Home again

Hello,

We had a great visit with Brian, Jen, and Sophia. All are well and Sophia had changed from when I saw here two weeks ago. She is crawling a lot, talking a lot, laughing at lot, and generally spending a lot of time exploring her world.

We were pleased to find cheap gas in the cities and then again in Iowa. Although part of me wonders if that will cause people to think it is ok to just burn fuel when they want.

"A deer! Deer! Stop! Stop!" I yelled as I saw the deer head coming up out of the ditch. The deer did not move very fast. Leroy slammed on the brakes, put in the clutch, and dimmed the lights. I could understand the first two, "Why did you dim the lights?" I wanted to know.

"I thought the bright lights might startle it more," he replied.

Leroy managed to stop about three feet from this animal. It looked at us and then just meandered off the road. "That is as close as I have ever come to hitting a deer," Leroy said weakly.

"It is so nice to get into town," I later commented, "so I can stop looking at the ditches."
Leroy strongly agreed with that statement as he loosened his grip on the wheel.

I can tell that we have been living here longer. I am busier than I used to be. I do not have as much time to write.

For example we returned some books to the library. When there I talked to three people. That would not have happened a year ago. Leroy was waiting rather impatiently by the door for me to quit talking and come walk with him.

The other day when I went to the grocery store I said, "Guess what? I saw four people I knew. We have been here a long time." Familiarity creates a feeling of belonging?

Paula