Phone Troubles

Hello,

With the last snow storm came phone troubles. It might have been caused by the storm, but maybe not. Perhaps it was just a concurrent happening. We get our phone service over the internet. To get it up and running again, I have spent time working on it by disconnecting this and that power source, talking to a representative, and generally spending lots of emotional energy without making progress. I will have to say that when talking to the service representative I could not think of the words wireless bridge. She wanted to know where our modem or router is located. Normally our phone box would be connected to that. We had a most convoluted conversation at the end of which she told me that I would need to call someone else. She did not understand what I was talking about when I told her that we had something that received the wireless signal in a small box that we could plug the phone box into.

In relating the conversation to Leroy he supplied the words wireless bridge. I talked him into having the next phone support talk. He did have a thirty minute conversation on the phone with someone else. When he tried to run the diagnostic test the computer froze so they could not get the data needed to make changes. Now the phone malfunctions more often than it works. After talking with our landlady we learned that they had had their tech guy come check things only to learn that everything about the signal was good. We do not know where this leaves us. Why would it stop working after six months?

We tried to run the tests on the desktop computer only to say that the download that we needed for that was corrupted. It is hard to know what to do now. Leroy even looked into what it would take for us to have our own internet connection. It seems like the problem is something else since it has been tested for speed, etc. and rated even better than it should have.

Who needs a home phone anyway? Is that sour grapes?

Paula

Still Here

Hello,

Just a short note or I think it will be short to let you know that I am still here even though I have not written for a couple days.

Leroy worked at the museum today, while I volunteered at a church event. I was a greeter in the early time opening the door and welcoming. I rather enjoyed that. Then it was on to duty in the upper hall helping people find their way to the room that was eluding them. I was able to attend two of the sessions. In addition I got to hear most of the key note speaker and sing praise in the closing worship. I always feel privileged to learn new things and think about them for a time. I was especially happy to learn that progress has been made to keep malaria at bay for some. The death rate for children has moved from one death every 30 seconds to one death every 60 seconds. The change agents have been education, prevention, and medication.

One of the wonderful benefits from this meeting was that some of our good friends were there. We met with one couple last night and with another after Leroy closed the library today. What gifts are the joys of visiting with others! Certainly that is a gift from God.

Yesterday afternoon I spend time with one of the people with whom I had gone to library school. It was so refreshing to catch up with her. It is interesting how it is so easy to slip into a good talk with some people. Blessings, Blessing! Thank you, thank you.

There were other people that I hugged and enjoyed talking to at the event today. It makes me realize that is one of the positives of this less than settled life we have been living.

Paula

What to Write

Hello,

Some days I do wonder what to write. And you thought it just flows. I am home today even though I usually work on Tuesday. Yesterday at our staff meeting I learned that I was to have next Tuesday off as I am working on the following Saturday. It was a problem because there will be a night story time and I would usually watch the desk while my co-worker tells the story. Because snow was predicted for today I volunteered to switch my Tuesday off and sit at the check out desk. Wasn’t I generous?

Now that the snow is almost over I think it would have been fine to drive to work, but one never knows. This morning when Leroy left, he shoveled off about four inches of snow by the garage.

I shoveled a path so I could use the sidewalk allowing me to make my way to the polling place where I was the lonely voter on the casino issue. Perhaps at other times there were more people. I do not like to track the sidewalk because it is easier to shovel before the steps are on it. It was fairly deep, but the temperature was good and the wind was down making it a pleasant experience. I enjoyed the mile walk to the polls. The only problem, but not really a problem for my waterproof boots, was the deep pools at some of the intersections. Luckily no cars drove by at the moment. The splash could have been uncomfortable.

It was supposed to start snowing last night at 6:00. I was so happy to get home at 8:30 and not yet see a flake of snow in the air. Soon there will be no snow and I might morn its passing, but not on my drives to and from work.

Last night someone brought in eight or more large paper bags full of books. I continue to be astonished at the amount of books people have in their homes. I have long been a believer in using the library. Partly it is because I am too cheap to buy many books and partly because I seldom re-read a book. There are too many books waiting for my attention. I am now reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Proof of heaven by Eben Alexander, MD. Two books are sitting in my book basket waiting for me to get to them. I never like to be without a possibility of a good read so I tend to keep extras around. Perhaps that is silly since I go to the library three days a week and would not be bereft for long.

Paula

What to Write

Hello,

Some days I do wonder what to write. And you thought it just flows. I am home today even though I usually work on Tuesday. Yesterday at our staff meeting I learned that I was to have next Tuesday off as I am working on the following Saturday. It was a problem because there will be a night story time and I would usually watch the desk while my co-worker tells the story. Because snow was predicted for today I volunteered to switch my Tuesday off and sit at the check out desk. Wasn’t I generous?

Now that the snow is almost over I think it would have been fine to drive to work, but one never knows. This morning when Leroy left, he shoveled off about four inches of snow by the garage.

I shoveled a path so I could use the sidewalk allowing me to make my way to the polling place where I was the lonely voter on the casino issue. Perhaps at other times there were more people. I do not like to track the sidewalk because it is easier to shovel before the steps are on it. It was fairly deep, but the temperature was good and the wind was down making it a pleasant experience. I enjoyed the mile walk to the polls. The only problem, but not really a problem for my waterproof boots, was the deep pools at some of the intersections. Luckily no cars drove by at the moment. The splash could have been uncomfortable.

It was supposed to start snowing last night at 6:00. I was so happy to get home at 8:30 and not yet see a flake of snow in the air. Soon there will be no snow and I might morn its passing, but not on my drives to and from work.

Last night someone brought in eight or more large paper bags full of books. I continue to be astonished at the amount of books people have in their homes. I have long been a believer in using the library. Partly it is because I am too cheap to buy many books and partly because I seldom re-read a book. There are too many books waiting for my attention. I am now reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Proof of heaven by Eben Alexander, MD. Two books are sitting in my book basket waiting for me to get to them. I never like to be without a possibility of a good read so I tend to keep extras around. Perhaps that is silly since I go to the library three days a week and would not be bereft for long.

Paula

Home Again

Hello,

We went to Brian’s house for the weekend which included a birthday celebration for two year old Logan. Friday morning we left with cloudy skies, but it seemed the roads should be good. However they had a layer of moisture or ice on them just north of Cedar Rapids. For the first twenty miles we saw at least fifteen cars strewn in the ditches along the interstate. It looked as if some kid had abandoned them in the middle of play time. There was even a semi trailer resting on the side as it waited to be turned upright once more.

Even though it did not look as if they had just landed there, cautious, I slowed down considerably. Those people who chose to pass me were not flying at their normal speed. We made good progress in spite of the slow beginning.

Cloe, the dog gave me her usual excited greeting complete with wriggling, moaning, and whimpering. Can you imagine what life would be like if humans could get so happy to see each other? Course I think I am the most regular walker of this animal. Well, Sophia was quite that excited as she leaped into my arms. Logan who has not seen us so much was more hesitant as he checked us over. By the end of our stay he was quite comfortable to be in bed with us in the morning and throw our noses into his room, over and over again.

The drive back was uneventful on a beautiful sunny day. Something that I cannot explain was all of the RV’s going north in Minnesota. Were they expecting to camp out or were they just returning home after being farther south? There were at least five of them heading somewhere. As for me I still am sleeping between flannel sheets and wearing flannel pajamas. Camping out does not yet call to me.

Paula

Garden Dreams

Hello,

“Are we going to start seeds inside?” Leroy asked. He has a habit of asking questions in the plural; seldom does he want to know, “Are you…” Is this because he does not want a share in the decision? Does he want to appear polite? Or is it perhaps the royal we with a hint of an answer to come? After 41 years I have become impatient with this line of questioning. So frequently I now reply, “Just what are WE going to do? Do WE have any ideas?”

As for the garden question, I finally did say yes that I had thought about starting some seeds inside. The problem is that most of our windows are already occupied by vigorous house plants who might not want to cede space for any usurpers. There are just two windows in the apartment that have no green residents. One window is in the hall stairwell and not accommodating to any type of sunbathing. The other is in the kitchen with the dryer sitting in front of it. I do not especially want to use that space because I use the dryer for a sort of cooking landing pad. Then when I use the dryer, because it gets so hot, I must move anything delicate to another space. However spring is coming and soon I will hang clothes outside once again. Although that hanging might need to wait until the trees get leaves to protect the clothes from random bird poop.

I am dreaming of a garden that produces wonderful flavor without work or marauding squirrels. For sure, I will not plant tomatoes close to the house as I know those critters just helped themselves at will. I say, “Eat walnuts for heaven’s sake.”

 There is a neighborhood garden spot that is a good possibility. Or I wondered about helping out an older man in Ely. Are my three times weekly trips good enough to make it work? Perhaps when it is nice Leroy and I could both ride down on our bikes and weed. Dreams, dreams!

Paula

Taxes and walking

Hello,

Leroy and I do not do taxes together even though that is how we started the first year we were married. He had been taking his taxes someplace to be done. I could not see doing that since it was the simple form and I had always done my own. It was simple at that point. I could not see paying anyone to do this easy job. So we tried doing them together. I rather quickly felt that this was not a good togetherness project. I believe Leroy felt he should do them, maybe some kind of male thing after I had declared them easy. When he was in the parish it was not so easy, but he steamed and snorted through them most years. I few years he did have some help getting the job done. Now I declared it should be much easier since he was no longer in the ministry.

Last weekend he worked on them, but it would have been hair-raising if he had had enough hair to raise. He mostly stormed around and declared that I should do them. “I will do them, but at this point in time I no longer have the slightest idea of how to do them so you will have to tell me what to do,” I told him.

He called his daughters, can’t remember why son was not included in this talk. The recommendation was that he should look for some free help. Later in the week he finished the federal forms. Today we went up to H&R block for their free second look. All was good except for one small thing that cost us another $100. Today those forms have been sent off. Now it will be on to the state taxes. If those had been done the kind person would have looked at them too. Leroy had the idea that they would only check the federal forms. What a relief to get to this less intense point in life. The young woman who helped us commented that she loved doing the tax help because she so likes helping people. I had not realized this was a helping profession.

In addition to walking the mile to and from church we walked the half mile to this tax help office. So I logged three miles today. It was a great day for walking, cool but pleasant temperatures with the cheery sun.

Paula