Author: Rene

In the midst of camping for the past two weeks, I also drove 1,000 miles to attend a family reunion. Of course it was fun, but it was also funny.

Apparently no one expected such a large turnout. We met at the Pizza Ranch, but the room which held 30 was definitely not large enough as a slew of cousins appeared along with my aunts. Our party should have taken the restaurant, and the other diners taken the private room! The wait staff became overwhelmed. We had to prepay for the buffet and there was a loooooong line. Thus, we were told that if we were there for the reunion party to just go in and pay later.

Nobody on the staff gave us any attention as we ate and sat throughout the restaurant. We all laughed at our good upbringing, paying for our meals and not skipping out as we passed a ”buy one get one half off” coupon among us.

Family. Good times in the Good Life.

This story in world news gave me a smile.

THE MAN WHO GAVE THE WORLD THE TRAPPER KEEPER DIES AT 85. E. Bryant Crutchfield, a paper-company executive who in the 1980s brought three-ringed order to the chaos of millions of grade-school backpacks with a plasticand-cardboard triptych he called the Trapper Keeper, died Sunday at a hospice center in Marietta, Ga. He was 85.

Who wrote that beautiful line, ”brought three-ringed order to the chaos of millions of grade-school backpacks?” There was no byline. The images of messy backpacks turning into ordered binders are vivid.

Of course, I never had a Trapper Keeper, I was a little older than that audience, but I looked longingly at them whenever Autumn school supply sales began. Rest in peace, Mr. Crutchfield.

It was raining steadily and much too late for an afternoon nap. What to do on vacation while staying at a friend’s place with your normal home-bound activity unavailable? Peruse “Ye Olde Amazon.”

Did you know there is a ”coupons” column choice? I’ve accidentally had Amazon Prime for two or three years now. (Remember how I signed up for it unknowingly?) I guess I’ve never really explored all of the fine opportunities available to me. Dangerous territory.

I’ll let you know how the pink sweater and blue shirt look, coupon code added at checkout.

You know the dream you have when you’re either late for class, don’t have the textbooks or homework, or can’t find the classroom? Apparently I had a new version of that one installed overnight with my Ipad update.

The sheet music was missing and I was accompanying for a wedding – the wedding of my former grade school teacher, who was a nun. Perhaps I needed a dose of music, because I had chosen all of these old praise songs from the ’60’s for the sing-along part of the wedding. It was such a strange dream, and quite vivid.

Let’s attribute it to the mountain air and the 13,000 steps of hiking I logged yesterday, which probably cleared out a stash of useless fodder from my brain, thus allowing for new crazy thoughts. Either that or the Ipad update migrated?

Returning to our campsite last night, trying to open the RV door, we heard, ”Meow.” It’s pitch black, ”bear” country, and we hear this faint mewing.

Instinct kicked in. We got a little milk and used our best, ”Here, Kitty, Kitty,” voices. A very pretty calico came by, checking us out, wandering back and forth, and eventually hopping in the motorhome. Of course, she hopped right back out when she realized it wasn’t hers. Second attempt, I caught her and gave her shelter in my loving arms while my husband alerted the campground host.

Crisis averted. The cat belonged to the man-in-charge, and instructions were to let this beautiful, pink-collared, declawed animal back into the night. She’d find her way home.

For ten minutes I enjoyed a cat. Now I don’t have to own one. She sure was cute.

Alert…this just in on my news feed: More black widow spiders being reported in the Denver area this year.

The other night as I turned out the light, I saw a little black spider navigating the wall under the window. My first thought was, ”I hope I don’t get bit.” That was followed by, ”Turn the light back on and swat it.”

I was able to sleep soundly, even though the possible window widow was in hiding. My larger question has always been, ”Who is going to turn a spider upside down to view the underside of its abdomen in a search for the reddish hourglass shape identifying the widow?” That was a larger question, wasn’t it?

The spider and I both lived, me none-the-wiser.

For your edification. Thank you, ”Pindy.” Since camping, my brain has not consumed much in the way of new information, sans newspaper and television news.

I’ll be at the family reunion overmorrow, so look for some entertaining stories.

“Missing-my-granddaughter-day” means missing the bubble wand. My son-in-law found this and I laughed heartily. (Hearty laughs are cathartic.)

This little truism has played out on my family room carpet. However, I did not cry, I rejoiced. I will be hunting for new rugs soon and dragging ”Pann” with me. I figure the bubbles only helped speed up the process.

Two friends have just returned from land and sea expeditions, being out of communication for a time. (What a blessing that can be!) The same could be happening here for a few days as I take time to recharge in the hills with the uncertainty of consistent wi-if.

While perusing one of my feeds I came across this somewhat blurry optimistic note, and I thought it should be enough to keep us going through the week, should I be unable to share these highly important blogs. Happy Week!

…a luminous balloon. Anyone else have that example given to them in school when explaining the difference between similes, metaphors and personification? The moon is ”like” a luminous balloon, the obvious simile example. The moon, smiling at me, provided perfect light for my path.

It’s amazing what the memory dredges up on a beautiful pre-Autumn moonlit evening. Once I grasped that literary business I personified to no end and extended many a metaphor. Yes, I’m back at it, trying to finish my book of poetry.

Poetry, a decorated vase. Poetry is like an ornate vase. Poetry smiles with us on the journey.