a day out

Hello,

Leroy did not have to work today. We went to church, bought the paper, read a little bit before we ate, and discussed going to a county park to the north of us. A young friend called us and I invited him to come with us. There is a tower in the park that we dutifully climbed in the heat. I would guess that it had 90 steps because that sounds like a lot. Leroy just kept on climbing, but Ted and I went a little slower and had to rest a bit before reaching the top.

I was happy that I had brought water and a small snack. Otherwise we would have been a bit more stressed from our later hikes and that climb. It is a nice park and Leroy and I are thinking of going back in the fall or maybe even the winter when the leaves are off the trees so we can see into the woods around that tower. It did not offer such a panoramic view as I was expecting because of the density of the forest coverage. I will count the steps so I can brag/complain about them.

Leroy forged ahead on all hills and kept up a brutal pace while I lagged along at the tail end with Ted between us. For 65 years Leroy does a good job of keeping strong. Ted remembered when he visited us in Slovakia and he found it daunting to be walking around town with us. Somehow I have lost that edge. I will have to do some more determined walking to get back in shape.

Leroy did take a nap this evening and I have been awake the entire time so I am not a total wimp, but I do know that I am tired. One temperature that we saw listed 90. No wonder we were sweating. Even though it was hot, I did not feel that it was that high, however, I was grateful for every breeze that we felt.

Paula

Visiting my sister

Hello,

On Friday and Saturday my brother and I went to visit our sister. I had not seen my brother for two years. I guess when you grow up with someone; you always have that shared background to relate to. I was quite surprised at how quickly the time passed in the car. We spent about five hours locked in this vehicle one way and then five hours back again.

The hardest part was that we both drove through thick fog to get to our meeting placde. Fog that was dense enough that once when I was going through a small town, I did not slow down so much and the semi behind me flicked his lights at me. I looked around and realized that it was a village. Later he passed me and I thought I would keep up with him as it showed me the road as I followed his tail lights, but I lost him after about 15-20 minutes.

I was so grateful when the fog lifted and I could see the road rather than guess at its nuances.

My sister sat up some and talked or listened quite a lot. She even got out of the house a couple times.

Yesterday she went into the hospital because of a high fever and swelling, a sore throat, and generally finding it hard to move.

She will be in the hospital for a couple days at least as they do not know what is causing this.

I am grateful that my brother and I made this visit.

Paula

The Name Game

Hello,

Natalie heard me call her by her big sister’s name, Lexi. “I’m Natalie,” she told me.

Later I might call her cousin’s name, Nora. Nicely positive she told me, “I’m Natalie.”

Five minutes later I might dig out the name Sophia. But then again it could have been Olivia. At least I never called her Logan. She only rolled her, two year almost three year old, eyes at me a few times. Generally we just laughed about it together.

I tried using Henrietta, but she was not impressed with that. When I call Logan, Henry he usually ends up on the floor from laughing. Somehow it seems to me I should just call all of them by the same name and that it is covered. What culture does that? I think they have a good idea.

Natalie was home with Leroy and I Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday morning her new teachers visited her home to meet her and her parents. On Wednesday she went to school in the morning or until one. Thursday she was home while the other half of the students when to school. On Friday all of the children came with an early out at 1:00. As near as I could tell she did a fine job. At least she seemed quite at ease having us leave her at the door of the classroom. I suspect it helps because it is the same school where her sister goes so she is comfortable with the building.

We had family pictures taken while we were in Utah. I am including a few of those. 

Paula

Busy

Hello,

Leroy and I have returned from DC. The garden is demanding attention as are jobs.

I hope to be able to write more in a day or two.

Just to let you know that I have the right vibes, I got selected for priority check once again at the DC airport.  Leroy thinks it is just that I am so much older than he is. Anyway I did not have to take off my shoes, but Leroy needed to do that task. Love it!

Paula

Living off the land

Hello,

Leroy and I have been eating veggies from the gardens. Except for some potatoes we have not bought a vegetable for a few weeks. I feel so fortunate, both that we like this largess and that it is so available.

Last night we went to the community garden. It was a nice surprise to find two other people there already. One was a woman who was pulling a few weeks. She took some produce with her when she left. The other was the next door neighbor who told us, “There has been a rather steady stream of people coming to pick things.”

I was glad to hear that, but mostly I could not tell that much had been taken, but then the guy added, “There were about four cantaloupes and all were picked, but I think they were much too green.”

That happened last year too. None of us who worked regularly on the garden got to taste them. Last year too we felt they have been picked too soon.

There was a small ripe watermelon and because the other woman and we had watermelon at home the neighbor harvested that. The two of them also took a number of cucumbers. That was good because we will be out of town for a week.

We did find some more cucumbers and zucchini after they left. Then we picked all the purple pole beans along with some tomatoes.  It was great fun to give away handfuls of the beans to people sitting on their porches. We also gave away all the cucumbers and zucchini. One of the porch sitting guys told us, “I used to be a cook in California so I know about some weird veggies such as your purple tomatoes.”

 This is such a great way to meet neighbors and learn that all sorts of people live here.

Paula

National Night Out

Hello,

We had a successful block party. I am calling it a success even though three of our invited guests came, but like the parable in the bible we went and gathered more. Two neighbors came from across the street to join the four of us. Soon another neighbor across the street came over. We talked to a guy walking down the street. He lived in the next block and he joined us for some time. Also the president of the neighborhood association came. It was a great time visiting and eating.

Bless his heart; Leroy had picked cucumbers, zucchini and small tomatoes from the garden that we shared with people. By the end of the night we had given away all veggies and eaten two watermelons.

Three kids were riding their bikes around the block so we invited them to have some melon. They ate with gusto and asked to take some to their brother. In a bit their mother came over and stayed quite a while. She lives just a block away. We saw some people on their porch diagonally from us so I went over and invited them as well. Two of them came back with me. Then the woman who had come with her children went back and invited her neighbors to come.  Two more women and children came.

All in all we had 23 people, counting ourselves and they stayed an hour longer than we had planned. It seemed well worth the small effort that we put into it.

I was disappointed that some of the people I talked with had not come, but at least they seemed pleased to get the invitation. Maybe next year they will think it is worth coming to.

Paula

The Storms

The Storms

June 17, 2014

Hello,

The weather radio went off a couple times at work yesterday, but the storms at that time seemed to be south of us. I was glad to drive home with no rain under a seriously cloudy sky. It rained a little just as I reached Cedar Rapids city limits, but it was bone dry when I got home.

Leroy and I did our usually reading and crossword puzzle before getting into bed. I put the cream in my eyes to combat the dryness. That means I do not see very well for a time as I look through that blurry stuff. I had not quite drifted to sleep when the outdoor weather siren went off. Leroy and I both lay there a while and listened before we got up to see what it said on TV. The announcer said that we did not have to expect a tornado as the siren comes from another town and CR was not included, but server thunderstorms were expected so we should be cautious.

A bit later they announced that people in CR should take cover immediately. So Leroy and I put on some clothes, gathered crank flashlights, basement keys, and shoes. We then went down the stairs. I cannot remember how I happened to be the one outside trying to see the keyhole in the dark, but Leroy had gone back inside. He is more familiar with this lock. I finally got the key in, but could not turn it.

I came back in the porch to learn that our landlords had said we could go down through their place to the basement or we could sit in their kitchen next to the stairwell as they were doing. We elected to go all the way down. After the allotted ten minutes without hearing much wind and just rain we came back up. As it was we ended up staying in their kitchen for half an hour or more listening to the rain come down, but still not much wind.  It had rained over an inch in 20 minutes. Robin braved the rain because she had to know and she shared the knowledge.

After being up for about an hour Leroy and I went back to bed. This morning I checked our rain gauge which proclaimed a total of four inches of rain. We needed rain, but I thought an inch a week would be about right.

Paula

Such A Day

Hello,

At work we can do a screen check to see what people are looking at on the public computers. Oh no, an adult was watching very explicit porn!

I should back up a little to let you know that when people sign in to use these computers they agree to look at only appropriate cites that can be seen by all ages. Most patrons do not bother to read this agreement, but just move right on. Also the public computers are in a very public place where they are visible to anyone who wants to look including our many children users. We at the desk do not see those screens from there, but can access them through the check out computer.

This particular man uses the library frequently and I had never seen him looking at anything inappropriate. The last time I worked a mom came up asking, “Can people look at porn here?” then she proceeded to tell me that he was looking at it. But by the time I got to his computer he was not at that website any longer. So I just let it go.

Yesterday, however, there it was on my screen. I told my boss about it. We were whispering about what to do, when I volunteered to talk to him. “We can see what is on your screen,” I softly told him even though no one else was in the room, “You are not allowed to look at that here.”

Not denying it he said, “I won’t do that anymore.”

“I am sorry, but you will have to leave now,” I said, “but we will try again tomorrow.”

He then logged off the computer and left, giving us his usual leaving remarks.

I was uncomfortable and a little shaky doing this, but my boss tells me I did a good job. Somehow it seems easier to deal with kids with this issue, partly because I do not know how adults will react.

Paula

Block Party

Hello,

For the near neighbors, we are having watermelon on the lawn in front of our house tonight. Our landlords are also involved. They made the invitations and will sit out with us.  I am concerned about too much watermelon or too little. It is hard to judge when I have no idea how many people will come. When I first had the idea just watermelon seemed like the simplest idea in the world. Somehow it has grown in complexity. I am talented at making a mountain out of a molehill. Too bad I cannot market that.

Now I have started to wonder about the weather. It is so overcast, is it going to storm. Just hoping it will be nice for an hour this evening. Leroy and I had different methods of delivering the invitations. I knocked on the doors and he put them on the porch or step. Many people that I spoke with seemed quite pleased that I was handing this out. I hope we have a good response. I would like to meet more neighbors and speak with them. We also have some cucumbers from the community garden that we will pass out to any of the people who want them.

Leroy and I are both working today. He will get home around five and I will get home around 6:30. At least with this type of affair we do not have to prepare much ahead of time. I believe one melon should be cut before people come and Leroy thinks we should cut them after people arrive. Do we ever agree on anything?

I had Tai Chi this morning now that should mean all of life is peaceful and calm. What would it be like if I had not gone?

Paula

Leroy's Day Off

Hello,

Leroy is taking a full day off. It has been a while since that has happened. He went out promptly and cleaned up his bike, guess he has run through too many puddles. Then he moved on to painting the edge of the kitchen table. A snack was next on the list and now he is reading. Reading tops the list of his favorite pastimes. I like to read, but somehow I have a harder time getting to do it. I seem to be talented at thinking of little tasks. My books tend to take more thought as I read where Leroy zips along or maybe he thinks faster than I do even though he talks slower.

I will go to work at noon. It is nice when Leroy is home because he can do the dishes and I do not have to get that done before I leave. We do not have a dishwasher here so all is done by hand. I am fine without a dishwasher, but for some reason Leroy and I are both not as meticulous as we once were. Is old age setting in?

I came across an 8x10 picture of my mother that was perhaps taken when she was thirty. I have it up on the table in the computer room and enjoy looking at it. I certainly never saw her when she looked so young. She was 34 when I was born. I always thought my parents were old, but I no longer think that. My mother’s mother’s picture is on the same table as well as two of my granddaughters. Seems like a lot of generations in a small space as I fill in the gap.

Paula

Leroy's Phone and Bike Computer

Hello,

Leroy’s phone has called 911 three times without his help. Each time the people there have called him back to ask if he needed them. They never seemed bothered and were always very nice to him. Leroy, however, has been very uncomfortable with this turn of events. He has locked his phone, carried it only in shirt pockets or on his belt with a holder. The fourth time he realized it was calling and stopped it before it connected, but he came home and said, “That is enough. I am getting a new phone.”

He checked on line and learned that others have had trouble with this phone with the built in power to call 911 at a light touch. Some of them had even gotten tickets from them for calling when it was no emergency. Leroy was lucky that way. Unfortunately not a one could suggest a solution.

His new phone has arrived and he has transferred all his phone numbers to the new unit. We hope it works just the way it should. At least he found no one on the internet complaining about it. It looks much like a smart phone, but is smaller. I hope that does not bother him. He has found it easier to use in part because of having the IPod.

Almost two years ago Leroy bought a bike computer because he thought his old one was ready to die. The original has kept working and just recently quit. He put on the new computer, but could not get it to change from km to miles. After pushing the set button several times it just broke. So now he figures he must buy yet another computer and to think this one was never used, but it is so old that it is not under warranty. I think he should still contact the company, but he is hesitant to do that. At least it is only a thing and not something truly important.

Paula

Leroy Helps

Hello,

At work Leroy was asked by a patron to help with a document that was written in Slovak. It was her grandfather’s birth certificate. Leroy tells me he did have to look up a few words, but he got the job done in spite of it being hand written. It surely helped that he corrected hand written English class papers in Slovakia. I remember getting my first assignment back and wondering with a touch of fear if I could read it even though it was English. Certain letters are formed differently and it was a challenge. Yesterday Leroy was up to the challenge. The result was that they learned the certificate was both a baptism certificate and a birth certificate. The person bringing it in was from out of town, I believe New Orleans. I did not pay enough attention to remember. They were headed to another Iowa spot as well. Who knew that Iowa could be a trip destination?

Leroy is working all week at the museum so his boss can have a vacation. Last week Leroy worked all week for the church. It is a good thing that both employers are open and flexible so Leroy’s time can be used in a way that is beneficial to each. Leroy is conducting a nursing home service late in the afternoon today and he will also have one on Sunday so he is not entirely away from the church. I recall he also had a meeting Monday morning at the church.

Next week he will have a “normal” week split between the two bosses. He has noticed that he does not ride his bike to work quite as much as he did in the past because he has to go greater distances for the church and in a tighter time frame. It seems all of life is a trade off.

Paula