Since I bet you’re just dying to know what’s going on in my life, I can tell you that we’re in the middle of an extensive renovation project at Maison Smiley.
Our house was built in 1922, so we figured it was probably time for a few improvements. …
For anyone contemplating a similar venture, I can offer a few tips:
- The people working on the project don’t much like it when you survey their job and tell them, “The Property Brothers didn’t do it that way on HGTV. …”
- The demolition team has the best job on any construction project. Tearing down a whole room has to be a great way to get rid of your frustrations.
- The electrician doesn’t especially enjoy being called “Sparky.”
- You’re in big trouble when your contractor uses the word “unexpected. …”
- It’s never good to see your plumber getting out his shovel. (I told this to Leo Honeycutt, who added that it’s even worse when he gets out a jackhammer. …)
Life imitates art
That is, if you consider Reader’s Digest art. …
Kathleen Talmadge adds to our “Kidspeak” series with this very old one from Reader’s Digest:
“My 5-year-old son and I were discussing some of the differences between his childhood and mine.
“I pointed out that when I was young, we didn’t have Nintendo, cellphones, computers or even digital cameras.
“I realized how difficult this was for him to understand when he asked, ‘Did you have fruit?'”
Kathleen says this one reminded her of a true story:
“Teenager to mother: ‘Did you meet Dad on ?’
“Mother: ‘When I was young, we did not have computers.’
“Teen: ‘Then how did you get on the internet?'”
The Big Three
Jack Proffitt, of Lafayette, says, “The recent references to Huey Long in your column reminded me of a story my wife tells about her father, who was an immigrant from Lebanon but a deeply patriotic American.
“She remembers when she was a child pictures of three men were hanging on the living room wall behind the sofa.
“When she was small, she thought they must be relatives, but as she grew older, she realized they were photographs of the Pope, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Gov. Huey P. Long — and she realized these were his heroes, along with the New York Yankees, which he followed daily on the radio in his little restaurant in Houma.”
Special People Dept.
Lucy Curry, of Baton Rouge, celebrated her 90th birthday Friday, July 13.
Those ‘whoops’ moments
Sal Suer, of New Orleans, says he heard a story “about an older gentleman taking video of a family member proposing marriage, only to find out he had the camera turned around and he was actually videoing himself.
He says this “brought back memories of a good laugh we had from the 1984 world’s fair in New Orleans, when I took pictures for a good 45 minutes, only to find out at home that I had no film in the camera.
“If we did not laugh once in a while, there would be something wrong with us, and missing life’s roller coaster.
“Then again, I was the one who put yeast on TOP of the loaf to make French bread…”
Helpful hint
Jerry Schexnayder, of Baton Rouge, tells the gentleman looking for bacon seeds for his garden to look in the grocery store, where they’re sold as “bacon bits.”
(I would really love to see Jerry’s garden. …)
Educational experience
Harry Clark, of Lafayette, says, “Tom Boone’s story about endless questions (from kids) reminded me of the time Boudreaux took T-Boy fishing.
“After they got out on the lake and settled in, T-Boy says, ‘Daddy, why is the sky so blue?’
“‘I don’t know, son.’
“T-boy says, ‘Why are some of those birds flying around and some of them are setting in the trees?’
“‘I don’t know, son.’
“’Daddy, why does the wind blow hard for a while and then stop for a while?’
“‘I don’t know, son.’
“’Daddy, do you mind me asking all these questions?’
“‘Why, no, son; how else you ever going to learn anything?'”
Source
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/smiley_anders/article_8d0e058c-861c-11e8-a9f9-87b6929e8b8f.html
