Merry Christmas

    It's been a very fun Christmas this year. A sensory delight with lights and smells, tastes and touches.  Shopping with the nose seem to elicit a lot of Rudolf comments especially when I wore my Santa Cap too.  I bumped into a Santa at Burgermaster.  I asked him if I could lead his sleigh this year and he laughed and said yes! 
    It happens occasionally that a couple (man and woman) will see me on the bus and begin talking about how fun it would be to have a clown nose in bed.  As I always carry a spare nose, I give it to them and what them laugh and whisper in each other's ear about intended uses of the nose.  No judgment from me.  Always makes me laugh.
    A Starbuck's barrista looked at me and said, "I am a big fan!"  to which I replied, "I am blown away!"   She laughed but no one else seemed to get the joke.
    Our daugher and son in law could not make the trip from NY this year, alas, but out wonderful son spend Christmas morning with us, helped us cook a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns with toasted homemade bread and homemade raspberry jam, cranberry juice, and hot fresh coffee.  Then we opened our stockings and exchanged gifts with plenty of good humor and laughter.

From our family to yours:

"May all beings have shelter; may all beings have food. Bless this day as it transpires and help me be the best Andy Towne I can muster."

With deep thanks for inspiratation from Wavy Gravy.

What Its Really All About

    This afternoon I was waiting in front of Harborview Medical Center and two women in a small pickup truck pulled up, rolled down the passenger window and the driver yelled up to me with a big grin, "Thank you for the smile!  I really needed that today!"  How sweet a moment.

    It's a good reminder that our brothers and sisters are often in need of even some small relief from their cares and suffering.  Such a simple act and yet so powerful.  It is good us all. 

7 Benefits of Smiling and Laughing

and if you need more reasons...

15 Facinatinhg Facts About Smiling

Happy Trails Mom

    Our mom crossed the Great Divide this week.  She was many things and certainly rascal was one of them.  She had a fabulous sense of humor and loved to make people smile and laugh with her.  It was a great pleasure to look out after her for many years. Our time together is such a precious treasure.  Love you mom and miss you.

Are you you or are you your brother?

    Growing up as an identical twin gave me a wonderful view of people and their often imperfect attempts to connect.  It is one of the things about people that I truly enjoy.  The recent comments about my nose revolved around famous people (Patch Adams) and the weather (cold freezing mornings).

"Are you that guy?"

"Did they make a movie about you?  With that comedian guy, oh ... what's his name?"

"Hey, I bet you got the warmest nose around."

    All this was just so fun.  Thanks folks for the great comments. 

    I usually carry a few spare noses with me in my backpack.  I was crossing I-5 on an overpass with a freeway exit.  There was a woman with a cardboard sign begging for money from people driving by.  I was standing near her waiting for the traffic light to change and she turned and laughed at my nose.  She asked me for money but instead I asked her if she would like a nose.  She thought about it for minute and then decided it might help with the begging and promptly placed the nose on her face with a grin and a wave and off I went wishing her the best of luck today.

Familiars

  I got on the #71 Metro bus this morning at 7am.  As with neighborhood commuters I see the same faces every morning. Most folks tend to ignore me.  It always amazes me that they can get on the bus and simply not see me with a big red rubber nose and a silly grin.  A few glance at me then look straight ahead as they look for a seat (not around me). A smaller few break into a smile and those very rare people actually sit next to me.  They are the most interesting people in the world and share with me their lives and insights. 
  Today I was greeted by three regulars who all began laughing at the same time.  Ahhh...how sweet that uncomplicated and innocent joyful expression. 

Trader Joe's in University District

  Ahhh...Sunday morning grocery shopping with Vicki.   After a lovely breakfast at home of homemade pancakes with eggs, some of my homemade kombucha tea, and a hot cup of coffee, we decided to do some grocery shopping.  We found a parking place right in front and a cart waiting for us by our car left by the previous patron I would guess.
  Once inside Trader Joe's, I notice that people looked so serious! Bordering on grumpy...hmmmm.  So I put on my clown nose and soon everyone was smiling.  The mood in the store actually improved dramatically.  A much happier vibe.  We came home with lots of yummy/healthy food to eat.
 

New Friends

Jumping back a few weeks. I met a new friend and fellow merry maker, Dawn, on the Harborview shuttle.  She so loved the nose and donned the one I handed to her.

More than twice the fun!

Cafe Vita and Mom

  I picked up my mom at Kline Galland nursing home lending library and whisked her off to Cafe Vita to have coffee with me this morning.  Despite her dementia and physical slowing down, she walked all the way to the car in the far end of the parking lot enjoying the crisp cold morning air.  A welcome change from the uni-temperature of the nursing home.  I packed her into the car and buckled her in. "Click" she announced with a grin when the seatbelt was locked into place. 
  It took a while to get our coffee due to the long line at Cafe Vita in Seward Park but mom hung tightly to my arm and was busy watching all the young people buzzing around.  While they were getting our coffee order ready I took mom to a table. I nice woman who had been in line ahead of us, brought our coffee to the table! Sweet. Mom appeared a bit spaced out and waiting for something.  I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out my clown nose and popped it onto my nose!  She burst out laughing that wonderful spontaneous childlike laughter.  Too Fun!  When she stopped laughing, she said, "Andrew you are a rascal."  I replied, "I learned it all from you mom."  Then we had another good laugh.
  I love you mom!

  I went to the dentist for my annual checkup. Shaunne cleaned my teeth and Nancy promised to repair a chip on my front teeth. Shaunne and I had a fun visit about baking and also about my adventures in clown nosing on the bus.  
  After my appointment I headed to View Ridge PCC to pick up some baking supplies.  Suzanne was my checker and took one look at the nose, laughed and asked me if I wore the nose for some particular reason or was it my true face.  I admitted it was my true face to which she replied, "You are a man after my own heart." 
  I have always loved that phrase.  Smiling immediately connects people emotionally.  I could feel the waves of happiness radiate into the crowd and found that everyone around us was smiling! 

Tuesday November 12, 2013

  I walked to the bus with Vicki this morning.  A young couple with their baby waited with us. They knew Vicki who was pushing on my nose and making a beeping sound which delighted the baby.  They all left on the next bus and I waited for mine.  A woman came by to wait and laughed at my nose.  She told me about her nephew who had been ill but was recovering.  He was still having fainting spells at school and home and his doctor jokingly recommended that the boy wear a clown nose to protect his nose when his head fell forward onto his desk.  I always carry a spare nose and fished one out of my backpack and handed it to the woman.  She laughed and thanked me saying she would give it to her nephew later today.