Learning

Hello,

I thought I was ok with learning new technology, but now I have to confess that it is not true. I am really fighting using the IPod. It is especially annoying that so many people find it such a great thing and easy to use. For me it is more difficult than pulling out a CD and playing it.

When Miriam was here last summer she showed us some things about the device, but we have hardly used it since then. Getting the local temperature at the airport has been the most popular use for it. It seems like an expensive way to learn the temp. Opening a window would be easier and cheaper, but not an official number.

Stephen showed us some of the same things and then some more. I will try to use it more, but one music problem is that the speakers are in the living room and when in that room we usually read. I do not like to have on music when I am reading as it distracts me a great deal. I would like it in the kitchen, but there is no good place to put the speakers in that room. One solution is to buy another docking station that is smaller than the current one.

Then there are all the other things that can be done on the IPod touch. I find them hard to deal with as I can type so much faster and more accurately on the computer keyboard. One finger is not my style. My fingers must be too big as I am constantly getting other unintended keys requiring back tracking. Perhaps I could get better if I used it more, but it is hard for me to see why I should do that when I could be done on the computer. I suppose the one advantage that I can think of is that is faster to turn on, but when I have to put in my password four times it seems to take away that speed advantage. Also since it is not an IPhone we cannot easily use it when we are out and about as we need the WIFI connection. I did look at my email on there, but it was annoying to take so long to get it done when I could have turned on the computer and easily had the whole thing finished ten minutes sooner.

Paula

Quiet

Hello,

Four adults and four children have come and gone taking their noise, laughter, breathing, snoring, sleep talking, playing, drawing, coloring, listening, talking, game playing, and fresh perspective with them.

It all went by so fast that I am not sure how we got through it all, but it did happen. The three older girls got along as we would hope they always would. At only a little more than a year, Natalie mostly went her own way and carved out her own place to be.

Five year old Olivia gave us all a quick lesson on rash as a reaction to an antibiotic. She was brilliantly red for about three days. It miraculously disappeared to the relief of all. Luckily it did not itch much or hurt, but it still caused concern.

A few squirrels come into view with their walnuts in hand. One of them set up shop on the fence where the girls could get quite close and easily hear him scratching and chewing on this hard shelled sphere.

For a break from the ordinary some of the adults took a tour of the museum and later a few adults took the kids to the play station where they could run around and play. I stayed home and relaxed.

As Sarah and Stephen traveled home we also went and met my brother and his wife at about the half way point between our homes. They had not seen our daughters for some time. They had not met our grandchildren so that was quite nice. Snow was falling, but it was not a concern at all. So that was great. I am so grateful for wonderful family times.

Paula

Waiting

Hello,

Waiting is big on the agenda, but I am also getting some things done. I have washed, dried, and folded most of two loads of clothes. Some of them are still drying. I had the dryer on normal heat. I happened to touch the top back of it and almost burned my hand. I figure that was a good warning to turn down the heat. It is an older machine that I have not often used before. Certainly more caution is in order.

I have also started a batch of bread that we will eat tomorrow. I figure Christmas dinner will be rather low key since I do not have to cook the turkey. Because of that I am not making dressing or gravy. I had forgotten that Leroy’s family also has the ravioli then, but he of course remembers. I guess we will have that too, but it is fairly simple to boil and I put it in the crock until time to eat.

Leroy vacuumed the floors and washed the kitchen floor so we are mostly ready for this event. He is at work until 2:00. Not sure how many people will be in, but they are ready at the museum/library.

This morning I spoke with Brian’s family on the web cam and I newly miss them. After all more people would not add to my stress level, but I do wish that we had about twice as much space in our living quarters. Sometimes even with just two people here we can get in each other’s way. What is it going to be like when there are ten of us? Then I am ashamed because I just read Mao’s last dancer. This family had maybe two rooms, but for sure they slept five in a bed. We are not required to do that. We have two bedrooms, living room, computer room, and kitchen. Is that extravagant?

We found some toys so the girls should be occupied some of the time. Hopefully they can figure out how to get along. Sometimes that is an issue.

Paula

Things Accomplished

Hello,

I hoped out of bed at the creak of dawn or had dawn even cracked? That was so my hair could dry before we set out for church. It was almost done when we left. It felt fine under my coat hood. In spite of the cold and still being tired it was a pleasant walk in the crisp cool air.

For some reason I did not get to sleep in a timely manner last night. I kept thinking about the book that I am reading, which I have now finished. It is for our book club. It is called Sing them Home by Stephanie Kallos. It gave me some things to think about.

After we came home Leroy learned that the store where we got the turkey breast would be open. Even though I dislike going to the stores on Sunday, I broke my own rule and went. It was a happy moment to get that bird out of my small freeze and correct an incorrect charge on the same bill. We also managed to bring home at least three other things that we had forgotten. We got some toiletry items for the homeless people who will be staying in the church for a week. Was that purchase to sooth my conscience? Perhaps.

After that we ate lunch and made Ravioli. That seems like it should be calm, but I just yelled at Leroy until he felt like slinking off and away from me, declaring, “Next time if you do not want to make ravioli you should just say so. There is no reason to get so excited by it all.”

Why am I yelling? Who knows, but maybe many factors such as tired, lack of sleep, being unsure of myself as a hostess, not knowing what we will do, and no meal plans are made except in my head where they could disappear in a moment.

Paula

Preparations

Hello,

Leroy and I went on, what I consider a marathon shopping trip. Spoken like someone who has no thrill to the chase. We started in the mall where Leroy got a last minute gift for me while I went to another part of the place. Then it was on to a store where I looked for another gift for him, could not find, and pronounced it not worth the effort. Leroy knows that I value him above gifts, but I am not sure he feels the same way as he is so much more aligned with the gift giving/receiving crowd. Then it was on to three separate stores to buy some groceries. We spent as much as we do in about three weeks. Leroy commented, “It is less than plane fare.” Mostly we were buying things we normally do not have in the house. One of which was turkey breast because I could not face a whole bird.

When we got home we learned that our landlord had given us a smoked turkey breast. That first breast is going back to the store. I called our girls to make sure that they would be ok with this smoked bird. They agreed it would be fine. It is hard to believe that I raised the champion returner of all time. I on the other hand feel a little uncomfortable, but not so much that I will not do it. It just will not be a breeze.

My fever is gone, but I was quite tired when we got home from all of that exertion. Leroy did a great job: driving, pushing the carts, helping select, and carrying. He believes that I see him as a pack animal. Close, close! He cannot complain much because he has rarely been shopping since we have moved to this location. It was true of the last two homes as well. I have had more time so I felt it was my job.

Just two days to go before Sarah, Stephen, and girls arrive. Just three until Miriam comes. She tells me that Olivia is not well and Andy thinks he is also “getting something.” I did not even pass it on to them.

Paula

Better?

Hello,

My fever was the highest last night, but then during the night I woke drenched in sweat. Does that mean that it broke? I still feel a bit achy this morning, but otherwise good.

I decided not to go shopping as is my habit on Friday morning, because I could not face hauling all of the bags upstairs by myself. I will let Leroy go with me and help. Actually even if he stayed home and just made a couple trips up the stairs that would make a huge difference. I am hoping that the stores will not be busy on the Saturday before Christmas. What are the chances of that? Hopefully others will be done and moving on to other things.

“Leroy,” I said, “I think you have been healthier because of all your bike riding.”

“I think that too,” he replied.

Now if I could just get some regular exercise maybe I would be able to dissipate some stress. Sources of stress? Much as I want my children to come visit, I am nervous about it. We do not eat the same kinds of things. I can eat other foods for a short time, but I am not sure that they are tolerant of all the veggies I eat. I also do not have sweet food and I am sure that will be a lack for them. It is hard to feed people foods that I feel are not good for them. It creates a moral dilemma for me.

Then I am wondering how I will entertain these girls. I have few toys or other appropriate things for them to play with. I hate to get things since they so seldom visit that they might use something for one visit and be past it for the next. Sarah did call this morning to check if we indeed had snow on the ground. Maybe we can use the sleds. Hope these girls have warm clothing with them.

I must relax, it will all work out.

Paula

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012
Tis the season when we (Leroy and I) contemplate mysteries: some with answers and some without.

Why does our income fluctuate wildly from year to year? Why are we content and happy in spite of that? Do we feel taken care of? Yes, we have been gifted with many blessings! Each day we tell each other the best thing about that day and there is always something to be grateful for on the journey.

Why can’t we see into the future?

Why does the blanket migrate to Leroy’s side of the bed during the night?

Why do our children hang with us, when, because of our vacillating circumstances they might be worried about caring for us in the future and run hide?

Why must our children live so far away? Oops, maybe it is because they do not want to move as often as we do.

Sarah, Stephen, Lexi, and Natalie have lived in Washington D.C. since 2009.

Brian, Jen, Sophia, and Logan have lived in the Twin Cities area since 1999.

Miriam, Andy, Olivia, and Nora have lived in Salt Lake City since 2003.

Leroy and Paula have lived in Cedar Rapids since March 2012.

Why do squirrels eat tomatoes instead of tasty black walnuts?

Why did Leroy learn some Slovak? So he could use it as he catalogs books at the Czech Slovak Museum and Library.

Why did Paula get a job as the Tech Services Librarian at the Ely Public Library? So she could contribute to the family finances and connect with friends.

Why is it a question of time or of money about seeing the grandchildren?

Why is only one side of my Christmas cactus getting buds?

May God continue to bless, strengthen and uphold you in all your life.
Leroy and Paula

Home, but not alone

Hello,

My slight fever of 100 is still with me, as is Leroy. It is not because he is sick but because the museum/library closed today with all of the snow coming down. It seems logical that they would not be inundated with visitors on just such a day. As I write this I remember going to the conservatory in St. Paul during a blizzard. It was just a few blocks from our house. It was wonderfully refreshing to go inside to the world of tropical plants as the wind howled outside. As I recall the news was there too, probably recording the weird people who felt they could come on such a day with drifts piled in the parking lot. There was one other car out there. At that point in time no hill daunted us even if of the roller coaster type. Leroy was in seminary at that time so that gives you an idea of our age.

When he went to choir practice last night I was quite jealous of Leroy because he stated, “As soon as I got a block away from the house the snow started pelting down. Walking in the snow is a great thing. I do not think we got the predicted mega inches because it was warm for so long and it rather quickly melted at first. Now there is probably seven or eight inches out there. It is so lovely to look out our windows and see the evergreens loaded with snow.

Observations:
1. I still like to get Christmas cards and hold them in my hands even though I am willing to move away from that practice. My card holder is filling up and I like that.

2. Why does the mercury in an old fashioned fever thermometer go up but not down as other similar devices that record temperature of the air? Why can I shake it down? Does shaking have any effect on the outdoor type?

Paula

Leroy's Vest

Hello,

We had been looking for a lime green safety vest for Leroy to use when he rides the bike. It seems he will almost glow with the vest along with good front and back lights flashing away.

As ubiquitous as these vest seem to be they are hard to find in a store. I did find them on internet retailers with various prices starting at $3.50 if you buy ten of them. After that prices leaped up to over ten dollars with additional for shipping. I asked at several places such as home stores and lumberyards. As I told Leroy, “I think we are going to have to mug a construction worker.”

It was suggested that we go to Theisens which is a farm store. Or at least that is how I think of it. I checked on the web site and they wanted ten dollars for a vest. I was thinking of giving this to Leroy for Christmas before I learned he was also looking. He searched out a Theisens on this side of town, so he stopped in, bought himself a vest for ten dollars, and is quite pleased. “I am really noticeable now,” he declared. The long search contributed to satisfaction and a change of standards. $3.50 is out of mind. I even considered ordering them and selling the extras on the street corner.

I had a slight fever last night and it came back today so I did not go to work. My nose is flowing like the Cedar River. I thought about the Nile, but that would surely be an exaggeration. No longer is there a question about snow driving. As of yet I think it still is not snowing, just raining. But around the neighborhood people are getting snow blowers revved up and I pulled all of the rutabagas. I was so tired that I did not take care of most of them, but put them in the cool attic for a later day when I have more energy. I berated myself for not pulling some of them sooner. My excuse is that it was fun to see how long they could stay out there in the cold.

Paula

Winter Coming

Hello,

The prediction is for snow tomorrow. I like snow and winter weather, but I am nervous about driving in it once again. I feel that our current cars do not do as well as some we have had in the past, or maybe I was just younger and more daring than I am now.

I keep thinking about how I can get out of town without using the interstate that tends to be slippery on the curves or without going on a hill. There is no way that I know about. Maybe the snow will wait until I am done working. How about that for a fantasy?

One thing about winter is that my hair curling humidity has disappeared. I do not like looking in the mirror so much. Then there is a strong cowlick. Who ever came up with that name? It is in the back seemingly to create the perfect part in my hair to make braids. Course my hair is not long enough for braids, but maybe it is trying to give me a hint about the future.

Leroy and I have now completed our decorations for Christmas. The tree is up and fits better in the space than I thought it would. I think little Natalie will be at just the right height to take many things off, but we will deal with that later. One string of lights has been discarded. One string, Leroy tested, put on the tree only to find a rather large chunk of it was not working. I yelled a bit about that, but he found that a light bulb was missing. With insertion of a new light it worked fine as did our relationship. Could Christmas tree lights be a hidden cause of divorce? Is that why the pre-lighted trees are so popular? They might really be a marriage saving device.

Paula

Normal Life

Hello,

After Friday’s horrific event I am so grateful for the normal life I have lived. How does it happen that my life is so good? I have no real answers to that question just thankfulness. I do wonder about our population and where it is headed, can we change course and make a difference? Yes I believe that is so very possible. That is where hope lies. I always try to remember that I am not alone. I have God and God given people in my live to guide my way.

Leroy’s building had a Christmas party at someone’s house. I am always a little uncomfortable to go into a situation where I know almost no one, but it was fine. There were plenty of people for me to talk with and make a small connection. I also noted that Leroy and I were possibly the oldest people there. Can it be that we are truly of the older crowd when I generally feel so young?

I often connect well with younger people. The person at work that I talk with on the deepest level is slightly younger than my children. I would not have expected this to be the case. Maybe as adults, it is more a question of personality and interests than age that helps make bridges.

Today at work we will have our first staff meeting in a long time. Lunch will be provided. What a treat. Our director has just graduated from library school. Now we will see her much more than we did in the past three months. All of us did wonder how she managed, however, because she was been full time student teaching and still spends plenty of time with us in the evenings. She certainly has a lot of stamina because she worked a full day every Saturday as well. Now that causes me to feel a little old.

The first bloom on my Christmas cactus at home has opened. What a nice gift!

Paula

In Minnesota

Hello,

Leroy and I managed to get out of town heading to MN in good order. Leroy got off work early and I tried to remember to leave on time with only being five minutes past the mark.

We had a smooth uneventful drive to Brian’s. Even our clip on the metal water bottle was silent. Usually that clicking drives us crazy and we wonder why that thing is on there. We take it off and then forget to take it back in the house when we get home consequently spend time later searching for it.

Cleo, the dog was quite excited to see us, but I think she responds that way to many people; however I like to think I am special to her because I take her on wonderful walks. Logan was asleep so no big welcome there. Sophia was still awake. She came out but did not come to me preferring to cling to her mother’s leg. “Are you leaving now?” she rather plaintively asked her mom. She knew that our primary motive for coming was to babysit overnight. It was a relief to learn that it would not be until the next night, however her welcome was still less than excited.

Deep in my heart I expect that someday the kids will find our visits an annoyance or interruption to their lives, but I hope that is not for a while yet. Now I just desperately want to know all of these grandchildren before they leave us behind for other excitement.

In the morning, grinning Logan came in bed with us where he crawled on top of Leroy for quite some time as those two enjoyed reconnecting. I caught an occasional glance and grin with my name flung out with enthusiasm. I’m happy to share with Leroy, I really am.

In the afternoon, Sophia was quite happy and excited to see us after her daycare time. That evening when Brian and Jen left it seemed to be a small issue. We had no problems and enjoyed our time together.

Paula

Still Here

Hello,

I have been busy, but not necessarily with Christmas things. I did get out the Christmas cards after I found them, wrote a possible letter, rejected it, and wrote another. Leroy even addressed some envelops plus he edited and made copies of the letter. My plan has shifted from sending cards early, to before Christmas delivery will be fine.

Today, however I have not worked on that. Instead I have made granola, bread, cooked rice and sweet potatoes. It warms up the apartment and smells good around here. I have a good book I am reading, but have managed to not be lured in by it even with its strong siren song.  It is called, Mao’s Last Dancer. As usual my mornings before going to work are not rest and relaxation times. Generally I am racing around trying to get it all done. Good thing I only work two nights a week.

Leroy and I drove to MN Thursday afternoon, evening so that we could be settled in to babysit for the grand kids Friday night. We came home on Saturday because Leroy had a commitment at Sunday school. We were glad to miss driving in their 12 inches plus of snow.

Yesterday I would have written, but the internet was down just as I was ready to go. Then I got some nice time for reading. I could have cleaned or something, but it was not on my schedule. It is all a trade off. Our phone is part of our internet and I truly felt cut off from the world with two communication methods not working. I have the cell phone, but it is not such a big deal in my life since there we pay by the minute.

I was not so busy at the library until the last hour and a half. It seemed people called each other. One guy wanted to send a fax and for whatever reason it was not working. That meant more fussing. I was ready to think about closing when I had someone check out who needed their library card updated. That requires more time. The last people were ready to check out when it was after closing time and they also needed to have a card updated and even one new card. In the meantime someone who had a book on hold came in before I could lock the door. They also thought about getting out another book, apologized about keeping me, and left. By that time it was about half an hour later. At least all of these people are people I know and enjoy visiting with so it was not much of an imposition.

The car windows were a bit frosty, but I tempted fate and drove with the internal fog that dissipated as the heat came up.

Paula

Fixing the Phone

Hello,

Last night Leroy tried to call to let me know that he was coming home from Chicago in the same day that he left. It would just be very late. We could not hear each other. So I called him back again no sound was transmitted. Then he thought to try my cell and I then found out the information.

Because it was already after nine at night I thought I would call Miriam since it was only after eight there. I did not realize there was no one answering so I called two more times with the last being on my cell to let them know that I just had a phone that did not work. Miriam was gone and Andy was working in a place in the house with no phone easily accessible.  However, with the additional calls he thought it was an emergency and scrambled madly to get out of his tight spot. He was relieved to learn it was only a phone that did not work.

I cut the power to the phone system four times without solving the problem. I just hate to make this type of phone call so I put it off until morning after I once again tried to reset.

Then I tried the live chat with the phone provider. She had me run a test to learn my download and upload speeds. I also found out the jitter rate as well as the packet fill. That told her that my packet fill rate was off. Who knows what all is going on through the air! Jittering, filling, uploading and downloading. It is a wonder that we can walk through it. She indicated that I should call my internet provider. I informed her that it was my landlord’s. She then suggested that we could fix it immediately with a call to their help line. She provided the number and the times of operation. I had to wait a bit since it was CA time. After a 20 minute phone call our phone is once again working. That seems like a long time, but compared to the old days when someone might have to come to your home it was fast, fast, fast.

You might wonder what Leroy was doing in Chicago. They had rented a 16 ft. truck to pick up a load of donated books. They thought they might need two days, but one long day sufficed to move a full truck of books.

Paula

Driving Around

Hello,

Before we left to go to that concert I got directions from Google map as we have not gotten a GPS with the assumption that we would seldom use it. Most of our travel is local. I suppose the Leroy trusted me because he never looked at anything but the long distance part. I did request that he print off a parking lot map at work since it did not do well on our printer that is almost out of colored ink.

I successfully dashed to gather up all of my things and race off to pick up Leroy at the proper time. I even combed my hair.

We stopped for gas on the way without using much time. When we got to the city of our destination life changed. At first we both recognized our surroundings. I was driving and Leroy dutifully got out the directions and guided me through much of them. Then somehow in the dark we did not see a street name that we needed. After that life got harder. Leroy and I really do not fight so often, but getting lost in a city is one of the times when I start to be more intense and agitated. I think I got this from my mother (easy to blame parents for troubles) who always seemed so frightened if we got lost and I was the scared little back seat kid who picked up on that fear. Logically I know it is not that much of a deal, but it is still hard for me to handle it. Leroy almost knows this city so he did not want to ask for directions. We got to our destination, but it was serendipitous.

We did not really know how to get out of town, but another couple there told us their car broke down and they needed a ride to their motel. We offered to give them that ride and they would give us directions to get to the interstate that we could use to flee this place.

All went well when dropping them off and directions did indeed seem clear and easy as the interstate was “close”.  Now Leroy was driving. “Oh, no,” I exclaimed, “The ramp is closed with no further directions.”

Now we really headed off into the unknown. I used to be proud of my sense of direction, but that was before I went to Utah. Maybe it was because I flew there the first time; consequently I was off 180 degrees. Life and directions have not been the same since. Now back to Iowa, or rather Illinois, minutes and miles later as we seemed to be out in the country, I finally convinced Leroy to turn at a stoplight, surely there would be something in that direction and we could ask for some assistance. Only one such place appeared. It was a fast food establishment that was well lit, but almost deserted. There were a couple people inside and I managed to attract their attention so they let me in. Perhaps I looked desperate. After looking at the map they could tell me where I was, but they did not know an easy solution to the closed ramp being unable to give alternate directions other than to go back the way we had come as we were a bit far afield.

Heading back towards the interstate I noticed on the map that there were several close exits. I suggested that we could go the other direction and quickly get off and turn around. Well at the interstate, we could see cars creeping along up there. So that plan was nixed. Instead we decided to work our way back to the college and try again.

We tried that plan at last getting to the college, but we were now on a different street. Our little paper map does not show much beyond the most important thoroughfares. I convinced Leroy to stop to ask for directions. I even agreed to go in and get them. I worry about that because he has a much better memory than I do and I often cannot keep it all straight.

The guy, really he was a kid, in the gas station had not a clue how to help me. Finally, I asked him if he could show me on the map where I was. He managed to do that after some studying. I was talking a little bit about what to do when another man came in. He had on a reflectorized vest so surely he was local and knew the area. He said, “I am going the way you want to go so you can follow me after I get gas.”

Relief, relief, we are saved and we might get home before morning.

This kind man ascertained that I/we would know what to do at a certain point when he needed to go a different direction.

We followed this rescuing man as our savior and got home after midnight.

Blessings in all this: we were safe, there are helpers everywhere, we can speak the language/communicate, the car worked, our brains work, possibilities abound,  and the map light in the car worked very well. Oh, and Leroy are still together and fine with that.

Leroy declared, “We should get a GPS!” We might even remember to take our IPOD that we could also use for such a time. Gadgets, gadgets!

Paula

Leroy Walking

Hello,

I did not want to drive Leroy to work this morning and pick him up at the end of the day.  We are going to a dinner and Christmas concert about an hour and half or more away. It just seemed like a bother, but I did grumpily agree to do it last night. This morning ever sensitive Leroy announced, as he got up, “I’m going to walk to work since you do not want to drive me.”

I did not finish so this was written on 1December 2012.

Guilt kicked in as I exclaimed, “Oh I can drive you I just did not feel like doing that. It is over three miles so it will take almost an hour or more to get there.”

“Really it is just a little over three miles so it should be under an hour,” Leroy assured me as he scurried around getting ready to get on the sidewalk. “It is in the 30’s so that is a nice temperature to walk.”

He called with the news that he made it in 45 minutes. Good for him to be able to still do the 15 minute mile at 64.75 years. Not too bad for a guy of his age.

We certainly enjoyed the dinner and conversation with two other couples who had been at the seminary at the same time that Leroy was. I remember someone once talking about visiting with someone they had not seen in 25 years. The mere concept of such a long time apart was difficult for me to get my mind around. Now no longer! One couple we had not seen in perhaps 25 years. We are not sure of the time length. It was great to see them again. Conversation did not lag and in fact it had to be cut short. What blessings abound! Other people are the supports that hold us up and keep us grounded.

Paula

Beeping

Hello,

I came home last night tired but somewhat elated because I had had a session with the cub scouts that went very well. One of the dads afterwards told me that I did an exceptionally good job. I was giving them some tips and points about library cataloging, how to find things and what might be best. The five boys in attendance seemed amazingly interested.

As I came into the stairwell at home and changed into my slippers I heard a beep. A little later I again heard it as I was telling Leroy about my day and he was telling me about how tired he was. That time he also heard the beep. He wondered if it were a smoke alarm.

“We have to find it,” I insisted, “I can’t sleep listening to that and wondering where it is.”

We started looking for smoke alarms in each room. There were not so many or we did not just find them. But we heard the beep two more times. I decided to stand where I thought it was located and behold it was coming from my purse. My phone battery needed charging. I am so glad we solved that mystery.

Tired Leroy went to bed just after that discovery even though it was just 9:00pm. This morning he tells me that he feels fine. I know it is a reoccurring theme from me but I asked, “Can’t you take a nap at work?”

He always did this before. At noon he generally took a five or ten minute nap and that seemed to give him lots of energy.

“No, I cannot nap,” he said, “I have to be at the front desk all of the time. The intern and I used to take turns, but she is no longer there. I would look bad sleeping there.”

I did not have an answer to that so I guess he will just have to go to bed early some times.

Paula

Writing a Christmas Letter

Hello,

I vowed to get my Christmas letter done over the Thanksgiving weekend. Seemed there should be enough time with no company and no planned outings. Well it did not happen. So I thought yesterday could be the day. Still not done and here I am doing other things once again. I go to work in just a couple hours so it is not likely to happen today either.

We have no Christmas decorations out consequently as usual we are “bucking” the trend of decorating on Thanksgiving or the day after. We will get out our advent wreath for next Sunday. We have a couple droopy advent candles that were left in the attic heat to sigh, languish, and ooze a bit to the side. That is one problem about buying certain items on the “after” sales. Can they still be used? I think so since the bends are at the top and will soon be burned off.

Leroy has been looking, unsuccessfully, for our pictures of our Slovak Advent wreaths. It is great to have digital photos, but the sheer volume of photos and lack of organization can make them quite illusive. At least when we die our children will not have to go through so many pictures. They can just dump the entire load and be done with it. The dump will not fill up with our photos.

I want to write the witty, not to be forgotten Christmas letter and send it early, especially to those people who are not on the Internet with us so that they can be updated about our family’s latest move. Even thought nothing has happened yet Leroy senses that we will be here next Christmas as well. His contract expires next summer, but he is confident they will find money and it will be extended. He is often right about these feelings, but we will see.

Leroy drove the car today. At the CR airport the temperature was at seven degrees. He said, “Yesterday I was fine on the bike, except for my hands.” He has cold sensitive hands plus the bike riding posture does not really protect them very well.

Paula

Sitting Tall

Hello,

I did the power yoga once more and even finished it. Right now I am sitting tall and straight because of that workout. As it turned out the last part of the session was really much slower, not necessarily easier, but I felt more in control than when moving so quickly. I am not as flexible as I would like to believe that I am. Certain sitting postures are difficult for me to do. At least at one point the guide said not to strain. That helps me to feel that I should not be overwhelmed by the difficulty. On the cover of this DVD it says it is for all ages and all levels of fitness. Seems to me that is not quite true, but I will keep doing it. A women that used to have a yoga program on TV stressed that it is not a competition and I must remember that I am competing with no one, just trying to create better health.

I was pleased to get a letter from the Social Security administration telling me that my Medicare sign up was complete. I had been feeling a little anxious because I was about six weeks beyond the recommended sign up date. Just about two days later I received my card so now I am all set. I can put that fussiness aside.

Leroy will have no difficulty since he has watched me lead the way. He is so lucky to have an older wife. Older, but of course I look much younger.

It was back on the bike this morning, for that daring guy even thought the report was for temperatures in the 20’s. I went out to do some things later, and it did feel a bit cold. Leroy misses that time outdoors when he is unable to ride. I should walk more too as I also like to be outside. For some reason we have gotten away from walking at 5:30 am as we used to do. It was a great way to wake up and get energized for the day. Now we sleep until 6:00, sigh.

Paula

Crazy Sunday

Hello,

Leroy and I went to church on Saturday night because the choir sang. We did not feel obligated to go to church for the second time in the weekend. Does that say something about how much we like to spend time worshiping God? Scary thought!

Somehow the day felt a bit out of kilter with no services, but much like a real day off with no scheduled plans. Our landlord is out of town so we are picking up their mail and newspaper. It is ok if we read the newspaper, because as I told them, “our eyes will not hurt it.” What I learned is that I am the one who really likes to read the paper. I look at almost all articles while Leroy flies a bit higher and touches down for the funnies, a few ads, and perhaps the headline stories. Me, I like the news stories and human interest articles.

I got out the power yoga DVD just to demonstrate to Leroy how awfully tough it is only to end up doing 15 of the 25 minutes. I will have to try that again as I am stronger than I thought. The thing I really miss is the pause and holding of a position where this just zips right on. I worked up quite a sweat before I quit. Maybe tomorrow I will go farther.

Leroy tried to fix a wall outlet in the computer room. He has tried before with little success. This time he kept a record of all the combinations that he used. Again it did not work. This new outlet has some type of power interrupter that apparently is too much interruption for Leroy’s skills. He has new declared that he will just get a plain, simple outlet to replace the broken one. Sounds like a solid plan to me.

Leroy went up and down stairs to the basement many times and figured he got quite a lot of exercise, but he still joined me on a long walk around the neighborhood. It was cool, however still great for walking.

Paula

Weather

Hello,

Mid-westerners are known for talking about the weather, but maybe that is because it is something most of us agree about. Now I can safely say it is cold outside. In spite of that cold the rutabaga leaves are still alive. I covered some of them that are next to the Swiss chard. The chard was ok as well, but I decided to cut it close to the ground as I thought the daytime temperature might even be difficult for it to survive. It looked so good that I did not want to have it freeze. We will eat it tonight.

The weather certainly does change our lives. I did not hang out clothes today, but used the dryer instead. I certainly get less exercise by letting the equipment do the job. The wool socks still get hung up, but only on the indoor rack that once belonged to my mother. It is these practical things that I am so glad to have inherited. I also have mom’s ironing board, but I have had that all my life away from home as mom had gotten an adjustable new fangled one. This one’s height is set. It is also more difficult to collapse as it has developed some tough joints. Old age affects many things. So weather changes the laundry world for me.

Even thought the temperature, according to the thermometer, in the house has not changed I must dress more warmly. This house seems to be well insulated, but there is still some sense of coolness around the edges. I have not yet worn a wool sweater, but wool socks are on and at least two layers of long sleeves.

Leroy did not ride the bike today. I did not urge him too even though I commented that there was no wind. I will walk to church tonight or rather this afternoon at 4:00. I will certainly dress for winter, but at least walking does not create a noticeable breeze. Leroy will come there after work so I will ride home in the car.

Unfortunately our humidifier now leaks. Fortunately it did not leak so much that water seeped below. Also fortunately we have the money to buy another unit, but I might try to wait for a sale on such a utilitarian item or will that be at the end of the dry season?

Paula

Thanksgiving

Hello,

Leroy and I were together all day today. Sometimes on holidays Leroy has a hard time if we do not go somewhere or have someone come visit. Today he was quite content to just be here and with me. He puttered around the house and did some odds and ends so that he could feel that he accomplished something.

Because of great phone service we called all of our siblings and children. I even called a cousin who is 15 years younger than I am. I do not know when I have last seen her. I really have not talked to her as an adult. Her father, my last living uncle died just recently. I touched bases with her about the loss at holidays.

I am not much for using the phone, but it was very satisfying today. I should perhaps use it more often. The call with Brian involved the webcam and that was so nice to see Logan as he has once again changed. Sophia was there too, but the changes were not so obvious. Sophia plays a nice game of hide and seek on the webcam.

This afternoon, Leroy and I went out for a spin on our landlord’s two seater trike/bike. It was great fun to cruise around the flat neighborhood and avoid any big hills. People smiled and one even complimented us on our bike. I resisted the urge to babble on about how it was not our bike and just said as we sailed past, “We like it too.”

We made our blueberry pie with oil crust and pronounced it good even though it did not look very American. We also had rather untypical foods for the day, but we pronounced that good too.

I believe we will not participate in any of the black Friday sales even though we have talked about getting a new TV and a small computer such as a tablet. We are not yet quite ready to make those purchases. Nothing else takes our attention. I do need to buy some groceries and that will be all even though we might check out some of the things in the stores.

Paula

Conversations

Hello,

Almost every day I have such great conversations. Great advice is being given. Pertinent questions are being asked. Great jokes are told with just the right touch of humor. Interesting theories are expounded with finesse. It all seems to be coming from the same source. Oops, I realize that I am talking to myself. How did this happen? It seems to me that it has escalated in the last year or so. Have I gotten wiser or do I just need a constant stream of chatter to feel all is right with the world?

Many years ago when I had children at home I spent a lot of time talking to them, including when I shopped. After the last child was in school I would find that I was still telling the shopping cart everything that it could possibly want to know. A few raised eyebrows and some sidelong glances helped me to curtain that habit. Or maybe it helped that I was younger and could still learn new skills, such as silent shopping.

I have noticed that at work I have a tendency to talk out loud. Last night I struggled hard keeping my mouth shut. The only trouble is that I then adopted Leroy’s habit of small sighs, whimpers, moans and or groans. He, by the way, is a master at this art. I am not sure if he wants to me know that I would be aware things are not going well, hence the noises or if it is just for himself and his own mental health. Leroy is a master at the sounds while never actually saying a word. Without meaning to I have learned from him. So now my task is to be silent when at work so I do not annoy my fellow workers.

By the way the fog was even worse last night. I crawled safely home and gave a prayer of thanks for being there. Leroy tells me that he too was very aware of the fog on his way home even though he went home about three hours earlier than I did. We are thankful that he has good lights on his bike. When he bought them, I thought they were extravagant, but no more. They are now a necessity especially as he comes home after dark. It is even rather dark in the morning. Who knows with this nice weather he might ride on the shortest day of the year. He is a little concerned because much of his warmer clothing is dark and not so visible; hopefully the drivers see his lights flashing away. He also tries to travel on not such busy streets or even goes a bit early in the morning as the traffic is less.

Paula

Driving

Hello,

Last night as I left work I got into a car that had steamed up since I left it in the early afternoon. Why would that be? With certain conditions it happens with great regularity. I do not like to sit around and wait for the windows to clear. I do the unsafe things, turn on the fan on high, turn on the air conditioner at a comfortable temperature, turn the on the rear window defroster, run the windshield wiper in case it on the outside of the window, put it in gear, and leave looking out a small clear space at the bottom of the windshield. It has cleared some about a mile later, but then I start fiddling with the air circulation. Should it be inside or outside air? I feel virtuous for not trying to read the auto manual as I am driving.

Last night I noticed a car coming towards me and I could barely see the lights even thought the window seemed clear. As we approached each other I realized that there were patches of rather dense fog. That happened periodically until I got on the four lane highway.

It makes me realize that I might not want to drive home at 8:00 pm when I come out from work if there is ice, snow, or sleet to deal with. Perhaps I had better pack my toothbrush, spare underwear, and plan to spend the night if that is the case. There are generally many cars on the road even at that hour, but I do not really want to count on someone helping me if I should get into trouble. Oh, yes I would like to have as well some make-up or a way to clean my face. I really like to sleep in my pj’s. I do not have a simple life style. Do I have to pack half the house of an emergency overnight stay?

I still remember our refugee family coming into our home and all they had for the rest of their lives, not just over night, was a small suitcase each.

I am not sure I should be thankful for all this stuff, instead I should be thankful that people can manage with so little.

Paula

The Neighborhood

Hello,

Leroy came to choir practice from work last Wednesday. I asked him if he would walk his bike home with me when practice was finished. I was prepared to plead, but he readily agreed to do that.

It was a wonderful warm night. Unfortunately we could not walk as fast because of the bike, but it was pleasant so not an issue. When we got about a block from our house we came up to a policeman talking with two girls. They parted to let us through. I was pleased to see police in the neighborhood on foot. Seems to me that is a good presence in the area. However when I turned onto our street I saw the police car and another officer. Leroy proceeded up the street to the alley and the garage so he could put the bike away. As I walked up to the back door, I noticed that the downspout had been knocked off and I put that back. Another thing was that our light by the back door was on, but it is a motion light so that is possible for many reasons.

At the neighborhood meeting the following night we learned that gun shots had been fired about ½ a block away and the gun was found abandoned in the bushes by our house. So that explains some of that.

There is a police officer who always reports to the neighborhood meeting. In addition the new police chief was the guest speaker. It was good to meet him. His old beat was in Sarah and Stephen’s neighborhood.

Believe it or not Leroy and I are still comfortable on the streets. We keep alert, walk together, and greet people. It was interesting to me that the police office suggested that people should leave their cars and walk more just as we do. I believe I am taking back the streets. We are not out late, but this shooting was not late either. No one was hurt, so there is the possibility that someone was just fooling around with the gun.

I was almost afraid to relate this, because I wonder if Jen will be afraid to visit us. I would so like to have them come sometime. I also believe that even people in your neighborhoods have guns as they seem to be fairly common in this country. Who is to say what anyone might do with the weapon.

Paula

Surprises

Hello,

“Guess what!” Leroy said as he came in the door.

“I don’t know,” I wondered, “Did you find some rare book?”

“No, a girl from Slovakia was at the museum today,” he said, “She was at the Lyceum when we were there the second time. She did not remember you.”

“She must not have been a library user,” I responded trying not to feel a little hurt because it is always nice to think that one is important enough to be remembered by all.

“She has finished her medical Dr. degree in Slovakia and wants to complete that degree here at the U of Iowa. She needs to be here for some time before she can start. In that time she is going to work as an unpaid intern at the library with us.” Leroy told me. “She will be able to help with some of the translations and help me with the subject headings for Slovak books.”

I am looking forward to talking with her. We will certainly have to have her at our house for a meal just as the Slovaks were so generous to us, we can now return that favor even if it is to a different person.

On a different note, Miriam told me, “Andy’s Christmas cactus is just loaded with buds and mine does not have a single bud on it.”

I had been looking at mine at home as well as the one I took to the library. I did not see a single bud on either one. Then I began berating myself for not taking it to the school library where it always blooms happily. Just yesterday I found one tiny bud pod on mine at home and then today I sighted two more. So all is not a complete loss. It was looked so healthy as it enjoyed the outdoors, but who knows what it thinks of its indoor home. I do know that the library is a bit of a risk as it has a light on all night when I think it needs darkness some of the time. It also gets no direct sunlight, but a lot of artificial light. Do they like that? I do not know. I will do a bud search again Monday when I get to work.

Paula

Shopping

Hello,

Leroy and I went shopping today. The first stop was the easiest as it was for a wrap for the water heater as well as some wrap for the pipes. The large home supply store had everything we needed. That seems to be the shopping that both Leroy and I handle the best. Needed, found, done, home.

Leroy needed/wanted some more brown shoes. He has a pair, but they are at work and every once in a while he wants to wear them to some other destination. Also he tells me that he has had the them for a long time and they are starting to show some signs of wear. I have no objection to him owning two pair of brown shoes, but he seemed to need to justify it.

At the fourth shoe place he found some that he liked, they fit, and they were on sale so the price was bearable. It took some effort, but we got that job done.

“The hem of my gray dress pants is frayed,” Leroy told me a week ago, then he asked, “Can you fix them?”

I am not the world’s best and most enthusiastic sewer/mender. After discussing the issue with my sister, who likes to sew, I decided to try, but I would still have Leroy look for more pants while we were out shopping.

In the first store we found four sale pair that he tried on, but none fit him. We dragged ourselves to two more stores in the mall. Just who are these people who like to shop? Could we hire them? For some reason all of the pants in his waist size were too short or too long in the inseam. We drove to one more store. He found three pair to try on. One of them was the perfect waist size, but was too short and the one that should have been the right length and the right waist was miss-sized because it was too tight. After inquiring we learned that they did not have Leroy’s size even on the Internet. A store that is about 20-30 miles away has it, but we do not have any energy left to go there and they said it would take 8 weeks at this time of year for them to send it to us.

On the way home Leroy said, “I am sure that if you mend those pants they will just be very good.”  So back to mending.

Paula

Weather

Hello,

I thought I wanted it to stay cold until it warmed up so nicely today. It just felt good to be out hanging up clothes. All of garments even got dry although I was not sure when I brought them in if they were just cold or wet.

While I was out I heard a squirrel eating a walnut. I looked up in the walnut tree and there it was with its tail curled smartly up its back. With more looking I found that three friends had joined the first one. They were all on quite separated branches gnawing on their nut shell. I know that they did not get the nuts off the tree, but carried them there since there are no more nuts to be seen hanging from the branches except one nut that is so far out that even a nimble squirrel would be in danger of the breaking branch crashing to the ground if it tried to reach it.

I really have not seen the squirrels burying many nuts. I thought that was squirrel work, but I am still stepping on many rolling balls. Guess they figured it was fine to just leave them there and gather at will.

Our greens still look good out there. Some that we had not covered even perked up and looked ready to face the day.

It was suggested that I cover the tomatoes that we picked and they would ripen. They have indeed. I am treated to a steady supply of red beauties for my salad or to just plain eat. I am eating more now than I did earlier in the summer when they were on the vine. Those squirrels must have been feasting all along. So the cold weather is helping me in one ironic way. I am eating more of my homegrown tomatoes.

Paula

Cold

Hello,

In spite of the cold, Leroy rode his bike this morning. He did not have on more leg covering than whatever pants he was wearing for work. He did, however, have on a face mask that covers his mouth and nose.

I took a walk this morning. I can admit to being cold when the wind found me. For some reason I have not been walking as much and I have decided to get back at it. One mile was plenty for me today. Saturday in the 60+ temperatures I walked over two miles. Comfort does make a difference to the outcome.

I will adjust to these temperatures, but I hope they stay steady rather than spike up and down so much. Our bodies do not have time to get acclimated. We have over an inch and a half of ice in our rain gauge. Guess it is time to take that inside as it will not acclimate.

The greens that I covered looked good this morning even though I had cut all the bigger leaves last night. I uncovered them because I was not sure that I would remember them later. So perhaps they have frozen now with the exposure.

Miriam tells me that they have a foot of snow on the ground. When they go a bit higher up the mountain to church it is closer to two feet of snow on the ground. Winter is indeed coming. I wish I could walk to work instead of drive there. I have not done much serious winter driving in a long time. Since I have not been working in the past I just simply did not go and waited a day as there were few things I needed just that instant.

I have basil growing in the window in this room. It was in the shade outside in the summer. It looks much better in here. It surprises me when I look at it as usually plants go the other way as they usually prefer the outdoors.

Paula

Learning

Hello,

Sometimes learning comes slowly or takes repeat experiences, but with regard to rain and walking to church we decided it was not a good bet. When we started talking about the issue the rain was light, but just as we were ready to leave the house it came down with enough noise that there was no mistaking its presence. The car it was. Then it was just a question of which one and who would drive. It was “my” car and I drove. That Leroy almost never gets behind the wheel any more. He even remarked, “I hope that the car would quit working so we could get one that is not a shift.”

I did not realize that it bothered him. I do know that he does not like to drive the Saturn because the shift is a bit tricky for some reason. I drive it most of the time so I do not find it so hard.

Because it was still raining after church and a meal out it was great to have the car. There was still enough walking distance that an umbrella was required and my lower legs were a bit damp.

The temperature went down while we were inside. Such changes in the weather cause one to be more on the alert. We still have rutabagas and Swiss chard growing nicely outside. I will pick the Swiss chard if it ever stops raining and maybe even cover it tonight as it is to be quite cold tomorrow morning. I have not grown rutabagas before, but I read that they can tolerate quite a lot of coldness. We ate a rutabaga leaf the other day and it was fine mild flavored. We have not tried the roots yet as it is my understanding that they needed as much growing time as we could allow them. Now they look so very healthy after barely tolerating the summer heat. I wish I had planted some kale at the same time. I remember picking it when there was snow on the ground. It is great to have those fresh greens from outside in the cold. It is almost like I am getting by with something that I should not.

Paula

Battles and Victories

Hello,

I looked out the second story window in the back to see a black head coming around the curve of the tree trunk at my eye level. It quickly retreated only to come back again and reveal that it was a cat with a nice white spot on its chest. My landlord tells me that she believes cats will try to catch squirrels so I looked for a squirrel. Soon a large cawing black crow glided in landing a bit above and to the side of the cat. It fluttered its wings and announced loudly that something was not right. Before long another crow appeared landing on the opposite side, again a little above and to the side. As I watched the third crow joined the group as they almost circled this cat.

I noticed at that point, a squirrel about six feet below the cat. The cat moved fearlessly up the tree out on a thinner wobbly branch as it approached one of the crows. The crow looked for a while and moved off a little. All this time the crows are setting up quite a racket. In the meantime the squirrel inched farther up the tree, but did not really get close to the cat.

It seemed to be a standoff so I picked up my laundry basket and went out doors under them. They all looked at me, but stayed their course. Then I noticed that the cat had come lower in the tree, but there was still no interesting action so I went back to hanging up clothes. Bang! I heard, looked around, and spotted the cat slipping under our gate. Considering the loudness I think that cat had to have dropped from quite a distance.

On the victory side just wanted to let you know that the place Leroy works is going to be featured in a 30 minute documentary on Public TV. “Our documentary is going to premier on IPTV on Monday, Nov. 12 at 9:30 pm, and Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2:30 pm.” They also received a state award for a nonprofit’s outstanding contribution to the community and the state.

Paula

Medicare

Hello,

Well I have now joined the ranks of an older breed of cat. Those on Medicare! Can I really be that old? I am not quite there, but in just a little over a month I will be.

I have been putting off this task for some time. I did visit with an adviser some time ago. They told me I needed to learn if Leroy’s insurance would still carry me. Oh the joys of having a younger spouse who lets me figure out things first. And why wouldn’t this insurance company be glad to have me as a client since I am so cute?

Brian asked, “Don’t you want to admit that you are almost 65?” when I told him that I could not make myself complete the process. There is some truth to that, but I lost steam when it took so long for Leroy to bring home the information from the insurance company. Then too I think I became supper hung up on making a mistake.

After my dentist appointment that was in almost the same area, I thought I would go to the Social Security office and ask questions. I very firmly talked myself out of that and headed home as commanded by my brain.

Finally I begged Leroy to hold my hand and go with me on his comp day this week. That was this morning’s job. We left so that we could do a little shopping in the area, saving gas or trips, and still come up to the door before the office opened. It was great to stand in the sun and visit with the woman ahead of us who was telling that her birth date was recorded incorrectly and there was a great struggle to rectify that. My task was going to be much easier than that.

As it turned out we were the second person in and out first. As that the pleasant woman behind the desk easily answered my questions and told me how to get the job done on line. I did not realize there was so much security at the door of the office. My purse had to be inspected.

I will admit now that I could have done it all alone, but I am grateful for the hand holding Leroy who charged right along spewing confidence along the way.

Paula

Election Day in Ely

Hello,

There were people parked in my favorite parking places at work. A number of cars were lining the street in front of the library as well. I go in the back door and people were standing at the front door. Usually I get myself set up and ready to roll before I open the door, but I unlocked it as it was adults and not a lot of kids who might need immediate attention. I later wished that I had not been so hasty to open the door as it was at least 15 minutes before I had time to hang up my jacket.

Voting takes place in the library meeting room. It has a separate entrance off the lobby. People have easy access to either place. I was so happy to see my co-worker come after an hour as I felt a bit over whelmed. Not only were a lot of people coming in many of them wanted to update their library cards and a couple were new patrons. All of that takes a bit more time to deal with. Before the day was over we signed up several more new patrons and updated many more cards. At least it was easier to get this done with two of us there. In the seven hours we were open we had 151 people come in the library. It was fun, exciting, and tiring. Having a well attended election certainly helped our statistics in the library. It is such great exposure for the library. It affirms our reason for being.

A normal fall weekday has been probably closer to 50 people using the library. Even on some of the busier summer days I do not think I had many more than 100. Many of the new people had not been in the library before and seemed quite impressed with it. I do think it is a good library for a small town. This is a growing town. More people voted than I could imagine.

Paula

More to Election Day

Hello,

There was only one other person at the polls when I arrived and only one other by the time I left. It seemed like a light turnout to me especially when I noticed that Leroy was the only other one who had signed on our page. I know that over all there were many voters who participated. That is a good thing.

On the way home there was now again a light mist. I set off with high hopes of it staying that way or getting better. As I crossed one intersection in this light traffic mid morning, I noticed a guy standing in the street just by the curb mid block. There was something on the ground by him. I realized that he did not move so I stopped and took a closer look. There was a person lying on the ground with feet dangling in the street. As I watched two cars went by and did not stop to ask if help was needed.

“I don’t want to get involved, I forgot my cell phone, but I could go to a building that is close and ask them to call,” I thought.

So I re-crossed the street. Approaching him I noticed that a woman was sitting in her car at the exit of a parking lot. I could also see that the extremely pale, red headed, middle aged appearing woman lying face up on the ground had her eyes closed. She was wearing a light weight jacket and what looked to be lounge or pj bottoms.“Do you need help?” I asked.

“She,” he said pointing at the car, “has called the police. They should be coming soon.”

At that point the woman put down her car window and said, “The police are coming now.”

The man then told me that this woman had been staggering in the street and walking in front of cars. “She must be drunk,” he added.

I held my umbrella over her head, but then realized that would cause any drips from the umbrella to fall on her body. Even trying to help is not simple. I stayed anyway until the police came giving the man moral support, if nothing else, for his willingness to help a stranger.

Drunk could be a diagnosis, but there could also be some other health issue.

Interesting how the first willing helper seems to be in charge or at least I was willing to give him that ability and ownership of the issue.

Paula

Voting

Hello,
When I looked out this morning I saw a glistening street. Upon hearing that, Leroy groaned, “Everything was dry when I looked out.”
At the last minute he checked again, even going outside to learn if there was still rain coming down. There was so he drove. One thing about early morning rains they are best if they come so that he can make an easy decision.
I had planned to vote first thing so that I would know how much else I could get done before leaving for work. Being a morning person I have a big mental list of tasks that I want to get done before I leave the house. Consequently I am generally rushing around checking things off that list.
Today I altered the list a bit as I made granola first thing, hoping the rain would stop before I needed to go vote. Just as the granola and the dishes were done, it appeared to have ceased raining.
I dashed around collecting coat, walking sandals, and back pack so I could stop at the grocery store on the way home. After I had locked the door I wondered if I should get an umbrella. So unlock the door, go upstairs, and find the umbrella before coming back down and relocking the door. Before I got to the front sidewalk I had opened the umbrella against the light mist. A mist that, true to form, became more as I went along. Soon the wind picked up, one point it was enough to blow my umbrellas inside out. I was happy that my coat was below my bottom as my lower legs were getting wet. The rain was more than a mist, but blessedly less than a down pour.
I was not the only walker out there, plus there was one man on a bike. He was not wearing gloves or hat. Tough guy! He had been to the grocery store as his handle bars were weighted down with milk and grocery bags.
Paula

Learning Names

Hello,

At book club today I was determined to get some more names down. The group has changed almost every meeting, not totally changed, but there are often two or three new people or that many people might be gone. Consequently I am having a hard time getting the names. One woman wears her name tag and that helps me a lot. I know that many people do not like to wear nametags, but for us visual learners it is a great crutch. Today I asked the woman sitting next to me her name and then I told her what I remembered of others names. Most I did not have correct, but it was just mixed up with someone else.

The book we discussed today was Secrets of Eden, by Chris Bohjalian. We all thought it was good, but found it difficult to answer the questions that were included. Is it perhaps because there are so many issues in life that have no easy answers?

I also have a hard time learning names of people in choir. Again there are no name tags. I have only heard their names and most of those came to me when the entire choir introduced themselves. That was only 30-40 names. It is too many for my shrinking brain to remember.

I am enjoying all of the wonderful music in this church. The organist is at the top of the heap, but then his wife, the choir director follows and maybe sometimes passes him in excellence.

I also have found the sermons to have an important message in them as well. The pastors are engaging speakers. One downer is that we cannot often attend adult Sunday school because it takes place during one of the services and we are frequently singing then.

Paula

Celebration and Museum

Hello,

In the morning Leroy and I drove to the Ely Library. I know we should have ridden the bikes, but I did not think my ears could handle 26 miles of 40 degrees cold. It was a beautiful day outside. Because we arrived a little early for the ten years in the new building celebration, Leroy took the time and looked for his own books. With varying degrees of success, I have been getting books for him. I was so happy to relinquish the job since he knows which books he has read or which books he might like.

It was so great to visit with a number of old friends. We even found pictures of us and our kids from back in the former days of being a resident of this town. After finding all the books Leroy needed for a few days, 16 books that is, and visiting enough we headed back to Cedar Rapids to the African American museum.

We would recommend this as a destination. We certainly learned about the African American history in Iowa as well as some for all of North America. I was impressed with the number of things that they had available for children to touch, manipulate, and maneuver. If our children want to go somewhere when they visit at Christmas, I will certainly recommend this place. The building is not as majestic and noticeable as the place Leroy works, but it is well worth the time to go there. In fact we got tired and did not really do justice to the last part of it. We will have to go again.

After an afternoon nap Leroy was able to repair his bike, rake the leaves into an auspicious pile, dig up two amaryllis bulbs, and repair my clothes drying rack that had belonged to my mother. That rack is not an antique, but it is old and I use it quite a lot even though I would like a compact folding rack such as we had in Slovakia. I have a dryer here, but I still like to air dry some things.

I did not do as much, but I washed dishes, made bread, and potted two plants.

Paula

Doctor Visit

Some how I did not get this posted on the day I wrote it. So here it is out of order.
November 1, 2012

Hello,

Before I get to that Dr. visit, just a note about the small tight world we live in. I learned that the director of Concert Chorale is a resident of Ely and I had seen him at the library more than once. Afterwards he saw me and finally figured out where he sees me.

In each new place it is so much effort on my part to find a new doctor or dentist or hairdresser, but now all of that is done. Leroy has been to the doctor in this spot already. He chose the closest one within easy walking distance, who was covered by our insurance. There is also a nurse practioner in the office so I chose to visit her. When I called for an appointment I was put on hold for what seemed like a long time. They talked to me for a while learning what I wanted. After which she asked if they could call me back. It took a day to get back to me during which time I wondered if I had made a mistake.

I am pleased with this woman I feel she was very thorough and asked many of the right questions for me. For instance I am going to have a bone scan, but not to back on the meds that give me such pain as there are some other options out there.

Flu and pneumonia shots were suggested, I had planned on the flu shot. They convinced me that pneumonia was important too and insurance would pay for it. In the past I remember being sick from some recent shot flu or tetanus, but they assured me that it would be just sore at the spot. I went to work and about two hours into noticed that it was quite painful to raise my arm. Then I started to feel sluggish. By the time I went home I was dragging. Then later I groaned, moaned, and had Leroy wait on me for a heating pad. Then it occurred to me that I might have a fever. Sure enough, it was 100.6 F. No wonder I was in such distress. After taking asprin I slept fairly well waking with no fever in the morning. However I was still sluggish and my arm was still so painful that my clothes hurt when they touched the spot.

I have more sympathy for children/infants when they get those shots. At least with me I can rationalize it knowing that it is ultimately helping me and not killing me.

Paula

Sore Arm

Hello,

I still have a sore arm, but it is getting better. I hardly thought about it today in spite of not being able to sleep on it last night. I certainly don’t like bumping it and even raising it up high is still a problem. I expect tomorrow it will be perfect.

While I was out shopping the city leaf vacuum came. The only problem was that there was a car parked in front of some of them so they could not reach them. Had I been home, I might have dashed out and moved those leaves to a more accessible spot. Hopefully they will come another week before they say it is all over. I am amazed at how quickly the trees became totally bare.

I did not weigh so much on the scale at the Dr. office. Only 125 pounds fully dressed. I thought I had been losing some weight. I suspect it is because I pack my evening meal twice a week. Generally that meal is not as large as what I would eat at home. I think, if I can remember to do it, I will ramp up my noon meal. It can take such an effort for me to gain weight.

Leroy had me get him some marked down Halloween candy to take to work. In spite of it being an easy way to gain weight, most candy does not appeal to me. I have no real difficulty passing it up.

As a treat for home this week I got blackberries and tangerines. I am certainly looking forward to sharing those with Leroy.

I am happy to be able to still hang out clothes. They have almost completely dried outside. I love that fresh smell when I bring them indoors. Seems to me it brightens up the place.

I was happy to find potting soil on my shopping trip. It pays to look in more than one place as well as ask for help. Now I can pot the impatiens that have finally grown nice roots. I also have some spider or airplane starts that need some soil base. Then there will be the two amaryllis that will need homes around Christmas time. I like to have the blooms later in the year when everything else is done.

Paula

Monday Off

Hello,

Because of working on Saturday, Leroy took Monday off. He certainly got a lot done. In the night I realized that we might hang our under the counter strip light that we had not yet used here, in my clothes closet. It has been very frustrating because, as the days have gotten darker on both ends, I do not see in the closet very well. The room light is in the middle of the bedroom ceiling and does not shine in the closet. I have often gotten a flashlight to shine on darker winter clothes. Sometimes, when I am too lazy to go get the flashlight, I feel the fabric so I make a guess as to what I am extracting before I get it out into the light and realize it is wrong. Leroy put that light up over the inside of the closet door frame where it casts perfect light on everything I want to look at. Luckily there was an outlet outside the door and we had the right length extension cord. Some women may want jewels and other luxuries. My practical luxury is a light in the closet. I am grateful for the gift.

After that Leroy raked the leaves in the front yard to the curb so they could be vacuumed on Wed. The front yard looks good, but today the vacuum has not yet come. I hope we have the schedule right. I do know that I had seen they are running behind. When I look out my windows I see that almost all of the leaves are off the trees. Soon fall will be over and winter will take up residence.

We pulled up the tomato plants. I stripped them of the green and slightly colored fruit. I was disgruntled to see many tomatoes on the ground with bites chewed out of them. My light harvest is explained.

Leroy and I made up a sautéed dish with some of these green tomatoes with the addition of onion, mushrooms, garlic, green peppers and an orange pepper. I cannot remember what herbs we put on it, but served over rice and topped with grated cheese it tasted very good to us. With the rest of the tomatoes we will have to do that again or something close to it as I do not think they will rippen.

Paula

Music Weekend

Hello,

The first experience was to hear Concert Chorale. For fifteen years I sang with and breathed in life and energy from this group. It was great to see some of the people that I used to sing with as well as many new faces. Some of the old faces had names that remained obscure even after I looked at the list of participants. Oh that memory just goes down other roads that are not needed sometimes.
The group was joined by a group from Coe College. They were also very good, but as Leroy commented their voices were not as mature. It was wonderful to be enveloped in music. Leroy even stayed awake for the entire time. I believe it helped that many of the songs were fairly short gospel or spiritual type rather than long classical pieces.

The second experience was one we participated in. It was singing in the choir for a hymn sing at church. We sing special settings of four hymns as well as choir only on verses of some other less familiar hymns. It was great even if we did have to attend two services. The only problem for me was that the readings were too long. Long enough that I lost some of the content, but was able to get much more the second time around.

The last experience was the best. Simon Estes has made it a goal to sing in all 99 counties in Iowa. We have missed him in other counties that we have lived in. He was singing in a town that is, according to the internet, 50 minutes from our house. So it seemed that maybe it was now or never. He was wonderful. Even though he is an opera singer he did only one selection that was from opera. Many of the rest were from musical theater. It was great to have his powerful voice wash over one. No sleeping here. Leroy was again awake the entire time. He made the comment afterwards that on the way over he was bemoaning to himself about making the trip, but declared it well worth it.

An additional bonus for that experience was that we saw a minister friend and his wife. We even spend some extra time with them by going to a restaurant after to get more fully caught up on our families. Blessings abound.

Paula

Gifts on a cold day

Hello,

In spite of the cold it turned out to be a warm day as I took home some gifts from the library. The first was a five gallon bucket with two smaller buckets nestled inside. When gifts come they come in multiples. The second gift was some pictures of six year old Miriam that someone in the community had. What a surprise! I did not remember ever seeing them before although I do remember something about the event. Then the last gift was a bag of the Halloween treats that had not gone to a child. So now I have some pretzels to share with Leroy along with a pencil, a sticker, and a bat that could stick up on the window. I already ate the included fruit snacks.

Another gift was the laughter of the children that I could hear as they listened to and interacted with the magician this morning at the library. I was at the checkout desk so I could not see what happened, but it must have been good. Thirty-five children came so that was great too.

Then I headed off to stores to look for potting soil. No luck in that department. I have spider plants, impatiens, and amaryllis that will all need to find a pot home in the near future. I saw some in the store in my last shopping trip, but did not buy it because I thought it should be cheaper. I may have to go back and pay more than I intended because these plants cannot survive without it.

An additional strong reason for shopping was that I had a gift certificate for a $10 purchase that would expire next week and I did not want to forget about it. A scarf was what I finally got. As I looked around I realized once again that I am not a true shopper. Nothing seemed right so it was difficult to think of this as a positive thing even though I had gift money. I even had a hard time settling on the scarf, but I hoped it would go with some of my clothes. Surely I can make it work.


Paula

In Charge

Hello,

Our landlords are going on a train trip west and we are in charge of making sure everything is ok around here. That is one nice thing about living in a duplex. The home is still occupied when one party is gone. Right now it is hot and the heat has been turned off. They have given us a key so we can regulate the heat. It would also be useful if the wireless router needs to be reset. Apparently that happens quite frequently as in perhaps every two weeks. It is especially important to us to know how to do that because our phone is tied into that system.

Now I feel that I was hasty to put away my summer clothes. I had to do some digging in the back of my closet to find just the right things to wear today.

I believe that Leroy feels he was generous in giving me two inches more closet space, but his is really more accessible. However when the season becomes more settled then I will find it easier.

We can recycle glass if it is out in a separate container. We put some out in a five gallon bucket today. I searched for that valuable bucket after the pickup. I could not find it. I wondered if someone had taken it, but then I got the brilliant idea to look in the recycle bin. Sure enough, there it was, alas it had been smashed. It is a loss because we only have one five gallon bucket now. They are not always so available. In the past we have gotten some because we knew someone who had a source at work. Hopefully we will find a source again.

Paula

Crazy Guy

Hello,

I know for sure that Leroy is a crazy guy. Yesterday it rained briefly before he left for work, but in the break he thought he could make it just for 20 minutes. Well, the rain had other ideas. Leroy reported that about five blocks from home it started pouring. But the eternal optimist thought it would quit soon as it had in the last spate. No such luck this time. He tells me that by the time he got to work he was totally soaked. The rain may not have penetrated his rain jacket, but it came in around the hood and slid all over. His shoes were lead weights of water. He has those extra clothes at work so he was able to change. I did not ask about a towel with which to dry. Also the clothes he was carrying were not dry. Leroy reported, “My bike bags are not waterproof.”

 He was lucky because there is a dryer in the building so he could put all of his clothes in there except for his rain coat, leather gloves, and shoes. His socks were dry when he prepared to come home in the beautiful sunny warm air, however as soon as he put on his shoes they relinquished some water into the socks. All in all it was quite an adventure for him. Today was much dryer and warmer yet. Just not so much excitement.

It is certainly humid. I can tell as my hair is curling up nicely. I wish I could capture some of that for the winter months, especially indoors. We do not really need cold and humid outdoors with the discomfort that brings.

It was so warm yesterday that people came to the library in shorts. It is amazing. Leroy does not want to stop riding and I guess it will be a few more days before that happens. He has talked about walking, but I discourage that as it is three miles one way and that would take quite a lot of his day. I suggested instead that he use the bus as he could walk some on both ends of the trip. I envy him this built in exercise plan.

Paula

Put Away

Hello,

I like to have things put away. Clutter bothers my mind. I can actually live more comfortably with dirt as long as it is my dirt than I can live with clutter. In this smaller space I have packed things away rather tightly so I do not have to see them anymore. Luckily Leroy is mostly anti-clutter as well. He tells me that I have convinced him that it is for the best. He is also great to get rid of things, especially clothes.

We had been using my Mom’s china for everyday because I saw no point in just having it in a box. I have not put it back in a box, but it is in a more inaccessible place in the cupboard because I find that I am tired of using it all of the time. The biggest drawback is that it will not go in the microwave and almost every day I wanted to put it in there. Just in general I was also tired of being so careful with it. Now we are back to using Leroy’s mother’s dishes. It is great.

Leroy has two pair of slippers. One is a slip on that he wears in the warmer weather and the other is more like a loafer that he wears in the colder weather. He could not find those colder weather slippers. Saturday was a big search day. He started in his closet because perhaps it is the smallest and has little room for boxes, but has a large suitcase. It was not there. I insisted we look under the bed in that room, not there. Then we moved on to the computer room closet. We found some interesting things, but no slippers. I was happy to re-arrange some of those boxes to make it more efficient. Then it was moving on to the closet that I use for my clothes. We opened some of the boxes and discovered that we could add more things to them, but no slippers lurked inside. From there we moved on to the closet in the living room. Here we found some things we could add to those other boxes and create some better, tighter storage, but no slippers. Finally Leroy was looking again in his closet on the floor under his clothes and there were his unboxed slippers sitting there peacefully waiting to be spotted.

It was a good job to go through all of those things.

Paula

Treating Ourselves

Hello,

I got treats for Leroy when I was shopping. Just what are treats at our house? The first was apple cider which is actually a treat for me too. Then there were pumpkin bagels. I am not so crazy about bagels if they have all white flour so I only ate half of one. Then I got an eggplant that was wonderful. Plus, some artisan lettuce was reduced in price, but not in quality. What finds! I was quite pleased.

I know that many people are giving up their landline phones. However, Leroy and I got that one that we use over the Internet and think it is wonderful. I have certainly appreciated having it. These days it is amazing the multitude of possibilities of communicating with others. When I was a child it was simply talk to them in person, write a letter, or phone. We certainly did not take lightly the long distance phone call. After all it cost money. Probably more than it does now. Now I can call anyone in the country without thinking about the cost as it is part of the package. What a gift!

Leroy tried to fix an outlet in our computer room. Unfortunately after much fussing around, he finally put it back with the original broken part. In the process of all that fussing we used the phone as an intercom. We can call any of our other handsets with a special button. That way he did not have to climb the stairs quite so many times. The fuse box or circuit breaker is in the basement and it is a number of steps between. So when he wanted to know if the power was off, he simply called me. As it was I was outside some of the time so he still climbed the stairs five to ten times. I say that was good for him.

I must exercise too even though we did our two mile church walk this morning. Blessedly the sun was shining and it was pleasant outside.

Paula

Reading

Hello,

I gathered six children’s books and a little courage to go read to second graders. Even though I often used to read to this age I was not sure I remembered just what was needed. My self talk is more discouraging than is good. Such as would it be too old, too young, or might they have heard it all before and be bored.

When I got to the room about two minutes early they were not quite ready for me. I had forgotten how approachable people are when you are in second grade. Before I could get to reading I was relaxed and at home as child after child came up and wanted to know if someone in the room were my son or daughter. One thought I might be a grandmother. Perhaps it was the girl who told me, “My grandmother has hair like yours.”

“Is it curly?” I wanted to know.

“Yes, but it is stiff and feels funny,” she said.

“Well feel my hair and tell me how it feels,” I said as I bent my head down.

“It feels soft,” she said.

Personally I think that was good.

I read an older book, Strega Nona. When asked, only a couple kids raised their hands as having heard it before. I was pleased as I had hoped that the book age would mean lack of exposure. I believe they were with me all the way. I certainly felt caught up in their anticipation. That book and my introduction of myself took all the time, but the teacher indicated that I might read another. So I choose a non-fiction book about giraffes. They were also solidly locked into that book as well. They learned many interesting facts about giraffes. Children are indeed eager to learn. There is hope for the future.

What a gift these children gave me with their interest, excitement, and attention.

Paula

Working

Hello,

I worked on Saturday afternoon, as my co-worker was leaving at that time; I tried to be on time. Really I try to be at least five minutes ahead of that as I like to touch bases and get up to speed myself.

The first difficulty occurred when I saw the train stopped on the tracks. I immediately turned on to an alternate route. It takes a bit longer, but it could easily beat a stopped train. Then as I was sitting at a stop light the low fuel light and beeper came on. This almost never happens to us. Both Leroy and I are nervous critters when it comes to the idea of running out of gas.

Course there were no gas stations easily accessed from where I now was. I reminded myself that one was supposed to be able to drive maybe 30 miles once the light comes on. But who has tested that out. Certainly not us. I continued on my way onto the interstate using all of my gas conserving skills. Once I turned off of the fast track I decided, late or not, I would have to stop to get gas as I still had at least four miles to go. Would you believe that the gas price was the lowest I have seen for a few days? Later when I figured out the MPG it was 35+. I was pleased with that. When I walked in the library the time was exactly when I should have been there. And my co-worker did not leave immediately so I could have been relaxed. I must remember in the future that pre-event anxiety is not good for me and usually is not necessary.

I do have to make a side note to complain about the squirrels in our yard. I found an almost ripe tomato that had been ¾ eaten. I figure those animals are the culprit. That might explain my limited harvest. Now I keep stepping on the walnuts. Seems to me the squirrels should have plenty of other things to eat besides tomatoes.

Paula

Walking

Hello,

Sunday Leroy and I also walked in the CROP walk for hunger. It should be noted that there were a number of people there, but maybe only about 50 and this is a big city. Course it was rainy and a bit cold. But last weekend was the walk for Breast Cancer and it was marched by 17,000 people. Hunger eradication apparently does not have the pull that cancer eradication does. Perhaps too many people who could support such a thing do not know someone who is hungry? Cancer is indiscriminate and permeates all class levels.

Someone asked us if this was our first CROP walk. Leroy figures that he has walked for more than 20 years. He was instrumental in starting the walk in Ely. He was bothered by how few people participated and he felt that people did not want to come to CR to join so he worked with three other churches and created a walk in that area. I wonder how much money has been raised over time. I think it is still a well supported walk.

We searched and found our ponchos before the walk. When you move a lot, seldom used items are always a search. I also wore a warm scarf and gloves along with my jacket. Leroy did not think of such things, but luckily we have a baseball cap in the car so he was able to get a little warmer head. We were all happy that the rain stopped just before the walk was to begin. It was only 5K which seemed incredible short compared to the ten miles we originally walked years ago.

Paula

Rain

Hello,

From talking about how dry it is I feel now that we have enough rain. The rain gauge had over two inches in it. I cannot remember the last time I have seen that much rain. What a difference!

I was a bit disappointed that it came on Sunday. Leroy and I walked to church wearing rain coats and carrying umbrellas. It was a nice walk. However coming home was a different story. There was more rain with a wind behind it. “Should we call a taxi?” I wondered. Cheap Leroy rejected that idea. But if he had said yes would I have agreed. Who is the cheapest cat?

“If someone offered us a ride, I would accept,” I stated firmly as I held my umbrella to block as much wind as I could.

“I would agree,” Leroy assured me.

However no one offered a ride until we were about two blocks from church and getting wetter by the second. Luckily a lovely friendly woman from church pulled into a drive in front of us and opened her car door. “I insist you get in,” she stated, "You will be soaked by the time you get home.”

She did not have to beg, we hopped in with all speed. “I feel less guilty now for driving all over,” she said as she drove along.

It is good to know too that she was really on her way home when she goes past out house. It helps us to feel that we did not inconvenience her so very much. Blessing abound.

Paula

Green in, Green out

Hello,

Leroy actually took a plant to work this morning. I am trying to remember if he has done that in the past or not. So now I have seven plants in other places. I will still bring in the two amaryllis bulbs later. I like to let them get very cold before putting them inside. I do not have a cool place here to keep them so will let the outdoors be that cool place for a bit longer. I also took some slips from the impatiens and they have not done well. They look quite dead. At least I can yet try again as the outside plants are still alive.

We are still eating tomatoes grown on the vine outside the house and I have five peppers out there that are growing by millimeters. If I see that it will freeze I will pick them, but not until then. Surely it does not hurt to eat a green green pepper. We also have Swiss chard that is starting to look quite fine. Then there are the rutabagas that can handle much colder temps. It also helps that the bulbs underground are what we will eat.

Leroy slept so very well last night and headed off to work with a bit of a bounce in his step. I did not sleep sa well as I had a coughing fit in the night, but my day has been good.

Yesterday, Leroy’s boss returned from Bratislava and Prague. Leroy was happy to hear her speak so positively about her experience in Bratislava. She sounds very inclined to put some more emphasis on the crafts of Slovakians. We have been a little disappointed that the slant of the museum is so related to the Czech people. Course it makes sense since the settlers in this area were from there originally.

I think it would wonderful if Leroy would get the opportunity to go to those wonderful cities and have the museum pay for the trip.

Paula