Improvements

Hello,

The doctor looked at Leroy’s face and the top of his head. He then pronounced them good enough to stop putting on the cream. Dr. Paula, me, did not think Leroy would get a pass on the top of his head. I do agree with the diagnosis that he should continue with the two spots on his wrists. Personally I think that Leroy was one lucky duck to be able to stop the treatment on his face and head so soon. Seems to me it was much longer for me. Now I wonder if it had to be to such an extent before I stopped applying the cream.

“Does your face feel better this morning?” I wanted to know as I remembered the relief.

“Better, but it still hurts if I move it too much,” Leroy replied.

Since he was in front of the group and his face is not to be missed, last night Leroy told people at the group meeting about it. One of the attendees is a dermatologist. He agreed that it looked “good” and Leroy was lucky that it had progressed so quickly. He also thought that the spot on his leg is one of the easiest to deal with so it should not be such a big deal. That helped Leroy’s outlook.

On a very positive note, the pink Christmas cactus is blooming almost as much as it did in the fall. I am so happy when I look at it. The white plant, which is smaller, has six buds on it. They must love the bedroom window since they have responded so well. For the pink one this is the third time blooming this winter. Seems to be a mighty effort!

Leroy rode his bike this morning. Rain is predicted so I have loaded the bike rack in the car and will go fetch him. The rack was caught in the holder. Giving it a jerk to make it come up and out, caused me to hit a lawn chair which came down on top of me. I must be more careful!

Paula

The Pain

Hello,

Leroy’s face is so red that it hurts to look at him, partly because it is sore but partly because memory is opened and exposed. Soon he will be finished putting on the cream and healing can start. I remember that almost immediately it felt better when not exposing it to any more of the torturous, but beneficial cream. For some reason the top of his head does not look as if it has had enough applications, but the front and sides of his face are well along on the journey.

His leg hole has not healed much since the spot was taken off almost two weeks ago. It is squamous cell carcinoma. He has learned that he should be in good shape afterwards. So he believes that he can do the three worship services since they are not strenuous activity. Leroy also is considering the possibility that he will drive himself to the appointment. When it is finished he can just walk across the parking lot to the church where he will do his mostly seated work. If that works then I can just go to my work. I suppose he could call me and I could come if necessary. It would just take me longer than if I were home.

Leroy feels almost as if he is on vacation since many of his night meetings/classes are finished. Of course, I still work two nights out of the week so we have not so much time to do anything else together.

I am amazed that Leroy’s watch records him moving so many steps. He almost always has documented more than I do. The other day when we walked home from church we checked to learn how many steps we each took. He had only about 10 more than I did with that trip so it must be more accurate than I thought it could be. This watch also takes his pulse so he knows what is happening there. I do not feel the need to know that. Besides that, his watch also tells the time of day and what the date is. What more can you ask from a wrist accessory?

Paula

Leroy's Red Face

Hello,

Leroy has now a bright red face in many spots. His nose is especially bright as it is looking ready to blister. He tells me that it hurts to smile. I tell him that is progress with the cream for the elimination of precancerous cells. It does look rather painful as he has somehow gotten it under one of the pads where his glasses sit. I told him, “You should stay away from that spot.”

“I did not mean to be getting it,” he replied.

He will have been putting on the cream for two weeks come Wednesday so he will be about done with some spots for sure. The top of his head does not look so intense. Perhaps it will need a bit longer to get that.

Leroy also did some action teams; one was to assist with the postage for a Kid’s First fundraiser. Kids First is an organization that works with kids whose parents are getting a divorce. He also said his team could help put on address labels and postage. We, along with a number of other people, got 1500 postcards ready to mail in about an hour. It was fun as I have not worked on that type of project in some time. Really the visiting is what gives a lift to the spirit.

One of the people there has a little free library on her lawn. She said, “Those books that you put in there were gone almost right away.”

I am going to try to do another such action team as there are many little free libraries that we did not get to. I have since seen another one of them. The day I looked in, it had no books in it. Seems there is always a need.

Paula

Eyes and Skin

Hello,

I had my eyes checked today. My cataracts have grown, especially in one eye. I am getting stronger glasses. At first he talked about having the surgery soon, but then said, “My recommendation is that you wait a year since they are so slow growing. However, if things change drastically before a year is up, come back so we can plan. In the meantime I am prescribing new glasses which will bring your focus better, but not 20/20. You can drive.”

Both he and the optician talked about the strength of my prescription. They also both talked about how I will be so amazed after the cataract surgery at being able to see without glasses. I am not sure I am ready to go without glasses. I will not look right. I have not seen myself without them since fifth grade. That would be about 49 or 50 years ago. I can see myself in the mirror, but I have to be so close that I do not get a good impression of the image.

After I got home there was a phone call with the lab report on Leroy’s leg spot. It is cancerous so he will have to have more taken out. They will do that in the office, but I am to drive him because he might be disorientated when it is finished. Leroy was sorry because, “It is healing nicely now.”

I went ahead and scheduled the surgery for the first time offered even though I do not know Leroy’s schedule. Another day would have been better. He has three church services that day. Two he is only helping with communion and the other he is leading. Will he be up to that? It is hard to say. The caller said he would just need to take it easy for about two days. However Leroy said, “What does taking it easy mean? That is rather nebulous.”

My glasses are expensive (extra charges for such a strong script, thin lenses, progressive lens, non glare, and transition lens) but upon learning the price, I said, “I am so grateful that I can pay this and I will be able to see.”

The optician replied, “I wish everyone had just such an attitude. You are right, seeing is very good.”

Paula

Medicine Costs

Hello,

I get a cream that combats vaginal dryness. Last time the cost to me was $100. This time I was at a new pharmacy and the cost was $200. I dropped my jaw and did not get that cream. The pharmacy faxed my doctor to learn if there was another option. Just today I learned that the other cream co pay was only $47. I felt good about the lower price. One drug like another was what I thought. After I got home I started thinking about the fact that the dosage on this drug is half of what I used with the original. I suspect this is one of those times when the Dr. really thinks I should use the pricier product, but the insurance company will not cover it so well.

I had stopped at my former pharmacy where my insurance company must be hashing out a deal with this provider. I was hoping that I could get it at the earlier cost, if so I would have my Dr. send the script there. The pharmacist said that my company still was not covered by them, however he believes that in the fall when I need a flu shot, they will have a contract in place.

It also makes me think about how my shingles shot cost more than twice what Leroy spent. I wonder if the second pharmacy has a different deal with the insurance company. There is certainly much that we consumers know nothing about. It is difficult to know what the best deal is, let alone get it.

I am grateful for: health care providers, pharmacies, insurance, and money to pay the difference.

I am also grateful that my overall health is good so I do not need many of these services often. I pray for all those on the fringes who are not receiving the care they should.

Paula

Ironies of Life

Hello,

Yesterday when it was so nice out I had things to do in the house in the morning and then work in the afternoon and evening. Today it is not so nice out and my only obligation was Tai Chi. Even though the outdoors is not so inviting I did go out two times to hang out clothes. After that I have gone out three times to bring some back in. Different materials dry at different speeds. The bath mats are still out there so I will go out once again for them. The wind is doing its job by forcing out the moisture. Otherwise I believe that the air and lack of sun would have just looked but not touched.

The eye doctor we saw in the past has changed his work place. Amazingly he is now working for the specialist Leroy visits from time to time. I have been putting off making an appointment. You know me; I just hate to make those calls. Emergencies do push me to get some things done but no emergencies please. My vision in my right eye is not quite up to the standard that I like. On Friday I will learn the reason for that. It could be that my distance vision has once again gotten worse or it could be that the cataract is growing. Another reason for putting off the appointment is that I thought my eyes might have to be dilated and I do not like driving after that. So I have been quizzing Leroy about when he could take me. Apparently they seldom dilate as they have a different type of imaging that they can do. No doubt more of that technology stuff that so helps our quality of life these days. The worst part of that is that I do hear people complaining about technology when it does not work. However our lives would be very different if it disappeared. I could hardly get the car out of the garage. Perhaps the car would not even move.

Paula

Sleeping and Yoga

Hello,

I had two nights in a row of sleeping at least five hours at a time. After going to the bathroom once during the night, I went back to sleep for the remainder of the time. It was wonderful and I felt so good during the day. For some optimistic reason I thought I had it all locked in with a changed sleep pattern.

However last night popped that bubble. I had a little trouble going to sleep. Just as I got there the neighbors across the street decided to have some type of altercation that involved yelling, slamming doors, and loudly driving away. It was quiet after that, but I was unfortunately awake. Leroy managed to slip promptly back to the world of dreams while I shifted my position several times before drifting peacefully down. The first time I woke to go the bathroom I was hoping that it would be close to morning, but that was a vain thought as it was only 12:30. Sigh! I managed to walk up two more times before it was morning. My eyes were dry, but getting a drink one time helped with that. Perhaps that is what I needed all along, but did not realize it.

This morning I followed a yoga tape that left me with a sure knowledge that there are many poses that I cannot possibly do. At least that keeps me humble. Sometimes when I do things that others cannot, I feel a bit of pride. This tape, however, assured me that we all have our limitations. A comfortable place is to accept what I can do as a gift, work for more, but be aware that there are always others who can do what is impossible for me. In other words I should not be so arrogant or hard on myself. Neither is a happy contented place to be.

Paula

Leroy's Jobs

Hello,

I made a little list of jobs for Leroy because he asked me if there was anything he could do. He did the first job in short order which was clean up the desktop of the laptop. There were several files he had on there cluttering up the area. I could hardly see my grandchildren’s lovely faces in the background picture. He told me that he was able to delete most of the files. I am happier and perhaps he is as well.

The second task was to get rid of an app that I did not want. We could not find it so perhaps I got rid of that myself.

The last task was to clean the top of the refrigerator. I am unable to reach to back comfortably. Also the modem, phone receiver, and power cord are all located up there. I helped get those things off because of all the wires. It is difficult for one person to deal with this tangle.

Leroy spent quite a bit of time working off any pent up tension until we finally settled on baking soda as a cleaner. That paste took all the greasy dirt right off. It was almost miraculous. That is a good product to have for all sorts of cleaning.

We are both pleased with the sparkling result. Leroy then went on to clean the hood over the store and it is also pristine.

Leroy proceeded to do a job for himself. He had gotten some new screws so he retrieved them and are all assigned to their proper spot in his cabinet. Now he feels ready to find just what he might want. Love that preparedness. I don’t know that I could find anything, but I know who to ask when in need.

Paula

Kind People

Hello,

The other night when it was close to closing time I announced, “I’m closing the library in five minutes.”

A younger college age man, stopped looking for more seeds to add to his growing stack of envelops, gathered up his things, and came to give me his report. He talked a short time and then moved to the door.

The older scruffy, smelly guy just kept working on his tablet. At almost the exact minute of the end he gathered up his things, but remained in his easy chair close to the entrance. For some reason at this moment he felt compelled to tell me something about an incident in his past. The words just rolled right out of him.

The young man remained standing at the door. He turned back to look into the room. From time to time he would smile and give me a glance. After a while I realized that he might be waiting to “protect” me from this rather disreputable looking character.

At about five minutes after the old guy lumbered out the door. At that precise moment the young guy waved to me and followed out into the night.

I was pleased that the kid thought about it all. It was very nice of him to wait although I was not afraid to be alone with this old man as I have seen him several times before. I suspect he just likes to visit as he often spends quite a bit of time talking. He seems harmless.

Paula

Leroy's Face

Hello,

Leroy is going to get the face treatment that I got for those pre cancerous cells. Because of his lack of hair he also gets to put the cream on the top of his head as well as a few spots on the back of his hands. Then he had a spot on his leg taken off that was sent in for a biopsy. That leg spot had been tested before. It goes away and then comes back so it has many attributes of the unwelcome visitor. I am already thinking about how much his skin will hurt. Certainly no place to rub gently without causing pain is coming. But of course, much better to tackle it now rather than when it becomes something more serious. He got a total body check so all the rest should be good for some time to come.

My pink Christmas cactus is blooming once again. It looks lovely with its impressive display. I remember a woman who had a cactus that was 60 years old. She told me this large plant bloomed from sometime before Christmas until almost June. What a gift to the world.

Except for the amaryllis, all of my house plants look so good. There must be something about this time of year that causes them to give forth their best effort just before I put them outside and ignore them.

I have just this week tossed the remaining valentine flowers. They should have perhaps gone sooner, but I was still enjoying the few who were left with a good bit of color.

Paula

Lucky Me!

Hello,

Yesterday I instructed myself to go out late morning, after the snow stopped, and finish shoveling the last layer. I forgot all about that, but the sun and warmer air did the job for me. I was pleased when I went out to see cleared walks where it had been shoveled. Course it was not really warm, but the combination of the lateness of the year and warmer pavement really made a difference. Lucky me!

When I drove to work the road was clear of snow and slipping danger. Lucky me!

On these cold days I am always grateful for that furnace that works along with the insulation that hugs the warmth to us. What a blessing that keeps delivering all winter long. Lucky me!

This morning, after showing and putting on my clothes, I could not find my glasses. I checked in the bathroom, fairly certain that I had worn them in there. No glasses to be seen. I went to the bedroom and felt in the spot on the bed headboard to make sure that I had not missed them. I looked on the dresser where I only put them on the white cloth so I can see them. No glasses to be seen. I said, in a raised voice, “Leroy, will you look for my glasses, I cannot find them.” Leroy came and looked in the bedroom. He even looked in places I would never put them. Then he moved on to the bathroom, where he spotted them immediately. What a great person to help see what I cannot. Lucky me!

I am enjoying the book, Tumbledown Manor by Helen Brown which is a nice escapism read after serious 1984 and The Fault in Our Stars. Lucky me!

Paula

Snow

Hello,

Leroy, who keeps track of weather more than I do, kept talking about snow yesterday. Most of the day it did not look like snow. When he returned from his evening meeting it had seriously started. By the time we went to bed it looked like day outside with the lights reflecting off the accumulation. In the morning we got on outdoor clothes and went out to tackle the result even though snow was still coming down. Leroy shoveled out to the garage while I tested shovels. Our downstairs friends have five shovels ready to go and I tried three before I settled for the proper one. One was too old, one was too heavy, and one was just right.

Before I was totally done with the front Leroy came to help, since he had finished by the garage. When I finished our part going NE I just kept going because our new neighbors have not yet shoveled when it snowed. I am not sure that they even have a shovel. In some ways I was not really trying to help them, but to help the people who have to walk on it. When walking, I am always grateful to the people who shovel. Then Leroy was done and he did the part for the next neighbors since our downstairs friends take care of that and they cannot do it right now. Consequently we did our own plus two. It feels good to get that done, but it is all covered with another light coating of snow. I hope to get back out there when it quits. I am going to work an hour later today since I have some comp time. Hopefully the snow will quite in time.

I decided to count the shoveling as exercise time even though it did not give me many steps. Just not enough forward motion involved.

Leroy’s big question before he left for work was, “Should I stick to the main streets and take the less traveled streets?”

Having no answer I shrugged my shoulders and let him figure that out for himself.

Paula

Walking

Hello,

Leroy and I are making a lot of progress on our walking or moving during Lent. In the time that I have had the Fitbit I have learned that I do not walk as much as I thought I did. I have to work a little extra to get up to 10,000 steps. Every day I put in more than 5,000 without effort. Last Wednesday I did 18,000+ steps. Are you impressed with that? I am. I am also happy to report that I did not get sore or feel any effects from that amount of walking. On the info about Luther I learned that he once walked from Germany to Rome, averaging 26 miles per day. It is certainly a different life style than we are used to now when I consider 26 miles on my bike a bit of a deal.

Today, Leroy will do twice as much as I am going to do since he will be walking back to church which involves a mile each direction. We were happy this morning because there was little to no wind on the way to church in the colder temperatures. If we could just keep those low temperatures for a week or two rather than bounce from 70 to 20 in a few days it would make it much more comfortable. I remember winters where it was cold for an extended period of time and 30 felt like a heat wave. As with much of life it is all in one’s perspective.

Two or three people asked about the participation on our walking or moving on Wednesday. This coming Wednesday I expect others to join us. Someone said it might snow! Oh well, we will just be moving indoors then.

Paula

Another day off together

Hello,

Leroy and I are both home today, but we are not getting quite as much work done as we did last Saturday. Perhaps that is because it is becoming more common place. We will have next Saturday off as well. Today I once again washed and hung out sheets along with some of the other larger clothes items. It was quite cold but with Leroy’s help it went fast. Now all of them are back inside. A few things are hanging on the racks where they are finishing or maybe they were just cold. At any rate the apartment smells like those clothes dried outside. I am quite content. There was a nice breeze so it blew much of the moisture away.

We watched a show on DVD giving us some shared time off.  Leroy is now “working” on his stamps. I did see that it is good to have a hobby in retirement. Can’t imagine what that could be for me. Volunteering is also highly rated and that appeals to me quite a lot. Leroy has also talked about doing some short mission trips which also appeals to me. Maybe I will just take up writing full time if I can think of anything to write about.

Leroy did take the car to the body shop to get an estimate and a time set up. It will be done in two weeks. They will need to have it for two days, but we are hoping to get that all figured out. I have off Wednesday and we both work on Thursday. Leroy goes to the church to which he can walk, but he would have a hard time making any calls without a car. Proves to us that: given our lives we still need two cars. Hopefully in retirement we can manage with one. We would like to be able to use public transportation and not have a car at all, but do not know that that will happen.

My eye is getting back to normal. It does not hurt or itch, but still has a red lid.

Paula

Fender Bender

Hello,

Last evening I waited for Leroy to come home. He had said he would be home by 5:00. By 5:30 I was just starting to wonder because he is generally a very prompt person. Also he had talked about driving to Iowa City to visit someone in the hospital. I often feel concerned because he likes to fall asleep in the afternoon and driving seems to cause drowsiness. He walked in the door just as I was pondering what to do, where to call.

“What delayed you?” I wondered.

“Oh, I was talking some time to talk to the insurance agent,” he replied.

Since he seemed to be in one piece and not excited I asked calmly, “Why was that?”

“I got hit, or he hit someone, while pulling out of a parking place. There was a big vehicle parked next to me and I could not see anyone coming and they could not see me.” He said.

It was a cracked and dented bumper that will have to be replaced. As you know the plastic means no pounding out a dent. Certainly it is not really a fender bender more of a fender split. I suppose in today’s market it is a very minor deal especially since I had been thinking he might have fallen asleep while driving. It just requires time and money to get it all fixed. Luckily we have both even if we did not want to spend them this way.

Since I have never had an accident of any kind and Leroy has had three minor ones, he wonders if I should be driving the newer car to keep it in better shape. Who knows?

Paula

Some things done

Hello,

I had an appointment for a pessary check. I made it on time and was not so excited that my blood pressure was off the chart. High blood pressure seemed like a given because of all that had happened as I got ready to go and while on my way. Leaving home I had to get out and push the button to lower the garage door as it does not work well below a certain temperature. Then just before I pulled away a box blew out of the neighbor’s recycling bin. Because it was in front of the car I got out and put it back in, went back to the car put it in gear only to have our yardy (yard waste recycling bin) blow over. So, once again put the car in neutral, set the parking brake, right the can, get back in the car, put it in gear, and take off the parking brake before anything else could happen. Once on the street I was cruising along nicely when a man, who was not looking, stepped out almost in front of me. I quickly applied the brakes as my heart raced, but happy that we did not meet on a more personal level.

When I got to the office I did some breathing in the 4-4-4 pattern. That is breath in to a count of four, hold for four, and breathe out for a count of four. Our neighborhood police office recommended this technique if you are in a difficult situation. This lowers your blood pressure and helps you to think rationally. I am all for that.

Later I called and got a haircut from a new place because I could not get in at my old one. My hair was too long. I was pleased that it looks good. Finding a new person for any of the services that I use is a struggle for me. I just get in a rut and stay there. The other just takes too much effort even if it is not quite what I want.

Paula

Sty on the Eye

Hello,

Yesterday my upper eye lid hurt a bit more and more as the afternoon went on. When I finally looked at myself I was astonished to see that the lid was swollen and red. With self diagnosis, the internet, and help of friends it is declared to be a sty.

Possible cause? Most likely reason is touching the eye with dirty fingers. I should know better. Lately I have been thinking about how much I touch my face, especially as I have had this upper repertory “thing” that is not causing me to lie in bed, but to feel drained. I suppose I could have touched my nose, especially since I blow it frequently, and then touched my eye.

It bugs me so much when Leroy snuffs his nose. He tells me that blowing does not help and he cannot really blow his nose. I do not understand this situation but have to admit now that it might be the better, if not socially acceptable action, because he does not touch his nose and he does not blow so much that stuff backs up into his ears. Sigh, he wins.

I was thinking about how a year ago I was in the middle of my face peel because of pre cancerous condition. At that time, my face hurt so much that I could not touch it or sleep with the side of my face touching the pillow which was probably much more sanitary for the whole area.

My new mantra is; keep your hands away from your face. How long do you think that will last? Till I forgot! How long will that take? Probably just a short while after my eye has healed. Now that eye pain is a reminder to keep away.

Paula

Moving On

Hello,

Leroy and I are participating in the church challenge to move more during Lent by virtually walking around Germany to the sites that were important in Luther’s life. Rather than do the miles it is based on every 15 minutes of physical activity so there is no question about how much to add for swimming or biking. I like this idea. Leroy has already put on quite a bit of time. He walked to church twice yesterday so that gets him off to a good start. He also added in the amount of time that we spent delivering those books to the little free libraries. Today he has ridden his bike to work so he will add quite a bit more. In defense I took a walk this morning.

For some reason my Fitbit did not clear the first bit I did yesterday so I have over a 1000 steps that should not really be added to today’s total. Yesterday I walked 13,000 steps so that is quite a lot. At least it is not adding to the total amount.

I write for my devotions. This morning my pen quit. It is sadness because I have so liked this pen. It was a giveaway from a pet cemetery. How we happened to get it, I cannot imagine because we have not had a pet for years.

Last night I watched the movie, Decoding Anne Parker. It was a history of finding the gene or mutation that is responsible for breast cancer. I thought of my family. My grandmother died of breast cancer. My mother had breast cancer. Three of my cousins have had it, one who died when she was quite young. In addition my mother had a melanoma and bladder cancer that recurred three or four times. My sister died of a melanoma. I suspect our family has that gene locked in. I am not sure why, but I do not feel that I have it. However, I realize that time might show otherwise. I am grateful to have missed it until now. Hopefully my lifestyle helps me to stay healthy. However it does not matter because I feel so good eating right and exercising. There is no reason from me to live any other way.

Paula

Books to the Little Free Libraries

Hello,

Leroy and I have the same day off so we packed it full of things to do around here. This afternoon we trotted off to find those Little Free Libraries. Luckily I had addresses for most of them, but one was a bit vague so I had to call someone in the neighborhood for more precise directions. Aren’t those phones that go with us a wonderful invention? What would we have done in the past? Gotten the location more locked in before we left home, wandered around in the area putting on miles as we went up and down, asked someone that we saw in that area, or just gave up and moved on to the next possibility.

Those 31 books were a bit heavy, but of course the load got lighter as we went along. We were certainly generous with the first library that we found. It was also in need of a resupply so that was good. Each stop was a joy as we moved more and more books from our backs.

I could have done this on my own, but it would have required two trips to carry all of this.

We knew the person at our last stop. She was so pleased to see the assortment that we were leaving in “her” library as they touched on many African American themes. Some people were going to visit her the next day and she knew they would be excited to see them. I also asked her to take a picture of us. You can see it here.

What a blessing to our day, I just hope it goes on and on for others too.

Paula

Books for little free libraries

Hello,

In the books went the stickers from the providing organization. It was great to handle all of these books. Some of the smaller picture book types caught my attention enough that I read a bit. I am pleased with the choices, just hoping that others will like them as well. I organized the 31 books between two backpacks so Leroy and I can deliver them tomorrow.  I believe it will make a nice 2-3 mile walk for us. Here is the link so you can look at some of the books. https://goo.gl/photos/E49f9ktfFs863H9n8

It is exciting to have something to give away. I am just sorry that I let this chance slip away in years past. However, I will try to be more proactive from now on. Leroy says he would like to try to get more of the little free libraries in our close neighborhood. Hopefully we can get that done.

While I was working on the books the closet fixer was working as well. He got done a bit after I did. Leroy came home a early and we put away all of the things in that closet so the place feels just right once again. My mind is at rest and happy when things are in their proper place.

Tonight is bean soup night. It was great to have Leroy home in time to help cut up some of those veggies. As usual I get carried away and put in a lot of veggies as everything looks so good. Leroy put in the herbs or spices later we will learn about the flavor when we eat it.

I made granola today and a rhubarb crisp yesterday. Because one store had a good sale on their bread that has sprouts in it, I got a loaf of that instead of making my own bread. Didn’t think I would have the energy for everything. I hung out kitchen towels this morning. The smell was uplifting when I brought them in. Perhaps it transports me back to my childhood.

Paula

Changing Plans

Hello,

I did not have big plans for today other than washing clothes and shopping. Before I headed out the door a repairman called to say that he would like to work on the closet wall. Since I wanted him to go ahead I cut short my shopping trip, but managed to get the ww flour that I needed for my next batch of bread.

Now I have read some which seems to be a decadent activity in the middle of the day. But I also worked on the bank statement and got that squared away.

After that I put out a request to learn the addresses of the little free libraries in my neighborhood and the next neighborhood. I was happy with the response telling me about four of them. I already know about two of them so I suspect I have enough places to deliver my 31 books that I was able to purchase with my grant money. It is to be quite nice on Saturday so perhaps Leroy and I can get the job done then. It will be a good excuse to walk and get some exercise. I have the books spread out. To me they look quite inviting. Hopefully other will feel the same way. At least they are new books. When I have looked in the little free libraries most of the books are used and aged.

I was going to get a haircut today, but that will have to wait until another day. Friday seemed like it could be possible, but the repairman tells me that he needs to make a return trip on Friday to finish the job. Guess that means another day at home. But I can do this. It is a small thing when considered in the scheme of life. So what if my hair is too long and looks funky? It has been known to appear that way in the past. I have lived through those experiences so I will again. Who knows? Tomorrow it could look perfect again, especially before I leave home and face the wind. Each day brings a new look along with humidity changes.

Paula