Author: Rene

There is a cute little nine-drawer box in my closet, which I thought totally necessary and amazing about 20 years ago. I toted it in my luggage from the East Coast and promptly started filling it. It’s only 13×13 in size, so not gargantuan. Of course, I peered in the mini-drawers as I was attempting to divest my closet of unworn clothing, better known as “new paint clothes.”

I had a lot of foreign currency in there – paper and coin. Weird keys to unknown objects, buttons from past outfits. (That one made sense.) Sequins? (Well, that makes sense to me, too!) Two golf balls? A mass of black yarn? Plastic needle for crafting whatever-those plastic crafts were 25 year ago? Circuit interrupters for lightbulbs? (Very cool joke to play on someone!) A paper clip.

This amazing filing system had me wondering if this is how my brain categorizes things, also, because, I actually knew those things were in there. Why were they still in there? Why was I keeping them?

If we ever have an intruder, my Zimdollars will be safe, and I’ll be able to lose two balls on the golf course.

Ambling through the mall, an exercise I have not entertained in recent months, my friend and I were privy to the Fall collections touted in the windows. The Tommy Bahama store had an unusual display, but one which made me think I might have some new wardrobe choices at home!

The window advertised throws – you know – the kind that go on the sofa or chair – not a full blanket. However, the mannequins were wearing them as shawls, even though they were clearly labeled “throws.” I stopped because I wondered why the figures were draped in home decorating attire in the first place, because they clearly were sofa throws. (Not that I haven’t pulled a Maria-from-the-sound-of-music-Scarlet-O’Hara-gone-with-the-wind drapery stunt a few times.) Then it dawned on me.

We can wear blankets this season! No need to worry about your outer gear – just toss a blanket around you and head on out. You could probably use the one on your bed if it’s not a king size? As a bonus, the only closet you need to clean this Fall is the linen closet in your search for fashion.

Perhaps the designers were out of commission this past year, too?

A visit from Mr. Sandburg’s feline today as the fog envelops us. The unfortunate thing is that smoke is predicted to join the melee this afternoon. Two things which can chase us all indoors – smoke and weather.

With that in mind, and going to pre-pandemic days, it is Thursday. So, we were supposed to be inside anyway vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning bathrooms and the kitchen. I’m going to treat it as a multiple choice adventure and just pick one of those duties though. We can’t use up all the fun in one day?

From my niece….

• Dad: Son, I like your picture of Jesus in the pumpkin patch.
• Son: Thanks, but it’s Snoopy laying down.

I can see both! Either way, he’s a great artist – giving us two perspectives.

My physical address book is a mess. Names are wiped out, addresses inked over, sometimes illegibly. Multiple entries exist when someone married or remarried, or when I documented a family member of a friend in two places. So, I thought about rewriting the book since I’m running out of space in a couple of designated “letters.”

Then I mused, ”How many people will I actually be adding in here in the future?” Now the contacts often go in my phone when someone transfers their information. And, if I rewrite, I will actually miss reading some of the old addresses and apartment numbers, names, people! It’s kind of fun to see how many places some people have called home in the past 20 years.

So, instead of rewriting the address book, I hauled my husband outside to revisit history with every door in our house and garage. We had a situation compatible with the address book; the key rack. We had collected old keys with homes long gone. Once again – a little trip down memory lane, except we hadn’t marked the keys and there was little memory of where they went!

This pandemic had better end soon, or I’ll be tackling the garage next. Danger, danger, danger!

With the election hoopla and divisions within our own country, I thought this was a rather uniting message for us. Plus, it made me laugh! I’m trying to plan for next year? Maybe I focus on this afternoon only?

My Biblical School – year 3 – is being administered via Zoom. I can safely say this, because my instructor does not subscribe to these missives – I am a terrible student online.

First of all, I do enjoy having my entire kitchen table as a desk. Even when we met in person, I was always moving my stuff off of the chairs on either side of me and away from the center of the table. I let my classmates join me, even though it cramped my style. I’m a space hog.

I’ve got it all going on the table, books laid out, headphones in case we have guests, (never) and my personal bench, which doubles as a desk/bookcase/napping spot. The problem? I am in the kitchen.

I’m listening intently when I notice the refrigerator. Surely there’s a little snack in there? Then I look at the dishwasher. Might as well run that while I’m sitting here and it’s full? Glancing outside, I figure I might as well open the door and windows and get some fresh air? Actually, I could probably clean the entire house and safely make it through class. I’m muted and invisible the entire time. Only my name shows up as attending. I don’t even attend my proper time for class! I have been to the other time slots more than my own.

However, I force myself to pay attention and think of all of the young students dealing with this challenge. Maybe I’ll don my hats again and put myself on video for the next class? No, I’m going to put life-size Barbie next to me and pretend we’re both students.

God bless teachers and students.

Who awakens to those ever-famous lines, “There’s a wocket in my pocket, and a findow in my window,” with musical accompaniment by Nora Jones singing, “Don’t Know Why” in the background? Happens all the time, I’m sure.

My recent spate of “Spring cleaning” probably has me thinking it’s Theodor Geisel’s birthday, March 2. It’s not a bad thing – and “Wocket” was one of those books I had memorized and only needed turn a page as my eyes were shut. So rather than acknowledging these gorgeous Fall days, my mind is trying to return to Spring – possibly as a do-over?

I will say that I finished the one novel I began at the onset of this present state of affairs. Now, as soon as I finish the one Netflix series I began, I think everything should return to normal. Sorry for the delay!

Oh, were it that easy and I had that power. Off to entertain myself with more reading and cleansing.

It really did! Last night we had the chance to enjoy being outside around 8 pm, when evening has already fallen. Lo and behold, a lone buck wandered past the trees in back, causing our dog to bark nonstop, breaking the beautiful quiet and calm of a windless evening. The other guy remained nonplussed and went about his business.

That’s all. Just a temporarily quiet evening around the Nat Geo Lookout station.

Pantry cleaning day. I have put the process off long enough – it’s time to dive in there and see what got pushed to the back, never to have seen the light of day in the past year. Or two.

Part of the problem is that the pantry is also the extra storage for small appliances, heirloom dishes of an olive green color, and dog stuff. The other problem is that I have started the task, stopped the task and started the laundry, stopped the task to write, and stopped the task to walk the dog. It’s a glorious day – and the pantry, however messy and in disarray it may be, is not a high priority at the moment.

Letting “the scarlet of the maples shake me like a cry of bugles going by!“