Safety

Hello,

At church on Sunday I went to a session about violence in our city. Safety came to mind and I wondered what makes us feel safe. As I stated previously I am not afraid to walk in my neighborhood. On the night of the moon eclipse many of the neighbors were outside to watch it from time to time. One of those was a single mother who told about how she drove her children out to the country to watch the meteor shower earlier in the summer. According to her it was great to see, but a bit scary out there in the middle of nowhere; however she assured us, “I took my dog along.”

As a former farm girl I do not find the country scary, or at least I did not when I lived there. We did not have an outside light in my early years so it was quite dark. I considered that perfectly normal.

It seems so ironic that my neighbor is so comfortable living and moving around in this area, but the country is not safe. I know many people who would not consider this area safe. Is it all a matter of familiarity? Just what makes a place feel safe to one and not to another? I understand that the college students in this neighborhood feel safe on campus, but not when they get off. Is it a matter of perspective and gossip, especially when nothing has happened directly to them or anyone they know?

Then I also wonder if safety is an illusion. Because is there any place that is totally free from danger of either the natural variety or the human variety? I remember from a college sociology class that the small town is but a microcosm of the city. Negative things can happen anywhere just not with the frequency in a small place.

I have to confess that when I walk home I often note that I feel more comfortable the closer I get to my house. Seems to me it is that familiarity thing. Also one of my neighbors warned me about walking at night because there were some not nice people around. He assured me that when I was close to the house he and his dog would watch out for me. Without describing this person too much, I can say that I would find him rather frightening to come upon in the dark. But I know him so he is ok or as ok as I can ascertain.

Paula

Car is Purchased

Hello,

Yesterday morning we drove about 50 miles just to get a car. We might have lowered the price more, but that is not truly the style of Leroy and I. We did the best we could with the skills we have. At least it was rated on the website we checked, as a great deal because it had the price dropped two times. It is a 2014 white Corolla with just 5,000 miles on it. The dealer had used it as a loaner when people had work done on their cars. Surely those drivers treated this vehicle as a precious thing? Both of us felt as if a load had been lifted. We expect it to last 200,000 miles. How old do you think we will be?

I wondered what we will think about and consider now. We did not trade in a car but are selling that on our own so I suppose that will occupy some time. If you know anyone who would like a 1999 Hyundai Elantra manual shift with 160,000 miles on it let us know.

There is also a need to figure out the features on this car. I looked at the manual and realized I need to sit in the car to figure out how to work the possibilities. I also need to learn if we have this or that possibility. Our other newest car is 2004 so we are not up on the newest car technology.

We cannot get Leroy’s biked in this car without taking off the bike’s front wheel. I told him he can just leave it at work and get it the next time he goes there or we could get it sometime when it is not raining and put on the bike rake. There are many ways to solve this problem.

We are hoping Leroy’s hip or leg or back or whatever will feel good after a two hour trip. I keep thinking it can’t hurt worse, or can it?

I drove it home. I have to confess that I did figure out the cruise control, but not much else as I think I focus too long on something and forget that I have cars zipping around just as I am zipping around. Mostly I kept my eyes on the road.

Son-in-law, Andy would not have bought it for himself, but at least now he no longer has to observe us not take his well thought out advice. We did not even test drive the cars he thought were the best. It is rather sad that we did not do that. Maybe for the next car purchase we will pay more attention to him and his ideas. Andy wants a car to do more than get to point A from point B. He wants to feel good in it. Leroy and I are more basic.

Paula

Full Sunday

Hello,

Morning was more leisurely than sometimes because the choir sang at the 11:15 service. Leroy and I bicycled to church just so we could move around faster afterward. It was interesting how many people commented on the bikes. When we walk we blend in as we look more like someone coming from a car somewhere.

We went to the different programs in the Sunday school hour. When one person saw me come into to choir she said, “You walked alone and you weren’t afraid.”

She had asked me before about being afraid to walk from my home to the church and I told her, “I am not afraid. I have not been bothered except someone asked for a match and I just told them no and that seemed fine.”

Now I did tell her, “I biked with Leroy and I was not afraid.”

Generally I do not walk late at night by myself, but I am not afraid before 10:00 pm.

After church I hurried home so I could participate in the garden clean up which was part of the neighborhood cleanup. Leroy had a nursing home service. Leroy, with his clergy collar on, stopped at the garden on his way home. One man wondered if Leroy had come to bless the garden. We all got quite a lot put in the compost bins. So we all felt good. I watered quite a bit because it is quite dry.

Two boys about 8-10 years old came to pick some produce. They really wanted green beans, but they had already been pulled. They did take a number of tomatoes, turnips, rainbow chard, basil, celery, and parsley. I am so happy to have them come. That fits the philosophy of the garden. They were just coming to get enough for a meal or two. I am pleased. Unfortunately they did not want to take brussel sprouts and we have so many of them.

Some of the college students came by and admired the garden. One of them even took some edamame. Great to share all of this.

Paula

Listless Life

Hello,

I very carefully make a shopping list each week. There have been times when I have not looked at it. Or I might look at it at first and then forget about it the rest of the time. Generally I do fairly well.

Today I had thought of at least three things at the last minute. Somehow that does not help my memory. I was proud of myself for recycling some bulbs from the library. It helped that I had left them on the seat in the car. But I remembered to go to a store hardware type store that would cheerfully take them. I patted myself on the back for that good job, checked my list and headed off to the next stop. That took quite a while, but I made a clothing purchase that I believe I will like. Just how do other people know what will be the best? This time a clerk helped me make some decisions after I asked her what is worn with the sweater I was looking at. It might be nice to keep up with fashion changes, but it is not my style.

From there I headed off to get my glasses adjusted. I had wacked my head and glasses strongly. It is amazing how much better they stay in place today.

I got groceries. I remembered that I wanted chia seeds. When waiting to check out the woman ahead of me was asking the checker if they had chi or chi seeds. I rooted around in my cart and pulled out the chia seeds. “Is this what you want? I asked.

The woman said, “Yes.”

The checker said, “If you would let me scan those I will give them back.” Turing to the other woman she said, “And you can go back and get a package without needing to come back here.”

What a deal!  I did get home without buying whole wheat flour, apples, and a windshield wiper. At least I live close to all of these places, two miles or perhaps a bit more.

Paula

Hopes

Hello,

On the way home from MN, Leroy decided to take his wallet out of his front jeans pocket. Years ago he took it out of his back pocket to give comfort in the car. This seemed to make him feel much better for at least 30 minutes before a return of pain. On this trip Leroy did stop once just to get out of the car and move around. He tells me that brings almost immediate relief, however, he seldom thinks we should stop just for that. Hopes up and hopes leveled off as Leroy thinks it might be better if he took out the billfold before he got in the car at all.

My 45^th year college homecoming is this October. My hopes are running higher and higher as I see the list of people who are coming. I even know a number of these people. I hope I will recognize them. Should I hope they will recognize me? Should I get a wig to replace some of the hair that I am losing? I will just take my chances.

When I signed up for homecoming it did not have an option for me to put in the year that Leroy graduated. At the last screen it said he did not go to Luther so I clicked on go back to correct that error. The form was now blank. I refilled it and the place that I could have Leroy’s graduation year came up as well. At the end I got a confirmation number. I emailed my former roommate this morning and learned that my name was in there twice as coming. When I called the college I learned that it was because I had signed up twice. She assured me that my credit card would be credited with the second payment, but not just yet, hence my name is still on the list twice. Hoping I do indeed get my money back. It will be there in a few days.

Hoping Leroy and I find just the car we want when we look this afternoon. Leroy forgot an obligation this evening so I am not sure how much time we will have for this task.

Paula

Home Again

Hello,

It was a quick birthday celebration trip. Just one overnight. Leroy’s hip/leg hurt him while in the car after about an hour each time. This is quite normal. Now the question is, “What newer car, that we are going to spend thousands of dollars on, would be best for his body?” That is what we really want to know. I suspect we will not know until after it is in our possession.

I do get tired from being in the car, but not in pain so I am not much help in knowing anything. I have lots of annoying (Leroy says) suggestions, but nothing concrete.

We were blessed with beautiful traveling weather. The leaves had not yet changed color in MN. Or rather it was only the unusual tree here or there that had any different colors.

We were quite pleased on leaving St. Paul to learn that one of the routes we take has finished road work so the way out of town was much easier. It was calming not to have to follow detour signs. The GPS wants us to take a different route so we tried to be patient with “her” as she recalculated frequently.

Leroy wanted to look at cars this morning. I declined as I have to go to work early. Leroy then groaned, “When are we going to get this done?”

I suggested he go alone, but that is not his idea of a fun time so he just rolled his eyes. I figured he could go test cars, bring home his opinion and then maybe we could decide. Course there are two cars that we might like that are 50 miles away in opposite directions. The Internet is a help, but perhaps a hindrance. We would not even know about these distant possibilities without it.

Paula

On the Road

Hello,

Leroy and I will go to visit granddaughter, Sophia for her 8^th birthday. Leroy is at a meeting this morning. I will pick him up as I slow down when I go past his meeting place. I remember, as a girl, having a foot hanging out of the car and my father was already rolling along. I learned early to be ready on time and seated in the car with body parts inside. He also left a store one time without me. At the hardware store I had been busy looking at nails in the bin and letting them drop from my hand with a satisfying clink, clink. He perhaps told me he was leaving, but I never heard. I just happened to look up and notice his absence. My stomach dropped as I looked all over and ran out of the store to find him standing outside waiting for me. No comments were made, but I learned from that to keep an eye on him and leave when he did.

It should be a great driving day. Do you think leaves in MN are turning color? They are not here, but since it is a few miles north I suspect there is the possibility.

It would have been nice to have a new vehicle to take on this trip, but we are still looking, mostly on the Internet. Leroy is getting ready to just buy something and be done with it. I am not there yet, but he might push me over the edge. Nothing has seemed just right to either of us. Leroy tells me that he is “talking himself into this or that car”. He is tired of looking and finds it emotionally draining. It is easier for me to put aside mentally. We have only actually looked at physical cars two times which I do not consider a lot of looking.

We were going to look yesterday when Leroy was home from work, but the rain deterred that impulse. Should we have gone and gotten a good deal because no one wants to stand around in the rain? Would the sales people have been hungry for a sale?

Paula

Feeling Domestic

Hello,

Yesterday I made grape jelly. Something I had not done for years. I would have liked to call my sister and ask some questions, but I forged ahead on my own. It tastes good, but it has not yet set. The one partially full jar that I put in the frig has gelled nicely so there may be hope for the other three. I try not to look, tip to the side, and sigh very often. I suspect I did not really get to that full rolling boil. I just got tired and talked myself into the sight of bubbles coming up.

Today I canned some tomatoes. I used pre-used salsa jars because I do not have so many canning jars left. This is the first batch of tomatoes I have done, but I have hope that there will be more before the season is over.

This morning I picked soybeans, tomatoes, much broccoli, and a few sprigs of cilantro. I might try to make my own salsa. If Miriam can do it so can I. The green bean plants were wet from dew so I went back this afternoon and picked them. I talked Leroy, who had come home from work just in time, into helping me. We got a nice amount, but not so very many. This is about it unless it rains in the very near future.

We both agree that we have not gotten as much from the garden but it is still a steady supply of vegetables on the table. We are well blessed indeed.

I have canned 66 jars of one thing or another. More fruits this year than vegetables, but that is okay. We like most of it.

Paula

Helping People

Hello,

I had not been home for long and Leroy just walked in the door when the phone rang. It was a young friend of ours who said he was in the neighborhood trying to get his tablet to work for video chats. The problem was that he could be seen but not heard. He could see and hear the person he had connected with. The computer doctor could not help him, but suggested he reload the program. Leroy and I both thought that his microphone must be turned off somehow. I logged on our computer and we tried to have a conversation with the same result as previously. Then Leroy remembered that he had a microphone/headset. He tried that and it worked. Leroy just gave him the unit since he had not used it in years. He must have been keeping it just for Ted. I do not remember it being used at all. I shudder to think how many times we might have moved it. And I have tried to convince you that we travel light in this house. It seems there is always one more thing that needs to be eliminated. Hopefully just the right person will come along and need it, helping us to remember that we even have it.

We were all pleased to have helped, especially when it was not expected that we would do that. Leroy did urge Ted to keep looking for some solutions because he is sure that his tablet has a microphone and it must just be turned off. I told Leroy, “When you really retire you can become the computer doctor.”  He just laughed.

One thing about computers is that there is so much magic just around the corner if one could just find that corner to look around.

Is that true of all of life?

Paula

Fruits to Share

Hello,

Today a small girl was pleading or closer to whining at her mom to get some candy that we sell in the library. Her mom kept saying no. When they were about done checking out I asked, “Would it be ok if she picked and ate some tomatoes?”

That was fine, so we went out to the pots that have tomatoes in them in front of the library. I showed her the small deep purple variety, picked one, rubbed off the dust, and popped it in my mouth with a sigh of pleasure as the flavor burst when I bit into it. With a little prodding this little girl did the same. I also showed them a plant that has small bright red tomatoes on it. She ate several of each before they came back into the library. From then on she was demanding, “Tomato!  Tomato!”

I loved having that candy forgotten and replaced with much more nutrition for her growing self.

After work I once again went to pick grapes. I use a pruner for this. Somehow I cut a v in one of my fingers. It hurt quite a bit, but did not bleed at first. After a bit, more and more blood appeared. I was able to wash it off at an outdoor water spigot. This car did not have a first aid kit that I could find, but a search in my purse revealed a small packet that contained two band aids and a safety pin. Seems I must be ready for all emergencies. When I tore open the band aid I found that it was in the shape of a yellow crayon. How old do you think this thing is?  I was pleased that it stuck to my finger so I could drive without smearing blood here and there.

I have many grapes and there are still some left to pick. I am thinking of making jam even though I do not want to make something with so much sugar in it, however I do still buy jam, but the low sugar type. I will have to see what recipes I can scout out.

Paula

Soy Beans and Cars

Hello,

These two subjects are wearing me down or out. A friend sent a note that we should check into the value of soy as a food. There are certainly some negatives. The positives are that we are not using GMO soy. It has not been farmed, but in our garden with just us and the sun, rain, and dirt. On the other hand, we do eat tofu, texturized vegetable protein, soy milk, and soy flour which are all commercial products. Who knows what the background of that soy is? Hopefully we do not eat so much of it that it is causing us much trouble.

We are shopping for a different car. We have only spent two days out looking at vehicles, test driven four, and talked with three sales people. The rest of the time we are reading consumer reports, searching the Internet, and groaning.

It would help if we were brand loyal then we could eliminate many possibilities. Now we do not know if we want to go for Leroy’s comfort. He has some issues with his hip after sitting in our cars for two hours or more. How do we know what would be good the next time around unless we were to rent or borrow such type?

Do we want to go for some hauling room? Course we do not want a large vehicle so that makes quite a lot of difference in what is available. We want the best gas mileage that we can get.

Then we want this and that feature, but we do not want to pay much for anything. I believe the day will come when we will say we have had enough looking and we will just buy what is closest at hand and closest to our expectations. It is hard for us to imagine that some people actually enjoy this process. All it seems to do for me is cause tension, greed, and sadness. I had the brilliant thought that we spend so much money on this thing to have it be idle most of the time. It sleeps as long as we do and often is not used. Too bad we “need” a car anyway. Life could be a lot less stressful. That is my plug for good and frequent public transportation.

Paula

The Stuff of My Life

Hello,

Last night Leroy and I went to the community garden. Warm but not too hot with the sun going down earlier made for a pleasant time there. One other woman who often comes was there ahead of us. We pulled weeds and chatted. In a bit another woman came, one whom we had not met before. She was quite interesting. She works on Monday nights so cannot often come. I talked her into taking some of the soy beans. Hopefully someone else will get interested in this crop. They are so easy and carefree to grow. Dryness does not bother them too much and bugs seem to avoid them.

While weeding I got into an ant hill that I did not know about. They are fierce little bitters. My ankles still hurt when I walked home. It was necessary for me to leave the garden and clean out my sandals as well as inspect my feet and between my toes. Much better than being attacked by a bear, but still quite unpleasant.

Later two younger women stopped to talk. One of them was a Coe College student who lived right next door. Her sister, a former grad lives about 20 miles away. She talked as if she would come up next Monday and help weed as well as gather something to take home. She is a physical therapy student and quite interested in eating local produce. As she said, holding up her bag of bounty, “Tomorrow’s lunch is now much improved.”

This garden seems to come into its own more and more. There are some days when Leroy feels he is doing 90% of the work, but these times make it more worthwhile. My impression is that there is a lot of traffic in the garden that we never see. I know someone eats the kale as well as the collards. Most of the larger eggplant fruits are gone so those too have been taken. The bounty of the earth! I just hope and pray that it goes to those who need it and benefit the most.

Paula

Mysterious Life

Hello,

When I got home from work Thursday I learned I had a voice mail message on my phone which I had turned off. I listened, to learn that someone had lost a baby. The voice was not one I recognized: older female and maybe a smoker with the characteristic rasp. About an hour later I got a call from the same number, but did not get to the phone before they had moved on. I tried to call them to tell them that I was not the party they wanted. For some reason my call did not go through. About two more hours later I again got a call from the same voice. I told them who I was and perhaps they had the wrong number. They agreed and thanked me for letting them know it was not right. On Friday when I was out shopping I got another call starting, “Sis, …”

Now I knew for sure it was a wrong number as my sister will no longer be calling. She also did not call me sis.

“I think you have the wrong number,” I said.

Before I could continue she commented, “I am sorry I have called you once more.”

I stifled the urge to tell her that my sister had died and could not call. “Would you like my phone number so you might figure out what is different?” I asked.

“That would be good,” she said.

Apparently she had switched a couple of the numbers. Glad that mystery is solved.

Paula

Our Homeless Neighbors

Hello,

Tuesday when I drove into the garage I had the thought that our neighbor had found a place. Wednesday evening they came to get some of their things. I did not think the woman seemed so happy, but I could have been misreading her. With her husband and a step son there, I did not want to ask about anything. With some ingenuity we got as much in their car as we could. The somewhat frail 81 year man assured us that he would be back on Thursday to get the rest. They did not come at the same time on Thursday so I was beginning to think it would not happen. Because they do not know my phone number I went out to the front steps so they could see me and make a connection. Just as I was thinking it Packing the car took more thought to get all the things in their car. We had been keeping a table and chairs that King insisted they would not need. We volunteered to follow them to their new place and deliver those last three items. King said they did not need them, but his wife rolled eyes when I asked what they would sit on. He finally agreed to the chairs, but once again said there was no room for a table. We loaded the chairs plus a couple of our webbed light weight lawn chairs because we know they like to sit outside.

Their new apartment is upstairs which is not easy for King to handle. Leroy, Vestina, and I unloaded and moved in all of the things. I do not know how they would have done it otherwise. King did say that one of his friends was to help, but he did not show. Could be we strange people that put him off? Their apartment is indeed very small; one room plus two alcoves for a kitchen and closet. There was not room for such a big table, even though it is not big. This was indeed another reminder of just how rich we are. They did have one small fan and we offered them our tall one that might blow some air out the window. They agreed to come get that. We drove home, made sure it worked, and handed it off.

I will have to say that there was no complaining, but King said more than once, that he needed to rest. It was hot and humid and I gather that affects him quite a lot. For their sake I hope the heat stops when predicted and is done until next summer.

Paula