Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:37 pm on September 23, 2026 Permalink  

  Good Day 

  The air felt wonderful this morning.

  As soon as the grass dried a bit there were lawn mowers going in all directions from our home.  Tom’s Bad Boy mower fit right in as he headed to the acre.

  We had visitors this forenoon into the afternoon.  Keeping in touch seems hard to do  after one year has gone by and then another.  Just extending the invitation and doing it . . . it does work.  Dennis is great in drawing the past out and “remember when” memories.  Obviously the cold salad was a winner to visit over and . . . pass the bowl around one more time.

  Perhaps another visit before too long.

  The dishes have been done and Dennis has talked himself into an afternoon nap.

  A window has been opened on both ends of the house.  The fresh air is so great it makes up for all the noise of the traffic as the shifts are changing at the Swift plant.  Bless those W-2 Form workers.

  The skillet dish of last night’s supper . . . “It didn’t really do anything for me.”  Hmm.  What I could have done to him.  With ground beef at $6.45 per pound, I will be enjoying a snack on this for some time.

  With that I will take my leave. ♥

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   
• 

  Noreen 2:13 pm on September 22, 2026 Permalink  

  Pantry 

  In the recent past, our basement pantry for extra food items has become gaunt.

  Medical appointments are not as frequent for Dennis, thus we found ourselves doing very little shopping at Sam’s Club.  The size of the some of the product containers was proving to be hard to handle.

  A lone can of Campbell’s tomato soup was found in the pantry.  As I decided to take it upstairs, I began reading a recipe on the back.  Hmm.  I could do that skillet dish as all ingredients were on hand.

  Campbell’s Tomato Soup Skillet Dish:

  I lb. ground beef browned

  add, into same saucepan six 6″ tortilla rounds cut into 1″ or so

  add 1/2 cup of water

  add 1 cup Picante, I had mild on hand

  bring to boil and steam for five minutes

  serve and top with 1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheese

  …………………………………………………..

  I put the ingredients, less the cheese, in my blue speckled round roaster and will heat in the oven for supper at 325 topping it with the cheese when it hits the table.  We have some King’s sliders to go with this.  The sliders are sliced and not as large as their rolls. 

  This was worth a try for something different than using the usual stand-by pasta.

  We are getting company on Wednesday.  For the last time this summer season, I fixed the ring/spam/etc. cold salad.  I had the kitchen mess going, so a two-fer was a go.  This cold salad always does well if fixed a day ahead for flavors to mingle.

  Dennis got up from a nap just in time to help with prep dishes.

  The sky, this afternoon, has purple clouds that look as if they are holding rain.  When Dennis took his small gas cans up to DP for Tom’s next mow, he took a whip around the town.  He commented that there was water standing in the bean rows.

  I will let you know how our skillet dish is received.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:20 pm on September 21, 2026 Permalink  

  A Bit More 

  Maybe a bit more rain today.

  The rain falling on the awning over the west windows of my bedroom porch, allowed for sleeping a bit later than usual.  So be it!  I knew that what I had planned for today would still get done.

  By the time I was headed to the studio, Dennis was coming in for a nap in his recliner.  As I walked past him, he was in the process of pulling his huge double layered fleece blanket over himself.

  I had used the Costco card table for extra space on my last project so it would be to the left of my elbow to allow for supplies.  I remembered that pulling out the legs and snapping them in place had been a struggle.  Today, I had my Bernina oil bottle ready.  I pumped in plenty of oil until I could flex each leg easily.

  Many decades ago when aunts were planning a bridal shower for someone, all the aunts would chip in money for a suite of a Costco card table and four chairs to give the bride-to-be.  Then, it was considered to be quite the expensive gift to give, even if five or six aunts had gone together. It may also have been the first table and chairs the newlyweds would have in their home.

  Card tables in our home still come in handy though the vinyl tops could tell tales.  At one time, I had recovered a card table of ours with blue oilcloth.  The Tri-Chem oil craft paints that came in a tube showed forth a spray of flowers to extend the use.

  I am pacing myself in the studio.  Sifting and sorting never ends.  There is nothing that is totally pitched.  I still have thoughts of re-visiting the crafts that have given me much satisfaction.  What I have in the studio has been paid for many times over.  One just never knows.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:21 pm on September 20, 2026 Permalink  

  Brands 

  There is always much fuzz over which brand to purchase for our personal use and within our homes.

  I now know not to do the cheap route on something that is relied on.

  Thursday I wanted to spend some time in the studio.  Force of habit: lights are turned on everywhere followed by KNUJ radio.

  The radio was deader than a doornail.  Batteries had been replaced earlier in the year.  I reached to pickup the radio and noticed something had left a puddle-like substance on the stainless steal tray of the highchair that it sits upon.  When I turned the radio over to pop open the battery compartment, the back was full of corrosion.  Inside the compartment was more of the same.  WTF!  My first thought was that my 35 year plus precious radio was ruined.

  I put some paper towels down on my ironing board and began to take out the four “C” sized batteries.  I used a brush to get out as much of the crumbles of corrosion as possible, finally using an old hand-held hair drier to finish the cleaning by blowing out the remaining mess.

  I had never heard of the brand of batteries that had been in the radio.  I do remember telling Dennis the next time he went uptown to pick up four of the batteries needed.  Dennis on the cheap, had gone to one of our dollar stores to bring back batteries.  Well, in truth, they had allowed the radio to work for a short time.

  Now there are four Energizer batteries allowing the studio to be filled with music.

  You do get what you have paid for.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 3:42 pm on September 19, 2026 Permalink  

  Alert, Alert! 

  Alert, alert!  The MacIntosh apples have hit our grocery store.

  My refrigerator crisper is now holding 21 lbs. of the rubies.  McIntosh are one of the earliest apples and they don’t stay in the store for very long as they have a short season.

  My favorite carry-out, Wan, double bagged the 7lb. bags that the apples were loose in.  He knows me well as I am sure he could envision me getting them onto the house slowly, ready for some run-aways.

  It was time for a pail of vanilla ice cream to find its way into our freezer.  For me, naked ice cream can fill the bill for my 8oz bowl.  Dennis prefers a 12oz bowl with his choice of three different toppings of Butterscotch, Carmel, or Chocolate.

  It was also my weekly fruit shopping.  Pears, grapes and peaches and now . . . my apples.  I had heard that avocados were $.68 each at Hyee-Vee.  I was pleased to buy 5 for $4.00.  The closest Dennis came to eating a grape is when one broke off the vine and he stopped it rolling with the toe of his slipper.  For sure, I could see him popping it into his mouth.  Nope, he bent down, wiped it on his shirt and handed it to me.  What a fellow.

  There was a one-time special of raw, deveined shrimp.  I think the frozen bag will mete out two or three meals for us.  All that is needed is to thaw some out, peel them and give them a toss in the fry pan with some butter.  A nice change of pace. 

  Grocery shopping is my retail extravaganza.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:33 pm on September 18, 2026 Permalink  

  Rain 

  We have been getting some much needed rain coming slow and steady.

  I have been in an investigated search today.  The Bernina chair that the Fairfax team found for me to use in the bedroom porch needed . . . something.  The tilt of the seat has always been slated too far down.  I contacted Gemini asking if the hydraulic cylinder needed placing as the middle lever controlling that didn’t work. 

  The response was great.  Only the height of the chair is controlled by the cylinder.  The huge knob under the seat may need to be loosened by turning in counter-clockwise.  Out to the garage for our huge blue vinyl-handled plumber’s plier.  I tipped the chair and only gave a half turn at a time.  Hmm.

  After sitting in this chair for quite some time, did I feel the urge to address the problem.  It’s kind of like looking at something in your home for a long time, but not seeing it.

  What did then ensue was going into the studio to inspect the Bernina cherry red chair that I bought at the time I purchased my sewing machine.  It indeed needs a new cylinder as there is no adjust for height.  While I had it tipped over, I measured the length of the cylinder.  5.5 showing, so I’d guess the six inch is what I will order as the 6″ referenced weight of max 400 lbs. and that is what the hair was referenced at. 

  It keeps me on my toes . . . our little house does.

  I am waiting in my bedroom porch for our tree man to come and collect his fee for the last job he did.  One large tree on the acre, one large tree here on our home lot, plus a maple shrub growing into wires.  A black walnut branch also needed to be removed.  So it is on the home front.

  With that I will take my leave.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:19 pm on September 17, 2026 Permalink  

  A Day 

  A Day for not much local effort.  I agreed to visit a friend that is down on her luck.  A relationship of ten years has come to an end with lots of pieces to be picked up.

  I cannot do much but commiserate.  It makes me very thankful that my mindset has not ever been that low.

  I stopped at Denise’s Casey’s store.  She is now the manager of one of the three Casey’s we have.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted the position.  I encouraged her due to the fact that being the manager might be a better position than having a manager that treats those under them badly.

  Dennis now has fifteen options in each their own container for what he wants to put in his Bernina breakfast bag.  I bought them, I got them in the house and the packaging for the freezer was his duty.

  The rodeo of squirrels is amazing.  It may be a sign of the winter to come as they are stashing from morning to night.

  The young kids on motorized scooters have more speed going past our home than some four-wheeled vehicles.  They seem to have no fear.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 1:51 pm on September 16, 2026 Permalink  

  The Finger 

  Today my itchy bitchy finger itches like crazy from the bee bite.  Keeping from itching is hard to do.

  I decided to put my garden gloves on and stay busy on this nice day.  Our tree man has done a great job on the huge projects.  Underneath the huge Oak and Maple trees right off of the patio porch is something else and very annoying to the eye . . . mine in particular.  Small twigs and whiley pieces of bark needed to be tended to.  My 6″ plastic rake was just the ticket to rake a nice sized pile with a whole bunch of spent acorns the squirrels had enjoyed.  I had picked up some nice acorns with the stems still attached to the top, less the actual acorn.  I have a project in mind for the studio.  Having what I needed,  the acorns burned well right along with some pine cones.

  The area is black dirt so we got a nice fire going without fear of any harm.  The breeze had been from the southeast and it twirled to every direction but when the fire got going.  I did add larger in length branches to the burning ring for another burn after they have totally dried.

  I did succeed in wearing myself out.  I use both hands to get the raking done while hooking my cane in the right hand pocket to drag it along.  It works so well as a third appendage when needed.

  Dennis was doing well keeping up with the sit-down walker that has great brakes for him when turning around to sit. 

  If the temps continue being mild, we have a few other spots to tidy up.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:15 pm on September 15, 2026 Permalink  

  The Excruciating Pain 

  I cannot believe that my finger is in so much pain and still be attached to my body.

  I was out in the yard picking up small branches ahead of Tom who was mowing the acre.  I felt a sharp pain and I flicked my hand and then I noticed this huge bumblebee attached to the knuckle of my finger and it did not leave.  I took my other hand and swatted it off.  I went into the patio porch to remove a little glob that remained on the index finger of my left hand.  I was very careful to pull it straight up away from the knuckle.  The finger turned a bright red immediately and swelled.

  The throbbing that has ensued out-throbbed numerous surgical areas I have had to recover from.  I went to Gemini for the best solution.  I have none of the serious side-effects that might have been or could have been.  This is the very first time a bumblebee has gotten me.  Wasps once in awhile.  Neither one, looking forward to again. 

  The welcomed cool air may stay with us for a few days telling us September is half over, short by one day.

  I had erroneously bought the wrong yellow apples the other day.  Lemonades are hard and in no way taste like lemonade and also not as juicy as the Golden Delicious.  Too cheap to throw them out and today was the day to have one.  There is no apple on this earth that can taste bad when eaten with peanut butter.  It is a good thing I only bought three.  Soon the McIntosh apples will be in the grocery store.  They are my favorite and I plan on having room in the crispers of the refrigerator to snag them by the 5lb. bags.   

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 1:57 pm on September 14, 2026 Permalink  

  Rain 

  And the rains came for the whole day.  So welcomed and much needed as a soaker it was.  Our front yard immediately took on a wonderful hue of green.

  I can share that our oven meal of last night was wonderful.  The pork loin was seasoned with teriyaki.  The sweet sauerkraut with caraway seeds married great with the teriyaki.  Who would have thought.

  Now that I am in the 4,800 something of posts to this dribble, I tire not of it.  I think of it as a re-cap of singular days.  Forgetting what the day has held is not in my wheel-house.  Each day may very well hold a memory that will stay with me for as long as I can remember.  Each day can never be replicated . . . no do overs.

  It may very well be that the events in a single day holds enough content to be a short story all on its own.

  I remember sitting at a dinner table with Megan and Nicholas decades ago.  Something had crossed my mind that brought to the fore-front a recalled memory.  I was about to speak to it when there had been a comment that there was always another story coming. 

  Yes . . . we should all be so fortunate to have stories in our lives to recall and keep alive.

  Remembering times in my life still allows me to be very present every single day making room for more stories.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥