New Year's Eve

Salt Lake

Hello,

Unlike your expectations of our behavior, Leroy and I will spend a quiet evening at home while Andy and Miriam go to a friend’s house. We, along with the children, were invited, but we are quite happy to babysit. It is especially easy because the party starts late enough that Miriam and Andy have put the kids to bed. The new year will no doubt come in after we are in bed as well.

So, for the last time this year Leroy and I went to the Lengthen and Strengthen class. Some results are that I notice that I am sitting up straighter than in the past. Lengthen and strengthen seems to have worked. Leroy also thinks that my upper arms have less flap, I am not so sure of that, but there is always hope.

This class will be replaced by TRX. I will at least try that because it is to have several different levels including beginning. The hard part is that we have to sign up for it 24 hours ahead of time. I really like just walking in the door. The yoga will also be replaced by TRX. I do not know what TRX stands for, but it should be good.

Our membership is up next week and we plan to leave the week after. The big question is should we buy a month’s pass even though it is much cheaper than paying for single classes. A month for the two of us combined is $35 while each class will cost $4.50 per person. We still have not figured out the exact day we will leave here, but we are getting close to that decision.

We will go back to Iowa to renew my driver’s license, visit Leroy’s sister, and visit my sister in Illinois before heading up to MN to visit Brian and Jen. Other than that our lives are a big question mark.

Happy New Year to all of you. May you find your lives full of amazing surprises that lead on the path you need for meeting the compelling love of God.

Blessings to you.

Paula 

The Zoo Again

Salt Lake

Hello,

It was free day once again at the zoo so off we went, however this time we left Leroy at home because with the additional child there were not enough seats in the car for six people. Once there it did not seem so cold to me, but I prepared better by wearing wool socks, wool sweater, and good winter gloves. It seemed quite fine to me even though others complained some about the cold.

The visit was quite the same with the addition of a tiger roaring. I have never heard such a sound before. It was similar to the lion, but with a little different ring to it. This animal carried on for about five minutes. The other noisy animals were the white-handed Gibbon monkeys who were quite loud hooters or howlers.

At first the zoo was not very crowded, but that soon changed as more parents, grandparents and multiple toddlers/early school children came charging in. I am glad there is such interest in this outing. I do not necessarily like to see animals in captivity, but I know that some species are still with us because of zoos.

Unfortunately Miriam’s back/hips have not healed, but became worse yesterday. Today it was back to the chiropractor. Hopefully this will help her to come back to normal.

It is good that Leroy and I are here to help with some of the lifting, stretching, sitting, and turning that she is not supposed to be doing.

Both Leroy and I are having a bit of a hard time with how long it is taking for another job to appear on the horizon. Are you out there God? But then I know that we are really well off because we are in good health and we have saved enough money to get through a long spell with no job. The hardest part is the health insurance. That costs so much more than we want to pay. But we have the money for that too for a while. After all it is only money right?

Paula

Wild Times

Salt Lake

Hello,

Forget about getting a Christmas letter from me. Each day marches past so fast that I have not had much time to read let alone think. A day without reading is like a day without sunshine. By the way, sunshine is back in our world. We are grateful for the beauty on the mountains.

This afternoon Leroy and I went for a short walk around the block. That may sound simple, but we were accompanied by four children and two dogs. That means just getting ready to set off takes about ten minutes or more to get a coat on each body, find mittens for all hands, shoes for all feet, leashes for the four legged critters who luckily did not need mittens and coats, and bags to collect any dog poop that was produced. Miriam and company are again babysitting for a seven year old (four days), dog sitting for a miniature border collie (five days and nights), and the neighbor and her three year old as well as an infant came for a visit. The walk was really quite painless once we were able to set off. Luckily these children have been quite well trained to stop at the corners when they want to run ahead. When we returned from the walk Leroy cleaned up the dog poop in the yard while the children played on the swing set under my watchful eye. Hands were cold by the time we went in, but it was good to have some time outside.

Miriam had a part of her back/hips go out of place causing a lot of pain. She was able to see a chiropractor the day before Christmas even though he was not scheduled to be in the office. He told her to call him on Christmas day or the next day at his home number if it was needed. She did not call again, but it was obvious that she was in agony much of the time even though she swallowed a lot of pain killers. Today she felt a bit better and went to Pilate’s class with me, but that was not really a good idea. She can stand and lie down, but sitting is not good. We hope each day gets better.

Paula

Sleeping through

Salt Lake

Hello,

This morning Miriam talked about the “child” activity last night. I was quite surprised to learn about it as I had not heard it. First Olivia woke up, crying quite a bit because she was uncovered. Later in the night, Nora disturbed people as she was talking in her sleep. I am astonished that I missed the ruckus. Generally I hear it even if I choose not to get up at that time. Does that mean I have been now sleeping with children in the area for long enough that it is normal? I think I always woke for my own children, but then I felt more responsible at night than I do now.

There is no school in Salt Lake schools this week and next week. Consequently, Miriam is babysitting for a girl who is seven years old. She plays very nicely with the girls so it is not as much work as some might imagine. This girl lo longer takes a nap, but perhaps because she is an only child she can entertain herself while the girls sleep. It does refocus our days. Also Andy’s parents are here so there have been eight people at the table when we sit down for lunch. At this moment, Leroy is flying in from Minnesota. Then we will have nine at the table for noon and eight the rest of the time until Andy’s uncle comes on Friday. Does this all sound like a full house? Well it is. However it all works because we want it too and this house has quite a lot of space.

Can you imagine what it will be like when Leroy and I are once again just two people in the house? Seems to me it will be quiet and sometimes rather dull, but at other times peaceful. What is my own schedule like anyway?

I just read a book called, 29 Gifts: How a month of giving can change your life by Cami Walker. It is worth reading if you have access and the time to pursue it.

Paula

Pollution on the Ground

Salt Lake

Hello,

I read in the paper that Salt Lake is from time to time, but especially in the winter, the No. 1 air pollution place in the country. It is commonly called an inversion. Somehow the mountains on the east and the west trap the smog in the SLC valley. Some of the smog comes from states to the west. Does that mean that when it blows away with a storm it is passed farther East? Sometimes we are generous with the negative things. Around here it just looks gray and has for more than a week. My sinus has been a bit irritated by it and both of the girls have stuffy heads also. Miriam tells me that the young and the old are both bothered by it. If it is severe there is the chance of death for people with respiratory conditions.

Besides the lack of sun that is a downer all on its own, there is a scent in the air. Apparently it also makes it colder. Park City which is only about 30 minutes away by car, basks in sunshine and pleasant views above and outside the inversion.

I tend to have a little bit of a headache, but that could be caused by not drinking enough water in this dry climate. It is enough to straighten my hair. I suppose I should get a haircut, but I do not like to do these tasks with a new person. Leroy and I have been fortunate enough not to need a doctor or dentist. I should get my teeth cleaned; however I canceled my appointment before we left Burlington. It is hard to start with a new dentist unless I am staying with that person.

I keep thinking I will write a Christmas letter, but nothing is coming to mind so as of yet all I can do is wish you a Merry Christmas.

Paula

Pollution on the Road

Salt Lake

Hello,

Nora was losing her voice last night and it was even softer this morning. It was clear she should not practice singing in the afternoon for the Sunday School Christmas program. She wanted her mom to stay home so I was the driver for Olivia who, in spite of a cough, was still in good health.

Olivia and I set out with enough time to get to the church a bit ahead of the scheduled start. As we advanced up State Street to the Interstate ramp I remembered Miriam talking about it taking 45 minutes, during Christmas shopping season on a Saturday, to get to a mall that is just past the ramp. Even Olivia was trying to help me out by telling me to get in the other lane because people were going faster over there. I did change lanes once because I would need to be there later to get on the ramp. Just as in the grocery store I have a talent for frequently picking the lane that is sure to slow to a stop. It did not take us 45 minutes, but we only had about three minutes to go when we got on the ramp. I suspected it takes about ten minutes from that point, so I, the person who likes to be early, resigned myself to being late. When Olivia looked at the cars on the Interstate she declared, “There is no traffic here.” I could almost agree.

On the drive home I again took State Street, because I had previously noticed that the oncoming lanes were not so full. I had learned which of the two turn lanes I should be in to get on the popular street with only one light cycle. So that was not so hard. As soon as we got past the exit for a big store we were mostly in the clear. The road construction causes people not to know which lanes to use so I mostly sailed along in the left lane with little company making our homeward trip quite simple.

One of the reasons that the roads are so crowded is that Mormons do not believe in shopping on Sunday, consequently they must get most of it done on Saturday and the roads are full of people striving to reach that shopping Mecca called the Mall.

Paula

One Exciting Day

Salt Lake

Hello,

On Fridays, Olivia goes to pre-school while Nora stays home or does whatever excursion is on the plan. Today the plan was to go shopping for groceries, store them at home, and then proceed to the mall before going back to pick up Olivia at noon. As we were in the car going to the first grocery store, Nora announced, “I need a tissue.”

I handed her a napkin because we could not find any tissues. After a bit I happened to look back and see that she was sticking the paper up her nose. I told her not to do that and with confidence that she would not, turned around to watch the traffic racing around on the interstate. Soon Nora cried, “I have paper up my nose.”

I could not see it, but she was sticking her finger in the nostril. She stopped as instructed, but snuffed her nose and cried some. We tried to get her to blow air out of that nostril with no success instead there was a little more snuffing. Miriam tried to get her to stop crying, but I wondered if crying would help to make her nose run and get it out. That made Nora stop crying. We were then able to get off the interstate and inspect this nose a little closer. Miriam could see paper, but not get it in this tiny three year old nostril. Nora’s nose was a little bloody, but that was probably from her fingernail. Miriam and I both thought that it would take a Dr. to get it out and because we were relatively close to their Dr.’s office we just went there. No Dr. could see them, but a nurse looked at it with the proper lighted instrument and thought she could get it out. She did a great job of showing Nora the two additional instruments that she would use: one to spread the nostril open and one to retrieve. Nora kept her head perfectly still and it was out in no time. The best thing was that there was no charge for this.

In the mall Nora was a bit bored and wanted to be on her own but we managed to keep her with us until the end. She was in my care when she declared that she had to go potty. I said, “Ok, but I want to call your mom first to let her know that we are going downstairs. In the time that I was looking at my phone, Nora moved off. Before I could complete the call, Miriam came up. At that moment I realized I could not see Nora. We called her name, looked over by the elevator, called her name louder, looked in a bigger area, and called her name even louder. Miriam had just approached a couple store employees about a missing child when an unconcerned Nora came into view.

Relief, scolding, and thankfulness were all mixed up.

Paula