March 19, 2025 • 28 mins
Get ready for some laughs and insightful discussions as we tackle one of Ireland's most bizarre traditions—the Blarney Stone! In this episode, we dive deep into the peculiarities of the custom where visitors kiss a stone hanging upside down from the castle ledge. As we unravel the layers of this quirky tradition, we also weave in personal anecdotes from our own family stories including the fact that both ladies had parents who were clowns. With a mix of humor and sincerity, we examine how our childhood experiences shaped our perspectives today. Join us as we reflect on the absurdities of family dynamics and tradition, inviting you to share your own stories. Whether they are endearing or cringeworthy, we know our listeners have unique experiences that resonate. Don’t forget to check out our website and share your thoughts—we love hearing from you!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
DJ NICK (00:07):
Welcome to the Dysfunction Junkies podcast.
We may not have seen it all,but we've seen enough.
And now here are your hosts,Chrisy and Kerry.
Kerry (00:19):
Hello Junkies, I'm Kerry
Chrisy (00:22):
and I'm Chrisy.
Kerry (00:23):
How are you doing today, Chrisy?
Chrisy (00:26):
You know I'm doing well.
In our last episode we talked alot about St Patrick's Day and
the joy of it for a lot ofpeople and the involvement and
having a very good time.
Kerry (00:37):
Yes.
Chrisy (00:38):
And I've got to go back to this Blarney Stone thing,
because after we talked about ityou went online.
And you know, I've heard aboutthe Blarney Stone but I never
really was interested enough tolook it up.
I encourage everybody out thereto see what, what the hell is
going on here, because this isbad and we're not Irish, we're
(01:01):
not part of Ireland, we have nosay in this.
But I might encourage someother people.
She's showing me a pictureright now which she showed me
earlier sad and I'm.
We're not irish, we're not partof ireland, we have no say in
this, but it might encouragesome other people.
She's showing me a pictureright now which she showed me
earlier.
They have a woman I'm guessingit's a woman upside down on her
back.
Yes, I mean, this isquestionable on so many levels.
It looks like she's in aguillotine or whatever you call
that thing.
Oh my gosh it does you're right?
Kerry (01:21):
and they're gonna take her head any minute.
This is not an easy position.
No, like this isn't like.
Chrisy (01:26):
You have to be somewhat flexible to kiss this blarney
stone well, it looks like she'shovering like in the exorcist
above the ground and it doesappear there's a priesthood
which this is just wrong on somany.
Is that gentleman a priest?
Kerry (01:40):
I don't think he's a priest, I think he's just a
worker.
Chrisy (01:43):
His choice of clothing is poor at best because it's
black and it looks like a priest.
Kerry (01:50):
You're basically turning your head upside down yes, I'm
trying to find another view foryou it looks like a torture.
Chrisy (01:57):
Uh, I have.
I have to just say I hope thatthey're having a lot of good
luck.
Definitely, I would ask myjunkies out there to Google this
, if you're interested.
Kerry (02:09):
We'll put one on our Facebook page.
Chrisy (02:10):
Yeah, it's fascinating.
Kerry (02:14):
I would have see now this view here.
Look at that gap.
I mean that's high up.
This is at the top of a castle.
So anyone with a slight fear ofheights, you know you're
bending over backwards, puttingyour head down through this hole
to kiss the stone.
That's got to be slightly.
Chrisy (02:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Who's cleaning that?
That's you got to have a stickLook how dirty that wall is.
Kerry (02:38):
Look at the black staining.
Well.
Chrisy (02:41):
I can only guess when the foundation of this castle is
dating back to, Because youknow, over there stuff is it's
not America old, it's Europe old.
Kerry (02:50):
It's.
Chrisy (02:51):
Ireland.
I understand Ireland's, notEurope.
Ireland old it's, you know, butthis is like several stories up
in the air.
Kerry (02:57):
This isn't the ground.
What if you?
Chrisy (02:59):
slid through.
Is there like a gap that youcould slide through?
That's what I'm saying Is therelike a gap that you can slide
through?
That's what I'm saying.
Kerry (03:03):
I mean, a thin person could probably fit through that.
But look at all the icky it'slike when you go into the
doctor's office and the chair'sagainst the wall and you see the
grease stains above every chairfrom people's heads.
That's what's on this wall.
Chrisy (03:17):
I remember that from our fellow classmates when we were
in high school, because of thatstuff that we used to put in our
hair, do you ever rememberthey'd lean up against the
chalkboard?
Kerry (03:30):
and they'd leave a mark on the chalkboard from that good
old I'm just talking about,like any place in general, but
still, look at that's, that'shuman body oil on that wall I
understand that, and have younoticed in the pictures you've
shown me?
Chrisy (03:39):
these women are questionable as far as their
level of enjoyment in life.
Kerry (03:45):
Well, there's a couple guys.
Chrisy (03:52):
Look, this person's stuck.
Kerry (03:53):
Can I see maybe someone of a larger capacity?
There is no one of size.
Chrisy (03:56):
Because they ain't going to be able to stop you if you
go down.
Kerry (04:00):
See, look here you can see the spacing of the bars,
although I guess you won't beable to slide through the little
envelope there.
Yeah really Wow.
Yeah, so we'll post thispicture.
Chrisy (04:08):
And we're sorry, we're not trying to like.
Kerry (04:10):
This is how tall the castle is.
Chrisy (04:12):
Yeah, and stuff there.
It's like usually up on a hill,it looks like from pictures and
Ireland, a beautiful country,Beautiful.
Kerry (04:20):
It is.
I would love to go see some ofthese castles and stuff because
I do think that would be reallycool, but you wouldn't get.
Chrisy (04:27):
No, I would not be kissing the way you were
describing it.
I thought it sounded like whenyou go into an MRI or something,
they slide you through thatlittle circle.
I'll have an MRI before I kissthe Barney stone.
I guess I don't know, oh boy.
All right Well we needed torevisit that because I just
couldn't believe what I wasseeing.
The Larney Castle was almost600 years old 600 years old.
(04:52):
It was built in 1446.
Wow.
Kerry (04:55):
Yeah, that's impressive.
Chrisy (04:56):
That's actually probably considered fairly new for
Ireland.
Kerry (05:00):
So, yeah.
So, updates, updates, let's seewhat's going on.
So, uh, yeah, life, uh, at thefarm, and everything is still
clicking away, still waiting forspring to come.
Uh, on the mom update, yeah,it's been a little challenging
with mom.
The last you know ever sincechristmas she really hasn't she
got sick, and then it's it'sreally been kind of a slow, like
(05:23):
she has a couple bad days andshe has a good day and a couple
bad days and a good day, andyeah, it's just been really a
struggle.
It's been really difficult tosee her decline in that way and
needing more care and everything, and so it's it's hard.
It's hard when you're you seeyour family member declining.
It's like you're how do I wordit?
(05:43):
You're losing that, like you'vealready lost them in some ways
because they're not the samepeople as they were before.
You know, like now I'm takingcare of this adult child and you
know, and they're just not theparent of the past, and so
you're mourning the loss of yourparent, even though they're
still here.
So how are things on your front?
(06:04):
How, how's, how's everythinggoing?
Chrisy (06:06):
parent update yeah, parent update.
Well, I'll give you a fullupdate.
Okay, my dad is still dead, sothere's one parent update out of
the way oh, chrissy, you neversee.
Kerry (06:22):
Good to know dad has not risen from the dead.
Okay, good to know.
Chrisy (06:25):
No, and I yeah, mom is fine.
Uh, again just trying to youknow, help her, get her what she
needs as an adult.
And and just interacting withmy mother at this level, coming
to terms with what I, you learnto know your mom in a different
way your parents in a differentway.
Kerry (06:46):
Oh, yes, yes.
Chrisy (06:47):
And my father's been gone for a while, so I really
did not get to go to this pointwith him, right You're?
Kerry (06:56):
right.
Chrisy (06:56):
Yeah, he was still the dad.
He still had a lot to say anddo and was still very
independent.
His illness came on quickly and, unfortunately, we lost him
pretty quickly, so I didn'treally deal with a long period
of time of decline.
It was very fast, yeah, but mymom is very needy and this is
(07:20):
probably not any problem on herpart.
Yeah, it's the fact that I havealways been the one who's needy
the shoe is on the other, andsomebody in the house and my
husband understood this, I think, early on, and has expressed
his unhappiness with it a lot inthe past 30 years.
Yeah, at times, yeah, but hegets it.
(07:41):
Like I said, my husband gets me.
Kerry (07:43):
I'm very lucky in that.
Chrisy (07:44):
Doesn't mean he gets it.
Like I said, my husband gets me.
I'm very lucky in that.
It doesn't mean he likes it,but he has to take the good with
the bad.
I sometimes try to understand.
What is he getting out of it?
That's good.
Sometimes I try to ask him andthen he falls asleep.
He doesn't tell me.
I actually try to ask him that.
I know he's going to fallasleep.
I don't want to be toldanything.
I don't want to hear.
But yeah, my mom is real needyand I just probably never
(08:07):
noticed this right because I wasneedy.
I want, I want, give, give,don't bother me, I don't want
you right.
So now that I'm really focusedon her, yes, and trying to help
her, there's a lot of needsthere that I find myself having
some hostility about, because Ijust am not wired that way to be
caregiver but I'm trying.
Kerry (08:30):
It's like you said before you were not micromanaged as a
child, so it's hard.
This is a big adjustment foryou to micromanage as an adult
to your parents you know,because it's not how you were.
Chrisy (08:43):
This, that was not part of your growing up it wasn't
part of your family's dynamics,so no, and although it was not
micromanaged, mmm, I was thevictim if you want to use that
word, of being put in situationsyeah that I find myself
horrified by, and Now that I'vebeen a parent for a while, Okay,
(09:04):
that I would not do?
Like what Well exposing yourchildren to certain things that
they probably don't need to beexposed to?
Well, one episode we talkedabout the superstitions.
Oh, yes, uh-huh, yes andunderstanding my mother,
obviously, and there's no likelogical explanation for any of
(09:26):
these superstitions, right?
One other thing I'm not goingto touch on the ones.
Please go back.
It's a very good episode, Ithink, of certain things you
just get fed that you'resupposed to do to avoid bad luck
, I guess, or something horrible.
And I don't think I touched onthis and if I did remind me.
But the one thing she did do tome was I had this beautiful
ring that she bought me when, Ithink, I was like 16.
(09:48):
Okay, and it had some littlediamonds in it, and then the
middle part was an opal, okay.
Kerry (09:54):
No, you hadn't talked about this, no.
Chrisy (09:56):
Okay.
So I had an opal, but the opalis not my birthstone, okay, but
it is a stone that I think isvery pretty and I liked it.
Well, my mother decided after awhile I probably didn't even
have the ring a year that myluck wasn't running as good as
it could be, oh my gosh.
So she took away my ring andshe took the opal.
(10:18):
She took it to a jeweler andhad the opal removed and
replaced with some piece ofturquoise, which is Is that your
birthstone?
No, oh, but it's.
I don't know that it's actuallyestablished for it might be.
I don't know if turquoise isanybody's birthstone.
Oh, I don't know why.
She thought that was a neutralstone, but the opal was gone.
(10:39):
Oh, that's horrible.
Kerry (10:40):
I still have my ring.
Chrisy (10:42):
Oh, it's put away.
I don't wear it, yeah, becausein my mind it was damaged.
Kerry (10:46):
Right.
Chrisy (10:46):
Yeah.
So she felt because I waswearing an opal that was not my
birthstone, it was bringing onbad luck.
Bad luck, so don't know wherethis came from, is anybody?
So there, she destroyed myjewelry.
The other thing is, she decidedthat my self-confidence was not
where it should be, and so shedecided I don't know how she
(11:09):
arranged this, but she didbecause my mother was good at
arranging certain things.
If she put her mind to it,generally she was doing her own
thing, but then if she felt sheneeded to do something, usually
that was going to turn bad.
She somehow scored me into apageant because she felt that
would help build myself-confidence.
And how old were you?
16.
Kerry (11:30):
At 16, you're going through this must have been like
right about when we met.
Chrisy (11:35):
It was, we were friends.
Yeah, because I remembertelling you about it.
Kerry (11:37):
Yeah.
Why didn't I get to go to thispageant though?
Chrisy (11:40):
Well, for what?
It was awful?
It was so awful and I knowthere's a culture, yeah, and
there's been movies and TV showsabout it.
Kerry (11:51):
And.
Chrisy (11:51):
I'm going to tell you right now, just from my
experience.
Yeah they are horrible thingsand they do not build confidence
.
Confidence, any girl that I met, this was my one and only forte
in this.
That's why I don't know who thehell she finangled with to get
me in this, because I was not aregular participant in these
things.
Everybody who I met and it wasfor the state, it was a finalist
(12:15):
in the state of Ohio.
Oh, Teen pageant, oh my gosh,but maybe that's an organization
I don't know, maybe there'sseveral of them.
Yeah, there, probably is.
Yeah, but I was able to do onewhere it was in the capital,
down in Columbus.
Okay, and there were 50 girlscompeting from all over the
state.
Huh, I wonder why not 88.
Kerry (12:34):
Because we have 88 counties in the state of Ohio.
Chrisy (12:36):
It wasn't really by county, oh, okay.
It was more by city, okay, or?
Kerry (12:41):
Regions or something.
Chrisy (12:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay so it does not build
self-confidence no you arecompeting with, first of all,
what I would call career pageantgirls oh yeah, they've been
doing it since childhood.
Yes, yes, that is.
And they go to one thefollowing weekend, right and the
.
They find these things yes theywere off my radar until my
mother's expensive hobby.
Kerry (13:04):
I don't I don't know if the hobby is the right word, but
it's expensive to be in those.
Those aren't cheap to doBetween your wardrobe and the
makeup and the hair extensionsand everything else no, and you
get slammed into.
Chrisy (13:16):
You have to rehearse for an opening number.
Never been one forchoreographed dance.
I wanted to be, but was not.
I so much said that I don'teven like those dances that you
do at the bar or at weddings.
Kerry (13:30):
You're not like a Cupid Shuffle fan.
Cupid Shuffle.
Chrisy (13:34):
To the right, to the right to the right to the right.
Oh, I know the electric slide.
Kerry (13:38):
Yeah, they usually play that right after.
Chrisy (13:39):
Yeah, in fact I made you the Macarena.
Oh my God, no, someone's goingto get hit by me.
I'm just going to swing my armthe wrong way and you're going
to get slammed.
I'm going to step on your feet.
I hate those dances so muchthat I requested at my wedding.
To the band that played, I saiddo not play any of those.
Kerry (13:59):
No line dancing, no line dancing.
Chrisy (14:00):
And no chicken thing where people quack.
Kerry (14:03):
Oh, come on, no.
Chrisy (14:07):
We did not have that stuff.
No, I did not want it.
I ruined everybody else's fun,but I didn't want it Did you
have a cookie table, oh yeah, ohOK.
Kerry (14:13):
Well, at least you went with that tradition of our area
Youngstown area is big on thecookie table.
Chrisy (14:18):
Yes, you have to have a cookie table and the other thing
I will talk about too in aminute, when you talk about
parents who have you do things.
My father was specific in whathe expected because he did pay
for most of the wedding, beingthe father of the bride.
My husband and I we saved upbecause we were engaged for a
while, so we did save up and payfor many things too, but he
(14:41):
felt he was the dad, he hadexpectations and you were going
to follow him.
Yeah, so the pageant thing ifanything it just totally
destroys you.
Wow, Of course I did not win.
Kerry (14:52):
I don't know, well, when you're going against these
people that this is theirlifestyle.
Yeah, you're the underdog.
Chrisy (14:58):
And you don't, I don't even know, maybe at 16, you
think you have a chance Rightand maybe you do.
I guess it's like the law.
I mean, who says but yeah, no,I was not polished to do all of
this and it it made it worse.
Yeah, but mom thought it wasgonna help and it was kind of
humiliating, wow.
Kerry (15:16):
I'm sure it was so you needed to be see.
Okay, here's the other side ofthe coin.
Although my parents didn't makeme do anything like they didn't
push me into anything, but theone thing they did encourage and
of course I wanted to do was4-h, and 4-h for me accomplished
everything that it sounds likeyour mom was hoping that it the
pageants would accomplish foryou, but it did so.
(15:38):
It gave me confidence, it gaveme speaking skills, it gave me,
you know, there I'm foreverspeaking highly about 4-H and I
encourage parents to let theirkids do 4-H because it did build
all those things.
Chrisy (15:51):
Did they have 4-H for us inner city kids?
Because I don't remember thatbeing an option and I might.
Kerry (15:59):
Yes, 4-h just isn't about the animals, although for us a
lot of it was.
What else was it?
Well, they had like there'sfour like there was a 4-H where
you could do like make clothingif you were into, you know, like
design, and I couldn't makeclothing.
A design and fashion, you meanyou used a pattern, yeah, but I
mean I wasn't in that because Iwasn't into that.
(16:21):
But what I'm saying is thereare other things that doesn't
have to do with agricultural for4-H, for kids.
Chrisy (16:27):
They needed to tell us that.
Kerry (16:29):
Right.
Chrisy (16:29):
Yeah, I always disconnected for and 4-H here
where I live now with family.
Kerry (16:33):
Oh, I'm sure it's huge.
Chrisy (16:34):
It's huge, yeah, and families, and I would have to
say you know it's wonderful,yeah, I see nothing but positive
.
Kerry (16:42):
Oh no, it was In fact, I love to this day.
So we have the Canfield Fairand that's one of the largest
county fairs this side of theMississippi.
I love going there and I willsit and watch those 4-H kids and
their judging and it bringsback the best memories for me
because that did buildconfidence.
That built so much characterfor me.
You know, it taught you poise,it taught you how to speak in
(17:04):
public, it taught you how towork hard for something.
You know responsibility.
There was so much that ittaught you and it was such a
good experience.
But again, my parents didn'tmake me do that, but I you were
self-motivated.
Well, it was just such a thingthat was around us.
It was like oh yeah, I want tobe in 4-H, you know.
And then Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts was probably theone thing that my mom probably
(17:27):
not made me do, but encouragedme because her best friend was a
troop leader.
I didn't enjoy Girl Scouts asmuch as 4-H.
Chrisy (17:34):
Girl Scouts was.
Kerry (17:35):
I was not popular enough so it was kind of clicky.
Is that a?
Chrisy (17:39):
clicky thing.
Oh, it felt like.
Well, we have a listener who iswas also a subject to some
story that I brought up abouthaving interaction with
neighborhood kids.
Yes, and I still interact withher.
She lives a state over.
Okay, we're going to call herFingers.
Until I can get permission fromher in writing that I'm allowed
(18:02):
to say her name, I'm not goingto say it, lovely girl.
And I really did actually loveher growing up, even though I
did try to ruin her hands asmuch as I could.
So Fingers, she was a GirlScout.
Oh was she and a brownie.
Oh, yeah, yeah, and I used tolike to mess with her I mean of
course.
Hey, Gaskin, I made a brownie.
Kerry (18:27):
Look at you and your little thing with your patches.
Chrisy (18:28):
Chrissy, you're a little bully, a little bit, yeah, but
that's probably because I wasbeing forced to do humiliating
things on them.
Kerry (18:30):
That's probably, and you know you've got to humiliate
others when you're humiliatedall the time.
Chrisy (18:35):
So this is another dysfunction of growing up that's
instilled, you know, in you.
The other thing is there was aperson in the community a lot of
people knew who this person wasand my mom wanted me to be in
the arts, especially withsinging and music.
That was her push.
Kerry (18:50):
Well, you still have a beautiful voice.
Your singing was you would havebeen.
If America's Got Talent or allthose the voice would have been
happening when we were in highschool oh, I'm sure my mother
would have humiliated me withthat?
Chrisy (19:03):
Yes, of course, but you would have made it, I would no,
because here's the thing withthat People there are a lot of
people who can sing?
I could sing, but the otherpart of that formula is you have
to have the ambition.
I had talent and no ambition.
So if you don't have that otherhalf, in some cases I would say
that part is more importantthan talent.
Kerry (19:33):
Because there are a lot of people who are famous.
Chrisy (19:34):
Yeah, you don't necessarily have a talent as
great as they think.
But that ambition will.
That's a good, that's a goodobservation.
And I just wasn't, because ittook effort and I was, you know,
yeah, effort was something thatcame and went with me in spurts
.
Yeah, I would be ambitious oneday, and this day I was a slug.
So, but she, this person shethought might be able to offer
me advice on going into a careerin that area.
(19:57):
Okay, why, I don't know, butthey were fairly famous in the
area we were from.
A lot of people knew who thisperson was, personality.
And somehow my mother againwith this arranging, my mother
was out there, sometimes willingand dealing.
I said she was a stage motherbut she never went to the stage.
She made the deals Right andthen threw you out there and I
made this deal.
She's like Colonel Tom Parker,making crappy deals and making
(20:21):
me go out and look like an assman.
But I had to go to dinner withthis person.
Kerry (20:27):
Oh my gosh.
Chrisy (20:31):
Grandparent aged to me at that time Wow, and I had to
have dinner with him a few times.
Is that awkward?
Very, oh, always a very niceperson.
Kerry (20:41):
Yeah.
Chrisy (20:41):
Never inappropriate on any level.
I never understood what wasexpected of me.
He did talk to me about certainthings.
It was awkward and my motherwas not there with me.
She sat away, oh, so she was inthe restaurant, but just sat at
the bar and watched you fromafar.
Kerry (21:01):
I think so.
Chrisy (21:01):
She was never at our table wow, yeah, my parents
never put me in that situation.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah.
And then I was going to circleback around with something with
my dad that he did when we weretalking before this well, I my
parent, so we were talking aboutparents doing embarrassing
things.
Kerry (21:16):
so my parents never really like my mom.
She was kind of very quiet andvery shy in public where my dad
was the extrovert.
But my dad would embarrass mebecause he was almost flirty and
all the divorced moms wouldalways be clinging on him like
always and that used toembarrass me and upset me, but
he never really.
They never really did like youknow things that would I could
(21:37):
say upset me, but he neverreally.
They never really did like youknow things that would I could
say embarrass me.
But I don't know, maybe I wasjust too naive to know what to
be embarrassed about.
I have no idea.
Chrisy (21:46):
Well, you and I both have a situation with our
parents you with your mom, mewith my father.
Yes that most people,especially the age that we were,
would say this was embarrassing.
But at the time, now you mighthave a different, different
experience, but at the time myfather participating in this.
I was not really embarrassingokay I can kind of appreciate
(22:08):
that children our age yes, howmuch I've been like 12, 13 ish
would be very embarrassed by myfather was a clown.
Yeah, and I'm not saying he's aclown.
No, he was legitimately a clown.
He had a clown name, he hadclown makeup, he had a clown
motorcycle with a flippin' beepbeep horn on it Was it like a
little.
Kerry (22:27):
Yes, it was A ridiculous little stupid scooter thing.
What was his clown name?
Sad.
Which wraps up my childhood Ido remember your dad being a
clown and he thought he was likethe cat's meow.
Chrisy (22:46):
Yeah, he had a weapon stamp because the whole thing
with the clowns where we werefrom was we had a local.
It was a masonic organizationthat he was very much involved
in, had a yearly circus whichwas very respected, very looked
forward to, and it was thecircus with a purpose.
Kerry (23:04):
Yeah, they did.
They were benefiting children.
I thought they were.
It wasn't good cause, or was itchildren with?
Chrisy (23:10):
They did I mean the Masonics did a lot with
participating in things.
Kerry (23:14):
Children with disabilities or something?
Yes, very much so.
Chrisy (23:17):
So I'm certainly not going to louse up that group of
people who are doing nice thingsand benefiting that, but dad
decided he wanted to do this and, believe it or not, at the time
, especially around the circustime, these clowns were
celebrities.
Yeah, they were Big time, bigtime.
There was one guy who was thefamous clown of them all, the
(23:40):
Mac Daddy.
Who was that?
Soupy, I?
Kerry (23:42):
remember his name was Soupy.
Chrisy (23:44):
You probably remember Everybody remembers Soupy.
I totally remember that.
I recently went to an event ata hall that is now this place,
the Masonic organization my dadbelonged to with the circus that
represented the circus theyused to be way out in Canfield.
Kerry (24:00):
Yes, a long time ago.
That's where their lodge was.
Chrisy (24:03):
Yes, it recently has moved and I have a nephew and a
brother-in-law who are involvedin this organization Same one my
dad was involved in and we wereat the hall for an event and
they have a picture of thisclown.
I remember that, and they havea picture of this clown and it
startled me when I saw itbecause I was like, oh, it's
soupy.
Kerry (24:19):
I remember that, in fact, now that you're saying that
that might have been the wholething of why my mom decided to
be a clown and so, but she was aclown for a little organization
called Fools for Christ andthey would dress up as clowns
and they would go to, like,nursing homes and do visiting
and you know, like that wastheir mission, equally doing
(24:40):
very good things.
Yes, yes, and so her name wasDaisy.
And then she roped me intodoing it with her and my name
was Penny and I had this.
I just remember I had thisreally big penny it was like the
size of a dinner plate, pennyand that was.
That was the kick.
And hers was Daisy and so, butwhat's funny is, to this day,
(25:02):
and my mom and all of her, youknow, like when we moved her out
of her house and everything shehas this tiny little picture
and an oval frame of her dressedup as the clown and it still
sits by her bed.
Yeah, now that you're sayingthat, soupy there's.
Chrisy (25:18):
Well, there were, there was, there was some big time, I
mean, and kids our age knewthese.
Kerry (25:21):
We would go, our schools would take you to the circus as
a field trip.
Yes, it was a big deal to go.
Chrisy (25:26):
It was a big deal they had programs in the.
On the back of the program wasthe autograph page and your goal
was to get all those clowns tosign them.
My father, who was artistic heactually did draw some of the
covers, I think I still havethose put away somewhere, all of
his covers that he drew for theprogram.
Yeah, my father, though, wasfunny because all those clowns
(25:48):
used to sign he got and maybe helearned this from somebody else
, but he had a stamp made.
Kerry (25:53):
So he would just stamp them yeah.
Chrisy (25:57):
My father was very, you know, know, I'm too good to sit
here and say boing sad, boingsad, boing, sad dad's sad.
What's your dad's clowning?
Kerry (26:04):
sad dad's sad that is so funny, but see, it wasn't
embarrassing though, to you asmuch as I'm guessing people are
listening and saying that wouldbe horrifying at like 13 years
old to say your dad's a clown,he's dressed up, he's on this
stupid scooter.
It wasn't At the time, no, no.
Uh-uh.
Chrisy (26:19):
No, because in our area it was a big thing, it was kind
of a big thing.
Right, right and when I would goto the circus.
Not only was he a Mason Right,so you got kind of special
treatment there to do shows,where they would come out once
in a while in between the actsand do silly things.
(26:39):
There's dad, yeah so, and uhyeah, dad was a clown and he'd
make those clown balloons.
Yeah, you know the poodles andthe, and my room was filled with
them.
It was like please don't, Idon't need any more of these
quit practicing.
Yeah, he was, he was practicinghis craft and I would have all
of these flipping balloons in myroom and I'd be like, oh god, I
(27:01):
can't take it.
Oh so, yeah, but yeah, no, dadwas a clown.
Mom made me a clown.
It was a.
You know what made me into thecomplete and utter wreck that I
am?
Kerry (27:13):
oh so well, but that was a real nice trip down memory
lane.
A little bit, I'm a little bit.
Yeah, that was good.
So I guess what we want to hearfrom listeners is what did your
parents do, or what were theymaybe involved in and good deeds
or whatever that did you findthem embarrassing or did you
(27:34):
find it endearing?
So let us know on our Facebookpage.
Also, make sure, while you'rechecking out our Facebook page,
to go to our website,dysfunctionjunkiesbuzzsproutcom.
If you're enjoying our show oreven a particular episode, you
can help support us by donatingone time or do a reoccurring
donation.
We would sure would appreciateit.
(27:54):
We'd love hearing all yourfeedback.
So let us know how we're doingor what you want us to talk
about.
We're always looking forepisode ideas.
Yes, please do.
All right, junkies, we will seeyou next week.
Thanks for joining.
Chrisy (28:07):
Thank you, bye-bye.
Welcome to the Dysfunction Junkies podcast.
We may not have seen it all,but we've seen enough.
And now here are your hosts,Chrisy and Kerry.
Kerry (00:19):
Hello Junkies, I'm Kerry
Chrisy (00:22):
and I'm Chrisy.
Kerry (00:23):
How are you doing today, Chrisy?
Chrisy (00:26):
You know I'm doing well.
In our last episode we talked alot about St Patrick's Day and
the joy of it for a lot ofpeople and the involvement and
having a very good time.
Kerry (00:37):
Yes.
Chrisy (00:38):
And I've got to go back to this Blarney Stone thing,
because after we talked about ityou went online.
And you know, I've heard aboutthe Blarney Stone but I never
really was interested enough tolook it up.
I encourage everybody out thereto see what, what the hell is
going on here, because this isbad and we're not Irish, we're
(01:01):
not part of Ireland, we have nosay in this.
But I might encourage someother people.
She's showing me a pictureright now which she showed me
earlier sad and I'm.
We're not irish, we're not partof ireland, we have no say in
this, but it might encouragesome other people.
She's showing me a pictureright now which she showed me
earlier.
They have a woman I'm guessingit's a woman upside down on her
back.
Yes, I mean, this isquestionable on so many levels.
It looks like she's in aguillotine or whatever you call
that thing.
Oh my gosh it does you're right?
Kerry (01:21):
and they're gonna take her head any minute.
This is not an easy position.
No, like this isn't like.
Chrisy (01:26):
You have to be somewhat flexible to kiss this blarney
stone well, it looks like she'shovering like in the exorcist
above the ground and it doesappear there's a priesthood
which this is just wrong on somany.
Is that gentleman a priest?
Kerry (01:40):
I don't think he's a priest, I think he's just a
worker.
Chrisy (01:43):
His choice of clothing is poor at best because it's
black and it looks like a priest.
Kerry (01:50):
You're basically turning your head upside down yes, I'm
trying to find another view foryou it looks like a torture.
Chrisy (01:57):
Uh, I have.
I have to just say I hope thatthey're having a lot of good
luck.
Definitely, I would ask myjunkies out there to Google this
, if you're interested.
Kerry (02:09):
We'll put one on our Facebook page.
Chrisy (02:10):
Yeah, it's fascinating.
Kerry (02:14):
I would have see now this view here.
Look at that gap.
I mean that's high up.
This is at the top of a castle.
So anyone with a slight fear ofheights, you know you're
bending over backwards, puttingyour head down through this hole
to kiss the stone.
That's got to be slightly.
Chrisy (02:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Who's cleaning that?
That's you got to have a stickLook how dirty that wall is.
Kerry (02:38):
Look at the black staining.
Well.
Chrisy (02:41):
I can only guess when the foundation of this castle is
dating back to, Because youknow, over there stuff is it's
not America old, it's Europe old.
Kerry (02:50):
It's.
Chrisy (02:51):
Ireland.
I understand Ireland's, notEurope.
Ireland old it's, you know, butthis is like several stories up
in the air.
Kerry (02:57):
This isn't the ground.
What if you?
Chrisy (02:59):
slid through.
Is there like a gap that youcould slide through?
That's what I'm saying Is therelike a gap that you can slide
through?
That's what I'm saying.
Kerry (03:03):
I mean, a thin person could probably fit through that.
But look at all the icky it'slike when you go into the
doctor's office and the chair'sagainst the wall and you see the
grease stains above every chairfrom people's heads.
That's what's on this wall.
Chrisy (03:17):
I remember that from our fellow classmates when we were
in high school, because of thatstuff that we used to put in our
hair, do you ever rememberthey'd lean up against the
chalkboard?
Kerry (03:30):
and they'd leave a mark on the chalkboard from that good
old I'm just talking about,like any place in general, but
still, look at that's, that'shuman body oil on that wall I
understand that, and have younoticed in the pictures you've
shown me?
Chrisy (03:39):
these women are questionable as far as their
level of enjoyment in life.
Kerry (03:45):
Well, there's a couple guys.
Chrisy (03:52):
Look, this person's stuck.
Kerry (03:53):
Can I see maybe someone of a larger capacity?
There is no one of size.
Chrisy (03:56):
Because they ain't going to be able to stop you if you
go down.
Kerry (04:00):
See, look here you can see the spacing of the bars,
although I guess you won't beable to slide through the little
envelope there.
Yeah really Wow.
Yeah, so we'll post thispicture.
Chrisy (04:08):
And we're sorry, we're not trying to like.
Kerry (04:10):
This is how tall the castle is.
Chrisy (04:12):
Yeah, and stuff there.
It's like usually up on a hill,it looks like from pictures and
Ireland, a beautiful country,Beautiful.
Kerry (04:20):
It is.
I would love to go see some ofthese castles and stuff because
I do think that would be reallycool, but you wouldn't get.
Chrisy (04:27):
No, I would not be kissing the way you were
describing it.
I thought it sounded like whenyou go into an MRI or something,
they slide you through thatlittle circle.
I'll have an MRI before I kissthe Barney stone.
I guess I don't know, oh boy.
All right Well we needed torevisit that because I just
couldn't believe what I wasseeing.
The Larney Castle was almost600 years old 600 years old.
(04:52):
It was built in 1446.
Wow.
Kerry (04:55):
Yeah, that's impressive.
Chrisy (04:56):
That's actually probably considered fairly new for
Ireland.
Kerry (05:00):
So, yeah.
So, updates, updates, let's seewhat's going on.
So, uh, yeah, life, uh, at thefarm, and everything is still
clicking away, still waiting forspring to come.
Uh, on the mom update, yeah,it's been a little challenging
with mom.
The last you know ever sincechristmas she really hasn't she
got sick, and then it's it'sreally been kind of a slow, like
(05:23):
she has a couple bad days andshe has a good day and a couple
bad days and a good day, andyeah, it's just been really a
struggle.
It's been really difficult tosee her decline in that way and
needing more care and everything, and so it's it's hard.
It's hard when you're you seeyour family member declining.
It's like you're how do I wordit?
(05:43):
You're losing that, like you'vealready lost them in some ways
because they're not the samepeople as they were before.
You know, like now I'm takingcare of this adult child and you
know, and they're just not theparent of the past, and so
you're mourning the loss of yourparent, even though they're
still here.
So how are things on your front?
(06:04):
How, how's, how's everythinggoing?
Chrisy (06:06):
parent update yeah, parent update.
Well, I'll give you a fullupdate.
Okay, my dad is still dead, sothere's one parent update out of
the way oh, chrissy, you neversee.
Kerry (06:22):
Good to know dad has not risen from the dead.
Okay, good to know.
Chrisy (06:25):
No, and I yeah, mom is fine.
Uh, again just trying to youknow, help her, get her what she
needs as an adult.
And and just interacting withmy mother at this level, coming
to terms with what I, you learnto know your mom in a different
way your parents in a differentway.
Kerry (06:46):
Oh, yes, yes.
Chrisy (06:47):
And my father's been gone for a while, so I really
did not get to go to this pointwith him, right You're?
Kerry (06:56):
right.
Chrisy (06:56):
Yeah, he was still the dad.
He still had a lot to say anddo and was still very
independent.
His illness came on quickly and, unfortunately, we lost him
pretty quickly, so I didn'treally deal with a long period
of time of decline.
It was very fast, yeah, but mymom is very needy and this is
(07:20):
probably not any problem on herpart.
Yeah, it's the fact that I havealways been the one who's needy
the shoe is on the other, andsomebody in the house and my
husband understood this, I think, early on, and has expressed
his unhappiness with it a lot inthe past 30 years.
Yeah, at times, yeah, but hegets it.
(07:41):
Like I said, my husband gets me.
Kerry (07:43):
I'm very lucky in that.
Chrisy (07:44):
Doesn't mean he gets it.
Like I said, my husband gets me.
I'm very lucky in that.
It doesn't mean he likes it,but he has to take the good with
the bad.
I sometimes try to understand.
What is he getting out of it?
That's good.
Sometimes I try to ask him andthen he falls asleep.
He doesn't tell me.
I actually try to ask him that.
I know he's going to fallasleep.
I don't want to be toldanything.
I don't want to hear.
But yeah, my mom is real needyand I just probably never
(08:07):
noticed this right because I wasneedy.
I want, I want, give, give,don't bother me, I don't want
you right.
So now that I'm really focusedon her, yes, and trying to help
her, there's a lot of needsthere that I find myself having
some hostility about, because Ijust am not wired that way to be
caregiver but I'm trying.
Kerry (08:30):
It's like you said before you were not micromanaged as a
child, so it's hard.
This is a big adjustment foryou to micromanage as an adult
to your parents you know,because it's not how you were.
Chrisy (08:43):
This, that was not part of your growing up it wasn't
part of your family's dynamics,so no, and although it was not
micromanaged, mmm, I was thevictim if you want to use that
word, of being put in situationsyeah that I find myself
horrified by, and Now that I'vebeen a parent for a while, Okay,
(09:04):
that I would not do?
Like what Well exposing yourchildren to certain things that
they probably don't need to beexposed to?
Well, one episode we talkedabout the superstitions.
Oh, yes, uh-huh, yes andunderstanding my mother,
obviously, and there's no likelogical explanation for any of
(09:26):
these superstitions, right?
One other thing I'm not goingto touch on the ones.
Please go back.
It's a very good episode, Ithink, of certain things you
just get fed that you'resupposed to do to avoid bad luck
, I guess, or something horrible.
And I don't think I touched onthis and if I did remind me.
But the one thing she did do tome was I had this beautiful
ring that she bought me when, Ithink, I was like 16.
(09:48):
Okay, and it had some littlediamonds in it, and then the
middle part was an opal, okay.
Kerry (09:54):
No, you hadn't talked about this, no.
Chrisy (09:56):
Okay.
So I had an opal, but the opalis not my birthstone, okay, but
it is a stone that I think isvery pretty and I liked it.
Well, my mother decided after awhile I probably didn't even
have the ring a year that myluck wasn't running as good as
it could be, oh my gosh.
So she took away my ring andshe took the opal.
(10:18):
She took it to a jeweler andhad the opal removed and
replaced with some piece ofturquoise, which is Is that your
birthstone?
No, oh, but it's.
I don't know that it's actuallyestablished for it might be.
I don't know if turquoise isanybody's birthstone.
Oh, I don't know why.
She thought that was a neutralstone, but the opal was gone.
(10:39):
Oh, that's horrible.
Kerry (10:40):
I still have my ring.
Chrisy (10:42):
Oh, it's put away.
I don't wear it, yeah, becausein my mind it was damaged.
Kerry (10:46):
Right.
Chrisy (10:46):
Yeah.
So she felt because I waswearing an opal that was not my
birthstone, it was bringing onbad luck.
Bad luck, so don't know wherethis came from, is anybody?
So there, she destroyed myjewelry.
The other thing is, she decidedthat my self-confidence was not
where it should be, and so shedecided I don't know how she
(11:09):
arranged this, but she didbecause my mother was good at
arranging certain things.
If she put her mind to it,generally she was doing her own
thing, but then if she felt sheneeded to do something, usually
that was going to turn bad.
She somehow scored me into apageant because she felt that
would help build myself-confidence.
And how old were you?
16.
Kerry (11:30):
At 16, you're going through this must have been like
right about when we met.
Chrisy (11:35):
It was, we were friends.
Yeah, because I remembertelling you about it.
Kerry (11:37):
Yeah.
Why didn't I get to go to thispageant though?
Chrisy (11:40):
Well, for what?
It was awful?
It was so awful and I knowthere's a culture, yeah, and
there's been movies and TV showsabout it.
Kerry (11:51):
And.
Chrisy (11:51):
I'm going to tell you right now, just from my
experience.
Yeah they are horrible thingsand they do not build confidence
.
Confidence, any girl that I met, this was my one and only forte
in this.
That's why I don't know who thehell she finangled with to get
me in this, because I was not aregular participant in these
things.
Everybody who I met and it wasfor the state, it was a finalist
(12:15):
in the state of Ohio.
Oh, Teen pageant, oh my gosh,but maybe that's an organization
I don't know, maybe there'sseveral of them.
Yeah, there, probably is.
Yeah, but I was able to do onewhere it was in the capital,
down in Columbus.
Okay, and there were 50 girlscompeting from all over the
state.
Huh, I wonder why not 88.
Kerry (12:34):
Because we have 88 counties in the state of Ohio.
Chrisy (12:36):
It wasn't really by county, oh, okay.
It was more by city, okay, or?
Kerry (12:41):
Regions or something.
Chrisy (12:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay so it does not build
self-confidence no you arecompeting with, first of all,
what I would call career pageantgirls oh yeah, they've been
doing it since childhood.
Yes, yes, that is.
And they go to one thefollowing weekend, right and the
.
They find these things yes theywere off my radar until my
mother's expensive hobby.
Kerry (13:04):
I don't I don't know if the hobby is the right word, but
it's expensive to be in those.
Those aren't cheap to doBetween your wardrobe and the
makeup and the hair extensionsand everything else no, and you
get slammed into.
Chrisy (13:16):
You have to rehearse for an opening number.
Never been one forchoreographed dance.
I wanted to be, but was not.
I so much said that I don'teven like those dances that you
do at the bar or at weddings.
Kerry (13:30):
You're not like a Cupid Shuffle fan.
Cupid Shuffle.
Chrisy (13:34):
To the right, to the right to the right to the right.
Oh, I know the electric slide.
Kerry (13:38):
Yeah, they usually play that right after.
Chrisy (13:39):
Yeah, in fact I made you the Macarena.
Oh my God, no, someone's goingto get hit by me.
I'm just going to swing my armthe wrong way and you're going
to get slammed.
I'm going to step on your feet.
I hate those dances so muchthat I requested at my wedding.
To the band that played, I saiddo not play any of those.
Kerry (13:59):
No line dancing, no line dancing.
Chrisy (14:00):
And no chicken thing where people quack.
Kerry (14:03):
Oh, come on, no.
Chrisy (14:07):
We did not have that stuff.
No, I did not want it.
I ruined everybody else's fun,but I didn't want it Did you
have a cookie table, oh yeah, ohOK.
Kerry (14:13):
Well, at least you went with that tradition of our area
Youngstown area is big on thecookie table.
Chrisy (14:18):
Yes, you have to have a cookie table and the other thing
I will talk about too in aminute, when you talk about
parents who have you do things.
My father was specific in whathe expected because he did pay
for most of the wedding, beingthe father of the bride.
My husband and I we saved upbecause we were engaged for a
while, so we did save up and payfor many things too, but he
(14:41):
felt he was the dad, he hadexpectations and you were going
to follow him.
Yeah, so the pageant thing ifanything it just totally
destroys you.
Wow, Of course I did not win.
Kerry (14:52):
I don't know, well, when you're going against these
people that this is theirlifestyle.
Yeah, you're the underdog.
Chrisy (14:58):
And you don't, I don't even know, maybe at 16, you
think you have a chance Rightand maybe you do.
I guess it's like the law.
I mean, who says but yeah, no,I was not polished to do all of
this and it it made it worse.
Yeah, but mom thought it wasgonna help and it was kind of
humiliating, wow.
Kerry (15:16):
I'm sure it was so you needed to be see.
Okay, here's the other side ofthe coin.
Although my parents didn't makeme do anything like they didn't
push me into anything, but theone thing they did encourage and
of course I wanted to do was4-h, and 4-h for me accomplished
everything that it sounds likeyour mom was hoping that it the
pageants would accomplish foryou, but it did so.
(15:38):
It gave me confidence, it gaveme speaking skills, it gave me,
you know, there I'm foreverspeaking highly about 4-H and I
encourage parents to let theirkids do 4-H because it did build
all those things.
Chrisy (15:51):
Did they have 4-H for us inner city kids?
Because I don't remember thatbeing an option and I might.
Kerry (15:59):
Yes, 4-h just isn't about the animals, although for us a
lot of it was.
What else was it?
Well, they had like there'sfour like there was a 4-H where
you could do like make clothingif you were into, you know, like
design, and I couldn't makeclothing.
A design and fashion, you meanyou used a pattern, yeah, but I
mean I wasn't in that because Iwasn't into that.
(16:21):
But what I'm saying is thereare other things that doesn't
have to do with agricultural for4-H, for kids.
Chrisy (16:27):
They needed to tell us that.
Kerry (16:29):
Right.
Chrisy (16:29):
Yeah, I always disconnected for and 4-H here
where I live now with family.
Kerry (16:33):
Oh, I'm sure it's huge.
Chrisy (16:34):
It's huge, yeah, and families, and I would have to
say you know it's wonderful,yeah, I see nothing but positive
.
Kerry (16:42):
Oh no, it was In fact, I love to this day.
So we have the Canfield Fairand that's one of the largest
county fairs this side of theMississippi.
I love going there and I willsit and watch those 4-H kids and
their judging and it bringsback the best memories for me
because that did buildconfidence.
That built so much characterfor me.
You know, it taught you poise,it taught you how to speak in
(17:04):
public, it taught you how towork hard for something.
You know responsibility.
There was so much that ittaught you and it was such a
good experience.
But again, my parents didn'tmake me do that, but I you were
self-motivated.
Well, it was just such a thingthat was around us.
It was like oh yeah, I want tobe in 4-H, you know.
And then Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts was probably theone thing that my mom probably
(17:27):
not made me do, but encouragedme because her best friend was a
troop leader.
I didn't enjoy Girl Scouts asmuch as 4-H.
Chrisy (17:34):
Girl Scouts was.
Kerry (17:35):
I was not popular enough so it was kind of clicky.
Is that a?
Chrisy (17:39):
clicky thing.
Oh, it felt like.
Well, we have a listener who iswas also a subject to some
story that I brought up abouthaving interaction with
neighborhood kids.
Yes, and I still interact withher.
She lives a state over.
Okay, we're going to call herFingers.
Until I can get permission fromher in writing that I'm allowed
(18:02):
to say her name, I'm not goingto say it, lovely girl.
And I really did actually loveher growing up, even though I
did try to ruin her hands asmuch as I could.
So Fingers, she was a GirlScout.
Oh was she and a brownie.
Oh, yeah, yeah, and I used tolike to mess with her I mean of
course.
Hey, Gaskin, I made a brownie.
Kerry (18:27):
Look at you and your little thing with your patches.
Chrisy (18:28):
Chrissy, you're a little bully, a little bit, yeah, but
that's probably because I wasbeing forced to do humiliating
things on them.
Kerry (18:30):
That's probably, and you know you've got to humiliate
others when you're humiliatedall the time.
Chrisy (18:35):
So this is another dysfunction of growing up that's
instilled, you know, in you.
The other thing is there was aperson in the community a lot of
people knew who this person wasand my mom wanted me to be in
the arts, especially withsinging and music.
That was her push.
Kerry (18:50):
Well, you still have a beautiful voice.
Your singing was you would havebeen.
If America's Got Talent or allthose the voice would have been
happening when we were in highschool oh, I'm sure my mother
would have humiliated me withthat?
Chrisy (19:03):
Yes, of course, but you would have made it, I would no,
because here's the thing withthat People there are a lot of
people who can sing?
I could sing, but the otherpart of that formula is you have
to have the ambition.
I had talent and no ambition.
So if you don't have that otherhalf, in some cases I would say
that part is more importantthan talent.
Kerry (19:33):
Because there are a lot of people who are famous.
Chrisy (19:34):
Yeah, you don't necessarily have a talent as
great as they think.
But that ambition will.
That's a good, that's a goodobservation.
And I just wasn't, because ittook effort and I was, you know,
yeah, effort was something thatcame and went with me in spurts
.
Yeah, I would be ambitious oneday, and this day I was a slug.
So, but she, this person shethought might be able to offer
me advice on going into a careerin that area.
(19:57):
Okay, why, I don't know, butthey were fairly famous in the
area we were from.
A lot of people knew who thisperson was, personality.
And somehow my mother againwith this arranging, my mother
was out there, sometimes willingand dealing.
I said she was a stage motherbut she never went to the stage.
She made the deals Right andthen threw you out there and I
made this deal.
She's like Colonel Tom Parker,making crappy deals and making
(20:21):
me go out and look like an assman.
But I had to go to dinner withthis person.
Kerry (20:27):
Oh my gosh.
Chrisy (20:31):
Grandparent aged to me at that time Wow, and I had to
have dinner with him a few times.
Is that awkward?
Very, oh, always a very niceperson.
Kerry (20:41):
Yeah.
Chrisy (20:41):
Never inappropriate on any level.
I never understood what wasexpected of me.
He did talk to me about certainthings.
It was awkward and my motherwas not there with me.
She sat away, oh, so she was inthe restaurant, but just sat at
the bar and watched you fromafar.
Kerry (21:01):
I think so.
Chrisy (21:01):
She was never at our table wow, yeah, my parents
never put me in that situation.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah.
And then I was going to circleback around with something with
my dad that he did when we weretalking before this well, I my
parent, so we were talking aboutparents doing embarrassing
things.
Kerry (21:16):
so my parents never really like my mom.
She was kind of very quiet andvery shy in public where my dad
was the extrovert.
But my dad would embarrass mebecause he was almost flirty and
all the divorced moms wouldalways be clinging on him like
always and that used toembarrass me and upset me, but
he never really.
They never really did like youknow things that would I could
(21:37):
say upset me, but he neverreally.
They never really did like youknow things that would I could
say embarrass me.
But I don't know, maybe I wasjust too naive to know what to
be embarrassed about.
I have no idea.
Chrisy (21:46):
Well, you and I both have a situation with our
parents you with your mom, mewith my father.
Yes that most people,especially the age that we were,
would say this was embarrassing.
But at the time, now you mighthave a different, different
experience, but at the time myfather participating in this.
I was not really embarrassingokay I can kind of appreciate
(22:08):
that children our age yes, howmuch I've been like 12, 13 ish
would be very embarrassed by myfather was a clown.
Yeah, and I'm not saying he's aclown.
No, he was legitimately a clown.
He had a clown name, he hadclown makeup, he had a clown
motorcycle with a flippin' beepbeep horn on it Was it like a
little.
Kerry (22:27):
Yes, it was A ridiculous little stupid scooter thing.
What was his clown name?
Sad.
Which wraps up my childhood Ido remember your dad being a
clown and he thought he was likethe cat's meow.
Chrisy (22:46):
Yeah, he had a weapon stamp because the whole thing
with the clowns where we werefrom was we had a local.
It was a masonic organizationthat he was very much involved
in, had a yearly circus whichwas very respected, very looked
forward to, and it was thecircus with a purpose.
Kerry (23:04):
Yeah, they did.
They were benefiting children.
I thought they were.
It wasn't good cause, or was itchildren with?
Chrisy (23:10):
They did I mean the Masonics did a lot with
participating in things.
Kerry (23:14):
Children with disabilities or something?
Yes, very much so.
Chrisy (23:17):
So I'm certainly not going to louse up that group of
people who are doing nice thingsand benefiting that, but dad
decided he wanted to do this and, believe it or not, at the time
, especially around the circustime, these clowns were
celebrities.
Yeah, they were Big time, bigtime.
There was one guy who was thefamous clown of them all, the
(23:40):
Mac Daddy.
Who was that?
Soupy, I?
Kerry (23:42):
remember his name was Soupy.
Chrisy (23:44):
You probably remember Everybody remembers Soupy.
I totally remember that.
I recently went to an event ata hall that is now this place,
the Masonic organization my dadbelonged to with the circus that
represented the circus theyused to be way out in Canfield.
Kerry (24:00):
Yes, a long time ago.
That's where their lodge was.
Chrisy (24:03):
Yes, it recently has moved and I have a nephew and a
brother-in-law who are involvedin this organization Same one my
dad was involved in and we wereat the hall for an event and
they have a picture of thisclown.
I remember that, and they havea picture of this clown and it
startled me when I saw itbecause I was like, oh, it's
soupy.
Kerry (24:19):
I remember that, in fact, now that you're saying that
that might have been the wholething of why my mom decided to
be a clown and so, but she was aclown for a little organization
called Fools for Christ andthey would dress up as clowns
and they would go to, like,nursing homes and do visiting
and you know, like that wastheir mission, equally doing
(24:40):
very good things.
Yes, yes, and so her name wasDaisy.
And then she roped me intodoing it with her and my name
was Penny and I had this.
I just remember I had thisreally big penny it was like the
size of a dinner plate, pennyand that was.
That was the kick.
And hers was Daisy and so, butwhat's funny is, to this day,
(25:02):
and my mom and all of her, youknow, like when we moved her out
of her house and everything shehas this tiny little picture
and an oval frame of her dressedup as the clown and it still
sits by her bed.
Yeah, now that you're sayingthat, soupy there's.
Chrisy (25:18):
Well, there were, there was, there was some big time, I
mean, and kids our age knewthese.
Kerry (25:21):
We would go, our schools would take you to the circus as
a field trip.
Yes, it was a big deal to go.
Chrisy (25:26):
It was a big deal they had programs in the.
On the back of the program wasthe autograph page and your goal
was to get all those clowns tosign them.
My father, who was artistic heactually did draw some of the
covers, I think I still havethose put away somewhere, all of
his covers that he drew for theprogram.
Yeah, my father, though, wasfunny because all those clowns
(25:48):
used to sign he got and maybe helearned this from somebody else
, but he had a stamp made.
Kerry (25:53):
So he would just stamp them yeah.
Chrisy (25:57):
My father was very, you know, know, I'm too good to sit
here and say boing sad, boingsad, boing, sad dad's sad.
What's your dad's clowning?
Kerry (26:04):
sad dad's sad that is so funny, but see, it wasn't
embarrassing though, to you asmuch as I'm guessing people are
listening and saying that wouldbe horrifying at like 13 years
old to say your dad's a clown,he's dressed up, he's on this
stupid scooter.
It wasn't At the time, no, no.
Uh-uh.
Chrisy (26:19):
No, because in our area it was a big thing, it was kind
of a big thing.
Right, right and when I would goto the circus.
Not only was he a Mason Right,so you got kind of special
treatment there to do shows,where they would come out once
in a while in between the actsand do silly things.
(26:39):
There's dad, yeah so, and uhyeah, dad was a clown and he'd
make those clown balloons.
Yeah, you know the poodles andthe, and my room was filled with
them.
It was like please don't, Idon't need any more of these
quit practicing.
Yeah, he was, he was practicinghis craft and I would have all
of these flipping balloons in myroom and I'd be like, oh god, I
(27:01):
can't take it.
Oh so, yeah, but yeah, no, dadwas a clown.
Mom made me a clown.
It was a.
You know what made me into thecomplete and utter wreck that I
am?
Kerry (27:13):
oh so well, but that was a real nice trip down memory
lane.
A little bit, I'm a little bit.
Yeah, that was good.
So I guess what we want to hearfrom listeners is what did your
parents do, or what were theymaybe involved in and good deeds
or whatever that did you findthem embarrassing or did you
(27:34):
find it endearing?
So let us know on our Facebookpage.
Also, make sure, while you'rechecking out our Facebook page,
to go to our website,dysfunctionjunkiesbuzzsproutcom.
If you're enjoying our show oreven a particular episode, you
can help support us by donatingone time or do a reoccurring
donation.
We would sure would appreciateit.
(27:54):
We'd love hearing all yourfeedback.
So let us know how we're doingor what you want us to talk
about.
We're always looking forepisode ideas.
Yes, please do.
All right, junkies, we will seeyou next week.
Thanks for joining.
Chrisy (28:07):
Thank you, bye-bye.
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