Taxes Done

Hello,

We set out early this morning to get our state taxes computed at the United Way which turned out to be manned by AARP volunteers. This guy had to input our federal taxes so the program could automatically compute the state taxes. It was wonderful as the same answer was extracted that we had gotten from the for pay company. Unfortunate at that earlier time Leroy had not done the state taxes because he wanted to check on the Federal before moving on to the state form. He became quite stressed because he had not been able to replicate the refund that the preparer figured. Instead he was having us pay the state. Leroy did not want to go to someone who was a free preparer, but our income was below that point by an adequate margin. Could that have been pride that stopped him? However, he realized that something must have been wrong in his steps because he was so far off from the answer. Now we will indeed get that refund without having to pay the preparer’s fee. We are both happy. This guy encouraged us to use them next year as they would have the records and could just fill things in. That seems like a breeze to me. I do not imagine that our income will rise, but who knows, we might not even be here and have even lower income if Leroy’s work grant does not get approved. I do not fuss about that as it is too far in the future. Also I know it does no good. Although knowing not to fuss and doing are sometimes two different things. All that can be done has been done. Leroy and I will have to do some more of that living on faith. Is God trying to let me know that I have not settled in as a faithful follower?

The sun is out and it looks to be a beautiful day. I am going to take a walk with a friend from my days of working at the school library. It will be good to reconnect with her. It still amazes me sometimes that we are living in this place where we actually knew some of the residents before we came a year ago. Life can make some curious twists and turns.

Paula

New Look

Hello,

I looked at my too long hair as it hung down after my shower. The length of my hair alters by the humidity and it was not humid yesterday morning. I put on some product and hoped for the best. At least the product makes it look much darker. It started to settle into long curls that I have seen on other people. Maybe it would be ok.

Then it was on to getting dressed. I had bought a gray jumper with a block pleated skirt. Course it was on a clearance rack. Later I saw the same style jumper in a different color than dark gray. It was at an expensive store. Somehow I suspect this garment cost much more than the $3 I had paid. I wore an old, but still good looking white blouse with gray metallic strips. It looked good to me and to cover my knees I had on black tights. I had tested this skirt and I was pleased that it hung below my knees when I sat down.

My old leg skin takes a while for me to expose. So I welcomed the black tights. They were a little tight around the waist. I do not like anything tight around my waist so I positioned them a bit lower. At some point I became aware that they might be slipping down. A trip to the restroom adjusted that before they became a puddle around my feet. How do people wear those tight jeans without being in pain?

I topped off my look with an old, much worn, and liked necklace. It must have been good because I got four compliments on my look before the day was over. Wow! That does not happen so very often. Someone even said that I looked younger. I did not ask it out loud, but wondered it if was because of the skirt length or my darkened hair. I felt quite cool for the rest of the day. Leroy even complimented me when I came home and took off my coat. Too bad I can not duplicate this situation everyday. Today will be a much more ordinary day with just the usual stuff.

Paula

Bargains

Hello,

Miriam has her mother’s bargain hunting genes. “A store has a deal that an 8x10 collage is free. You should do that.”

“I don’t have enough pictures,” I sighed. “And I do not know how to do it.”

“Sure you have enough and it is easy,” Miriam responded.

“I do have some from Christmas, but they were not so very good.” I decided.

She gave me some brief instructions about downloading the photos and I was off looking for the Christmas photos. The only problem with having two computers is that the photos are only saved on one of them. Course I looked at the wrong one first. At the store website I saw how to download the pictures. I got nine of them situated. From there I put them in the collage, juggled them around some, sighed because they should have been cropped, decided it was ok as I had had enough messing around, and sent it off only to realize that I had not found the spot to put in the code to get it free. They did have on line live chat for help. I was working my way through that when Miriam called to see how I was doing. She said, “I will call the store because I am not sure that will work.”

She called the store and told them I would be stressed if they did not help me. Oh? Me stressed? They told her I should print off the online offer and bring it in when I picked up my photo.

It is a good thing she did that because I am not sure that the other way would have gotten me a free print. I would not have been stressed, but chalked it up to education. Certainly it is cheaper than a college course.

Miriam then told me how I could have edited the photos on the store web site. Now I am ready to go do it again and feel much more confident about that.

The print was not so bad, but could be better. One thing is that I showed it to Sarah and her girls tonight on the computer and Lexi wondered where her picture was. There was one with Lexi in it, but six with Natalie as the star. Oh dear how did it happen that we got so many pictures of her? But maybe that is nice for a second child to get more press time.

Paula

Book Recommendation

Hello,

I am now reading two books the first is called Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. As an introvert I find it wonderfully affirming. The writer, Susan Cain is also an introvert. I am certainly not alone and I have value. Good to know!

The other book is by Anne C. Voorhoeve. The title almost tells what it is about, My Family for the War. It concerns an eleven year old Jewish girl who was part of the kindertransport that allowed Jewish children between the ages of 4 and 16 to go stay with sponsoring families in England just before WWII started. I am only about 100 pages in, but I want to keep going.

It reminds me of an incident when we lived in PA while Leroy was on internship in 1974-75. I worked at a retail store’s snack bar. One of the security guys used to spend a lot of time chatting (flirting?) with me. He had an accent so I wondered where he was from. Upon learning that he had come from Italy (Or that is what I remember, but it seems it should have been another country.), I asked about when he had come to the USA. He told me, “I was twelve.”

“Did your whole family come?” I wondered.

“No, just me,” he replied.

“How did you come?” I asked incredulously, hardly able to believe this fact.

“I just got on a train and then a ship,” he added.

I must have had a questioning look because he then went on, “Hitler did not like little Jewish boys.”

After that what could I say? I had at that time never heard of the kindertransports. He did not use that word, but I suspect that is what it was. I was overwhelmed by the idea of leaving my parents at that tender age and traveling into the unknown. There was certainly a strong sense of danger pushing these parents to let children go or perhaps to make them go.

Paula

Exciting Work

Hello,

I know, I know, you’re thinking, “How exciting can working in a small town library be?” Depending on your point of view it can be exciting. For instance, I had noticed the number of people complaining about the late season snow yesterday. Leroy and I took a walk in it and I thought it was lovely as it swirled around us in large clumps locked together. It was warm enough that the roads were clear so that made it great for me.

I drove blissfully to work forgetting that it was spring break week for the local students, however I knew the situation upon entering the door noting the four elementary age kids in attendance.

My co-worker informed me that the DVD player and projector were all set up and ready to go at 2:00 pm. Good thing she mentioned that and set it up because I had forgotten about that. She left at 1:00 just as I started work. Luckily I like to be early so she and I could connect.

Not much later there were several more boys who came in to use the computer. I had to firmly tell one boy that he could not have another turn because he had already had two hours. He first said, “No, only one.” But agreed it was his name signed up for two. Then he tried to convince me that he could have three hours. I did not listen long to that talk as I watched more children and a few adults come in. I was grateful that all were behaving as I would hope; this was true even of the few that I have found much livelier in the past.

Starting the movie was not as simple as activating the switches and pushing play. For some reason the signal was not going through. After struggling with this connection and that connection, one of the mothers suggested that I unplug it and start over. That was the miracle solution. This might have taken almost five minutes from the beginning to fast forwarding through the previews to waiting for the on screen warning, etc. In all this time the children were perfectly polite. What blessings abound among the young!

Over 30 children and five adults attended this movie. I did not notice any problem behavior and many commented that they liked the movie. They can be good if we just give them a chance.

Busyness was the order of the afternoon up until about 6:00 pm. After that I seemed to have only one or two people in at a time. I almost missed all of that rush. My boss did stop in a couple times but, of course those times were some of the quieter times. I was even able to get the interlibrary loan as well as some cataloging done.

I certainly do not have to sit around wondering what to do with my time. I feel needed and worthwhile. Is that how we are created?

Paula

Dream House

Hello,

“Do I have a dream house?” For sure I would have answered in the negative and perhaps asserted, “I can live anywhere.”

Well that changed. I now have a dream house. The library regularly has to weed magazines because of space limitations. All libraries must purge some because of always acquiring in order to stay current. When the magazines are taken out I often sort through the discards and bring them home to look at when I do not feel like reading some serious book that I am working my way through. Recently one of the magazines had a big article about a dream house that they were using as a sweepstakes prize. Anyone could sign up to win, however as I was looking at this magazine after the contest was over it did not affect me.

It did not matter since I had not a dream house, any place will do. How would I even recognize a dream house? First page showed the living room of this home in the mountains of New England. The view from the windows was indeed beautiful, and according to the article this was true in all seasons. The kitchen was well equipped and spacious as was every other room they showed. It was nice, but I knew I would not really want to live there as it was no closer to any of my children. Then they moved on to the bedrooms showing a magnificent master suite followed by two lovely bedrooms. Next there was a tastefully decorated dorm that would sleep eight so that you could have guests for the skiing season. In all, the house would easily sleep fourteen people! Now that is my dream house complete with room for all the kids and grandkids to come visit. You all could even come visit at anytime of the year. What a deal!

Course the house should be elastic so we would not have to deal with so much space when it was not needed. Dreaming, dreaming.

Paula

Time change

Hello,

I always wonder why we have to change the time to save daylight and give it back again. Whose idea was this anyway? And why did this mysterious person want to make the change at a different time?

It seems I always have trouble making this change in my sleep patterns. Even though I am a morning person, getting up an hour earlier is not a great shift to make. For some reason my internal clock or whatever wakes me up seems to think that 4:00 is a great time to greet the day. Leroy and I have not set an alarm for years. Maybe I am afraid we might oversleep and I cannot judge just what hour I must get up so I over compensate.

Meals are not such a problem. Eating early just happens with ease. In fact I even get hungry before a reasonable time. Maybe I just want to eat all the time. Someone once described my eating habits as grazing. That could explain a great deal.

Our phone has had a lovely blue light all day. Son Brian told Leroy last night that when he unplugs an electronic device to reset it he allows a 30 minute rest. Perhaps that has been our problem all along. We now know how grateful we are to have it back, but next time we will be patient and allow a longer rest.

The amaryllis is blooming beautifully with three wide open flowers and one more to come. Two primroses are sending up new buds. We will have white and purple flowers once again. Flowers, in winter! The Christmas cactus still has a couple flowers and the impatiens are just happy smiling all the time.

Someone donated to the library, a book, Twilight Children by Torey Hayden. I find I do not want to put it down and do other things. It is not new, but new to me. This true story is sad, but I am hoping for the happy ending that seems to be indicated in the jacket blurb.

Paula