What’s up My Sleeve

Hello, When Leroy and I pick black raspberries, we need to go into some very brushy places. We wear long sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats. Because of ticks or other unwelcome critters, we do use some bug spray, especially in the areas where something might climb aboard. At home we take off our clothes in the stairwell for some privacy, but it is not in the apartment proper. The clothes are thrown out the door into the porch. When decent we hang the clothes on the clothes’ line outside. Usually, they stay out overnight. One day when I put the shirt back on, I noticed a little tickle in the sleeve. Absentmindedly, I rubbed it before ignoring it. However, from time to time I would be aware of the tickle again. With a tank top under it, I finally took it off when it seemed more persistent. Wow, what is this? It turned out to be a rather nice medium sized moth. So much better than something that might sting. So much better than a tick that might give Lyme disease. The cucumbers are weeded. The sun talked loudly after a bit so I came home. There were three different types of kale in my bag for us to enjoy. Someone gave us a cabbage. It is quite large so we can eat it for days. Are we rich or what? Paula

Storms or Smoke

Hello, Even in the middle of the day, it is good to have a light on. It is not storming here, but it could. The smoke from the Canada fires is seriously in the air. What is in smoke? Some people are having difficulty with respiratory issues. Fortunately, we are okay. One good thing about these times is that most are well supplied with masks. There has been some learning during the pandemic. In an hour I will go to the garden. There is still a chance of a strong storm that could get me quite wet. The rain would be quite welcome. It will be good to pull some weeds and put down more newspapers and mulch. Not as many people have helped in the garden so there is more work to do there. For some reason I have not spent so much time there either. Partly it is the daytime heat stopping my enthusiasm. Today is not so hot so I hope to make some progress there. The garden was weedy. The bean row looks quite a lot better. Some weeds did not pull from the roots, but tore off. Later weeding is in the cards. Only managed to get one bucket full. By that time the temperature had started to climb. I was quite sweaty before I got home. It seems that I should go for a short time every day. That would certainly make a difference. It is satisfying to pull weeds and look back at the cleared area. Paula

How much Fruit

Hello, I volunteered to bring a fruit salad that would feed 6-8 people. Yesterday, I learned that there were half the expected salads so a very large salad was needed. The empty container seemed large, but not impossible to fill. Ten apples, one pineapple, four pounds of strawberries, a large bag of grapes, one box of blueberries, four bananas, and one cantaloupe seemed adequate in the grocery. Even last night it looked fine with all the whole items. This morning after ten chopped apples only covered the bottom of the container, tension mounted. The pineapple was only average so it did not add much bulk. An extra apple helped. The strawberries added some more. The grapes seemed to take up a nice amount of space. The cantaloupe contributed as did the blueberries on top. Because bananas turn brown, once open, they went to church in the natural state. I took along some wounded pride as I started to explain that I did not know how much fruit was needed. At that point, I was told it was ok as there were really six more salads coming and this amount was plenty. What a relief. Even though we often cut up produce for our consumption, there was barely enough time to get this done. Deep breaths were needed to create a calm heart and mind and keep my fingers out of the way of the knife blade. I did not stay for serving, but helped to pack it all up to be transported to the serving site. There is much satisfaction in helping. While at church outdoor plants were watered. We had a disappointingly small rainfall this morning. Paula

Time with some family June 27, 2023 Hello, We returned yesterday from a quick trip north. We had a few reasons for that trip besides the appeal of seeing family. Our honey supply was getting low. Brian had some more to part with. Because it was cool, we got a little closer look at the bees. They are such interesting creatures. Bee keeper seems like a fascinating hobby/job. Brian wants quart canning jars and I had some to spare. If I knew what was going to happen in the community garden this year more might be spares for me. Last year there was only two canners of beans. We also got a chance to see Miriam for a short time. She was in town for time to spend with her college friends. She brought us two more bags of oatmeal; did I tell you about the oatmeal adventure and flying? Leroy had a backpack that he had not brought back so she brought that as well.

Brian and Jen have a rental house. Leroy and I had a look at the inside of it while there were no renters. It is nice, but we are still hesitant to move. The new renters will be there two years so that decision is still some time in the future. As always it was just nice for us to connect with some of our children. Sophia was not home and we saw Logan for a short while. Paula

No Bugs for Breakfast

Hello, Leroy and I went out before breakfast to pick black raspberries. The big deal with going so early was to beat the heat. We did well, but there were not as many berries as in the past days. That was ok because we were both tired and ready to come home. Before we left, I insisted that Leroy eat a bit because he gets low. He was again hungry by the time we got home. This time we cleaned the berries with an extra eye on the bugs. Hopefully we got them all. We did the usual trek to church to water there. On the way home stopped at the garden and watered just some of it. We are concerned about the seeds that have not sprouted yet. Leroy did go out one more time to get the last of the newsletters delivered. No more hot walks today. I did wash and hang a load of clothes, that was hot enough. I need to pick up a filled prescription at the drug store, but that will be my walk tomorrow. Leroy is going to walk to work so I can pick him up when he is done. I will try to remember to deadhead some flowers around here and to water the home garden. Tonight, we go to a bell concert at a church that is fairly close to us. We did go out in the car this afternoon to take advantage of a six hour sale at a gas station that is close. It was great, the cheapest gas we have seen in a long time. Paula

Unsettling Meal

Hello, This morning we had started to enjoy our breakfast of oatmeal topped with granola, apple, banana, and black raspberries. I had had several mouthfuls when I looked down to see a moving spot which became a black bug. I grabbed the hard-shelled critter with my hand, yelled “a bug”, dashed downstairs (we live on the second floor), unlocked the door at the bottom, ran out of the porch and flung that unwelcome guest away. When I came back Leroy commented, “You are certainly lively this morning.” I sat there and looked at my bowl searching for more visitors, finding none I did eat, but with not much joy and a bit of trepidation. To think, we put our berries through three waters before we declare them clean. This bug so closely looked like the berries and it could have hidden in the hole that is there from detaching it from the vine. We will pick again tomorrow morning when it is not so hot. Certainly, there will be more careful looking as we clean these berries. I not like the idea of pesticides on my food, but I am also not ready to welcome bugs. Some issues are hard arrive at a peaceful solution. Paula

Serious Books

Hello, It is the longest day of the year in our hemisphere. Now days will start to have less daylight. One nice thing it will not be noticeable at first. Usually, it is a month before it is obvious to me. I have been aware of the shifting sun when I pull curtains up and down. In the past, I have read many serious fiction books. Serious enough, that Leroy would wonder how I could do that. He reads for escape and those feel-good feelings. I have learned a lot this way. But now I find that I cannot read these books that can be disturbing, late in the day or I have trouble sleeping or unsettling dreams. Right now, I have two books that are not calming books. The third book is nonfiction and it is just fine because it is more philosophical. It shows the better side of human nature than the worse that a person can be. I have also been reading more books that help me laugh. I do not have any of those in the house right now. Consequently, I am playing more games on the computer. Guess that is my escape. I remember one of my Slovak students told me that his mother used to read serious books, just as he did, but now she was reading mostly romance which he found a little disturbing. As if she had crossed into something less edifying. I have not quite gotten to romance, but humorous is very nice. This was an intellectual guy who preferred English books and would get in trouble in the Slovak classes because he was reading them when he should have been paying attention to science or math. I have not kept contact with the guy so I do not know what he is doing as an adult. Paula