62 Comments
User's avatar
Lucy's avatar

The Joy Parade has fast become a glimmer of my week but today was an extra special joy as my 5 year old daughter asked me to read it allowed to her and it was accompanied by much gasping and giggling and now she’d like to have it read to her each week like the Queen that she is 💖

Sarah's avatar

I too would like someone to read it to me, what a brilliant idea - it would be even more fun not glancing ahead to see what delights are coming up.

Lucy's avatar

The more the merrier!

AlexTSmith's avatar

Oh this is so lovely! Hello to your five year old mini person!

Elizabeth's avatar

you keep me believing

thank you for being a most magical soul and sharing it all with us

AlexTSmith's avatar

What a lovely thing to say. Thank you for your kindness!

Elizabeth's avatar

straight up truth!

Anna's avatar

An absolute joy and pleasure to read, thank you!

AlexTSmith's avatar

Thank you so much for reading!

June Girvin's avatar

Those yellow flowers are called the common Cat's Ear and I just know you will love that. That parrot's shoes are remarkably beautiful. Also Animal. Made me laugh out loud. Thank you.

AlexTSmith's avatar

Oooh thank you! I hoped someone would know - and what a MARVELLOUS name- Cat’s Ear!

Kathleen Hart/Poshpedlar's avatar

How wonderful to have found you here. Substack's very own Pollyanna, reading your joyful snippets was just like playing the 'Glad Game'. Have a super week ahead x

AlexTSmith's avatar

Thank you so much for reading! Have a joyful week!

Judi Popplewell's avatar

Oh my, how I laughed at the frog under the Tupperware story. Your mother is a treasure (so speaks another ex head teacher).

Reading the Joy Parade is a Sunday morning starter now. I love it, thank you.

AlexTSmith's avatar

Thank you so much for reading it! My mother is An Experience! 😂

Judi Popplewell's avatar

I suspect my children might say the same about me!

Jill Hodgson's avatar

Muppets covering Blur - genius!!

AlexTSmith's avatar

I will never recover from it!

Kelly Peacock Wright's avatar

It’s just after 5:30 am—the birds woke me at about 4:00 and so thank you for all of this joy! I have an urge to find a frog now just to try the Tupperware thing. As for what’s up this weekend? Well, I finally got the part of the garage where all of my gardening things are kept cleaned out! I told my husband I’m going to put a sign on the door saying “keep out”.

AlexTSmith's avatar

Ooh definitely put the KEEP OUT sign on the door. Or “TRESSPASSER’S WILL” like Piglet in Winnie the Pooh? Thank you so much for reading!

Horticulturalish's avatar

YSL did a woollen tampon dress? I did not know that.

AlexTSmith's avatar

I honked laughing at this description!

Katie Clapham's avatar

Louise Rennison's book titles - a gift to my life in the general sense, but an absolute menace to me whenever I want to mention them in conversation. "Hang on, the book was called WHAT ?!"

AlexTSmith's avatar

The best titles ever! Still thinking funny!

Ally YOUNG's avatar

I love everything about this 😁 Your Joy Parade is the highlight of my week and I love going back and reading the older ones. Truly a tonic 😍

AlexTSmith's avatar

Thank you so much for reading!

Jane Berrisford's avatar

Thank you for making my day !

AlexTSmith's avatar

Thank YOU for reading!

Judo Cov's avatar

A frog jumped in my kitchen when my dog went to pee - I screamed, he came running in and hid behind my legs while the frog set up home under the cupboards … for a month!

AlexTSmith's avatar

This made me LOL! I bet the frog was so cosy there!

Larissa Hennessy's avatar

Absolutely great stuff. I’ve had it with Kermit though ? The way he treats Miss Piggy, like he cannot do any better. Is he a fluffy misogynist, mmmmm. Love the basket, I could see my self wearing a Laura Ashley( ok it’s a Farm Rio) dress holding this and walking through a gorgeous field with high grass and the sun shining down, but then the sky darkens and a deluge of rain is plopped down on me and I kick the basket in anger. Oh the ideas versus reality !

AlexTSmith's avatar

RIGHT? also i wish Miss Piggy (my queen) wasn’t so hung up on him! She’s such a boss- she doesn’t need to be that tied to him I think! Oh Laura Ashley with that basket would be perfection- perhaps a cagoule on one side of it would help re: rain? Thank you so much for reading!

Laura's avatar

This is my first Joy Parade and certainly won't be my last! And I am glad to report that the mug with the black bird on it is perfect to drink tea in the morning out of as I got one in my Christmas stocking from my childen last year.

AlexTSmith's avatar

Oh I’m so envious that you have that mug! But also thrilled that you have! (And what lovely children!) thank you so much for reading :)

Jennifer Wilkinson's avatar

The hens in the care home 💚

AlexTSmith's avatar

So glorious isn’t it? So moving and lovely!