That Which Was Lost . . .

. . . Is Found, thanks to my wife and our Senior Cat.

Last Tuesday night I lost my ring -- not the wedding ring, fortunately (given that Wednesday was our anniversary), but the silver ring spelling out my name in Egyptian hieroglyphs which Janice gave me ten years ago (Dec. 1996), which I wear on my right hand. I missed it when I was doing dishes that night, but I'd been so many places earlier that evening that tracing it proved impossible: I'd gotten the charcoal ready for grilling, walked all three cats in three different directions, re-potted several plants, and also planted a few things in the yard to help repair some unintended collateral damage from the complex's groundskeeping crew. I searched that night and the next day; Janice searched; I even went through the trash and recyclables in unpleasant detail, all to no avail. Having reluctantly resigned myself to the loss, I was beginning to wonder if the Mid-East Imports place in Milwaukee's Mayfair Mall, where we got the original, might still be there, since I'm doing a booksigning in that mall a little over two months from now.

And then, when I got back from last night's D&D game, Janice handed me the ring. She'd taken Rigby out for a short walk, and when they were coming in she looked down and there it was, simply lying on the back patio. Did it spill out when I dumped out the trash or recyclables and I just didn't see it? Had it been under a planter? Was it out in plain sight all that time and our eyes just skipped over it each time we searched? No knowing. But Rigby (and Janice) are the Heroes of the Household. Praise them with Great Praise!