Summer's end

Today I was looking through my apps and was reminded that I have a blog that I have maintained since 2014, the year that I retired. Hard to believe that 6 years have elapsed since then until I notice my knees, hips and thinning hair. Yes, my hair is getting even thinner and I have even looked up ways to slow that down though I haven’t done anything yet except stop blowing it dry. At least then, I have less hair blowing around my bathroom to clean up. It would be so nice if that was the biggest thing to worry about. My hips and knees have served me well allowing me to hike and dance my way through the last 6 years. Now I need to respect them and keep them healthy so I can continue to do those activities though maybe not so intensely. Andalusia, Jett and Edith.... because I always post their pictures.

What to write about. Most of you know the things I worry about so I don’t need to write about any of that stuff. I’m waiting for my absentee ballot to get here from Texas so I can get it in the mail and cast my ballot. I don’t think I need to remind anyone who might be reading this about how important it is to get your vote in and counted this year. Yesterday, Greg and Peggy hosted a very nice socially distant taco bar in their back yard. It was one of those beautiful fall days here in Minnesota with perfect weather and yellow and orange trees in the background. I have been staying at my sister, Kay’s house helping her out after some surgery (nothing really serious and expecting full recovery). So she and I went. Don met us there along with Ludwig, niece Kelsey and Niece-in law Lori who was there getting some of Peggy’s irises. Ludwig brought some chocolate chip cookies and I gave him some curtains for his basement work room that he had asked for. I got to see Edie who is now Edith and spent a little time talking to her. I again questioned our decision to not allow any physical contact. She is only doing distance learning and not in a classroom. Her mother works from home and probably has less contact with the outside world than I do. Her father, however is a mail carrier and until recently the majority of the people who work in his mail sorting room were not wearing masks. What the hell!! It is because of that that they don’t want me to hug my granddaughter. Anger and then sadness. Last week, Jean came down from Duluth where she is living now to stay with Kay while Don and I went “up north” which is a thing you do in Minnesota. We stayed in the Scamp next to Mark’s garage for 3 nights. While we were there, we went fishing 3 times. Once in South Long Lake which is the lake near which I spent my childhood. The next day we went to Black Hoof Lake up by Ironton where we caught a few bass and sunfish which we cleaned and put in the Scamp’s freezer. Then we went to Gilbert Lake in Brainerd where I caught and almost landed a big walleye. I blame my lack of experience at landing a big fish and poor coaching on the part of my fishing guide for this failure. The next day we took the Scamp up to Duluth where we spent the night at the Duluth Boat Basin RV Park.

The last time we were there we were in the motorhome which was noted by the guy that checked us in. We enjoyed a lovely but chilly dinner outside with nieces Pam and Deb at Fitger’s Brewhouse. I highly recommend their fish tacos. The next day we headed up the north shore but not before going to a brake shop where we had a new rotor put on the rear driver’s side. We took our time enjoying the scenery along the lake shore stopping at Great Lake’s Candy for a caramel apple and ice cream bar. We had driven almost to Canada before we found an available RV site at Grand Marais Campground and Marina where we found a perfect spot for the Scamp. We stayed there for 2 nights before heading home.

We took a day trip up to Grand Portage where learned a little history of the fur trade and drove by the border crossing to see absolutely no activity. So then we came back down the shore and enjoyed the fall scenery from that direction, stopping at Lutsen to see a spectacular show of color on the ski hill. One of the highlights this summer was Elaine’s wedding

which took place in the park a couple of blocks from where we lived in Brainerd. She invited 20 of us for prime rib or walleye dinner at Wings Airport Café which may have been the riskiest thing we’ve done this summer. We ate maskless at a table with someone we had never met before from Charlotte, North Carolina. We enjoyed dinner with Jerry’s daughter Toni.

Pandemic Living

So, this morning Don asked me, “What do you have on your agenda today?” “Well,” I said, “I have several things that I could do today but nothing seems to be worth the bother.” I rambled on about needing more exercise and getting the valence made for the bedroom window. But I said that I started a list yesterday but lost interest in it and just worked on a crossword puzzle. I might do that again today. But instead, here I am writing and that isn’t on my list. I have to admit that I started the computer with plans to research window darkening shades for the bedroom but this is how that ended. I think that we have finally reached retirement. The workshop is largely finished except for managing the dust and Don is doing the research.

Andalusia

 I returned from 15 days with Kelly and her tots in Philadelphia and am still adapting to peace

Kelly and Jett

and quiet and missing those children. I sure wish they lived closer. It was good to be useful and enjoy almost 4-month old Andalusia and almost 3-year-old Jett. I got to witness Andalusia making her first roll-over and Jett “reading” stories about Andalusia. Not to mention hanging out with my daughter and going on long walks with her. What treasures I have for memories now.

I flew on an airplane. Back in March when I realized I could not safely fly to Philadelphia when Andalusia was born, I thought it would be that way forever. I did some research and came to the conclusion that airports and airlines have made changes to make it mostly safe to fly and that Delta had the best practices so I went with them. Cleaning the plane well, everyone wearing masks, and no one in middle seats. Almost everyone in the airport

was wearing masks. So I flew on a half full plane from nearly empty airports and no lines at security. Not sure how long the airports and airlines can sustain that level of use. When I got off the plane in Minneapolis, Don met me and we went to Peppers and Fries to watch the Minnesota Twins opener. It was almost like the olden days except for sitting on the patio and no crowds and having a masked server but we did have a really good hamburger served to us at our table. When the Twins scored a home run, the few patrons inside the restaurant roared their approval. It was a beautiful warm summer Minnesota night.

At Peppers and Fries

My brother Ludwig was there as we expected and came to sit with us. We could see the game through the front windows of the restaurant. 

Our place in Texas appears to have survived the hurricane intact. At least that is the report from Palmdale. They had a lot of rain and some pretty strong wind gusts but apparently all of the car ports and sheds stayed in place. Hurricane Hanna came in about 60 miles to the north of us so we did not get the brunt of the storm. I am hopeful that if/when we return in the fall, we will find everything on the inside dry and clean. Still a lot of hurricane season to go this year.

Back home in Coon Rapids we plod through the days doing or not doing whatever seems to be most pressing. There is still plenty to do to finish moving in but nothing that can’t be put off longer. While I was gone, we got a new high efficiency furnace and air conditioner installed and a new skylight. All of the 10 units in the Tulip Street Homeowner’s Association got a new skylight because some had started to fail last year. Don finished getting all the storage built for the workshop and unpacked the rest of his boxes of tools and materials. He also brought in a part of his woodpile that had been sitting on our patio for the last couple of months. The remainder of the woodpile is at my brother’s farm up by Brainerd and he has plans for getting that moved into our basement by the end of the summer.

The shop

The wood pile

Before I left, I made enough masks for Greg so that he could get a clean one every day. Now, I’m getting used to the idea that this may be the way of things for the years to come so I plan to make some improvements on masks and possibly add at HEPA filter (cut from vacuum cleaner bags) that can be inserted in a pocket on the mask. That might offer even better protection for the person wearing it. Greg is a mail carrier so he is one of those essential workers that has to go out and expose himself every day. I can’t even touch my own son or his daughter or wife. I was fortunate that when I was at Kelly’s, she agreed that I could hold her baby and play with Jett. I did take a shower and scrub myself good as soon as I arrived there putting my clothes and mask in a garbage bag for a few days before I washed them. I did not take those precautions after I returned home. It didn’t seem to me that the risk was there. Hopefully, that turns out to be the case.

My little sister is getting married this summer and she included us in her very limited guest list. So, she will marry the guy whom she met and fell in love with this year.

Elaine and Jerry

By my calculations, she is not quite 60 years old but of all the people who have found ways to get through this pandemic, I think she has found the best path yet. I look forward to welcoming Jerry into our family. What we need is a new brother.

My brothers and sisters

Don said that while I was gone, a family had a little wedding in their back yard not far from where we live. I started thinking that some of these little, inexpensive weddings and funerals that are taking place, might be more memorable and meaningful than the extravagant events that occur during “normal” times. My brother Jake died in June and we all gathered at the cemetery where my parents are buried to commemorate his life and let him go. It was as meaningful and helpful as any funeral that I’ve been to. I think I’ve written about Jake previously in this blog. The difference for me now is that I don’t have to think about going to see him every year and know that his spirit is free now.

Jake

Edith and her Mom- because I have a picture of
Edie in every blog post! This was at the physically
distanced 4th of July picnic.

 

Pandemic 2020

April 9, 2020 – Pandemic

There is much to write about but not much writing in me. While others have been inspired to write poetry, to give of themselves and find great strength and new wisdom in this experience. I have none of that. I’m just mostly trying to be sane and get by. Maybe something will come later. For now, I’m just taking care of myself and Don and keeping my environment sort of clean. To be sure there has been plenty to keep my busy. We closed up our house in Texas, drove for 3 days and opened our house in Minnesota which does feel much safer. The drive north was nerve wracking for me anyway. We had to spend 2 nights in hotels. We mostly ate food that we brought with us. We had to stop for gas and use public restrooms. Went through a lot of Clorox Wipes and left most gas pumps cleaner than we found them. Then we drove through winter weather through half of Missouri, Iowa and Southern Minnesota. Made for a long day but we were bound and determined not to spend another night in a motel. Brother Dick traveled with us till Mason City. He was towing his little camper which didn’t want to trail well so we mostly drove around 62 MPH. We were towing a trailer too, so had to stop for gas about twice as often as we would have with just the car. We made it and it’s been almost a week and none of us are sick so it looks like we made it. 

April 17, 2020

Today, I combed my hair when I got dressed because the Culligan man came to service the water softener. I wonder how long it will take whenever this is all over for me to stop washing my hands like I’m preparing to perform surgery. My personal care has slacked off. There is no reason to wear a bra anymore and I occasionally remember to comb my hair. I no longer bother blowing it dry and try to bathe every other day whether I need it or not.  I really haven’t left this house since we got home except to go get the mail. Don, however, makes occasional trips to buy groceries or to purchase materials for the construction project we have going on in the basement to create a wood shop out of the dungeon area which is below our garage. We have daily contact with our children and grandchildren (which now number 3)

Jett - The big sister

 Andalusia Yseult Schlessman - April 7, 2020

Edith enjoying a spring day.

though we don’t get to see any of them since we are among the “old and vulnerable”. The weather is going to warm up today and soon I will venture out to walk in the park which is near my house.

The construction project is keeping us busy and providing us a productive workout opportunity which they say is important when you are stuck at home. It also gives us a chance to use our brains and solve problems which I guess is also good for us and hopefully when we are done, we will have a nice little shop to putter in. 

The only company we have are service guys. So far, we have had the cable guy who outfitted us with badly needed internet service and the Culligan man who looked at the used water softener we are purchasing and proclaimed it just fine. Next will be a refrigerator repairman because our refrigerator is not freezing our food. These guys, of course, all create risk for catching the virus. They make me nervous though Don assures me that I’m over reacting. I hope so.