Monday, January 12, 2026

Case of the Missing Toe Ring

It was on Sunday the 4th when I noticed the ring missing from a toe on my left foot.


I can’t even tell you how many years I’ve been wearing toe rings. It’s just something I’ve always done, feel awkward without.

Fortunately, I’d not been outside for days, which meant it had to have fallen off inside, so I began searching.

Finding nothing after checking the floor in every room, I checked the bathtub in case it had fallen off in the soapy water; checked all the socks I’d recently worn, maybe it had gotten stuck inside, but still nothing.

After a cursory search of the bedding yielded nothing, I called on Saint Anthony (Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come down, something is lost and can’t be found) and left it at that, because Saint Anthony has always pulled through for me.

Now feeling the toe ring would eventually show up, I stopped obsessing over it.

"Eventually" can be a long time. So, feeling naked without one of my toe rings, I two days later purchased another, in a different style.


Waking up yesterday morning to actual sunshine, though still windy, I pushed myself to do my least favorite chore — laundry.

Stripping the bed to wash the sheets, I tossed the quilts away, began removing the sheets, went in the other room for something or other.

Walking back to finish stripping the sheets, I spotted something shiny.

Oops there it is

Saint Anthony came through once again.


Even though the ring is back in place, having ordered another is probably a good idea because the current ring is suddenly rather loose. Probably why it slipped off.

In other news, there’s a new trend on TikTok. First was the one about people with red hair/gingers being Black. Now some guy has a theory that all white people have birds in their homes.


Dear Readers: What do you think of this hypothesis? Do you have figurines, images of birds, or real birds in cages?

33 comments:

  1. I was going to say "no birds here," but then I remembered I just found a beautiful peacock Christmas tree ornament I had tucked away years ago for a story I read to first graders. I pulled it out and hung it on a decorative "magic" stick so I can see it while I am residing in the guest room during Terry's sequester in our bedroom after his next tumor treatment.

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    1. In feng shui, peacocks represent good fortune, protection. May the ornament bring you comfort.

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  2. Well, at some point in life I'm pretty sure that I have been referred to as "bird brained."

    Will Jay

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  3. Thanks for today's laugh. I am guilty. I am white and I have a painting with a bird on a clothes line, a red cardinal planter (brand new) and two duck decoys.

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  4. Thanks for today's laugh. I am guilty. I am white and I have a painting with a bird on a clothesline, a red cardinal planter (brand new) and two duck decoys.

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  5. I am glancing everywhere and racking my brain. I don't see any birds. Now my daughter's house is practically a bird sanctuary.

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    1. You're not fitting the profile. Looking at your image, seems you're a ginger. Judging by that first TikTok theory about gingers, you're technically not of the persuasion that would have a bird 😉.

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  6. Well, I was going to respond to that video with the Righteous Fury of Indignation, but then I looked around my place . . . EIGHT effin bird images!

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    1. 🤣🤣 So much for your righteous fury of indignation 🤣🤣

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    2. ROFLMAO! You are really proving the theory.

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  7. Oh, please. I’d bet you’d find some kind of bird art in just about anyone’s house... except for people who are afraid of birds.

    I’m so glad you didn’t misplace the entire toe.

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    1. Are you trying to deflect from how many birds you have? "Misplace the entire toe" ... that would have been a tragedy, no reordering that, LOL. However, I once did go to bed with two socks on my foot, woke up with one. Believe it or not, the other sock never showed up.

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  8. I'm a Caucasian woman and have zero decorative birds in my house, unless some frozen turkey breasts and a Xmas card from a friend with 2 Cardinals on it count?

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    1. I myself personally think the 2 cardinals count 🐦

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  9. I immediately thought, Nah...no way do I have birds in my house. But then, just for fun, did a walk-about. I've collected antique cross-stitch samplers for years. Took a closer look and found SEVEN birds stitched into various samplers. They're tiny little suckers but if you look close, there they are. Guilty as charged. And also just remembered, I have a little feathered white dove that sits on my Christmas tree...Eight. Geeze. Glad Saint Anthony came through.

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    1. From "no way" to guilty as charged 🤣. Seems this guy's TikTok theory is a major scientific discovery.

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  10. I used to wear a toe ring when I lived on Maui in a former life.
    I have a few bird Christmas ornaments and a stained glass piece my father made for me of a bird.

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    1. Your toe ring former life sounds very cool. Bet you also had long hair, hippy style. "Bird ornaments, stained glass piece", you're proving the bird theory.

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  11. You've added fuel to the theory that the best way to find a lost item is to purchase a replacement.
    At first I thought, "there are no birds in my house", but then... fricken owls. I've got 3 or 4.

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    1. "best way to find a lost item is to purchase a replacement" ... Murphy's Unwritten Law and, I don't know about anyone else, but I am thoroughly enjoying you guys thinking no way, but then finding birds, LOL.

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  12. I call on St. Anthony too and he always delivers. I used to wear an Ankle Bracelet all the time, it did feel Weird when I didn't anymore. Yes, I have Taxidermy Birds. *Smiles*

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    1. You're like Noah's Ark, have one of every creature, so I knew a bird or birds was in there somewhere, LOL.

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  13. I can't think of any birds in my house, but I bet if I looked hard enough I'd find one.

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  14. How funny. I do have lots of birds, duck decorations and there is probably a beach scene in my bathroom. I feed the birds in my complex daily and I raised ducks when I lived in the country. I did not know that it was recognized as a white person habit. Hum. Ill have to think about this. I don't want to decorate like everyone else.

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    1. "I don't want to decorate like everyone else", LOL, sounds like it's too late. You've already been pigeonholed into a newly discovered category 🐦.

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  15. I looked and have no birds in my apartment and I've never owned a bird.
    I have a toe ring on my right toe too. I've had it for years.

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    1. I'm surprised you have no birds. Did you check your curio cabinet? I know your daughter likes to connect bones. There might be bird bones in there. We're toe ring wearing sisters.

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  16. I have pictures of birds and about three small decorative ones, don't black people have lots of birds too? JanF

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    1. I doubt it and thus far none have admitted so in comments to the TikToker's video.

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