Just a thought… The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you. [Neil Degrasse Tyson]

You can watch a video version of this journal on my Facebook page, or here on YouTube.

Long ago, one of my radio partners, Don Daynard, said that I looked like Angela Lansbury. Now with Don, I was never sure if it was a compliment or not, but now I have a mystery on my hands that is right up Jessica Fletcher’s Murder She Wrote alley.

Last week, Rob got an envelope in the mail from one of our former fellow Rotarians in Sidney. That envelope had been sent to the community centre where the Rotary meetings were held before Covid, and the member kindly sent it on via snail mail to Rob.

The envelope had no return address, just the writing, “Rotarian Rob Whitehead” and the address of the community centre. So that was strange enough.

But the contents were really bizarre. This photo.

Take a look at the gal on the right. That’s me, aged 12, bawling as a classmate wrote in my autograph book at Grade Eight graduation.

There’s a whole lot in that picture, and what a nice job my mom did in sewing that dress! But more to the point: I was crying my face off. Big old ugly tears. Oh, I was always crying.

I hated good-byes (moving around as an air force kid will do that to you). I was the one the family called “Mona” supposedly for always moaning and crying (and this was before my teen years!) the “over sensitive” one. Yes, I was an alien being in my own family, but that sensitivity and perceived weakness turned me into an observer, a feeler, a writer, a communicator and whatever it is you see here today.

But who sent it? Why was it kept? Half a face is cut off in the foreground and I can’t even remember the name of the girl signing. (Is that you, Corinne Cummings?) And why was it sent without even a cover note?

So many mysteries and nothing I’ll lose sleep over. But someone out there went out of their way to put a stamp on an envelope to send, not me, but my husband this picture and then leave us hanging as to the circumstances surrounding it.

I guess we’ll never know. 

Oh, and before I go, have you found my Drift Sleep Stories podcast yet? I’m terrible at promoting things, but I have to start spreading the word a bit. I’ve got all kinds of great 30-minute stories, starting with some gentle and relaxing music, and ending with waves. Give it a go: here’s a link.

It’s free unless you want to subscribe for stories before everyone else and interviews with some fascinating people on sleep-related topics, like dream coach and expert Patti Allen and pediatric sleep guru Dr. Jodi Mindell. Please go and find it and, when you do, please rate it on Apple so more people will find it too! Thank you!

Have a relaxing weekend, try to stay sane and safe and I’ll be back with you Monday.