What to Pack

Hello, We buy a cheaper ticket when we go to Miriam’s because we store a box of clothing at her house. I am still wondering what to pack because I seem to have gathered some things that I just “need”. Need and want are a sticky place to get caught when not honest with myself. I washed almost all of the laundry in the house today. It was nice in the afternoon so I hung out larger items. All smaller things such as socks dried in the house. It was still cold to have bare hands outside. It is so much easier to hang out clothes without wearing gloves. We had forgotten to get a devotion booklet at church. That was going to be my afternoon walk, but Leroy picked up a copy when he was at church for bible study. I took another walk and got some steps dealing with the clothes. I will have to step some more to get to my goal. Paula

Windy and shopping

Hello, We went to stores this morning. Leroy needed to exchange a pair of leather work gloves that were a bit snug for him even though they were size large. Luckily there were some extra-large on the shelf so he did fine. We still have some money in gift cards. After a few trips up and down aisles we decided to go to the next store where we also have a gift card. Decisions are not good for us. We again left without getting anything. I am more of a need shopper than a want shopper so that might be a hold up in the process. The wind was listed as 30 miles per hour. We certainly did not dispute that. It was quite daunting to be out by the stores where the wind had free reign of the parking lots. I talked Leroy into going into the mall which was close so we could get some more steps. There were a number of people who had the same idea. It is not as nice as walking outside on a good day, but certainly more comfortable than being out today. We did take a short walk outside this afternoon. It was great to come inside. I still need over 1500 steps, but Leroy is finished since he is watching TV and walks at the same time. I had expected to walk to church today, but that will be better another day. It is so nice to live in a house that is warm. Also, nice to have a car that blocks the wind and has a heater that works. What luxuries we live with. Paula

One Christmas party

Hello, Leroy’s “Office” party was last night at a coworker’s home. There were no cars parked on the street so we thought we were much too early, but found that people could park in the back. I was anxious about going because I really do not know many of his coworkers anymore. There are many new people now. I think he said there are only five who were there when he first came. I actually enjoyed myself a bit as I found people to talk to that I could relate to. That has not always happened. Can you imagine these couples were a little older than some, not older than us, is anyone older than we are? But they had some life experience. There were also two couples there who were vegetarians so that was interesting. One of the couples had lived in Utah for a few years. Because they were military people, they really did not know the state very well as the base was their home. One other couple had a son who was a minister. We have another Christmas party tomorrow afternoon. I am not anxious about this one because I will know most of the people there and so feel much more comfortable. It is for the church choir and their neighbors. Paula

Black Candles?

Hello, Leroy went on shopping errands. One task was to get two more advent candles plus the Christ candle which is white for the middle of the wreath. He came home with two black candles and one white. He was tired from working all day and there were a lot of people in the store. He thought he had picked up two dark blue candles only to see in the light by the check out that they were actually black. He had stood in line for a while and did not want to give up his spot so he just bought them. He explained, “They will burn up fast.” Those candles are in the wreath burning fast. Think about how we use color words to denote certain conditions. White for purity. The black hatted cowboy hinted he was a bad guy. True blue denotes strength and sticking to the correct stance. A black heart is no good. Yet black creates good outlines. Black and white are in contrast which is actually very helpful at times. Is there a significance to the color candles in the advent wreath. They used to be three purple and one pink. Now many of them switched the purple for blue. Some wreaths have all red candles. Getting different color candles was probably not worth the hassle for already harassed Leroy. Instead, it creates thinking about the meaning of candle colors, life, and where we put our emphasis. Paula

Tai Chi

Hello, Our tai chi leader is on vacation so I lead the heart healthy moves at the beginning of our class while another guy leads the forms. While the rest were doing the forms, I spent time working with a person new to the class. It is nice that two people are comfortable taking over the lead. If this could not happen, I guess that class would be cancelled. As often happens with a person new to Tai Chi, he was a bit overwhelmed by that fact that the rest of us know what we are doing most of the time. It is hard to start something and feel so far behind. I first did tai chi 23 years ago. They showed me a little of the beginning of one form and then just had me follow along as best as I could. After a break of many years I was in a place to join another group. They did the form a little differently, but again I could just follow along and adjust as best as I could. It worked. Now there is a new place and a new leader again the form is slightly different, but I have adapted. It certainly helps me to feel better and more flexible. What a good thing that is, to relax into it. With an older memory that can take a long time to feel comfortable and easy. It will be great to have our leader back next week. I’m always happy to have him take over. Each place that I have been, the beginning moves have been different. So that is nice to learn some new things. At Holden Village another couple was into another series of movements. The important thing is to move all parts of your body so it can continue to preform for you on a daily basis. Paula

Issues of the day

Hello, We must be trying to write the world’s best Christmas letter, because neither of us thinks the results are good. Maybe today we can get it at least good enough to finalize it. Nothing funny comes to mind to include to make it light hearted. Were we too focused on the serious? I went to the Doctor for a check up and my blood pressure was not good. It was much better when I checked it at home, but not at first. Before I went home, I made a stop at the social security office. I can say I have always had good service at this local office. It was to deal with my supposed lack of income for 2019. This guy noticed that the wrong box had been checked on my W 2. It looks like it was retirement income instead of working income. Maybe this will solve the problem. Who knew such a little check mark could make such a difference? Then on the way home I was almost in the middle of an intersection when a car turning left pulled in front of me. I am grateful for the good brakes and tires on the car. It made a bit of noise, but stopped in time. True I was also in a left turn lane, but it was marked that one should be there to get on the interstate, but not until the next light. I will be more careful next time. Or maybe I will just go a different way. Certainly, that must have raised my blood pressure. Paula

Strong Wind?

Hello, I had forgotten to go to the post office for stamps. So, we went today. They were certainly busy with many people waiting. The guy who helped us was quite patient and cheerful. We wanted quite a number of stamps so it took some decisions to get the job done. There were a lot of commemoratives to choose from. The wind was commented on by one of us. Our house is in a more sheltered place. On the way home we stopped at a grocery store that had a great sale on organic honey crisp apples. We managed to purchase several other things that were on sale. Now I have to figure out where to store all this stuff efficiently. Again, the wind was commented on. After lunch we took a long walk. The wind seemed even stronger and the temperatures had dropped. I noticed white stuff in the air. It took a while for Leroy to see it too, but then it became quite noticeable and almost seemed like sleet as it struck our small areas of bare skin. It was wonderful to come back home. The furnace is thankfully working. We will not be going out for another walk as we can walk in this space to get the steps we want. I just finished reading, The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. She writes historical fiction. I have enjoyed her other books and this one also appealed to me. Again, I learned a lot. I had never heard of the Mitford sisters. Paula

Hanging out Clothes

Hello, Well, clothes were on the line today and if it is nice another load will be out tomorrow. Clothes lines are such a great invention. How wonderful that they are still acceptable in some locations. I managed to get a lot of steps going back and forth. Leroy rode his bike today. But might drive tomorrow since he has an early morning appointment and does not know how long that will take. These days make it easier to get in some nice long walks. The mask is on my face to protect my nose from the sun. Those saved face masks have come in handy. Guess they will hang around longer. There was a little breeze today and that was quite refreshing. Paula

Gift Giving

Hello, I find gift giving to not be my skill. Other people seem to do so well, knowing just the perfect thing. My family did not exchange luxury gifts, but leaned more to the practical. However, I remember the feeling of being able to give my mother a “pop up toaster”. We three children pooled our money to be able to do that. Our old toaster was a type where the doors on both sides came down and there was no automatic to it. It had to be watched to determine when the bread was toasted on one side, the bread turned and toasted on the other side. Frequently the bread burned as my mother worked doing other things to get a meal on the table. My mother would be moved to swear or curse, not too much. It would scare me as she fumed about the smoke in the house along with the wasted bread. Jewels might have been nice, but the automatic toaster was much appreciated. Even though these were not luxury items they almost become that when there is no money to be used for such an article when you already have one that works. Most of the people I gift today do not really need anything. I am then at sea in a possibility of hundreds of things to get, but what would be best? Or then there is the case of Leroy, many of the things he might want are best procured by himself because I do not know what is right such as stamps for his collection. Paula

Accomplishments

Hello, It may sound crazy, but blowing my nose for the first time in three weeks was quite satisfying. It was not painful! I have been wiping my nose or heaven forbid snuffing, which is not as fruitful an effort. Last night we put the gel strip on my nose to aid with healing the scar. Leroy helped to get the size right. It is very sticky stuff and the first attempt was not quite right so it had to be pulled up, followed by a second attempt that was also a little off. It was noticeable when extracted, but not painful. Course the spot touching was very small. After reading the directions on the package rather than from the nurse, I groaned. It needs to come off after four hours. The other instructions talked about 12 hours. Luckily, I get up to go to the bathroom from time to time so I took it off at three hours. I will put it on before bed tonight so I can tend to it in a timelier manner. The strips are to be washed and reused so the recommendation is to alternate the use. What to do with them when they are sitting around? Also, how will I take them to Utah for Christmas? I will need to use them for months. Then there is that Panama Canal cruise coming up. Somethings get complicated. Grateful that this is all available to me. At church someone was talking about a place she traveled to and people do not have even a pain pill available. Rather the pills are so expensive they cannot get them. We are rich indeed. I ordered some Christmas gifts for our family in DC. I could not get the address to change to theirs for delivery, but chatting online with an agent got the job done. Grateful for that too. Paula

Favorites

Hello, Who knew I would have a favorite pen, eraser, font, or place to sit? There was a time when it was easier to just manage with whatever was around. Now I spend a little time searching for just the right item. Many people have favorite authors. This is especially true of those who write in series. People wait impatiently for the next book in the series. Am I becoming one of those people? It is much harder to find a book to read when the new ones are not going across my desk. That certainly allowed me to get an idea of what was appealing to me. It is so nice to go to a book club and listen to the opinions of others. We read “Catcher in the Rye.” This book did not appeal to me even the third time. Some there liked it quite a lot. After listening to their reasons, it changed my attitude towards the book, but not enough to read it again. My favorite garden is now becoming kale from the garden in December. These plants have all of my admiration with their tenacity.

Paula

Good Concert

Hello, There was mist in the air and the weather report talked about a winter mix for much of the evening. We drove instead of walking. The concert had been sold out so we made sure to park in an out of the way place. We can easily find those since we spend so much time in that area. The audience was enthusiastic which heightens the performance. I even sang almost all of the “ds” in the Hallelujah chorus. With so many voices it was easy not to over sing thus protecting the voice. It was over quickly, at least that is how it felt. Leroy heard that the concert is posted on line, but he could not find it. A more specific location might help. This morning there was snow on the grass, but not on the sidewalks. The walk to church was on alert, but it went fine with only one slippery place found. Paula

Kale yet?

Hello, This afternoon on a check at the community garden, kale was discovered to be thriving or at least not frozen. May not grow much more, but there are some edible leaves there. The small second cabbage head growth is also looking quite fine. Even the rainbow and Swiss chard look like they could keep growing. The low temperature at our house was 9 degrees F. Can you imagine that the plants can survive that? It is quite amazing. Today it was almost 49 degrees. Leroy rode his bike yesterday and again today. Apparently yesterday, the ice in certain spots was quite exciting, but he did not fall. He’s hoping that there was enough melt yesterday to make it much better today. He is not working today, but volunteering at the museum Christmas Mart. Is this guy tied up at work or what? He plans to retire in the spring, but can he make the break? Last night we had dress rehearsal for our concert tonight. Somehow Leroy and I barely managed to be on time. We are usually early. Tonight, we will be ahead of time. Paula

Like Shopping?

Hello, Leroy and I went shopping this morning. We did fairly well when looking for things that we knew were on the list. We have some gift cards. There are either a lot of things we would like to get but, do we want to move them in a year or two? Most of our time was spent wandering around the store discussing this and that. We left with nothing. Should we make a list and prioritize the possibilities? It is hard to know. It was also windy and cold walking to and from the store to the car. We were glad to go home. Several of books have come in for the little free libraries. It was a chore to figure out if more of them are coming. Some titles are duplicated and the list was quite long. More will be coming, but I am not sure how many. This morning in the 33-degree temperatures, we hung out bedding plus a few other things. Some dried and some did not. The high temperature was only 36, but a nice wind blew away much moisture. I may not repeat that until a time of warmer temperatures. Paula

Music Day

Hello, The study at church this morning was on Mary’s song in the bible. That was followed by lunch in the loft which is an organ concert. I did not eat in the church except for an apple to give myself some energy for the walk home. It was quite nice out today. That is so welcome along with the sunshine. Tonight, there is a church service which always incorporates some music. That will be followed by choir practice. We also had practice last night. This Saturday evening, we will sing parts of Handel’s Messiah with a local choral group. It is fun to sing with so many. Last week, I gathered CDs that I no longer listen to. The half price store gave me just a paltry sum for them. Next time they will just be donated to another place. We plan to move in about a year and a half so it is important to lighten the load. Some books also went out of the house. For some reason I seldom listen to music, but just have silence and motors running around me. Classical music is a favorite, but then it seems I must stop everything and pay attention to it. Background music might be fine, but I do not want to go to the effort to seek it out. Paula

Are We Crazy

Hello, Yesterday when the temperature was below 20 F. I announced to Leroy, “I am going to the community garden and get the Brussel sprouts. I would like to have some help.” He agreed to come and we gathered large bags, a knife, and a saw. We took the car because there were at least four long tall plants to bring home. It was much too cold to try to get off the sprouts at the garden. Leroy pulled up one plant and then tried sawing off the root so we would not have so much dirt in the car. It was not working very well. It helped to go use the picnic table at the dorm next door. While he was sawing, I went to pull up the other three plants. The wind was howling across this space so we did not want to waste any time. It took bending, twisting, and pulling to get those sprout plants out of the ground. Leroy was still having some trouble sawing so when I finished the pulling, I held the plants allowing him to get good leverage on the situation. As soon as we were finished, we got those things in the garbage bags, in the car, and the heated seats on under our bottoms, not for the plants. At home, we put the garage bags in the shower to keep some of the debris confined to one area. I managed to pull off enough for supper. They were very mild, perhaps they had been frozen. We notified one other community garden person that we had them. She came and got two of the plants. I was so happy as each plant represented quite a bit of work to remove those sprouts. If they had been in my space, I would have felt obligated to try to save them. Leroy and I worked, alternating jobs to get that done. We got them off, cleaned and frozen before we were done. We just hope there is still some value in them. Paula

Snow

Hello, We had a bit of snow reminding us that more is coming. Leroy drove to work because of the cold. We remember when he would have ridden the bike in this temperature, but he has changed his standard. That is ok since I do not ride after it is below 50 degrees F. My ears hurt too much for that. I did get two walks in and some yoga besides. I have moved my body from time to time. Sitting is not good for me for too long. Although, I too notice the cold when I walk. Because they told me to cover my nose when out in the sun, I wear a face mask even if it is overcast. It keeps me warmer. Those stockpiled face masks are still good for something. It was also a good day to get some dusting and vacuuming accomplished. I feel good about that. Cleaning is not quite as regimented as it used to be for me. I grew up with the Saturday being the day for dusting, sweeping upstairs, vacuuming, and washing the kitchen floor. When we were old enough, my sister and I did much of it. I did the upstairs and she did the downstairs. There were no excuses for not doing cleaning. Leroy tells me he had some very interesting patrons and questions at the library today. It is something for people to go to when they have time off. Paula

Closed

Hello, Leroy went to get blood work done this morning, but the lab was closed. I walked to church, both for the excuse to walk and to learn what the lessons are for Sunday since I am reading them. Church was closed. It must be because Leroy is working that we figured everything would be open as well. He did tell me that there were not very many visitors to the museum library. I was able to pick up a prescription for Leroy, nice the pharmacy was open. Black Friday is not a time for me to shop. I do not like to go when there are many people around. Plus, I do not know what I would buy. Not much on my list. I am reading Catcher in the Rye for the church book club. It is a banned book. I suppose because of all the swearing in it and perhaps some sexual references. It was not a favorite when I read it before and it has not moved up on my list of must reads. Not sure I will even finish it this time. From time to time, I skip big groups of words so it will move a little faster. It is a classic, but perhaps it would help if someone told me what makes it a classic. Our flight schedule to Utah at Christmas has changed two times. Not so many minutes each time so it does not affect us very much. At least we are still going. Paula

Thanksgiving Day

Hello, Because we were not with family this year, we volunteered to help serve the meal at the homeless overflow shelter. I handed out napkins and silverware (plastic type). Leroy was handing out bottled water or sodas of several varieties for choices. Water was not very popular. Many of the people looked younger than I expected. Is that because I am getting older or because there really are a lot of homeless young people? Will they ever manage to get beyond this? Then I wonder what are the best ways to help them? Part of that is not knowing what they really need. We spoke some with the woman who is managing the place. She believes that there will be more homeless because of the shortage of affordable housing. This facility holds 70 men and 30 women, no children. There is another place that accommodates families. As the cold weather comes rooms will fill. The count is that there are about 300 homeless in the city. When we moved here the housing search was a struggle. Brian had told us what we should not pay above because of the amount of money that Leroy would be earning. I did not yet have a job. I can say that options were limited and many of the places were in poor condition. How do families manage? At that point Leroy was making twice the minimum wage. And some feel that they should not raise the wage level. Even twice that is barely enough. It seems that the goal is to keep people poor and dependent. What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? Not sure, but I am thankful that I have enough money and time to share with others. I missed being with family, but it is good to see others. The youngish guy we ate lunch with was quite well spoken, who knows why he is where he is. The two guys at our table talked about the library being closed tomorrow. I know that many go there to be warm during the day. The woman who ran this place said that she looked out earlier in the day and saw someone pick something up off the ground and eat it. Paula

Productive Day?

Hello, A walk and then some yoga moves helped to give me more energy. I had looked online for books for the little free libraries, but was not so very successful at that. A trip to the half price book store was all I could have hoped for and more. They had most of the books I wanted, but just not in this store. First, I spoke with a clerk who called the manager to help me. She was great. She was able to order every book for me except one. The shipping was less because she was ordering it and she gave me a coupon for 15% off. That helped me get more books. I got the hardback rather than the paperback because they are more visible when seen from the spine side. They will let me know when the books come in. She also told me I can come when there are some or all of them there. That is only a couple miles from my house and I can go the grocery store that is close so I am pleased. I will probably make more than one trip. The next task in my day was to order some silicone gel sheets to help with scaring on my nose. The paper work did not say if the gel was part of the sheet or not. Some mentioned getting a cream. The nurse, on call, told me not to get the cream as it is too messy. Those sheets are ordered and will come in a week. I can cut them to the size needed and reuse them. The supply is to last two months. I am directed to use them for three months, but I figure I can reorder when the time gets close. Another walk was added this afternoon. Too much sitting around is hard on me. Makes sitting around some more seem attractive, but I get bored. Moving is better for my mental health. Paula

Where to buy Books

Hello, With a list of good books in hand, the search of several book stores reveal that most of those books are not in local stores. Or there will be some in one store and not in others. It seemed simpler to just buy all the books for the little free libraries in the same place. That is what I have done in the past. But I went by that company’s list of appropriate books. This year someone gave me a list of books that they found popular with children and teachers alike. At one point that seemed like the best possibility. This is to be done by December 10, so there is time to do some searching and comparing prices. Easy is always so nice to have, but I can handle a little harder. Tai Chi was good this morning. I was so surprised to see someone who also had a spot taken off their nose with no covering and no stitches. It was done by the same doctor two days after my surgery. They only had one set of stitches and just a shorter distance. I had external and internal stitches. Leroy is working four days this week. His boss is taking the week off. Because Leroy only works three days, he notices an additional day. It was quite wet this morning so he drove, but we will walk to church tonight for choir. I took a walk this afternoon with a sun hat on because the sun is not to get to my nose. It was a bit chilly with the wind. When we go tonight it will be dark so I can just wear a stocking hat and hood if needed. Paula

Stitches Out

Hello, To get the stitches out, Leroy came in with me and asked a few great questions. I can sleep in any position that I like. I can resume regular activities. Steps are coming back. Stitches coming out should not be a concern, but the end of my nose was still a bit sensitive to any fussing. Not bad, but noticeable. There is still some tenderness in the area. The skin has come back together but is not completely healed. I will not go for a dental cleaning tomorrow but put that off for a month. As the hygienist said, “I will be as careful as I can, but I still have to pull on the skin some to reach the back teeth.”

No bandage or covering is needed so that is wonderful. I am to get some silicone gel strips to help with scaring. They are not available at any pharmacy around here so they will have to be ordered on line. With a friend, Leroy is going to get manure. That guy has a truck, but he wanted some help with getting it shoveled around. We are pleased with the idea of having it on the garden. Surely things will be more robust next year in our garden in front of the house and the community garden. Thank you calves. We could use some more canned green beans so I will walk to the local grocery and get some more as they are on sale. Paula

At Church

Hello, Well, I went to church with a mask on, but took it off when singing in the choir as it totally steamed up my glasses and put a little more stress on my nose. I left it off for the rest of the service. It felt good to get out of the house. I justified it by thinking if I had a bandage on my leg I would go and think not much of it. It is just that this is so out front. Tomorrow is one week and I get the stitches out. Yes! Leroy is still doing a good job cooking and washing dishes. Maybe I should hire him. I do help with the cooking and drying dishes. He is just doing the major portion of the chores. The thanksgiving cactus is beautiful. Could it be fine if I moved it to the living room where I would see it more than in the bedroom. It just responds so well to those windows. On the same side of the house, but in the office, I have two violets blooming. That side of the house is just relished by several plants. Perhaps I should put in bigger windows. Since the surgery, my eyes tend to be tired. Not sure what to do about that. I do rest them from time to time by having ice on my nose. I think TV is not quite so hard on them so I have learned to watch quite a lot instead of reading. Paula

Walking Around

Hello, Our morning walk which is just 1300 steps was a nice outing for me. I made sure my face was not exposed to the sun. Leroy has not walked much either so I am not sure he will get to 10000 steps. He is still doing a great job fixing meals and washing dishes. They told me not to do any dishwashing duty. I do put dishes away, but that does not seem like much work. Should I go to church tomorrow or not. I would like to get out, but I would not walk. Driving is fine. The choir sings, but I do not know if I will do that. Tomorrow is another day to decide. Our home phone is not working very well. When people call, they can not hear us even though we can hear them. A new phone did not improve the situation. Now the question is can this be fixed. We have not yet called the phone provider or the company that makes the phone. I think we should do that before we toss out the home phone. We know many people do not have one any more, but I am not quite ready to go down that path. All this fussing around is stressful for Leroy. It might be easier just to quite having a home phone. If we can not fix this problem I will accept the situation. Paula

Better Each Day

Hello, Leroy commented before he bandaged me up again that I looked better, not so red and swollen. That is good to know that healing is happening. Aren’t our bodies something? I did not take any pain pills yesterday and that is nice. I had mostly taken them before going to bed so it was not an all-day thing. Today we went to Ely because I had a requested book and DVD to pick up. It was nice to get out. We also went to a big box store as well as the grocery store. By the time we got home and ate lunch, thankful for leftovers, I was worn out. Leroy was too. We had a lovely supper tonight. Someone gave us a lot of garlic cloves. We made a dish with minced onion, mushrooms chopped, and garlic chopped. We thought it was delightful. Leroy does not complain but, he is getting tired of doing everything around the house. I did help with hanging out clothes today. I feel better with more moving around. Too much sitting is a downer We will be serving meals at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to that. Paula

Vanity

Hello, I like to think of myself as having no vanity about my looks. However, I find I do not want to be seen with the big bandage on my nose. When I had the spot taken off on the side of my face, I figured people would not notice. And that was true for most. This is quite visible when you would first see me, hence I feel more like hiding at home. I am not sure how long I will have to bandage this site, but it will be for a while. I get the stitches out on Monday, but it will still be quite a noticeable wound. Today feels like a day I could go out, but I have not. Someone asked me if we would like symphony tickets for this Saturday and turned them down. It just seemed too public. I do have a dentist appointment next Tuesday and I expect to go to that. Hopefully they will not press on my nose. I do not remember if that happens when my teeth are cleaned. If nothing hurts it would not be noticeable. Maybe I will scare them. I did help hang out clothes today and I retrieved all of them as well as fold all of them. It was just fine to do that my moving around. At least it is not a heavy job. I am tired of sitting or lying around. I only sleep on my back and that starts to bother me after a while. I woke early this morning and could not get back to sleep. Leroy and I went to the store to make a return. I noticed people look at me and then look away quickly. Now I will be able to just do this. Paula

Bandage Changed

Hello, After 48 hours we could remove the bandage they put on, wash the area, apply petroleum jelly and reapply gauze and tape. I let it just be without a bandage for about 15 minutes. That felt good. They had put on a lot of extra padding for pressure it is nice to not feel that anymore. It was a bit more of a challenge to put on the new bandage. The petroleum jelly went ok, but was also an issue to get it in the right places. The tissue by my eyes were involved in extracting the tape. Leroy tried to avoid that in reapplying, but it is still close to my eyes. Maybe we can dream up a better extraction method. I am pleased that my glasses sit better on my face. That is so nice. So reading is easier, but still my eyes feel tired quickly. Perhaps that is the tape pulling on the skin by my eyes. I have barely gone out of the house and I miss that. I did go out and look at the little free library in front of the house. Many of the kid books have been taken. So now we could use both kid and adult books. My money has come just in time to help restock with racially sensitive books. Leroy has gone to choir tonight. When we sang a hymn yesterday morning, I became uncomfortable quite quickly. It seems to bring too much blood to the face. I can lower my head a little farther today without noticeable throbbing in my nose area. My thanksgiving cactus both red and white, are loaded with buds. Paula

Surgery Done

Hello, Mohl Surgery took place yesterday morning. I learned several things. It is easier if the spot is showing and not under the skin because they do not know what they will find. My surgeon asked the nurse if she knew about some procedure (I can’t tell you the name.). The nurse replied that she had seen it once. The surgeon told her, “I have a certain instrument in my pocket, so it is ready.” This thing was never mentioned again so I expect they did not need it. Only once was it necessary to take a piece off to have it sent to the lab. The end of the nose is a noticeable place to get shots to deaden the area. The surgeon and nurse kept telling me to wiggle my toes when they had to do it. They also gave me some deadening that lasted a little long than ordinary so they only had to redo it once. The last part was longer than the first. The surgeon told me she was moving my nose a little to the side and that required more length to the cuts. Before she did anything she warned me that I would not look the same and I would always see the place. After the surgery she commented that I would look like a million bucks, but not right now. Yesterday after I came home, I thought, why try to repair the spot just leave a hole there. I can live with that. I am to keep my head upright and sleep with it raised. Too much blood in the area could cause bleeding. They had specific instructions on caring for that. I did have to apply that knowledge yesterday afternoon.

Leroy is good at taking over all household chores. He is working today, but I am feeling better than I did yesterday, so I can get my own lunch. It is difficult to read anything because glasses do not fit well on my face. Reading glasses work because they do not have to be in a particular alignment.

But watching TV is easier. I even found a few good things to watch. Paula

How Much to Give

Hello, At church today, we had a talk about giving. I decided to learn how much we make per month so we could have some idea about the percentage we are giving. It was easier to figure this amount after taxes have been taken out as that goes in our checking account. Now I am wondering should one figure all this pre or post tax extraction? Ultimately it does not really matter unless you want to brag about the percentage you give. We also give money to several organizations so does that count in a tithe? Does that matter? The church organization is hoping for a raise in giving. But we are not planning to do that since we kept it the same this year because I was not earning from work. Next year, Leroy is planning to retire in May so he also will not earn as much money to contribute to the total. It seems hard to think about raising the amount with those circumstances. Where does calculation end and generosity start? With a lot of thought, giving can be a complicated affair. At least Leroy and I mostly agree about how much to give and to what organization. Nice to have some unity. We also think it is important to donate time. One of the joys of life is that we have enough money to live comfortably and take part in some luxuries. Besides having money to share with causes we believe in. Paula

Keeping Moving

Hello, Kitchen linens were on the clothes line when the temperature was just slightly above freezing. I do not put clothes out when there is snow on the ground, but freezing with higher temperatures expected is good. My mother did not have a dryer other than racks so she hung out clothes and they were frozen stiff as a board. So perhaps you could say I am doing this in honor of my mother who did not have the choices that I do. We drove to church, pruned some more plants that could not stand the cold, walked to the library, checked out books and two DVDs. It gave us quite a few steps. The clothes are in the house now where it is hard to tell if they are cold or damp. We get money (gift cards) from our advantage plan for meeting certain standards. I was able to check in that I had a preventative scan, but for some reason I could not get back to the place on the website so I could order the gift card. When Leroy also could not solve this, I called the company. The woman who first talked to me commented, “Do not get stressed about the computer.” “I guess I was stressed, that is not good.” I responded. She replied with a laugh, “I am there every day.” In the end I am getting $65 back so I guess it was worth my time if not the stress. Paula

Two days of Ease?

Hello, I am to take it easy for two days after my Mohl Surgery on my nose, but Leroy is not sure that I can do that. Is that a challenge to me? Will I do it just to prove him wrong? I do not spend so much time sitting around. Does walking count as taking it easy? One of my friends is having basically the same surgery two days after I am. He was not told in the preop instructions to take it easy. Was that an oversight or is there something different about mine? We will compare notes later. We were going to go to the library to get resupplied with books only to learn that it was closed. Tomorrow we will be there on time. I will also look for some DVDs to keep me a little more stationary. Leroy will be able to do a little volunteer work at church when I am having my surgery done. They said I should have a driver, but I am unsure that I will need such. Leroy insisted and he will be just across the street so it is easy for him to spend some time occupied with something, rather than just sit around. We finished delivering the neighborhood newsletters today. It is good not to have to be concerned about getting that done. We do not have to do it again until March. It is great to take a break. Now I am wondering how I will occupy my time since there is also no garden work for some time to come now. What do people do in the winter? Paula

Reports

Hello, Yesterday was the day for health news. I learned that I have a squamous cell carcinoma on the tip of my nose. It will come off next Monday. I am just hoping that I do not end up looking like my uncle who was missing a piece of his nose. I believe that will not happen as two people who have recently had such done are quite fine and intact. The Mohl surgery is good for just taking off smaller slices. The bone scan report tells that my bones have gotten a little better. Guess that means taking the medicine is a good thing. The mammogram report was also ok. Nice to know that somethings are good for the time being and something will be done about the other. This morning I went to the community garden and removed the broccoli that never did make any edible heads. In my head I called it fake broccoli. Unfortunately, now I learn that someone was using it in stir fry. Guess I should ask before I pull anything. Paula

Accomplishments

Hello, I am happy to say that I have applied for my last action team grant this year. I hope I get it. It is from my nonprofit insurance company. As in the past I requested funds to distribute books to the little free libraries in the area. The books will be aimed at people of color or people who are handicapped in some way. The idea is that kids feel better about themselves when they see kids like them in a book. It was so easy to do this. They let me reapply. So, I did not have to rewrite the entire thing. Leroy and I delivered some of the neighborhood newsletter this afternoon. It was beautiful outside and we got a nice amount delivered. I am not sure I can do some again tomorrow, because I have appointments some of the time. This is the last newsletter for this year. I both like to do it and am glad when there is a break in this process. Yesterday we repotted the rosemary so it should survive the winter in our house. I pruned a good bit for our meal last night. It is pungent. The rosemary is a fairly large plant. This afternoon we chopped up and froze much of the swill chard I had picked last week. It was time to take care of it. I thought we would eat more of it than we have. We also got some leaves picked up in the back yard. There are still more leaves to fall, but not so many now. Paula

Glow in the dark trail

Hello, Last night we went for a long walk on a glow in the dark trail that is in a town north of us. The trail is a bit more than two miles long, making it the longest in the USA.

There are better pictures on line. I suspect someone with more camera and more knowledge captured those images. As it said in one place it was like walking on the stars. It goes out in the country so there is little to no human made light on it. The stars were brilliant too. We do not often seem them outside the city. Leroy thought it would not get below the upper forties in Fahrenheit degrees. When we checked after we were done, we learned that it was 38 degrees which was quite cold enough for the light weight coats we and our friends were wearing. Cold moved into our bodies, but we still enjoyed the walk. To get back to our car we had to use GPS on Leroy’s phone since he had the address. That meant we had a lot of steps recorded by the time we were done, more than 8000 just for that walk. I had 18,098 steps for the day. When we drove to the address, we could not tell where the trail was as there was no glowing in the headlights. It was only when we got out and stood in the dark that those spots began to appear. Leroy had read that there were 30,000 spots in the trail. They take fifteen minutes soak in the sun and glow for 15 hours. How cool is that. It was almost strange to be walking along in the dark and see the trail stretch out ahead. I would recommend it as an interesting outdoor night time activity. Darkness comes early in the winter, but the summer would be warmer. Paula

Fermented Honey

Hello, I generally buy honey from Brian. This year he does not have so much honey because one hive of bees cleaned out the hive and went away. They apparently felt something was wrong or the queen did. For some reason some of the other honey is getting fermented. He is not able to sell that honey and disposes of it. That does not fit my idea of what is right in the world. I brough home six jars of fermented honey even though we do not generally have anything in our house that is fermented. I just said, “I will try it in the granola as that would cook off the alcohol.” When I told Miriam about this she said, “I know you will use that.” Do I have a reputation of using the unusable? Leroy did not even notice any different taste to the granola that I made today. I will say that honey was easier to use as it pours more like water than honey with less sticking to the side of the cup. I too did not notice the taste when I ate the granola. So, I suppose I will use most of it unless some jars have more flavor than others. In the bit I read about fermented honey that can happen as it just keeps evolving. Apparently honey that has a higher water content is subject to this fermenting possibility. Paula

Recycle Plants

Hello, I stopped at church this morning with buckets in the car. I filled those buckets and then another container that was in the car. All of the vinca plants are gone into our yardie which is picked up by the city tomorrow and taken to the compost pile. I am happy to contribute to the future soil that will be made by nature with a little human help. Tomorrow I will take pruners so more plants can be taken out and put in a future yardie pickup. Leroy says he will come too as he does not work tomorrow. We will finish cleaning up the community garden later. But I am not going to clean up the area by the side of the house until spring, hoping to give some insects a winter home. I took a long walk this afternoon as it was quite nice outside. Actually, I strolled. Not sure why I could not go faster. Last night we were almost late for choir practice so we really moved those feet to get there in time. It was rather cool by the time we came home so we did not dillydally for that trip either. Paula

Confirmation

Hello, One of our granddaughters was confirmed yesterday. Leroy was pleased to be asked to confirm her as he had also baptized her. This service is called affirmation of baptism. So, it seemed quite fitting for Leroy to do it. We all participated in the laying on of hands which is indicative of the support and prayers of family. We had a good, but quick trip up to their home in Minnesota. We saw many hawks, either flying or sitting. At Brian’s house I saw a turkey hop over a fence. When we tried to see it more clearly, because could it really be a turkey that bird was not to be found. However, someone then noticed a group of five in front of the house. It was fun to see them so close and in a suburban area. On our drive we only had one exciting time. A car was passing another vehicle on a two-lane road. They were coming right at me in my lane. I pulled off the road as did the truck behind me. It seems that we were three vehicles in a two-vehicle space. Because we were gone for this cold weather, we did not get to the community garden to pull up and harvest the last tomatoes. This afternoon, we, and one other person, went and pulled all of the tomatoes as well as some weeds. That meant organizing the tomato cages, picking up stakes, and the hose. It is good to get these chores done. I did harvest as much Swiss chard as I could. The other person did not like it so I took it all. There are still a number of plants there that are in the cabbage family, but that will be for another day’s work. Paula

Random Thoughts

Hello, On our trip west we saw an interesting sight in the hotel parking lot. It was off to the side, but I had to look closer. It was a group of colorful barriers that had been snapped together to make a low corral. In that corral were nine lively puppies. Their owners explained that they were getting a potty/drink break on the long trip to their new home. They were cute. We enjoyed the fruitful bounty of the west as we munched pears and apples. Washington state has many orchards. They ship fruit around the country, but it is nice to get it closer to the tree of origin. Today on my walk around the neighborhood, I decided to stop and take a picture of the new mural. It was on the side of a building that houses some of the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy. I suppose the picture reflects some of that influence or perhaps someone associated with that organization made it.

After a dry summer we are getting some rain. It is late for this year’s crops, but probably will be good for next year. Leroy sat under a blue light to help get rid of the precancerous spots on his head. That baldness does not protect his head from the sun. Our mail was not delivered yesterday. I kept wondering if it was because of a holiday I did not know about. I saw the mail carrier today. He said, “I was off yesterday and they did not have a person to do my route.” Paula

Trash pickup

Hello, We did catch a mouse. Now the question is; was it a lone visitor or did relatives and friends come too? No more have been caught, but we do not always see that as fool proof. I made a trip to our social security office. I am happy to relate that it was not so very long to wait and all is ok. I had gotten a letter from them telling me that my account was to be terminated and exchanged for a larger amount. For some reason my record showed no income for four years when I had worked. I started the process to fix this last year before I retired. Another letter explained that my Social Security checks had been incorrect. It is all updated now and I am getting a higher amount, not a lot, but I will notice it when the check comes next month. After I got home, Leroy said, “I want to walk.” “That is fine,” I replied, “but I am going to pick up trash on our block. I want to fill the bag from the city and it can be put out for collection this week.” Leroy felt too guilt not to come too. We filled up the bag so it can go away. Leroy found a nice screwdriver. I found some paper money that I will check to make sure it is real and four pennies. We have decided to give away the bill since it is not ours and we know someone who can use it.

It would be nice if people who smoke would dispose of the cigarette butts in a proper place. They are hard to pick up. Apparently, it is not good for the earth to have them lying around. We are not good at selfies so we took a picture of each of us with that one bag. Paula

Mouse Visitor

Hello, How does it fit when you go to a study at church with talk of no violence for others and I want to do violence towards this mouse that is in our house? We saw the critter two days ago. First Leroy saw it run from the kitchen to the attic door. A bit later, I saw it in the bathroom and he also saw it there. As usual it runs and darts out of sight before we can to anything about it. We have had three traps set for a long time. The peanut butter seems to have turned to something black and probably rancid. I put on new peanut butter on top of that black appearance. The mouse has ignored it. Guess it is a smart mouse. Then we have two newer traps that I also put peanut butter on. The mouse seems to have eaten it off without springing the trap even though I found it hard to set without having it slam shut. Mouse is smarter or more delicate than I am? I now tried some pecans in the holes of those traps hoping that will cause the mouse to be a bit careless. I am not afraid of mice, but I am not excited about having them take up residence with me. Fall is the perfect time for them to find a winter home, but not my home. How many traps do we need? Does five seen like enough? Should I clean off the old ones and reset them? Life is full of decisions. Paula

More hiking October 19, 2023 Hello, I should let you know that we especially liked the Bible studies. The guy who led them was very good. The other daily sessions were also quite thought provoking. So we did more than just walk around. One day we saw some deer were visiting the village. They seemed wary of people, but somewhat accustomed to seeing humans.

Our second hike which was a little longer had more steep places to it. Leroy and I do not agree on the length, so let me just say it was more than a mile long. I wish I had taken off my hat for the picture, but can’t now.

There were some rocks on the trail in places. One of our group slipped and fell on those, but as she said, “I had a soft landing.” The last day’s hike was the longest. Again, Leroy and I disagree about how far we went. I did not want to do the entire nine miles so we found someone else who was going for just some of the trip. This woman was an experienced forest person, but she had injured a knee and did not want to stress it. We did cross a log bridge which took a little courage to traverse. It was only as wide as the tree which had been sawed flat on one side. There were poles attached to it with wire going through the poles. The wire was rather loose so it was not as stable feeling as it might have been. Balance was key for a good outcome. One person on the trip did collapse from heat. This person was not with us, but their group had passed us on the way up. I learned what happens in an emergency. One person ran back to the village, and reported. Then a physician’s assistant was contacted, a helicopter was alerted, and young staff members gathered equipment and ran up the mountain to help bring the person down. As it turned, out they could walk down, but with help and support. I just liked the last picture that was taken at night.

Paula

Hiking October 17, 2023 Hello, We did get some hikes or walks done almost every day. What is the difference between a walk and a hiked? On the rainy, misty days we just covered some trails that are in the village or to the edge. Our first hike of a mile was to “ten-mile falls”. It was not a very steep walk, but we did have to climb over a tree that had fallen on the path.

There had been a fire that surrounded the village in 2015. There were many burned trees. We were warned that one could fall at any time. I suppose we would need to figure the direction of fall and avoid that.

The trunk of the tree on the path came up to my thighs, so it took some thought about how to get over the thing. It turned out to be easier on the way up then the way down. All in all, it was a nice walk without much altitude change. Certainly, a nice first walk. We were also told that we must not go out with less than two people. That was so that if there was a problem and someone was hurt, one could stay with the injured and the other could go back to the village for help. I also did not want to go without someone who knew something about the area or even about hiking in the mountains. Paula

The Village

Hello, I found some pictures on Leroy’s phone and sent them to me so I could share with you.

The boat goes up the lake daily so the village is able to get supplies. People can also come and go any day of the week. Or some people do hike in so they can appear at any time. Some of the buildings are on a level spot, but many of them are on the mountain slope. It can be noticeably steep to go from building to building. Paths were covered with bricks or rocks. I am happy to say that I did not slip on them even in the rain, but I was cautious. No running up and down for me.

Our lodge had a second floor with 14 rooms on our level. There was a room with a bathtub. But showers/toilets were at the end of the hall. In our room, we had a sink along with a double bed two bunk beds, a desk, one chair, and closets with room for hanging and drawers. It certainly gave us plenty of space. The first three days had rain for which people in the village were grateful as their electricity comes from hydroelectric power. It had been dry in the summer and the creek was getting low. Paula

Going up the Mountain

Hello, We were ahead of most people so I was able to take a picture of the dock without a lot of luggage or people on it.

The boat held at least sixty or more people. It was full of many who were going to our destination. Many of these people had been there in the past and they were renewing friendships. As an introvert, I realized I would have to get used to meeting 90 or so new faces that I might try to remember. It felt a little daunting. The scenery was beautiful and peaceful as it flowed past. This trip took a bit over two hours. It was sunny and breezy so a jacket was helpful when outside. At one stop we did drop off some hikers with large backpacks. I realized that I could not do that type of thing since, if my regular backpack weighs too much, I get a headache. There were three school buses waiting for us to haul us up to the village. This trip started with nine switchbacks. They were quite tight turns. I was happy to have someone else do the driving. On one turn he had to stop and back a little to change the angle so we could make it around. It was beautiful with a great view of the lake fading in the distance. The village is from a copper mine started in the 1930’s. some of the buildings have disappeared and some have been maintained. There are some cottages, lodges, a one room school, and several public meetings buildings including the dining hall which was important at the moment because we were hungry. The food was much like we eat at home. Mostly prepared on site and almost no meat. They did have boiled eggs available at all time as well as fresh homemade bread, peanut butter, jams, fresh fruit, and breakfast type food, as well as three types of granolas. Paula

Things figured out

Hello, When we got to the motel for the second night’s stay, we learned that they did not have two rooms for us and our friends. It is not clear how the mistake was made, but it was made, so now we had to deal with it. The person at the motel suggested that we try the next one down the street. At that place, rooms were available, however they required a two-night stay. We planned only one night. We drove on eventually stopping at a very lavish looking place. It was indeed an expensive place, but they owned the two-night stay requiring place. The person at the desk called the other establishment and told them we would be able to stay for just one night. What a gift! We stayed close to a restaurant which was just a short walk away. That worked out well for dinner and breakfast. The next morning, we headed out, rested and refreshed. Leroy and Paul had become quite skilled at getting all of our belongings organized in the car. This was a much shorter drive than previous days. Curves in the road were the order of the landscape as we traveled alongside the lake. We were in plenty of time to unload the car, park the car, and wait for the boat to take us up the lake because there was no longer a road into the wilderness. It was a nice sunny day with beauty around in the area. Paula

Some trip details

Hello, We take the city bus to get the airport. We do not get on the bus at the end of our block, but two blocks away, so it is still something that we can manage quite easily. On the bus I shamelessly “eaves drop”. One woman was telling a guy, “I hate myself because I wasn’t there for her. I have been sober for eight months.” I assumed this was my time to pray for her and her loved ones. Our trip to the airport was just like we have experienced in the past. At the airport we sailed through TSA because we now had our global entry pre check. At the moment we were there, we could have almost been as fast in the regular line. Our flights were uneventful just as we like them to be. Our friends met us at the airport and took us to our night’s lodging. We were well taken care of as they provided a light breakfast before we embarked on our driving trip of 450 miles. They each did take a turn driving, but I also had a time driving. I can say that I did drive at the 80-mph speed limit, but only on the straight places. Not so much on the hills and curves. We made it to our night’s lodging in fine time. It was good to get out of the car and spend some time walking around. We left home when the temperatures were warm. Now it was time to put on some warmer clothes. Those mountains graciously provide the coolness. We went over three mountain passes and saw big horned cattle, geese, rocks, trees, clouds, rain, a hint of sun, semi-trucks with three trailers, and a majority of license plates from Montana. Paula

Home Again

Hello, My favorite browser was down when we came home so I could not see emails or other internet information. We had no internet at the village and no phone service. It was quite fine to be cut off from the outside world for a solid week, but I surely expected to get back to the old routine as soon as I was home. We came home late Tuesday evening and I was busy Wednesday. Thursday, I looked but had no success so ignored it as I has things to do. Friday I finally started to miss the connection to the world when the browser would not come up. Today Leroy finally had the bright idea of simply reloading the browser. Success! Guess that guy is worth keeping for some time yet. I will give a fuller report of our travels in the days to come. There was some adventure, peace, thought provoking talks, hikes, shared meals, and just some time for breathing. I have been picking green beans in the community garden. I do not want to can them, but am not sure we can eat them all. Although some of them have grown past the point of good use. I did post that there were plenty, but I could not tell that many had been picked by anyone else. We have watered at church each day, but Leroy worked three of the days we have been home. Yesterday, he rode his bike in spite of a little rain and much wind. I thought the wind might blow him over. He tells me it was a struggle to stay upright, at times. Paula

Global Entry

Hello, We went to Brian’s house Sunday and spent a few hours with the family before they all left of work or school this Monday morning. It was great to visit even a short time. Leroy said, “I will drive to the airport.” We were going after the rush hour times so he thought he could handle it. It was a bit hard on him as he seldom drives in much traffic. It all went well with the help of GPS. Amazing what we could do with paper maps. We felt a little unsure about the parking, but picked something that said it was hourly. There were spaces listed, but it was a bit of search for an open place. Leroy parked, stretched, tried to relax , and we set off with our required documents. I did ask a guy who had just parked, “How do you remember where you parked?” at that point I could see no signs. He told us where we were and said he takes a picture of the sign which he pointed out when we had walked that far. Then he asked, “Is this long-term parking?” We had no clue, but knew it was hourly. He then hurried off to the catch his plane. We had to follow more signs to try to find the way across to the airport baggage claim area. We were about twenty minutes early, but someone came out almost right after we got there and took us both in. It was quite fast and simple. What a relief. Then it was a case of following signs to exit this ramp and pay to get out. At the pay place it was not so simple. At the first lane we could not figure out how to make it work. Someone else had the same trouble. They backed out and tried another. We did the same, but still could not make it work. We then tried to find a person, but there was no one around. Finally a truck that seemed to be randomly moving around, appeared, so Leroy drove up and asked that guy. He told us we needed to put in our credit card first. Leroy did that, but it said it was an invalid card even though we had used it to get the ticket for entry. Leroy then tried putting in the ticket. It spit everything back out at least three times before it told us the fee. I have been thinking that we might need another hour just to solve all this and leave. What would they do if we just drove through the bar? Even after the fee came up the bar did not. I have no idea what made it work, but we could have both cried by that time. Leroy could still drive, however it took a lot of thought and concentration especially when GPS seemed to be sending us in a direction we did not want. I said, “Let’s just do what the lady says and see where we go.” It all worked but not before we sweat, prayed, and tried not to swear. By the time we got home we learned that we had been approved for global entry. Paula

Blame Old Age

Hello, I hear my fellow travelers blame old age for a variety of deficiencies, health wise, that have come into being for them. Would I do that? Of course not! Oh no, felt tired and wanted to take a nap. A voice in my head said, “You must be getting old.” I told my health care provider that I do not handle heat so well anymore and wondered if that was a characteristic of aging. She thought not. Perhaps I did not have enough water, salt or even gator aid. She also learned I do not sweat very much. That also makes heat more difficult for my body to process. I do think some things are related to age. Some joints do not work as well as they used to. Could they wear out? Or they not being used as much so they give up trying? Certainly, some muscles are not controlled as well as they used to be. Exercise more? Paula

Surprises

Hello, This morning I actually remembered to pick up Leroy at the museum and take him to tai chi. We were there in plenty of time, but not as early as usual. There were only two other people there at that point. However, before we started seven more people came including two new members. Had I known there would be so many I would have been wearing a mask. Just hoping for the best of health. When the session was finished, Leroy was anxious to go back to work. We gathered our things. I said, “Leroy, I need to go the bathroom, sorry about not being ready to go.” Before I could get to the bathroom, one of the new members came up and noted that we were wearing the same brand of shoes. She started telling me about how much she liked them. Then she added information about washing or cleaning them. I finally told her, “I need to go the bathroom.” She responded, “That’s ok.” However, immediately, she launched into another long story. Wow, I finally made it and we drove off, but I suspect Leroy was late. At church, when watering I realized that today was the first day of a fall study. Grateful it was in the afternoon so I had time to complete my tasks. I started walking to the downtown library, traversed two blocks before I thought about leaving my wallet in the car. Did I lock the car? So back I went. The car was locked consequently my wallet would have been fine. In all of this I gathered a lot of steps. Paula

Once it was Rally Day September 10, 2023 Hello, Our day started with choir practice early. The director asked Leroy if he would be giving communion to the group. We had been asked a long time ago but had mostly forgotten about it. She announced to everyone that Leroy would give communion and I would assist. So, it was set. Then just before church started the person who had originally talked to us about it, came up and asked if Leroy and I were giving communion. I said, “Yes.” And tried not to laugh. Right after church, we were to help serve the brunch outside. I went to get some water and go to the bathroom so I was prepared for a long stint. Arriving outside I found that there were enough servers. It seemed prudent to wander around as if I had a purpose and waited to be called to let others take a break. In the meantime, Leroy and got something to eat, only to hear that it was time for the adult choir to sing outside. Oops! We sang, I finished eating, and looked for something to do. In a short time, Leroy and I did take the place of some other servers. It was fine to be in not such a busy time. I am including a picture of three of us working. The shirt Leroy is wearing was a retirement gift from the woman on my right. She immigrated from Liberia. We were to be dressed for the beach, but we do not have much that fits that description. Leroy decided this shirt was his most colorful.

Paula

Still watering

Hello, Now it is considered a drought. Still not as serious as some areas, but quite noticeable. I go to church six days a week to water the flowers. Guess that has been my long-term volunteer job this summer. Today I fertilized as well as watered. That is the last of the fertilizer so that will be it for the year. I water at home as well. With the cooler weather, it seemed to me that every other day was adequate. It is getting warm again so doing it everyday again for a while. The rain barrel is empty. I miss that source of water. We also water the community garden, but not so frequently. There are two others who also take a turn. That helps quite a lot. What a wonderful thing that we still have enough water for our use, although we have started to be more careful than we used to be. The city is asking for that care. When we drove over the river, Leroy commented on how low it is. I was driving so did not really look. His word is good. Rain would be a blessing. We just hope that it would be in manageable amounts. Paula

Life Mysteries

Hello, How can it be hot one day and almost cold the next. I even shut a window where there was too much breeze. It was great to have the oven running to make granola. The warmth felt good. Where has the rain gone? Sometimes it is south of us and sometimes it is north of us. What is happening with the air currents? How can a hacker get into an account much faster than I can when I am supposed to know what I am doing? What was that pin or password? How did we get plane tickets for two trips all on one month’s credit bill? How did that happen? How many types of cucumbers are there? I found two more unusual ones in the community garden. One is apparently a lemon cucumber that has a slight lemon flavor. I am not sure about the other one, my taste buds do not declare any difference. The third one is quite long, but does not get very big around.

How can Leroy remember some of the most obscure trivia, but not know what he is to do next? I, of course, have a great memory for what to do next (although it is fading) but cannot remember such trivia. Paula

Labor Day

Hello, We had no big plans for the day. Leroy had been told about the mayor’s bike ride. I decided to skip that. He checked the time and place, got on his bike and headed out. As he came closer, he wondered what was going on as he saw no one. Even at the designation there was not a person except some golfers he could see a bit away. He checked on his phone to see what was going on. What he learned was that the post was from 2016. Groan! At least it was still in the morning although it was starting to heat up. He got an eight-mile ride, but he was disappointed. I went to church when my friend called to say that she was there. It was earlier than I had anticipated, but I hurried thinking of the heat ahead. It was quite fine when I walked there, but coming home was a bit warm. All flowers got water for the day. We did an early morning walk when it was very nice outside. One neighbor was sitting on his porch. When asked, he said “I will take five cucumbers.” We are pleased. We have a more manageable number now. My friend at church commented, “I delivered breakfast to the homeless shelter and will take lunch. Two out of three meals is not too bad.” I am just so impressed by all the effort that she puts into food for others. Paula

Garden in the Morning

Hello, Because of the predicted heat, I hopped out of bed, took my bone health pill, and headed to the garden. Leroy was still in bed, but I left a note on the table. However, after walking all the way to the garden I realized I would need to go home to go to the bathroom. When I arrived, Leroy was looking for me around the apartment. I told him what was happening. He said he would join me in the garden even though he had not felt so good yesterday. It was quite fine and cool outside. I picked beans and started watering the tomatoes. Leroy came and helped with picking cucumbers. He managed to find 22 of them. Some quite large and overdone. We gave away three on the way home. Later we gave away four more. It is seductive to think about sneaking out in the night and putting them on people’s steps. We were up too early to see any people out and about. Later we went to church and watered the flowers. This no rain time is very hard on plants, but good for our steps. I have 12,000 steps now. I will admit to being a little tired. We have washed the tomatoes, and cucumbers but not done the green beans yet. Sometimes too much produce becomes a burden especially on a holiday weekend when we cannot find people to give it to. Paula

Procrastination

Hello, Is it possible to develop the skill of procrastination? I seem to be perfecting the art. In the past, I would do many things whether I wanted to or not, but because they had to be done. These days I just figure I will work on that tomorrow. However, frequently tomorrow also seems like a good time to put off the task. When I was working or had kids in the house putting off some work just was not a good thing because for sure tomorrow would be taken up by a number of other things. Now I just float some jobs for days and it seems to work as the world does not stop or let me know about it. Is that retirement closing in on me? Perhaps it is time for me to do more volunteering. The things I do now seem to have a time for them that I must meet. Not sure I want to be tied to a schedule, but what volunteering is there that does not require a time commitment? Paula

Papers in our House

Hello, We have a four-drawer file cabinet in our home. It has been with us for a long time. It cost $100. At the time, that seemed like a lot of money, but Leroy wanted it. It was used from some office supply place. The guy showed us how safe it was to have in a house with kids. He pulled open the top drawer and flopped over it. It remained upright. According to him accidents happen when little kids try to climb them and they tip because only the top drawers are filled. We now have stuff in all drawers. Only the top two have files in them. That does not mean we can always find a paper when we are looking for it. Leroy and I think very differently about many things so some things are filed in the unexpected place according to the other person. At least we still talk to each other so items are eventually found. I wanted to find the booking number for one of our trips. I searched every likely place. When questioned, Leroy gave one answer and that was where it was. It never occurred to me to look there since it really did not apply to that file except remotely. If one of us dies the other will have to do some serious searching to find some things. I guess we are still of value to the other. Paula

Global Entry Application Interview

Hello, We have our appointment. Yeah! I was incredibly anxious about this. It is done. We will go to Minneapolis for that. We help with the meal for the food insecure on Saturday night, drive to Brian’s on Sunday and come home on Monday after the interview. Paula

No Sunday Work?

Hello, We got some green beans yesterday. Canning them seemed like a nice possibility, but it was late in the day. Do we can today, Sunday, or wait? On the way home from church, we saw that there were a number of beans in the garden that needed to be picked. We came home, ate and snack, and went back to the garden. Leroy seemed quite optimistic about the process, but then he has not done it for a while. He wondered what to tackle first. I said, “Pick beans it is the most tedious.” After picking for a while he commented, “Picking beans is tedious.” We ended with two grocery bags quite full. Then we moved on to the cucumbers. We believe that we gathered 25 or 30 pounds of them. Tomatoes were not as plentiful but still a nice amount. I was thinking of canning them too. On the way home we spotted a neighbor getting out of his truck. Leroy asked, “Would you like some cucumbers, green beans or tomatoes?” “Yes, I raise fish and I feed them cucumbers. Plus, we like salad so I would like tomatoes too. We also like green beans.” We gave him some of the good cucumbers and some that were quite old. I did think, “I am not helping to raise cucumbers to feed fish. I want to feed people.” It is a conundrum. Ultimately, I was happy to lighten our load. Tomorrow I will take a number of things to feed Iowa first. Life does not always have perfectly clear answers. Paula

Global Entry

Hello, It has been recommended to us that we get global entry so we do not have to stand in lines when coming back into the country. Today was the day I tried to tackle that task. The website was easy to find. Then, I started doing the required steps. It was ok to get a log in name and password. It was recommended that one should have two security measures in place. The first was easy just get a text on my phone. But the second had my blood pressure rising by the minute. Of their choices, I tried to download an app. It said, it would download soon. At another point it said it was on my device and did I want to put it on another device. I could not find this app on the computer even when I searched for it by name. I wailed to Leroy, “Maybe you can help me!” He also did some looking and was unable to solve the issue. I suggested, “Why don’t you try to do yours. It might work for you.” I paced the rooms trying to bring calmness to my mind. Then Leroy muttered. “What is happening?” I wondered. “I cannot find the website that you were using.” He grumbled. “I will try again,” I announced. Somehow, I got in without needing to put in the second verification. Then the form was not so bad. It still took me a long time because I had not gathered my passport, driver’s license, and credit card. At one point the site was going to shut down and I had to request more time. Everything had to be double checked for accuracy and I printed it even though I found later I did not need to do that. When Leroy did his, after he found the site, he noticed that he could skip the second security option. What an afternoon. Someone else called this easy. I guess we did it the hard way, whatever that is. Paula

Booking A Flight

Hello, We have booked a flight to Miriam’s in Utah for Christmas. She called yesterday and said, “If you are going to book a flight for the holidays, I heard today is the cheapest day to do it.” Not sure I truly believe that, but we looked and found a flight that was not too expensive. Leroy tried booking it, but got hung up somewhere along the way. I tried to help, but we do not work well together on these things. We called Miriam and asked her to look to see what she found. She ended up booking it for us. We will be there a long time, makes it much cheaper to come some time ahead of Christmas and leave after New Year. She said, “You can stay that long. We might leave, but you can stay with the girls and the dogs.” Not sure how serious she is about that statement. We like both the girls and the dogs so it would be fine. Now Leroy is wondering how much time off he can take since we are working with our other travel partners for a winter get away in January or February. I told Leroy I could go alone if he cannot make it. I think he will come too. He would miss me and he does not want me to go on trips without him. It is in the high 90’s again today, but the feels like temperature is quite a lot lower than it has been, because the humidity is down. Not cool enough that I want to take a big walk Nin the evening. Leroy and I like rather ripe bananas. The food pantry in Ely is loaded with them. I brought home a box yesterday and froze several. Today I brought home some more, but found someone to give them to. Yes! I did freeze some that I still had in the refrigerator. Leroy and I will have to remember not to buy any bananas until we consume some of the frozen ones. Who knew food could become a chore. I dislike throwing it away. Paula

Heat, Garden, and Water

Hello, Leroy has an early morning bible study so I am up early on Wednesdays as well. He left before I did, plus he drove and I walked. He is concerned about the heat at the end of his work day so he is driving instead of using his bike. I left before 8:00 when it was already 80 degrees F. There was a little breeze and the sun was still low in the sky, however by the time I got to church I was sweating. Un lady like, but true. The church door was locked so Leroy had to let me in, aren’t portable phones wonderful? He had also filled the water jugs. I did refill them and give it all a second drink. I sat and had a drink before starting home. It was certainly hotter on the way home. A stop at the garden was necessary. I picked half of the green beans, some of which were quite large. But I ran out of energy. So, I went after the cucumbers who were growing at a great rate. Before I picked any tomatoes, another woman drove up and started picking tomatoes. I gave her a bag from my supply, and asked, “Would you like some cumbers?” She helped by taking two of them. It lightened my load. She told me that last year she had canned some green beans, so I showed her where I had stopped picking. She told me about her health problems. Amazing what people will tell strangers. I met a cute, even though she has a nose ring which is not my favorite accessory, young woman on the way home. I asked her if she would like some cucumbers. She also took two of them and a tomato. Wonderful! Six other cucumbers stayed downstairs or were distributed. Paula

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Hello, Leroy went to a store to buy a sprinkler for the community garden only to learn that this store was out of lawn sprinklers. Is the summer over? We saw Christmas items in a store today. I called a neighbor who has loaned a sprinkler to the garden and told her our plight. She said, “I am planning to go in the early evening. Perhaps you could come later and water the second part. So, none of us would have to be there too long since it is already hot.” I thought that sounded great so that is what we will do. With the predicted high heat and no rain, it will be very difficult for the garden to flourish. It is so wonderful when it is a cooperative venture. I like this garden where anyone can work and anyone can benefit. It has been a blessing for the two of us. Both because of the satisfaction of helping and harvesting. There is no sense of ownership except that it belongs to the neighborhood. The land belongs to the college and they let us use it as well as use their water to keep it strong. We often tell the students who live close that they can pick anything they want, but I am not sure if they do. Leroy picked up his new glasses today. He is very pleased with them. He proclaimed, “I hardly know they are on my head. I can see so clearly.” I wish I had had my prescription with me because I could have gotten money off on my pair if we had gotten two of them at the same time. Paula

Garden work and sharing

Hello, The other night Leroy and I went to the community garden to pick beans, cucumbers, and to water. Leroy started watering while I picked beans. Two women that I had seen before came by. They had refused the invitation to take things from the garden. This time I greeted them and then said, “I am picking beans and there are more than I can use. Do you like green beans?” “Yes, we could use some.” One of them said. She then started to pick into the bag I gave her. “We have many cucumbers, again I cannot use them all.” I got a bag and the second woman started to find cucumbers. Encouraged by this, I asked about the kale. When they said yes, I got out my paring knife. I also helped look for cucumbers and just laid them on the ground. I found another bag for the kale and Swiss chard. They ended up taking all b two of the cucumbers. Such a good feeling went through me. They had walked about as far as we had so it would be a load to carry home. The one woman told me she was from Columbia and came here 22 years ago. The other woman was from Honduras. Her English was quite limited and she was quite a lot younger. It was such a good feeling to share with them since they were so appreciative. I told them they could come back on their own any time. They sounded like they will do that. I hope that is true. Paula