Where would you be?

I feel like I am losing my mind. But really, I'm just losing my stuff. I've tried the prayer to St. Anthony:

Tony, Tony look around.
Something's lost and can't be found.
Please help me find...

Either St. Anthony is sleeping on the job or he's trying to teach me a lesson about taking care of my things. I have cleaned out more than one closet with no luck. So now I'm here enlisting your help (and hoping that at least one person who reads my blog is psychic).

Where would you be if you were...

• one black El Naturalista clog with cute swirly white stitching 
• one silver Dr. Scholl flat 
• my favorite pair of Vera Wang jammies (from Kohl's) that my husband bought me for Christmas last year
• the security card that lets me into my office building (don't worry boss, it's been gone a while)
• a cute little vintage-looking Santa pin that I swear was on the counter next to the refrigerator
• 3 green mini bungee cords that are used to hang stockings with care
• a red cardigan sweater that will go perfectly with my "Believe" bling holiday shirt
• the "bit" part of my Fitbit Flex that somehow got separated from the charge

I'm serious, give me some ideas where these things might be. What is the strangest place you've ever found something you've lost? 

How do I find "Idunno?"

This time of year, it's not unusual for us to be thinking of places far from home.

Visions of the North Pole occupy the minds of small children who dream of meeting Santa on his own turf. Candy cane streetlights and gingerbread doorways. Rooms overflowing with colorful papers and ribbons and bows (yes, Mom, I know, Santa does not wrap presents). Entire teams of elves whipping up hot chocolate and snickerdoodle cookies.

Grown ups have their own fantasy locales. Tropical beaches where the sun is warm and the drinks are cold.  Where the only things on the to do list involve taking naps and reading for pleasure. Elves of a different sort bring food not cooked by you on dishes that don't have to be washed by you.

Ahhh...

But I don't want to go to either place. No, I'm more interested in finding the magical, mysterical (yes, I just made up that word) land of Idunno. For it is there, in the land of Idunno, that -- apparently -- all the forgotten and lost items find a home.

I ordered Charlie a school basketball sweatshirt. I think it was gray. I'm not sure, because it was delivered to school, given to Charlie and never seen again. When I asked him where his new basketball sweatshirt was, he said "Idunno." Did he bring it home from school? He's not exactly certain. He checked the lost and found (after I asked him to, of course. Does any kid ever go to the lost and found on his own?). No luck. So where could it be?

Idunno.

I loaned Annie my new, not-yet-2-weeks-old winter coat to wear to a retreat at church. She came home coatless, but certain of where it was. We went back to look. No coat. We checked another coat rack and the lost and found. No luck. Well, Annie, where could it have gone?

Idunno.

Robbie is not immune to the allure of the Land of Idunno either. Apparently his tennis shoes up and walked there with his Nintendo DS. Charlie's lunchbox decided to tag along, too. As did Annie's blue and white scarf. And probably a whole host of other things I haven't even realized are missing yet.

And if I ever find this elusive destination of Idunno, I hope I find my sanity waiting there for me as well.

Lost

1. One newly purchased roll of Scotch tape.
2. One pink and white New Balance tennis shoe, size 8.
3. One high school sweatshirt, black half-zip with white embroidery.
4. One book, The Holy Temple, half-read.
5. One Sonitrol access card.

Let me know if you've seen them. What are you looking for?

I know it was just here...

If I were to choose one word to describe my life right now, it would be "lost." Not in a wandering, soul-searching way (ok, maybe a little bit of that), but in a literal way.

This is a list of items that are currently lost:

1. My glasses
2. My new contact lenses
   
3. Camera
4. Note cards and directions for Charlie's timeline project
5. The receipt for a Christmas gift I bought and now want to return.

I've sent up numerous prayers to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things, to no avail. I think Tony is sending me a message -- "Get your act together, lady!"

I know the glasses and boxes of contact lenses are here somewhere. I remember seeing them in the kitchen on that black hole which is known as the "junk counter," which is conveniently located above the "junk drawer." Although my junk drawer is just a facade since the front came off the drawer about three years ago, at which time I removed the drawer and used duct tape to tape the drawer front back in place. Guess it's true, that duct tape can fix anything!

But now I've lost the direction of this post. So, recalculating...

I'm limping along with some old contact lenses and a pair of mangled glasses I've had for about five years. It's a great look, really. I'd post a picture of me wearing them, but wait...that's right, I've lost the camera, too. We had it at Halloween and maybe even later. But now it's disappeared into thin air. That's a must-find object, especially before the holidays.

Really, I know everything has to be somewhere in this house. Yet, I've been through drawers, cabinets, and laundry baskets that double as filing systems with no luck.

And let me tell you that if some of these things don't show up soon, the next thing that will be lost will be my mind.

Thanks Tony!

A few days ago, I borrowed an electronic key to the community pool from our next door neighbors. Within 20 minutes of having the key in my hand, I lost it somewhere in my house.

I searched for 30 minutes before I had to leave for work. No key.

I asked Annie to look for it. No luck.

I asked the babysitter to look for it. No help.

So, it was time to get serious and call on St. Anthony, the Catholic patron saint of lost things. When we pray to St. Anthony -- or any saint for that matter -- it's not worshipping that person or putting them before God. Rather, it's like asking a friend to pray for you.

"Tony, Tony look around. Something's lost and can't be found. Please help me find the missing pool key," I said as I left work for the day and headed home.

Then I really didn't even think about it until I arrived home. I walked thru the door and into the seldom-used living room. Three steps into the room, I looked down and there, sticking out from under the ottoman, was the missing pool key!

St. Anthony to the rescue again!