Vaccine and drive home yesterday

Hello,

 

Yes, we got our second shot today. It seemed so much easier to me since I knew where to go and Leroy took his car keys so I could not have a problem if I locked the keys in the car. My only hang up was when I waited in the left turn lane to go to the pharmacy, the line did not move when it could. I checked and there was a big line of cars that were waiting to get to the adjacent donut place. I just pulled back into the lane to the right and turned left at the very close stoplight. That was the easy way to go. I got there quite early, but they just took me in anyway. There was one person getting their shot ahead of me with others who had already gotten it. I left the building before my appointed time was reached. Leroy, who was also early, was waiting for me outside when I came to pick him up. Nice?

 

We got gas and headed home to increase our fluid intake which was recommended. The person in my store commented that she had told people before their second shot to drink a lot the day before. Obviously I cannot to that, but I can drink more than usual today.

 

Yesterday when coming home, there just seemed to me one slow down after another. I delivered some things to a volunteer who was going to work on something heavy at home. She had walked and could not carry it. But five minutes before closing someone came in and that delayed closing time. On the way home I could not merge onto the lane for the interstate. “Oh well, I will just get off at the next street.” I reassured myself.

 

I did not pay attention and I ended up going south on the interstate. So that meant a trip down to the airport exit before heading north again. Luckily I had already called Leroy to let him know I would be late before I left Ely. I could just push one button on the phone, tell it to call Leroy, and that call went through the car speakers. Leroy just laughed when I told him I was going south and said, “Drive carefully.”

 

That helped put me on track to pay attention and realize it was just a small thing in the whole of life. No need to feel agitated and upset.

 Our cactus are blooming again. 

Paula

Dirty Car

Hello,

 

I went to the store this morning in the midst of a slight drizzle. There must be a lot of dirt on the street because now quite a bit of is back on the car. I had been very careful driving through puddles, but no more, as it is quite a different picture now. It was great to have a clean car for a week or two.

 

I also picked up some of the city manager’s one bag challenge of cleaning up Cedar Rapids. The person behind the desk asked if I wanted two bags and I took them. I was surprised that they let me have two because I know they do not want people to use them for their own personal garbage. We do not have to pay to remove these bags. We do not have so much garbage so I often just put the clean up bags in the regular bin. But I could tell this was going to be a big load. I might pick up some more trash later in the afternoon if it is much dryer out. I do not like picking up wet things. These bags have gloves rolled in side of them, but they are cotton gloves so not much help for wet conditions.

 

I do not need so many pair of these gloves since I already had at least one set at home. I will not throw them away, but find an outlet for them. These can be washed and I will do that when I wash rags.

 

Speaking of rags, I was showing a high school volunteer how to clean the library shelves. I also suggested that she wipe off the books before putting them back. I had a rag and recommended she use that instead of a paper towel, stating as I gave it to her, “I believe in rags.”

 

I was astonished to see her nod her head and say, “I do too.”

 

Who knew this about the younger generation? There is hope for the future.

 

Paula

Rugs Washed

Hello,

 

With the sunny warm day it was perfect to wash some throw rugs. They all dried before noon. That is almost like summertime conditions. A long, long walk will happen this afternoon.

 

It is so wonderful to be outdoors when it is comfortable. Leroy rode his bike to work today. It has been quite a while since that has happened.

 

It is warm enough that even I could ride my bike, but I will walk instead. At some point we had 69 degrees F. We like our thermometer which gives us the temp for the past 24 hours.

 

Our house is home to a number of fruit flies. I think they especially like the blooming plants, at least I see many of them in that area. Today, I have put out traps of apple cider vinegar and soap. So far two of them are trapped.

 

I walked for a while, but came back to the house because I wanted to pick up some of the trash that has been revealed by the melting snow. With two plastic grocery type bags on my arm I headed out. It did not take long before one bag was almost too full to deal with. As I was juggling bags the strong wind snatched the empty bag out of my hand. Catching it or finding was not a possible task for me. Guilt set in as I thought about how I was contributing to the trash. Sigh!

 

This winter we used quite a lot of sand on the sidewalk, etc. So my next job was to sweep some of that up and put it back in the containers so it could be reused next year. I do not like all of the sand being tracked into the garage or the porch. We take off our shoes so it does not come in the house so much.

 

Paula

Around the Lake

Hello,

 

This afternoon Leroy and I walked down to the lake and around once. We had thought about going twice, but both of us were tired so we just came home. We got about 7,000 steps which was plenty. One of the tiring things was that we dressed too warmly. It was great to see all of the people out on the trail either walking or biking. There were a number of dogs enjoying it as well. It is a satisfying thing to have these trails so close to our house.

 

Leroy and I played a game of scrabble when we got home. I pulled into the lead almost immediately, but in the end Leroy soundly beat me. We borrowed that game from the library. We used to have scrabble, but I suspect we lost tiles and that was the end of that.

 

If I were to hang out clothes today, there would be a lot more snow free space under the lines. Leroy rode his bike to the lake yesterday and he commented, “There was a place where I had to ride on the street because of the snow pile on the sidewalk.” Today that pile had diminished considerably. What a difference a warm sun makes.

 

This morning we had the book club at the church. It is so good to be able to connect virtually and discuss. I enjoy seeing these people. I have my other book club on Tuesday. It is a bit hard on me when the first Sunday and the second Tuesday are almost next to each other. Luckily the two books are nothing alike. For the church we read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. For the library book club we are reading mysteries and I am reading one by Sue Grafton which was written in 2004.

 

Paula

Outside kind of day

Hello,

 

I hung out our sheets and pillowcases. What a wonderful smell when I brought them in. It did require boots to get them on the line. Leroy and I did it as a partnership job with care taken to make sure they were not going to reach the snow under the line. I also prepared the sheets in the house so that they were ready to flop over the line. My mother would always do that on cold days. She had not option, but to dry clothes outside or on the racks in the house. It was a very cold day indeed when they did not get out at all. Overalls would freeze stiff. It was great to see that.

 

Leroy and I took a walk to pick up a prescription for him and took the long, long way home. It was so great to be out. I took another walk later while he rode the bike. My ears do not like the wind blowing in I just walked in the sun. He did comment that it was a little cold and he needs to toughen up his seat because he has biked so little this year.

 

One indoor treat was our zoom meeting with friends from seminary days. It is so great to visit and actually see people. I remember in the long ago past hearing about phone calls that would include our faces and found that unappealing as I was sure I did not want to be seen. Would I have to dress up to answer the phone, maybe comb my hair? What a bother! I am now grateful for this technology.

 

Paula

Thinking Spring

Hello,

 

With the snow melting and the warmer temperatures, it is easy to think about spring. Now if I had a seed catalog… There is still quite a bit of snow around here even in places where it was not shoveled into heaps. I guess this is considered a slow melt so the rivers are not threatened. Not all places on the sidewalk are clear, but that is ok. Sometimes when there is too much water or mud the street is still a good place to walk.

 

My coat was too warm by the time I finished my walk. It seemed like a light weight jacket, but I almost envied the workers I saw with just short sleeve shirts as they were putting on some siding.

 

The clean car took me to the store, but all puddles were avoided if possible or at least passed through at the slowest possible speed to keep the muck off the car. It still looks good.

 

Leroy did not ride his bike today because he is concerned about ice on the street in the morning. As he explained, “Ice is off to the edge and that is where I ride.”

 

He does not want to fall down!

 

Via Zoom, I visited with a student of architecture at Iowa State. As “a give back to the community” he wants to put a little free library in our neighborhood. I am excited about this and hoping it will be in our front yard.

 

The Dairy Queen just three doors away has opened for the season. Spring is coming.

 

Paula

Clean Car

Hello,

 

My car is clean! It has been a long time with much winter dirt and road treatments collected, sticking as it if in a new home. During the long stretch of sub zero weather; it did not seem like a good idea to apply water to anything outside. it was great to go today because there was a special price on the purchased wash. There was also money off on the next gas purchase. After Leroy got my text, he told me he would go there on his way home from work. Wow, two clean cars will be in the garage. It is no longer such a task to walk between them and try not to touch any dirty surface.

 

Still on the subject of cars and subzero weather, I asked Leroy, “Did you remember that you have heated seats in your car? It must have been nice on those really cold mornings.”

 

He had totally forgotten about it. His bottom warmed up in the usual slow rate. I had not thought about it either the time or two that I rode with him. Luxuries are wasted on us unless they happen automatically.

 

Yesterday Leroy went to the close grocery store to get some things, including popcorn. He said, “It was a bit expensive. But I think it was from Iowa.”

 

The package was distributed in Iowa, but was not the more local kind that is the usual purchase. I went to a different store and bought some that is a much smaller company and just up the road so to speak. I returned the other. It seems to me this popcorn is the best.

 

Paula