It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

With the election hoopla and divisions within our own country, I thought this was a rather uniting message for us. Plus, it made me laugh! I’m trying to plan for next year? Maybe I focus on this afternoon only?

My Biblical School – year 3 – is being administered via Zoom. I can safely say this, because my instructor does not subscribe to these missives – I am a terrible student online.

First of all, I do enjoy having my entire kitchen table as a desk. Even when we met in person, I was always moving my stuff off of the chairs on either side of me and away from the center of the table. I let my classmates join me, even though it cramped my style. I’m a space hog.

I’ve got it all going on the table, books laid out, headphones in case we have guests, (never) and my personal bench, which doubles as a desk/bookcase/napping spot. The problem? I am in the kitchen.

I’m listening intently when I notice the refrigerator. Surely there’s a little snack in there? Then I look at the dishwasher. Might as well run that while I’m sitting here and it’s full? Glancing outside, I figure I might as well open the door and windows and get some fresh air? Actually, I could probably clean the entire house and safely make it through class. I’m muted and invisible the entire time. Only my name shows up as attending. I don’t even attend my proper time for class! I have been to the other time slots more than my own.

However, I force myself to pay attention and think of all of the young students dealing with this challenge. Maybe I’ll don my hats again and put myself on video for the next class? No, I’m going to put life-size Barbie next to me and pretend we’re both students.

God bless teachers and students.

Who awakens to those ever-famous lines, “There’s a wocket in my pocket, and a findow in my window,” with musical accompaniment by Nora Jones singing, “Don’t Know Why” in the background? Happens all the time, I’m sure.

My recent spate of “Spring cleaning” probably has me thinking it’s Theodor Geisel’s birthday, March 2. It’s not a bad thing – and “Wocket” was one of those books I had memorized and only needed turn a page as my eyes were shut. So rather than acknowledging these gorgeous Fall days, my mind is trying to return to Spring – possibly as a do-over?

I will say that I finished the one novel I began at the onset of this present state of affairs. Now, as soon as I finish the one Netflix series I began, I think everything should return to normal. Sorry for the delay!

Oh, were it that easy and I had that power. Off to entertain myself with more reading and cleansing.

It really did! Last night we had the chance to enjoy being outside around 8 pm, when evening has already fallen. Lo and behold, a lone buck wandered past the trees in back, causing our dog to bark nonstop, breaking the beautiful quiet and calm of a windless evening. The other guy remained nonplussed and went about his business.

That’s all. Just a temporarily quiet evening around the Nat Geo Lookout station.

Pantry cleaning day. I have put the process off long enough – it’s time to dive in there and see what got pushed to the back, never to have seen the light of day in the past year. Or two.

Part of the problem is that the pantry is also the extra storage for small appliances, heirloom dishes of an olive green color, and dog stuff. The other problem is that I have started the task, stopped the task and started the laundry, stopped the task to write, and stopped the task to walk the dog. It’s a glorious day – and the pantry, however messy and in disarray it may be, is not a high priority at the moment.

Letting “the scarlet of the maples shake me like a cry of bugles going by!“

Appropriate headline today for yesterday:

While walking with “The Winks,” we three stopped and stared at the trees lining the nearby road. The trees have been there for many years already, and we just noticed them. They had gorgeous gold leaves and little burgundy berries. None of us had taken note of them before, and we made a comment about how this pandemic has slowed us down, allowing us to see things we normally breezed past.

So while we were appropriately awed, I am looking forward to being able to breeze past those trees again. Later, gators…I’m heading out to be odd. Awed.

My sister, brother and I were bemoaning the fact that we didn’t have cool nicknames. None of us have names that lend themselves to shortening, especially my one-syllabled brother. However, around my town of origin, there are cool names that just seem fitting and right.

Boots, Bones, Twig, Pinkie. There are others, but those stand out.

My sister and I decided it would be cool to have a name like “Pinkie.” I shan’t divulge her given name, but the real “Pinkie” is as cute as a bug, as tiny as a pinkie finger, and the name seems like her God-given right. None of us knew her real name until we saw the church directory with her photo. She is a bridge buddy of my mom’s, and she sings in the choir. I have never heard anyone call her anything other than, “Pinkie.”

Quite frankly, I don’t know what I would want to be called. I always thought my name was rather cool. It comes from the word, “Renaissance.” Rebirth. When I went to college there were two other Rene’s, both male. (I was actually assigned to the men’s dorm back in the 70’s, because they assumed I was another guy. My parents were thrilled.) It was only in college that I learned I was given a masculine form of the name, and that people who weren’t paying attention would forever stick an extra “e” on the end.

So, no cool nickname, but gratitude to all who don’t stick the extra vowel on the end. And if I could have a good nickname, it would be the one that’s already taken by my friend, “Pepper.”

The Hogwart’s Express is not for me, and I don’t think I would have done well in an Agatha Christie murder story. Freight trains are my love.

When I traverse the Plains I am always awed by the length of these beasts transporting our nation’s resources. While most people probably give thanks for missing the RR crossing bars when they clang and bang down, I am excited when I get to sit and watch the train go by. The coolest train view I ever had was the BNSF route through El Paso, as viewed from the top of Mount Cristo Rey. You could see the lines snaking for miles and miles through flat land on their way to the southernmost end of the line.

Years ago, I used to count my blessings when I missed the train crossing because it could make me late for work – it was one that slowed through the city and you never knew how long you would sit! You could sigh a bit, and then you would go, “Oh no!” The train would stop and reverse. All I could do was turn off the engine and relax. That was before a person could track online schedules and know exactly where and when the crossing bars would be doing their job. Pre-GPS and cell phones. Those days did exist, didn’t they? Oh – more about maps another day!

I can’t count the cars well anymore. That’s a good thing – because I’m driving. The road really should take precedence. (That was always a game for the kids to make the event worth noting.) And I can’t see the graffiti as well when the tracks are in the distance – so I can’t wonder who had the gumption to crawl between cars and tracks and tag those big boxes with their monikers – or what in the world their symbols mean? But if I get to stop for one, I relish the opportunity.

Freight trains are great for the imagination. As my Mother-in-law says – a little “razzle dazzle” in the day.

It’s off the grid I go!“ Thus, I felt it was important to give you these critical updates before I return in a week. These extraordinary uses for common household items are courtesy of “Reader’s Digest,” October 2020.

When packing an emergency kit for someone you love, include the following:

• Tennis ball…When cut in half it can be used as a plunger for clogged drains. (The imagery on that one is the best)
• Vick’s Vap-o-Rub…It can be placed on wrists and heels to repel insects.
• Chalk…Will take stains out of collars with perspiration issues.
• Duct Tape… Of course, it can be cut to the length of a shoestring, ripped in half, folded in half, and used to lace your shoe. Just be sure to have a roll on hand when you’re hiking. And, I’m sure it would look better than taking the broken lace and putting a knot in it until you can replace it properly?

Okay, I fabricated the part about these suggestions being an emergency kit, but I did borrow these useful tips that I felt needed to be urgently preserved. Why? Because the internet goes away for a few days around here as we transition to new living quarters with the matriarch. (Unfortunately, the water will also go away for a bit tomorrow as a two-year project request finally comes to fruition!!@!@!!)

We return to a simpler time as we haul water from the village well and are forced to read hard-bound books rather than email. (Okay…we still have our cell phones. It’s not that dire.)

I guess we’ll make duct tape shoelaces tomorrow in our spare time, just to have emergency supplies on hand. And if the water situation causes a plumbing issue, we have an old tennis ball on hand for that!