It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

What is the single most important product to acquire when setting out on a deep cleaning mission? Vinegar? Windex? Ajax? No. A stronger eyeglass prescription.

I upped my reading scrip the other day and strapped the classy readers on. Clearly, (ahem) I am finding more smudges than were previously detectable by my Dollar Tree specs, 1.75. While still sporting DT rims, I am taking cupboards and blinds to task.

It’s a sparkly day!

The list grows shorter.

It was only a 750-mile excursion to return the pie plate, but it is no longer ”seeing the world” in my transport. Along the way the little-plate-that-could saw a mountain lion cross the highway, a disabled RV stopping traffic for miles, and also witnessed the purchase of a new shiny pair of Croc shoes for gardening purposes.

I’m going to miss that little companion dish of the road, though I still have the spoon. Good thing they didn’t run away together!

For the past month or more, a beautiful silver chip-n-dip serving dish has been traveling with me in my little Escape. I fully intended to return it to the APB owner sooner than yesterday, but our paths did not intersect in the past 30+ days. To add to the mix, I have also been toting a load for Goodwill which has seen just as many miles.

It would be good to say I’ve returned everything needing return to the rightful owners. However, I still have a serving spoon, pie plate and Tupperware container residing with me.

At this point I’m not sure which would be more efficient – keeping them in the car to return when I see the owners or mailing them? We know which would be faster!

The earrings of choice today are from Australia and a stop along the Great Ocean Road. (Even in a tourist information hut I can spot beauty for sale.) Thus, I thought about my trips to Australia this morning and had a further reminder when a friend sent this little gem:

When my sister and I traveled The Gold Coast in Aussieland, we saw the cutest ”little library” in one of the towns. We were determined to each build one when we returned home, googling and searching Pinterest for the ways and means.

Thankfully, I came to realize that no one walks by my house because we are sidewalk-less. And if someone does saunter this way via the road, the person usually has a canine companion and wouldn’t want to juggle a book with the poop bag.

Whew! One craft averted. I guess I could leave a pile of sticks though?

Entomology was never a draw for me. I have vivid memories of my grandmother squishing a monstrous-size June bug in her hands when I squealed looking at it. (We were in the basement and I was a pipsqueak.)

Last night, however, I truly appreciated crickets. It was still, cool enough to enjoy the sunset, with crickets serenading me for a few precious moments of the evening. No traffic. No barking dogs. Just myself and the chorus.

I still can’t stand to squish a bug, but for the sake of my children and grandchild, I would do just what my grandmother did, should their lives be imperiled by a bug.

Too much truth in this sentiment! I always appreciate a good chuckle for the day.

Yesterday I had the privilege of accompanying for the last Mass of the weekend, which is usually filled with late arrivals, parents and kids coming from a sporting event, and the rest of us. The psalmist was a good friend, suffering from bronchitis crud and hoping to make it through his singing duties.

As he finished croaking out psalm 69, ”Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live,” some little pup in the back of church yells, ”Yay!” and claps.

We all laughed. It was perfect. Just what the great doctor Himself ordered!

My phone case died. It had a pretty mermaid on the magnetic closure, was a draw for my granddaughter’s amusement, and kept my phone fairly safe from harm. It was a birthday gift from my little sister, and I did love it.

Since my official bucket list includes finding a seahorse in natural surroundings, I’m considering keeping the case to bury at sea. It’s in such disgusting condition, I can’t imagine planting it on ”Rosary Boulevard” and endangering a tree. Somehow the landfill doesn’t seem significant enough for this beauty which served me so honorably.

Thanks, Sis, for all the memories this little gem has provided!

Excitement reigned this morning. My neighbor is housing a den of foxes, probably a mother with her kits. They are cute as can be, and they are excelling at digging under her concrete. I can watch them with my binoculars as they romp around her property.

We have no shortage of wildlife here, though it seemed a bit empty this spring. However, the hawks have returned gracing neighboring roofs. The hummingbird is making his stop at the Indian Paintbrush in the back yard. And now we have foxes.

I hope that mother fox is the reason we are not plagued with squirrels this year! (“Parsha”, I’ll help you fix the concrete when they abandon the den.)

When our little posse ventured to the Farmer’s Market a month ago, my generous friend, ”Pann,” purchased some peppermint oil to share with the crew. She diligently dropped the oil in little vials and under cover of nightfall, made the drop at our homes. While we had a good laugh, we are still enjoying the calming benefits of this essential oil. That’s what gave me a chuckle when I saw this on my Pinterest board:

I’m being selfish though and not sharing with the family. I shall remain calm and carry on.