Laughter is the best medicine

[Kathi_S]

So many of us have such stressful lives right now. I've always been a strong believer in the healing powers of laughter. Laughter is what brought my husband and I together and it is what keeps us together.

I thought I'd start this thread to share a memory that makes me laugh every time I think about it. Maybe some of you have memories that make you laugh that you can share as well.

This happened shortly after I married my husband. We had recently moved to Boulder Colorado and we were hiking in the Foothills with my two teenage daughters. It was a beautiful day and I was paying more attention to the scenery than to the trail and managed to step off the side of the cliff. So as I am rolling down the side of the mountain, all I can hear is my husband yelling "KATHI SLOW DOWN!" Like I had any control at that point. I just started laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. I ended up landing on the trail a ways down.

My family just had to back track to find me. I think the fact that I was laughing so hard kept me relaxed so other than a few scrapes and bruises I was unharmed.

To this day, we still yell out "KATHI SLOW DOWN" for a good laugh.

I hope you find this story amusing. I know the fall could have been scary, but honestly I never felt scared. I was too busy laughing at my husband!

 

[KarenWV]

So many of us have such stressful lives right now. I've always been a strong believer in the healing powers of laughter. Laughter is what brought my husband and I together and it is what keeps us together.

I thought I'd start this thread to share a memory that makes me laugh every time I think about it. Maybe some of you have memories that make you laugh that you can share as well.

This happened shortly after I married my husband. We had recently moved to Boulder Colorado and we were hiking in the Foothills with my two teenage daughters. It was a beautiful day and I was paying more attention to the scenery than to the trail and managed to step off the side of the cliff. So as I am rolling down the side of the mountain, all I can hear is my husband yelling "KATHI SLOW DOWN!" Like I had any control at that point. I just started laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. I ended up landing on the trail a ways down.

My family just had to back track to find me. I think the fact that I was laughing so hard kept me relaxed so other than a few scrapes and bruises I was unharmed.

To this day, we still yell out "KATHI SLOW DOWN" for a good laugh.

I hope you find this story amusing. I know the fall could have been scary, but honestly I never felt scared. I was too busy laughing at my husband!

So now we know what the "S" in your name Kathi S stands for!

 

[3momchaos]

OMG Kathi that is TOO funny!!
I have a life full of laughter. My kids are funny, we enjoy jumping out and scaring each other, stupid human tricks, and all sorts of shenanigans happen in our house. One distinct memory I have that I laugh at every time is I was mowing the backyard and we had 2 dogs at the time. My husband and I had a deal that whoever mowed the other pooper scooped before hand. Well I needed to mow and my husband hadn’t done his part, so I just mowed. I came inside and just started in, “ I mowed over so much dog shit. There’s dog shit everywhere. The whole backyard smells like fresh dog shit. You’re supposed to scoop the dog shit before I mow!” All this while my husband just has this look on his face and quietly says, “Liam’s on the couch.” Our oldest son was probably 4 at the time, so all I could say was, “Well dog shit!” It was hilarious. We still laugh about it!

 

[Kathi_S]

That is so funny! It's crazy how the silliest things can make us laugh for years.

One time my husband and I were in the grocery store and he had the cart. We were at the end of a couple of isles. Without warning, I shouted, "race you up the isle" and took off running. I had the advantage because he didn't have any warning and he had the cart, but he doesn't like to lose. So of course he won. But my husband is not the kind of guy that runs through a grocery store! The sight of him racing down the isle was priceless! Even he could not believe he did it. We were laughing so hard at the checkout counter, I think the checker thought we were nuts!

 

[Greensleeves]

So many of us have such stressful lives right now. I've always been a strong believer in the healing powers of laughter. Laughter is what brought my husband and I together and it is what keeps us together.

I thought I'd start this thread to share a memory that makes me laugh every time I think about it. Maybe some of you have memories that make you laugh that you can share as well.

This happened shortly after I married my husband. We had recently moved to Boulder Colorado and we were hiking in the Foothills with my two teenage daughters. It was a beautiful day and I was paying more attention to the scenery than to the trail and managed to step off the side of the cliff. So as I am rolling down the side of the mountain, all I can hear is my husband yelling "KATHI SLOW DOWN!" Like I had any control at that point. I just started laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. I ended up landing on the trail a ways down.

My family just had to back track to find me. I think the fact that I was laughing so hard kept me relaxed so other than a few scrapes and bruises I was unharmed.

To this day, we still yell out "KATHI SLOW DOWN" for a good laugh.

I hope you find this story amusing. I know the fall could have been scary, but honestly I never felt scared. I was too busy laughing at my husband!

Oh man, that was hysterical. Best laugh today. It hurts my big incision site but super worth it. Thanks, Kathi.

 

[Kathi_S]

Okay, time for another trip down Funny Memory Lane.

On holidays our family often played games, very competitively. Anyone ever play the game Apples to Apples? It is a game that uses two stacks of cards. At the beginning of the game every player is dealt a number of cards from one stack, I think 6, not sure, but these cards are all specifically things, people or places. The idea is to be the first person to win 6 cards.

The way you win a card is via the second deck. The second deck of cards will have a clue or description. These cards are left in a stack and players take turn playing judge. So when you are judge you draw from the stack read the clue and all the other players pick a card from their hands that they think matches the clue best and place it face down on the table. When everyone has played their cards, they get mixed up and revealed, then the judge has to decide which was best. Often none really match, and it's just funny.

What makes this game so fun for our family is that we are all very competitive. My daughters were only 1-1/2 years apart and inseparable most of their lives, so they knew how each other thought. They were pretty darn hard to beat. My husband adopted my daughters at ages 16 and 18, so he missed a lot of their younger years. I'm laughing as I write this, just thinking about all the things he thought he knew.

Anyway I digress, my husband, Jack, is the most competitive of all. It drove him nuts that he could not win apples, LOL. He constantly accused the girls of cheating. They weren't cheating, they just didn't want him to win, and neither did I, but they thought the same way, so they chose the same cards. I got it.

On this one particular year, my older daughter brought her boyfriend for Christmas. Jack was so excited. He thought he finally had a chance to to win. Here is his big moment and he gets a lucky break. Derek, my daughter's boyfriend, is the judge, and he pulls a card, he reads the clue "All American for example baseball, hotdogs, and apple pie". Everyone plays their cards.

Jack looks like the cat who ate the canary.

Derek looks very very scared.

Carolann (younger daughter) mixes the cards.

I just watch because I know I played a card that made no sense because I had no American card.

Nikki (older daughter, Derek's girlfriend, is looking pretty darn pleased with herself)

The game rides on this judgment.

I think there is sweat rolling down Derek's cheek. Yes, there is or is that a tear?

Carolann is revealing the cards.

First card....

I don't remember it made no sense probably mine.

Second card...

I don't remember again it made no sense, must have been Carolann's.

Third card...

Superman

Fourth card...

Apple pie

Ooooooo could have heard a pin drop. What could be more American than Apple pie?

But wait?

Derek is still reading the cards.
He's looking confused.

Nikki is really smiling.

Jack says "Derek, it's American"?

Derek says "Superman"

Nikki and Carolann cheer, I laugh, I think Derek wants to cry as Jack bellows "WHAT"? and "SUPERMAN ISN'T EVEN FROM THIS PLANET" and "HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE"?

Remember I said that Jack was the most competitive and he really wanted to to beat the girls at apples, would have been priceless to do it with apple pie!

Jack picks up the clue card and shows it to Derek, right on the card it says "for example apple pie". That was just too much. We all lost it at that point.

I was laughing so hard I couldn't stop. We were all laughing eventually. Poor Derek's first experience with our family was rough, but he hung in there. He still hasn't lived this one down, Jack won't let him. It was Jack's only chance to beat the girls at the game.

Derek is now my son in law and father of my first grandson.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to spend Thanksgiving with them this year, but we will be seeing them at Christmas.

 

[Kathi_S]

Wow did I screw up the explanation of the game. I'm surprised anyone understood any of that!

Bottom line, Jack thought he had a sure win, but Derek never heard the expression "as American as apple pie" and didn't see the example on the card and judged superman to be all American, giving Nikki the win, frustrating Jack to no end. To this day, nine years later, Jack still gives Derek a bad time about his incompetence as an Apples to Apples judge!

 

[Fosgate]

So many of us have such stressful lives right now. I've always been a strong believer in the healing powers of laughter. Laughter is what brought my husband and I together and it is what keeps us together.

I thought I'd start this thread to share a memory that makes me laugh every time I think about it. Maybe some of you have memories that make you laugh that you can share as well.

This happened shortly after I married my husband. We had recently moved to Boulder Colorado and we were hiking in the Foothills with my two teenage daughters. It was a beautiful day and I was paying more attention to the scenery than to the trail and managed to step off the side of the cliff. So as I am rolling down the side of the mountain, all I can hear is my husband yelling "KATHI SLOW DOWN!" Like I had any control at that point. I just started laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. I ended up landing on the trail a ways down.

My family just had to back track to find me. I think the fact that I was laughing so hard kept me relaxed so other than a few scrapes and bruises I was unharmed.

To this day, we still yell out "KATHI SLOW DOWN" for a good laugh.

I hope you find this story amusing. I know the fall could have been scary, but honestly I never felt scared. I was too busy laughing at my husband!

That just so reminds me of a classic.

DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas, and talks with an old rancher..
He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs."
The rancher says, "Okay , but do not go in that field over there," as he points out the location.
The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me."
Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher. "See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land.. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? "
The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.
A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis Bull... With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get gored before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified.
The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs... "YOUR BADGE... SHOW HIM YOUR BADGE!!!"