Closer to Well

Hello, Leroy felt well enough to go to the grocery store this morning. When he got home, he said, “I am good, just weak and worn out.” He did manage to make lunch and wash dishes. I am grateful he is able to do these things. I am not quite in the same position. I seem to have achy areas as well as not so peppy. I am a few days behind him. Also, he told me he never felt achy. Lucky guy! My fever is gone and I a grateful for that. Now I feel a bit cool. I will go sit in the sun for a while. It just sounds very nice. I am doing another action team of getting diversity books for little free libraries. My package came yesterday. Today, I ordered the books. That has taken about all of my stamina. I can tell I am not well because I totally forgot about my house plants being outside when the temperatures have gotten down to high 30’s or low 40’s. Usually I am bringing them onto the porch at least. They all seem to be surviving my neglect. They will have to come in soon, but I do not have the energy to clean them up now. Usually there is a bit of dirt on them as well as spiders making a home there. Paula

Sick at this house

Hello, Yesterday, as he coughed, Leroy declared I do not feel well. He cancelled his supply preaching engagement for today. By the time he went to bed he had a slight fever. This morning he tells me that he got a terrible headache in the night. Today he feels better, but not well. He did a home covid test with a negative result. Covid has certainly put a different spin on being sick. I believe more people in the county are staying home when they do not feel well. Leroy tested positive for Covid on Monday and I did today. He is mostly taking care of me. Paula

Gas Buying Adventures

Hello, Once again, the gas station that is off my list had a good gas price. Since I go past them it is difficult to pass by. I was lured in. This time it accepted my credit card without fuss. At the gas pumping step, it refused to give me any gas. I tried the entire routine again still no gas flowing into my car. I went into the station where the woman cashier quizzed me on the steps. I was able to answer each question in the affirmative. She did not know why, but suggested I do it all again. I did that, but then just left this place. Because I was going home through different streets, I saw another station with the same low price so I stopped there. This station had some new displays. However, after putting in my credit card I pulled it out only to see a display that said to wait until told to remove it. Sigh! Usually, one must get the card out soon or it won’t work. I dutifully started over and made it to a later place in the process where it just beeped at me with nothing in the display. I canceled that. Then I moved on to my debit card because it is a tap card and this could handle that. Again, it got hung up on the beeping. It seemed my only choice was to use my credit card inside and get a specific amount charged to it. This kind woman told me she could do that or she could come out and show me how. Guess I look old enough to be clueless. I asked if she would come out and help me learn. At the pump she could not get it to work because there was not the proper display. She had me move to another pump where she walked me through the steps, many of which I had done before. She also came to a point where it was just beeping at her. We then went inside and she charged a set amount that I hoped would cover the purchase. It did just that and my gas tank filled. Do you hear me? I am not going to stop at that first gas station again. Do you believe me? Paula

Missing plans for some time off

Hello, Once plans change it is easy to fill up the time. After cancelling our few days away, Leroy and I are both working our usual schedule. Plus, he is attending one study at church and I will be at two. We are also going to church choir. I am reading one of my book club books. I had thought I might not finish it, but should be able to now. Why is it that relaxing is far down on the list or nonexistent? Leroy tells me he feels I do not know how to relax. That could be true. I figured out how to use the church phone app to sign up for an event and pay for it. Not relaxing, but satisfying in the end. Pleased I made it to the end. On the way home from church this morning I saw some red color, deep in the tomato cage. One of the neighbors by the garden told us that he thinks people are picking the tomatoes when they are not ripe. We have not harvested any large ripe tomato from this garden. This red was on a plant that has smaller tomatoes, about cherry size. I managed to get out quite a few, but it was a struggle requiring some serious maneuvering. Because I was hungry, no snack, I ate some of these sun warmed fruits and they were quite refreshing. They will make a nice addition to our salads in our lunches. Leroy rode his bike again today. I should ask him how many steps he has now. He missed one day, but has gotten his 10,000 all the other days. I envy him because his bike riding counts as steps. It is good for him so that is fine. Paula

Time disappears

Hello, I worked four days last week and that filles up my week very fast. On the days when I am home, there is cooking, cleaning and volunteering. Leroy helps with all those tasks or at least I boss him around. There is not a lot of time for sitting around and contemplating the world. Last night we had tickets to the symphony at a manor house near our home. It was rainy much of the day. In the cloudy day we watered plants at home and at the church because it was just a little rain. We dutifully trotted off up hill carrying lawn chairs to this musical event that is more than half a mile from our house. After feeling a bit of moisture on our faces we were ready to cross the street when a car pulled up, the driver put down his window, asked “Are you going to Brucemore for the concert?” At our positive response, he informed us, “It has been cancelled.” We turned around, but did not notice many people heading away from the venue. We called a friend who had gone there early because they eat there, “It is still happening, we are still here.” Once again, we turned and headed up the hill. After two more blocks we did see some people coming our direction. Another car stopped at the intersection to tell us that it had been cancelled. Another turn around, we were on the way home when our friend called to tell us the news, plus another person had seen us walking and called to tell us it was cancelled. It is supposed to happen tonight, but we have seen that there are to be thunderstorms tonight. Hopefully we will know something before we head up the hill. Paula

Giving

Hello, Last night Leroy and I had fresh green beans from the community garden. They were quite tasty, but getting old. Leroy, who was off work picked them. When he said there were quite a few more, I felt we should pick them before it was too late. At the garden we picked the rest of the beans which were not quite as plentiful as on the plants he had picked from, but we still got a meal or so. We also found a number of cucumbers. Some of which were definitely full grown. There was some very nice broccoli. We were discussing what to do with all those cucumbers, but luckily on the way home we saw three people out. They took every cucumber that we had and half of the broccoli. What a deal! We both felt so good about that. It also lightened our load. On that day off Leroy swept up the elm seeds from the sidewalk. I have probably done this three times this fall, but Leroy tells me that he had about a third to a half of a big bucket. This tree is trying to make sure it reproduces itself. Black walnuts are falling and Leroy is collecting those. I wish we had a better way to get the hulls off. My family used to use an old corn sheller. Leroy puts on gloves and uses his hands. I would not bother even though we like them. Both of us will be working tomorrow. I had forgotten that I needed to work another Saturday before one of my coworkers does that most of the time. I will also be working four days next week because two of my coworkers will be at some meetings and we two remaining workers are needed to cover one of the days I am usually home. My extra work is done because of the need to help out rather than to earn more money even though I will earn more money. Paula

Where does time go?

Hello, I find my days are full of this and that. However, I wonder how important is that or this? Just now I got the mail and spent some unplanned 20 minutes looking at it. So that is how time is used. Besides doing the things I intended to do. I am beginning to look forward to retirement, when I should gain 21 hours per week plus driving time. People who are already retired tell me they do not have any additional spare time in fact, many of them feel they are busier. Wow! This morning I hung out a load of clothes, watered plants at church, attended a study, walked home, ate lunch, made and baked granola, brought the clothes in, put mine away, and now I am writing to you. That uses a good bit of my day off. Tonight, we have church choir practice. I should be reading my book for book club as we meet next Monday which will come soon enough. On the way home from church I realized that a tree at the end of our block had been cut down. That stabbed my heart a little. I cannot remember noticing that it was damaged from the derecho, but maybe I missed something on it. Every tree now seems precious and important. Our fall sedum is starting to bloom. It pleases me to see bumble bees enjoying a food source. There are some black flies that do not thrill me, but surely, they have some purpose in the world. Paula

Booking Travel

Hello, We are going on a cruise from Athens to Istanbul. We need to book our excursions this afternoon. Our travel friends, who have done more trips with this company, were able to complete the choices. We hope to be able to pick the same outings, but we will see and deal with whatever. Seniority does help in some situations. We are traveling in November and now that seems close. We are certainly looking forward to that. We are also going to spend some time together in Springfield, IL at the end of this month. October is still free, but we are talking to Brian about coming to get some honey from him. He harvested about twice as much honey this year as he did last year. Apparently, it was a good year for the bees. Someday I would like to see how he does some of that bee work. Yesterday we visited a park that is somewhat close to us. We picked up a friend and walked with her on the trails, admiring the sculptures and flowers, both wild and tame. Leroy had said he would not aim to get 10,000 steps after he got it for four months. However, he has managed to keep it up for a few more days. He did help me clean the last four windows. The bat was not to be seen so Leroy even cleaned the bat poop off the outside window ledge. So far that poop is my only complaint about the presence of the bat. Paula

Riches Abound

Hello, We are rich. We have cars that need washing. Leroy got some free car wash coupons when some work done on the car. We went this morning. In the wash it was like a new kind of ride. We have never been in a car wash with the same brushes or whatever you might call these long strips sliding over the car. I guess the car was clean, I did not check. We did do the free vacuum. That unit had much more suction than we are used to. It devoured a quarter before I realized I was close to it. Wonder if vacuums are checked for loose change. We stopped at a grocery store on the way home. We argued a little about whether to buy this or that, but the real deal is that we had the money for either or both. Certainly, it is different than when we had children at home. In those days I looked carefully at the options and whether there was money to cover that purchase. Leroy thinks I have become extravagant. The bat came back yesterday. It is the hot days, I believed, that bring it to the screen where the air can circulate around it. Yesterday it was quite hot. That thought is not scientific research as today when it was much cooler it was once again on the screen although tucked up in a corner. What a gift to have this wonderful visitor. Riches indeed. I stopped to get gas at the station I do not like because it had a very low price. It did not accept or read my credit card so I left rather than argue with it all. That is a rich move too as I could pay more at another station and save my struggle. Today Leroy got gas for that same low price at another station. Gasoline prices are a moving target and it is not wise to get too concerned about them as they go up or down in the blink of an eye. Paula