"Wrote a letter to my love and on the way I lost it."

This summer has found me misplacing and/or losing things to a degree that is at least noticeable - therefore significant, yes??

For starters, I lost two of my favorite folding/patio/beach chairs. I left them at Sycamore Cove when we had a family gathering there. I remember carrying them and then setting them down against a tree. It was very dark and we were parked on the street. Stuff was getting put into lots of cars and I just forget that I'd left them there - actually, I asked Noah to go get them and they weren't there when he went back - or at least he couldn't see them in the dark - who could??

I've mostly gotten over that, but occasionally - like when I am sweeping the patio, I notice their absence. I think the blue one, which I liked for its portability and vivid color was actually one that someone left at the Clayton Reunion 5 or 6 years ago - I called my cousin thinking it was hers but she said it wasn't. No one else claimed it, so I kept it. Maybe my time was up - maybe it's like the traveling pants!

Of course, the day before the wedding I lost the key Sue Graham had given me. Spent the day combing the house, the car, emptying wastebaskets, scouring behind everything. Nada, zip - wasted a lot of time fretting. It showed up in my cosmetic bag on Monday as I was packing for our trip. I won't even hazard a guess how it got there.

Then of course I lost my famous black power/peace symbol hair pik in Bolivia - lost is not the right word, it was taken from me - declared to be a weapon!! Alas, I have mourned its loss and actually I'm getting along fine without it - there are lots of combs and brushes in the bathroom drawers - things others have lost? (Maybe they just left them - on purpose!!)

And finally, I bought a lovely pair of earrings at the market in Chillan - they are nascar - I'm not sure of the spelling but it refers to them as being from seashells. I really liked them and Alejandra said, "Oh they are lovely, you should buy them." So I did.

And when I got home, I wore them every day - until one day I was in Target trying on shirts - and I guess one got lost - because that night one was missing. I went back to Target the next day and asked at the Lost and Found. They were sympathetic but couldn't help me. In fact one said, "They come in with vacuums at night. An earring doesn't have a chance."

Not very encouraging.

Once I lost a favorite pair of sewing scissors - in fact, I lose scissors all the time. And months later they showed up - in fact all the scissors I've ever lost have eventually showed up.

I don't like to lose things. When my kids were little, I'd go through their games, puzzles and Fisher Price people at night to be sure all the pieces and parts were there. Once I was looking for a game piece - I had emptied the family room and it just wasn't there. Months later I found it - in the light fixture.

There is hope, but not for my earring.

The photo does not show me wearing the earrings I lost. I just thought I'd put it in - I'm flanked on the left by Gonzalo and on the right by Arvolo - the 2 sons of the Sierra family. They are charming young men. I miss them.