Zucchini

Hello,

Yesterday, after picking Leroy up at his museum job and dropping him off at the hospital so he could do his pastor job, I stopped at the community garden. I had not been there in a number of days. Leroy too had not been there for some time. I had visited with someone who told me she was checking on the zucchini. Her back must have been turned because there were fifteen green things that were ranged from about medium to large. Thank goodness they were not enormous yet.

I was grateful to be in the car as I usually walk this half mile. I could not have carried this load along with the one very large beet and one more normal sized beet. I did pick quite a bit of lettuce as well.

On the way home I spotted a person on their porch. They took one zucchini even though they did not know much about them. Can you imagine living in Iowa and not knowing about zucchini? The next person said she liked them a lot and she took three.

My downstairs friend took some and Leroy shared the rest with close neighbors who all seemed quite pleased to get them. I kept two for myself.

This morning when I was out my neighbor who lives a block away and has me check out his garden when he sees me go by, waved and came over to have a little garden chat. It fits a bit uncomfortably on my shoulders, but he seems to feel I know what I am talking about. He asks advice from me. I just hope his things do well.

Paula

Ants-pants

Hello,

It has been a long time since I have been in the garden. All this Leroy attention must wear me out. His drive to work is becoming quite intimate with me. I am learning the shape and position of the random potholes.

Last time I was in the garden I enjoyed pulling weeds that came up easily. While pulling around a mystery vine that Leroy has been told is a false cucumber I suddenly felt ants biting my ankle. Glancing down, I spotted many climbing around on my shoes. Immediately I started flapping at them with my hand and stomping around a little. Next I searched out the ones biting my ankles. Once this tiny ant grabs hold it seems to feel that it is attached for life. Each of them had to be purposefully brushed off. Soon I realized that some had crawled up my loose pant legs. I pulled up the legs as far as I could, to get rid of them. Had I been out in the country I would have taken off this outer layer. Being in town, I opted for more pain and discreetness.  Eventually I got every ant that I could see with its head buried in some part of my skin. Unfortunately the burning did not stop immediately so I headed home. Luckily no one was around so I stripped off my pants and left them on the back porch.

I remember these ants from last year. They leave a lasting impression. I did not see any in the spot they had occupied before, but they must have moved. I wonder why move?  Just to catch me unawares? Sometimes in life I forget that the smallest things can cause quite a response.

Paula

Leroy and his eyes

Hello,

Leroy saw the family Dr. today. He learned that the MRI showed basically everything was ok, except for a minor sinus infection. He is in good shape otherwise. He just sees double as that nerve is not working properly.

Following that appointment he had one with the eye Dr. There he learned that his condition has changed a bit and he needs a stronger prism. That will take a week or ten days for the new glasses to come in. So I will be doing more chauffeuring.

The Dr. did tell him that there is no place, which he knows of, that would do the glasses in an hour. Leroy is wearing his new glasses because the view is much sharper than with his old. The Dr. cautioned him to keep the old in case everything went back to the way it was before this started.

We are happy to report that we do not have to pay for the second pair of glasses. I was wondering who would pay since it cannot be blamed on anyone else. In the meantime Leroy can read a little better with these new glasses in spite of wearing the patch on his eye. At least he is adjusting to this new condition.

We are just taking it one day at a time. We have many blessings. In some ways this is more of an inconvenience than an illness.

Paula

Bike to Work

Hello,

Last Saturday I biked to work. There is road construction. Friday, I called city hall to learn if I would be able to cross the road. They said cement was poured about then and it should be ok for me to take my bike across in the morning. This comment was even added, “They will be looking for you.” Just what that meant, I do not know as I never saw a worker, perhaps I misunderstood.

I met a bicyclist just before I got to the road and asked how it was crossing it. He said, “It is not bad, but you do have to go around some barriers. The worst is that there is a string that you will have to lift your bike over.”

It was just as he said. I had to get my bike on the cement which was about as high as my knees. But that was easy as I could do one wheel at a time. The string was a bit more demanding because I had to lift my entire bike over it at once as it was too high to stop in the middle, but I made it. Great to get to work and relax!

At the end of the day I mentally flexed my muscles anticipating the great bench press. However when I got to the road I found no string and there was a gravel ramp up to the cement so I did not have to get off my bike. Such a breeze.

On the way home I met few bikes, but saw many rabbits. This seemed to be their favorite place to hang out. There were also lots of chipmunks and just a few geese. The most exciting thing was as I came down a hill and turned a corner I spotted a large wild turkey about five feet off the trail. That was a bit exciting as I have not seen very many of them and certainly never this close. Life is full of surprises.

Paula

Leroy's Eyes

Hello,

Leroy was so excited on Friday evening when he learned that his glasses had come in. We got there as soon as we could only to learn that they did not focus correctly for him. The person who was working was new and did not know how to deal with prism glasses. When he went back on Saturday morning it was the same situation. It took a bit for Leroy to get over the disappointment hurdle, but he seems in a better mood now. He did set up another eye exam just in case it was because his vision has changed. I also wonder if we should not go again and find a more experienced person who is the optician. Both the eye Dr. and the family physician had commented that his vision could change at any time. It is a somewhat strange way to be not well because he feels just fine, but his eyes are not working.

He finds it all takes an extra effort to see what is on the other side of his head. He wears the patch so he does not have double vision. That slipped around quite a bit while we were picking berries. That might be caused by wearing a hat, sweating, or bumping it as he swatted at mosquitoes.

Leroy commented on the way to church yesterday, that we should start early because he would take longer. I had to put on the speed to keep up as usual and we arrived in plenty of time to talk or just generally mill around. That indicates to me that his balance and confidence are good.

He walked home by himself and I suspect that was a repeat of the trip to church. The hard part is that he is feeling he should not drive because he cannot see to the side. He switches the patch from eye to eye so he gets a break on the view, but that would not work when driving. Unfortunately we live in a place where driving is the  most efficient way to move around the city. I wondered if he could ride his bike, but unfortunately when going to work he is on the streets quite a lot rather than the bike trail. We will figure it all out.

Paula

Raspberries

Hello,

Last night we went to a friend’s house and picked red raspberries. They are so large, red, and tasty. We even froze two small containers for later enjoyment. Breakfast was an extravagant heaping helping on each of our oatmeal bowls. We ate breakfast as if we were kings.

This afternoon we went to one of the county parks. Leroy had called ahead of time to learn if we could pick black raspberries. The person answering the phone thought that would be ok. At the visitor center, after we took the full tour, Leroy again asked. This person was more sure and added, “bring back a handful for me.”

We had come in jeans and long sleeves with good sun hats. I remembered to put a water bottle, snack and sunscreen in a bag. Unfortunately I forgot one very important item. Leroy had thought of it, but did not tell me about it, since I was the gatherer and packer; it did no good for the trip. The mosquitoes zeroed in on us almost as soon as we found the first berries.

Picking soon evolved into a rhythm of pick, wave, slap, pick, wave, slap, pick, complain about mosquitoes, wave, slap randomly, pick, pick, wave, and complain again. In the end we probably picked about two or three quarts. For dessert we had plain yogurt, my homemade granola, cinnamon, and heaping spoons full of black raspberries.

We found the best patch on our way out. By the time we were done, the visitor center was closed and we could not share. However, we will be back at a later day because we spotted many blackberry bushes that were loaded with berries. Bug spray will come with us. I will also not wear one of my good UV shirts as we were in the shade much of the time. The blackberries have more vicious thorns. I do not want to risk tearing one of those shirts when I have plenty that I could just eliminate without regret if they get torn. Today I would stop and carefully work to disentangle the shirt.

We did a tick body check when we got home and both of us had no passengers.

Paula

Leroy's Progress

Hello,

Leroy woke early Thursday morning to a brief sharp stabbing pain in the top of his head. I slept peacefully. In a short time he felt as if he were having a hot flash accompanied by sweating. Not long after that his nose started to run copiously. In a bit he went back to sleep. Come morning he almost hopped out of bed. Something I had not seen for a few days. He declared, “The dizziness seems to be gone. I feel much better, but I still see double.”

The change was quite apparent as he moved around confidently. He had a Dr. appointment. When we got there it was raining. Leroy did not feel he needed the umbrella; instead he dashed to the office. I could hardly believe it. The dr. did not find too much wrong, but his right eye does not track correctly. The CT scan showed that the nerve controlling the muscle was not working. There was no stroke and no brain bleed. Yeah! Leroy will go for an MRI on Tuesday morning that might show why that nerve is not working.

We were hoping those glasses would come this week, but it seems it will not happen. Leroy still does find it tiring to track things with one eye. Also he is not comfortable driving or riding the bike. In the meantime I am doing a lot of chauffer duty.

Tomorrow I will go to work and leave him alone for the day. I know he will not stray very far.

I am planning to ride my bike to work. There is road work outside of Ely. I called city hall and learned that I should be able to walk my bike across the road or barring that, I can walk along the road for a while. It should be an adventure. The city person sounded as if they were telling the road crew that I would come, as he said, “They will be expecting you.” Do you believe such a thing? At any rate they will be pouring cement today. So perhaps I can just simply go across.

Paula