Author: Rene

Since we ditched the four-year requirements for literature and history in our high schools and colleges, I’m leaning towards educating via the roads. Our signage should consider the public’s dearth of knowledge and encourage more readin’ and writin’.

It will require an amount of cleverness, but I believe it can be done. Send your ideas to CDOT.

Yesterday I arose with the dawn. Determined to spend a brief time with the newspaper before church, I proceeded to the bottom of the driveway. There was no material for the day, but a chance to perhaps solve the mystery of our half-eaten, usually day-old news delivery mode.

I sat on the bench in the music room working on a copy of the LATimes puzzle. I kept en eye out for the delivery driver and possible thief. I was near the end of my exploration when a family member walked by me and commented, “Your paper is out in the neighbor’s field.” We laughed our heads off. Apparently it was too dark for me to notice the remains and I had suffered the hard planks of my bench for no reason.

This week’s detective work continues. It’s good to have goals.

Why that came to mind? I didn’t get to watch “Lost in Space,” but I’ve heard that line enough to feel that I have. It doesn’t really apply to anything other than the little mystery we’ve encountered here in the ‘hood.

For the past two mornings our newspaper has arrived, deep teeth marks, gashed and torn to shreds, strewn across the neighbor’s yard. (She gets all the fun stuff. The deer, falcon, our litter.) My best guess is that the driver throws the paper, a wild animal (fox) mistakes it for a small creature and scoops it up, demolishing it and dragging it to its death until realization kicks in.

There is always a silver lining though. The puzzle section has remained intact. At least the creature has discriminating tastes.

Two puzzles and a cup of caffeine await and hopefully no serious danger in the day.

Nothing screams “relaxing evening,” like getting a two-year old ready for bed in the midst of replacing a garbage disposal at 8 pm.

Thankfully the leak was fresh, HD had a placement, my husband is a handy repairman, and the little girl was tired. The relaxing part came as I finished that previously initiated puzzle when all were fast asleep.

Today? We venture out into the world of children’s entertainment, striving to keep a little one from napping in the car. It’s always a day filled with opportunity!

Thank you, dear Son. The 1,000-piece puzzle set up yesterday has captured my attention.

Once again I am in another world, placing pieces and gently encouraging them to work in the slots I wish for them. I can feel my father and sister sitting there doing the same thing as we work on the “family puzzle,” which seemed to have a permanent place behind the sofa on a nice big banquet table. We worked furiously to complete the said puzzle when we needed the table for dinners or parties, relishing the “last piece” trophy.

Ah. After forcing myself to retire past midnight, I arose to put ten pieces together, pronto. Now the day may officially be underway.

Good luck solving your puzzle.

It has been active around here.

My granddaughter spotted a stag wandering through the yard to my neighbor’s house. He was in no hurry as he gracefully strolled along. The previous week that same neighbor had a falcon land in her front yard – at least that’s my story. It did not fly like the hawks, which thankfully have returned sporadically, and it was huge! Last night a fox screamed through the backyard with a parliament of magpies chasing him. Quite the sight!

This morning the backyard was an aviary with doves, the blue jay, little sparrows and the token magpies. I went to grab a photo of the mob, but the minute I opened the door they all flew, only to be replaced by a little bugger of a squirrel who is now taunting me.

The gentle rains apparently fueled the morning coffee klatch. On to my own power source.

It wasn’t my usual Saturday to sort clothing for the church’s Life Closet, but I had volunteered due to the dearth of people available this month. I met a lovely woman and we shared many interests and stories, and of course, comments on what people actually donate from their closets.

This morning’s haul included: dog collar, vase, weird accessories for a phone, electronics, and a single Christmas ornament. We often become the final resting place for odds and ends which no one can seem to part with or which seemingly have value for the donor, which brings me to the article sent by my friend, “Paroline,” just yesterday!

She was reading about sorting through clothing and goods in her local publication. She’s been doing the same, I did a big sort last year, and this paragraph stood out to me in the midst of weighing the benefits of my “stuff.”

Volunteering and sorting other people’s stuff is the best way to return to your own goods and realize what is absolutely not necessary in your world. Along with updating my new 2024 calendar (Yay, Susan!) I will be continuing to purge from the storage closet and other nooks and crannies.

It is a very freeing feeling to relieve yourself of “weight.”

My goal today was simple. Obtain a wall calendar for 2024.

I am a visual person, among many other endearing traits. (Ahem.) I need the wall calendar so that I can see the entire month at a glance. My phone does not cut it and I really hate having to check anything often on a device. My eye sees the month and knows the week, the commitments, and the open moments. My phone? I have to actually scroll and find things. Not my mode, and not in pretty handwriting of various colors of ink.

Thus, I declare the official end of summer, beginning of fall, the day you need to obtain a wall calendar for the next year. This has come to pass based on my dental visit today.

2024 can now come a reality.

This did happen to me. My father moved to a new town for his job while I was away at college. When I returned “home” for that summer, I had no idea where the family was living other than the name of the town, which I had never visited. Thankfully, everyone in the village knew exactly where to find my family!

If they were trying to ditch me, the ploy failed. If they were trying to encourage self-reliance and using my noggin’ to find them, it worked. I’ll go with the latter interpretation.

In honor of the meteorological beginning of autumn, I am wearing white.

The entire summer goes by and I decline to wear my snazzy white jeans with the cool bling. But today, when fashion previously wagged its head at “white after Labor Day,” I am exercising my little nod to defiance.

And someone else is exercising a little defiance. A squirrel has deigned to set foot in the backyard. Oh, woe to that little guy hastily burying his stash. He may be taking a vacation in honor of the meteorological beginning of autumn!