Doe, A Deer

I love musicals. I used to love The Sound of Music. That was until Hannah decided to watch it daily, sometimes several times a day. I'm not exaggerating. When my friend Sheri stops in for her break, she's no longer surprised to hear the Von Trapp Family Singers, but she has stopped hesitating in asking Hannah to turn it off for the ten minutes she's here.

Some people can quote quirky or "cool" movies like, say, Monty Python. One friend, who I'm sure prefers to remain nameless, can quote Goldmember. (I haven't seen it myself). Me? I can quote The Sound of Music. I can name all seven children. I have all of the songs (mostly) memorized, or at least the annoying ones. I've even awakened to have those nuns singing How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? over and over so that I couldn't fall back asleep. Again--no exaggeration.

I have to admit I love watching Hannah watch the movie and mangle the words. The previews on the VHS include several Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals like The King and I, South Pacific and Oklahoma! Hannah sings "OOOOOO-homa...wind ah ah wah....pain...ah ah wheat...ah smewhs good...."

The words are "the waving wheat can sure smell sweet." At least she gets the context.

When the musical finally begins, Hannah twirls in a circle like Maria and sings, "The hiwhs awive with soun' ah mooosic."

I have confidence in confidence alone...

I am sixteen going on seventeen... I wish.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...

Doe, a deer, a female deer...

Which reminds me. It's deer season and the rut is on. I am once again a Deer Season Widow. I suppose I should be thankful that, unlike golf, deer season is limited. But when it's here, it's all I hear about. The same man who cannot turn down a job or let down a customer for any reason (even if his wife is puking her guts out while her infant sits in the bouncy seat next to her, though said wife harbors no grudges, ay?) is suddenly able to quit work at 3:00 so that he can don cammo and climb into a deer stand. Poor economy? Low bank account? No problem. I'm sure he justifies it by reassuring himself that he is providing food, putting meat on the table.

Next time I really want his attention, I think I'll put on a doe costume and sprinkle it with essence of doe. Talking is overrated.

How do you solve a problem like...