Yard signs are up and, boy am I impressed!  This strong show of support truly lifted our spirits as we were out door-knocking this evening.

It was awfully fun to knock at a door and be greeted by an immediate request for a yard sign.  (Up until today, we’ve been doing the asking!)

First off tonight, we visited with 93 yr old Molly (names changed).  Molly apologized for her attire but explained she was just about to work outside in her garden.  Last year, a minor medical problem convinced her to let the neighbors take over the mowing.  Obviously robust and competent, Molly was fun to chat with.  She’s retired from Collin’s Radio, and grateful for her pension and benefits.  A self-proclaimed penny-pincher, she joked about cutting corners and coupons. It was rather astonishing to hear that her hourly rate in 1945 was 23 cents!  Today, she barters with neighbors- home baked goodies in exchange for trips to the grocery store. I know we may have spoken too long with Molly, but you know what?  93 yrs of age deserves a slightly longer visit!

Later, we met Ruth, a pleasant soft-spoken woman whose husband had died a few weeks ago.  After 51 years of marriage, she’s finding all the paperwork and tasks that often accompanies a death, rather overwhelming.  Recently, an inside door in her home locked shut and she couldn’t figure out what to do.  Once again, a neighbor came to her aid.  It took a Skill saw and some ingenuity to remedy this problem.

We also chatted with Dan as he was out walking.  His 2.1 mile route is a nightly routine around the neighborhood.  We thought it would be neat if he’d do a lit-drop for Art as he was out walking, but Dan didn’t take the bait.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” seemed to be the theme of the evening, and it was only fitting that we capped of the night with a neighborhood coffee for Art.  We met more terrific people concerned about Iowa and Iowa priorities- jobs, health care, education, safe environment, etc.  – things we all value for ourselves, our children….and our neighbors.

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