It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

My brother and sis-in-law provide the caravanserai in my life. I hang my hat there when I travel to “the good life” now that my parents are gone. We have our rituals and habits – one of which is having dinner at the local hangout.

Here at home I would like to go to a restaurant/bar where EVERYONE knows me. At my brother’s place the weather was delightful so we hopped the fence across the road and landed at the back door of CK’s, the local watering hole. I know nothing of this place other than that I show up, everyone greets my brother, and we proceed to have a “Duke.” It’s a ritual.

Just thinking about my rituals on the road. What are yours?

The return trip yielded a safe landing for me, not so for a million or so insects. Spring has truly arrived and my car is littered with the remnants.

So what shall I do today? Hop in the car again and go see some live insects at the Butterfly Pavilion. What else? Perhaps I can be inspired to return and wash my vehicle, allowing it to emerge from its cocoon of guts and gore.

Here is your inspiration for the day – a lovely bug poem I found. Enjoy your Spring day.

Is that bug an insect?
Can it be?
Count the body parts.
Are there three?
Count the legs.
Are there six that you see?
On its head
Are there two Antennae?
If you answer yes, then we can agree.
That bug is an insect.  Absolutely!

Another one of my 22 aunts and uncles has passed on to eternal life. She was an amazing soul here on earth, as exemplified by the attendees at the rosary last night and I’m sure the funeral this morning.

Of course, there is chatter and more chatter among relatives until the “settling in” for prayer. I’m sitting by one of my cousins when I glance to the pews on the opposite side of the aisle – about six people on that side of the church. “Why aren’t some of us over there?” I ask my cousin. “The family sits on this side,” was her response.

Our family reach went from the front to the back of church. It was a lopsided bit of antiquated etiquette, though telling. As my mind wandered a bit, I considered it would be a good math ratio problem for some teacher? “How many moves would it take to even out the distribution of guests if they were reseated two at a time?”

Thank you, Aunt Phyllis, for bringing us together. Put in a good word for the rest of us!

The readings, homily, and of course, hymns were all centered on the Good Shepherd yesterday. Lots of sheep and shepherding discourse.

Additionally, my husband was in charge of our granddaughter while I musically accompanied for Mass. Not a peep. Model child. My playing was even pretty decent. After communion, during the moments of silence, I hear a tune coming from the rear of the church, a sweet gentle tune that has been repeated nearly 500 times this past weekend as we babysat.

“Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?”

I’m pretty sure she got the gist of the sermon.

Oh, yeah. I have been an entire day ahead this week. Of course it’s Saturday and I am living Sunday, but that is beside the point.

My daughter sent this meme and I laughed, assured I had but two days to grandsit. Nay. I have three. One day down! We have introduced many amazing games, puzzles, parks etc… Her parents will be in awe when they return.

They’ll definitely be impressed. I’m not sure how, but they will be.

Stare at the wall or the closet. As a matter of fact, I find I must stare for about a week or three before beginning the big tackle.

“Panita” is moving, so she’s tackling the clean-out and packing up. “Pusan” is spring cleaning, creating messes and restoring order. My sister is relocating and doing the same. I think that “bug” is creeping into my daily thoughts as I open drawers sifting through them to find my items.

To be fair, I actually have drawers with nothing in them. (Even one in my bathroom!) However, that doesn’t keep me from creating little disturbances along the way. My mother used to clean out one drawer a week, a fact I have probably mentioned before. Her genius for keeping things neat and orderly is dawning on me, although, we didn’t have that many drawers, did we? Anyway, I tend to leave it all for one day or two and then drive myself batty.

Today – I think I’ll focus on my closet – after I take a walk on this beautiful day, get my hair done, make lunch for my granddaughter, put her down for a nap, run that one load of laundry…

Maybe next week?

Anyone who’s dedicated their significant interior painting escapades to late night completion, weekend cramming before guests arrive, or the frivolity of painting a new color on a bored wall – that person shall understand the skill involved in proper caulking.

I don’t mind the chore so much, but I am a total mess having done it. I use my clothing as a rag, my fingernails as a tool, and occasionally, a bit of spit for smoothing. (My DNA is hidden in a few rooms.)

It’s spring. I’m itching to find a project while I avoid the obvious one; repainting the guest room. Refer to comic strip Jeremys reaction. I’ll get to it one day.

Here is a bit of the novel I am currently reading.

“By Pallas, thou art beautiful! Beware Apollo mistake thee not for his lost love…Turn not away. A truce! A truce! There is the sun of India in thine eyes; in the corners of thy mouth, Egypt hath set her love-signs. Perpol! Turn not to that slave fair mistress, before proving merciful to this one.”

It seemed as if reading Lew Wallace’s classic, “Ben Hur,” would be a good thing for the Easter week. I began this 1908 tome after dusting the shelves where it has resided since my in-laws bequeathed it to us. I loved the movie, might as well read the book?

Whew! It has taken me quite a bit of time to get into the rhythm of the writing. Since I know the story I can at least figure out the names and places better. It’s really been quite enjoyable, even though I only make about five pages a night.

Just giving the brain cells a work-out.

My goodness! The weather warners are having a heyday with the predictions of snow and/or rain/sleet. All I can say is that they had better be correct this time. I fertilized my trees last night.

Every year I throw dry fertilizer on top of the soil during a rain or while it’s misting before the anticipated drenching. We have a lot of pines, so they get this special treatment while the few deciduous strivers are given whatever is left. They just don’t fair as well regardless, but we still love them.

Currently the sun is shining brightly and the skies are clear. We shall see if things change by 2:00, the Dave Frasier Weather Alert prediction.

My pillow at home is fairly flat with a silk case which I adore. It was greatly missed on my recent travels.

The last bed had four concrete block-shaped “adornments” on it. If you put your head on them you had a serious 90 degree sleeping angle. They were deplorable, though I think they were meant to be “special.” Since we arrived late and exhausted that first evening we made the best of it – in my case, sleeping without a pillow under my head most of the night. I was too tired to swing myself out of bed and grab a hand towel for support, my fall-back plan.

We rectified the situation the next morning with feather pillows. However, I can’t help but think of the waste of laundry these blocks created, trying each one to see which was flattest.

Ah, it’s good to be back on my humble little piece of fluff, slowly working the kink out of my neck. If I have room, I’ll stuff my little gem in the suitcase next time!