Good things

Hello,

Last night we were invited out to eat with friends. I think I talked too much, but other than that it was a good time. I even believe I might have repeated a story or two that I had told in the past. Oh, dear, that repeating story sign of aging is creeping in. Brian, however, would tell you that it settled in a long time ago and never left. Leroy and I both enjoyed this time of visiting.

Today I managed to walk 3.5 miles. It is so wonderful that the sun was shining and it was a bit warmer. So many people were out working on the lawns, flower beds, or other outside household chores. It was great to greet all of these people. One other reason to be out walking was that I had gotten some groceries in the morning only to learn when I got home that I had not been charged for some cheese. I walked back to the store to pay for it. They were surprised and pleased that I had come back to correct that oversight. It almost felt like a good deed because of its rarity.

Since the company did not want it back, Leroy decided to take apart the water kettle that had stopped working. This non mechanical genius decided to cut apart some wires and put it back together. On the test it performed wonderfully well. The second time was good too. We are not getting overly optimistic but we think it is healed for the moment even though Leroy has no idea what the wires were supposed to do. His intuition told him to cut them.

Yesterday I told Miriam that I would like to come for her graduation in May. This child lets no grass grow under her feet. She worked out a plan. We have canceled my return flight in July. At that time Miriam, her two daughters, and I will drive back to Iowa. That trip fits in with other plans she had. I think I am to help with the children on this 1200 mile drive. We have also talked about stopping in Missouri Valley where she was born so she can see her birth town. She does not remember it at all since we left when she was four years and one month old. The cancelled flight credit allows me to get a very cheap flight out the last week in April and first in May. Who would have thought this could happen?

Paula

Not Moving

Hello,

Leroy and I will be staying in Cedar Rapids for another year, maybe longer. Leroy is not sure how long he will work now before the pastor decides she is able to come back to work. She has given a letter of resignation to the congregation and is retiring at the end of June. At time Leroy will be hired as a half time interim visitation pastor. He will work about 20 hours for the church while continuing his 15 hours for the museum. It is expected that the church job will last for at least a year while they look for an additional pastor. I am amazed because I kept saying that Leroy would like a half time church job and a half time library job, I had no clue how such a thing could happen. It is now his job with a foot in both worlds. How did that happen? You know if he had not lost half of his job at the museum it would probably not have materialized. Things fall into place in the most amazing ways.

Now one of my goals will be to not accumulate things. A longer stay has a tendency to lead to that possibility. A loaming move causes me to question all purchases in the light of weight and do we really need it.

One purchase I will make is a new water kettle. Ours died. Leroy and I both like them so the search is on. It was under warranty consequently money will be refunded. I would have liked it if they replaced, but there is the right water kettle out there waiting for me.

Leroy does move around a lot without dragging the whole house with him. Yesterday he walked a total of eight miles. I talked him into riding his bike this morning even though it was cold. He was stopping at the church on the way to work so I thought that would give him a chance to warm up before heading out for the last two miles. It is to be much warmer this evening when he comes home.

Paula

Life as Usual

Hello,

In spite of the thin layer of ice with a bit of snow on top, Leroy walked to work today. He had planned to ride the bike, but after shoveling off the sidewalk and discovering the under layer of ice, he thought walking was the better course.

I confess to urging him to walk or ride, but this morning I kept interjecting, “You could even drive.” A comment that he handily ignored.

He is at the church in the morning so that is only a mile, but from there he walks to the museum which is another two miles. After working all afternoon he will come home, a three mile walk. Later he will go back to church for a meeting. I will not be home so I can have no influence on his walking or driving decision. Oh I know the exercise is good, but this seems like a lot of walking especially because it is quite windy and cold today. But Leroy is tough, right? Who could guess by looking at him?

Our water kettle decided not to work this morning. We were both quite sad. I will have to contact the company because it is still under warranty. I even have the sales recite. However I put off attending to this because I do not like to make phone calls.

It would be helpful if our phone worked, but that will be another day to try to get that fixed again. It will be some day when I feel stronger and do not have to go to work. For now we use our cell phones or I make calls using Google software on the computer.  The hard part is that if someone calls us on our home phone, we do not know about it. I believe it takes messages and stores them in cyberspace. Seems to me cyberspace must be more and more crowded. In the overall picture of life will any of those stored stuff matter? I am grateful that we can still communicate with the outside world. We even have choices.

Paula

Up and Down

Hello,

I am almost well today as tiredness is almost gone. Would you believe that Leroy and I were still in bed after 7:00 this morning? I do not know when that has happened in the past. Leroy is not working today so he was not scheduled to get up. I first woke at 4:30 with just a bit of a struggle before I relinquished myself to more sleep. It was wonderful to wake up refreshed. I still have blown my nose a few times and coughed a little, but I think the end is close for this virus.

Leroy has gotten some business taken care of in terms of retirement and his pension so that is also good. They had failed to send him all of the papers that he needed. He felt confused because he could not follow the instructions.

The down side is that our landlords are purposing their space and in so doing they have moved the computer router to the further corner of the house. Our computers still pick up the wireless signal, but the phone is having trouble. Last night we put the phone receiver in three different rooms, but it seemed to show little regard for such care. I am not sure what we will have to do. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Surely we will solve this as we have solved issues in the past, but I really want it done effortlessly right now.

An upside of the refurbishing is that we have garnered quite a lot of boards that can be used to make the attic friendlier to cross. Leroy and Clark are putting these boards on top of the insulation up there. Luckily those two guys work well together.

We had a little snow on the ground this morning. Is that an up or a down? Depends on who you might speak with. It is almost all melted now so it is not a problem, but warmer would be nice.

Paula

Leroy's Sermon

Hello,

Well it was not the worst of sermons and not the best of sermons. Actually it was probably in Leroy’s top ten, maybe I was even impressed. Several people told me about how good it was. One rather emotional woman even told me that it was speaking directly to her sister. Then she added it was Leroy and God working together. It is humbling to know that we do not know what will touch another person and their needs at the moment.

At any rate I was not embarrassed to think that I was connected to Leroy when he conducts himself as well as he did. Next time will be more comfortable knowing that he can do well in this situation.

Besides the service last night and the three this morning as well as the radio recording on Thursday Leroy has a nursing home service this afternoon. Next week he will just do the liturgy and not the sermon so there is a little less pressure, but still a bit of time involved. I have no clue about nursing home services. I cannot get a feel for what he will be doing next week. I just take care of my own schedule. My impression is that Leroy is happy to be back in the saddle part of the time. But not the whole saddle as he does not have to deal with all the issues of the church just a part of it. That seems to fit him well.

I think I have been unwell even though not lying in bed. Today I feel much better, however I could hardly sing because taking a deep breath caused me to cough. Then my ears are stuffed so I had a harder time discerning the pitches. And once in a while I needed to blow my nose. When wearing a choir robe without pockets it is difficult to know what to do with tissue. However, I remembered taking piano lessons from a nun who kept a hankie stuffed somewhere up the sleeve of her habit. I followed her example and stuffed mine into the sleeve of my blouse out of sight under the robe. With the tight wrist it held them nicely while waiting for my need.

Paula

Sea Shells and other comments

Hello,

While Brian and his kids were here we got out the sea shells. Brian was amazed that we have moved them so many times without getting rid of them. He had decided to get rid of them several years ago. I do not remember when that was even, but I could not bear to part with them. When we lived in Chariton we did have them in the display case in the library. Other than that, a box has been their home.

Sophia and Logan were quite interested in these pieces, handling them with care and a bit of awe. On Monday I learned that my co worker was going to do a story time that was beach related so I offered the shells. Ironic that in one week they have been viewed twice after years of being tucked away in the dark. Even though I have no earthly use for them, I am reluctant to get rid of them. I find them interesting to look at, just not often.

Leroy has managed to work at one place or the other everyday this week. He will have to get that squared away a little better so he has at least one entire day off. This was a particularly busy week at the church so maybe next week there will be that magic day. Leroy is preaching Saturday night. He was talking about getting his alb and stole to church. I suggested he stuff it is his bike bag. He said, “I am thinking about walking.”

A vision of Leroy walking to church in full garb flapping in the wind, flashed through my mind. “What would people think of that?” I wondered. Maybe he ought to do that just to see the reaction in the neighborhood. Somehow I suspect he will just carry it as he planned to do.

Miracles still happen. I got in the quickest checkout line at the grocery story! Also would you believe that I earned six dollars more than Leroy in our current checks? I am the big wage earner in this family for a little while.

Paula

Leroy's Schedule

Hello,

I have little idea about Leroy’s schedule. Leroy is working 20 hours or about that for the church and 15 for the museum. It is not so simple that he can go to work at the museum for two days and the church for three. There are nursing homes services that have a set schedule as well as visiting hours at hospitals and nursing homes. There are meetings at both concerns that are also scheduled. So he goes some hours here and some hours there. I just ask each day what he is doing or where he will be and hope I remember if I need to know that information.

He is preaching this Saturday and Sunday. That also is requiring adjustments for him. He used to have a set schedule of how he approached a sermon. His preferred method was to look at the lessons on Monday or Tuesday, let it percolate in his brain for days and on Friday morning write his sermon. That is not working now because the sermon must be done on Thursday so it can be recorded. He will adjust, but it is stretching him at this moment.

He is also having a harder time riding his bike to work as he needs to be quicker getting from one place to another. That is a bit of a loss because it is now warm enough and the streets are clear so he could ride the bike with those considerations.

Then I have to go listen to Leroy preach. Generally he does a good job, but the first times in a new church I find that I am a little nervous, perhaps feeling responsible for something that I have no control over. At least I seldom hear him make a grammatical error now. He commented that both of the preachers here are so good that he feels a little intimidated. All will be well is my mantra.

At least his brain is being stimulated as he tries to figure out all of these almost new things.

Paula

Feeling Better

Hello,

Amazing how a little grinding and polishing could bring relief. The pillar in my mouth is gone. My tongue is still a little tender, but I suspect it just needs some time to heal from all of the abuse.

The dentist did not charge anything for this service. He also told me that for the time being it is ok to ignore it unless it bothers me. It is just the porcelain coming off and the tooth is still protected by the metal on it. Not that porcelain coming off is a good thing, but that it is the last tooth in the row and the back of it so it should not be an issue.

I can now talk, eat, swallow, and sleep in comfort. Amazing how precious those ordinary tasks are. Also how we hardly even think of them and just take it for granted that it will all work. I have some new things to add to my gratitude list.

Son Brian will be pleased, but I decided to get rid of a pair of shoes that does not feel so good on my feet. I kept them because they cost more money than they should have just to be given away. Last year I did not wear them at all. Today I took a two mile walk in them and that sealed the thought of giving them away. I hobbled home for the last half mile wondering why I had kept them. Hopefully someone who can enjoy them will find them.

I made a big to do list today, but have not crossed off much of it. It seems that a book was calling me or just resting was calling. For some reason I am coughing today. Last night my throat hurt, but that is better today. My nose is running a bit more than usual. Do I have something? Probably a little something as I also feel tired. I still feel better than I did a day ago because my hard working tongue is having a great day wallowing around in comfort.

Paula

Life Now

Hello,

It is amazing how a bit of pain focuses your thoughts and life.  I lost a chunk of a crown on Thursday.  Brian urged me to call the dentist even though they might be closed. They, unfortunately, were closed until Monday however a person had not yet left. I made the earliest possible appointment on that Monday. “In the meantime what should I do about the pain to my tongue as it is stabbed by the jagged edge?” I wondered.

The person answering the phone suggested that I get some orthodontic wax.  That helped, but I was unable to get it to stay on my tooth and eat. I ate a minimum of food, consuming just enough to stop hunger pangs.

Sleeping was a bit frightful as I was afraid the hunk of wax would come off and I might choke on it in my sleep. “What would it be like for my grandchildren to have their Granny die while they were sleeping on the floor beside the bed? I wondered. (Am I dramatic or what?)

That did not happen. I learned in the course of Friday and Saturday how to talk, eat and swallow with more comfort. However, I am still looking forward to seeing the dentist because I know that my life will be better following this visit. What a gift that we have such care available to us.

I was going to weigh myself yesterday morning, but forgot. I ate a bit more yesterday than I had for the past two and a half days. I weighed this morning and I had lost at least two pounds. Surprisingly enough I did not feel hungry much of that time in spite of the diminished eating. Perhaps the thought of pain while I consumed something put hunger on hold.

Paula

Spring

Hello,

Spring is coming. The signs? Much of the snow has melted, people are walking more, people are hanging outside to smoke, people are talking about grilling, and more people are riding bicycles. There are also more birds around. When it is warmer outside, our apartment is frequently colder than when it is very cold outside, perhaps because the furnace does not run frequently.

The mail just came. Surprise, surprise there is a recall on the Saturn that I drive. I am not sure why, but it surprises me because it is ten years old. Seems it has taken awhile to find this need. There is something about the starter that could cause it to stop unexpectedly. It is recommended that no other weight be on the key ring. So I am going to just use the key by itself until the parts come.

Leroy is settling into his additional part time job. Yesterday he spent some time at both concerns making a very full day of it. Guess he is going to try to take Mondays off, reminiscent of former days. The museum library is closing on Mondays because of the limited staff hours. Apparently there is not much scheduled at the church job for Mondays so it seems like the best possibility.

When we got our last checks I actually made more than Leroy. Now for a little while he will again be make more than I do. It is astonishing how our income bounces around. Feast or famine and all that. I believe that it makes us less dependent, than many US citizens, on money for our happiness and sense of stability.

When I come home from work tomorrow Brian, Sophia and Logan should be here. They will stay through Sunday. I am looking forward to spending time with them. Jen is working; consequently she is keeping track of the home and dog.

Paula

A Car Door Handle

Hello,

A few weeks ago the inside door handle on Leroy’s car broke. Can’t remember if I told you about this before or not, if this is a repeat I apologize. Leroy had told me about this issue, but I did not realize what a bother it was until I rode with him. More than once he turned off the car only to realize that he could not get out the door. At that point he had to turn the car back on, put the window down, stick his arm out, open the door with the outside handle, pull his arm back in, raise the window, turn off the car, get out, lock the door, and go his way. Coming in from the outside was no problem as the outside handle worked.

Hurrah for the Internet. Leroy found instructions on taking the door handle off and putting on the new. It all looked very simple. He ordered a replacement. With the sub zero temps he put if off because he did not want to get into some type of unanticipated predicament that could not be solved easily. Besides he was concerned about his cold hands. He could be in our unheated garage; however the temps could also be well below freezing.

Yesterday in the late afternoon and the above freezing temps, I first learned that Leroy had worked on it and gotten the old handle off when he called up the stairs for me to give him the new one. In less than 15 minutes he was back in the house. He can now get out of his car without thought and planning. He was so happy. Now he is looking at replacing the radio in that car. He found one at Goodwill, did not buy it, but sent me there the next time I was out and about. He wonders if the radio I brought home was a different one because there were no cords with it. He still has hopes of being able to accomplish this task with his limited knowledge and the help of the Internet. If all else fails I figure we just made a $3 donation to Goodwill.

Paula

Great Weekend

Hello,

Saturday I volunteered at our church for a larger area meeting. It was so great to see people I know from a distance. Hugs are great. We did have one couple stay and visit a while so Leroy was also able to interact with them. He enjoyed that. I told him about all the people I had seen passing on their greetings but he would have rather seen them in person.

I walked to church but got a ride home. However because I was moving around on my feet most of the day I figure that I got in the other half mile, so it seems quite honest to record the two miles for my daily walk during Lent. I had forgotten my pedometer. I suspect I walked four or five miles.

Today we had Fastnachts for my co-workers. It was an easy deal because there are not so many of them. One batch was plenty with just enough dough left for eight cinnamon rolls. Six invited and four came with family. It was fun to see them. Leroy had not met all of them so he appreciated that too.

That Leroy went out and chopped away some of the ice close to our garage. He declared, “We and our neighbors must have shade on this part of the ally as the rest of it was almost clear of ice.” It is to be nice for the next couple days. I am looking forward to much more ice disappearing in those days.

This morning we walked much of the way to church in the street. It never occurred to me that I would walk in the street of a city that is over 100,000 people. Small towns? Yes, I did that all the time there. Course I walk in the street at Brian’s house and their city is connected to a larger metropolitan area. We walked in the street because the previous days melt created many thin icy spots that were hard to see.

Paula

Leroy's Job

Hello,

Starting on Tuesday, Leroy will have a temporary part time job that will last until sometime in April. He is going to fill in for the visitation pastor at our church while she has her hip replaced and recovers from that experience. Leroy has spent some time talking with the pastors and getting a sense of what is required. With Leroy it is hard to tell how he is reacting as he holds feelings close, but he is excited about this venture. He has been chattering on and on about how it will all work out. The schedule at the church is quite scattered. His museum boss is very open to making this work. He will be working on an hourly basis, but it seems that he will have no trouble adding 20 hours to his 15 hours at the museum. He feels one of the more difficult things might be to find a day off in the week. Because the church is paying more per hour he will come out ahead financially. We will see if he would indeed like to work part time in two rather divergent careers. I think it will be good because it will give him the variety that he craves.

Just when I had gotten slightly adjusted to having Leroy around more he is going to disappear. We had agreed to help Brian and Jen by babysitting when they took a vacation, but it looks now as if it will just be me. I have done such a thing in the past so I can do it again, but I was looking forward to having his company and input.

On another note entirely, I got my haircut at the cosmetology school in the neighborhood. I had told my regular cutter that I needed to economize and she took that information graciously. She did tell me that I could get a good cut at the school and I now know that to be true. Course it might have helped because the stylist was ready to graduate. It is nice because it is so close, a mere four blocks away.

Paula

Walking in the Cold

Hello,

Brian’s dog, Cloe is so excited to see us. One reason might be because I always take her on walks. So not long after we arrived, Leroy and I bundled up and took this eager animal for a walk through the park. It takes about 30 minutes. Their street was covered with packed down snow that almost forms ice. The plowed paths in the park were much the same condition. I felt fairly secure with my wonderful warm Sorrel boots that seldom slip. Leroy also had on Sorrels so he was in good shape as well. We had two layers on our legs and our face masks on. It was a nice walk in spite of the low temperature.

Logan was disappointed that he did not get to walk with us. Saturday morning the temperature was again below zero so Leroy and I walked without Logan. I told him if it warmed up in the day we would go then. In the afternoon the temperature was a slight bit above zero. We headed out for a shorter walk. Logan’s scarf kept slipping off his cheeks. As red circles started to form, the walk was cut short over the protests of Mr. Logan. Leroy had on his face mask and he tells me that he does not get such a good breath then. He tried to carry Logan back to speed up the return, but could not manage that the entire time because he was not getting enough oxygen. Sophia did not seem to be bothered by the cold.  Back in the house Logan’s cheeks turned a bright red and stayed that way until in the evening when aloe was applied. Guilt, guilt settled in.

Sunday morning Leroy, Cloe, and I headed out for our walk. As we were getting into the park, I declared, “I am getting cold; let’s just do a short loop. Or if you want you can go longer, but I must go back.”

The cold was seeping into my arms and legs. Long underwear was not enough protection. When we entered the safety of the house, Brian said, “Here is why you were cold. It is -15 degrees F. and feels like -32 degrees.”

It is a good thing we came back when we did. Fifteen minutes was plenty at those conditions. Later on the way to church the temperature was still at -12 degrees. Cold, cold! I am grateful for car heaters and furnaces in homes. All in working condition!

Paula

Going to Brian's

Hello,

Even though we are home I want to tell about our trip to Brian’s for the weekend. We started off in good time in the morning with clear roads, cold surrounding our warm car, no snow in the air, and the sun shining.

Leroy had me drive first, out of some sense of chivalry that is he would be driving in the bigger city and letting me cruise through open country. He did sleep a good bit of the time. Heading north, I had noticed a significant increase in the amount of snow on the sides of the road. Also there was some packed ice under the overpasses.

After Leroy started driving we noticed increasing cloud cover, ice under all overpasses, and snow blowing across the road. After a while Leroy declared, “I think it is snowing and not just blowing snow. It seemed like minutes later we were enveloped in a cloud of snow that was so thick we lost sight of the vehicles ahead of us. It seemed that it was clearer across the median with cars lights visible from a greater distance.

We were both staring intently ahead. “Is that a car?” I wondered occasionally. Or “Do you see a truck ahead?”

Leroy has better vision then I do so it was a good thing that he was driving although he was tense as a board with a firm grip on the wheel. It was frightening to zoom up on a slower car and when following the semis the snow was swirling around with such abandon that we felt lost in our own world. I kept wanting to push the snow aside. I had heard on the radio that it was snowing more than an inch an hour with a brisk wind. In these conditions should one slow down, drive the speed limit, get off the road, or just cry and wail for help?

We were less than an hour from Brian’s house. He told us it was not snowing there. So we proceeded with caution, although quite a lot of speed as we were afraid someone might run into us, and hoped to be out of it soon.

Later we learned that there was a multicar pile up that closed the road for a couple hours. I am so thankful that we missed out on all of that excitement.

Paula