Author: Rene

Even stoplights blink a bright red and green…as does my outdoor lighting extravaganza. And after all these years, I finally figured out how to replace the fuses in my non-functioning strands. Truthfully, I finally took the time to look at the strands and actually replace them. I happened to have too much time on my hands. (And now that song is in my head! Thank you, Styx.)

Ah – one day I’ll be back to putting lights up late again because I’ll be busy picking up dry cleaning after all of the events I’ve attended, and washing my car from all of the road travels I’ve made, and cleaning the house after all of the guests we’ve had, and too tired from working at whatever job I have. Looking forward to that day.

This is my quirky and quotidian observation of the day…week…month…

In the wake of our world today, there is an early desire worming its way through the culture: let’s begin Christmas celebrations!

Of course the decor and holiday trim, encouragement to shop for gifts, was all available pre-Halloween. I think we’re skipping Thanksgiving this year again from the looks of Hobby Lobby and JoAnn’s. The Hallmark Channel is upping the ante and showing the Christmas films. And I? I shall venture out to install my grand lighting display this week. However, I do this every year when the weather in November is warm. Too many freezing cold days of yore working on them has me well-trained.

In light of that news-breaking information on this post-election day, I offer this gentle reminder for all:

I realize WE didn’t “spring ahead,” but this cracked me up.

“Falling back” is never a problem for me. That extra hour feels like a gift, and those of us in Colorado have a little bow on tied on it – beautiful evening temperatures. Sleeping with the windows open in November and listening to the owl hooting last night – just a little bonus. Happy Monday.

Whenever I light a candle, I actually put the extinguished match either under water or on my tongue to ensure it is actually extinguished. This is for a very good reason, a little lesson I learned in high school.

Surprise! I was on the journalism staff and got assigned for the major report of a particular issue. I was released from the confines of class and sent to interview the “Chief of Police” in our small town. Did we really have a COP? I don’t know. I interviewed someone older than myself in uniform and he smoked.

During the assuredly intelligent questions I asked, he lit his cigarette and answered my thought-provoking queries. He tossed the match in his trash can by the side of his desk. As we continued with this critical interview, I noticed smoke rising and informed him that his trash can was on fire. That observation truly lit a fire under him and he ran to get water and douse it.

I’m not sure if anything ever came of the award-winning article I surely wrote, but I do make certain my match is no longer working, even if it means a tasting a little sulphur.

In my quest for a Thursday offering, I came upon this thoughtful coffee mug. Obviously it leads to a simple conclusion.

We need more English majors in college!

Why did the Mayflower land at Plymouth Rock? They ran out of beer!

It was a Nat Geo day here yesterday, with obviously enlightening history. And while I’ve seen the episodes on Egypt and China, I hadn’t seen the “booze” show regarding the things that made America. Heck, NASCAR was a direct result of cars being improved for high speed, thus “outrunning the cops” during bootlegging days. A treasure trove of valuable information.

The best part of my binging was that there were absolutely zero political commercials all day! I sewed to my heart’s content and enjoyed a non- frenzied pace. High marks for NG.

With the dawn of winter, cold and bitter winds, my outdoor walking days shall be curtailed. I’m a walking wimp weather-wise. Thus, I’m looking for a new mode of exercise to adopt indoors, other than those exercises in futility.

I shall now be running in circles.

Putzing around on Pinterest again and actually looking at what I’ve saved as projects, was very enlightening.

First of all, I had double-pinned at least 20 things. When you pin them, you put the idea on the bulletin board and intend to come back to it when you are ready to create or build the item. Ha! I had Christmas ideas on the gardening board, recipes on my yoga board, Halloween in the backyard section, “lemon” ideas on three unrelated boards, and “Quotes I like” under a shared board of Cricut ideas. Nothing really was organized at all. Reminded me of a recent golf ball stash in the closet.

And so, I spent a good hour learning how to delete and reorganize my boards. It took a reality check to do it, as I clearly am not going to make most of those ideas. Maybe any of them? I just like them. The only board which really had everything that belonged there was my recipe board. Apparently a recipe is easy to classify.

Which leads me to the recipe file. I think it’s going to be the object of scrutiny this week. Nothing is safe from my Spring-cleaning-in-the-Fall binge.

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.