Author: Rene

Look who was prowling about the ‘hood! These velvet-antlered guys were strolling aimlessly providing some entertainment for the afternoon. I was in my car and I stopped to enjoy their antics. When I made it home I sat down to another surprising view from my kitchen table. Two little hummingbirds flitting about my hanging plants and then sitting on the string of lights five feet from me!

It was a lovely nature-filled day, now complete with thunder in the distance.

What a delightful surprise in the mail! My friend and fellow Language Arts major from college, “Paroline,” sent me an old letter I had written to her at Christmas 30 years ago! My handwriting was rather lovely, I might add. Along with it – two old Christmas photos from my more clever years of photography.

Obviously she is cleaning out and reminiscing. How thoughtful to share those memories with me! It has spurred me to continue my letter writing campaign. Hopefully my nephew will enjoy the missive I just sent him upon his “retirement” from his summer internship.

Thanks for the gentle nudge, Friend! I will employ either green, purple, teal, pink or red ink. And since it’s back-to-school time, I am off to buy more of it!

Oh, you may think you are in charge of things – until you have a two-year old ruling the roost! She is truly the most puissant.

The day revolves around food, entertainment, food, napping, food, fresh air, food, and of course, varied activities. The varied activities are mostly for me though. Chalk pictures on the concrete are a favorite of mine. I also enjoy constructing the railway tracks for Thomas the train. Of course, playing the piano to “Wheels on the Bus” and all of its verses is mere duty.

Yes, it was a fun-filled day again and I was happy to play second fiddle to the girl in command. Love my Wednesdays!

Finally – a moment in the day to tell you the exciting news. I’m on a diet!

It’s not your typical nutritional fare, it has a musical bent. It’s a “Change the station when the Eagles or Fleetwood Mac are on” diet. I am weary of hearing both bands.

This is nothing new. I’ve been on a Bob Dylan diet since, well, since I first heard him. I’ve banned the Eagles and FM from my station for a couple of years now. I will also change at a moment’s notice for Cat Stevens, Jim Croce (ugh) and Miley Cyrus (double ugh). Can’t we do better than that? If we’re going back in time let’s throw Barbra in there. She had good pipes.

Perhaps tomorrow I will attempt a nutritional diet? My sister is already working on that so I may join her. That requires getting rid of the peppermint ice cream in the freezer though. Better get started!

I hate them. They are unpredictable little buggers, flying and hopping at will. This year? I swear the rains fed them. As I mowed I saw one on the back of the garage that was nearly five inches in length and quite meaty. I’m praying some bird finds him and feeds the family.

Should I have been a prairie woman crossing the plains during a grasshopper or locust invasion (equally disliked as I had one caught in my hair as a kid!) I would have definitely gone mad. However, it’s funny how a child you love will make you readjust those supremely angst-ridden moments.

My granddaughter spent the weekend with us and I squished numerous bugs and batted away insects with nary a thought to my own squeamishness in hearing or feeling that crackle of their bodies when I demolished them in my Kleenex covered hands. “They won’t hurt you, they’re too little,” might have been one of my stupid comments. I merely recalled my grandmother and the famous June bug incident of ‘65. She picked up a gigantic red crawling offender from the basement floor and crushed it with her bare hands.

What year was it really? I don’t know, but I will never forget her bravery when I was a little child. Still inspiring me today, Grandma! Your legacy lives on in bug mitigation. Who knows? Maybe you hated them, too?

I never know where my hippocrene will come from, but I have to seize inspiration when it strikes.

Some of these words have to be rather archaic. I don’t believe I have ever come across “hippocrene” in any novels or articles I’ve read. However I did have a moment of inspiration yesterday while driving.

This guy in front of me made an illegal left turn right in the middle of a major road. It was absolutely brilliant! Had he done it properly, he would have had to go to the intersection, await the turn signal which is interminably slow there, and then proceed to make two more left turns to arrive at his restaurant. One and done with no harm or cameras to catch him!

I’ll probably never get to use the maneuver as I have only frequented that area once before. Maybe one day when I’m looking for a new hippocrene I’ll try it?

It’s a serious consideration. If there were no mirrors we’d have to rely on others to tell us what we look like. Maybe not a bad idea?

Off I go to smile at the world!

The word genius app has me exploring and I wondered if this was a a correct form of the root word? It is and the experience beginning the week was rather verisimilitudinous.

It commenced in the wee hours of Monday, wakening at 5:30 am to slip out of the hotel and into the assisted living residence of my mother-in-law. We “borrowed” the front door wheelchair for the adventure, did NOT sign in properly as we whisked her out of her apartment and into the “getaway car.” It could have been a real abduction or jailbreak? It felt like it.

Upon arrival in Colorado my husband surreptitiously took the wheelchair at the end of the jetway and brought it to the door of the plane, not waiting for the aide to arrive. Whilst those behind us struggled with bags we scurried to the door and hopped in the stolen ride and sailed away to baggage claim. No one stopped us. We proceeded to take the chair outside to the parking lot vans and reveled in our continued “flight.”

Sometimes you have to add some danger to the day to test your wits. We passed with flying colors.

You may have noted the dearth of blogs. I was in and out of venues, hotels, restaurants and traveling. Therefore, I was a tad leery to enter anything in unsecured locations. (I’m sure there are vampiric forces out there ready to abscond my clever observations?)

Returning home last night I realized no one had run the dishwasher for days. I feared the dishes would be zamzawed. (My new term for use when I overcook food now applies to the crusty dishes I had to run on high heat through the machine.)

You know where today is going! I’ll be on laundry duty as well as kitchen, zamzawing along. It’s just a fun word, isn’t it? I have no idea of the origin of the word and I do believe it only applies to overcooked and heated food. But I am sure I can zamza clothing, too. We are taking liberties in this thoroughly official publication.

Happy delayed Monday now on Tuesday. Welcome back!

Okay – some young pup is touting travel tips and I’m scoffing. As one who travels lightly, I think I also travel quite cleverly.

She said to pack oatmeal (of all things!) because every hotel has hot water and a cup. We already do that. But we don’t put the oatmeal in little plastic bags, an unnecessary step. We pack the instant which is already doled out. I have learned that arriving hungry is not good for my travel buddy. The “influencer” didn’t mention my all-time favorite hack, which has come in quite usefully many times. Duct tape.

I wrap duct tape around a tube or can of spray or whatever – not taking the entire roll – because you never know? It has held a raincoat together for me, covered a metal emu traveling from Australia to Kansas with its head poking out of my luggage, and enforced a rip in my bag.

I don’t know. These young ‘uns could still use some edjacatin’.