It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

This cracked me up.

Just a little reminder as I force myself to run my errands today, including a jaunt to the local Target. Chances of being waylaid by Debbie are slim on a Monday!

This is my Thanksgiving display, conveniently located on a tray and totally portable from basement storage to kitchen counter. I decided to de-acorn this gorgeous work of art, as the 30 little acorns I had thrown in there were hiding under pumpkins, no longer visible to my eye.

I was aghast to find popcorn, a marble, and a St. Michael the Archangel token hidden in my festive mess. It’s been a few years since I cobbled this together, but I had no idea I was tossing other non-Fall ordained items in there. (Well, other than that feathery thing, which came from I know not where.)

Being a decorating guru has its challenges.

We spent a lot of money on those textbooks, so some of us kept them! I don’t think we had the option to resell eons ago, although maybe we did and I was just too attached to my world history books. I loved all of my literature books, too. They were the good friends. However, they were becoming increasing expensive for me until I found a way around the ownership.

I would visit the college library to checkout the books professors had put on the list two weeks before the start of the semester. I just kept renewing them until the semester was over. Once or twice I had to return them after their six-week period, but then I’d just turn around and reacquire them for the rest of the term. I made it through a whole year without the texts.

As I peruse the bookcases in the basement, I can honestly say I don’t miss those particular textbooks. Maybe I’ll grab an old one and brush up on the Franco-Prussian War of 1870?

As I was cleaning my mess in the basement, I glanced at the wall where my African memories of almost 20 years ago are mounted. I yanked one off the hook and wore it at lunch. My necklace yesterday was this lovely warthog snout, beaded and sold by local women in Zimbabwe years ago. The inside of the snout still has the hairs! It’s an odd thing.

I don’t think warthogs are endangered – they weren’t twenty years ago. The necklaces were plentiful, and my husband and I were helping the local economy by purchasing something we weren’t going to ever wear. Until yesterday, of course!

My necklace is not going back on the wall as a souvenir. It is now a reminder of the wonderful years we took for granted when we could travel freely and mingle with other cultures. I may sport it again today.

Thanks, Mom! I laughed my head off watching this! I won’t forget the mask!

By the way, my instructor for Wednesday evening classes asked us to turn on our video if we could. It would help her to visualize the class, rather than looking at our initials in the gallery view.

Well, the last time I “went to class” I was in my robe with my wet hair pulled back and totally fresh-faced. Also, I had a big bowl of popcorn ready to assist me in learning. I couldn’t sit there and eat that looking like a drowned rat while she and the rest of the video-brave watched!

So for now, I am still my initials – until I show up with the life-sized Barbie next to me and a bowl of popcorn in front of her. Then I’ll turn on that video!

P.S. I really wasn’t the class clown in school, as my mischievous thoughts might indicate. Only once…when I hid all of the plastic leaves from a fake plant in the library. I stashed them between books. Poor Mrs. W. I can still see her rolling her eyes.

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.