A toad lives under our house. Not exactly UNDER the house, but in that threshold of habitation between the screen door and the sill. One of those smallest of spaces that tend to inhabit a creaky old house in a cut off woods where deer wander and chew up the scenery like a hungry ham on vaudeville stage and where toads and frogs and walking sticks can find opportune spots to survive.
This is the third year, or is it fourth?, that we have discovered toads residing under the doorsill, even though I plant toad houses in and about the garden beds. I forget their cohabitation all the time, then squeal in surprise, then delight, when they hop into view – just as I’m carrying in a bag of groceries or a china tea cup full of hot tea as I mosey on out to the arbor.
I sometimes wonder who laughs more , me or my toad, for I do laugh. You know I do. My sense of humor about life’s little things often pops up like a frog on a threshold.
Take last Saturday, for instance.
There I was, heading home, driving through the western suburbs of Chicagoland. It was mid-afternoon on a most magnificent June day, when I spotted two women in a front yard. Both were of “a certain age”, only even older that. They were rather pear shaped, more Bartlett than Bosc. Rather like me. There they were in plain view. One of the women was pushing an old push mower. The other women was pushing the woman pushing the mower.
I laughed out loud. Not a LOL, but a real, hearty, tear-producing laugh out loud. I admired their spunk and their ingenuity at getting the job done, but, I must confess that I laughed, all the way home, then more, much more, as I tried to explain to my family, who know my eccentric ways, exactly what it was that had tickled my funny bone.
I had other things I wanted to tell you, but this old stone is gathering moss, so off I go to pull some weeds, hunt for four-leaf clovers, and wander along this road called life.
Thanks so much, Penny, for sharing your surprises and laughs with us! I’m waiting for an upcoming post about Mr. Toad himself inside, relaxing in your comfy reading chair, legs crossed, enjoying the sweet tales of Frog and Toad, by Arnold Lobel. *smile* Oh, the image of those ladies pushing one another and the push mower really made me laugh. Hilarious moments just seem to find you, wherever you wander! So glad you share them, Penny! ♡
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You are welcome, Dawn. We all need a good life, the more often the better.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and laughed so hard I thought I should pull over. I don’t know why, but, these moments to seem to come my way.
Glad to hear it, Dawn.
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Oh gosh, this made me laugh at that sweet picture you painted of those two little ladies making the best of the situation! Not laughing at them but the pickle they were in. Nothing was going to get the best of them!
I admire your affinity for the toads but admit they scare me for some reason. The cats bring them up from time to time and the MAN takes them back out. You are so tolerant of all God’s creatures and that is a blessing. Wonderful story as always.
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I had to admire them, Marilyn. They were making the best out of what they had and working together – but it was such a funny sight to see.
You would not think me so tolerant if you ever saw me around a mouse, Marilyn. I’m like a comic book character standing on chair yelling “eek”. Most of us have something we are afraid of.
Thank you very much, Marilyn.
Hot and humid up here today.
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Oh Penny, I had a good chuckle thinking of the two woman pushing each other and the mower. Thank you for sharing your life with us. I hope you find a reason to laugh every day. Could the toad be a prince and is he looking for someone to kiss him? Penny , here is your chance. But maybe you already have your prince and don’t want another one.
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I am so pleased to hear it, Gerlinde. You are most welcome.
Well, Gerlinde, no toad for me as I already have a prince in my life, but, can you imagine me bending down to kiss a toad? The neighbors already think I’m a bit odd. 🙂
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Such a funny post, I can just picture those two women getting the job done one way or another!
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I think we all need someone to help us push the mowers in our life. 🙂 Thanks Janet.
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It’s delightful to have such a wonderful sense of humor, Penny. I certainly agree that those times of amusement and laughter can indeed prop us up! It is a gift! And I’m glad you shared your recent observation. I’d love to know how those two women devised their ingenious plan. Did they sit down to create a strategy, or did the second woman just see the need and get in their to start pushing. Too funny! I’m also glad you have a good sense of humor with your resident toad(s). I think I might not do too well with the continual surprises. I know I’d shriek, but not as certain about the chuckles! This was such a fun story. 🙂
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That is what inquiring minds want to know, Debra: how they came up with the plan. 🙂 Good point, my friend. From the looks of it, it probably just happened. I started to wonder what they were like in the kitchen. 🙂 Oh dear, I thought I was over the laughter . . .
We seem to have a lot of toads here, especially this year, and they pop up out of nowhere as they are so well camouflaged. We really should do something about the sill, though. I like having them around as they are eating bugs. I wonder how well they would do with Darwin.
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Oh this is so hilarious!! I’m picturing first you with the toad and second the women mowing the lawn. Good on them!
I think I’d rather have a toad nearby than the skunks which unfortunately come by some nights. 😦 They ran the raccoons away.
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Yes, indeed. 🙂 I thought it was pretty funny too.
Skunks are not good neighbors. We lived in a section of town that was referred to as Skunk Hollow. The rest of the town turned up their noses and said “oh, you live there” but, skunks are equal opportunity pests and eventually worked their way down to the rest of the town. We had them living under the enclosed porch. Yep. I’d rather have toads.
You always get me to ramble on, L. Marie. 🙂
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Are you providing your toad with all mod cons?
I sincerely hope so.
Some sights are funny, I often watch people behaving adorably and make up my own stories about them. Probably completely wrong, but so what.
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Oh, yes, Friko. Today they have air-conditioning and all the spiders and gnats and ants they want. I wish they would develop a palate for mosquitoes. 🙂
Ha! I love your stories, true or made up. Please keep on writing.
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Women can do anything, especially when two of them cooperate! I can absolutely picture the lawn mowing ladies and I’m laughing too.
We have lots of surprise encounters with nature here in Florida and I usually have the same reaction as you (jump then smile)… Frogs, toads, lizards, black snakes, giant grasshoppers… All good after the initial shock. All except palmetto bugs ( cockroaches). Nothing good can come from them.
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Right you are, Sallie, and these two gals were proof of it. I’m happy to know you are laughing.
Palmetto bugs would do me in. (that is a much nice name for cockroaches). Yuck. I think you are in one of the more exotic locales for surprise encounters.
Hope you had a good day.
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I wish I’d seen those two women. I laughed and laughed and laughed when you posted that story on the face place.
We have toads outside our window. The horny variety. They’re ALWAYS horny. ALWAYS.
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I wish you could have as well, Andra, and have imagined your unique storytelling talented. I know I would be laughing even harder. I almost pulled the car over when I saw them for I was laughing too hard. 🙂
Always?
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I loved this post, Penny. It is the little things that make us happy. Being able to laugh at the absurdity of life and appreciating the natural world.
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I’m so pleased that you did, Nicola. It IS the little things and what would we do without laughter? Take care.
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We had frogs at the old house, not toads, but they were just as welcome. 🙂 As for the ladies mowing – that is utterly delightful!
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Aren’t they fun to have around, Perpetua? We have quite a lot of them this year. I think they are enjoying the rain.
I still laugh as I think of the ladies mowing – and have to hand it to them as they’ve figured out working together. 🙂
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