I Am Reminded of an Earth, Wind, and Fire Tune

Earlier today, Buddy and I were having a conversation about devotion, when, as often is the case, a song came to mind. Do you remember this one? 


               DEVOTION

Through devotion, blessed are the children.
Praise the teacher that brings true love to many.

Your devotion opens all life's treasures
and deliverance from the fruits of evil.

So our mission: to bring a melody,
ringin' voices, sing sweet harmony.






For you, here's a song to make your day brighter,
one that will last you long through troubled days.

Giving your heart the light to brighten
all of the dark that falls in your way.

You need devotion.
Bless the children.
Deliverance from the fruits of evil.







In everyone's life there's a need to be happy.
Let the sun shine a smile your way.

Open your heart, feel a touch of devotion.
Maybe this song will help uplift your day.




Make a better way.
You need devotion.


 Lyrics by Phillip Bailey and Maurice White

The Book That Was The Nook

I looked in the jewelry box.
I looked in the toilet bowl.
I combed through the kitty litter...thrice.

I looked in the cats' food dish.
I searched in the dishwasher.
I poured the coffee out of the pot...no ice.

I gently shook Mookie and FuBu.
I cleaned off the dining room table.
I emptied the vaccuum...no bling.

I crawled on my hands and knees.
I cleaned out the fireplace.
I got ashes in my face...no ring.

Where else can I look?
How 'bout in one of your books?
Sure 'nuf that's where the ring was nesting.

**********************************************

 This is the book in which I found my engage-
ment ring: Mars and Venus Together Forever by John Gray. I wasn't even reading this book at the time. However, I teach Interpersonal Communication (relationship skills) courses so I always have a stack of relationship books around the house for reference, and my ring apparently hid out in one!

One of my neighbors suggested perhaps the fact that the ring snuggled into the crevice of this particular book was a sign that the book has something special to offer us. If that is so, I wished I had paid attention to the pages between which the ring was tucked.

Buddy and I both agree that we will read this book together and keep it on the shelf with our treasured photos and mementos.

She Lost Her Ring, What a Ding-a-Ling

What happened last Tuesday night when YaYa mixed excitement with last-minute packing and a desire to make her engagement ring sparkle before heading off to meet her future-in-laws?

She lost her ring.
What a ding-a-ling!
And now, she's pulling out her hair.

That's right folks. It was midnight and I was finally attending to the last item on my "Get Ready for Florida Trip" check list. I had taken off all of my jewelry (two rings, a pair of earrings, and a necklace) earlier in the evening and placed them on a pretty, rose hand-painted saucer in the bathroom.

Now, I carried the saucer into the living room, sat on the couch, and poured the jewelry into a canister in a polishing solution, put on the lid, and shook it a bit. Following the instructions, I let it sit for about five minutes.

When I opened the jar and took the canister out, everything was present and accounted for--except the engagement ring! I kid you not. My engagement ring had vanished. What is this? Some kind of magic trick?

Okay. Funny. Ha Ha. May I have my ring back, please? Pretty please? Pleeeeze? Okay, this is not funny, anymore. I want my ring!

This story does not have a happy ending. Yet.

After concluding that I dropped the ring on the short trip from the bathroom to the living room, I searched high and low for two hours. I went to bed. No ring. I only slept two-and-a-half hours. Woke up and searched some more. No ring.

I left for the airport demoralized.

I actually had a wonderful time in Fort Myers with Buddy and his family, embarrassed though I was.

While there, Buddy and I developed a plan for how I could methodically cover every inch of the carpet, on my hands and knees, to find the "temporarily misplaced ring."

Finally, we joked, how great it would be if I had a metal detector. It could make this task less daunting.

Hey, not a bad idea.
So, if I have any fellow Santa Cruzan readers out there: Does any one have a metal detector they would be willing to loan me?

I'm desperate!

YaYa's Meeting Mom

Spring Break has started and I am just as excited as my students. I do not have any tests to grade. I do not have any papers to read. I do not have any green eggs and ham to eat.

What I do have is a plane ticket for a 5-day trip to Fort Myers, Florida, to meet Buddy's mom and youngest sister,  Lisa.

 I met his two other sisters, Lynda and Judith, in February when we flew to Portland, Oregon, for a long week-end.
They were delightful, and I imagine I will be greeted with the same openness and warmth when I meet "Ms. Eli."

I'm excited. Happy Easter, everybody!