Fly Away

Hello,

Leroy and I are flying away to Utah in just two hours. Rather we get on the bus in an hour and a half. Looking forward to seeing some of the family again.

Last night when I came home, long faced Leroy very seriously said, “I need to talk to you. Starting January 1 my job will be just half time. Besides that, health insurance will be eliminated in February. My coworker will also be half time. ”

The situation will not be as serious for her as her husband has a good job and her insurance is covered through his job.

We are starting on that old path again. What to do next?  Leroy is looking at library jobs and church jobs. My salary pays the rent and utilities, but that is all. I am now sorry that I did not apply for a job at the Cedar Rapids library that is also only half time, however, it pays much more than what I am paid now plus I would not have far to go to get to work and I could ride my bike or use the bus. One of the hazards of liking a job is not grabbing at improvements.

God wants us to trust him and not jobs or situations. Why are we being brought to the edge once again? I am going back to living in the moment or trying to. Guess I have more to learn about the trust and not worry part of life. It will come. Thank you God for the care we have had and continue to have.

Paula

More Snow

Hello,

Again I noticed that it was quite light in the apartment when I went to the bathroom in the night. I thought, “Surely it has not snowed again.”

Leroy looked outside almost immediately when he woke and announced, “It snowed again and it looks like more this time.”

The sidewalks were indeed coated even though blades of grass could be seen poking through on the lawn. It has been so much colder so not much melted when it touched down. Instead of a morning walk I swept and Leroy shoveled. I am grateful for a broom that works well on cement and the wood floor of the deck. We are also blessed with excessive shovels so picking and choosing is possible.

Now three hours later the sidewalk is once again covered. I will try to get the way to the garage cleaned before I walk on it. Seems to me slippery is kept at bay if I clear first.

Leroy, who rode the bus this morning, called to tell me that it was a bit late. We plan to take the bus to the airport tomorrow. I asked what will happen if our bus is late. Leroy told me that the other buses were there waiting for that one to come in so people could transfer. It will be fine. He also told me that people who use the interstate said it was not good and traffic was very slow. I figure that by the time I leave for work the interstate will be fine, but I am concerned about the Ely blacktop which seems to be the last to be cleared. There will have been 100’s of cars driving on it and packing it down making it resemble a bumpy skating rink. I am trying to focus on the moment and let the future take care of its self. I will leave a bit early so I can go slower and still arrive on time.

It is very beautiful. I do like snow and I am not ready to be in a place where it does not come.

Paula

Joy in the Morning

Hello,

The sun is streaming in the window and the color satisfies my soul. Leroy and I went to church last night thus giving us a feeling of disorientation this morning. Looking at this beauty settles me and helps gratitude to fill me. Isn’t that what worship is to be about?

We did take a short walk this morning in the five degrees with no wind so it did not feel as bad as it did last night when the temperature was higher, but then a wind blew into our faces much of the way.

Waffles with fresh applesauce were the breakfast fare. The applesauce took longer than I planned to take so I had to use the microwave to get it finished on time. I do not take off the peels, consequently we had some large chucks of peel. That does not bother me as my goal is health and not looks or texture. Love these organic or almost organic apples that hardly have a worm in them. Actually I have yet to see a worm.

Leroy has been working on his Sunday School lesson for the Sunday we return from Utah. I have been reading magazines. At the library, I delete the magazines that are older, but usually only about six months old. Before I delete them I decided to check them out one last time because some of them do look interesting. I have learned a lot that I did not know before. Especially in Scientific American, The Atlantic Monthly, The Smithsonian, and Acres. If I could just keep the knowledge in my head for the rest of my life I would be one smart woman. As it is most of the information is just passing through and entertaining me as it goes.

Paula

I have inserted a photo of my shamrock, primrose, and small 88 cent poinsettia from Wal-mart. Such joy in such small packages.

Bad Start?

Hello,

We slept until after 6, surprising, but not a bad start to the day. Although because of that I did not go out and take my usual short walk to let the day know I am coming.

After my shower I opened the medicine cabinet to find my cleanser which is in a container that is stored with the top down had flowed over a good portion of the shelf it is on and continued to ooze down the side and onto the bottom shelf. At that moment I decided I could not deal with it until after breakfast.

Then after breakfast we called Logan who had sent us a postcard. We had a nice chat with him, his sister, and his dad. His mom might have been in bed yet. So it is not all bad there is good to be treasured.

The phone rang once more and the line was loaded with the voice of those Utah girls wanted to know what we would like for Thanksgiving dinner. Again we had a nice conversation. Their dad is in Dubai so we have no idea if he is awake or asleep or just a zombie.

After that Leroy stared looking for his email confirming our ticket purchase for the Utah trip. It was not to be found in his in box. Apparently he checked the airline flyer miles web site and found no mention of it there either. Then he tried unsuccessfully to access the credit card account to learn if it had been charged. I was able to get into the account, but did not see the flights, while my stomach dropped to my knees and adrenaline flowed, I tried not to feel too upset. “It is not an accident it is just unhappiness if we do not go, terrible sadness. I still have all my body parts and my family is ok.”

Our friend from Slovakia called while Leroy was on the computer but I could not handle talking casually right then so we did not answer. Oops, feeling a bit guilty about that.

Leroy kept looking around on the computer for some answers and he finally found that we had indeed paid for these tickets and I had just missed that in the account. He then called the airline to learn flight confirmation and copied that information down.

We are going and at the times we had thought. Such upset for something that was not real.

Life will get better and more organized, right?

Paula

Today's amazing things

Hello,

I opened my eyes to more light than usual coming through the blinds. “It must have snowed,” I thought as I just lay there waiting for Leroy to wake.

When I opened the door in preparation for heading out for my walk I saw it had indeed snowed. I was pleased as I always like the first snow I see, especially when I am not going to be driving to work at some early hour. On my walk I greeted a neighbor who lives on the street behind us. I gave him the gift of a smile and hopes for a great day.

Later in the morning I was sitting at the kitchen table when I happened to look out and see a squirrel making its way, tail first down the rather large tree next door. At one point the trunk curved away from it. This squirrel just let go with its hind feet as its lower body swung back and forth before it grabbed once again with the back legs and proceeded down the tree.

I walked to the local grocery, bought my items, and went home only to realize that I still had my store coupon stuck in my pocket. Looking over the receipt I saw that the coupon amount had been subtracted so I did not need to go back. Instead I could head off to the garden to harvest more broccoli leaves and kale. It is obviously not growing much, but brushing bits of snow aside, I got a nice amount for supper.

While there a man came walking through the area. I told him that I had been picking greens and welcomed him to pick some as well. He told me that it was to get very cold in the next two days. I then urged him to take everything I had left as this will be the end. We then walked part of the way home before he veered off in another direction. Nice to greet another neighbor. Again I gave that gift of a smile and my attention. I believe that blesses the neighborhood.

I had my stocking cap on with my hood up. This guy had on a worn leather jacket with no hood and no hat. He also had bare hands. He told me he was trying to adjust to the weather. I hope it is not lack of funds which keeps him dressed so lightly.

Paula

Changes

Hello,

Just when I think things have settled into a groove, perhaps a rut, something changes. I really thought we would not be adding many new patrons to our supply at work. Last night/yesterday I think there about five people or families came in for library cards. It seems that frequently people have lived in town for a year before they come to the library. Three of those new people were single men in their 20’s who had just moved to town. What a deal! They all perused the collection carefully and found some books to check out. Shoots down my idea that younger people, especially guys, are not reading very much. I am glad for that to happen.

The abandoned house across the street was demolished yesterday by the city. The general neighborhood feeling is that it will improve the neighborhood. The house was getting so unsafe that the inspector said he did not want to go in it. A large machine with a bucket on a crane attacked it and finished the job this morning.

The neighborhood will look different now. Another neighbor across the street said that raccoons and cats were living in that space. I wonder where they will end up creating a new home. I have not seen a raccoon since we have been here, perhaps they used the back door of that house which I could not see. I do see cats from time to time including one that is surely someone’s pet. At least it was happy to rub against my leg, arch against my hand for petting, and purr loudly.

Leroy road the bike to work today, but he might ride the bus home if it is still raining when he is done. He will leave his bike in the garage at work and ride it home tomorrow.

Paula

Leroy at home

Hello,

Leroy misses me in the evenings as I work on Monday and Tuesday nights. However, when I came home last night he was talking on the phone to son Brian. Later he told me that he had a video chat with the “girls” in DC. They had expected me to be home too. Two year old Natalie wanted to know where I was because she missed me. How sweet to be missed. Is that the biggest declaration of affection that can be made? To be special enough in someone’s life that they miss you when you are not there?

Leroy also watches a particular TV program on Monday nights. It is the only night the TV is turned on, on a regular basis. He learned last night that the program has been moved to Friday evening. So he was a bit out of sorts about that. I have learned that a certain age of young person does not watch much TV because they want to watch when they want to watch so they use their computers. Leroy apparently would agree with that group.

I also learned that the younger crowd does not use email or Facebook much, preferring to text. They also are not buying cars or maybe even learning to drive as they, if given the choice, will take public transportation because they can use their portable electronic devices and text to their hearts content. We did notice in DC on the Metro that we were some of the few who were not using some type of device. There is even a lot of walking and using. The world is changing. I thought I was almost keeping up, but forget that.

The other social media sites do not really appeal to me. I really do not want to spend much more time at the computer, ignoring life around me.

Paula

Sunshine

Hello,

I love sunshine, at least today. In the computer room it is shinning in on the blooming shamrock and the blooming primrose. As my mother, when she would hear the chickens singing, used to say, “The chickens and I like the sun.” It certainly lifts the spirits.

Even the impatiens that I have in the pots are starting to look as if life is worth another try. I am pleased. Soon they will also start blooming and adding to the beauty of my life.

The Clivia is growing seeds. There are five larger seeds and three smaller. I would be happy to send them to anyone who might like to try growing this interesting plant that blooms infrequently, but spectacularly.

My peace lily survives but seldom blooms. It must not be in the right place for happiness. What to do?

In our spiritual class at church we were given some marigold seeds which have sprouted and grown, but certainly not flourished. I am not sure that I want to repot because I am thinking that Leroy’s sinuses would not be happy to have them bloom in the house. I have trouble throwing out a living thing so at the moment they are just existing. I did let the two poinsettias freeze, but I felt cruel and mean, however where would I have put them, especially since I have never been able to reproduce the color in a poinsettia?

Without counting the marigolds, I have 16 plants in my house adding joy to my life. Then there are five of my plants in the Ely library and four at the school library. I am blessed indeed.

Paula

Blustery Day

Hello,

The discussion started when we got up; walk to church or drive to church. As we closed in on the time it looked less rainy so we put on our walking shoes, picked up umbrellas, put on rain coats and headed out the door. It was great to be out as the temperature was fine and the clouds were high. In the course of the walk a band of lower grey clouds moved in, but all was fine. Walking out the door of the church on the way to the church celebration dinner we noticed that the wind was blustery and it felt cold. Leroy lamented his lack of a protective hat and gloves. I had thin gloves and a hood on my rain jacket. Hoods are one of my favorite pieces of equipment. I felt quite snug and protected as I pulled it up over my head. We made it the four blocks to the appointed without rain.

The dinner was quite enjoyable as we visited with old friends, and new acquaintances. Always great to settle in with good relationships and to add new a few at a time.

On the way out the door we noticed it seemed wetter and even windier. Perhaps for the first half mile we did not put up our umbrellas. Leroy found that it indeed protected his ears when he pointed his monster umbrellas into the wind. We are well supplied with help when we need it. Luckily the rain did not become a torrent or we might have been miserable. I was happy to get to the warmth when we arrived at home.

Now have made granola even though I try not to work on Sunday, but there is a pleasant aroma filling the air as well as extra warmth in the kitchen. Besides, we did not have enough granola for tomorrow since I had given away a bit of the last batch. Blessings, blessings!

Paula 

Nice Day

Hello,

As is so often the case after the first cold snap it warms up nicely. Today was a gorgeous day. I delivered most of the rest of the neighborhood newsletters. It was an enjoyable walk in spite of two fierce little dogs guarding one of the largest houses that I stop at. I decided they were more bark than bite and that has proven to be the case, but they do not like it when I come up their sidewalk. I left some papers for Leroy to finish tomorrow. They are the farthest away, but it is only one block and the ends to that block. I suppose I did ¾ of the total.

I work tomorrow and then will attend a baby shower after work so it will be a long day. On Thursday I worked nine hours. That was a long day, but not a hard day as there were no serious problems that needed attention.

We will go to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving. Because Andy is to be gone most of the time until Christmas, Miriam would like me to stay longer. That would have been so possible had I not been working. One of my co-workers has resigned so we are short handed and I do not feel comfortable taking any more time off, although I suppose I could ask about it. It creates a conflict of wanting to be responsible to both work and children.

If my children lived closer I could help on many of my days off. But that is not the way life is.

I stopped at Goodwill looking for some game parts for a craft at work. I was blessed to find a pair of skinny jeans that fit me quite nicely and they were half off their low price. I am pleased. I think I look quite fine in them. Now the question is which of the other four jeans should I eliminate? The ones that Miriam says are too short and I should not appear in public wearing? The old ones I wear around the house? The ones that are a little tight? The ones that are little too big?

Paula

Cleaned Pan

Hello,

Even though it was not on my list I got the pan clean. It was that one that I seriously burned apples into the bottom of. Leroy had worked at least three times on it and not gotten so much evidence eliminated. Several days ago I decided that nothing more was coming off and I boiled pasta in it. As I was getting the pasta out I scraped the bottom and a strip of brown stuff came up. I then attacked the entire pan with a spoon and got up 90% of what was left. Leroy washed it out. I used it again today to make some more applesauce. When I was done, I again attacked with a spoon. It is now graced with just small faint flecks of brown. I am so happy to have my favorite pan back. Who knew that we needed to beat it with a spoon?

I went out this afternoon and delivered about 1/3 of the neighborhood newsletters. I feel happy to have gotten them done, but I could not convince myself to do any more. I will try to go out again on Friday. I bundled up quite well and by the time I was done, I was getting warm.

We still have some dried soybeans that need to be hulled. I will be pleased when that job is finished. It would be nice if I had some way to throw them up in the air and let the wind carry away the dust that is on them. Throwing them in the air is not the problem, catching them is the issue. When finished hulling, I will use a strainer and then wash them before I store them.

I finally caught up on recording our expenses for the last three months. We did not spend much on food, thanks to the garden, but we certainly spent a lot on airfare. Just so grateful that we can do that. Twenty years ago I would not have thought that I could have spent so much time in a plane.

Paula

A Day Off

Hello,

I have a day off because I am working Saturday. I did not just sit around all day, but I tried consciously to move slower and be present in the moment.

I even made an appointment for a yearly health checkup. I would like to just ignore such things, but it is probably not good for my well being. I suspect one of the larger issues will be my bone health.

All of the greens that we picked on Sunday are now in the freezer, in the crisper drawer, or in our stomachs. We both suspect the greens did not survive the 14 degrees this morning. I am so happy that we stopped and picked many of them while they were still so delightful.

I had planned to deliver the neighborhood newsletter, but I will put that off until tomorrow. Because it takes me a bit of time to get that done, I expect to do some on Friday and the rest on Sunday. It is nice to be out and about in the neighborhood. Last Saturday Leroy and I visited with another woman that we had not previously met. I like it when people are outside as we are walking around. It is so much easier than going up to someone’s house and introducing ourselves.

Leroy rode the bus again this morning. He has lost his bus pass, so has been using mine. He tells me that he will buy another today. He plans to walk the three miles home, with a stop for a meeting at church. That makes a nice break for him if he is cold.

Leroy tells me that the people on the bus appear to be either elderly or perhaps poor. I suppose that is a big reason why public transportation has such a difficult time; it is not backed by the rich and powerful who have alternative options. I know, I know, population density also is a big factor. What are the answers to these issues?

Paula

Leroy at home

Hello,

Leroy is at home and I am having trouble remembering that I must go to work at 1:00. I have made granola because we were out. No granola is almost a crisis situation at our house. Then I plan, with Leroy’s help to make an apple crisp. It is great to have the oven run on this cool day. The kitchen warms up nicely when I open the door to stir the granola.

It is to get colder as the day goes on. There is also the chance of rain. Leroy headed off to the community garden as early as he could get out of the house. He tells me that it is mostly cleaned up of  vines, etc. Now all that is left of what we planted is the broccoli and kale. We are hoping that it will survive the predicted freeze. Next year we are to head up the garden committee. We must be staying.

I am taking back a gift from my landlady. I gave her some primrose last spring. Those flowers spent a nice summer on her deck. Mine did not fare so well in the ground. I dug up the surviving two of mine to take them back inside when she told me that she was not going to keep many plants over the winter. If I wanted the one primrose the squirrels left alone, I could have it back. It is already sending up a beautiful yellow bud stalk. I am pleased. I have taken in impatiens twice now, but they do not look so very happy, instead they are limp and droopy. Our Ely garden host gave me a shamrock from his supply and it is flourishing nicely. There is color and blooms in my life.

Leroy is teaching Sunday school in December. He has found some of the files he was looking for, but only half of them. Did I urge him to get rid of too many papers? And he followed my urges?

He is going to try to get that class together this afternoon while I am gone. He will be undisturbed.

Paula

Garden

Hello,

Leroy and I went to the concert this afternoon. It was a trio that included piano, violin, and cello. Leroy only slept a little. He commented that he was tired before it started so he took a small nap in the first part. He tells me he was awake after that. I did not check on him but decided to ignore his state of consciousness. We thought the trio was quite good. They certainly played with fire.

On the way home from the concert we stopped at the garden picking a few random small broccoli flowerets and many broccoli leaves which I hope to freeze tomorrow. It is fun to pick broccoli now that the worms are not in the picture. The new growth leaves are also very nice. We did pick a few Swiss chard leaves, but there were not so many to be found. I am pleased that we can still find edibles in the garden on November 10. In the next couple days we are to get some hard freezes so I do not expect much more.

Leroy is planning to go back to the garden tomorrow because he is taking the day off. He will clean it up some more. As he says there is not so much left to do there. It seems to me the vines that are left are already shrinking as they decompose. We have been blessed by this garden.

I planted some radishes by the house and they look quite fine, but I am not sure they will be large enough to eat before there is too much cold.

We ate a squash from the garden for supper and there are three pumpkins on the attic steps waiting for the right time for us to cut into them. They are not the usual type of pumpkin so I am hoping they will be good to eat.

Paula

Introversion

Hello,

 This morning there was a breakfast for the women of the church. I could think of one hundred reasons why I did not want go even though I had put it on the calendar as a reminder. When I had seriously settled into the idea of not going it was mentioned at a study we were at on Thursday evening. At that meeting someone offered us tickets to a concert as she was not sure she could make it. We said yes to the concert. Yesterday she called and told me that the concert tickets were ours and she could give them to me at the breakfast. So I decided to go, but then spent much of the rest of the day fussing in my mind. Questions were: what would I wear, Would I find anyone to talk to, what shoes should I wear to walk in and then to be at the breakfast, who would I know there, what to take as a dish for the potluck, would anyone want to talk to me, and what to put the food in. The person who was giving me the tickets told me she would save a seat for me if she arrived first, so I did not have to worry about who to sit with.

I dressed more casually than not, put the fruit mixture in a ordinary looking bowl that had a good sealable cover so it would not spill in my backpack, and packed a change of shoes. When I got there I found people in variety of dress from casual to dressed up. Bowls were also quite varied and there was a great amount of food for all food groups. I even found that I knew quite a few of the people there even though most of them were familiar faces whose names were buried somewhere in the back of my brain.

It is so hard for me to go to groups where I do not really know people well, but usually it is just fine. So why do I consistently bother fussing ahead of time. It seems I am a slow learner.

Paula

The List

Hello,

Because I do not work today, right after Leroy left, I made my usual to do list. There is such satisfaction in crossing off items so I feel that I have accomplished something. Instead of working on items on  the list I saw dust on a stand in the living room. When I got out the swishy duster it seemed that more and more dust exposed itself. From there I tackled almost everything in the apartment. After dusting like that I needed to vacuum. After all, where does the dust go? I really do not see so much clinging to this duster so it must be in the air or on the floor. Besides I had not vacuumed in a few days. So what is the solution for my great list? After I finished the dusting and vacuuming I wrote them on the last and then crossed them off.

The list is looking quite fine because I did not have such time consuming items on it. Make the bed, make lunch, eat lunch, wash dishes, and brush teeth would happen no matter what else happened. It looks like a very productive day when I look at all of the things crossed off my list.

If I had had a list at work yesterday afternoon/evening I would not have been able to cross off many things. It was Election Day. The polling place is in the library meeting room. Because it was not a major election I felt there would not be such an increase in library business. I was alone and in the seven hours that I worked I dealt with 90 people. Two people wanted library cards while one person needed to have their card updated. I only mention that because they take more time than just checking out books. Then there were at least four patrons who were on a search for books that were specific, but they did not know the name or it was on a specific subject. I should have made a list that had help people, get new cards, say hello, and check out books. Lots would have been crossed off.

Paula

Clarification

Hello,

This is just a short note as I get ready to vote and go to work. I had planned to walk to vote but only made it two blocks before I felt sprinkles. Since it is a mile away I turned around and came back home much disappointed as I had been anticipating a pleasant walk. I am voting, but I do not know much about many of the candidates, sigh, such uninformed voters is not good for the world, but somehow I did not do my home work. Should I choose the nicest sounding name?

I also want to clarify that I did not go back to DC, but just related some of the experiences that we had while there. Somehow it is difficult to write about every interesting thing at the time that it is happening.

Something I believe I did not relate is that we watched their robotic vacuum work. On the second day we heard this motor running in the kitchen without a clue what it was. Stephen had pointed out his new toy so we were not unfamiliar with the appearance. Leroy soon figured out that it was the vacuum doing its job. It was fun to watch it move, bump something, and spin around. There goes the sweepers job.

Paula

In DC

Hello,

Just one last story about DC. We went to a church close to the White House as that would put us in the right territory for our garden tour. As we exited the church the secret service moved in to “sweep the building”. We had a little refreshment after church. Walking back towards the White House to go on that tour we found the street in front of the church blocked. Stephen speculated that Obama was going to attend the later service. We hung around for some time watching as those wanting to participate in the later service went through some security. None of us wanted so badly to see who it was that we were willing to again go to church so we waited and watched as three SUVs drove up and circled around. After a bit a limo did come up, but no one ever got out of it. We wonder if they also stopped at a side door and that is where they entered the building.

I am certainly not skilled at seeing presidents in person.  The closest I have come was in Slovakia. Bush gave a speech there, but I was far enough away that I could not make identification with my eyes and was only able to see him on a screen. It seems to me this hardly qualifies as “seeing” him. Good thing that does not matter much to me.

Tuesday, the 22^nd of October Leroy and I flew into EDT causing us to eat early and go to bed early. Rising time was about what we were used to. On Monday the 29^th of October we flew back to Iowa and CDT meaning that once again we wanted to eat at another time. We still went to bed a bit early. On the 3^rd of November we have once again changed eating and sleeping times as it is now CST. Seems to me we could have planned this a little more efficiently. Oops, I forgot, Sarah did some more drastic changes and I should not even notice an hour swing forward, back, and back. We have both sensed some alternate rhythm to our lives and movements. But we can deal with it. In a week it will be normal, right?

Paula

Back in DC

Hello,

Back in DC we had a nice time even if not quite as exciting as the trip home. Each day we walked Lexi to school. I find that to be a pleasant walk even if she is very concerned about getting there on time. On the walk home many things attracted this girl’s attention, flowers, bugs, people, and beautiful leaves. The leaves were so pretty that we carried quite a few home putting them under the pumpkins on the front stoop. One of these pumpkins they even grew. It was quite bumpy and nice especially sitting on its nest of red maple leaves.

Most days we, or perhaps just Leroy, picked up Natalie. We took her sometimes, but other days Stephen dropped her off on the way to the Metro. All in all it was great to spend time getting to know these girls.

On Saturday a house boat tour was on the docket. These are boats of various sizes that people live on instead of owning a home in town. Many of them commented on the community and how much they liked that. These people have downsized although some did have more things in a storage facility. I could certainly take lessons from them.

Before the boats we got to see Stephen’s new office at Bread for the World. They have a great view of the city from the 12th floor.

At lunch we met Sarah just back from her trip to South Africa. She looked quite fine even though she said, “There was so much turbulence most of the way home that it bothered me.” I thought she was awake and alert for going from time zone to time zone.

Paula

On Saturday in DC

Hello,

We had lunch at the Native American Museum. It was an interesting place to eat. Many or maybe all of the food is from the Native American cultures, both south and north. I had some Quinoa with cauliflower. I found it to be tasty, but I am not sure where the cauliflower was as I never saw it.

The Padres went home while Leroy and I stayed and toured the museum. It was recommended that we start with the theater presentation on the fourth floor. We sat in a circle and there were three projections of separate, but related movies to watch. It was well done. Things above were in the sky and sometimes there were shadows on the lowest level that were perhaps an eagle flying overhead. The film lasted about 20 minutes.

After that we perused the exhibits on that floor. It took quite a while causing even Leroy to stop reading so many things. We also looked at most of the next floor down. By that time we were tired and felt that we could not absorb any more. I would also recommend this museum to anyone who has time while in DC.

After we asked which side of the building we should exit, we found the Metro stop without further difficulty. It is an easy walk. I am not really a big city dweller, but I do like the availability of good public transportation. I also find it interesting that anyone we have asked for help in this city is very accommodating to us. Maybe that is because it is such a tourist spot and they learn how to notice that someone could use some help.

Paula

Back in DC

Hello,

Back in DC we had a nice time even if not quite as exciting as the trip home. Each day we walked Lexi to school. I find that to be a pleasant walk even if she is very concerned about getting there on time. On the walk home many things attracted this girl’s attention, flowers, bugs, people, and beautiful leaves. The leaves were so pretty that we carried quite a few home putting them under the pumpkins on the front stoop. One of these pumpkins they even grew. It was quite bumpy and nice especially sitting on its nest of red maple leaves.

Most days we, or perhaps just Leroy, picked up Natalie. We took her sometimes, but other days Stephen dropped her off on the way to the Metro. All in all it was great to spend time getting to know these girls.

On Saturday a house boat tour was on the docket. These are boats of various sizes that people live on instead of owning a home in town. Many of them commented on the community and how much they liked that. These people have downsized although some did have more things in a storage facility. I could certainly take lessons from them.

Before the boats we got to see Stephen’s new office at Bread for the World. They have a great view of the city from the 12th floor.

At lunch we met Sarah just back from her trip to South Africa. She looked quite fine even though she said, “There was so much turbulence most of the way home that it bothered me.” I thought she was awake and alert for going from time zone to time zone.

Paula

Long Day

Hello,

I had been thinking that I left Detroit at 2:30, but it was really 3:40. Even with the time zone change I did not have so very much time to get home and then go to work. We had planned on using the buses, but I would have just missed it so once again I called our landlady and “begged” for a ride. She said that we have done so much for them that she was happy to return a favor.

Just fifteen minutes before my co-worker had to leave; I arrived to take on library duty. It was great to be there. Somehow it seemed that I had been away longer than a week.

My work was over at 8:00, but Leroy’s plane would not land until 8:50. Because the airport is on the way home, I stayed at the library and looked at my personal email, Facebook, etc. I pulled into the cell phone lot to find that I was the only one there. By 9:00 one other car showed up and about five minutes later Leroy called me. Other people were waiting, but they just parked in front of the building.

This flight was not full with a only bit more than half of the seats taken. Leroy said that the voucher for the evening meal was bigger than the one he had gotten for lunch. He was able to spend it all and feel satisfied with what he got.

He tells me that he was lonely after I left. I unfortunately took one of the magazines with me as I had it in hand. So he was soon out of reading material. Walking is not so easy when he had to carry his bag with him, but he managed.

It was a long day as we had gotten up at 4:00 am EDT and the day was over at 10:00 pm CDT. But all in all it was not a bad day, after all, we earned more money than we have ever done before in one day. Now can we make that best use of those airfare vouchers? I certainly hope so. Miriam tells us that we can spend all the money if we take enough trips, but Leroy cannot put his two vouchers together on any trip.

Paula