stimulates the lungs, heart and muscles and increases the release of endorphins (the “happy hormone”), thus boosting the immune system. It also relieves tension and stress, decreases depression and anxiety, and can even increase productivity.”

Let’s fill this world with laughter, y’all!

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.” — Audrey Hepburn