Dusting Thoughts

Hello, Today I dusted by just going around things instead of moving them. Usually all knickknacks are removed, any cloth under them shaken outside, surface dusted and put all things back. It is a bigger job. My mother did not like to have many things sitting around. I am becoming my mother in that regard. Leroy has always wanted to dust by leaving things and dusting around them. I used to yell at him and do the job myself. This will not become my only dusting method, but to encourage myself to do it more frequently, it might become necessary from time to time to just dust around stuff. Leroy does much of the vacuuming. It seems to me he does it to quickly to get up any deep dirt. The surface looks good when he is finished. He also does not move anything around. Today I moved out my chair to dust the bottom slats. There were my reading glasses on the floor between the chair and the lamp table. It has been lost long enough that I have bought two new pair. Now I have a pair in every room in the house. I have a spare pair in my purse and a pair at church with my choir music. There is also my bifocal prescription pair that I prefer to wear at choir. Back in the day when I worked, I also preferred it so I could see in more directions. Paula

Red Russian Kale

Hello, The Red Russian Kale in the community garden is just delicious and growing as if there is a race and it wants to win. It would be so nice if more people liked it or at least tried it. One gardening friend told me she finally picked some, put it chopped in a dish she made and her husband pronounced it good. Healthy eating is there, but hidden from many eyes. This afternoon, I went to the former community garden site, looking for the red Russian kale that was there before and came back after three years of being mowed off. The larger plant had been mowed off again, so I could not dig it up in such a damaged state. The smaller one was still there, now it is had my house and I hope is survives. This move was no doubt challenging. One woman came to the morning stretch class. She was unable to get up and down without help from her husband. It was a bit challenging. Makes me wonder: will she be back and if so, do I need to be prepared for someone who is not able to get down. Some forms are hard for me to imagine in a chair. I did not go help Leroy today. He had another volunteer coming so I hope that was enough to make a big difference. Paula

Dandelion greens, anyone

Hello, Yesterday, I picked a nice number of dandelion greens. They were delicious as a part of the salad with other greens. Even by themselves they were quite mild. What a free deal from the yard by the garage where they have gown tall. Nutritionally superior to many other greens. There were also a few leaves of arugula to add to the mix. Nice to go out and pick some food. We have also used chives. Then there is all that kale from the community garden. It is already going to seed. The seeds will be removed when I have some more time to do it. Leroy got a card from the car dealer where we bought our 2014 sedan. Apparently, there are customers looking for such. He assured that the price offered would be above market value. At first I wondered if it was a scam, but Leroy looked it up and found that is the guy who works there. We might want to sell. We have talked of going to one car when Leroy retires and that should happen in a month or so. We have gotten so used to the luxury of two cars that the question is, can we be comfortable and happy with one car? A lot of volunteers are needed at the museum. I went in for two hours today. It was handling dusty, old books. When the time was done, I was quite tired. Leroy has been coming home exhausted. There is a load of things that get to move into the vacated space, but I am not sure if I will help again this week. Paula

Store Conversations

Hello, While looking over cards at a store, I was wearing readers with a store tag on them. I did have my glasses, in my bag, but thought this was easier since I intended to buy them. A fellow customer saw that and laughed, “I have done that before.” We extended the conversation and she told me, “I live in Indianapolis. I am here taking care of my mother. I only get home for about four months of the year.” I was looking at Mother’s Day cards and talked about how if someone loses a baby, Mother’s Day must be hard for them. She then said, “I was not able to have children. We went through all the medical possibilities and nothing worked. We could not adopt because my husband’s job meant we moved a lot. It is hard.” I can only hope I said the right things, but mostly I listened. In the grocery store a woman had a youngster in an amazing wagon/stroller that I had seen her get out of the car and unfold. I commented on what an invention it was. She ended up telling me the expensive price and how much she liked it. But there were other models out there that cost much more. Later a little girl grabbed ahold of my cart. I said, “I guess any cart will do.” Her mom commented that I also had oranges, bananas, and carrots in the cart so it might have looked like hers. This mom also seemed ready to talk awhile. I felt so good about all these conversations that leaving the store, I needed to get out of someone else’s way and I left three bags on the counter. It required a trip back from the car to get them. They were all sitting where I had left them. There are honest and good people in the world. Paula

Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose

Hello, Sometimes it is hard to carry out strong beliefs. We have too much junk around here, but how to make it contribute rather than detract for the benefit of the earth is not so easy. Part of the problem is that I just wish it would disappear. I suggested to Leroy that we clean the shelves in the garage as if we were moving. Some day we will do that. Just glancing at some of the things, brings up the thought, “It is nothing we need, but it is too good to throw away. Or someone might find a use for this.” It is so hard to know the right person and to get the item to them. My hope is to fill a box with things to get rid of and then actually find a way to do that so that it is good for the earth. It is also hard to keep plastic at bay in our lives. So much plastic packaging. Leroy walked to the library and back so he has plenty of steps. Not true for me. I washed and hung out rags. That did not give me as many steps as it seemed like it should. I believe in using rags instead of paper towels in every place that makes sense. My rag population is beyond our ability to use it. Leroy does use them in the garage sometimes. Those rags do not get washed, but thrown out in case there is some oil on them. Neither of us likes socks as rags, but they seem to multiply in the rag basket. Is there another way to repurpose holey socks? Too much excess in our life. We must get it under control to feel free. Paula

Observed on the walk to church

Hello, There were the usual sights of grass; green and growing, leaves coming out on trees and some hardy flower showing their beauty. We also saw some empty walnut shell on the side walk deposited by hungry squirrels. Then there was a rather large half eaten apple. Perhaps squirrels were enjoying that too. The scooter lying on its side, taking up most of the space had been seen before. I lifted it up and set it carefully on its kickstand. The next was a bit bizarre. It was a rather large appearing (no touching now) black bra. Hmm? You just never know what you will see. Does this mean we need to keep an open or a closed mind? Also closer to home, we noticed that the adult side of the little free library in front of our house only has one book in it. It spurred me on at church to ask two people about sharing some of their books that they do not really want any longer. One thought she might have some and the other woman said she would have a lot. Two people is enough to replenish our supply. I also believe it helps to get things out of people’s houses. One husband commented, then our daughter will not have to clean out so much. The other husband rolled his eyes and smiled, looking pleased to get something out. Paula

How many Books?

Hello, I have seven books that I have started. That seem a bit over the top for a read one book at a time person. Two of the books have been put aside because too many other books are in progress. They are both nonfiction and require more pondering. Two of the books are for studies at church which requires about a chapter a week, but I am behind. Then there is the book club book, but it is really to the side because it is such a light read. Next week I must read it for sure. The other two books had been on hold so there was an uncertain starting time. both of them are also nonfiction, but one reads more like fiction. Almost all of the books have a spiritual slant. Then there is the book that had also been on hold, but came yesterday. Leroy is reading it now. It is certainly more in the fiction, murder mystery category. Besides all this reading, I have gone to the museum two afternoons and volunteered. They are moving an unknown number of books from the library back room to the upstairs. Leroy wondered if it is about 5,000 books. It is a big job. Two other volunteers were there yesterday. It is enough to make a person tired with stretching, turning, lifting, pushing carts and elevator buttons. I managed to get one loaded cart caught in the slot going into the elevator. Luckily, I got it out. I moved on down the hall to the freight elevator, only to realize I did not know precisely where it was. I had to back track with that heavy cart. Then I knew what door, but did not have a staff key so I could get to that elevator. Hence, it was back to the first elevator, make sure wheels were lined up to miss slots, pushed the loaded cart in, and confessed what had taken me so long when I arrived at the destination. Paula

Car Okay

Hello, Cars have changed. Our car has been in our possession almost ten years. Almost no money has been required for repairs. There has been some maintenance, but that would be expected. We bought it when it was a year old. Course, as they commented at the shop it does not have so many miles on it for the age that it is. Because after some repair, they had put on the tires, they suggested I bring it back to have the lug nuts checked. It was all good. Before I left the lot I backed up and the backup camera did not come on. I went in to ask about that periodic malfunction. They looked it up on line and found no mention of such a thing. When the key comes out and the car is turned back on it all works again. Not surprising, it will not be checkable unless it would stay off. He also commented that it could be something is just not turning on as well as it used to. I can back up without the camera, but I have come to depend on it. It is certainly a good view of what is back there. Leroy’s car is two years newer than mine. It also works well and has required little repair attention. It was so different when we were young. A ten-year-old car was about ready for the trash heap. We have been happy to not have to spend so much repair money on cars. If we keep our head in the right direction, we know that allows us to give away more money to things that we care about. I have applied for another action team. This will help furnish drinks and snacks for the homeless in the hot summer time. Our church already contributes to this, but this year could be a longer time since it has been quite hot some days. Paula

One Mystery Finished

Hello, Our weather station has a clock in it. For the last year we have struggled to have the correct time. It was resistant to changing for day light saving time changes. Yesterday, Leroy set it for an hour ahead of us. It has been holding at the standard time. It held that new time, but it was an hour off the other direction. He decided to just pull the power for over an hour. When he reset it to our current time it stayed. The mystery is not solved, but he managed to trick it. I look at that time a lot so it is nice to have it in the proper time zone. We actually got four screens washed, in the window opening, windows washed, and sills cleaned. It is a good feeling. At one of the windows a bee was checking us out while the window was open. We managed to keep it out without harming it or us. It is to rain in the next day or two so I will not get at the rest of the windows for some time now. It was been quite hot for the last two days. The Red Russian Kale is now going to seed. That is certainly much too early. Someone else is heading up the community garden, but we will certainly help if I notice the announcement. Saturday, I went an hour late and Leroy was even later. We could still contribute. The garden is tilled with rows marked and some early items planted. I bought some pansies today. I hope I have not waited too long considering the heat wave. They are beautiful so I will enjoy as long as they thrive or last. Paula

Helping Others

Hello, The shopping trip was not going as well as I had hoped. Do you know how many different kinds of curl cream are available? I do not know the precise number, but I can say it is more than twenty. How does one choose? I was at the second store this morning without making a selection. Finally at the third store I picked some and figured I would just try it. True to my buying character it was not so expensive as some that cost twice as much. It also appealed because it could be put on wet or dry hair. Many of them required that the hair be damp, whatever damp is. There were also curl gels, but it was to be cream not gel that my hair cutter recommended. Hair care is big business. At the car, an older woman and a small boy were struggling with two heavy grocery bags (larger than the usual size), two gallons of milk and two other things. They did not get in the car across the way, but stopped and rested before going on. They were joined by a young woman who took on most of the load, but they again stopped to rest. I drove over and asked if they wanted a ride. They spoke Spanish and asked if I spoke Spanish. The younger woman got out her phone, but said, no wi-fi. I got out my phone, put in the phone number that she showed me, but no answer. She provided another number. A man answered. She spoke to him in rapid Spanish. I motioned that I would talk to him. I asked if I could give them a ride and he said OK and gave me the address. With the trunk open they put in all their bags I also put in some random bags that I had in the back seat. Without thinking, I put my purse there with the phone in it. I knew the street they lived on, but had not much idea how the numbers went. I stopped at a gas station, got out my phone and used google maps. We were quite close and going the right direction. They were basically on the way home. I did not get any groceries, but Leroy and I can live a few days off of the food we already have in the house. Slovak words kept coming out of my mouth. Who knew I remembered so much. It lifted me up to do this. I know that I was always so appreciative of people who helped when we lived in Slovakia. Language is such a gift. Mybe I should learn Spanish and six other languages. One of the men called and said, “Thank you for giving my grandmother and aunt a ride. I would like to give you two tacos.” He explained where he worked. Leroy and I went there. It was quite delicious and all homemade. We will recommend this taco bar to others. I decided to accept this offer because sometimes people really do want to give you a thank you. Paula

Skippers and tending plants

Hello, When out delivering newsletters, I was impressed by the number of butterflies. Perhaps they are really skippers. Several different varieties were out and about. They seem a bit smaller than a butterfly. At least they can find some flowers to visit for a meal. It is fun to see the different blooms. I was given some house plants. Today was so nice that I could take them out and work on them outdoors. The two vines had many places were there was just stem and not leaves. It took some major trimming to leave just a few stems with leaves close to the base. Some of the pruned pieces went back in the pot and some went into a jar of water so that roots could form. It is difficult to say what will live and what will die. I was going to use a different word here, but I misspelled it so much that neither spell check or my mis-speller’s dictionary could help me.

Paula

Celebration Day

Hello, We went to a 50 year celebration for Corydon Lutheran. Leroy was there for three years as an interim pastor. It was so great to have some time to visit with people that we have not seen for a long time. Leroy commented, “It is amazing how they have gotten older, but we have not.” I have heard such before, but somehow it still feels rather true. We do not notice aging inside our ourselves. Perhaps we did not see ourselves for 10 years we might notice the aging. A number of the former pastors were there. Some of them I knew, some not.

The NAAC woman’s basketball game was on so our drive home was much less populated with vehicles. We stopped at a store to get gas and return some items. The guy at the return counter asked if we had watched the game. “No, since we were driving. Did you watch it?” I asked. “Yes, it was very slow around here so many of us workers got to see quite a bit of it. There are a lot more shoppers here now.” He commented. Do sports control the viewing world and activities? Paula

Tree Friends are Gone

Hello, This morning two trees in front of the house were cut down. They were great shade for cars parked in that area. They had been damaged by the derecho, but our downstairs friend managed to delay removal for three years. It was good to have them for some more company. The city deemed them to be risky trees. We certainly did not want them to fall on anything important. New trees will replace them, but it will be a number of years before they are tall enough to give good shade. It was nice enough to hang out clothes today. I like it so much when I can have sheets dry outside. No birds pooped on them this time that is another win. The rest of the clothes are good too. When the leaves come back to the trees, things stay much cleaner. Trees are helpful in so many ways. Someone invited us over so we can watch the Iowa Women’s Basketball game tonight. We are pleased as we did not know how were going to manage that feat. Paula

Some Highs, Some Lows

Hello, On the drive to the car repair place, I realized there was no noise. How embarrassing! We did leave it as Leroy said, “Let them check it over.” I did call after they were open to tell them that I no longer heard the noise. They replied they did not hear it either, but they were checking it for safety. We are glad about that. On the way back, Leroy filled his car with gas. Later, I was looking at some accounts and decided to look at the credit card. Oh groan, there were three charges that we did not make. I believe the same person must be accessing our account as the usage pattern is always the same with the same amount of money. I feel watched or wonder who close to me gets into this. I tried to call the credit card company, but Leroy is the primary card holder and it would not accept me to talk to anyone. Leroy is at work, but he is going to try to call. He feels much better today. I had blood drawn ahead of my yearly physical. I am low on two things, but high on one. The initials for these items are not in my vocabulary. So, I have no way of knowing what is off. None of the numbers are very far from the norm. I feel ok. Paula

Leroy feeling Low

Hello, Leroy went to work, but soon came back home. He is feeling a bit achy and very tired. We both wonder if it is a reaction to the covid vaccine. He is much better this evening and will go to work tomorrow. On my way to Ely to participate in the tai chi class, I changed lanes on the interstate and heard a kind of whine from the front passenger tire area. I could still steer, no lights had come on the dash so I kept going but did not travel so fast. When I stopped for a stop sign the sound stopped only to start as the car moved again. When totally stopped, I checked around the tires, but could see nothing. On the way home, I just took back streets. The noise was not so loud, but that is no doubt because of the lower speed. We are taking it to a shop tomorrow morning. Hopefully it will not be too large of a repair. At least it did not cause an accident or leave me stranded. At the store today, I played the helpless old lady card and the clerk helped me a lot. It is great to get the help, but should I be more independent? Paula

Home again and vaccinated

Hello, We spent the week end at Brian’s home. It was good to see them again. We spent some fun times playing games, even one we thought might be not so good. It was a trivia contest of do you know more than a 5th grader. Luckily, we managed to know most of the things asked. Travel was good both directions with rain on the return trip. Today Leroy and I got our covid vaccine or booster. So far, everything is good. My arm is not complaining yet, but that could come. I am struggling with Leroy doing things differently in the kitchen. How can I learn to let it be? I guess it is the result of ruling that space for too many years. Am I a bit on the obsessive side? Could be. Leroy got a walk in this morning to pay the car insurance bill. We were both astonished when the call came on the way to Brian’s that we had not paid this bill. Luckily, there is some leeway in that as it was only about three days over. We do not remember ever doing this before. The bill came so early that it seemed there was plenty of time to tend to this matter. We are now “legal” again. Paula

Money

Hello, Just when we thought we needed to take some money out of savings to cover expected expenses, we got money from unexpected sources. We are getting a tax refund from the federal government. We cannot remember when such a thing last happened. I actually do not mind paying taxes in the end of the year as long as I have some money available. I also see that my social security has finally been figured out for the year they had me as not working so I will also get a check for the back amount. We are richer than we thought. Is this a place to apply that saying of “Counting your chickens before they hatch?” We were just counting on the negative instead of the positive. This should help me to realize that I must relax about many things that are not so visible. Things are not always the way they appear. It is a beautiful sunny day today. However, there is a strong wind and not high temperatures. My friend came with no hat, no gloves and a light jacket. Luckily, my downstairs friend saw him and loaned him a scarf, hat, and gloves. He made the walk just fine, although we were both ready to be done by the time we got back to the house. Leroy did not ride his bike today. That is probably a good thing. He is taking it much easier than he has in the past. Age or sensibility is catching up with him. Paula

Fly in the House

Hello, We seem to have a resident fly. How long can a fly live? This fly is larger than a fruit fly, but smaller than a house fly. We do not have a species name for it. We have seen it for several days. Flitting around nervously. One day it was sitting on a window, but behind the blind. Raising the blind caused it to fly away. Another day it was on the table, however the fly swatter was on the side away. Walking around disturbed that flighty fly. Today it was on the counter. I managed to get the swatter, but missed on the swat. Does this fly lead a charmed life or is it reproducing, but only one at a time? We have never seen two flies at the same time or in the same room. This fly hangs out in the kitchen, but once in a while it ventures into the bathroom. How did it get here anyway? It is still winter and not the season for flies. We do not have screens on the windows so have not opened them even on the warmer days. I have been thinking that I should get a few screens from the attic, clean them, clean the windows and enjoy a nice warm breeze when it comes. I did open the kitchen window when I saw that fly close, hoping it would just fly out. To encourage that motion I flapped a towel at it. It has not been seen for some time now, perhaps it did fly away. Paula

Observations

Hello, This morning, Leroy and I walked to church. He wanted to pick up some papers there and I wanted to drop off books at a store for library pick up as well as drop off some medicine containers at a free health clinic. I had been told they only needed the smaller size containers because they get too many of the larger size. We had the labels off so they were ready to go. Someone came to the door as we were there so we did not have to go in. I asked, “Is this size that you can use?” “Yes,” the woman replied. “You do not want the larger size? We get so many in that size, even if it is a small number of tablets.” I added. “We don’t use many of the larger size.” She went on to blame the government for the waste. I am not sure what the government has to do with it, but I think some people blame the government for everything. Grass is green and flowers seem to be coming back after the snow has melted. Someone told me we are 20 days ahead of schedule in the flower growing/blooming department. I am a bit concerned about what the future will hold. On our walk this afternoon we saw something at the edge of the park near our home. Leroy asked, “What is that?” On closer inspection we found it to be three, large, brown, dead, chickens. We let the nonemergency police number know. Questions, but no answers. Paula

Leroy Happy

Hello, Leroy was quite pleased. About 15 people came to the opening of the exhibit. Most of them were interested in stamps. He talked some as did the director of the museum. There is a small power point presentation as well as stamps on display. The stamps are from the early times to the present of the countries of Czech and Slovakia. There are some that they still do not have, but someone commented that it is perhaps the most complete and best collection in the country. Leroy felt quite fine about that. He and some volunteers have put in about 1000 hours getting it organized. Now he is focusing on a very large donation that they have been given recently. They need more shelves to hold all of this, but do not know if the building is strong enough to hold it all. This morning, we saw that the temperature was not so cold, but it seemed much colder when we got outside. The wind was strong and damp. We were both happy to get to church. We are grateful for heated spaces. Sometimes we take all that for granted. We forget how privileged we are. Paula

Leroy’s Project

Hello, Leroy went to work this afternoon. There is the opening of a stamp exhibit that he and three members of the stamp club have worked on for almost two years. They met on Mondays and organized the stamps in albums. It was a big job. Then just recently Leroy has created a display in the library to showcase their work. The grand opening is today. Leroy has been a bit anxious about this endeavor. He had to go early because he just could wait no longer. The big problem is that I cannot imagine many people coming today to see that. Iowa women are playing in the NCAA tournament at the same time as the opening. I expect people are glued to their source of viewing this event. Stamps take a back seat. But at least they are in a good place for the future. This morning Leroy and I went out and shoveled a bit more by the two neighbors clearing the path to the street. We were so tired yesterday that we could not get that done. If emergency workers needed to come for any reason, it would be good if they had a clear path. Leroy had thought of that earlier. It feels good to get that done. The sun helps to get rid of anything that we missed. Paula

Bandage Free Again

Hello, Yesterday I went bandage free. It was freeing indeed. My nose looks fairly good, but not back to what it once was. No more fussing about what it will look like in the end. It will be fine. Today we were not expecting snow, but we got snow. Perhaps as much as five inches. We did not shovel until it was almost done. It was wet and heavy, but we got all of the walks cleared as well as that of two neighbors. Guess that keeps us strong. Any additional snow melted on contact with the sidewalk as the temperature is now in the 40s. A load of clothes has been washed and bread dough is rising. Makes for a good day. The banned book, Huckelberry Finn was the discussion point at a meeting last night. Most of us liked the book, but found some things that created some discourse. I have now started Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Have I read it before? Not sure. It is not taking my attention as much as I would like. Perhaps I feel as if doom is coming. Paula

Oops!

Hello, The bag of things too heavy to carry to church was placed on the bench in the back porch so I could drop it off on my way back from tai chi. Getting close to the church, I realized no bag was in the car. I had walked right past it on the way out the door this morning. I wash my face, let it dry, put on petroleum jelly, call Leroy to assist putting on the bandages to keep my nose covered. Apparently, my face was not dry enough because the bandages would not stick. After some struggle, Leroy put on tape over the bandages. That tape is white and wide. Many people wanted to know what had happened to me. It does look a bit serious. Our bandage supply is running low so we did not want to put on new bandages. At least this worked. Now I put that heavy bag in the car so the next time the car goes it will be delivered to church. Tomorrow, there will be more drying time. In spite of the wind, I delivered neighborhood newsletters. It was a challenge sometimes to figure out a way to secure them so they would not sail away to the next town. One more block is to be done for this month. Paula

Better Today

Hello, The weather is more pleasant today. It was rather cold this morning, but the wind is not so strong now so my walk was quite pleasant. Also, my nose is better. I had, perhaps been a little careless because it did not seem like such a big deal as the surgery. I had not had it covered some of the time. it has been covered and it looks much better than it did. I am treating it like the royalty that it is. It is certainly front and center on my face. More than once I exclaimed to Leroy, “I should not have been so vain as to want to look better when it looked fairly good.” I finished reading Huckelberry Finn. I have read it before, but it has been a long time. It certainly is a serious, funny book. But I did get a little tired of all the fooling around. Paula

Only the Hardy

Hello, Leroy and I walked to church today. It was a challenge. My face hurt from the cold by the time we arrived. Leroy forgot his phone, but remembered before we had gone a block. He went back, while I forged ahead. Between the low temperatures and the wind, it was not pleasant. Coming home was better, but not balmy. We have discussions about the best way to walk that will block some of the wind. I walked outside this afternoon. It was warmer, but still not so much fun. The pubs or taverns in our neighborhood seem to be doing a brisk business. There was a lot of green around. Except around the pubs I did not see other people. One bike rider was on the trail, but that was it. Leroy walked in front of the tv while he watched some show that I was probably not interested in seeing. I still want 1000 steps so I will also watch something and take those steps. It is not as good for the mind and spirit as it is when outside, but there is a sense of accomplishment. Surely the heart likes it. Paula

Hard Jobs

Hello, “There is too much junk in this house”, I moaned to myself. It was easy to pack up a bag of it, but what to do with it now. For the clothing items it was easy. For the random cords that go to what item, it was not so easy. If we move in a bit over a year from now some of those things will have to be faced and eliminated. On the desk there seems to be a growing pile of paper scraps that cannot be filed, but… We delivered newsletters again this afternoon. On the surface that is not hard, but the wind was quite strong. At one house one woman told me that she did not need one because she already had one. Mystified, I commented, “It is new. This is my route. Who else would do it?” She replied she did not need another and marched off. I have talked to her before that conversation was also a bit different. I did not deliver to her door. At an apartment building a rather large guy was sitting on the bottom step. When he did not appear to be moving so I could go past, I asked, “Do you live here?” Told me what apartment and I handed him the flyer before moving to the lower doors. He then called to me, “Do you want to go upstairs? I was not thinking.” He then moved and I went up. He seemed like a nice friendly sort. Paula

Bandage Off

Hello, The bandage was loose this morning, so off it came. My nose was much redder than I had expected and there was quite a bit of blood in the gauze. Somehow it seemed like a small job, therefore there should not be so much evidence of something out of the ordinary. It was hard to wash it off because I did not want to touch it. Then I had to apply some petroleum jelly, which gives it a noticeable shine. Guess I am ready to play Rudolph with no additional makeup. It was not hard for me to go out in public with the bandage on my nose, but I feel hesitant to go out now. Leroy and I will deliver neighborhood newsletters this afternoon. I will go to the pharmacy this morning to refill a prescription. Hopefully, by Sunday when the choir sings in church it will all look better. So many people told me they thought I was brave to go out with that bandage on, I wonder what they will thing of this. At least it does not hurt so in that sense it is no big deal. It is just cosmetic. Those who had “face planted” would ask if that is what I did. They would then proceed to tell of their experience. The skin cancer people would assume it was that, again there would often be some explanation. This crowd is falling or skin cancer survivors. Good group to be in, survivors. Leroy forgot to water the plants at the museum so he rode his bike there now. He can also stop at the library on his way home. It is a nice day out. He did not ride to work yesterday because we had a nice amount of rain. The rain barrel is not full, but heavy so that is good. Paula

Sand Job?

Hello, I had a sanding of my nose this morning. It was a possibility, but had hoped not. It is not painful except for the deadening process. More than once the nurse told me she could give me a break if I needed it. Long, slow, deep breaths got some relaxation in place. Amazing how we have some coping skills, if we can just remember then. The bandage needs to stay on for 24 to 48 hours. At least this time I feel much peppier, but then it was not such an invasive procedure. This is a vanity move. The choice was up to me, do it or not. Vanity won out. There is a dip in the scar and I guess it will take care of that. For no

w I just have a large bandage. The biopsy that was done last week came back with a good result. It was a precancer spot and the biopsy removes it. So nice to have health care people who can take care of these things and even know what they are doing. My brother’s birthday is today. He is 75 years old. He commented that our father died when he was 76. Wow, my age. I had thought he was older than that. He seemed old at the time, but now it seems young. Our mother lived to be 86. Paula

Trips and Money

Hello, Our friends “drag us along” on trips. We always enjoy them and learn a lot besides relaxing. When we look at the prices by ourselves, we often feel we can’t do it, too expensive. It takes someone more willing to release money from our tight grip to get us on the move. Grateful that we have friends who are interested in many of the same things. We have had many years of being very careful with money because it was often just enough to cover expenses. Now we do not have to be so careful, but on a daily basis we still are cautious. It is easier to do without many things that attract. We know we can be happy and satisfied with much of what we have. It is good that we have people who help us to gain some new experiences. We are looking at the possibility of a cruise around New Zealand and part of Australia. It is the most expensive venture we have looked at, but our friends are interested. We will talk more. Australia does seem quite an interesting place to go. The distance from home makes it cost more to get there. It cost quite a bit to go visit Sarah’s family in Kenya, but I have never been sorry about that. It is interesting, but Leroy and I are more comfortable giving money away then spending it on ourselves. Today we chatted with the friends and took this expensive trip off the agenda. Paula

Blooms, blooms, blooms!

Hello, My indoor plants are just blooming away. The orchid is just at its fullest glory now. The amaryllis is opening. As is a white Thanksgiving Cactus opens and the pink has only one left. Now the coleus is blooming as well. It is a pretty flower, but I often pinch it off to make it branch out a little more. What beauty in my life.

Then there is Leroy. He is a nice guy, kind and considerate as well as intelligent and generous. How is that for a lot of compliments. But will he ever read this, maybe or maybe not. Does he bloom? Somedays come closer than others. He has been a little stressed because of a stamp display at work. Plus, he was asked to preach at our church on Saturday night service. It has been a long time since he wrote a sermon but he finished the first draft in good time. He looks more relaxed now. Paula

How much I do not know

Hello, While visiting with a neighbor today, I realized I do not know what to do when that person starts talking negatively about another neighbor. It is especially hard, when I basically agree with him. When does all this become gossip and unkind? How can it be that so many times the rain misses us and the ground stays quite dry? How much water is ok to use in such times? Does it matter when we try not to let water run down the drain, but save it in a bucket to use for watering plants inside and outside? How to handle jokes that are at the expense of another person, especially when I like the person who made that joke? A person today said she rehabilitates raccoons. Is that of value when those animals can be such a nuisance in the city? How many t-shirts should be in my drawer? Paula

What, Again?

Hello, At the dermatologist, another biopsy was done, but this time on the left side of my face. It is close to where I already had some Moh surgery. Hoping this one is a false alarm. There was a spot on the right cheek that was frozen because it is precancerous. As the doctor said, “I am sorry to have to this to you, but your face seems to be a place to inspect closely. Dr. Clark does a great job with the surgery, but I know it is easier if it is sooner rather than later.” As he was taking the sample, he asked me a question. Should I answer? Would my cheek move? Would the size of the cut change? I answered, but tried to use a minimum of movement. I am glad to be so close geographically to someone who can do this and make it look good in the end. I got to the appointment ahead of time and they took me in ahead of time so I had a lot of time between my appointment and a study at church. The person in the kitchen kept me busy until my study. I am glad to help out. It seems to me she has too much to too much of the time. A flutist played at church today after the noon worship service. It was quite fine to listen to that. I am a day late getting this sent out, could I have gotten busy? Paula

Helping is not always easy

Hello, Yesterday, a bit of trash was around the church, probably brought there by the wind. Because I was not appropriately dressed, we came back today armed with gloves and bags. Only there was no trash. Guess the wind had blown it on to the rest of the neighborhood. With careful looking we managed to fill one grocery bag. It involved many small things. More cigarette butts and some plastic coffee stirrers. As well as other odds and ends. We picked up a bit more trash on the way home. We could have done a lot more, but did not have a way to pack it all up. That wind has been quite strong and brings in many things. The bag of books for the little free library included one book that had no spine label, was missing the front cover and the first 33 pages. That book did not go in the library. There was also one book that just stayed open in one place and had water damage. The rest of the books are fine and went into the library. We have some green growing in the community garden. Some type of lettuce and some spinach. The Red Russian Kale is also quite vigorous. Paula

How Powerful Are We

Hello, Today we watched the Iowa Women’s basketball team play and win. The only other two times we have watched, they lost. I commented to Leroy, “Do you think we should do this; they might lose because we are watching?” “We are not that powerful,” Leroy asserted calmly. I have been thinking, how do we feel about jinxing something and where did those ideas come from? How much do others emotions affect us? Sometimes I think, and I hear others say that they do something to make it rain. Like hang out clothes. Mostly I do not believe that is a factor in the outcome, but why say it or even think it? Obviously, I know that some of my actions do make a difference and I try to be careful. Paula

Meeting Family

Hello, Last evening we met with my brother and his family as well as our brother-in-law and his friend. I am so happy that my brother-in-law wants to keep contact. In fact, he is willing to travel much farther than the rest of us did. He had an appointment in coming our direction so we just traveled a shorter distance. It was a great evening of laughter, talk, and a good meal at a restaurant that my sister-in-law knew about in the area. Gerald, brother-in-law, likes to work with wood. He came baring gifts that he had made for us. Some were of a Christmas theme and one was a clever wooden bowl.

Our travel was uneventful except for missing a turn off because there were too many cars in the way. It only took about fifteen minutes to get back to the place we needed to be in. There was quite a lot of wind yesterday. One hand got tired trying to keep the car in the proper place. I noticed that some of the semis would run off the road a little, which I suspect was a problem of the wind. There was a travel trailer that was noticeablely weaving. When I passed them, I pulled way over to the opposite side. We are grateful for a good visit and a safe trip for all. Paula

Card Compromised

Hello, “Oh no! Not again!” I thought as I looked at the credit card information. But one of the reasons I frequently look at the account is to keep ahead of thieves. We know what to do now. Leroy called right away and had the charges taken away. Not impossible to fix, but it does take some time. Who loses money? Not us, but often such things come back to us in another way. Our card has been cancelled once again. A new card will come in a week or so. Luckily, we only have one account that is automatically paid with this card and we have another card to use in the meantime. I asked what we can do to stop this from happening. One suggestion was always go into the gas station and pay inside. Get one of those wallets that is scan proof. Do not use the apple wallet on the phone. Guess we will have to make some changes. We can do this. This representative also talked about someone sitting in a car outside a store, aiming a device at the store and scanning the cards as people paid the bill. Not much we can do if that happens. Should we just go back to using cash? I am not quite ready to do that. Paula

Gas Station Tales

Hello, It was a perfect sunny day to go to the gas station, buy gas, and get the car washed. I got out, put in my card to pay for the gas, followed the steps including that I wanted a car wash. No separate options were listed for the wash. Back to square one and start again. It was the same result, but I decided to hope for the best and just selected one slot. With gas pump in hand, it was apparent that the car was too far for the hose. Put the nozzle back in place, more the car to the proper spot, get out to start fueling only to find that the order had been canceled. Perhaps going in the store would be best, grabbed my purse and walked in. the person behind the desk was busy arranging cigarettes so I waited a bit, but then said, “Excuse me.” After learning what I wanted, she said, “It is probably better if you pay for it in here.” Then I learned they were having a sale on the car wash with all washes the same low price. After paying, it was back to the car. This time I only had to select the grade of gas I wanted and put it in the car, however the pump stopped working after only a minute amount of gas had gone in. After fussing around with the handle, it worked. To get in the car wash a code was required. I put that in, but it would not take the last digit and announced improper code and quit. I tried again, but could not read the screen to select the wash I wanted. After the next attempt, I backed the car up so I could stand in front of the screen to hopefully read it better. Then I got a notice that the wash was ready and the door came up. I scurred back to the car, started it, slowly moved forward, hoping the door would not come done on my car and stopped when instructed. It is nice to have a clean car. Paula

The Good Old Days

Hello, Some parts of the “good old days” would be nice. That was when I could go to the grocery store and bring home everything I had on my list, even without looking at my list. Today, I forgot my list, forgetting one important thing. Those were the days when almost no one would be able to pass me on the walking trail. It was easy walking too. Now to keep ahead of others, much effort is required. When I read a book I remembered the author, perhaps the author’s middle name, the title and main theme of the book. Now I am feeling pleased if I remember that I read it. Often it is a case of this seems familiar, but did I read it? Names were not especially my strong suit, but now it is more a case of, who is this person? Do I know them and how? Leroy and I switch places at the table each meal. This is to exercise our memory and strengthen it. Mostly it does work, but sometimes we have to discuss the possibilities. Usually, it comes down to what we were eating at the last meal. Paula

First Bike Ride of the Season

Hello, I barely finished the first bike ride that I have taken this year. Between the wind and figuring out how to proceed at all the stop signs, it was a real challenge for me. After we got home, we learned from our downstairs friend, that there was a wind advisory with gusts up to 20 mph. Personally we seemed to have found every one of those gusts. Much of the time going to the library the wind was in our face or at the side. The side is almost worse because of the danger of being blown over. But going forward was so hard it was impossible for me to keep up with Leroy who has more miles on than I do. My “new” bike is still not easy for me because it does not have toe clips on the pedals. That always helped me to have the pedals in the proper position after stopping. Now I have to remember to shift the pedal position as soon as I stop so I can start again. Then there is traffic to pay attention to. Many of them wanted to wait for me, but I could not get it started in a timely fashion so I waved them on. Once I started and my shoe was not in the right position and it hit the pedal crank so I had to stop. This bike is a little small for me so that creates some pedal power issues. I do not have a good extension to my leg. I noticed that my tires were quite low, especially the front one. That also makes it a much harder ride. I suppose I could have used the electric aspect of this bike, but it seemed like a defeat to do that on such a level place. Complain, complain. Hoping the next time will be better with less wind and more air in the tires. Going home was easier than the first direction. Paula

More Cruise Talk

Hello, After we turned out the lights, it was very dark in our room. We often have to get up and it would be difficult to move around in a strange place without a night light. We opened the curtain hoping for some light from the moon or stars. There was quite a nice amount, not too much not too little. At some point I noticed the light moving rhythmically across the ceiling. Upon investigation, we found that it was lights from the ship moving across the wake or waves. I took a video of it, but cannot figure out how to send that one to you so you are just going to have to use your imagination. Our days at sea took on a certain rhythm as we got up early, walked a mile on the promenade deck, ate breakfast, went to tai chi, ate a second breakfast (or snack) with our later rising friends. After that we would look over the possibilities of activities and we always found something to occupy ourselves. Sometimes it was attending some program, reading in our rooms, playing games, talking/laughing or taking a nap. We did not skip any meals. Leroy and I always walked enough to get our ten thousand steps. There was always some entertainment in the evening which we enjoyed. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I relaxed on the days at sea. It was good to be with other people that we like visiting with. Paula

How slow do we go

Hello, Yesterday some girls in Junior high were walking across the street from us. They kept getting ahead of us. Leroy remarked, “It looks like they put no effort into it, but they are much faster than we are.” That was certainly true. What happened to the “famous Bradway Walk”? Today I was walking by myself and I heard someone talking behind me. It was not long before a younger woman and her dog passed me with a faster walk. I made an effort to walk faster, but not so sure how long I kept up the faster pace. According to my Fitbit, I do have some fat burn minutes in each long walk, not that I want to burn fat, but I like to have my heart work. What fat are these other faster walkers burning off? We hung out sheets today. Again, a bird went poop above one sheet. Wish they would pick a smaller item which would be easier to rewash. When the leaves come out on the tree, the clothes line should be more protected. Paula

Trash Picked up

Hello, For the first time this year I picked up trash around our block. It seemed harder than it had in the past. Perhaps because there were not so many big things, but lots of small. I generally pick up cigarette pieces however, there were so many that it became overwhelming. I am not fond of smokers and they are going lower, but I suppose not all think it is ok to just throw those butts anywhere. It was warm and I was too warmly dressed with a light jacket. It could have come off, but then it would have to be carried. It came to mind that one of the last times last year a hundred-dollar bill was in the dirt. No such exciting finds today. Once in a while there is a good useable tool. It was just a lot of squatting and getting back up only to do it again and again. Sometimes rules were broken and I did bend over more than squat. At least it all looks better than when I started. Paula

Getting caught in a Rabbit Hole

Hello, Sometimes when I try to find something on a website it is like getting caught in a rabbit hole. Not that I have ever been in a rabbit hole, but you know that Alice story. It is hard to find my way to the item I want and then it can become hard to find my way out. At least, I can usually just shut down the site and that is the end of that. A computer programmer must not think as I do. My logical places are not their logical places. How can that be? Are we not alike? Looking at the church website to learn if a study would be today or not, I found a list of the worship services, but not that study. Where would it be listed? Finally, an email to the presenter answered the question of was it happening. At the study, I mentioned that I could not find it listed. It was under a different tab than I expected it to be. Two others had found it after some searching. Are they more tech savvy than I or just more persistent in looking around. I will confess that I do not want to spend much time at such a task so I give up rather quickly. At least I still know where I am going when I walk. Today on my way home, a stop at the college flower garden revealed that snowdrops were blooming as well as a small yellow flower. It was nice to see. Are all early flowers low to the ground for protection from the cold? The Red Russian kale is also starting to look robust enough to eat. It will not be so long before this vegetable can be harvested from the garden. The green winter onions are also starting to look good. No rabbit holes here, or maybe rabbits just don’t like kale and onions. Paula

Is it Spring?

Hello, It keeps getting warmer and warmer. People are talking spring, but usually that does not come until April. I took a nice walk yesterday and again today. It was necessary for me to have on a jacket. The college kids in the area do not feel the need of more than a sweatshirt. There are green plants here and there. We do not have any flowers blooming yet, but I still look, just in case. Leaf buds on the trees are quite visible. Some big snow piles have a little more shrinking to do. I even saw a little snow in a shady spot. I had a book on hold at the Ely Library as well as the Cedar Rapids library. Course I picked up both of them today. If I had thought ahead, I could have gotten the Cedar Rapids book before the library closed on Sunday. With Presidents’ Day Monday, they were not open. I went a day without starting either book. I am reading one that I will put in the little free library when I am finished. Someday e-books might appeal, but not yet. A day without a book is like a day without sunshine, dull, dull, dull. Paula

Driving

Hello, Yesterday, we spent a good number of hours driving. It was a nice sunny day. However, the wind was daunting. It is a good feeling to have a low-profile vehicle on those days. Some trailers were being buffeted off course a bit. We went to the funeral for Jen’s mother. I am glad that we could attend. It had been a long time since I had seen her father, brother’s family, and uncle’s family. When we attended the children’s birthday parties, we got to see Jen’s family twice a year. It was a quick trip in one day with more time on the road than we actually spent there. It was noticeable that there was more and more snow as we went north. Some of it was blowing across the road on one smallerA road. Those spots looked icy when we went home. Luckily that was only spots and just for seven miles. Stephen’s parents have both died so now there is only Jen’s dad and Andy’s parents left. I think of diminishing groups as there are only my sister’s husband and my brother and sister-in law left of the immediate other relatives. I suppose that is a part of aging. Loved ones are not there forever. Paula

Podiatrist

Hello, Going back to the podiatrist was both a relief and a little bit touchy. I had waited a long time so my fungus nails had become thicker and tougher. At least they have a tougher tool for clipping and then an electric gizmo for filing and smoothing it off. Leroy looked at my feet this morning and could see where the skin had been nicked a little. So happy that I did not jerk much so they did not get more skin. Before I could take some oral medicine, I had to have blood drawn and examined. Luckily the lab was just two blocks away so I could walk there too. It is so nice to live in an area that is small enough that I can walk to the doctor, lab and pharmacy. At the lab, she applied the tourniquet, stuck the needle in, and soon said, “What is happening here?” I do not look at needles stuck into me so I had no clue. She then said, “I’m sorry!” After some shuffling noise, and pressure on my arm the needle was pulled out. “This needle fell apart. I am not sure we got enough blood. Just wait right here.” she said before heading off to the phlebotomist. The metal needle would not fall apart, would it? I suspect it was the plastic holding it in place. “It was enough blood, you are good to go.” she announced on her return. I was happy to head home. Paula

Cruise Traveling

Hello, Our cruise traveling has basically been moving reunions with seminary friends. There were seven days at sea on this cruise. I wondered how we would manage on those days. They flew by. We visited, ate, laughed, played games, read books, went to entertainment features, did tai chi, walked the promenade deck where three and a half laps equaled a mile, one of us participated in a table tennis tournament, and took naps. The other two couples had purchased the Wi-Fi. Leroy and I thought we could live 15 days without it. The hardest part was not knowing how to get ahold of the other couples when not by our stateroom phone. They had only purchased one Wi-Fi plan per couple, so they could not contact the other part of the couple. When I talked with Sarah, she told me, the app from the cruise company had a free chat possibility on it so you could contact each other. Why didn’t we know that? Are we too old and they are young or did we just not listen to some instructions? If we go with this company again, we will know the score unless it changes. Going back to the present and Valentine’s Day, Leroy gave me an orchid. I have never had one before. I will hope it survives and thrives. If not, the blooms will lift my spirits while they are here. I have two violets blooming as well as one pink thanksgiving cactus. The white cactus is putting on some buds, but it will be a while before they bloom. The amaryllis was planted after we came home. It is starting to send up a bud shoot. These winter blooms add color and beauty to the days.

Paula

Why Can’t We Connect

Hello, Happy Valentine’s Day. Brian was born on this day 47 years ago. The best gift ever! We started our cruise journey in San Diego. Our friends had told us they would pick us up at the airport, just text when we arrived. I texted when we landed, no response. After we picked up our luggage another, text and no response. Called him and it went right to voicemail. Outside another text and no response. Leroy called and texted same lack as I had. I was getting ready to text his wife when I heard our name. He was there ready to go. In the car we talked about how we had texted so many times. He had not gotten them. After a bit of searching and fussing it was discovered that he had blocked us. He claims not to know how that happened. It certainly created a good laugh. I have done a few things on these “new-fangled” instruments and not realized what I had done so it is quite believable. It was wonderful to have that ride and then to stay with their daughter’s family and have a ride to the port in the morning. People who know where they are going do better driving in the city with all the other fast-moving vehicles. How nice to be met and cared for instead of needing to find our own way forward. How did Leroy and I travel so much 20 years ago? We did not even know the language and managed without too much trouble. Are we losing our nerve? Paula

Mail and Trips

Hello, We had our mail held by the post office while we were gone. It was interesting to note that in our 16-day absence, one of the cruise companies was our most ardent correspondent. It is almost as if I could start replying to them and let them know how my life is going. Do you think they care about me? Or do they just want me to spend more time and money with them? Such a luxury to be so sought after. They have very nice pictures and some nice prices to go along with that. It could all go to my head. Also, while we were gone, we got a number of tax papers. It is a deal to sort through all of those things. Leroy and I spent some time organizing things and now he is doing the bulk of that work. We do have a tax person, but for some reason he would like us to be a little responsible and gather papers. I am also happy to report that I got a letter from Social Security. They are noting that I did earn in the year 2019. Finally, this will be solved. I have contacted them twice about it. Our recycle bin held a lot of paper when we got done looking at all of the mail. I am not sure how many businesses have found us here, but it seems to multiply. Guess we should move and cut off the stream of correspondence. Paula

First Port on the Cruise

Hello, We started in San Diego and went down the coast to Panama. The first port was Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The tour was not so informative as the guide talked mostly about the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton who had filmed something there. At least I was old enough to know who they were. The other topic was tequila, both making and selling. She kept talking about us getting drunk which is not my idea of a good time. our value to them in being there was to purchase something to take back with us. Tourists are a big part of the economy. I did hold an iguana that was warm, docile, had reptile skin, and was a bit heavy. Until I looked at the picture, I had forgotten how large it was. Only after I held it did I realize that the owner wanted a tip. We supplied that, and I consider it money well spent. I was thinking of just touching it, but it was thrust into my hands almost immediately and the small one was put on my head. I thought the small one looked like a toy. It is good thing I did not shake my head and knock it off.

I sincerely hoped the next ports would have more of interest to me/us. The tour guide had a strong accent, but not too hard to figure out what was being said. I would like to have more language knowledge. One person did fall getting off the bus. People were quick to help her. Luckly she was not hurt in this fall, but a bit sore and bruised. Paula

Not at Sea, but Land legs? February 7, 2024 Hello, Even though we came home late Saturday night, I still have to get adjusted to land when I get out of bed in the morning. Once in a while in the course of the day I also have to adjust my mental process to feel absolutely stable. We spent much of Leroy’s birthday in airports and on planes. I even forgot to wish him happy birthday until a few hours had passed. Guess I was more concerned about making all connections. It was not a big deal, but a long day. They transport us from the ship to the airport in Miami. We walked quite a distance and had to read a number of signs to figure out where to go for our gate. We were about six hours early so there was plenty of time. We even saw two birds in the airport.

They seemed to be scavengers, getting dropped morsels off the floor. Our first flight had a bit of turbulence, so we were confined to our seats much of the time. There was also a medical emergency so they did not serve us anything but some water. We had a shorter time in the Chicago airport so we needed to move rather quickly to get on our next flight. Luckily, we had eaten in Miami, because there was no time for such. I was pleased that our checked luggage made it in fine style. Our downstairs friends picked us up at the airport. It was great to be home and go to bed. Not much unpacking, just getting out the toothbrushes. Paula

Packing

Hello, Leroy manages to pack in half the time that I take. It is hard to know how many items for various temperatures one should take. We are going on a Panama Canal Cruise. It should be much warmer than it is here, but will it be breezy on the ship? Who knows? The temperature was better this morning. I walked to church with care as there were many places that I wanted to know what my foot was coming down on. I only slipped a little once. There were certainly places that the sidewalk had not been cleared. I am so grateful for all who made the effort to get to the pavement. Some drivers do not realize that pedestrians have some marked crossings and they pull their vehicle into that spot. Then it is a choice, do I go in front of the car or in back? Usually, the front seems safer because they will see me and not run over me. Sometimes they are so far ahead that it is uncomfortable to walk so far into the intersection. I took quite a lot longer going to church because of my slow pace, but I arrived. It was disappointing that at church, I somehow lost my mask, which protects my nose from the cold. sI had to depend on my scarf. It worked, but not as easily as the mask. Paula

Heat Wave?

Hello, It is six degrees above zero now with the sun so beautiful. I took a walk. It was good at first, but then at the end of the block the sidewalk had not been shoveled making it harder to navigate. No one around the corner had kept their patch of sidewalk clear. When I got to the end of the second block, I considered how to climb over the mounds left by the snow plow. Unfortunately, I had worn shorter boots. It seemed like enough walk for the day. It was so fine to get back to the cleared sections on our block. The only problem now was that the wind seemed quite strong. I was happy to get back to the house even with an abbreviated walk. I am going to a study at church tomorrow morning. Not sure that I feel comfortable walking that far by myself. I would wear my tall boots and wrap my warmest wool scarf around my neck and shoulders. I do wonder what it would be like if I fell when by myself. Yesterday when we were out and about, we met a car in a particularly bumpy place. It looked like Mr. Bobble Head was driving the car. We probably looked the same, but I could not get that perspective on us. Paula

In the Car

Hello, We went out twice today. In the morning Leroy needed to turn in his time card. While at the smuseum, I took some dead leaves off the plants, trimmed others, and watered them. They do like the library window as all seem to be thriving. Some books were returned to the library. We came home, had lunch and went out once more. It is a land of huge snow piles on the edge of roads and parking lots. Sometimes the mounds obscure the view of on-coming traffic. The streets have places of packed snow or ice which is at times lumpy. Luckily, Leroy’s car has all wheel drive and we did not have any problems, except Leroy’s hands got quite cold on the steering wheel. Our seats were heated and warm. The sun was shinning brightly much of the day, but the temperature did not get above zero degrees F. I wore my mask to protect my nose from the sun and the cold. It is great to have this nice supply of masks. Paula

Did you walk today

Hello, So many people at church asked, “Did you walk today?” Many added: I was going to give you a ride home if you had. I explained, “When it is more than minus ten degrees, we do not walk.” A tough North Dakota couple told us that when they were in college their personal rule for not walking a mile and a half to their destination was, -20 degrees with a 30-mph wind. Wow! Would it matter that they were younger then? They also commented that they dressed appropriately. On the way to church three fire trucks raced up the main street. It helped me to realize that they have to do some things in the outdoors. With three trucks required, I figure it was something on a larger scale. There was a pot luck at church for a guy who is going to be an intern at another church. It was nice to see so many people there on this cold blustery day to give him a good send off. Someone there told us they saw Leroy and I at church on the live stream. She wondered if she should come to church and give us a ride home if we had walked there. We did shovel a little in places where it had drifted. We could see that someone had come down the sidewalk with a snow blower. That was nice. All in all we did not spend much time outside. Paula

Confined At Home

Hello, With the weather we have been mostly confined at home. We go out and shovel. It gets us out of the house and into the wind. In our last outing we did not stay out long, partly because there was not a lot of snow to shovel and partly because we were getting cold. We have played games two times, read a lot, and watched TV or DVD’s. I feel rather hemmed in, even though I am grateful that this is a warm comfortable place to be. There are some who are not so fortunate. Leroy is getting a lot of steps now while watching TV. He does not get very many while shoveling, or at least compared to my numbers. I believe the wrist motion of shoveling adds to mine while his is just counting it if his feet move. I am currently reading three books. I like all of them, but they appeal to different parts of my brain. One is the Man called Ove. We watched the movie while in Utah and I decided to reread it because it had been a long time. One book is for the church book club. We are home only one day ahead of the discussion so I must be done with it before we leave. It is The Mothers by Brit Bennett. It does have a lot to say to me as serious fiction. The last book is The Shed that fed a million children. It is inspiring and uplifting that so many people help others. Leroy only reads one book at a time and they are all fiction, right now most seem to be mysteries. Paula

Weighted Trees

Hello, Our trees are weighted with snow. Some trees are breaking because it is too much to hold. Maybe the wind that is to come soon will help to move the snow round. We do not like the idea of driving anywhere in that, but the trees might like it. Our tree looked like this when we went to bed.

This morning when I looked out our bedroom window there was a noticeable difference in the amount of snow on the branches. The wind must have been quiet. However, I learned that our downstairs friend shook the trees so branches would not break.

We are so fortunate that we do not have to go anywhere today. I should have gotten yogurt yesterday when I was out getting some more groceries. We can live without yogurt, but just barely. There is some melt from the roof so we are getting great icicles. Some of that is dripping on our internet wire. Luckily, I could open a window and break off those icicles. I am concerned about the weight on that cable. I do not know when a service person could restore the connection. Leroy and I were to have a home health visit today. Luckily that was canceled. Even driving across town could be a challenge. It is not a necessary visit. We shoveled snow earlier and will have to do it again. If we wait too long it gets much heavier than we would like to move. How many pounds do you think we have moved just this week? Surely it counts for weight lifting. After shoveling again this afternoon, I know if someone gave us a snow blower, we would not turn it down. I like to shovel snow so this is a new thought for me. Paula

Driving on Snow

Hello, I realized as I pulled out of the garage, that I had not yet driven in snow this year. We just pushed the new two or three inches of snow to the side of the alley so Leroy could get his car out and go to work. After lunch I decided to go get a hair cut and get a few more groceries. I found it easy to pull out of the garage, but turning was not so easy as we had not shoveled the part where I pull ahead and turn the wheel. I guess I managed to get the job done by backing up two times. The rest of the alley was not fun, but not too bad. The street had a few frozen bumps on it. The interstate was clear, but I do not use it very long. The side streets required a bit more alertness. There was no waiting to get a haircut as there was only one other person in there while I was there. I like the cut. The grocery store was busy as other people must be loading up before the next wave of snow comes in tonight and tomorrow. After that, the noticeable factors will be the low temperatures with strong winds. We are hoping the power stays on. When I got home, I realized that I had not closed the garage door. It seemed everything I could think of was still there. Guess navigating that turn distracted me. Luckily not so many people roaming around. I did not hop right out of bed this morning. Leroy had almost finished in back of the garage by the time I got out there. When we went out front to do the sidewalk the neighbor had reached the steps in front of our house. He was moving quite fine, but he is so thin and I know he does not feel well. Maybe tomorrow we can help him again. Paula

The Uncleared Alley

Hello, No plow helped us to clear the alley. Much of the snow is still there. Leroy cleared a bit so he could get to work. I went out this afternoon and worked on the side behind my car. It was hard work because I had to carry the snow away in five-gallon buckets. At least the car will come out now, but I am not sure of the ability to put it in the garage. Today was an at home day for me. Tomorrow, I expect to do morning stretch in Ely. Leroy is working as well. Both cars will need to move. There is to be more snow tonight. Not looking forward to that. Perhaps it will be delayed. Since the one time I got stuck trying to put the car in the garage, we have always had the alley clear. Not comfortable with the appearance of the snow and ice where cars of driven. Leroy came home before I sent this. The two of us managed to clear quite a lot more. I feel much more confident about getting back in the garage. I have been reading a book for book club. There is only one day to read it after we come home. The problem is will I remember the story enough to discuss it. Also, I checked out three books from the library and they will be due while we are gone. They will not be read. The trick is hoping no one else wants them when I try to renew them. Paula

How Much Snow

It started to snow last evening almost right on the predicted time. It is still snowing as predicted. It is to stop by 7:00 pm. We are looking forward to that being accurate, or else it could stop sooner. Our downstairs friend thought at times it was snowing two inches per hour. I know it is a lot. I went out to put stuff in the compost bin. It would have been smarter to have worn gloves. The snow on there was at least six inches deep so to find the lid required brushing it off with a bare hand. Then the lid did not want to come up. What a struggle. We shoveled the front sidewalks once more. We also do the neighbors on each side of our house. They both have some health issues. One of them will do it ahead of us getting out there, so I like to keep at it. He is quite weak, but sometimes he does our walk as well. Guilt sets in if that happens too much. The other, under doctor’s orders cannot do anything like that. The area outside of the garage and the alley is still snow covered because we run out of energy. We will work hard to get that done before the end of the day. It is to be colder and then it will be very hard to get that melty, frozen stuff off the surface. We tried to do that. It was quite challenging. We only cleared enough to get one car out. We hope they can clear the alley, but know that they are busy in many places of the city. One picture is what the sidewalk looked like about an hour after shoveling.

The other is the view out our office window. The violet thrives in this window.

Paula

Cold is not the same everywhere

Hello, Miriam and a friend walk early in the morning before work. Because it was so cold, they walk in a mall. We walked with them for a few days, but then walked outdoors because the temperatures were not that low. Especially there it does not feel as cold as it does here at the same temperature. Is it the humidity? Wind? Mind? Our temperature was 33 degrees F. this morning. By the time we got to church we were quite cool. Leroy wished he had on a warmer coat. At least it is only a mile so he could deal with it. The Utah dogs liked to have us give them a walk in the morning. There was much wiggling and joy in their bodies as they pulled us along. When we walked with Miriam and friend, we could barely keep up only to learn that they slowed down for us. We will have to push ourselves from now on. The dogs were much happier at a faster pace. Rather one dog liked fast and one did not. It was also a challenge to avoid other dog walkers. Mornings, appeal to many people. I used to have a routine of walking the dog early, coming in, doing yoga, and then tackling the day. It always gave me a good start with energy and anticipation. We have not walked so much in the morning and I miss that, but we need to get out of bed earlier to get it done before other scheduled things move into the time. Paula

Will We Make It

Hello, Our plane landed in Denver after 30 minutes delay in Salt Lake cutting into our 51-minute layover. On the ground, out the window, we watched our gate go by. We just kept moving, passing up empty spaces and lower gate numbers. It seemed we could just leap out of the plane and be ok. There were three young women in the aisle so I turned and asked, “Do any of you know how to get one of those carts that move people around?” The answers were all no. They then started quizzing us about how much time we had and when the plane was taking off. They all felt that we could make it from the 73rd gate to the 21st before takeoff. I was pleased that they thought we looked agile enough to manage it, but still a little skeptical. I had a crack in my right heel so I did not want to run. Because we had seen the gates go by, we knew the direction to go. No bathroom stops for us. The pain in my heel became a small background to the urge to move at a good pace. We even used the moving walkways, moving all the time to make good progress. There were no people waiting in line at the gate as all had boarded when we got there. We got on, got seated, and a few more stragglers come on before we took off. I am such a worrier. I had been planning what to do because we would miss the flight. What a waste of energy! We got home in time to catch the bus home. It was a relief to walk in the door right on time. Paula