It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

It’s probably a good thing I got married when I did. If it were today, I’d be dyeing the bottom of that beautiful white dress so that the colors would run up the skirt and look like a Monet painting. I might even match my hair to it! Actually, I most certainly would do that.

Instead of slapping a potted plant on the tables at the reception, I would be out in the wood shop crafting elaborate centerpieces gleaned from my hours spent on Pinterest. They might even match my dyed hair! Okay – of course they would.

However, I was a pre-Pinterest bride and had a beautiful wedding, perfect in all the ways it is supposed to be. I was thankfully ignorant of so many things! (As we all were as brides and grooms)

Wonderfully, those decisions are now in my daughter and her fiancée’s realm! My husband and I are so excited for them.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

It’s cleaning day. Prepare for the storm and flurry of activity.

But first, a cup of coffee to set the pace. Well, two cups will be better than one. Next, a healthy breakfast for the energy required. Leftovers qualify, right? Third, a list. Ready to go!

Oops. Car maintenance appointment required immediately or a transmission issue will keep someone grounded. What? You only have a stick-shift loaner car? Well, who doesn’t like a little danger in their day? Wow. Now the sun is shining brightly encouraging a walk before returning to the list. Wait! I forgot to do my homework! Let’s get that out of the way. What is this delivery person doing in my driveway? Oh yes…forgot about that detail…and my accidental “Prime” purchase. Do you suppose the mail is here, too? Look! The leaves have finally fallen completely. I can get them off the driveway now and sweep out the garage, especially since I’m down one car. (Let me go write that on the list first so I can cross something off.)

Dinner? I forgot to think about it. Thank you, Progresso. Is there still a load of laundry in the washer? Who is at the door at this time of night? And where is my list?

Oh. Well, there’s always tomorrow.

One of my favorite poems, which popped up in my paper feed. (I’m still cleaning out files!) It’s better suited for spring, but it feels right today. Here you go with Mr. cummings. (His name is supposed to be all lower case, but I sure can’t get this high-tech app to make it work every time. Forgive me.)

i thank you God for most this amazing
day;  for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;  and for everything 
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings;  and of the gay
great happening illimitable earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

This will be swift. I craft. I am a Pinterest fan. I have been doing quite a few unsolicited crafts, endured by my loving and adoring neighbors. (You know who you are!)

FYI…everything I do is either totally burnable in your wood-burning fire pit/fireplace/campfire, or made of recyclable plastic. I prefer wood, because I know it can warm the soul.

If you are going to craft…please do it responsibly.

(Sung to the tune of another classic, “Lightly Row”)

Tuna fish, tuna fish
Sing a song of tuna fish
Tuna fish, tuna fish
It’s my favorite dish

Everybody likes it so
From New York to Mexico
Tuna fish, tuna fish
It’s my favorite dish

Every time I make tuna noodle casserole, which I did for lunch today, (I know it’s a Friday NOT in Lent) I have to sing the “Tuna Fish” song. This is a piece learned early in my piano lesson days. I can still play it, along with other inane ditties. Norma, my instructor, is smiling now, unlike the times I arrived at her house unprepared and unrehearsed. Actually, I always did the homework and I could muddle through lessons quite effectively.

Anyway, I had this silly tune in my head all day. It’s probably the reason I do not make tuna noodle casserole often.

The flooding in Venice brought to mind three other worldwide incidents occurring shortly after my visit to a country.

The first substantiated claim for not inviting me to your country is the subway bombing in London, about 15 years ago. Our family had just been to England the previous week. Of course we had been on “the tube” that was targeted. It was working fine when we were there.

The second – oh, a little thing called the “Arab Spring.” That happened upon the family’s return from Egypt. We had just visited the beautiful Egyptian Museum and had been lodged in the square so widely seen on television a few months before. It was sad to see the violent destruction of history as reported.

The third was a little jaunt to Greece where buses were rerouted or not running in Athens due to protests. Of course, my sister was with me, and we decided to venture “downtown” for the sake of history. We were in the crowds. Did you see us on national news? We were there!

And, a mere two months ago, my family and I stood in San Marcos Square and in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, Italy. It is now flooded by a storm surge, prominent in the world news regarding global warming. Once again, a tragedy from which my family was preserved.

I’ll probably still visit your country, so don’t get too excited.

No, you have not seen everything or heard of everything, though you might wish you had. I spent the morning contemplating how I could share this exciting new product with friends and family. The makers assure me that it is not a gimmick – whew! I want the real stuff.

I share our morning chuckle with you.

Don’t worry though. I did spend the rest of the day crafting, so you may be getting something else “lovely, wooded“ and potentially “earthy.“

Do you ever wake up in the morning and interpret the time as the date? Of course you don’t, because it’s a waste of valuable time!

I awoke this morning at March 23. Now, this doesn’t work if you wake up in the second half of the hour – unless you want to do some mental math and move your minutes to the next month, thus wasting more valuable sleep time – or if you awaken after February 28 – most of the time. I have no idea why the time shows up in my head as the date – but it is rather annoying.

It took me six months to get used to “springing ahead” an hour, and here I am trying to readjust again. I only hope I start waking up closer to May and June. Throw in a July once in awhile, I won’t mind.

Got one for you. My dad was a veteran, who thankfully for me and the family, was not called to serve in a war. We might not be here. However, and I do not mean to toot my horn, but when I see a veteran – and I hope they wear their hats – I always stop and shake their hands and thank them. It’s the least I can do.

You remember the cereal, right? I never had it. Deprived childhood. However, I did purchase it for my children so that I could plunder the little marshmallow delights before they got to it. I always thought that they should just sell those little concentrated sugar-bits separately.

Walking out of the restroom at the “Oasis of the Plains” travel stop in Colby, Kansas I halted in my tracks. There, in small and larger baggies, were pre-packaged marshmallow bits from the cereal! Of course I had to purchase some, chat with the cashier who assured me they were the most popular item they had, and then persist in eating them. They actually buy these bits in enormous quantities and package them on the premises. They should advertise these things on the signs on the interstate! They’d probably sell more fuel.

“Magically delicious” only goes so far though. As tantalizing as they are, it was actually more fun to dig them out of the cereal box. It took longer and I didn’t eat a whole box of them at once.