Hope

Hello,

Hope lives on in my heart. Some days I have more hope than sense when it comes to hanging out clothes. The clothes are struggling to dry in the rather damp air. It is not raining but quite cloudy. I think about my mother who had no choice but to hang most of the clothes out because she had no mechanical dryer, just lots of clothes racks that could be filled and refilled. I grew up with a wood furnace so on wash days the furnace was fired up expecting to speed the drying job. Still some things went outside even on very cold days. Sheets went out, but mom would gather them in such a way that she could quickly flop them over the clothes line giving less time for her hands to be frozen. Daddy’s overall also almost always went on the outside line. I remember bringing them in able to stand up on their own with the frozen ice in their veins.

Someday I might look up instructions before struggling with a task. Today I bought myself a watch that has a date on it. It was on the 26 so I just twirled the stem many many times to get to today’s day.
After I did that I looked up instructions for a quick date set on the internet. I could have saved myself many twirls had I done that first.

I had hoped to ride my bike to work tomorrow, but given how close the weather forecast has been to reality, I will take the car. I even got gas this morning.

Someday I hope to be able to spell every word that I want to express. Actually I think that is perhaps hopeless. I did use the word perdition when I really meant prediction in my last letter. I do know how to spell that, but something must have flipped strangely in my brain for it to come out the way it did, or I clicked on the wrong word in the spell check and never looked at it again. I really was not thinking of hell when I wrote that. What I really hope for is an easy way to find the word that I cannot begin to start to spell so that the spell checker knows what I am aiming for. Now that would be a miracle indeed.

Paula

Brave Leroy

Hello,

Leroy called our internet provider to find out if there were a way to lower our new bill. Course I told him, “I think we need to call them, but I do not want to do it.”

After a little more pushing from me, Leroy agreed to take on this task. I was happy because I just dislike making this type of call. He was happy to report that he not only got a deal we will be paying less this year than we did last year. Such a great guy is that Leroy, especially when he does things that I do not want to do.

After telling me the good news Leroy commented, “You should use the new knife sharpener. And check air in the car tires.”

I groaned. Then he added, “I could be hit by a car on the way to work, or have a heart attack, or die in some other way. You need to know how to do the things that I do.”

I agree with that, but I do not look forward to such a time, however knowing how to live all parts of my life would make the transition to singleness easier. Lately I have been taking care of much of our finances so Leroy could use a little experience in that territory. Passwords would be especially helpful for him to have.

Leroy rode his bike today in spite of the prediction of rain. The rain could stop by the time he is ready to come home. I am home so I said, “I can come get you if it is necessary.”

I hung out clothes hoping that the rain forecast starting at 11:00 would be accurate. Unfortunately it started at 9:00, fortunately I thought it was serious rain and brought the clothes in as it continued and became stronger. I hung those clothes on racks so I hung them twice. Do you think they feel well loved?

Paula

How can it be?

Hello,

Sunday morning I walked into the kitchen to get breakfast started. About five minutes later I walked through the same doorway only to feel myself move through a thin cord that broke. “Oh no a spider’s newly spun thread.”

I immediately started brushing at my face where I had felt it glide past. There was no other discernible sensation, but I whapped at my hair, checked on my pj’s and felt creepy with a possible spider rider.

How could there be another spider in this house, I had gotten rid of two in days recently past. Was the word out among spiders that Paula does not clean as much or as well as she once did? It seems to me that spiders put in a bigger appearance in the fall rather than the spring. Is the whole world changing? How will I keep track of what is what?

We got the bill for our internet connection. It was about ten dollars higher than it had been in the past. I remember that when we lived in Chariton the company called one time and talked with Leroy. When Leroy was finished he said with a confused expression, “I am not sure, but it seems we will pay less and have a higher speed.”

That is exactly what happened, but why? We never did learn and we did not want to rattle any cages just in case they decided they had made a mistake.

I thought when I reached the great age of 68 life would hold no more mystery. It is so amazing that it just continues to happen.

Paula

Music

Hello,

Saturday Leroy and I went to the ballet for the first time since living in Bratislava, not that I went frequently while living there. As a resident of the country of Slovakia the arts were a bargain indeed. We miss that. It has perhaps spoiled us for the rest of our lives. The performance on Saturday was too shorter segments from Stravinsky. Leroy grappled with the story line and I just marveled at the strength and flexibility. Some yoga moves were executed at the extreme possible. I had a brief resolve to practice more and challenge myself. Not that I am going to do any of it while on tiptoes. Ouch! We saw and visited with several people in the audience. Guess Leroy and I should get out more.

One problem with that is that we would both like to have more time to ride bikes and we can’t do it all. So this morning I took some time and rode around Cedar Lake which makes a little less than five miles. Baby geese were a delight for the eye.

Yesterday we attended the college bell choir concert. This is just a half mile walk from our house so we both appreciate that. The concert was quite fine with one piece that involved only six students playing multiple bells which did not take so much strength as flexibility and speed of brain and hand. If I remember correctly, each player was responsible for six bells. On the walk home I was a little saddened to see that audiences were much large at the football field and softball fields. Why does watching sports top music? Is it because we are so locked into the idea of competition instead of cooperation, although sports teams do require a certain amount of cooperation within the team? Is it because beauty is not a goal of most of our population? Of course beauty is such a subjective standard.

At any rate Leroy and I enjoyed the performances.

Paula

Tulips and Squirrels

Hello,

A half eaten tulip bulb was lying on the ground close to the place where we planted tulips just recently. A small hole was also noted. I got out the hot pepper and sprinkled it around the entire new tulip area, hoping to keep the four legged critters from snacking. At the rental house down the street, squirrels must not have such a close relationship. Last year I planted a number of tulips there. They are starting to bloom and look quite fine. In the front of our house there are still only two tulips growing. I had very carefully put the best blubs here where I could see and enjoy them. If squirrels like hot peppers it will be a problem of attracting rather than discouraging.

The antics of the squirrels can be quite entertaining. The problem is how to help them know where they buried their walnuts. There are three walnut trees quite close so they should not have run out of the supply. Too bad they do not have a way of planting a flag for a quick reference.

I took some winter/walking onions to the neighborhood meeting. I was pleased that people took them almost immediately. I will have to announce that I could give away bulbs later or just plain bring them to a meeting when I have them in hand. I am happy to report that the squirrels ignore the onions.

Unfortunately I do think the squirrels like tomatoes. Or something takes bites out of them too. Good thing they are cute giving them at least some positive thoughts coming their way.

Paula

Questions before Marriage

Hello,

Sunday at church I went to Sunday school which was held in the basement. It was cool down there. Before it started I got my jacket. Another woman who was also cool commented on it and added that premarital counseling should include discussion of what temperature is comfortable as there can be wide variations. Does that lead to thermostat wars in the home? Who gives in and why?

Leroy and I should have discussed water usage. No one knew it would be an issue. I should have had a hint when I visited Leroy’s home and his mother made the comment, “Some people do not pay the maximum for water, but we do so we can use as much as we want.”

I suspect she was making a hint because I was washing dishes and turned the water off between bouts of rinsing. What she did not know was that my sense of water usage was related to the cistern where it was a matter of running out rather than paying for it. We did have a well, but my parents loved the soft rain water so there was a strong dictum for not wasting water.

Leroy is not a big water waster, but he uses more than I. I do reprimand him from time to time when I forget that he has some rights too. At least here we do not have a bathtub and I do not have to witness the amount of water in there.

Another good talking point might be when is it time to go to bed and when time to get up? A part of that should be must this be done together? I always wanted to go to bed sooner than Leroy did, and get up sooner. He felt we should do this together. We worked that out with little problem. The interesting thing is that now he often gets up before I do. How did that happen?

Paula 

Sharper

Hello,

Finally I bought a new knife sharpener. Many years ago I gave Leroy a nice whet stone. That seemed to work quite well for decades. Leroy does not know what has happened, but in recent months he seems to have lost the art of using the thing. I am totally mystified by that. After reading, from that great source of all wisdom the Internet, about knife sharpeners and the best ones, I finally decided what brand I would look for. I did find this brand at a local store, although it was not the best one listed on the company web site. I still was unsure about spending the money on something that I did not know how it works. Last week when I was in the store it was actually on sale, not a big sale, just five dollars off. I walked around the store talking to myself about the pros and cons of getting this piece of equipment. Such as I want sharper knives, it says “easy to use”, it would get used a lot, it is small so I could find a place to store it, and the clincher if Leroy were here he would already have put it in the cart.

Leroy was indeed happy to see it. He used it almost right away. Now every time I use my favorite knife I exclaim, “It cuts so well.” And mutter in my mind, “Why did I wait so long?”

I had bought a new bread knife the week before. It was marked down to half price, but was still a bit expensive for my cheap standard. I returned it only to see, resting on the shelf one lonely bread knife that was an additional half off the cost so I bought that knife. Each time we use it one of us is likely to comment, “It is amazing how much better and easier this cuts.”

Our old bread knife hardly had any serrated bit left and was an almost completely flat knife. Son Brian complained when he saw it.

We are a lot sharper in this house now. If we can just keep our wits about us all will be fine.

Paula