Fussing People

Hello,

It all started before church. There was extra time because we did not have to be at church early as the choir was singing late. It seemed like a good time to work on our Slovakia presentation that we are making to the retired people.

Leroy was originally scheduled to make this presentation by himself, but I begged, pleaded, or pushed myself into the program because I like to talk about our experiences and Leroy would not talk about some things the same way I would.

Now we needed to get ourselves organized. I thought Leroy had selected all the pictures and or the power point program he was going to use. I learned that was not the case and there was much to decide. When we turned on our photo program on the computer, it took a long time adding pictures. I do not understand exactly how it works, but it was taking a few hundred photos off the flash drive that we use to save the pictures and saving them to the computer.

I felt a huge urge to blame Leroy for all of this because it made it so difficult to find the pictures we wanted. He became upset with me because I did not understand some of the things he was telling me about power point.

Finally the best idea seemed to be to go to his office at church where we could use his computer that did not have all these pictures on it. When there, we discovered we had the wrong flash drive, but did have a power point of our Slovak pictures. We forged ahead with a lot of miffed feelings and a few mutterings. At least we have some possibilities.  Now at home, while Leroy is out doing nursing home services, I have gathered some of the Slovak things that we want to display. Leroy can add or subtract from that heap when he comes home.

No yelling in this fussing, but plenty of emotional expense with sighing and darted looks.

Paula

Saturday Jobs

Hello,

Leroy and I went shopping this morning. Without expecting to buy anything, the grand opening of a shoes store called us. We each got a pair of shoes that we did not need, but will wear in time. I was excited to find a 10.5 size which is rather rare. It even felt good on my foot, but I did learn that I could wear it at home for an extended period of time and bring it back if it was uncomfortable. Right now I have them on, but of course, I should be walking around to see what it feels like. Sitting does not always tell the tale.

I have been putting off checking about getting our new family pictures in the old frame. I am not sure why, but that type of task wears me out jut to think about it. Maybe it helped that Leroy was with me as he bullies right on through to the end. Prices were checked in two stores and I am quite comfortable with the one store whose estimate was $50 less. I was surprised that the difference was so great. Now there will be a delay because I have decided to replace one of the pictures with another. It will be done before Christmas.

I plan to exercise this afternoon. Now if you tell me to do it so I do not forget about it that would be good.

I am also planning to go to the community garden and pick some broccoli or brussel sprouts. Brussel sprouts from our front yard garden were tasty, but very small.

I will also plant the winter onion bulbs that I see lying on the ground. They will grow either way, but it will be easier to harvest in the spring if there is a little distance between them. These onions were a gift from my Chariton neighbor. She gave me a few in the spring. We ate some and I planted some. Now we have had them for five or six years. Each year there are a few more of them and I share a few more. It is so good when gifts go on and on.

Paula

Squirrel meal time

Hello,

In spite of the cold, I went out early to hang up some of the freshly washed bedding. It was not such a job because they are all big pieces. By the time I was done, my hands were cold, but not hurting. As I was out there I heard a lot of squirrel attacking nuts sounds. When I looked up into the bare walnut tree I saw three squirrels. Two were backed up against the trunk and one was farther out on a branch. All had nuts in their paws up to their mouths. They make a scraping sound as they tackle this meal that is not so easily acquired. All of these animals had their tails flattened up their backs and almost over their heads. It was a sight worth smiling about. Later in the day when I brought the clothes in I saw and heard just one squirrel still working for a meal. Now the tail was hanging along the branch. Tails must be good insulation.

Yesterday at work the power went out for almost an hour. I was once again reminded about our dependence on electricity. All of us found our work at a standstill, mostly because we could not use the computers. No one has to bomb us, just turn off the power and we would be a pack of sniveling loonies in about a week or two.

Today I noticed a suction holder for a stained glass figure was on the floor in the computer room. I searched the floor, close furniture and did not find the glass figure. Later Leroy also looked unsuccessfully. We speculate that it fell in the waste basket and was thrown out on Wednesday. Well that is one way to eliminate possessions. Not my favored way, but it does work. Even without small children around to blame for the disappearance of items, Leroy and I manage to lose a few things. As we grow we become more skilled and talented.

Paula

People Voting

Hello,

I worked yesterday afternoon. Elections in Ely are held in the library meeting room. That increases the foot traffic in the library. I had over 130 people in the seven hours I was there. Most of the time I was the only worker consequently, I was quite busy. It is great to see so many people out. I am glad that so many people felt compelled to vote. It also means that many people stopped in to take out books are return books. Several people also used the internet, either the wifi or our computers. It amazes me how much that service gets used. I sometimes think everyone has access at home, but it is simply not true. But sometimes it is because their service is unavailable or they do not have a printer.

When I opened the Interlibrary mail there was a book that had been returned from Ely, MN. The package included a nice letter from the staff there explaining that the book had disappeared in their problem pile. We still had this book on record, but noted as lost. It was last checked out in 2010. That is being out of circulation for a long time. Earlier, in the book drop, a book was returned that had been checked out more years ago than that. It is hard to imagine these books just hidden away waiting to come back to us.

Today I shared most of the dried soybeans with one of my neighbors. She was out of town on the day we picked them. She was quite pleased to get them. I will save some of them for seed for next year. Also gave her some of my winter onion bulbs and kale leaves. Even though it has gotten quite cold my garden in front looks quite good with all of those cabbage family plants thriving without the heat. I like it that the cabbage moths are not around now. Fall is good.

Paula

More Light

Hello,

Leroy saw a woodpecker and thought about taking its picture. Then he decided that it does not work very well through the screen. He asked, “Would you like to take the screens out of some windows and store them in the attic for the winter?”

“I would,” I exclaimed.

We then took out about half the screens, concentrating on the windows that we most often look at squirrels or birds or the sun. I am pleased at how much more light comes in because of that change. It also looks cleaner when I look out. Such pleasure from a simple action!

Our listing kitchen cabinet will be worked on today. I am happy about that even though I did not really feel that it would fall any moment, it was a concern. Not everyone has listing cabinets, sounds like we might be at sea.

I brought in some coleus slips and they have rooted nicely. Yesterday at church someone was telling me that they wanted to bring some coleus inside for the winter and had not been very successful at rooting them. I volunteered to give them mine and they were excited to get them. Hopefully in the spring I can get some slips from them or just let it all go to the church. Sharing is good sometimes. Leroy and I both like these and feel like the plants are crowding us in our small space. One is gone now. This winter I have herbs which I have not had inside in the past. There is rosemary, parsley, and oregano (two kinds). That takes up a bit more window space than normal.

Paula

Soybeans

Hello,

This afternoon Leroy and I, along with two other women worked in the garden to clean up the plants that did not withstand the frost. Because we had gotten some things out earlier it was not such a big job with the four of us.

At the end we picked the soybeans. I just put them in a bucket and we will sort through all that another time. There was another person in the neighborhood who wanted some of them, but they were not there. We picked them all anyway because I was afraid that more of them our pop out on the ground. We are not so hungry that we are willing to scour the soil and leaves looking for that.

This year I plan to roast some of those beans. We did not like them so well in soup. Hopefully we will find this more palatable. We certainly did like the edamame. But this year I had too many other things ripe at the same time and did not harvest so much of it.

This morning I noticed that one upper cabinet in the kitchen looked as if it were coming out from the wall. That is indeed true. The cabinet is now empty. Leroy and our landlord will work on fixing that tomorrow. One plus about renting is that someone else is responsible. Course the downside of that is that some owners do not listen to a renter’s statement that something is in need of repair. I even heard owners frequently talk about how the renters wreck things or that they want things. So as always there are pluses and minuses. The trick is to see the other’s side and come to some type of meeting to make a good outcome for all concerned. We are blessed with good landlords. I am grateful for that every day. We even enjoy visiting with them.

Paula

The Gardens

Hello,

We covered plants last night, but it did not save them. It did save a few green tomatoes that we hope will ripen. The tomatoes by the house had finally started to produce nicely, but the slugs and the squirrels were often feasting before I could pick them, consequently most were lost. At least now we have some green ones in the house where slugs and squirrels do not live and are not welcome. There is something satisfying in pulling the plants and seeing the bare earth. Probably that is not truly good for the earth, but it is certainly what I was used to as a child. At that point I knew the garden work was done and joy was in that time. Now I have mixed feelings. Happiness is there because the work is done, but sadness is there because there will be no more fresh veggies outside my doo.

Leroy and I will go tomorrow and work in the community garden. Mostly that will be getting rid of anything that froze. At home: kale, broccoli, one red cabbage, brussel sprouts, and collards are still thriving. I am hoping that the swiss chard managed to survive as well. We did dig up one parsley plant and one oregano plant so we will have some herbs for a while. Leroy is optimistic that they will survive. I am less so as I know we chopped off hunks of roots.

Last night Leroy and I made a vegetable soup with carrots, green beans, tomatoes, parsley, rutabaga, and celery from our gardens. We did add pinto beans, potatoes, onions, and garlic. We both thought it was quite fine. One never knows with my soups just how good they will be. It tasted just as good, or maybe even better, today. We even used the back porch as a refrigerator. That is somewhat of a throwback to Slovakia, where I was always happy to have some extra cold space. So we can discuss some memories along with good eating.

Paula