A Gorey-ous Mother's Day

I may have a strange sense of humor.

But at least I have one, ha ha.

That's more than can be said for some people.

However.

The sense of humor which I do have, tends to the dark side.

As in, of all the kinds of humor, the black variety is among my top three favorites.

No; I am not a racist. Step right off.

I am referring not to jokes at the expense of minorities, but to humor that spins darkly toward the macabre.

For example, I am an admirer a devotee of the work of the estimable, inimitable (and late) Edward Gorey.

My daughter Audrey and I are both fans of EG. In fact, it may have been she who brought him fully to my attention (whether for the first or second time, I am not sure), some years back.

At any rate we never tire of reading The Gashlycrumb Tinies all the way through, laughing like hyenas at nearly every letter and every line.

You may savor the poem -- which is also a diminutive book, wrought to perfection with EG's matchless illustrations -- in its entirety here.

Don't worry your little head; there are only twenty-six lines.

Muuuaaaahhhahahaha.

Be prepared for a shiver to slink up your spine when you come to your own initial.

Bless.

So anyway, Audrey bought me a few Edward Gorey collectibles for Mother's Day.

A mug! You can buy every letter of the Tinies on its own mug, but of the twenty-six available, my daughter knew I'd like this one best:

N is for Neville who died of ennui

His tiny face in the picture! He's barely there, so crushingly bored is Neville.

It's brilliant.

Also I got a lapel pin: Count Dracula towering menacingly over a hapless white-gowned Lucy Harker.

Mmmmmm those glossy black wings. I love it.

I'm a sucker for any book that's tongue-in-cheek about death and funerals.

My kids have a history of gifting me with such tomes.

As a result, in recent years I've added to my collection my very own copies of such titles as:

Food to Die For: A Book of Funeral Food, Tips and Tales;

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers;

Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt;

The Undertaking: Life Studies From the Dismal Trade;

Curtains: Adventures of an Undertaker-In-Training;

and a new one, that my TG bought for me:

Mark Steyn's Passing Parade: Obituaries & Appreciations.

I hope to add more of the genre to my personal library as time goes by.

And I'll be reading one of those books while I enjoy my spa pedicures, paid for by gift certificates from my excellent and generous brood.

Meanwhile, I will continue to search high and low for my treasured copy of The Gashlycrumb Tinies, which seems to have gone missing.

When I find it, I shall inform you immediately.

It's very small, and for that reason is all the more important to me.

Little things mean a lot.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

Comments

[Mari]

Glad you had a nice Mothers Day and that your kids know you so well. I must say that although I've never heard of EG, I like his humor. The cup is great!

[Glenda]

Well, I for one love your sense of humor and love your kids for giving you such a wonderful Mother's Day.