It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

Well, aside from a fourth appointment to fix a tooth needing a crown, I have nothing I care to elaborate on today! “Quirky and mundane” are taking a rest for the day as I baby this stupid tooth on a milkshake.

TGIF soon!

It really was a bit perplexing. Where did all of my underwear go? I knew a few items were left behind in Asia on the last journey, but I had enough to get me through a week without doing laundry. Alas, they were AWOL.

So, I threw a puny load in the machine and summoned my inner shopping warrior to head out to the unmentionables department of JCPenney’s. After carefully glancing at five pair and pronouncing them acceptable I purchased them and walked out sans my carrying bag. Everyone was privy to my purchase and polite enough to avert their eyes.

When I returned home to dry the load I’d tossed in, the mystery of my depleted undergarments came to light. They were still in the dryer from the last episode of laundry duty.

The stand I want to frequent doesn’t open until tomorrow. No fireworks here yet.

Now, the sparks may fly this afternoon at bridge, and the show will definitely be worth the while! We do have a great time playing as every time we meet it’s a celebration. I understand why my mother was in three different bridge groups in her tiny little hamlet.

Of course, Tuesdays promise severe weather alerts and decimation of my beautiful flowers. I shall endeavor to cover them before I leave and once again, drive my hail-ridden conveyance. Just another manic Tuesday…

This is not an apt description, but I do enjoy setting off fireworks somewhere in the vicinity of the Fourth of July. And I have a stash of sparklers in the basement ready for any celebratory event – like a birthday, New Year’s Eve, Christmas, etc…

The Phantom Fireworks people sent me a tantalizing coupon – but they want me to drive to another state to purchase their wares. This made me wonder how I got on their mailing list…until I recalled a time I did actually make an out-of-state purchase while driving back to The Good Life. Even though it was years ago, and this coupon is addressed to my daughter’s friend who frequented our home in the high school years, I was tempted to consider the journey. These coupons are really good deals!

Alas. I failed to secure my fireworks for this year at the end of last year – when you really do get the best deals as the tents close up and you can bargain with the people who do not want to haul anything back to a storage unit. And you offer cold hard cash. Thus, I will be paying the price this year because I do enjoy watching the dazzling fountains, colorful smoke bombs, and hearing the shooting and screaming of the displays. Hopefully my neighbors try to outdo each other again this year. (Apparently they travel out of state. They have the big off-the-ground wonders.)

Seven minutes and the stands open for business. I’m off!

My brother-in-law texted me recently with a “do you remember” question. It was about the songs we dutifully learned as children in the parochial education sector. This led to cheerful texting banter about those cherished songs which we still remember and to which we know the words! How many years later?

That’s why I laughed when I saw this delightful comment on musical education of yore. I never did learn the recorder, but there are two of them in my piano bench – or there were – from my own children’s elementary years. (Where are they now? They might still be there. Another place I should investigate one of these days.)

So I can’t play a tune for you, but I can sing all the verses of “Joy is Like the Rain.” Here’s to good memories.

This is why my ferns took a big nose dive and failed. Now there are hooks to hang my silk lanterns from Hoi An’s ancient city in Vietnam!

It is way more fun to look out from the kitchen and see these beauties dancing in the morning breeze. They belong in the wind and elements, sending their love and joy throughout the land. It makes me remember the people who shared their culture and time with us foreign travelers, ignorant of life in their country, yet willing to learn.

Thank you, fickle ferns.

Those torrential rains of a few weeks ago brought the annual vacationers to our neighborhood ditch. They stayed longer than usual, enjoyable to see every day. They have since departed, seeking water deeper than eight inches.

Alas, no photos of the neighbor’s hawk hunting. I spied him on the ground as I was walking to retrieve my antiquated form of daily communication at the end of our driveway. I stood for minutes and watched as the magpie brigade squawked boisterously above. He had something in his talons. I deduced it was a baby bird as he alighted and the dozen or so adults followed in a nasty chorus. It was pretty cool.

Then the magpies made their presence known again early Sunday morning when I opened the draperies. A gorgeous fox ambled across the backyard hunting rabbits, and then trailed through to the front nosing under the bushes. Those birds were giving ample warning, apparently. The fox left empty-pawed.

As it’s Wednesday and the estrogen flow will begin, we will also be hyper-vigilant as a pair of coyotes have been spotted frequently roaming the ‘hood, even daring to cross our backyard. It’s the return of the rabbit population bringing all of these hunters around. Perhaps the hawk had a baby rabbit that the magpies wanted?

It’s always a delight to be allowed these snippets of Mother Nature at work.

Apparently you have to pay your bill for your site to be active. I’ve missed a few days as I assumed auto-pay was still working its magic. Additionally, I learned the credit card was expired, so it was an educational morning.

Aside from that, I have absconded my friend, “Pristina’s”, idea of repurposing former dog items.

It looks like nasty weather could descend again and I will be enjoying bridge, unable to properly protect my gorgeous flowers. Thus, I rummaged through the attic and found the old dog gate we had – a metal contraption for containing puppies in a small space. With it separated in half it has made a lovely cage around two of my larger containers. Covered with old fitted sheets makes it look perfectly white trashy enough to work.

The key to hail protection is to anticipate it and assume the worst. If all goes well, I’ll return home with the sun shining and no torrential rain or hail decimating the things I cannot protect.

Exciting times in this ‘hood!

Remember the journey from yesterday to the Rescue Mission? It is a bit of a hike and the facility has terrible parking. I was just praying no one was there so I could maneuver safely in their limited area with the truck. Imagine my delight when I was rewarded with an empty lot and this gift!

Apparently a florist delivers “leftover” bouquets to the Mission on occasion. These are just beautiful though, not wilted or droopy. What a lovely way to start a day. (And I was able to safely back in and get out of the lot with nary a scratch!)

Since I was making a run for the Rescue Mission’s warehouse site, I decided to clean the oft-forgotten linen closet.

There is no order in there, other than a small pile of pillow cases which are easy to identify. Sheets of varying sizes? Who or what was stuffing them in there?

It’s my own fault, and my own far-sighted thinking that maybe I’ll need a flat sheet from an XL twin sized bed one day, sans the fitted mate. I used to use worn sheets for painting purposes, but did you know that paint can seep through them? Surprise!

Anyway, my day began with a much needed clean out. Toodling along…