Picking Black Raspberries

Hello,

Today in spite of the temps up in the 90’s, Leroy and I bundled up against the thorns to pick black raspberries at a county park. I just wore shorts and a tank top, carting the long sleeved shirt and long pants to pull over the other clothes when at the park. That meant I could easily strip when done picking. My pants bottoms were tucked in the crew socks borrowed from Leroy. The purpose of that move is to keep out ticks or other insect passengers.

Even though many of the berry bushes were in the shade there was often little breeze, so the heat was still intense. The patch has changed and sadly diminished from a year ago. We spend much time looking for more bushes that had ripe berries. There were many immature canes. The blackberry canes were very thick, but not yet with rip berries. Their thorns are even more threatening.

By the time we were done, we had what I thought was two pints, but Leroy declared it closer to two quarts when we got done cleaning them. I had some on yoghurt with granola and cinnamon. Oops I poured on more than I meant to, but ate them with enjoyment.

We were grateful to get to the car and take off shoes, shirts and for me, those long pants. We were grateful the car air conditioner works well. We were grateful to get home, check each other for ticks and take a shower. What luxury we live with! I promptly put all of the clothes in the wash as they were a little dirty, but this would also kill any random ticks or poison ivy toxins. I am grateful for a washer in our apartment. Neither of us is bothered by poison ivy, but we are trying to be pro active.

Paula

Garage Sale Over

Hello,

Only two people stopped by the sale, so not much was sold. Most of it was not that big of a deal. It was hot almost immediately and even though we were in beautiful shade we did notice it. As Leroy says, “At least we have some things taken out of our house.” We promptly took them to the second hand store. Surely we feel lighter now. Leroy is going to advertize some of his bike things on the Internet and try that method of elimination. For instance, it would seem that no one knows what a bike truing stand is. Otherwise we did not have so many things listed to attract shoppers.

While Leroy minded the store I walked around the block this way and that seeking shade. The large old trees in the neighborhood do a good job of creating shelter. While I minded the store Leroy did a bit of walking as well.

We are going to take one more walk tonight to pick mulberries and black raspberries. That should get my steps up to 10,000. Hopefully it will be a little cooler, below 90, after we eat our evening meal. The humidity is quite high as well so it is a bit uncomfortable.

Leroy is excited because he was able to buy two stamp albums from the local stamp club. I suspect when that Leroy guy has more time on his agenda, stamps will consume a part of it. I keep wondering what will happen to these stamps when he can no longer take care of them. I know I do not want to take it on. But I guess it is a great hobby for the time being. There are certainly many other things he could be interested in that would make less sense to me.

Paula

Yard Sale

Hello,

Leroy and I are as ready for the yard/garage sale as we can be. It will be in the front yard because that side of the house gets more traffic both by foot and car. We have a rather paltry amount of stuff, but we are hoping to make at least six sales. How is that for a low goal?

I did look in the kitchen cupboards and added a few more things. I also added some more clothes, but we still do not have many clothes. Most of the things will not come back into our possession but will be passed on as best we can figure out how to do that. We are also open to the idea of bargaining to encourage a purchase.

The yard sale signs and the price stickers were not to be found when I looked in the places I remembered placing them last week. I even went out and wailed to Leroy, “I can’t find those things I purchased just for this sale.”

He almost laughed, but then offered a word of sympathy. At last I looked in the spot where most of the garage sale items were stored and there they were waiting in this logical place.

If one can believe the weather prediction it is not to rain tomorrow. We have two beautiful shade trees to be under so it seems all will be good. There are more things we will get rid of when we know where we are moving in a couple years. Now some things are kept with the thought that it might be needed. “It might be needed” is very seductive when one is trying to eliminate items.

Paula

Day Off

Hello,

Right after breakfast, I was on the path to pick more mulberries. No one seems to want them besides me and the birds. There about four trees that I frequent. Some have larger berries than other trees. The last tree has small berries, but probably the most. It is a bit strange because they do not come off the tree so easily, requiring a pull which sometimes means smashed. The last tree is also an issue because it is seems to have a flock of bugs that like to hang out in the area. It is a bit lower in the ditch and perhaps that appeals to them. The breezes more easily touch the others which are on higher ground. It would have been nice if Miriam’s family could be here to help pick. The buckets would have been much fuller. As it was the bugs won the day and I quit a bit early.

After finishing my devotions I headed off to a local church where summer meals are served. I was working the dining room today. People of all ages attend, but there are a number of children as well. My church helps with this for three weeks in the summer. I am able to come for two of the Wednesdays. The meals are a help to people. Some helping people from the church are there all week. Makes me feel a bit like a wimp because I could help on Friday, but that is my shopping day.

Leroy and I will participate in the neighborhood garage sales on Saturday. We do not have so much to sell, but I hope some of it moves into someone else’s house. Between the two of us we have made a list so we do not forget to put something out. The sale is actually for three days, but we both work Thursday. Leroy works on Friday and I cannot handle it by myself. I would surely need to use the bathroom and could not leave things by themselves. So Saturday it is!

Paula

Busy At Work

Hello,

Sometimes I wonder why I feel so busy at work. Usually the people count tells a story. Saturday is usually a quieter day so I had planned to do quite a lot of cataloging. It mostly did not happen. When I wrote the count down at the end of the day, learned that 95 people had been in during my seven hour shift. During the week when there are many programs going on the foot traffic is often more than 200 persons. One thing about those times is that there are usually at least two of us working and sometimes three. A small town library can be a vibrant place. I am happy to be working there. It gives me such a sense of purpose.

A week or so ago, I had catalogued a number of books as had my boss. The holes on that shelf had gotten bigger, but there were still a number of items that required attention. When I came on Saturday, all the holes were filled with another shipment of new items, mostly books. If someone has requested books, they are catalogue first. Then I move on to the books that are just newly released.

I have to confess that I put the harder to catalogue items aside so I can get something off the shelf more quickly. It is not so much fun to think about doing those things which do not have records easily found. It might take me 10-15 minutes do process a book for which I can find the record. If I cannot find the record it will take more like 30 minutes. As you can see, more books move when I do the easy stuff. Patrons seem to be drawn to the newer items so that is my rational for doing it this way.

Paula

Things To Think About

Hello,

Last week when getting my hair cut, I learned that the person cutting my hair worked a second job. For two nights of the week she spent the night in a juvenile home keeping watch over the children, making sure they were ok and that they were not trying to run away. She had gotten off work at 4:30 am and arrived to cut hair at or before 9:00 am. That sounds like a lot of time at work to me, but she also sounded so committed to helping these children navigate this part of their lives.

A family of four children comes to the library for almost all of the summer programming. We have never seen the parents. The oldest daughter seems to be in charge and she is old enough at 16. These children are so “needy” always asking for this and that. They will certainly get every prize that it is possible for them to acquire. They do not believe in waiting their turn or letting anyone get ahead of them. We, as a staff, have become quite tired of dealing with them even though we feel concern for them. It seems as if they are raising themselves.

After putting a new book in the system I called the person who had requested it. The woman asked, “What book is it?”

She burst out laughing when I told her the title, “Super Diaper Baby 2: the invasion of the potty snatchers.”

Later I was there when her husband came to check out the book. When he saw the title he also burst out laughing. It was great to spread joy with one book without anyone reading the book. I did a lot of smiling.

Paula

More Fruit

Hello,

I picked strawberries again Tuesday morning. We got enough that we can put as many as we want on our oatmeal or yogurt. This afternoon I picked more mulberries. Those have joined the others in the freezer. Leroy helped someone weed and harvested, cleaned, cut, and froze some rhubarb. That will be a quick treat when Sarah’s family comes at the end of July. At least she used to like the combination of the two fruits. We like the sweet/tart combination.

After work, I will pick strawberries tomorrow and Saturday. It is so nice to have this bonus from the earth.

One thing I regret is that I am getting on the bike not at all after the first time this spring. The time to do that keeps going to some other project.

In spite of the clouds and prediction of rain Leroy rode his bike this morning. It was an ok ride and it now appears the ride home will be just fine as well.

Just what takes up so much of my time, I am not sure, but I seem to have declared a moratorium on cleaning. It only gets done when the dirt gets deep. Because I do not tolerate clutter things stay neat.

One thing about all the fresh veggies and fruit, prep time increased. Just pouring something out of a container is definitely quicker, but I still value fresh from the ground.

Paula

Mulberries

Hello,

This afternoon Leroy and I went out to pick mulberries. Neither of our families ate mulberries even though they lived where they grew in abundance. We thought about the last time Miriam’s family was here. I guess they liked the berries, but I know that they, especially Andy and Nora, liked picking them. Those two climbed the fence and the tree to the point where I was concerned for their safety. I believe they thought it was an adventure.

Today we stayed firmly on the ground and got almost ¾ of a gallon. It was quite fine picking. We stopped before we gathered all that were possible. Leroy especially wanted to get home because he had worked all morning and is working again this evening. A nap was calling, but before the nap he washed and cleaned all of the berries. I put them on cookie sheets in the freezer. Just a bit ago they rolled into a zip lock bag from which we can retrieve them in the winter.

Leroy and I like them on our morning oatmeal and yogurt snacks. They add a nice touch of sweetness. Some years I have had rhubarb and will make a rhubarb mulberry crisp with almost no added sugar because the mulberries are so sweet. I did not freeze any rhubarb this year, hence no crisp.

We are blessed to harvest this fruit that almost no one else wants. If you can believe everything you read on the Internet, we know that they have multiple health benefits including iron which is rare in fruits. Seems to me many valuable foods are passed up by much of the USA citizenry. Too much work, not marketable, or no one knows about it?

Paula 

Outdoor adventures

Hello,

This morning early I hung out clothes. It seemed like it might rain, but it did not. Most things dried except for a few that had thicker spots. That was all good.

In the afternoon I drove to Ely to pick service berries. Unfortunately the birds beat me to all but a handful. When I had checked on Thursday after work, I thought Saturday would be the best time. Wrong. Hungry birds do not wait for total ripeness. It was cool because I saw a bird eating away in the top of the tree. It gave a clear view of how it stretched to get the entire berry in its mouth. I decided it was ok because birds get hungry too and they cannot go to the grocery store to buy anything.

Another friend said, “Come pick our strawberries while we are gone.”

They also were not quite as plentiful as I had thought they might be. I wonder if someone else is also picking although she had not mentioned it. They are delicious. It is like the finest thing to have these strawberries fresh from the vine. I thought about my childhood. I enjoyed them then too, but certainly grumbled about the work involved. Now I am just grateful.

Tonight I decided to take a long walk even thought the air was still, however the dark clouds were quite high. Later lower clouds blew in as well as some thunder and lightning. When I was about four or five blocks I left the bike/walking trail and took to the sidewalk because it would be shorter. When I was three blocks away the rain started coming down. I picked up the pace. As the drops became larger and more profuse I even started to run from time to time. First I covered my pocket which held the phone and finally I doubled the pocket over to put more fabric between the phone and the rain. I was so happy to step onto the porch where I paced back and forth to help my heart rate come down in a more normal beat.

Paula

Catalpa Trees

Hello,

The catalpa trees are blooming. Some of the blossom clusters were blown off allowing a very careful look at the beauty of the flower. Unfortunately, they did not survive long in a vase. Apparently they prefer the tree. It is wonderful to look out at the tree in the back yard. It is not so tall, but still towers above the garage. It is like having a bouquet right outside. Two doors away there is another in back and a twin in the front. Both of those trees are old and reaching for the heavens. I thought they might be 60 feet tall. According to the internet, the source of all facts, they can grow to 70 feet but usually it is about 50 feet. These trees are much taller than any of the three story houses they shade. It seems so amazing to have such a tall tree with such beautiful flowers on it. Most of the flowering trees that I know are much shorter.

I remember counting the catalpa trees within a few blocks. It was quite a nice number. Obviously someone else must have liked them. Some people do not like the pods they produce, but I think that is a small price to pay for the gorgeous flowers and large shading leaves. At least the pods are only demanding a pick up at one time of the year. When they are gone, they are gone.

The flowers fall, but they just disintegrate without requiring any human work. Somehow they must contribute to the ecosystem. I did see that a certain caterpillar likes to eat the catalpa leaves. Apparently people who fish like that caterpillar for bait. Left on its own the caterpillar munches the leaves before tuning into a moth.

The Monarch caterpillar at the library was in a J shape before making a chrysalis on Monday. The chrysalis was there on Tuesday. Great to be on the front viewing stage for such wonders.

Paula

Purse Backpack

Hello,

Daughter Sarah has had a purse backpack for years and liked it. I had looked from time to time, but they are not so easy to find. Now, Sarah is even onto her second bag.

I am not much into purses or bags to carry over a shoulder. Now those backpack bags are becoming a bit more main stream. Finally I bought a cheaper as it was on clearance. I do like having it, especially when shopping, because I can mostly forget about it on my back. My purse would get flopped in a shopping cart where I might really not pay much attention to it. Now I figure it is considerably “safer” on my back. It is also quite handy when carrying a load of something else because I can manage more things without difficulty.

There are only two problems with this bag. The first is that this does not have as many secure pockets as I like. There is only one zippered pocket inside. The outside zipper pocket is not very large and holds only my keys. I know that the pricier bags have some very nice pockets. One person who came to the library kindly showed me hers, but when I looked it up on line the price was a bit more than I wanted to spend. Now when this one gets old, I feel more inclined to spend the money for the pocketed bag.

The second problem is that sometimes I have to use the restroom when out and about. Since I forget about this bag on my back, I have leaned back and caused the toilet to flush while I am still seated. That is not my idea of a fun time, but do not complain because it is a small thing. Usually I laugh, so maybe it is fun even if a bit startling.

Paula

Bike Ride

Hello,

Today, I took my first bike ride this spring/summer. I am ashamed that it took so long to get this done, but glad that it is done. We rode about ten miles this morning. The great thing is that I feel quite good. Some body parts still work.

Leroy did have to wait for me from time to time, but that is not bad. He no longer has a bike computer so he does not know how much he has ridden this spring. Rather he has the computer, but the holder and sensors are on the stolen bike. He had hoped to find a good replacement sale, but has not seen one yet.

He is going to get another set of handlebars on his current bike. This will allow him to sit more upright. His hands fall asleep because he puts too much pressure on them when riding. Hopefully this will solve the problem. Unfortunately his bike is in the shop until Wednesday because they had to order the part. He will also get a kick stand. Not having one means the bike has fallen over a few times, once his review mirror broke. He has also gotten grease from the chain on his pants so that requires some extra care to remove. Soon this bike will be just the way he wants it to be.

The only thing that is sad is that my Fitbit does not record bike riding so it looks as if I have hardly moved today. Oh, well we are going to a 40^th anniversary party this afternoon. Perhaps in the evening I can get in some more steps.

Paula

48 Years Together

June 5, 2019

Hello,

How did so many years go by without us realizing that it was such a long time? It takes some contemplation to figure out the speed of time; sometimes fast, sometimes slow and sometimes just medium. Perhaps time indeed flexible as the Laotian told us. He was giving some advice on how best to interact with the Laotian refugees that we sponsored back in the early 1980s.

Leroy and I certainly have a history together. Amazing to think that history is longer shared than when we were single. Now if we could just figure out next steps we would be making progress, toward what I am not sure, but it would be good together.

When I think back over the time we have had, much of it could not be foreseen for any length of time before it happened. We seem to do well with quick decisions. This does not fit the picture of two staid people plodding along steadily. Instead we have been more like butterflies flitting about trying this and that, but not the usual thing.

I have to confess that I had earlier, about a week ago, thought about today being our anniversary, but today I did not realize it until Leroy texted me, from work, to wish me Happy Anniversary. Perhaps a calendar reminded him of the day. We are not so good at this celebration stuff. I am going to make a pizza since he commented about two days ago that he would like one. I had to buy tofu so now I am set for the feast. I’ll bet you did not know that tofu was necessary for pizza.

Paula

Amazing Compliment

Hello,

Today in church, an older man (I think that means he is older than I am old.) tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You have beautiful hair. I have been sitting here looking at it and I enjoyed that so much.”

I was totally unaware that such a thing could be. I told him, “It comes from God and the humidity.”

Now I suspect I should have added that a good cut helps too. I too have thought my hair looked especially nice, as it seems that the humidity was doing a good job getting the curls right.

I was personally expecting a compliment on the dress that I was wearing, because I thought it looked rather nice, but no one said a word about it. Just shows that I do not have a clue what is going on in the mind of anyone.

Could hair get better with age? I do not feel the same about my face. In fact, when a friend commented that she did not like doing phone calls that involved video because she noticed a fresh crop of wrinkles, I laughed. I have noticed the name things, but never told anyone. Perhaps it is holding the phone so close to the face, causing too much of a glimpse of the landscape. Because of family we still do these video calls, but I try not to look at me so much and look at the other person more.

Paula