From Job to Job

Hello,

I am always astonished at how some simple job evolves into major portions. Today, after Tia Chi, I brought home two plants from the library. These plants were begging for a new pot home. I was supplied with one pot and I knew I had potting soil plus other pots to choose from, hopefully some might fit.

Lunch and dishes came first on my agenda, but that was not really a problem. I spotted some new garden gloves we had purchased, clearance prices now, so I must have them. I stopped to cut off the plastic holding them together and took them with me. From there I moved to looking at my pot supply. I could not see all of them as the shelf is about my head level. My bike had to be moved out of the way creating easier access. At that point the disarray on the shelf convinced me that I must take off everything and organize it. Once things were off, the shelf needed to be cleaned. With all pots off I selected the best, hauled out the potting soil and proceeded to get the plants in pots. From there I needed to put back things on the potting shelf wondering about the fact that we have been here so long that cleaning was even a thought. In March we will have lived here three years. That is rather long for us.

After the plants were in the pots I knew that I should sweep off the sidewalk because there was some spilled soil on it along with many leaves and some walnuts. Course before the sidewalk the deck needed to be swept. While sweeping the deck I found that the squirrel, or some other digger, had been breaking off coleus branches. To rescue the coleus I had to go to the attic looking for a possible vase or holder. On the attic steps some dust or debris needed to be swept up. After getting the coleus settled I went back to sweeping outside and realized that the other porch needed some attention as well.

In the beginning all that was planned was to plant two plants.

Paula

Enjoying Life

Hello,

Time is flying! That must mean I am having a good time. A friend gave me some tomatoes, almost three buckets full. I have canned a batch of 7 quarts that included celery, parsley, onions, and some other herbs. The batch I did today was only tomatoes. My policy is to not work on Sunday but that changed when I went on the porch and smelled a tomato that was past its prime. What does it take for me to banish my principles? Just a rotten tomato! Somehow that seems like a small insignificant reason. I am happy to have the tomatoes canned. And there will be more to do, but probably not until Wednesday.

Leroy and I have been eating lots of excellent cantaloupe, a few medium quality honeydew, and some questionable watermelon. The bugs have moved in on some of these fruits and some I just do not know when they are ripe.

Aside from that we have had some good eggplant and wonderful broccoli without worms, or else we have eaten the worms and not known the difference.

On Saturday we rode our bikes to Ely. It was the first time for me this summer. I was impressed at how well I did and how little it bothered me. Leroy was also in good shape, but he rides to work quite a lot. It was a beautiful cool morning with lovely flowers along the trail and few people. A groundhog raced across in front of us and we saw quite a few geese. The walnuts were falling and we stirred up some fallen leaves as we passed. We checked the melons in the garden so Leroy could give his great opinion. He also got to pick out some books at the library for his reading pleasure.

We are blessed indeed.

Paula

Minnesota Trip

Hello,

On the way to Minnesota we were surprised at how many of the trees and shrubs were displaying their fall beauty. We are about four to five hours south. It is getting past the middle of September so it should be expected, but still it is great to find some surprising treasures.

We made our usual quick trip up for Sophia’s birthday party. It was great to see these kids. Sophia warms up to us so quickly and Logan takes a bit longer, but then he is right in the thick of it as well. We sleep on a blow mattress. It is especially attractive to the children in the mornings. The first morning we made enough noise to wake everyone. Sorry, but not too sorry as it only happens so few times in one year and we have so much fun. All four of us had a great time singing, tickling, and laughing.

Leroy was happy to have three days off in a row. As now that he is back at the church as well as the museum he struggles some weeks to get one entire day off. He has the hours off, but they are scattered and he does not feel as disassociated from work when he has to work a couple hours here and there.

It had been cool the week before we left. Even though we checked on the weather predictions it was hard to believe that it was going to be that warm in Minnesota. We were quite warm. I even had to borrow a t-shirt from Leroy because I was hot in my long sleeves. Somehow I forgot my motto of “be prepared for all types of weather.”

Paula

Canning

Hello,

Tomatoes are canned! I invited a woman to come see it. I had met her in the garden and she wanted to see how canning is done.  Course I shared some of the product with her. I had thought to use the pressure cooker rather than the canner, but could not find enough good jars. Later I found a whole box of them. I think Leroy must be losing his mind. He had found them about a week or two ago, but when I asked him about them today, he could not put his hands on them. And I think he has the best memory in the house.

I was happy to spend some quality visiting time with my neighbor. We connect in several places in our thoughts and actions. She has lived here just a few years so it was nice to learn about backgrounds.

I also washed and hung out three loads of clothes. It was a great drying day. Because I was busy with other things, I did not check on them until they were ready to bring in. That was nice.

On a sad note I learned that my neighbor across the street had a grandson die. Since this guy is 80, I think the grandson could have been an adult. But it is still sad and hard to deal with that loss.

I will have to go pick some greens from my front yard garden to make a meal for supper. I like that idea of going out the door and finding food to eat. I wondered if people would disturb our garden, but it has been left entirely alone. There are good people everywhere.  I have been fortunate to find them all of the time. Is that because I am expecting them to appear? Maybe!

Paula

Walking

Hello,

I see that I did not know the date on my last letter. I simply looked at the calendar and thought it was the first week in September, so I was a week off. Somehow that revelation came to me in my sleep. So, some part of my brain was on alert, but not the part that was working at the moment. Today I am more on the job.

Yesterday Leroy and I both got some good working time. First we went to church and back. That is two miles. Then we participated in the neighborhood cleanup. That was not so far, but a lot of zigzagging. I thought that might have added a mile. Then Leroy walked to the nursing home for a service giving him another two miles. During that time I set out on delivering the neighborhood newsletters. I do not know the total, but I have worn my pedometer and clocked a good two miles with that. One thing about this it involves a lot of hills and even a certain number of stairs so it is a good work out. It did not take as long as it does when the heat is on in the summer so it was nice to walk in the coolness. It certainly warmed me up.

Today a friend gifted us with some tomatoes from her excess. I am so pleased to get them as we have not canned very many. I will have to do that canning another day as I go to work in a bit. It was fun to see Barb and walk to the community garden and show her what we have available. It was a good reason for me to get in a short walk today.

It is an uplifting start to a day. I look forward to going to work and getting a large amount of items into the catalog. My desk and the shelf above it seem to grow resources when I am gone so I do not count on it being as I left it on Saturday which was with a manageable amount of things on it. That means I can do it one day.  Course I call all of these items job security and the satisfaction is in getting these things available to the patrons.

Paula

A walk to the garden

Hello,

After work I went to the garden in Ely and pulled a few weeds because I was embarrassed to see them there. Now the beets are at least visible from a distance.

I came home where Leroy had a good start on the evening meal and I just had to help a little before we could eat. After that I set off to the community garden where I had seen broccoli starting to flower the day before, but I just did not have the time and energy to pick it.

I saw my neighbor from Burundi sitting out so asked if she would like to come with me. Again we had that slightly difficult talk time. I learned that she had been in a refugee camp and I think it was because of the Congolese interference in her country. Otherwise she had lived out in the country, or at least I think that is correct.

We spent some time picking; I broccoli and she tomatoes. Then we walked home. When I got to her house she threw her arms around me giving me a serious hug and said, “I love you.”

I was amazed. I have noted that she and her husband sit out quite a lot and many men stop and talk, but I never see another woman talking to her. She does go to an African church in town, but otherwise I would guess that she spends little time talking with women. That can be lonely.

Paula

Rainy and Cool

Hello,

It has been rainy and cool. Feels like fall. I like fall, but I lean towards the crisp sunny days. However rain is certainly welcome as it had been a bit dry.

I hung out the dishtowel laundry load only to bring it in about ten minutes later. The plus is that it started to rain before I went shopping so it did not get totally wet again. I am also grateful for the clothes rack that had been my mother’s. It is nothing fancy, but quite functional. I have used it a lot since we have been in this apartment. Before that I also used it, but not as consistently. I am also still using my mother’s old ironing board. She did not use this, but gave it to me when I left home. It is not adjustable, but works fine for the little ironing that Leroy or I do.

Leroy actually spent the afternoon at home. But we walked to the store so he could get a flu shot and we bought some few items. I will get a flu shot, but will wait a while since I believe that I got mine in January or maybe even later last year. It is good for a while, but this year’s shot has new strains that it will protect against so I will get it do not worry.

I had some tomatoes at the house and wanted to can them with more. We made a trip to the garden, but could only find the small varieties that were ripe, consequently we did not can very many only four quart jars full. I did make up my own mix of celery, onions, and basil from the garden that I added when I pureed the tomatoes. Because of those additions I did pressure cook it rather than just a water bath. I hope we like it. If not, I will have to figure out something to make it palatable. Good thing Leroy is so easy to feed. I just put it in front of him and he eats it. Sometimes he even enjoys it.

Paula