Volunteering

Hello, We volunteered at the Saturday evening meal at church. The team was a bit different. A boy was working for his Eagle Scout Badge. He recruited seven other scouts to help him. Only three of us were part of our usual team. That was a clean up crew. It seems to be a bit more specialized. As it involves running the dishwasher. Leroy and I scraped trays put dirty glasses and cups in the proper trays, and sorted the silverware, I guess it is still called silverware even though it is not silver. I will admit to being a rather tired. Leroy did eat a bit of ham and some bread when we were mostly done. I am not much of a ham eater so I did not. I dragged behind Leroy on the way home. Perhaps it was because I was hungry. If any salad or vegetables had been left, I would have eaten some of them. There were more than 150 servings tonight. I have 14,218 steps. Leroy only has a bit over ten thousand. In the morning, I got some groceries since we were out of bananas. Leroy stayed home and did some cleaning which does not get so many steps. We have had a bit of rain the last couple days. It was nice to be able to walk tonight without that. The wind made it rather daunting at times. Paula

What’s In the Attic

Hello, The person that we often help at church gets empty 32-ounce yogurt containers from me. I like to recycle things and she has a need for them from time to time. Just recently, she asked if I would give her some of them because she wanted them for freezing blocks of ice. At the time we were having lunch with two men who were working around the church. “I think I have some in the attic, but I might have gotten rid of them when I found them the other day.” I commented. “Who would keep empty yogurt containers in their attic?” one of the guys asked with a grin. He then started to laugh as did the other man. Leroy joined and I did too. I explained that I had been saving them when the pandemic closed things down as well as church remodeling. There was no room to store such extra items. Then I forgot that I had them in the attic. I found them in a plastic bag. We washed all of them again before taking them to church. I feel good about another use for a throwaway item. I thought my tooth saga was about done. However, next I am going to have another tooth pulled which should make it easier to put in the permanent bridge. I am getting to know my dentist with all of these visits. Paula

Great Forgetting

Hello, Leroy and I had books to return to the library. The plan was to return them on the way to do some shopping. It seems all we do is go to the library and then shopping. But we were out of figs so it was necessary. A week is long enough without a fig. I forgot and turned the wrong way at the end of the alley. That necessitated a bit more traveling. Not impossible, but I was disgusted with myself. Then on the way to the store, Leroy kept not hearing me when he confessed that he had not put in his hearing aids. At least now I could understand his lack. At the store I realized I had forgotten to bring some returns. We only go to this store about once a month so again, I was disgusted with myself. At least it was not so busy when we arrived. I do not like to shop with a lot of people moving around. Generally, I avoid Saturday. Leroy says we are perfecting our forgetting skills. When it was warm, I did not put out the suet for the birds as it was quite soft in the heat. Today I put out a block. It was impressive how quickly they found it and pecked away. Later we refilled the seed supply. That attracted many of them. A squirrel came a bit later and claimed the space. The birds and the squirrel remember quite well where food is. Paula

The Joys of Technology

Hello, I listened to a concert with Sarah singing in the chorus. It was great to be able to hear her and see her. I am more than one thousand miles away. But can almost be there for her. It was the same for Natalie’s piano recital. Technology allows us to connect to family and friends at a distance. We can discuss world events as well as things that are more personal. Paper and pen are also technology that has not totally gone away. I like to use them. At one time in history, they were only available to the wealthy. And now they are almost a throw away item. We can find movies and TV programs that we would like to watch. It does not matter if we see them at the time they are aired. Course sometimes things happen that we do not understand and the source stops. We had been watching some older programs on TV, but it just stopped. We can still get them on the computer. It had worked to cast that to the TV, but just recently it has not worked. Some of today’s technology is a mystery to us. We are grateful for the benefits that we have from technology. We can find open hours, schedules, address, maps, phone numbers and menus. Lots of times we have no excuses for missing something. I forgot to save this letter when I left the computer. Then I did not click on the right button to save it when it opened on my return. My memory did a good job of getting most of it. But you know my first run was much more entertaining. Paula

Breaking and Entering

Hello, We got to Tai Chi and no one was there. The guy who leads it came with a key. Unfortunately, there was a new deadbolt on the door. He did not have the key for that. I called the library person who lives in town, only to learn that she was at an appointment in another city. I called the library person who usually lets us in. There was no answer so I left a message, but did not hope for much result. There is another person in town, who would have a key, but I did not know her phone number. I called another person who would have a key. She was several states away. She gave me instructions about getting into her house. A door had been left unlocked because they were expecting someone. She also gave careful instructions for finding her key. It is a short drive from the library. Leroy went with me in case I did not remember any instruction. All went as planned. It felt a bit or quite uncomfortable going into someone’s home when they were not there. I have no such compunction going into downstairs friends’ place because I have done it so often to water plants while they are gone. There were only seven of us at tai chi. Some were on line and some in house. Usually there about eleven there. It was still worth it. I did have a challenge to calm down and move into a more meditative state. There is always more work to be done. At the end of class, I put the key back where it belongs. Someone saw me coming out the door. Did they realize I should not be there? Paula

Easy Shoppping Trip

Hello, Yesterday I went shopping. Leroy told me he would rather stay home. That sounded like a fine idea. We are looking for a new squeegee for the shower. Leroy had already looked at the closer hardware store. They only had some rather large ones. At the big box store, I searched in vain for such an item. A helpful store worker found them and directed me that way. They had two, one that was $7, but about a foot wide. There was another shorter one, but it cost $11. That did not seem like a bargain. I called Leroy to get his opinion. Because the old was still usable, we put off the purchase and would do more looking. I found a denim shirt in the men’s department that was on clearance for $3. I called Leroy again. That shirt went into the cart along with another $3 shirt. Then I found some long underwear on clearance at $3 per package. Small, large and very large were all that were left. I called Leroy again. Since he usually wears medium, we discussed the sizes as well as did he need them at all. He suggested, “Buy all of them and we know where to give away the rest.” At check out, my total was the cost of one shirt, if the shirt had been full price. Bargain, indeed! A stop at a big box hardware/lumber store produced a squeegee that I purchased. On to the grocery store. I only called Leroy two more times to learn if I should buy this or that. Would it have been easier if he had just come along? Paula

Another Visitor

Hello, Yesterday, Leroy heard noises in the spare bedroom. He said, “I think we have a mouse.” The chewing noise continued behind the bookcase that holds his stamp collection. Upon investigation with a flashlight and looking behind the book case, he saw a mouse run. Not the happiest moment in my life, but not the worst either. I set a mouse trap in that room. It was one that already had peanut butter on it. It had been in the back porch, but no mice came near. I had great hopes for catching one overnight, but it not happen. I moaned a bit about that when Leroy said, “Do we have a discriminating mouse that does not want to be killed?” I don’t like the word killed applied to what I am trying to do. What does that say about me? Today I refreshed the peanut butter on all four of the traps that are in our apartment. I was here all morning and never heard a trap snap. Mice are okay, but I do not want them to live in the house with me. We think the mouse came in from the attic. I had noticed that some of the insulation on the door had been pulled out. We suspect it was that mouse. Leroy wondered if it was making a nest. Oh, great, we could have an expanding population. Paula

Temperature and Relative Comfort

Hello, We moved here 14 years ago. It was 70 degrees F. Quite comfortable for the task of carting things into the space. It almost felt hot at times. Today the high might have been 30 degrees F. Leroy walked to church. He is part of a group that counts money. He wore his warmest coat with his face covered. I went for a walk and did not wear my warmest. But it was 30 degrees so it did not seem that it should be necessary. Several people had not shoveled their walks so that was a bit hazardous with the melting and freezing. Plus, there was a brisk wind. My walk was cut short because of discomfort. It was not as warm as I had expected. Some days 30 degrees feels quite fine, but wind and damp do not make it nice. I am so grateful that the furnace runs. Hot tea was also a nice soother. According to my phone, my walk amounted to 19 minutes. A bit of that was waiting to cross streets. Lots of traffic was moving around when I wanted to get to the other side of the street. Patience is a virtue and sometimes a health preserver. I am reading the book, James by Percival Everett. It is quite good. Gives much for contemplation. Paula

Snow Shoveled

Hello, We put on warm layers to out to shovel the sidewalk. Shoveling was a bit of a daunting task. The snow was not so much, but it had drifted. Under the snow in many places was a layer of ice. We attacked with metal, scraping the surface, but still left some ice behind. We were only able to make a shovel sized path before we got too cold and had to go in. We shovel in front of our house and the two houses on each side since both of those neighbors cannot complete the task. When we were younger and stronger, they both did their own sidewalks. We surely build muscles by doing this. We try not to push ourselves too fast. We rested a good bit. I then learned that the place I volunteer was closed today. We then went back out and worked on the alley by the garage. It was a difficult because cars had already driven on it. I slipped, but did not fall on the slant by the garage because it was coated with ice. Sand should help that be safer. Later the sun came out. The sidewalk became clear and then dry. We went back to the alley and removed quite a lot of the thick ice and some more snow. It looks good now. It is to be warm in about two days and it will melt. Paula

A Little Mix up

Hello. We brought home an extra umbrella. Leroy did not want to go back to church by the time we had discovered that. Probably it would not have helped since they were likely to have left. We had two umbrellas in our bag. Leroy added one more. I wondered about that, but did not check on it. Sometimes it is hard to get it all right. This morning, I noticed that one of the flower pots had been knocked over on the deck. There was also no bird seed in the feeder even though it had some in there when we went to bed. The birds and squirrels do not visit in the night. I am blaming a racoon on circumstantial evidence. One other day there was a lot of bird seed under the feeder. Again, I suspect the raccoons. We do have some in the neighborhood. They live in the storm sewer and come out at night. In a time between the rain storms, we put seed in the feeder. The birds came in groups. Apparently, they have a message system. We drove to church to avoid walking in the windy rain storm. It was not bad on the way to church, but coming home it was quite nice to be able to get in the car. Paula

Sit Up Straight

Hello, For some reason sitting up straight is escaping me. Does that mean that my core is weak? Or I am just not noticing? Leroy is even telling me to sit up from time to time. It seems we have switched roles. I do not like it but seem not to be able to solve this issue. I do not do as many exercise as I used to. Leroy is doing more than he used to. Perhaps that is strengthening him and I am getting weaker. Somewhere I have to find the will to work on it. We both notice that it is harder to take up bike riding when we have been away from it for a while. Guess the same is true of all other movements as well. At least we are both getting many steps. Even there too, I notice that I am not as straight as I could be. Some of that is that I do not want to fall so I pay close attention to the ground in front of me. Some of the sidewalks are uneven. It seems it could be easier just to take a pill and solve it all. Life does not work that way as I should know from all the years of observing. I do notice that I cannot lift very heavy things. At church there are nine half gallons of milk in a container. I can shift them between equal surfaces, but cannot life them from the floor to a higher place. They would equal about 36 pounds. I remember lifting children that weighed that amount. It was just a daily part of life. Yesterday we cleaned the choir room at church, but that did not require much heavy lifting, just moving chairs. Paula

Known by our Flashing Lights

Hello, Leroy was walking without me one night. He wears a flashing light on his arm so he can be seen, especially when crossing streets. We have had these lights for a few years and found them to be good. We can recharge them when they run down. Sometimes people we meet will stop us to ask where we got them. I think we should get a commission on sales. That night Leroy was without me; he walked through the campus. The security guy stopped him and asked, “Where is your partner?” We suspect that he was identified easily because this guy has seen us other times. If the lights have saved us from being hit by a car, we think they are a good investment. They go easily on the arm because they are a snap bracelet.

Our hats also seem to identify us for others. Once our neighbor saw was walking downtown. He pulled over and visited. He commented, “I saw your hats and knew it was you.” I might say we are a trend setter except for the fact that I do not see many others wearing either the hats or the flashy lights. Now if we were just famous it would probably happen. Do we want to be famous? Probably not. Paula

Healing Service

Hello, We had a prayer service for the healing of the nations. It was very meaningful to me. In the course of that service, we put candles on a map of the world. We chose a country that we wanted to pray for peace and the wellbeing of the citizenry. A part of me wonders where God is in all of this unrest, killing, and violence. There were several countries listed in the hand out. The number of killed and number of refugees was listed. It is so awful to see the number of people who are unsafe in their own country. Apparently, the number of refugees is higher than it has ever been. So many countries close their doors and do not give help to the needy. The refugee status became personal when we sponsored a refugee family from Laos back in the early 80’s. They came into our house with the clothes on their backs and one small suitcase for three people. Besides fear they had few resources. The woman told me she had sold jewelry into order to eat. Later we met a “kid” in Slovakia who was at a refugee camp there. His story is heartbreaking, but he was filled with hope. Is God in the sharing that people do? Paula

The Season is Changing

Hello, Daylight saving time started Sunday. Not sure how we are saving daylight since it is not in our control. Now we know that we must adjust. It takes a few days, but we can get that done. Another change, we started delivering the first neighborhood newsletters today. I rather enjoy it. It is an excuse to walk. I get into a part of the neighborhood that I normally do not travel. We both were too warmly dressed for this trek. It was good to get home and shed some layers. There are some tulips emerging by the side of the house. We do not remember planting any in that spot. Must just be our weak memories since they are looking good. The winter onions are turning green or sending up green shoots. Wish I had some regular onion bulbs in the ground. Maybe I should plant some lettuce. If I had a cold frame, it would be good to get that started. Leroy walked by the community garden. He tells me he spotted some rhubarb poking through the ground. Clothes were hung on the line outside. They were dry about noon. I hung some things out Saturday. That was not a successful venture. The wind might have blown out some of the moisture, but most of it came back in the house. The adult side of the little free library has only one book. I looked through the books I have been expecting to read and decided I can take out two of them. Surely a library somewhere would have a copy if I can remember that I want to read that title. Paula

Forgot What?

Hello, We sang parts II and III of Handels Messiah this afternoon. I carefully packed my music, spare shoes, glasses, and phone. Stopped at the bathroom, just to be prepared before going to the seat. Just when it was almost time to sing, I realized I had left my glasses upstairs in my backpack. I could see the director just fine, but the music was a challenge. The person ahead of me remained seated for the entire concert requiring me to hold my music up high. That was a good thing as it should be high to see the director and the music without moving my head. My arm got tired since the book is heavy and some of the selections are long. I was astonished at how much I remembered. Especially, the second part was almost all in my brain. That was a good feeling. The third part was more challenging. Apparently, I had sung the selections in part two enough in the past to have them in my memory. I did know two of the selections in part three, but the rest were not there. The last is the amen and that is the only word. Ahead of time I thought that would be easier. However, the notes were harder to connect to where we were. One thing that was good about this, my voice did not feel so stressed. It seems I am forcing it when I can see the notes. I just let them come with proper voice placement and breath control. It was even rather fun. Paula

Gleaner

Hello, I brought home some grapefruit that were fragile and had some bad spots. The person who gave them to me called me a gleaner. That must be true as I am quite comfortable cutting off the rotten spots to see if the rest can be salvaged. For instance, half of two grapefruit went to the compost pile and we ate the other halves. They were quite fine. I grew up with the idea that it was ok to cut off the rotten part and eat the rest. We fed food scrapes to the dog or the pigs, but we did not have that many things to give them. Perhaps it is because most of the food we ate, we grew ourselves. The labor of growing makes it more valuable. It is hard to throw away the result of hard work. If we had extra produce, I remember my mother offering it to others. much of that went to the minister and his family. When we butchered, meat was set aside to give to them. We had more things to share than money to share. There have been times when I have gone to a grocery store that marked down items that needed to move out of the store. Many of those bargains appeal to me. Is that another type of gleaning? Could this term be also applied to the fact that I am more comfortable buying clothes on clearance that at full price? We know spring is coming because the Dairy Queen close to our house has opened. Paula

Sparrows

Hello, We get many sparrows at the bird feeder. Leroy even got out the bird book to try to see how many different species were out there. He did not report. Perhaps he felt unsuccessful about identification. Many starlings also come. We are not so excited about either of these bird types. We do see some cardinals, juncos, nuthatches, and the occasional chick-a-dee. Some downy woodpeckers also come from time to time. We would like to see more color, but have come to appreciate the appearance of the sparrow. We seem not to appreciate the ordinary as much as the occasional. Is that true of much of life? We have paid our car insurance for another six months. Sometimes we wonder if we should just have one car since we are both retired. There is the day when we want to go different directions and we are glad to have two cars. In our visit to the insurance company, we took along the papers that they sent. Our purpose was to learn if we needed to keep these papers. It was decided that we could eliminate all of them because everything is kept online. Paula

Is it that cold?

Hello, Before we got into church someone asked, “Is it that cold?” They came in a car and probably did not go out of their house to get in the car. Leroy and I had on winter coats, scarves, hats, and mittens. We were not too warm. It was in the 20’s with a brisk wind blowing. It was nice to get in the building. The trip home was disappointingly not much warmer. I walked this afternoon and it was still cool even though it was in the 30’s F. One thing about being in the cold, it is so wonderful to come into a warm building. What a gift that we often just take for granted as our due. I thought that my Thanksgiving cactus plants were not to rebloom this year. But two of them are growing buds just now. It is exciting to see that. Only one of the three amaryllis is sending up a bud. The poinsettias are starting to lose leaves at a steady rate. The violets look good. It seems there is always something on one end of the bloom cycle. It puts a lot of color in my life. Our rubber band supply is set for a long time. I mentioned to a friend that I had gone to the store for rubber bands and they were out. He had some from his newspaper. He brought me many more than we need, or else they will last three years. Life is full of unexpected riches. Paula

Some Jobs Change

Hello, We had planned to be at church to do our usual unloading help. That was to be followed by cleaning the balcony. Our cleaning helper was not well so we would not do the whole balcony, but planned to do a part of it. We helped onload and put away some things. We finished the stowing of items and moved on to the balcony. The organist was practicing. He said, “It is just fine if you want to clean.” I moved a few things and got ready to clean the window blinds. It would not release all the way. Another guy came by. He also could not get it to release. He had another suggestion, “The new family bathroom is finished and needs cleaning so it can be used on Sunday.” Off we went in another direction. We had to brush or dust all surfaces to remove any leftover plaster. Then we had to clean the mirror, wash walls, the door, and the floor. We followed that by dusting and washing the baseboard in the area outside of that bathroom. All of the dust from one project seems to float around any open space. We were both tired by the time we went home. Paula

Another Trip Planned

Hello, One of the multiple cruise catalogs caught our attention. After talking with some of our traveling friends, we checked into the possibility. The trip to the middle east involved such a long plane ride that it lost some of the luster. I have wanted to go to eastern Europe. That seemed much more possible. After talking to the agent, we signed up and deposited money. We even upgraded the room so we have a balcony. Then we checked again with our friends about them joining us. For various reasons that will not happen. Almost immediately I had some quandaries. Could we travel without friends? We have not done that for many years. I have come around to the idea that it will be ok, but wonder if it will be as much fun. All of the excursions were a bit daunting with time involved. Some of them were listed as a higher difficulty. One has some altitude involved. I wonder now, can Leroy’s heart manage that? He tells me, “I will spend some more time working to get stronger.” There is only one city that we have ever been to and that is Budapest. We will again spend two nights there. All of the rest are just a one day stop except for Bucharest where we start. I believe it should be an interesting trip. We will go in November over Thanksgiving time. Hopefully the airports will not be too challenging two days after that holiday. That will be for the return trip. Paula

Harassing a Squirrel

Hello, Yesterday I came home to see a squirrel hanging on the birdfeeder. I came on the deck and told it, “Get off of there. Go away.” It moved but not really off the deck. I went closer and yelled again. It moved some more. It was almost within touching distance. I stamped my feet and repeated my advice. Finally, it left and ran up a close tree. Today I saw it back on the feeder. I raced downstairs, grabbed a broom, and proceeded to chase and run at it. It moved away very quickly to that tree. Later I saw it coming back on the deck. I opened the upstairs window, put my head close to the window, and yelled, “Get out of here. This is for the birds.” That squirrel ran up the tree. It must recognize my voice. But then it came sneaking back. “Oh no, it is back again.” I told Leroy. This time it was not impressed with the window yell. Once again for me it was time to go downstairs, grab the broom and go out. We were gone for a while. It was once again on the feeder. Leroy commented, “They are smart. It knew you were gone and it could do what it wanted.” I guess the squirrel is winning since I cannot be glued to the window all day. Paula

Saving money is a hard job

Hello, Saving money can be harder than shoveling snow. I would rather shovel snow at least there I know what I am doing. We have a foldable lamp that we like a lot. We can no longer recharge the battery. I ordered a new one today. The price was about what I expected, but there was a $7 shipping charge if the order was less than $35. What more could I buy that I really wanted? After thinking about it, I decided to get some make up. The phone rang and I answered as I was trying to put in the credit card numbers. Somehow the numbers were not correct. I forgot to see if the total was over the required amount which I had not written down and could not remember. When I finally thought to check about the shipping or not, the order was being processed and not changeable at that point. I had been just two dollars short of free shipping. Grumble, grumble. In the whole of life, it is a small thing, but annoying none the less. I do not order much on line. Leroy is more likely to do that. Practice does make it easier. Shoveling snow was not so easy this morning. It was wet and heavy. In places it was rather deep because the wind and blown it around. When we walked to church the places that had been shoveled were actually slippery compared to the unshoveled where we could walk though snow. When we came home the sidewalks that had cleared were dry even though the sun was not shinning. There must have been some residual heat to melt and dry it. Paula

Getting to Know my Dentist

Hello, Another dental checkup confirmed that I am healing well. It will be another month before the work is started on creating the bridge. Here I was hoping for it to be done. Guess I have no concept about how long all of this takes. Some minor adjustments were made so my jaw will not ache so much when I have the spacer appliance in my mouth. I can eat almost anything as long as the pieces are small enough that I do not have to bite them off. We have a dinner to attend for the volunteers at church. I will not be able to eat with this thing in my mouth. Can I handle eating in public with the gap in the front of my mouth? Am I vain? I like to think I am not, but it shows in this type of decision. Paula

Amaryllis Planted

Hello, I attended to some hard things this afternoon. The morning went well with a spirituality meeting. The first thing this afternoon, after I worked up my courage, I called the insurance company about a prescription. Does insurance rule the world? I learned that there was a pharmacy that was cheaper than the one where I had gotten my prescription. And the insurance company would not cover what I had purchased. The other more expensive place they did cover was forty dollars more than what I paid. Since I already had the compounded medicine, it will be next time before I check into this third place. After that I ordered more checks. We almost never use them, but we only have seven left. There are certainly widely varying prices for this item. I finally called and talked to a robot to get the job done. After that it was time to plant the amaryllis. They have been waiting patiently. Leroy helped a bit. We decided that it needed to be done in the garage because of the strength of the wind. There are now three pots in the house. The bulbs are small, but still feel firm so I am hoping for some growth and maybe even a bloom or two. Paula

Just an Ordinary Day

Hello, It is hard to know what to write about when the day seems so ordinary. Leroy has been sick, is that ordinary? He did not feel well on Sunday with respiratory issues. Yesterday he woke up, declared, “I feel so much better.” About half an hour later, he said, “I am so tired. I could go back to bed.” That is about what happened again today. I have heard of many people who have had some illness, comment on how tired they were for days afterwards. He is still doing some things to help me, but I have tried to step up for myself. My mouth is still delicate. I can do some of the tasks of other kinds. I too do not feel as peppy as I sometimes do. It is probably from too much sitting around. Seems to me that pulls a person down. Movement is energizing. Now if I just felt like dusting, the place would look better. One thing for sure we know some who have serious health issues and they are much younger than we are. We are grateful that what we are dealing with is something that will be resolved in time. Plus, we both had some time outdoors even if the wind was a bit strong. Paula

New Way of Eating

Hello, I am eating much slower with more care in placement of food. It seems to me I do not have as many green veggies in my diet, because many of them are rather crunchy, at least the way I serve them. Leroy has been very good about fixing meals and washing dishes. We do not have a mechanical dishwasher. I often say, “I have a dishwasher and I call it Leroy.” Yesterday I was eating the evening meal for almost half an hour after Leroy was finished. I usually eat nuts for my snacks or even in a meal some way. I had not had a nut for three days. Peanuts aren’t really a nut, but I have had peanut butter. This morning, I cut the apple quite small and enjoyed it immensely. Absence can make the heart grow fonder. Just a side comment. Spell check does not know what to do if I have the first letter of a word incorrect. It goes off on tangents that are not it. Leroy is more of a help. If he had not been here, I might have searched my mispellers dictionary for immensely. That miss word is wrong according to the checker, but the dictionary itself knows what I want to do. What do people do who do not have that dictionary or Leroy? Wow, today is son Brian’s birthday. Can he really be as old as he is? I know I am not so old to have a child that age, ops then there is his older sister. My children age me more than my age. Happy Valentine’s. Paula

Tooth Extraction

Hello, Yesterday, I had a lower front tooth extracted. I had not been given a time expectation. It took longer than the five minutes when Leroy had his abscessed tooth taken out. It seemed that it was at least five minutes and the dentist was still working. Finally at some point he stopped and said, “The tooth broke. There is still some of the root in there. I will get it, but it will take a bit more.” I was ready to be done before it was out. Such a relief to have him say, “I got it.” After a little cleanup of the area, two stitches were put in. I wonder if the procedure only took 30 minutes, but my mouth was tired from being open so long. I one point I did ask for some rest time. I have decided my teeth want to stay in my mouth. The first time I had a wisdom tooth extracted, the dentist was shaking before it was over. The next time the oral surgeon figured it would be about 20 minutes, instead I was there two and a half hours. Course some of that time was going under and coming out of the anesthesia. Today I got a temporary to block the hole so I do not look bad. The dentist commented that the healing looked good for just being one day. I have had little to no pain. I did take some over the counter pain pills but have stopped that now. I even, very carefully, brushed my teeth. I am missing the crunchy food that I often eat. I have another appointment next week. Seems I am spending more time with the dentist. Paula

Small Run Around

Hello, After tai chi we were out with the car so drove to the pharmacy to find out why I had not been contacted about a prescription that the Dr. office told me they sent in a week ago. I went in person because I do not like to use the phone, always avoid it as much as I can. The first person I talked with found my records, but did not know why it had not been filled. She called over someone else. They told me, “We called the office, but have not had a reply. This medicine is quite expensive and we want to order a generic.” I called the Dr. office. Where I was told, “There is no record of them trying to reach us. I will call them.” The office called back to tell me that the pharmacist wanted to know if I had taken this medicine before. Which I had done. I guess now the medicine is ordered. Life is full of many little mix-ups. Patience, patience is key to feeling good. Since we were in the neighborhood, we got my car washed. It is so nice to be much cleaner than it was. Paula

Where are my slippers?

Hello, This morning after we had done our exercises, Leroy was walking around muttering, “Where are my slippers?” He struggled for a while, before I asked, “What are you looking for?” “My slippers!”, he exclaimed. “I will help look,” I said as I headed to the bathroom. Nothing. Then it was on to the kitchen, again nothing. The living room also had no slippers. The spare bedroom has also clean. The office was barren. Then I went to our bedroom and there was a pair of slippers! But they were my slippers. However, I had slippers on. Oops! I had on Leroy’s slippers. I had put them on in the dark they felt a little different, but they were in my spot. We do have the same size foot. Paula

At Church Again

Hello, We had a nice walk to church. A little cold, but not bad. Leroy carried the backpack which had a bit of weight in it. I walk in different shoes than I wear in the services. So, there was a pair of shoes in there. We also brough three boxes of granola/protein bars. Plus, I brought an opened calamine lotion that we did not use much of. There is a person who volunteers at a health care place. They can use medicines that have been opened. I am pleased about that. We have not use this, but once. I do not feel good about throwing such things away. The choir sang so we had practice ahead of time. That is always good. After the service there was a light meal followed by the annual meeting. They kept to a fairly strict schedule so people could get away to watch the super bowl game. Neither Leroy nor I watch it. We noticed that help was needed for clean-up. We helped get papers, etc. off the tables. We then spent some time washing all of the tables. Before long another woman joined us. We made short work of that task with three of us. I like to write stories from my childhood for our grandchildren. It is getting much harder to think of new ones to record. I have moved on to college times for the two girls who are in college. Then I am trying to think of some high school stories. I have always enjoyed telling them stories about when I was little. My suspicion is that I do better telling then writing about it. Paula

At Church Again

Hello, We have both been at church for one reason or another for three consecutive days. Leroy is planning to go to a funeral tomorrow. I might go, I did not know the family as well as he did. There are services on Sunday. You would think we have some connections there. We don’t even have plants to water. Someone else takes care of the plants in the church. One time she told me that she has 100 in her care. That is a lot of walking and watering. We helped unload the reduced cost food again. We also put just a few of the things away. Often there are 54 half gallons of milk to put away. That has become my job. In part because I am comfortable squatting to get at the bottom shelves of the refrigerator. Today the woman who coordinates all of this made the comment that she has five meals to get together by Sunday. How she manages all of this, I have a hard time imagining even though I see much of the prep. I feel like a wimp. After putting the milk away, I packaged plastic silverware for her to use for some of the meals. I am glad to be able to save her from doing some of the work. She always has to be in charge because she knows the big picture. On a side note, I connected with one more college friend on the chat program so we can all meet. It takes a little while for people to get on. When we do it soon as a group, it should work quite well. I have had the pleasure of connecting with all of them individually. Paula

More Deep Cleaning

Hello, I am definitely against using scotch tape on glass. Paint is easier to get off with a razor blade. The custodian did show me a trick, but it still seemed more involved than just scraping the paint away. The tape itself came up but a lot of sticky stuff was left behind. I was just working on the glass in the classroom doors. I had not really noticed how many of them there are. Now I know them more intimately. Leroy and another fellow cleaner spent time in other places. Steaming an area and cleaning the wall board and many chairs in one room. We are happy to do this when thinking about it as we sit in the comfort of home, but get tired at the end of two hours. Leroy and I still have to walk home so we are not technically done. At least it was a bit warmer today. True confession. Our home is being neglected. It would not pass the white glove test. This morning, I did go shopping and get a haircut. Leroy stayed home and gathered, evaluated, and organized tax papers. We are still short a couple items. Paula

We will get lots of steps today

Hello, Leroy left for a bible study at 6:15 am. It was a bit cold he tells me. When I went at 8:30 am, so I could do a class on line followed by a spirituality meeting it was warmer, but not warm. I had walked around the house some doing this and that so my step count is nice. We have choir tonight and that will add all the steps we need for the day. Leroy volunteered this morning at the museum along with other stamp club members. He was pleased that some representatives of National Geographic from Czech Republic were there. They took some pictures of the guys working. Maybe Leroy will be in a magazine that is read overseas. There were also some high school kids at the museum. Some of them stopped and asked questions of the stamp workers. Leory sensed that they were interested. Maybe young people will find something good in the old. I washed and folded a number of things.That is satisfying to get that done and off my list. We got mail delivered to the house for the first time in four days. An inquiry told us that there has been a number of people sick so they cannot meet all of the demand to get mail out. It was rather like being gone on vacation and seeing what had piled up. Most of it was just waiting to be recycled. Paula

What is in a day

Hello, We woke up to see that it had snowed, hurried outside, and started shoveling. We managed to get it clean before we headed off to Tai Chi. There was a bit of a struggle to get on the zoom site. So, it all started late and there were two new people. After that we headed off to the dentist where I was expecting to have a tooth extracted. I suppose I was not paying attention when the appointment was made. Instead, an impression was made for the aftercare time. After that we went to the library to return books and check out more books. It is Leroy’s birthday. We had planned for him to take care of me for the day. Yesterday I made lasagna for his birthday dinner. It was good yesterday and today. At least he did not have to prepare anything and I could comfortably eat today. We did not really do anything special, but we just relaxed a bit more. I have not gotten very many steps. But will try to get at least 5000. I forgot to put on my watch before shoveling, so my body actually got more steps than I can count. Paula

Organ Concert

Hello, The organ concert was great. It is so nice to have the technology to be able to have cameras on the hands and then another window of the feet. It shows an astonishing amount of movement and coordination. I almost never tell anyone that I can play the organ, or at least I used to be able to, because there are so many organists that are so good around here. I have not touched one for several years now. I would be a little slow and awkward. Skills left on the shelf do not keep growing. Since we do not have a piano, I suspect even the keyboard is not as easy for me as it once was. We have walked to church enough to get our steps. On the way out of church, we stopped to help an older person put her walker in the car, get the snow off her windows, and adjust her seat. She offered us a ride home. We did not need the steps so we said yes. It was a bit of a challenge to stay calm. She came close to hitting something on her way out of the parking lot. She also tended to drive on the center line or even a bit over it to the other side. Now the question is do we have a responsibility to do something about this or just hope for the best? She was glad to give us a lift home since she thought walking was unsafe. We think walking would have felt safer. She did say I could “back seat” drive and I told her more than once to move into the lane. We could use some stickers that say the driver is older just like there are signs for student driver. Paula

Walking in the Cold

Hello, I just read that being out in the cold is good for a person. Leroy and I should be gaining all kinds of health benefits. We both walked this morning. He walked very early and I did later. We will walk to choir tonight to get all of our steps. I did not manage to get that done yesterday with other obligations in my day. But we were out Sunday and Monday. Three days should count for something. I still wonder about the younger people that we see on campus. They are now generally wearing long sleeves, but they can still be rather lightly dressed. Another person was running this morning when I was out otherwise, I do not meet many people. This weather means we need to start gathering our income tax information and organizing it so we can give it to someone else to finish. Income tax in Slovakia was no big deal since everyone was taxed at the same percentage. Not sure if it was fair, but it certainly simplified life. We will go to church choir practice tonight. I am not sure why, but my voice seems rather fragile. It is not comfortable for me to sing for a long time. Maybe I need to sing more during the week to strengthen my throat. I do not really want to give up singing. I remember that my mother had some trouble singing in her later life. Is this another way I’m becoming my mother? Paula

Life Mysteries

Hello, At zero degrees F. we walked to church cold, but we could handle it. It should be warmer on the return trip. Instead it felt worse with the wind blowing in our face or on the side of our faces. It was warmer by six degrees, but felt much colder. My cheeks hurt by the time we made it home. Counting blocks and then houses helped to encourage me to keep going. Course, how could we stop? We keep a careful eye on the condition of the side walk as we do not want to fall in this time. How can there be so much cruelty in the world alongside so much kindness? Why does this keep repeating or reappearing in many different places? There is certainly no chance to feel superior as it can be found everywhere. Sometimes it goes underground, but then reappears. Thank God for good people who give their all. Where and how do I fit, in all of this? How can I get rid of possessions that have some sentimental value, but no real purpose in my life? How many times can I move them before they become more of a burden than an asset? Ah the mysteries go on. Paula

Skill Set

Hello, Leroy and I cleaned our bedroom closet. This is an old house so the closet it not wide, but long and probably was not a closet originally. Boxes and other stored objects take up the back space. I have all my hanging clothes in here. The current season to the front and the off-season clothes to the back. I managed not to throw out anything but a box that contained nothing. That’s where skill and ignoring are necessary. There are a number of photos in here and some necklaces that I do not look at or wear. Decisions are hard so it all went back. I did manage to weed out three bests because I never wear belts. After searching on line, I found some tips for making unsweetened applesauce in the instant pot. We both like it quite a lot. Simple, simple, simple. Core the apples, cut them up add lemon juice, and water. Cook for the specified time and remove. I did suggest we use the potato masher on it. It worked very well. We will do this again. It will be a great way to use the apples faster.

I also figured out how to have a meeting in a program that used to be skype. It took some “monkeying” around, but we did it. Paula

Out Before the serious Cold

Hello, Yesterday we had the whole day off. We had planned to make a little out of town trip to a museum. Instead, we stayed home, did exercises indoors, went out and shoveled snow. This includes our neighbors’ sidewalks on both sides who have some health issues. We went to the library because that is a very important place to go when we are low on books. Next was a shopping trip that involved several stores. Leroy has decided he needs a steering wheel cover but was not prepared for the prices of such devices. He came home without such a thing, but someday the desire and the price will meet. At the grocery store we only needed three things; however, we came out with quite a few more items. In the afternoon, a friend texted to tell us that someone we had known in the past had died. The visitation was to be in about two hours. So, we went back out. It was a good thing to visit with many of the people we had known for a long time. We do not often see them. We managed to spend an hour there. The day filled up easily. When I look out now at the clean sidewalk, I am so glad that we got to that clearing task as the temperature did not get about zero today. Windchills have been at daunting levels. I am grateful for a warm place to be with power and water available. What luxuries! Paula

Bargain Cheese and Postage Stamps

Hello, Yesterday on Facebook a store was advertising Brie cheese for a dollar a package. One of them was supposedly a $26 saving and the other was a $10 saving. It was as long as supplies lasted and at one store only. After fussing around a while, I went the two miles, hoping that some would be left. The “cheaper” one was gone. We had never had the more expensive one, but two 27ounce packages found their way into the cart. I have enjoyed it. Leroy is rather careful because the soft cheeses are more problematic for him. He could take a lactose pill, but prefers not to do that. I looked on line and learned that the $26 was a low-end price for the type and amount of cheese imported from France. I live with a stamp collector, consequently we have some sheets of stamps where only one is needed. I am happy to have some stamps to use on cards. No letters mailed here any longer. We had some stamps commemorating the day of the dead. It did not seem right to use them to mail a sympathy card or a birthday card. They had been in the house so long that it was just time. Two were left. The paper came off with the sticky stuff on the back. That means I had to glue it on the envelope. The second one did the same thing. They both went on birthday cards. Hopefully no one is insulted. The stamps had to be used and not tossed in the trash. Paula

Talented and Gifted

Hello, Now I am talented and gifted. I frequently go to the library and they let me know after I am home, that my book on hold has come in. Today when I was there, I even checked the hold books for my initials of bra. BRA was there, but not in a book I had ordered. I am also skilled at getting in the slowest line at a store. Even if the line appeared shorter when I stepped in place. Someone might have an issue that needs to be solved changing the entire dynamic. I have even warned people who are obviously looking for the quickest way out, that I have some issues with lines. Maybe if I work hard I can develop some more skills. The temperature was not so low, 20 degrees. However, it was still a bit chilly. With a little bit of wind. That means I did not get in as many steps as I wanted. It is satisfying to see where we cleared the sidewalk. Some people did not attempt to get that job done. The depth of the snow is not deep, but it is noticeable when I step on the snow. I try to be more alert as there can be slippery areas hidden. Paula

Walking in the cold

Hello, I walked to my volunteer job. It was three blocks. It was not too bad, however when I came home the wind was in my face. That was definitely more noticeable. It was five above zero by that time. later when it was still the same temperature we went out and did a bit of shoveling. It was mostly just making it neater. There had been some snowfall and the wind created some different patterns. The sidewalk is now quite clear. Double layers on my legs was a bit help. The boots and thicker socks were also appreciated. Earlier when walking, I had on sneakers and medium weight socks because I do not want to be too warm inside the building. The guys across the street are working outside at least some of the time. It is cold to think about that. Leroy drove to church this morning. He helps count money. I wanted to know, “Did anyone ask if you had walked?” On the cold days that is a very common question for us. Now, he is walking or marching while watching TV. I will probably spend some time doing that also. It is not my favorite activity, but it gets the steps to mound up. If I am interested in the program, it can go very fast. Do birds feel the cold on the bottom of their feet? It looks vulnerable, but they do not act as if it is a problem when standing on cold surfaces. Paula

New Learning

Hello, I now know something about three types of team meeting software. Not an expert, but I can get on, create a meeting, invite others, change the background, chat or deal with the audio or video. It is amazing how technology has changed our lives. What a gift to be able to connect with people from the past who do not live close to us. They can even see my wrinkles. When we walk to church it is also a time of learning. Where are the icy spots, uneven sidewalk, when to cross the street, where is there shelter from the wind, and what is the college student doing with no coat? Last night we volunteered at the Saturday evening meal for the food challenged crowd or anyone who just might like to come eat out with others. We were on the clean up and it was quite usual. At the end of the time, the director of all this looked around and said, “Everyone here is over 70, sigh. Paula, would come over here and see if you can get under this counter to open the drain for the new steam table?” Squatting is my favorite way to get down. However, this was low enough that I had to get on my knees and twist around to get at four handles. It was done. Then it was time to get back down and close the drains. At least I managed to get that done without banging my head. It was definitely a challenge. Not sure who does it when I am not there as many of the volunteers are at the older end of age spectrum. Paula

More Cleaning Done

Hello, We did more cleaning today, but this time it was at church. An area was renovated and ready for use, but for all the dust around. I washed windows and the baseboard before sweeping the floor. Leroy and someone else cleaned out cupboards. It took them quite a while to get that done. It is the type of thing that others probably will not notice, but we could tell a difference as we knew the before picture. Seems that cleaning is mostly noticed when it is not done. Then there is complaining. After it is done it is easy to take for granted that it will be done all of the time. Is that why housework gets such low marks? Because it does not have such a noticeable result. Yet if it is ignored, it is quite noticeable. Ah the mysteries of life at the basic level. It seemed colder when we came home from church with a more serious wind blowing against us some of the time. Now it is cold as the temperatures are starting to drop. What a wonderful thing to be in a warm house with someone I love. Paula

Cleaned Bedroom

Hello, Last week I looked for something that had fallen behind the bed. I found the object, but was shown a lot of dust. The long handled wooly cleaner helped, but could not get it all. Today was the day to give the room a deep clean. We took out all things except the bed which is a sleep number. We managed to move it around to clean under it without shutting it down. The bed skirt was laundered. What a difference that made! It is so much brighter. We got this bed in 2021 and have not cleaned so seriously under it. The rest of the room had some dust, but not so much since we regularly go at it. Leroy is a mover and shaker on this project. He sweeps down the ceiling and the walls, because my arms get so tired doing that. He also runs the vacuum with head phones on to save his hearing. I kept busy much of the time, moving things out, dusting the baseboard, washing the baseboard, and inspecting his job. He did well. We both shared in the return task. One issue that we have not solved yet is that I have a picture that was in my parent’s bedroom. The hanger came off the cardboard in back. Not sure how to fix that. Oh, yes when Leroy set the clock it is now on the wrong year with the day listed as Sunday instead of Friday. He could not figure out how to get to the proper year. He might even have to read directions if we can find them. Paula

How to Save Money

Hello, One way to save money is not to spend it. After many years of practicing this skill, I am fairly adept. But then there is that receipt that tells me I have two coupon dollars to spend just because I bought something in the store. There is also a dollar because of something else I bought. I was just in the store and do not want to go right back. Also is there anything I want that is close to the coupon price? The expiration date is next week. Can I remember to go then since I don’t often go to this store? Is it alright to just let three dollars float away? There was a time when I went shopping one day a week and that was good for the entire week. Somehow those days seem to be in the past as I often go twice a week for some needed item. Just what fits in the category of needed? Bargains are hard for me to resist. Our favorite apple orchard had a deal on apples that got some hail damage. If we got 40 pounds and a little more there is free delivery. The orchard is 25-30 miles away so free delivery sounded good. I got those 40 pounds and some beets. Now the question is what to do with the apples. We managed to get all of them in the refrigerator which was not so full, but is now. Unfortunately, there were still ten apples in there from another purchase. I could cook the apples, but we or maybe it is I like them raw the best.

It is cold now and I am grateful for the warm house with the furnace running. Paula

Volunteering

Hello, Today there had been no donations for me to date. Potatoes, onions, and carrots had already been bagged to put in the giveaway bags. I wandered around and could see nothing to do. Another woman had just finished the bagging. We were in an area that did not have other people close. She started telling me about her mood which she declared was quite grumpy. I told her, “I did not notice that. You seemed pleasant as always.” She then proceeded to tell me what was affecting her mood. This took quite some time as it involved several family members who had issues of one type or another. She was not able to help them change their life style. Instead, she said, “I have been enabling them to live the way they do I can’t do it anymore.” I just listened, tying to say just a few small things in the active listening mode. In the end, she thanked me for listening before we went off to tend to the things that had been procured from fast food establishments. Perhaps that listening was just a part of the volunteering job for the day. Paula

Five Mugs will be gone

Hello, There is a concern in town that said they need cups. We translated that to mean mugs. We have five mugs that can go live in another home. We tried to get rid of more plates, but have trouble finding a place that might sell them. I think they are worth something, but we do not want to bother packing them up to ship to a different location. Leroy did give away the last of his phonograph records. That is nice since we have not listened to them in years with nothing to play them on. One place would have given us $5 for all of them. Leroy was just happy to have them out of the house. This person did not really think there was a market for them around here. I feel so much lighter when we can eliminate some items. This is especially true of things we do not use any longer. They seemed important at some time in the past. It would be good to go through my clothes. Surely, there are some items that I no longer wear, but just have not decided it is too much to have around. Photos are something that I do not really how to handle. Many I know have them digitally, but I seldom look at anything. Either on a device or in print. When I happen to stumble on them accidently, it is a pleasure to look at them and remember. Who knew there would be so many choices and new learning at this stage of life. As a thirty something it appeared nothing much was happening to those old people. Paula

Helping at church

Hello, Leroy and I went, as usual, to help unload the items. We also help put some of that away. There were boxes of cookie dough in boxes ready to be baked. Leory put about 1000 of those on trays while someone else baked them. Later they were packed for the Saturday evening meal at church. While he was doing arranging dough, I washed and pruned lettuce that was getting closer to the edge. The parts that were torn off were taken by someone else to put out for the animals in the wooded area. I also scrubbed, trimmed and set aside large daikon radishes. The largest one weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces. We like daikon radishes, but have never seen any this large.

We were both tired by the time we got done with these chores. We did bring home three poinsettias that have been left at church. No begging, but close to it to have us remove them. They are beautiful. I might have to relegate Leroy to the hall to create some room for them. He knows he takes second fiddle to my plants.

Paula

Do you Want a Ride

Hello, We walked to church for a senior luncheon with a speaker about the new library branch building on the west side of town. We arrived in plenty of time to buy a book for a study that starts next week. The talk was interesting. I am ready to check this new building out when it opens in the fall. We will still use the downtown library because it is closer to our home. This new one looks quite fine and intriguing. We had planned to walk the long way home, dropping some craft items off at a secondhand store. Imagine our surprise when we got upstairs, looked out the window to see that it was steadily raining. It did not look like something that was going to stop soon. We started running through the names of people who were there and who might give us a ride home. At the opposite door there was a guy just going out with his umbrella. He asked if we wanted a ride. We said, “Yes.” On the ride home, we learned that he lives in the opposite direction. At least our city is small. He is 92 years old, but we felt quite comfortable riding with him as he did nothing that was questionable. So happy we took that offer because the rain did not stop for an hour or two. It even got harder at times. We would have been wet through by the time we walked that mile home. It could be done, but not fun. Now we are both quite short on our step count. It is a small thing to be concerned about. Paula

Making Bread

Hello, I still make bread about every week or two. We don’t have a bread machine and that is the way I like it. It is satisfying to put my hands in the dough and knead it. Does that mean I am a hands-on person? I do use a mixer with a dough hook for cookie dough to stir. It does take a lot of mixing out of the job. Would I be stronger if I just used a large spoon for all of that? My grandmother would make about seven loaves of bread at a time. She did this well into her 80’s. No electric mixer or bread machine for her. Maybe she also just liked the feel of the dough. We never talked about it. Not sure why she needed so many loaves when she lived alone. I know she shared bread crumbs with the stray cats from the grain elevator across the street. I started out this morning for qigong, but circled the block and put the car in the garage. I could tell it was foggy, but it looked much worse in the car when I was unable to see to the end of the block. Now the sun is shining. Most of my trip would have been on the interstate when speeds are much higher. If I knew what the speed would be for be all, it might have been ok. I worry about going slower and someone running into me or going faster and zooming up behind a slow person. I missed the group and the meditative time. I did some exercise by myself, but it is not as much fun. I have only written the year as 2025 about four times. I write the date on my devotion journal and on these letters. Guess I have not moved into the future yet. Just roaming around in the past. Paula

Epiphany is Here

We took the tree down this morning. That was not such a long job, but it still takes some time to get the items off and put in the proper place. As close as we remember the proper place. Memory fades on some things. Perhaps they are as not as important as we once thought. Tonight, Leroy noticed that we had not put away the Christmas throw. I would be happy to get rid of it, but asked the kids about it. Miriam said she might like it. It is packed away now. I was irritated with Leroy when I learned that he did not get out everything. He thought it was just too much. I had wondered where some of the things were. Earlier, I had gotten rid of some things and thought that it must have included those unrevealed items. I did bring home a poinsettia from the Ely library because they were considering getting rid of it. I will keep it going for a while longer. When it is too tired, it will go in the compost. I like saving these plants from sure a quick demise. There are still a lot at church so I might get some more

Is it being cheap? I think about buying one every year, but then think about how many get thrown out so soon. I enjoy having them here for a month or more. Paula

Christmas tree still up

Hello, Nothing has moved with the Christmas decorations. Leroy went to church today to count money. I went to the place to volunteer. Interestingly, the shelves had some bare spaces and almost no donations of canned goods had come in. Before Christmas, the donation amount was almost overwhelming. It was a struggle to keep up and to find a place to put them. In just two weeks things look very different. On the other hand, there was a huge amount of donations today from some of the fast-food places. These are items that cannot be served but are still good. They freeze them and then give them instead of throwing them in the landfill. So this fills two good purposes. We did meet with our financial advisor today. He told us how much the RMD should be for this year. There was also some talk about the other accounts that we have. Our investments are gaining so we can easily give away more money. This is so important because many people are now living so close to the poverty line. We can also feel comfortable to take some more trips. We only have one trip planned this year. That will be to Nova Scotia in the summer. Plus, we also have graduation events of two more grandchildren so that will involve some traveling. Paula

Advent Wreath put Away

Hello, As I washed dishes, Leroy took apart the advent wreath, cleaned off drips of wax, and got it into the box. The table is back to ordinary size so it is easier to get around in the kitchen. I like having this wreath out, but it is nice to put it away again. Reminds me of traveling. I like to go, but like to get back. Tomorrow or Tuesday the Christmas decorations will all go away as epiphany starts then. Again, I will be happy to have them out of the living space. Now if we could just find that epiphany star. Leroy was not feeling well this morning so he stayed home to watch church online. I walked by myself which is just fine. I was vain and did not put on my hat. That was not so fine. My ears were mighty cold when I got to church. Vanity is not a virtue? On the way home, I wore my hat and felt much better although it was still cold. I figure I can comb my hair or it is only Leroy who sees it? The book club met this morning and I did not want to miss that. I enjoy our discussions and the fact that we all seem to like slightly different books. Each time we rate the book as well as make comments about it. I go to another book club. I will have to get Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and read it. I have read it before, but I know it has some darkness to it. Some days it is easier to read emotionally draining materials. Paula

What to Do with Stuff?

Hello, Three storage boxes are begging to be looked at. Today was the day to look in the one that had the outside note: Slovak and African stuff. Many of these items were no longer in our idea of something to keep. But what should to do with the things? Our children or grandchildren probably do not want them as they mean nothing to them with no memories attached. Memories are still there for us, but is it necessary to keep the items? Some were things we bought because we were feeling quite sentimental when we left the country after living there five years. We also kept some bus tickets because that was so important for us to have and a part of our daily life there. I am so glad we have now gotten the idea that we do not buy souvenirs anywhere. That makes us not typical tourists, but certainly lighter and freer. We packed up almost all of these things and put them away again to await another day when sentiment is lighter. Or perhaps our children will have to go through our things and get rid of them. Paula