Not quite refined
This scarlet macaw stole my button, but I didn’t know it until I saw this photo.
Roatan, Honduras, March 2011
“She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.” — Mark Twain
There is nothing profound, instructive or inspirational about this quote. It made me laugh, so I wanted to share it. Twain’s whimsical description somehow hits just the right note, and I fancy it describes a woman who was rather like me in many ways. I’ve never had a parrot, but I wouldn’t rule it out if I live long enough to be even more eccentric than I am now.
I hope this will bring you one of many smiles you enjoy today. Comic relief is a blessing, and we all need more of it. Feel free to post links to funny photos, quotes or videos in the comments below. I didn’t get too many jokesters on April Fool’s Day, but it’s not too late! Laughter really is the best medicine.
SPECIAL NOTE to Sheila: I schedule these posts in advance and believe it or not, I had already scheduled this one before our humorous exchange about your sun conure! I assure you I was NOT thinking of you when I read Twain’s funny quote!
This post was originally published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: birds, characters, comic relief, fun, Honduras, humor, parrots, people, personalities, quirks, Roatan, scarlet macaw, tropics
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia! I just realized this morning that when we recount some joy or blessing, it’s like being blessed a second time!
Twain’s words are worth quoting, too!
Susan, that’s exactly right– and it also applies to recalling negative or unhappy or discouraging times, which is like enduring them again. It’s so important to master our wandering minds in so many endeavors, and nowhere is it more crucial than in maintaining mental health.
Oh Juia! 🐥You must know how smiley this made me today. Of course, it’s one of my favorite photos of you. It’s the same happiness that I remember in the name drawing video when you were instructing Matt “not to peek”! We miss Walter so much, my little cuckoo birdie! 🦜 Hope y’all are well and finding ways to enjoy these beautiful Spring days. Our oldest granddaughter, Grayson, was to be married tomorrow at Runnymeade Plantation in Charleston but has postponed it for a year. She told me she could not grieve it though, knowing people are dying alone! 😩 Thank you for the smile, the post! 💛
Sheila, that video is still there, linked inside the post you’ll see if you click on “THANK YOU!” at the top of the page. That is such a funny memory for me too. Matt is forever going “off script” and it’s almost always funny when he does. We have a lot of stories of that over the years. I can imagine how much you must miss Walter! He would have provided a lot of comic relief during this shutdown. I’m sorry Grayson’s wedding had to be postponed. So many plans have been upended but as with my FOUR cancelled trips planned for this year, such things seem minor when compared to the death and suffering around us. Stay safe and well my friend — and remember that the Virtual Verandah has never needed social distancing! 😀
💛💛Walking on sunshine all the way to our Verandah 💛💛
🙂 ❤