Bags

Hello,

I try to take my reusable bags into the store to avoid getting more store bags. Most of the time I am successful. However, usually I manage to get enough that I can put one in the kitchen wastebasket. Amazingly, this week I did not have a plastic bag that is the ordinary size from the grocery store. We do have a small supply in the garage so I had to go get one from there. I feel that I am winning when I can do this. One of the stores that I frequent often has marked down produce that I snatch up, take right home, and use. Consequently I am acquiring a number of smaller white paper bags with handles. I can use those in the bathroom wastebasket, but I get more than one a week or so it seems since my supply is growing.

It is not always easy to live life in a world where supply and demand make the perfect match.

For some that goes for sleep too. Leroy is home now taking a nap before we eat and then go to church. I am not sure how long he would sleep at night if he would be just allowed to go at it. As it is his naps sustain him through many evenings.

I went to a garage sale this morning since they advertized sleeping bags. Also it was almost on my way to the store. The bags looked fairly unused. However, this woman thought they were down filled bags. I felt them and disagreed so she looked at the label to learn that they were not. The brand was nothing special. I called Leroy to get his opinion and he said, “Do not get them. That is not a good brand.”

After I got home I went to that brand’s website. I was happy to have passed up this bargain as the bags did not cost much more new, than what she was charging.

Paula

Bills to pay

Hello,

I gasped a little when I saw the credit card bill. How did it get so large? Usually I wait for the notice that I can look at the statement, but yesterday I went immediately to the website so I could verify the bill and all its contents.

In the end it was all our expenditures. I had forgotten about paying the income tax preparer as well as a donation that we had made to the seminary. Then there was another donation so it all added up to the usual amount spent on more regular things.

There is something about that plastic card and not knowing just how much has been spent. Somewhere in my brain I keep a list going so I am seldom amazed by the total. All in all I am thankful that we had enough money on hand to pay that bill.

This morning Leroy and I did the final step to process our passports. I was impressed at how easy it all was at the county office. We did have the form filled out ahead of time. The person at the desk checked forms for accuracy of completion. I had not filled out a part that asked who to call in emergency as well as a couple places so they would know that I wanted a book and not a card. Neither of us had filled in a spot that said travel was in the future.

We had our pictures taken there with that new technology the pictures were ready in just minutes. We wrote a check for both passports and had the county mail it for us. We did have to pay for the cost of the pictures as well as the postage. All in all I thought it was a good simple deal. I remember the first time that I got one and all of the requirements of time and effort. Technology does simplify our lives in many ways even though I still hear people complain about it if something goes wrong.

Paula

Brilliance or Not?

Hello,

This morning I thought of some brilliant statement and an idea for writing to you. But I did not make a note about it. Consequently when I sat down to write this afternoon my brain seemed to be not only not brilliant, but a tad dull. After stewing around for some time, walking from room to room looking for that thought, I realized that it was not coming back.

So I made some phone calls that I have been putting off. I needed to check with our insurance supplement to learn just what is covered in the wellness exam. I had called to make an appointment last week for just such an excursion, but the Doctor’s office would not book the exam until they knew what it covered. For some reason that day I was unable to reach the insurance company.

It takes quite a lot of courage for me to make these calls so I put them off as much as I can. When the letter writing did not happen it seemed there were no further excuses. The call went through right away and it was really painless, but I was sweating quite a bit by the time it was over. I am not sure that I can explain such, but I do not really like to use the phone. I next called the office and made that appointment. While I had my courage up and running through me, I called the eye doctor. Just as we were talking about when I might come in, I realized that Leroy needed to be my driver because they wanted to dilate my eyes. I had no idea when Leroy would be able to do this so I had to get out of that conversation. Now courage is needed another day.

A compliment for Leroy, when I talked to him about my angst about making the calls he listened with a note of understanding rather than giving advice or saying it would be alright and what is so hard about that. He is learning something the older he gets.

Paula

Passports

Hello,

Our passports expire in September. Even though we have not planned any out of country trips at the moment, we, especially Leroy, like to have it ready perhaps so we can leave at a moment’s notice? Leroy picked up two forms at the post office. I filled out one, half way, only to realize that I had made a mistake in putting in the date. I used the dd/mm/yy form that I have adopted since we have lived in Slovakia. The form was asking for the USA method. I thought if a person were reading this form I might get by with it, but a computer is perhaps only programmed one way. Leroy will now have to stop and get more forms for himself. He did say, “I thought about getting extras so we could make some mistakes and still get it done.”

In my defense, it makes such sense to me to go from the smallest date unit to the largest unit. The way people in this country use the mm/dd/yy system is not truly logical. Who set it up that way in the first place?

There are other illogical ways of doing things in this country. I do not know how we got such a cumbersome linear measuring method rather than using the easy to learn metric system that is based on tens which is understood so readily. It means more time is spent teaching such things in school.

I also learned, while in Slovakia, that our money system is also not as easy as other systems to know how many coins equal a dollar, etc. again money comparisons is almost not taught because it is so clear and easy to understand. After all, what relationship is a dime to quarter? Size does not help because a nickel is larger than a dime, but worth less. Why do we not write on our coins, using a numeral, the number of cents it represents? One of the Slovaks told me about how difficult it was to know what coins to use when visiting the USA.

We certainly have no national or cultural philosophy that feels visitors should be helped with any of this. Instead we expect them to buckle down and learn our ways as well as our language.

Paula

Sunday for Leroy

Hello,

Leroy was a participant for all three services this morning. Perhaps it is because that felt like a day of work rather than a day of rest, he vacuumed this afternoon. What he did not know was that I had shared in my small group that I do not do house work on Sundays. Because he was doing that vacuuming I moved some small things off the floor such as a foot stool and our book baskets. Then I departed some more from my Sabbath rule by shaking our four throw rugs.  Ultimately I realize that I cannot blame Leroy for this as he did not even ask me to do it, but I do not like to vacuum without out moving those small things.

He had talked about vacuuming yesterday, but tells me now that when he thought of it he did not feel like doing it, hence the delay. Leroy had a “to do” list in his head and we managed to do all of the other items on that list.

It was quite fine to walk to church this morning because the wind was at my back most of the time. I wore my tallest boots, mostly because they are comfortable to walk in and because I anticipated melting on the way home so the waterproof quality would be an asset.

Many people had shoveled their walks so it was a grateful person who went by sending good wishes their way. The places that were not clear were fine if no one had walked there and I just sunk into the snow, but the frozen footsteps were a bit more treacherous. All in all, the walk required concentration along with giving some physical exercise. Leroy tells me that he thought he did not need boots so on the early morning way to church he walked in the street much of the time. On the way home it was more challenging as there was more car traffic and he had to use the sidewalks where both snow and water in the crosswalks presented problems.

Paula

Snow Shoveling and That Lantern

Shoveling and that Lantern

March 24, 2018

Hello,

Leroy and I went out at 7:30 to shovel this wet, heavy, spring snow. It packed well as it dripped into piles. It was definitely exercise! I noticed that our neighbors, one set who seldom shovels, had already been out. “Look at that,” I exclaimed, “They have already shoveled.”

“I am not surprised as I heard someone shoveling at 4:00 this morning.” Leroy responded.

Life is full of wonders.

After about three hours we went back out and again shoveled that cement sidewalk which we could no longer see. I am thankful that we did not wait much longer as the snow was again heavy with increasing wetness. It has snowed since then, but there must be enough heat in the sidewalk to keep it melted because it is still clear.

I almost feel nervous about admitting it, but I like snow, especially when I do not have to drive anywhere. We were aiming to make snow people, but that did not happen. In spite of the snow being packable it did not want to hold together well enough to make people. I settled for a snow bunny. Leroy took a picture, but there is not enough contrast in the snow colors to see it clearly. Here is the link so you can guess what you are looking at beside my boots. 

Leroy did not understand that the lantern was only seven dollars. He had understood me to say that it was seven dollars off. He did not talk about it, but I will go to the service counter next time I am in that store and see if they will take more money from me as I do not feel right about it. Then I can sleep more comfortably.

Paula

Camping Lantern

Hello,

Last week I bought a camping lantern that was on sale. It required batteries. The next day Leroy and I were out shopping and discovered a lantern with a rechargeable battery. After an extended discussion that seemed like the more practical item since we like the idea of rechargeable. This morning I took the first lantern back and purchased the second. At the self check out station I was astonished to see that the charge was a mere seven dollars because on the shelf the price was listed at something over $20. There was a store worker in the area. I caught her eye, she came over, and we discussed possibilities. “I believe this should have been over $20” I told her.

She looked the slip over and noted that it said the proper brand of lantern. She thought that it was probably on sale and no one had put up a sign.

I brought it home, but I feel a bit guilty as I cannot imagine that the sale price would have been so low. I am still wondering what to do. Should I write the company?

I am a bit ashamed to say that if the difference had stretched in the store’s favor I would have pressed harder for a solution, perhaps even insisting that someone go and check the shelf or check the barcode. I really do not want to gain from a mistake, but part of me really wants to gain. Oh that human nature that I carry around with me has more sides than I like to admit. Stuff down and hide anything that I do not like about myself is one of my operatives from time to time. Leroy, who toes the ethical line much more firmly than I do, did not really comment on what I should do about it. Do I just like to “get by with something” and pretend it never happened.

Once when Leroy was in the seminary, the bank somehow gave us about $10 (This might have gotten a week’s groceries.) more than they should have. When I went back to correct the mistake it became a big time consuming deal of tracking it down as I had brought it up about a week later. It almost seemed that it might have been better if they had not known about it, although they did tell me that it goes on the teller’s record so that person would have been happy to have it corrected.

Paula