Sisterly Saturday

Jud and Kara

My sissies

Saturday was market day. The gang went to market to market to buy a fat hen. No...not really. The place was packed - it was hard keeping track of the cherubs - Jud, Kara, Cindy and Betsy. They were still able to squeeze in to sample the wares.

My samplers
 

  Pablo and I purchased:

• red potatoes
• strawberries
• rhubarb (someone made a pie - not me - thank goodness for Laura Goldsmith - she taught Paul how to make crust)

After shopping we headed to Mullets for a bit 'o breakfast. Our cousin Bob Steward met us there - it had been a long time since he'd seen Betsy, Paul and Cindy. Jud had never met him. Nice of him to take time out of a busy day to see us. His dad C.B. was a cousin of our dad - but we saw their fam quite a bit growing up, so they seemed closer than second cousins. His folks were great friends to our parents.

Pic outside Mullets with Bob
 

Betsy's Atlantic friend Julie Hanson came over to visit that afternoon. They hadn't seen each other for many years. They had fun remembering their childhood escapades and catching up. Cindy, Betsy and I shopped at Jordan Creek later that day. On the way home Cindy rescued a turtle crossing the road on 68th street - rounding it up back into the weeds so it wouldn't get run over. I would have gotten a photo but the turtle requested no publicity...

We ventured back downtown to Americana for supper that night. The food was disappointing, but the company was fun. We stopped at the sculpture garden for a picture. Loved this shot - it's how we spent much of the weekend. Laughing.

don't know why the two guys behind us aren't laughing...



 

 

 

He's a mindreader

After 31 years of marriage, my spousal unit is a mind reader. I was just thinking - hmmm, Paul is gone next week. Maybe I should try to make an appointment for a massage. Then I opened my anniversary card - and saw that he'd included a massage gift certificate from my masseuse Christine Davis. Sigh - he knows me like I know myself.

I'm going to miss that guy. He's now gone for 10 days hunting in SW Colorado with his bow for Elk. Stay safe Pablo!



The gang in front of the soon to be completed CR Linn Resource Recovery Facility in Marion
 

Educational viewing area in the new building

Paul took off around 3:15 a.m. today. I'm sure he didn't sleep much before that (pre-trip excitement). Jud texted anniversary wishes last night and asked if Paul was checking his bags 3 times like a good Goldsmith. haha - they (the Goldsmiths in my fam are a bit OCD that way...)

I woke up to say goodbye, and took awhile to fall back asleep. I got up at 5 a.m. myself, to get my stuff done and get to work for a trip to Cedar Rapids. Scott, Jeff, Angie and I spent the day there (and we met our other team member Shelly there) for another Environmental Management System Audit. Angie is replacing Becky these days - as Beck is due any day now with Jolly baby number 3.



We headed to CR Linn's other site near the Czech Village after lunch. It's the old landfill, now closed. They compost there and recycle a number of materials.

Scarab - compost turning equipment



Shingle recycling pile off behind my sizzling hot friends (it was near 100 degrees by then)

We got back to DSM in time for me to report to HyVee Hall on time for my stint at Meals from the Heartland . I had signed up to help after Mass at our church, St. Francis of Assisi on Saturday. I got there a bit before 5:30 a.m., the appointed time - and watched the required video, then donned the hairnet and took off my earrings and necklace.

I didn't get a pic of Bob Stewart - he didn't dig the hairnet look, plus he snuck out a bit early as he's recovering from hip surgery

Here is what the bags looks like before they are sealed

Then I got in line behind another "single". The other St. Francis workers weren't there and I decided to go ahead and get to work! A volunteer lead the other guy and me to a group who was already busy filling bags with rice, dried veggies and a packet of vitamins. I looked up to see my cousin Bob Stewart was one of the workers! Small world. It turned out to be a group of Knapp Realty workers.

I was assigned weighing the full bags of product - they were to be between 390 and 393 grams on the little scale. I scooped rice in or out with a plastic spoon to make it come out. Then the guy next to me sealed it. He was married to the gal across from me who was doing the same thing as I was.  As we talked about her work at Knapp - I found out she manages Diamond Brooke - our Townhouse Association - what a small world indeed.

They have packed over 2 million meals so far during this event

The huge room was filled with groups like ours filling bags. After 2 hours, our group and the one next to us had together filled 46 cases with bags. Pretty impressive. For a half hour or so, a guy played his guitar and sang oldies, including the theme song to the Beverly Hillbillies. We sang along! It was fun and the whole time I was feeling good about what we were doing.

Just over 31 years ago people threw rice at us when we got married. Now I'm packing rice - to feed the hungry I thought. This is a much better cause. I feel so humble to have been a part of it.