Time and time again we reconnect. It’s as though the universe nudges us to give it one more chance. –Nikki Rowe, author

May 17th, 2022. Oak Grove, Arkansas

Hello again, All.😃 I write this with the hope that you are doing well. This post comes with a warning: 13-year-old humor ahead. 🙃

This past Saturday was my 50th high school reunion in St. Louis, and I’m so glad I went! Last month I shared that I was on the fence about going, even though I had Zoom’d in all but one planning meeting. But it wasn’t until I offered to be the photographer that my going was definite. I was going to say that I didn’t know what possessed me to volunteer, but in fact, I do. It was the Spirit that moved me.

Following inner nudges is not foreign to me; I may be impulsive, but being like that has given me a lifetime of eclectic experiences—not to mention stories to tell. The planning committee hadn’t even thought of designating somebody to do that, so my offer was readily accepted. Of course, I immediately began to have doubts about my ability to take good photographs, but even that turned into a blessing!! The lessons for an iPhone photography class I’d taken three years ago were still on my phone, but UPDATED, which is great because I have a newer phone. For two weeks I reviewed lessons, and by the time Saturday arrived, I was ready.

As it turned out, it was the best thing I could’ve done. I actually think it ensured my good time because I had to move around and be sociable. Not that I’d be a wallflower otherwise; but I’m not on Facebook and I’ve lived away from St. Louis for 42 years, so I’m not as connected as the others. But by being the photographer, I spoke to just about everyone there and even chatted at length with some old friends.

At one point I walked towards the bar to get something to drink, and as I approached, I stopped dead in my tracks: One of the bartenders was an old family friend—more than 50+ years ago, her cousin married my cousin, but Jan and I haven’t seen each other in decades.

What an unexpected blessing it was to see her after all this time, as well as the other person tapped to tend bar, one of my very favorite people from the class that graduated the year after us. Seeing these two old friends made me even more grateful I made the trip back to St. Louis. I had a much better time than I ever expected. It was great.

As good as the reunion was, it was not the highlight of my weekend. There were several actually, but I won’t bore you with the details except for one.

Visiting Uranus for the first time.

The trip from Oak Grove to St. Louis is a little more than 200 miles via I-44. I love road trips, especially when there’s time to stop along the way and explore. On the way to St. Louis, I stopped in Uranus, a place I’ve always wanted to see. The billboards along the highway were intriguing, and I wondered what I’d find there.

This pun-filled, light-hearted tourist attraction is the brainchild of self-proclaimed mayor Louie Keen, who used to own a strip club located on the property where Uranus is now. He designed a whole new, family-friendly business around a quirky name, and began his marketing campaign. Just adding “in Uranus” or “from Uranus” to any sentence makes whatever said humorous. Immature to be sure, but it’s all done in fun. 🥸

If you ever go to Uranus, be sure to grab a copy of the local newspaper, the Uranus Examiner. With such features such as “Finding Love in Uranus,” “Check Out Some Things Happening in and Around Uranus,” and “You’ll Never Know What You’ll See in Uranus,” one is bound to get a good idea of what goes on in Uranus: Lots of fun and laughs.

Not surprisingly, I met a most interesting and quite unusual person in Uranus: Kat, the sword swallower and manager of the Uranus Sideshow. So much local knowledge! I was mesmerized as she expounded upon other roadside attractions along the interstate she thought I might like: (Stonehenge at Missouri U.-Rolla, the 2-story tall Rocking Chair in Cuba, MO, the Route 66 State Park, just outside St. Louis.) But it wasn’t that that captivated me; it was her body. It (as much as I could see, anyway) was completely tattooed in such pattern that she looked like a leopard! 😳 Odd though it was, the pattern was uniform and tasteful—not a mishmash of random designs that looked like they were done in a prison.

Talking with Kat was a very good reminder to not judge people based on appearances. Despite her very unusual physical experience, our brief conversation about roadside attractions was delightful. That one commonality connected us, two complete strangers. I’ll probably never see her again, but I’ll certainly never forget her.

Our travels are now paused for the summer. The price of diesel and a general, uneasy feeling of uncertainty surrounding the mid-term elections made the decision to hunker down an easy one. I’m sure we won’t be bored, not with all there is to do at the lake and all the shows in Branson (and 2-for-1 tickets are the way to go!).

Until next time, take care and please stay in touch. Peace, Love, and great big hugs☮️❤️🤗Maria