A Good Time

Hello,

I wanted to say a good time was had by all, but hesitated to do that. Who knows how the others felt. Only 20 people came, but I almost felt disappointed since I was geared up for 30. I believe I could have handled it just fine. I was happy to spend some time visiting with and getting to know these people. The CEO of the museum is just a great person at least that was how she appeared to me. She and her husband were there almost the entire time.

I was easily able to stay ahead of the group in terms of frying. I did do a little dish washing, but it was not necessary. We served with a totally mismatched group of dishes. At least no one will find it hard to get ahead of us in the hosting area. We took it to a new non-standard level.

There were five children under the age of five in attendance. They enjoyed the little table and chairs as well as our camping dishes. They also had bananas, apples, and an orange instead of just donuts. Perhaps each child had one donut and then some fruit. That fits into my idea of what is right and proper in the world. I had provided crayons, markers, papers, and wooden puzzles for their entertainment.

Interestingly one of the women commented that the donuts were not so sweet tasting to her. When I told her that it had 1.5 cups of sugar to 7-8 cups of flour, she said that was why. Her brownie recipe has more sugar than flour. I felt much better. It has, along with the oil picked up in frying, ¾ cup oil. That is probably a smaller ration than her brownies. That is a guess since we did not discuss oil.

We invited our landlords up at the end and they stayed for over an hour visiting. It was a great time. I would like to have more company without stress. Maybe if I did it more I would relax. It seems we as a culture do not do enough of that. Or maybe it is just me and the people I know.

Paula

Yesterday

Hello,

Leroy was home yesterday. We went shopping which is my usual Friday morning activity. After we were home Leroy commented that it probably took longer with him along. That was true. In some ways he is more of a shopper than I am. Or maybe it is just different things such as tools and the poor guy does not get out very often.

He is riding his bike to work today. Before he left he talked about the temperature, wind, and the ice that is still around. We found a bit on the sidewalks yesterday. Hopefully the streets are clear today.

Leroy has invited his co-workers over for Fasnachts this Sunday, yikes, tomorrow! He contributed to the general welfare by vacuuming all carpet and washing the kitchen and bathroom floors. That is indeed a help.

I will dust today, mostly clean the bathroom, sigh about the lack of a door to cover our stacked boxes in the bathroom, wash the bathroom rugs, and wash other clothes.

At least with this type of gathering I am comfortable with the menu since I have done it so many years. I am a little uncomfortable with the size of the group. Leroy did ask for an RSVP. By the stated deadline only 20 people had signed up. I figured we could handle that just fine. Then it got to be 25 and at the end 30. I thought I would ask for help when we had originally talked about 40 being a possibility, but Leroy did not think so many would come. After learning the 30 number, I thought I really should have help but who and for what time. Now we are thinking that it will just be the two of us. Leroy greeting since he knows these people. Me? Frying donuts, supplying coffee and tea, and perhaps washing a few dishes should keep me occupied. If anyone volunteers to help I will accept.

There will also be at least five small children. I got the landlord’s little kid table, coloring sheets from the library, with colors/markers at the ready.

Are we prepared? I hope so. It will still go even if we are not ready. As my friend Nancy told me as we were leaving the seminary scene with our two graduates in tow, “Remember Paula do not put on the dog because then you just have to keep getting a bigger dog.”

Well this is a miniature dog.

Paula

Life Goes On

Hello,

Leroy still could not ride the bike today even though he very much wanted to do that. The streets still have a bit more random icy spots than he wanted to risk his ability to miss. Tomorrow rain is predicted so that is not a good possibility either.

For some reason the fuse that is on the circuit that the microwave uses blows frequently. Maybe it is not so very often, but enough that it is a bother. I did not know just where the fuse was so yesterday I called the landlord and he went down to correct it. He took his phone so I could tell him when it was back on. He figured that he could have it done in less than a minute, but it took a minute and a half. I told him that Leroy had labeled it. “I think it must be in Leroy code,” he muttered as he searched.

Last evening Leroy took me down and showed me so that if no one else were home I could still deal with it.

For some reason I am losing weight, not quickly, but it seems to be steady. For years I have weighed 125 pounds. The other morning when I weighed I was 120.6. The next day it was 121. I guess I will have to work harder at eating more.

I did make an apple crisp for Leroy’s birthday. I added some cranberries to it and that necessitated some sugar. It tastes sweet to me, but maybe that helped add that part of a pound to my weight. Then for Leroy’s birthday supper we had homemade pizza. I told him we could eat out, but he wanted homemade so he helped make it. It turned out quite fine, but I had hoped to make it all myself, however I was glad of the help. It is great to have some companionship. Maybe that is the best part of eating in, cooperation and visiting.

Paula

Not Working

Hello,

I am not working because I worked on Saturday. My day off schedule did not go as planned. Good thing I am flexible, right! Sometimes it is hard to remember that I am flexible and can go with whatever comes my way. Complaining is easy and pops to the forefront.

My sister wanted to see what the primrose look like. I easily found the camera and took a picture. It was nice to move on taking a picture of my 25 cent poinsettia on the floor. Then the impatiens did not want to be left out. And of course, the original poinsettia deserved to be seen too. That was the fun part and easy.

Getting the pictures to the computer so I could upload took longer. I even considered taking a second set with the iPod and uploading from there. But I did not want to be flummoxed by a camera so I persisted. Usually we transfer pictures by taking out the chip, or whatever it is called, putting it in a holder that has a USB connection. It is all easy if you can find the holder. I spent much more searching time than I wanted before I finally admitted defeat and just used the patch cord only to learn that I had forgotten just how the process worked. At one point I decided maybe the camera battery needed replacing. Battery replaced, but it was other things such as no longer having the proper software on the desktop computer requiring it to download and then restart. Finally all systems were go. I got it downloaded along with 130 other pictures. I erased the pictures from the camera itself so I would not have to sort through all of them the next time. My favorite site for uploading photos to share is google picasa. That was updated since I last used it so it took some time for me to find my way around the new place. It is as bad as when they re-arrange a store and I cannot run, get my item, and leave. No instead it takes a bit more searching.

On a positive note I can send you the pictures and I have new brain connections from a morning of learning. If you want to seem my pictures, let me know and I can send the link.

Oh, and then I decided the camera battery was not dead, unfortunately the battery would not pop out of the camera as it should have. I struggled with my wimpy fingernails, but finally had a brilliant idea of using some scotch tape to pull it out. More brain connections! It helped, but not pulling it up high enough that I could easily grab it. Next I sought out the tweezers and the job was done.

Paula

Plants

Hello,

Most of my plants seem to like this place. I have the urge to go around and tell all of them that even though we have lived here almost a year they will not have to move until next summer or maybe even later. I think they would all sigh in relief. Would I also sign in relief? Perhaps so, but I have to confess that moving is getting into my blood. It is fine to do it if there is a plan in place and something new coming up.

My two poinsettias look great as they add such wonderful red to the décor. Then there are the impatients blooming, thriving, and gracing us with a nice orange color. I still have a few buds on the Christmas cactus that is living with us. If we are still in this area I might have to take my big Christmas cactus to boarding school so it will bloom as the library is not the best place for it.

The basil plant looks odd, but we still pick off leaves to add flavor to this and that. I am hoping that it will survive until spring when we can once again put it outside. We are going to try to sign up for a garden plot at the community gardens which are only about three or four blocks away.

The primroses look as beautiful as when I brought them home over a week ago. What joy is to be garnered everyday as we take turns sitting on the side of the table so we can look at them while dining. I have a vine plant that used to belong to Leroy’s mother. It has thrived in this place as has my ancient mother-in-law’s tongue that had a prediction of death more than thirty years ago. It was declared too root bound to survive without repotting. It is still in the glass bowl. I enjoy looking at it even though my children never liked it.

Paula

Leroy's Birthday

Hello,

After I heard Leroy’s breath turn to the awake mode, “Time?” I asked even though the glow of streetlight coming in the window indicated the sun was still in bed, perhaps for a long time.

“5:30,” he replied since the clock is closest to his head. I can see it, but I have to lift my head and squint making a guess at what I am seeing. Because of the room arrangement it is best to have the clock near him even though he has the farther seeing eyes.

“Time,” I asked again later.

It was three minutes before six so I hoped out of bed, grabbed the gift bags (No wrapping for this chick.), slipped back in bed, and sang Happy Birthday.

The first gift was a pair of slippers. They looked good and Leroy was pleased until he tried them on. “The left one is a little small,” he said and seeing my disappointment added, “But maybe if I take my socks off.”

That made it wearable. I had been concerned about them being too large since they supposedly fit 9.5-10.5 and Leroy wears 9.5. Who can explain that? Their pre-sale cost was enough that they should have been right. I guess these are warmer weather slippers.

Then he opened the LED camp light. Excitement showed on his face as he leaped (Can you imagine Leroy leaping?) out of bed to get some batteries. The light was dim. Oh, more disappointment! Then he decided that maybe the batteries need charging.

I had also gotten a Marzipan Stollen thinking that would do instead of a cake or pie. Neither of us is crazy about marzipan, but we both like a bit of Stollen. I could see Leroy’s face fall when he heard that I was not going to make a pie. He assured me that it was ok, but I caught that glimpse of the truth. Because of the ingredients available in the house I have agreed to make an apple crisp this afternoon. I no longer truly want to make a pie, too much oil.

Ah, life! Even when I think it will be perfect it has a few detours. I am going back in my anti buying gift hole. But wait, the lantern turned out to be bright and great once the batteries were charged. We both like the marzipan Stollen better than expected. I slipped a note to the choir director that it was Leroy’s birthday so the choir sang happy birthday. He was pleased with that. Then some groups of grandchildren called singing happy birthday so it was a good day.

Paula

Winter Thoughts

Hello,

The most beautiful sight on Thursday was the almost perfect morning sundogs. The only downside was that I was driving and paying attention to the road was more important than usual with the added ice hazards so I could not gaze at them as much as I wanted.

When coming home a pickup truck traveling a car ahead of me and one lane over suddenly had a six foot ladder whipping around the back. Luckily it was tired on one end, but it still looked quite dangerous and ready to inflict harm on any vehicle close enough. All of the following cars slowed immediately giving room so the driver could move to the right and head off onto the ramp.

It was possible to drive a little faster on the way home tonight because much of the way there were two strips or ribbons of pavement visible. It will get better. Some of the way I still did not drive over 35 mph as I bowed to the superiority of the solid ice.

Leroy’s birthday is tomorrow. As I was out doing my weekly shopping, I thought about how great it was that I had presents for Leroy. It is even things that I believe he will like. I have probably enjoyed these gifts as much as he will. Now the question is will he open them before or after church. We need to leave the house a little after 8:30. Sometimes we do not get ready so much before that. I have my book club meeting at church. It does not get finished until 12:00. Can we wait that long?

I am hoping that more people managed to clear their sidewalks than did the last time. It makes our walk so much more carefree and enjoyable.

I feel blessed to have two pair of good waterproof winter boots. Along with wool socks I feel ready to tackle the outdoors.

Paula