It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

I just think the Haiku explains it. Today was totally idle.

Other than disassembling a desk, mowing the property, cleaning out the media storage room, and practicing music. But otherwise, totally idle.

So why in the world even mention it? Well, I did stare briefly at the “The Complete Signet Classic Shakespeare,” on my coffee table and pondered finishing, “Macbeth.” (I am rereading a few things in my later years…and “Macbeth,” only because I had to quote the line, “Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care.” Kudos to you, Mimi!) And I did, in a similar manner, consider reading more about Cleopatra in “The Memoirs of Cleopatra,” by Margaret George. However, I did, in a similar manner, “knit the raveled sleeve (current spelling) of care,” and thus end my day.

First of all, I awaken each day with a song in my head – truly. I kept a list for awhile, mostly out of curiosity. No rhyme or reason to the tunes. For example: “From the Halls of Montezuma,” “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, “All My Friends are Heathens,” by 21 Pilots, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” See? Just randomness. But always, there is music!

On that note, we had been storing a piano and it needed a home. The aforementioned garage sale did not yield a taker. (It was free! We kept offering it as a complimentary gift, too?) Anyway, my son posted the incredible bargain on Craig’s List. Nothing. We pushed it back in the garage for safekeeping. And then the music began!

We were watching the sun set this evening and relishing the beauty, when a moving truck drove up and stopped. A guy got out looking for a piano! Whoo hoo! Google Maps did not disappoint, the posting worked, and we have more free space to fill in the garage. Music to my husband’s ears!

There is nothing quite so refreshing as hosting a garage sale upon a return from a trip! Hawking one’s wares in 90 degree heat – ah the joys!

However, emptying the storage rooms is totally rewarding. And giving the appropriate amount of grief to shoppers keeps the social skills sharpened. By the end of our adventure, we were willing to pay people to haul away our treasures. As my son noted – the verse for the day was 2 Corinthians 9:7: “God loves a cheerful giver.” We were cheerful and giving! Thus, we accomplished a couple of missions for the day. Obviously the day isn’t done, but I am!

The return from my road trip brought to mind a word that I can’t shake. “Fetch.” In the Southern Ocean, I would observe “the fetch” on a daily basis. I hadn’t known the term before that, but it refers to the surface of ocean over which the wind blows, and you can observe its direction and the waves generated. Riveting, right? Staring at the water looking for the movement of wind. However – the recent rains have made for phenomenal growth of grasses and weeds along the interstate. And on the overpasses which can’t be mowed uphill, the waving and rippling of the grasses was beautiful! It reminded me of the fetch. And the fetch reminds me to look for the small things. And with that thought, I am going to fetch some sleep in that most wonderful place to return after a trip – my own bed!

Those words came to mind as I chased a frog out of the garage today. As I swept, this leaf kept moving from my view. Surprisingly, I did not scream in shock when I realized it was an amphibious creature. I haven’t seen a frog in years – and I used to not mind picking them up at all. However, I have apparently become immune to their charms, and I wanted him out with no physical contact whatsoever. The broom prevailed, the frog found a home outside, and the garage is swept.

Now we await the evening thunderstorms, guaranteed to wake us in the middle of the night, and reminding us that we aren’t in charge.

Can you imagine taking a road trip for 70 years with the same person as your co-pilot? You have to agree on the stops, the starts, the destinations. You might not even know where you are going all of the time, but you make it work. You weather the breakdowns and get the tune-ups done together. You might even change vehicles along the way!

Today I was privileged to attend the celebration of a 70-year journey of marriage between my aunt and uncle. The event was a chance to reconnect with myriad cousins, remember family connections, and laugh about the aging process which has occurred with all of us. We discerned that no one was exempt from it, save those we have lost along the way. It was truly a beautiful and holy day among the many we are given.

Sleep deprivation is really not the best way to begin driving. However, I took the helm and relied on my mother and sister reciting the rosary as I drove to our destination. ( I recited, but had to pay attention to road closures and other seemingly “important” signs!) We were heading to the best biggest city – BBC – to procure new technology.

It is IMPOSSIBLE, truly, to make a return trip home, the first destination of the road trip, without an additional road trip. In this case, we needed a new computer. That is not something easily attainable in the Village of Lindsay. However, absolutely everything you need for day-to-day living is available here. Truly. So – this computer business (new technology) was unexpected and challenging, and yet, fulfilling.

Okay…I don’t know who it was fulfilling for, but at this point, I have to stop the entire monologue. Some fish just spit or spewed a whoosh of water out of the fish tank of my mother’s home!!!!!!!!!!! I had to stop this entire missive to feel around for potentially live fish who were spewed forth for some reason! It is wet all around, but no fish flipping about. Read the blog, Mom, and I’ll relay the intimate details.

So, with the limited technological knowledge provided by her two daughters, my mother will be subjected to her new computer tomorrow and we will forever have our names linked to every potential disaster provided by the internet!

On the bright side, this is a cool computer and it will be amazing. And the road trip will continue with a family gathering that very few people get to experience! (Truly the reason for which this person authoring the missive made a point to return. I can’t begin to touch on the honor bestowed on me for tomorrow’s invitation. ) I will always return to my village to see my mother, but this particular opportunity includes not only her, but my entire childhood. Let me keep you in suspense! And let me thank you for that.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to travel via “Train,” and my travels ended when my head hit the pillow. The concert was great! I sang at the top of my lungs and I was not disappointed in the show. (Always a risk when you love the songs on the radio. Perhaps your band will not live up to expectations?) However, the late night made it tough to begin my new road trip. (This one is actually current!)

I hit the road early with snacks and songs to fuel me. Immediately I was way-laid by the traffic on the interstate. A Kia Outlander, red in color, was being driven by someone unfamiliar with cruise control. We played “pass and be passed” while I continued to get boxed in with semi-trucks barreling down the road. The problem with dopey drivers is that you get to experience them all over again when you pull over to grab a large cup of McDonald’s coffee, no cream or sugar. And if you have to pull over to use the restroom after consuming a large cup of McDonald’s coffee, no cream or sugar, you get to meet them all over again! However, this got me to thinking.

We should make friends with fellow drivers on the road. You pass the same people over and over, and they pass you. We should just be waving and smiling all the time. Except to dopey drivers who don’t understand cruise control.

So, I refrained from counting road kill, cars, furniture, clothing on the road, retread tire scraps.

Note: The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

A friend, (let’s call her “Pat,”) sent me a rambling email – and I thought of what a cool word that really is. Dating myself here – remember Steve Martin playing his banjo spelling out “R-A-M-B-L-I-N-G, Rambling!” That is really what most of today was. In the car rambling, rambling on in my emails, rambling in my thoughts.

I thought of the old family car we had when I was growing up, an American Motors deep green station wagon, “Rambler!” My poor dad, (let’s call him, “Jerry,”) tried to teach me to drive a stick shift in it. It had a shift on the column. I might have learned it easier if I would have known “three on the tree,” as my gear head husband, (let’s call him, “Andy,”) told me it was affectionately called. I hated shifting that way, and did not ramble anywhere in there! However, the back seat came out and we would pull it out and use it as our sofa at the pond when we were fishing. Childhood friends will remember that! (Let’s call them “Ann and her siblings?)

Of course, the general public is wondering at this point, “Did she ever learn to drive a manual transmission?” She did. She learned with a “four on the floor” Opel Cadet Rallye. See? She could have learned if she knew “three on the tree.” Rhymes are useful.

Anyway, the Rambler gave us many memories – and really, rambling should do that.

Sometimes the radio has the perfect song to match a mood. (That would be a good name for a company – “Match-a-Mood.” Could be a restaurant? “What are you in the mood for tonight?” asks your spouse. “I don’t know. Let’s call “Match-a-Mood.” Let someone else choose your mood!)

I was feeling the weight of the world this morning at approximately 7:15 – well maybe just the weight of my jacket. It should be warmer and it isn’t. I was chilled and had a heavier-than-summer coat on this morning. Well, U2 pipes up on the radio with “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Heck. If Bono hasn’t found it yet, I guess I’m doing okay!

So, I attempted to find what I needed at the grocery store on my big adventure. However, I erred and went to the newer store, with which I am most unfamiliar. (Although they do tempt you with the clothing aisle – and sometimes you do think, “Hey, I need a new shirt!”). Bypassing the temptation, I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for my cereal of choice, as well as the candy I was hoping to take to a friend. Neither one could be discovered. Then, I recalled the other song on the radio and used it as my inspiration. Snow Patrol, “Don’t Give In.” The lyrics are, “Don’t give in, don’t you dare quit so easy.” I went back to the aisles in question. Sigh. I was forced to get a different cereal and bag of candy. Apparently they have replaced my favorites there with clothing! Sometimes the adventure is mighty and sometimes just mighty small.