Help At the Library

Hello, Leroy feels so much better today. He even took a short walk or two. That was between the rain events. I had to stop at the library to get books for him. He has raced through quite a number of them. They are all light reading. He thinks I do much too much serious reading. Sometimes fiction, sometimes nonfiction. I can do some light reading, but not for long. He gave me a list. I was able to find quite a few of them. Then he asked for a series which I had not heard of. I did not know who the author was, but assumed it was the one on the page he gave me. It is always nice to get help from the desk for what is what. I told the friendly person that it was my husbands writing. “Oh,” she said, “so we will blame him?” She found the series and it was indeed that author. “I will come help you look for them. Two sets of eyes are always better than one.” She identified several books in the series. When we went back to the desk, we checked out the books on my card, since I did not have Leroy’s. Then she asked if I have the library app on my phone. To my negative response she told me the value of having it. She helped me get it on my phone, got me checked in, and showed me how to use it. What great help. Now if I can just remember it when I am in the library. At home I use the computer too look up things and I do find the same information. Now I will have it with me when I wonder if I have read a certain book. I should mention that the app does not have the name of the library on it, but a set of three letters that seem unrelated to this library. Don’t know if I would have ever thought that was the library app. Paula

Leroy is Home

Hello, Leroy came home yesterday afternoon. He felt fine. In the evening his stomach did not feel so good. During the night he made more than one trip to the bathroom. He is feeling better some minutes and not so much others. We learned that he did not react to the medicine, but had Noro virus. It was such bad timing for him. He probably got it because it was compromised by the surgery. I have felt fine. We are both a bit grumpy that he could feel so good when he came home and it should return to some degree. It is not as bad as it was. We have managed to keep him hydrated. That has probably helped his heart. I kept thinking that there must be something in the house that caused it. I have washed the bathroom floor three times. Sanitized this and that, more than once. Washed two loads of clothes and used the dryer for more sterilizing heat. At least that was my idea with it all. I have used up all the bleach I have in the house. I suppose I could go to the store now as Leroy seems good. Earlier I did not want to leave him in case he needed something. I am learning a little bit about being a caregiver. We are both taking seriously the dictum to wash our hands thoroughly. One article about this virus said that the sanitizers do not always take care of it. Running water is the best because it moves the germs on. We certainly want them out of here. I am treating water like an expendable commodity. Not my usual self. Paula

Update on Leroy

Hello, Leroy’s heart ablation went fine. He came home the day after the procedure. Had a good sleep and felt wonderful in the morning until about 10:00 am. Then he started to notice some aches and pains. Plus, he had to go to the toilet a lot. He then started to experience weakness. The doctor on call had us take his blood pressure which turned out to be a bit low. He suggested that he was getting dehydrated and he should stop the med that had been prescribed. Since he took it in the morning, there was not much to do about that at the moment. He still seemed fairly good so I went and did my volunteering at church with the stipulation that he should call if needed. He did not call but told me when I got home that he needed to go to the toilet again. He had trouble getting up. After he went, he just laid on the bathroom floor. I started suggesting that we go to the emergency room, but he did not think it necessary. I suggested he go lay on the bed where he could roll off more easily. With help he stood up and started moving slowly, but on his own. When we were close, I went to pull back the covers. I heard a loud thump, raced out and found him lying flat on his back. At that point, I said we needed to go to the ER. He said he felt better. In a bit he too thought we should go, but I said, “I cannot get you down the stairs we must call the ambulance.” He said, “No,” however a few seconds later he changed it to yes. They came and had a serious conversation about what was wrong, started an IV and give him a shot of something. Then they got a portable chair because our stairs is hard to navigate with a sharp curve in it. They would have to carry him down, but assured me that it would be an easy job compared to many. Leroy spent the night in the hospital and will again tonight. I think he is looking much better now and he is not hooked up to so many things. Grateful for all that can be done. Paula

Health Care

Hello, I am grateful for the health care we have available. We have two hospitals within two miles of our home. Both of them have a good reputation. Today we visited one of them for Leroy to get a test for his heart. Tomorrow he will have a procedure that is to help that heart work better. I look at all the equipment in the room for the test and marvel at the inventions and inventors that have brought all this into being. I try to remember those who do not have so much available to them. Even though we might complain about the cost, we can pay it and we do have insurance coverage so we do not pay the full price. Again, I am aware that there are people here and abroad who do not have such available to them. Course there are many countries that have access to medical care for all citizens. Leroy had to give himself some shots before this procedure since he is on blood thinner which he had to stop before the day. He was quite nervous about the shots, but it turned out not to be hard at all. When Leroy’s test was done this morning, the woman commented that he was a cheap date because he does not need much anesthesia. As it is, he ate something when we got home and he has been sleeping since. The dermatologist froze a spot on my face. I have had that done before. This time however, he did it several times to that spot or close to it. Today it is a bit swollen. Certainly nothing I want to touch, but I now know I touch my face many times for no reason in particular. Paula

Talented or what?

\Hello, Today, I went to the store for honey since I want to make granola and did not have enough honey at home. I went in for one item and came out with $32 worth of things. Am I talented or what? When I was brushing my teeth this morning, I managed to knock out my bridge in front. It had cracked about a month ago. The Dentist wanted to see if it would settle down as he could see no breaks. I had just heard a noise. Am I talented or what? After making that trip to get the honey, I forgot to make the granola this afternoon. Instead, I took a walk, read some, and watched a program on TV. Am I talented or what? Paula

Community Garden

Hello, We have been remiss and not weeded in the garden for some time. No one else has been there so the grasses especially have made a lot of growth. It is a kind of grass that my father called knuckle grass. It sends out a shoot, puts down roots and repeats that process. It covers quite a big area. If I pull up one plant I make a lot of progress. I picked some small yellow tomatoes. They are a sweet treat. The trouble was when I went to the second side of the plant, I felt something biting me on my ankle. Oh no! There were small ants on me. I moved away from the area. Those ants on me were smashed as soon as I spotted them. It took a little while, but I was relieved. One year, ants got on me and up under my long pants. I had to go home to get rid of them as their bites are rather uncomfortable. I seriously considered just hiding behind a bush, exposing myself and getting rid of them. Pain can make a difference to one’s sensibilities. On the way home, I saw a woman and a small girl getting into their vehicle so I shared with them all the tomatoes that I had picked. It was just small ones. Someone else picked the larger ones, the smaller ones are ignored. I was outside by the deck when a humming bird landed on the clothes line and looked at me while I looked at it. It was only about two feet from me. I tried to get my phone out to take a picture, but it left. I was sorry that I just did not enjoy seeing it. Pictures are not everything. Paula

Shopping and more

Hello, Yesterday after Tai Chi and a study at church we went to the store to get Leroy’s hearing aid app put back on his phone. For some reason, that had been deleted. It was a simple fix for those people who knew what app to use and how to set it up. The guy just flipped through it all at great speed. When I commented, he said, “If you did this all the time like I do, you would also get every fast.” He also put on new filters which seem to get coated with wax. I believe that Leroy is hearing better now. The only downside is that the store is over 20 miles away. When we are there, we also seem to feel it is a requirement that we spend some money. We came home with a giant mum that was a good price. It barely fit in the car. We had to put it in the back passenger side so I could pull my seat ahead to give it room. It even had plastic around it at that point. It is not fully open yet, but it will be lovely when it is. I have an 8 inch one by it to get an idea of size.

Last night Leroy and I went to a concert at the museum. It was an operettic soprano. She married a Slovak and now lives in Bratislava. She is promoting Slovak music. Leroy even stayed in focus the entire time. I was impressed as well. I miss all of the musical events that we went to while living in Slovakia. Paula

Halifax Second Day

Hello, I am only up to day 11 on our Nova Scotia trip. It lasted 17 days. On the day before we had a bit of time to explore on our own in Halifax. Leory and I saw a building that had a cast iron façade. The plaque explained it. Neither Leroy nor I had known such existed.

Later we went to the star fort. Our guide was excellent. We learned that the fort was never attacked because it was so well situated. We were lucky to see the guards there. In the afternoon, we went to Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse.

It was a beautiful setting. The rocks were left or pushed by the glaciers. Our earth is an amazing and varied place.

I even bought a souvenir here. We seldom buy anything because we do not need more things in our house or life. This time I bought a tee shirt. It said it was magic. It appears to be just a line drawing, but when exposed to sunlight the colors fill in those lines. It is fun. But that was enough for one trip. It seems I should follow Leory’s lead that when he buys something new something old goes. Paula

Tomatoes

Hello, We were given some tomatoes. They were the best tasting tomatoes I have eaten this season. We had enough to can so we did one batch of eight quarts yesterday and another batch of eight quarts today. I thought there might not be enough so I went to the community garden even though we seldom get any tomatoes there. Usually, others pick them. I picked quite a few regular size, small sized, red and yellow. The okra was ripe so I picked that too. Half of it was too large so it was thrown in the compost. The green beans were in about the same territory. There was a small amount of broccoli. It was a busy time in the garden. With the okra requiring the most muscle power to separate it from the plant. The okra blossoms are beautiful. That is my favorite part of the plant. I was able to give away many of the yellow tomatoes on the way home. As it turned out we had plenty of tomatoes. Now I wonder what to do with the rest of them. It looks like about three jars full. Which I might do just to care for them. When Leroy fell, his watch did create an alarm. I kept thinking it was on the phone, so we could not find it. Luckily, we thought of his watch just as it was texting that it would call 911 unless Leroy let the watch know that he was alright. Good to know the watch works as advertised. Now we know something about what to do. When it goes off we might even look there first. I might even have to get one too. Paula

Those exciting walks

Hello, Last night we walked in the wonderful weather. We were more comfortable that we have been in recent days. It was dark, but we have flashy lights to help us on our way. Rather the flashing arm bands make us more visible to drivers. We cut through the campus that is on the way. As we were on the sidewalk by the garden, I saw a snake. When I said something, it zoomed off of the path. Leroy just barely saw it there. I was pleased that it had not gone under the fence, but was tucked up close to it. Leory pronounced it to be a garter snake. I am not as sure of the identification, but I would agree with him. Today we were again walking through campus. I now walk faster than Leroy so I was ahead of him when I heard, oof, and a fairly loud slamming sound. Looking back, I saw Leroy on the ground rolling over onto his back. I wondered did he have a heart attack or a spell. What was he doing on the ground. “What happened?” I wanted to know. “I stubbed my toe.” He groaned. He held out his hand for me to help him up. I wondered, should he lay there awhile, but he was not into that. He got to his feet with some groaning. His hand had a small puncture in it, but he seemed ok otherwise. Three students came over and wanted to know if they could help and what happened. Leroy showed that there was a split and raised part in the sidewalk which they said they would report. Leroy did have some scrapes on his knees which were under his jeans. Luckily, the church has band aids. He now tells me he is sore in many places. We are grateful he did not break any bones or hit his face or head. Paula

Labor Day

Hello, Leroy and I took a nice short bike ride this morning. The air was cool, but our bottoms noticed the small seat so we were glad to go home. In the afternoon we went to a park that has an arboretum as well as trails and a newish playground. It was nice to walk around. We saw wild flowers, planted trees, butterflies, dragon flies, and many dogs with people. Even one three-legged dog. Some were panting and looking hot with much hair.

On the way home we stopped at a store to get some underwear for Leroy. They had both the size and style listed on the website. On the shelf there was only one package. The package had been torn open. Leory counted seven pair and not the stated six. On one level that was ok, but it should not be ours. Two of the pair had been taken out. The folding did not work like the others. We checked the sizes of those; one was a large and not a medium. There was a person there so we asked about that. She checked and learned there were no other packages in the back. We decided to take it anyway. At the check out we explained the situation and she was ok with that. She checked it out. I told her I had my own bag which Leroy was holding. Somehow the package missed the bag and the pair fell out. Leroy picked them up. On the way out of the store, someone called after us. We had failed to pick up one pair. There are honest people all over. Paula

In the Garden

Hello, This year, we have neglected the community garden much of the time. We have been gone or is too hot or it is raining. We have great excuses, however when I see the weeds in the garden, I am ashamed. Somehow, I could make myself get more done in the past. The other evening, even though it was still in the 80’s, I said, “I am going to the garden. There are beans that are ready to pick. If they are there too long they will stop producing.” Leroy felt guilty so he went with me. We walked slowly and had had quite a bit of water before we left the house. Leroy was wearing gloves so he went right to picking cucumbers. Some of them were quite large. I noticed some tomatoes very low on the plants. I was picking those when two boys came by. They had been playing in a vacant area. I asked, “Would you like some green beans?” They thought maybe they would like some. Then I picked some tomatoes for them. They also said they liked cucumbers. They did not like okra, but their dad did. They got all of the okra, several tomatoes, and many cucumbers. I was pleased to share all of these things. They wondered if it was our garden. I told them it was for everyone. Then one of them wondered if we took care of it. I was ashamed to say we did since there were so many weeds. They were pleased and thanked us for the produce as well as letting them know about the garden. One the way home we saw someone sitting on their porch and shared all of the green beans with them as well as two cucumbers. It lightened our load considerably. My heart was full. Paula

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Hello, We rode an amphibious vehicle around town for 30 minutes and on the water for 30 minutes. It is like the duck boats at the Wisconsin Dells. It was fun. We even went past the public library. It is not often that libraries are pointed out. There were sights that we would return to, this was just an overview. Entering the water got people in the front seats and one side especially a bit wet. Leroy had a sense of spray on him. It was a pleasant time on the river. I like the views from both land and water.

Later we went to the Victoria Garden. It was beautiful and great in the shade. We learned there are four things that make it a Victoria garden. It needs more than four species, a water feature, formal layout, and was it a boat feature? Not sure of that last one. this garden had all of these. The boat was a replica of the Titanic. It was wonderful to just wonder around the space as we navigated from one end to the other.

A woman who lives close stopped and visited with us. She said, “I come here almost every day.” She proceeded to explain some of the plantings to us. I appreciated her sharing. People all over the world are so good and helpful. I hope visitors to the USA find the same welcome and help. Paula

One Ferry Ride

Hello, We had two ferry boat crossings on our bus trip. We ride onto and off the ferry on the bus. One was a rather short 75-minute crossing so we did not spend so much time out of the bus. We go to an upper deck for the ride. That gives us time to see any sights. I always like to see the shore disappear and reappear. It was windy and cold for the shorter ride from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia. It was comfortable to be inside for much of that trip.

On land we toured the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. I did not know that he spent much of his life in Canada. I must not have listened in history class because I think of him as having been a USA citizen.

We also drove on the world’s deepest causeway that goes from Nova Scotia mainland to Cape Brenton Island. There is an s curve as part of it. It crosses the Strait of Canso. All that we have seen of Canada is beautiful country. Nova Scotia is a peninsula including Cape Brenton Island. Which is surrounded by a mixture of salt water and fresh water. They even did coal mining here. Salmon is a food source. They are serious about them still coming. If the fish is more than six pounds, it must be released to lay eggs and keep the population going. We stayed at a resort which had water front area. It was raining on arrival. In the morning it was clear. Down at the water, we could see starfish, crabs, jelly fish, and minnows. I was impressed to be able to see the jellyfish swimming around. Paula

Summer Produce

Hello, I am always so excited with the advent of summer produce from gardens around me. Wonderful that no plastic is involved, the product is fresh, and usually organic. What could be better. We picked in the community garden this morning. There were quite a few green beans. More than we can eat in one sitting or even two. It is fine to give some away. They are green pole beans so we do not have to be low as when picking bush beans. I have to confess I do not feel so generous when I have put a lot of work into the harvesting of the items. We picked a big bag of cucumbers and all but two were given away. I had just bought some cucumbers, because I had not seen so many in the garden on my last visit. There was also a very large zucchini which also was given away. We did have some okra, but I made them into a stir fry that we had for lunch. I almost forgot there was a lot of broccolis, but we have most of that. It is a lot of little heads and some worms were in there too. Others are not so excited to get that. Luckily Leroy went with me to pick the green beans and a few other things. He is a great pack horse as he carried much of the weight home. In the past I often did this by myself because he was working full time. I wonder how I managed it all. Paula

Visiting my family

Hello, This week we connected with my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, spouse, brother-in-law and his friend. It was great to see them all again. We meet in a spot that is good for all of us. The restaurant was small, but very accommodating. There were not so many people there making it easy to hear each other. They also let us stay and visit for quite some time after we finished eating. We will meet again in a year or less time. It is not always so easy to make the timing work for all of us. It is a drive on interstate all the way for us. That is fine except for the interstate in Iowa was so busy I had to be on full alert at all times. I think the truckers were trying to get to their drop off point. There were a number of cars as well, but many more trucks. It was not quite so crowded when we went home. It was also so different when we turned onto another interstate. It seemed there were only about three vehicles to be seen at one time. There was some road construction, but it was not bad. It was to repair bridges so it only slowed us down a little while. The whole Group

Leroy and I

My brother Robert and I.

Paula

Still Talking about the bus tour

Hello, We had an all-day bus with a local guide on Prince Edward Island. This guide was quite fine. He had many interesting things to tell us. It was a bit rainy, but not so much of a problem for us. We stopped at author, Lucy Montgomery’s homes. She wrote Anne of Green Gables. At the homes we had interesting tours.

I was not aware of the strong potato growing in Canada. They are the world’s largest producer of potatoes. The plan was to take us out in the fields to pick or plant, but it was too wet for that so they just talked about it. I was interested in the fact that they talked about using organic methods. I do buy organic potatoes, but I know there are not so many of them out there for purchase. In the evening we had a lobster dinner which was included as part of the tour. There were other choices and I should have taken something else and just begged for a small bite of someone’s. It came in the shell and it was a bit much for me psychologically. I did not mind the flavor, but was not impressed. I shared mine with others. At least I know now that is not something I want more of. Leroy had salmon and liked it. Because I generally do not take pictures of food, I have a picture of a friend and his lobster.

This is a lobster trap. Paula

Day six of that bus trip

Hello, This day we were stopping at Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy. I had never heard of this before we got there. This bay has the highest tides in the world. It was astonishing when we got out and walked on the lower level. We were walking on the ocean floor. We could see the water marks on the rocks above us. How could it get so high. The amount of water added is almost beyond comprehension. At the park where we were, it rises more than 30 feet. We land locked people hardly think about tides. Certainly nothing of this level.

We heard and saw some birds that are not familiar to me. One was the red eyed Viro. Sandpipers migrate through here. Apparently, they find lots of food when the tide goes out. There were also places with lots of wildflowers. Beautiful.

We traveled over the eight-mile-long Confederation bridge. There is a feeling of being disconnected from land. It is the longest bridge over fresh water. This took us to Prince Edward Island which is the smallest Canadian province. I enjoyed watching the musical, Anne of Green Gables. We spent the night in Charlottetown. Paula

Pill case opened

Hello, Just so you know a trip is not all about the scenery. I have had my seven-day pill case come open in the bag. To stop, that I have two of them securely strapped together with rubber bands. Leroy had not experienced that until now so the case came open in his bag. It was a bit of a struggle to find all of these pills. Some were quite small. The light in the room was a bit dim. Feeling around in the tote garnered a few more lost pills. I also did a search. Finally, we used the flashlight in the phone. All were found. It was good as no extras had been brought. I think he could have skipped a couple days of any of these pills and still been ok. We found a spare rubberband so he could wrap that around his case. Oh, for the days when we traveled pill free. We next traveled into New Brunswick province, Canada. It is a beautiful place.

We stopped at Grand Falls. Five of the passengers did the zip line. I regret that I did not do that too. I had done a zip line, but I would have liked this one as well.

We stopped at a covered bridge. Not as exciting, but still interesting. We were now in Atlantic time zone. We will spend several days in this time zone that I did not know about before the trip. Paula

Sunday on the Road

Hello, We do not stop for church. Leroy and I did do devotions. We did not sing a hymn as we usually do. It is because we sing a cappella. I always make my best guess for the starting note. I miss church since we go every Sunday. We went past Montreal without stopping. Then it was on to Quebec City. We did stop here and had a tour of the old town. The guide took us on two walks with just a bit of talking on the bus where there was a mike available. It was hard at times to hear what she had to say when out walking. There were 42 of us and it was difficult to get close.

I did get a picture of The Chateau Frontenac which is in the upper town. About $800 a night for a room. We did not stay there.

Even though our guide told us we could not get lost, one couple in did get lost. It took our guide looking for them, a phone call fromd the lost on one on the bus, and when we could not get ahold of the guide, I saw him and realized I could run out and tell him where they were. The driver did not want to let me off the bus, remarking, “Will we have to come find you too?” “I just want to tell the guide where they are. I will not go anywhere else,” I assured him. I did even run. I was impressed with myself for remaining upright. They were found and got on the bus before the police came over to talk to the driver again. Paula

More about that Bus trip

Hello, On the third day it was raining, but it was only a hard rain while we were on the bus and the driver had to contend with it. We had brought our umbrellas, but there was a large tote bag of umbrellas. I assume they had been left by previous passengers. They were available to all of us. We also had our raincoats. Most often we just used them. It seemed easier than drying an umbrella. We saw a fire truck that is only used at the airport for emergencies there.

In Ottawa we had a local guide who came on the bus. I was told a lot of interesting things. Can’t say I learned a lot of interesting things, because I am not sure I could tell you many of them. Guess I should take notes. This guide was quite young, but had a head full of knowledge which he shared in a clear voice. He was also entertaining and helped us laugh along with learning. He got us to the war memorial in time for the changing of the guard at the tomb.

Paula

Group of Eight

Leroy and I were slower to get up the second day, making us almost last on the bus before takeoff. Not our style and not what we want.

We picked up the last of our group of former pastors and spouses in Sioux St Marie, Michigan. Now our small group, within the group, was complete.

Soon we crossed the border into Canada. There was still quite a lot of smoke. I had brought masks for me, but Leroy did not like that kind. They offered masks on the bus. But Leroy did not take one. He did not feel so good after that. Luckily, for us because his coughing had gotten serious, there was a drug store next to the hotel. We were ready to check out with some over the counter items. I could not find the directions. “We better talk to the pharmacist about this,” I said. The first thing she asked Leroy was, “What medications are you using?” When she learned that, she said, “You can not take this. I will help you find something that will work.” She selected two possibilities with a preference for one of them. She even told him how much he could take a day. I was so pleased that we had asked and that she was so helpful. There are good people all over the world. A total of 44 of us were on the bus, counting the guide and the driver. Even though we were a sub group of eight we met and visited with a number of the other passengers. Paula

That 19-Day Trip

Hello, We listened to the GPS which advised us to take a different route than planned because of road construction delays. We went the scenic byway which was called Shooting Star. It was lush and green with little variation of the scene. We had packed a lunch which we ate when we found a well shaded city park. It was lovely and refreshing to get out of the car. After that we did more meandering because of so many road closures. Leroy thinks we went in circles. I am not sure. Because of stops and different possibilities it took a bit longer than expected. However, we had plenty of time to get to the hotel. I had brought a cord to charge my phone. Unfortunately, I learned it only worked with Leroy’s phone. Luckily, we did have the proper cord in the car so that went all the way with me. After we returned home, I made sure that cords for me were clearly labeled. We woke early the first morning, giving Leroy some time to do his exercises before breakfast. Breakfast was ready early. The guy there informed us that it looked foggy out, but it was really smoke from the wild fires to the north of us. It was nice to get that warning. We got there is plenty of time to get our things on the bus and greet our friends. This is really a 17-day trip, but we have to drive a day before and one after so I call it 19 days. Paula

Computer Help

Hello, Brian came for about a day and a half to answer any questions we might have about our technology use. We had made a list so all of those questions were answered. He flew in and flew out. With one solid day here. It was great to se him again and good to settle some issues even though we had ignored those issues for some time. He also helped our downstairs friends with one issue of theirs. His plane was delayed coming, but not by much. The return flight was a different story. It was delayed several hours, meaning he would miss an appointment. He and Leroy drove to Des Moines, about two hours away. He caught a flight there and did ok. I was a little concerned about Leroy driving back by himself. Leroy does not like to drive. He made it in good time. We could even walk to church afterwards for a senior lunch. Then our internet did not work very well. Leroy had gotten a text that they were working on the “line”. But even when they should have been done it did not work. A call to our downstairs friends showed that their system was working. We reset all devices, but it finally worked again when the modem was unplugged and restarted. Amazing how turn it off, tun it back on seems to clear many things. Perhaps we should just do that on a regular basis. Relax and take a deep breath. Paula

Being a Slight Invalid

Hello, There are some good things about the toenail gone. Leroy just washed the kitchen and bathroom floors because he did not want to have me accidently hurt my toe. I do not get on hands and knees, but squat. He still figured there was some risk. I can just let him do it. I did help move things out of the area, sweep the floors, and shake out the bathmats. At least I did not feel guilty about not doing so much. It seemed to me that my toe was a bit shinny. I called my provider this afternoon. That became a bit of a challenge. Apparently, many people have foot issues because it was a bit hard to get through. When I did get through, a picture was required to be sent to the online site. I could take the picture just fine. The portal, it required a provider’s name. my provider was off for the day. I only had the first name of the person who would look at it. The last name was needed to find anyone, requiring another phone call where I left a message so they could call me back. That next call was the best because they gave me the cell phone of another doctor. I am comfortable sending photos by text. That Doctor got back to me in short order. He feeling was that it looked quite normal. Yes! How did we manage these questions before such advanced technology? Paula

Earwigs

Hello, I have a closer relationship with earwigs than I had ever imagined possible. I barely knew their name before this season. Now I have talked to several, they do not listen or obey. I have dumped several outside after finding them around the base of the cabbage head. I have killed several with my bands by crushing them into the garden soil. I have tried to destroy their home in the garden by snapping off the lower cabbage leaves. I have put out a trap for them, recipe found on the Internet, and apparently caught many tiny ants. I am sorry about that as I suspect these are good creatures to have around. Is this war or what? Does this mean you should not get on my bad side? The cabbage heads have been quite good. Especially after we chase out the earwigs. Most of the damage is just at the bottom of the head. From the street the cabbage looks beautiful and perfect. There are still two heads left. We will get those cut and frozen before we leave on our trip. I like cooked cabbage better than raw. Leroy goes along with whatever I say in the food area. By the way, Leroy will not touch the earwigs. He was also that way with squash bugs which I attacked with a vengeance one year. I managed to extend the zucchini crop for a good month. The Internet site stated that earwigs like lettuce as well, but they seem to like our cabbage better. We have some very nice oakleaf lettuce that with stands the heat. I am pleased with it. Paula

Busy Morning

Hello, We were off to tai chi, even managed to arrive ahead of the instructor. But that just meant we needed to get the computer and TV set up for the internet connection. We are often joined by five or more online people. My foot did quite well with the balance poses. Leroy had a bit more of a struggle. The next stop was to pay a dentist bill. Just grateful that we have the money to do this without stressing about it. Course we like to stop at the city library. Leroy found about five books and I even managed to find two. I am reading one at home that will go in the little free library when I am done. Our little free library is frequently almost empty. Books go out, but seldom come back. We stopped at church to do some watering flowers around the building. Even though I had been to the pharmacy to pick up a filled prescription, we went there again to pick up one for Leroy. Now I have a message that I will have one there in a week. Are we on a lot of drugs? At home we had to do some watering because one flower looked rather distressed. We got water from the rain barrel. It was a task since leaves or some green growth was blocking the exit. It took two of us to get that open. The plant looks much better now. At home I asked Leroy for help with one of the credit card statements. I always keep the receipts and then check it against the statement. I can do it by myself, but it is easier with the two of us. Paula

Brass Band

Hello, The brass band was an interesting concert. They were quite good. They even stopped and showed all of their instruments. It was based on the British style of brass band. All of the selections were introduced with a little description. The concert was in the Shakespear garden. That certainly fits. I had wanted to visit the Shakespear garden. It was a good excuse to get there. What makes it a garden of that period, I can not begin to say. It was quite well organized and colorful. We were a bit early so we could walk around and admire the plants. There was a breeze scattering the bugs. The temperature was warm, but not hot and the breeze helped with that too. There was a municipal band concert after the brass band, but Leroy did not want to stay so long. I would have stayed if I had been alone, but it was ok to come home and go to bed before it was late. Today is so much hotter. Glad the concerts were last night. I went out early to water plants this morning. Neither of us did much outside this afternoon. Air conditioning is a comfort. Leroy had an appointment this morning with the cardiologist. I did my volunteer job. Trusted him to pay attention. He seemed to do a good job with questions and listening. Some of his meds are changed. He will have another procedure done when it can be scheduled. Guess these people are very busy. Too many people with hearts that require attention. We are fortunate that he can get it taken care of. Paula

Getting Ready for a trip

Hello, Even though the trip is still a little more than two weeks away, I keep planning for it. Perhaps it has been too long since we have taken a trip. Wondering which suitcase should I take. Old faithful or the new one? How cold will it be outside, on the bus, or in the hotels? What clothes to pack? Warm or cool weather? How much of each type? People often ask what cities will be visited. It seemed good to make a list that I can see them and start to learn them. Perhaps I should learn something about each one. Now that would be out of character. Should I set aside something when it seems we might need it? What shoes? Sunhat for sure, but it is worn almost daily. Should a spare go in even though it is not the favorite in case the favorite is forgotten at the last minute. How much reading material to take? Not a lot of time for reading, but certainly some. Perhaps the magazines will be just about right for reading and leaving someplace. How much money should we take? We like to leave a tip in the hotel room for the care we get. Then there are some meals that we purchase ourselves, but usually we use plastic for that. Souvenirs are not really on our list. Paula

Ordination At Church

Hello, We went to an ordination at our church last night. That is the consecration of a new minister who has just graduated from seminary and received their first call to a parish. This was a second career for this man. It was a good service. I drove and Leroy walked. I envy him the ability to just walk and feel good about life. On Tuesday it will have been two weeks since my toenail was removed. The instructions were to take it easy for two weeks. I have been trying to follow the instructions, but it takes a bit of encouragement on my part. Many days I have not even walked 5000 steps. Feels a bit sinful. Tonight we helped at the Saturday evening meal for the food insecure. It was not so nice for my toe. Too much standing and moving around. I did drive, but there was still about two and a half hours on my feet. Also we were short one person although the meal was not so hard to clean up. That helped quite a bit. Fireworks are going off in our neighborhood. Apparently it is legal until 11:00 at night on the weekend before and after July 4th. Leory and I like to be asleep by 10:00. Guess we can manage. Paula

Pieces Found!

Hello, This morning both Leroy and I went back to the parking lot where I had dropped the fob. We searched quite a while. Finally, I looked in a spot I was sure I had not parked. There was the red button. The other darker harder to see button was nearby. We were both quite pleased. Leroy suggested we see about replacing the battery in his fob which has not worked for several years. Previously we could not get the fob apart to get to the battery. We went to a battery shop that he remembered. The shop was dark and appeared closed with a sign on the door. It stated that they had permanently closed in February. One of us had the brilliant idea of going to an auto parts shop. “Sure, we can do that,” the worker said when we arrived. After a few minutes and with additional help they had to admit that they did not have a screwdriver small enough to take out the screw. These helpful people recommended a lock shop. They felt those people could do about anything. Driving again and looking for the shop. Leroy had noticed it before. We went in with high hopes and a little trepidation since we had heard it is sometimes quite expensive to work on these fobs. The woman there said, “I can do that. It not be long.” She was true to her word. It might have taken her five minutes and the bill was $8.03. Talk about a deal, no reason to wait years to get this done. On the way home we even completed another errand. Paula

That Car Key

Hello, Today I started shopping for books to put in the little free libraries. Again, I am looking for books that are of people of color or people who are in some way different from the norm. The purpose is to help them feel the importance of being true to themselves or their value just being who they are. I will have to go back with a list of titles that I would like. I found some things, but not enough. On the way out to the car, loaded with three heavy bags of books, the car key slipped from my hand. It smack landed, broke open losing the battery back along with all of the identifying labels. I was unhappy. All of the parts were there except for two of the button covers. I managed to get the basic unit together so I could drive home. With help of a screwdriver, the fob came open. With guidance from the second key, we could tell which cover went in which spot. Leroy then suggested that we take the covers from his fob since it is seldom used and the battery is dead. That seemed like a good idea. He took it apart and got one back together. But had to go out to the car to check to see if it is in the right order. All was good.

Paula

Returning to Regular life

Hello, I volunteered today. Usually, I am standing the full two hours, but today I sat some of the time. I was careful not to bump my foot. I have also decided that I must leave the band aide off so the air can help dry it off. When I am home it is bare. I also did some exercises this morning. That made me feel good. Sitting around much of the day is not my happy place. Tomorrow will be tai chi. That should feel good too since we do not get down on the floor with toes against the floor. Leroy is out trying for more steps and more black raspberries. He thinks they need more heat to ripen. We have gotten quite a bit of rain in the last few days. Leroy also did some vacuuming this morning. It is good to have it look a bit cleaner around here. If I could just get motivated to dust, we would be in good shape. Paula

Still Sitting

Hello, I am trying to be a good patient and not do so much the first week after the toe nail removal. It is hard because that is not my style. I also do not hurt so much that I want to stay still most of the day. I have read much more in the last few days than I usually do. I found some mysteries that I like. That keeps my mind a bit occupied. These mysteries do not have recipes in them or much descriptions of the rooms and building. Some how those things do not appeal to me. Today I have not put my foot up so very much and that makes it easier to read. Envy sneaks in because Leroy gets to go weed in the community garden with others. Guilt also sneaks in as I just find that I am useless. Leroy also picked black raspberries this afternoon. I enjoy those tramps into the brush. He has not found so many raspberries at any one time. We think some other neighbor might have visited the patch between times. At least it gives us a nice supply to eat with delight. We do not have an automatic dish washer so Leroy is getting in a lot of dish washing. I do help put them away. Tomorrow I will drive to church but Monday I am going to return to more walking as it will have been a week. The instructions were to take it easy for two weeks. I will be a little careful. Hopefully after that it will be back to normal. Paula

Some Hard Things

Hello, It is hard to lie around with my foot higher than my heart after having a toenail removed. For sure I was to do that for most of the first 24 hours. It is too bad the TV does not project to the ceiling. Or that a book does not float above one’s head. If I liked them, there are audio books. Or Leroy could tell me titillating stories. I managed to get through that time. I got up a little more in the evening, but the pain came a little bit. It seemed better to go back to elevating. Today I went with Leroy to pick out some more plants to put along one side of the church. I did not help with the planting, but gave orders. Those flowers are not evenly spaced, but they will add color. We did help unload the order of food items. I just held one cart in place and then pushed it into the building. I also put the milk in the refrigerator. After that I had to sit down and I noticed some pressure on the toe. We came home soon after that. Two days ago, I had not necessarily planned to have the nail removed, but she had the time. I called Leory to learn if he could bring me home since I had walked that mile to the facility. He could come. She assured me that I should be able to travel in a month. Now I am trying to obey the rules, keep it up and keep it clean so there should be no infection. Paula

Black Raspberries Already?

Hello, Leroy has been talking about checking on the black raspberries for a week or so now. Because heat has moved the season ahead, he thought they should be ready. I thought he was a bit ahead of the game. He was right and I was wrong. He checked today and came back with two cups. He did leave some in the patch because he had not taken a bigger container. Good for Leroy. He also got 7,000 steps. I only have 3,700. I did my volunteering this morning and came home tired. It helps when I do some stretching ahead of time. I also do not eat a snack on those days and I miss that little bit of pick up. There are plenty of things to eat at the place, but much of it is sweet and I do not eat that. Next time I will eat ahead of time. This afternoon we will go to weed in the community garden. We have not contributed much this year. In places, the weeds are sure they are in their new home. They look happy and flourishing. Yesterday we went on a hidden Gems Tour of Homes in our neighborhood. It was quite nice. Some of the homes are more than 100 years old. The owners were there to give some history of the building as well as old photos. Now if I can just remember some of it. Paula

Walking Summer or Winter

Hello, Walking outside lifts my spirit and helps me to connect with life around me. Sometimes it seems the best time to walk is in the summer. However, we have had two days when it rained most of the time and the sidewalks became full of water in places. Then there is excessive heat. Generally, that slows us down, but does not stop us. Enjoyment is taken down a few notches. In the winter there is some extreme cold which keeps us indoors. Snow is usually great to walk in unlike rain. Then there can be ice hazards in the winter. As my bones have become more fragile, it also sometimes curtails a walk. Looking down at my footing keeps me at a rather forward and downward slant. Upright keeps my posture intact, but falling would not be good. Today we delivered many newsletters. It was a bit daunting in the morning heat. The afternoon handily won that contest. I have only about 200 steps to reach my goal of 10,000. I am pleased with that. Leroy is going out again since he still needs about 3,000. He will walk more on the level so as not to aggravate his heart. I did talk to some people while delivering the newsletters. One guy is growing asparaguses which are quite small yet. I have visited with him before. He recognized me. I think it is my hat that identifies. He commented, “I would like a hat like that.” I kept mine on my head. I do think about getting a second one, but have not done that yet. Both seasons have drawbacks and positives. Such is the way of much of life. Paula

More Rain

Hello, Today we had more torrential rains. I was in Ely for the morning stretch class that I lead. The dark sky was quite in evidence when I was finished. There was some rain, but not much so I headed home. It quickly became more intense. With the radio announcing that there was a tornado warning, heavy rains, and possibly hail. The speculation was that it would be with me in about ten minutes. It would take me about that long to get home. The rain got so strong that it was difficult to see, but I kept going. As I was pulling onto a larger four-lane road, I noticed that four semis were pulled off to the side of the on ramp. Is that a sign? But I still kept going. Then there were semis in the road with their hazard lights flashing. After a while I saw several cars also with lights flashing. Sometimes it was there was a bit of clearing, creating a sense of safety. As it pulled off on the street for home it seemed much better. However, then came a long stretch of street that was covered with water. It felt so good to pull into the quiet of the garage. After I cleaned off the back up camara, and squeegeed some car windows, it seemed I should just brave the rain that was still falling and make a dash for the house. It was wonderful to get in the house. Even though in a tornado it would not be so safe on the second floor, it still felt better. Paula

Another Graduation Party

Hello, After two days at home, we headed to Minnesota for Sophia’s Graduation party. It was an uneventful trip until we got to a turn off from the interstate only to find the ramp closed. Then life got more on edge. I was driving so I just took the next exit. Leroy was trying to turn on GPS on his new phone, but it was a struggle. In the meantime, I am still driving with no place to easily pull over to wait for instructions. He finally tried calling Brian who was able to help some even though he was not with us. All the talk was going through Leroy’s hearing aids so I could not hear, but had to depend on Leroy to tell me. Nothing was going through the car radio which would have also been a help. We spent some time wandering around the U of MN. A place that we are not familiar with. Brian gave some instruction, but we did not turn in the right place so were lost once more. Finally, we got it figured out with Brian’s help again. We were able to assist a little with the party, although Brian and Jen had it well organized. We even knew a few of the people who came. And met some more of the neighbors.

We left on Sunday and drove through some intense rain storms. In the car we had discussions about pulling over or not. Neither moving or stopping seemed safe. In the end we kept moving more slowly, along with the rest of the traffic that we could see. It is good to be home again. Nice to go and nice to come home. Paula

Good Graduation

Hello, Nora’s graduation was over an hour long with a certain amount of formality. Sophia’s graduation was shorter and more informal. There are positives to be said about both. We did watch Sophia’s on line because it was just a day after Nora’s and they are geographically too far apart. We will head to Minnesota tomorrow so we can be there in person for her graduation party. I graduated with 28 people. All these graduations are quite different than what I experienced. But the sense of celebration is the same across the generations. There is also the feeling of grads looking ahead and missing what was. People are still basically the same people on many levels. Perhaps that is why we can read some old books and find connections. In Utah, we walked the dogs every day. We have only been home one day and I have not walked as much as I should. Leroy did better as he walked to church. Today he rode his bike to the museum. At Miriam’s house, we learned that Andy had hurt his shoulder, making him a one-armed man. Then Miriam tripped and hurt her knee. She could walk, but there was a certain amount of pain involved, especially with stairs. Their daughters helped with a lot of things and we did too. Sometimes the young and the old have to work together because the middle is not able. At least Leroy and I could still manage most things. Paula

Flights Were Fine

Hello, After two weeks away we got home yesterday. We were in Utah for Norah’s high school graduation. We got to the airport in plenty of time. We like that. Because we fly economy, we could not see our boarding pass much before we left. That did make me a little nervous. They appeared in time with seat assignments. Leroy and I were across the aisle from each other. No one was sitting by him after we had boarded. The flight attendant agreed I could move by him. Then just before we left, another couple got on. The man sat farther ahead. And the attendant ushered the woman to the seat I had vacated. For the next flight we each had the middle seat in the row. I thought I had looked at the seat number. Later a woman came up and said that I was sitting in her seat. I realized then I should have been in the seat ahead, but someone was sitting there. Guess I did not even process that too much, but assumed that I had looked at the wrong row. An attendant came to solve the issue. It was determined that the row ahead of me had two people with the A seat ticket, but one was sitting in my B seat. After some checking, they learned that one of the A people had been reassigned to first class. She moved and the wondering person in the aisle took her seat and I just stayed put with feelings of embarrassment. Otherwise, the flight was uneventful just how I like a like a flight to be. I know some think bigger is better, but I am so happy to come to the smaller airport here in town. Leroy and I both got our 10000 steps. In the two larger airports we got plenty of walk to the gates. In Denver we went from 88 to 22. We just walked and did not take the moving steps as we had enough time. Paula

Solved Some Things

Hello, I got a doctor bill for a trip to the emergency room. The amount seemed shockingly high. The insurance had not been billed. On the website, they did not have my insurance information. I added it, but immediately it disappeared. Going out and coming back in did not bring it up. Calling the company put me on hold to the road to nowhere. I then wondered if this was a scam. The check on that said the website was rated at 30% not sure what that means, but it does not sound good. Today I went to the billing department at the hospital where I had been. She could tell me that it was a legitimate billing company. However, she knew that others have been having trouble with it. She felt I would have some help by calling that number again. This time when I called, I reached the company and they took my information and stated they would turn in the claim. Hurrah! A friend had a serious health issue. We wanted to contribute to a food train for them. I do not make meals for others. When I cooked with meat, I might have, but now I am not comfortable doing that. There was the option to give a gift card to a restaurant. Leroy tried to do that, but it kept being rejected. Today he got a notice from the credit card asking if he had done that. He got that straightened out. He tried again to get the job done but it still would not accept his credit card so he had to use another method which did work. However, he was quite upset by this time. it took a bit of time and a nap for him to settle down. Paula

Rain or Not

Hello, Today the sky teased us with the idea that it might rain. We need rain, so it was a disappointment when it did not become more than some sprinkles. In places the ground is starting to crack. We talked about watering the garden in front, but did not get it done, hoping for more rain. Tomorrow, I will try to remember to do that ahead of a phone call we are expecting at 9:00 am. That should give me plenty of time, however memory is the harder part of this deal. The community garden would certainly benefit from some rain or watering as well. Leroy did ride his bike to the museum for volunteering. He fussed around for a while saying, “Should I drive or ride my bike?” He might have had some sprinkles, but that would have been all. I even hung out some clothes and they are now dry. Between the wind and the temperature going up it did not take long for that to happen. We have some starlings that must have a nest in a hole in a tree in the yard. At least now they keep zooming in and out carrying food for the babies. This morning I saw a sparrow looking in the hole. It stayed there for a bit of time. Wonder what that was all about? I like more colorful birds, but these sparrows and starlings give me some entertainment and speculation. Paula

Where Can They Be

Hello, Leroy has been missing some of his white handkerchiefs. He has looked unsuccessfully; I have looked unsuccessfully. He used to have a rather large stack of them, but now he only has five. Could the washer have taken them? I am missing two pair of socks. Leroy looked in his sock drawer, but found neither. Now could the washer be so smart that it would take a pair of socks rather than just one sock? I have to confess that I have not taken out my sock drawer and looked very carefully. But they are not were I usually put them away. We are mystified. On a positive note, the iris are blooming and are beautiful. The deep purple and the salmon are from my sister’s house. How nice to think of her when I see this beauty. The other iris was lying on the sidewalk where someone dropped it. I took it and planted it.

Paula

Getting used to the New

Hello, I had become quite adjusted to taking out the temporary tooth. Now I keep wanted to do that. My tongue is constantly checking out this new piece. Biting anything very hard has not happened yet. I did manage to floss last night and this morning. They gave me a lesson in the office. I am grateful that they encouraged me to try it there as well. New learning! I do not wear reading glasses much of the time. even after five years I still sometimes think I am wearing glasses and I should remove them before going to bed. Old habits are hard to break, but it can be done. I did get to qigong this morning. The library there had had a book sale and was offering left over books, free. I randomly picked up several for the little free library. Three of them were by an author that Leroy reads. I was clueless about whether he had read them or not. He does not think he read them. So, they are in the house. I looked over the other books and decided to read them or at least give them a chance with me. Now there are too many books in the house and not many in the little free library. I have two other books that someone donated, but I keep checking out from the library and do not get around to reading the ones waiting for me. After all they do not have to be returned. Paula

New Teeth

Hello, This morning the dentist put in a permanent bridge. He predicts that it will go with me to the grave. It was not a hard thing to endure, but I am glad to think that I will not have to do it again. My bottom teeth are now straighter than they were before all this started five months ago. Who knew that losing teeth would make such a difference in my appearance. My tongue is almost constantly checking out the new addition. Surely that will become ordinary in time. I will just take it easy for a day or two before I bite into any hard thing. He suggested that I always bite raw carrots more to the side. A new habit to form. I am grateful for dental care that could work with this situation and that we have the money to pay for it. They sent the bill to the advantage plan, but I do not expect it to pay much or any. Dental work is not covered unless it causes health risk. That has not been a problem because we have not needed much expensive care. Leroy rode his bike to the museum. He came home almost panting. That heart does not like to be used too much. He said there was also some heavy living in this volunteer session. He had to rest from time to time. Paula

What a Day

Hello, Mostly, I forgot that it was May 1. Someone talked about may baskets. I had forgotten about them too. I washed clothes which we hung out in the cool, but tolerable temperature. There was a breeze so drying was expected. After that, we packed the car with a shovel, a number of large buckets, a large old piece of cloth that we cover plants when it gets cold, potting soil, and garden gloves for both of us. At church, we spread out the cloth on the sidewalk. Leroy set to work shoveling up the top layer of soil. The soil along this eight-yard-long wall is not very good. It looked better than I remembered. Some of it went into buckets. Leroy used a wheel barrow to take the rest around the building to dump it. I worked the lower soil to make it pliable. I also picked up any debris or rocks that were here. We found a rock so large that we could not get to the bottom of it. It is still there. We found some additional soil in the church garage. Leroy put some of both types on the cleaned-up place. He added back some of the best of the top soil. We kept repeating this process. Until we had prepared the entire strip and used up all of the added soil. The plants went in the ground next. That was followed by watering. We dashed home for a quick lunch as well as getting the clothes off the line and in the house. The AI program at the library was quite interesting. It told us some things we did not know before. After that we spent some time visiting with some other people there who were members at the church. Back to church for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the redo of the building. We finally came home about five. That was a long day for us. We decided not to go to a concert. Just being home called too loudly. Paula

Life Changes

Hello, I learned yesterday that I have a balder infection. Could that be true even though the symptoms were not at all typical? Anyway, I am taking antibiotics and I seem to feel better after just two pills. Can that be true as well that it matters so quickly? Certainly, seems an easy cure to my pain, discomfort. On a totally different subject: we have lost/misplaced a two-inch hitch plug. We have both done some serious searching. Nothing has turned up. Today we drove to the place where we took our bike ride on Sunday. No luck there either. We found a relatively cheap replacement at a store in town. As Leroy says, “We can afford it.” Leory likes to tell me how to park when I back into a parking spot. I groused at him for that and accused him of “back seat driving”. He insisted he does not do that, just for parking. However, on this little road trip, he learned forward, blocking my view to tell me a car was coming from the right. I was upset and almost yelled at him, saying, “You can look too, but do not block my view.” That hurt his feelings. It is not the best to solve such things when driving down the road. We managed and it is settled now. It seems that after almost 55 years together we should be past all of that irritation. Life still has its moments. This morning I went to qigong an hour late. I participated in just the last things. I can go in person now and I somehow thought that meant I could go an hour later since I did not have the meeting afterwards. It was just slightly mixed up in my mind. Paula

A Tree gone, Plus and Minus

Hello, I am happy to have the tree gone, because now I do not have to think about it falling on my stuff or me. The tremendous weight would have caused a lot of damage. However, I miss it and it has only been a number of hours. Leroy and I were gone first to tai chi and then to volunteer at the church so we did not get to see this great transition. It was almost shocking to come home and look over the yard and not see branches. I wonder about the squirrels who were living in it. Birds were on it a lot, but I was not aware of any nesting there. The birds seemed to enjoy the bugs that had their home there. Leroy and I just liked looking at the activity in the tree every day. The center of the tree was quite dead. It is amazing how the outside held it up. Our friend figures it was well over 100 years old. What history it has seen with people coming and going. Already I notice the lack of shade that it graciously provided. Since it was somewhat over the clothes line, I suspect there will not be any bird poop on the clothes. So, it is all a bit of plus and minus. Paula

What a Morning

Hello, I have had some bowel issues so I needed to collect four samples. I was not excited about doing it, but instructions were clear. I soon had two vials filled to the proper line and in the refrigerator. There were little jars and in bags so nothing was exposed, but it felt a bit vile anyway. Oh, the new learning that can happen. The next little bottle had a stubborn cap that popped open all at once. Oh no, it had liquid in it that I had not noticed. On the floor a bit of it went. Should I continue? Would it matter. I suspected it mattered since instructions were so dictatorial. But I put in the required amount anyway and moved on to the last thing. Those two vials were to be stored at room temperature. The splitting tree is still standing and taunting us with its vigor. Someone is to come today to look at it, but the rain was coming down quit strongly now. How much weight does that add to a tree? The lab opens early so I aimed to get there around 7:30. The front desk opened the door. When I got to the lab, I found the lights to be off and no one there. Back to the desk where I learned they were to be open at 7:30. She called around to find them. They came a bit later. I turned the collection in, confessing my goof. They did not know if the spill would be usable as the amount of liquid was required, but would call to check. They sent me home with more correction materials, but said they would call if it was needed. They did not call back so hoping I am good. Later we learned that the tree had moved a little bit more. The tree guy said that the position of the split holds it for a while longer. He is looking for a crane high enough to be safe taking the tree down. On the plus side. I have felt better today than I have for days. Although, I still want to know what is causing my discomfort. Paula

Exciting Times

Hello, Just when I think everything is the same stuff, something happens. Leroy and I went for a bike ride this afternoon because we are going on a CROP bike ride tomorrow. It is only a little over three miles so we should be able to handle that. Leroy finds that if it is too hilly, he is bothered and might have to walk up the hill. There is only one short hill tomorrow. There was a bit of hill today and he managed. I have only ridden my bike one other time this spring, but I think I too can make it just fine. After we got home from the ride, I was getting a snack and looked out the kitchen window. I noticed a light-colored streak in the neighbor’s large old maple tree. Leroy came to take a look too and he agreed the tree is splitting. It was not like that before we went on the ride. I ran downstairs, and out on the deck for a closer look. It was indeed split. I pounded on our downstairs friends’ door. I was wondering if they had the neighbor’s phone number. They did not come quickly, in a panic remembering when a branch had come down from this tree in the past, I ran to the front of the house and rang the doorbell. Again, they did not come quickly enough for me so I ran to the neighbor’s and rang their doorbell. This time I waited long enough for them to come to the door. I think they thought I was a bit excited when I told them about it. They did go out and look. As of now they are trying to locate a tree service. It does not help that this is a weekend. We moved our cars out of the garage and put them on the street. Then we moved the bikes onto the back porch. We also took pictures of the things we have in the garage. Hopefully, the tree will not hit the garage if it comes down before it can be removed. It looks very possible now. I like those big old trees but they are a bit of a risk. The picture is to give you an idea of the size. The split is almost between the two large branches or trunks.

Paula