Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 1:57 pm on May 5, 2024 Permalink  

  Sunday, May 5th 

  This afternoon the ole cowboy and the Cub drove up to the BP to fill the fuel tank.  It was a good site.  Yesterday both garages got the floors washed down.  Having adequate garden hose makes it easier.  I will say, Dennis has been on a role.  After we had a light noon lunch, he is on the zero-turn.  I have no idea how much of the 2.2 acre will get mowed.  I will say he has been sleeping good.

  As for me, I am moving from one spot to another here on the first floor.  It’s a matter of arthritis in the lower back that is persistent in bucking.  It began yesterday.  A haircut and a pedicure can’t be accomplished for me without sitting in the chairs designed for such services.  It’s nothing new, it just needs to be respected for a day or so.  The good thing is, is that it doesn’t prevent me from getting a good night’s rest.

  The mail did bring the sticky stabilizer yesterday.  Sometime later this week, I will work on the remaining oven mitts and pot holders for Megan.  I really enjoy the scope of things that I can become enmeshed in.  It makes for a balanced day.

  Tasty left-overs for supper.  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:49 pm on May 4, 2024 Permalink  

  Spa Day 

  When the hair get cut after a month long of it growing, it feels oh so good.  Couple that with a pedicure, truly sweet.

  Yesterday there was some updating for Word Press that was needed.  Kevin set up this blog quite a few years ago so my kids could keep track of what I have been doing and what I am up to in my daily life.  Other than a short hiatus after my stroke, I have been fairly consistent.  When Dennis and I are out and about and I will not put out a blog, I text Kevin so he knows there is nothing wrong that would have prevented me from having the written word published.  I have no idea what setting up this blog entailed.  I just remember what the admin of it, Kevin, has told me to do to be able to take photos, load photos, down-size photos and hopefully label them.

  When we came home from our spa day, the kitchen’s aroma was welcoming.  When I had had a doctor visit in Mankato last week, I purposely went to Wal-Mart to visit their meat department.  I picked up a complete meal for our crockpot.  Kevin’s had brought us a beef meal for Christmas and it blew my Betty Crocker apron right off of me.  How handy to have veggies and meat contained ready to go.  Today we are having a pork roast meal in the pot. 

  Yesterday’s mail brought me a new hand stitching hoop.  The ones I had been using were from . . . a lot of times gone by.  Stitching always goes smoother if the fabric is taut and the next hole that needs thread is easier to see.  Good grief.  I struggled to hoop up my fabric.  Talk about a tight spring with which to hold the fabric.  I walked away from it once and then by golly, try, try again.  The fact that the new hoop was bright blue helped the determination.  The old one is the pink one.  I positioned it so I will have a fairly good area to stitch before I need to set the hoop again.  I know we have a small pipe plier that I may find for continued success.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:14 pm on May 2, 2024 Permalink  

  Thunder Boomers 

  We have had a fair amount of rain, but this early morning was a first for thunder.

  What I would call remodeling of our home has been accomplished.  We had four new blinds put up at Easter and a lightening of the load in the attic.  Sweet. 

  What Dennis and I accomplished yesterday was the frosting on the cake.  Dennis’ recliner was of a imitation leather-look.  It was shedding more than his three patio kitties.  It had had help covering up the worst and that help held, but there was more surface to be tended.  As of this early afternoon, the chair has been refreshed.  Amazon to the recue.  It did take the both of us to achieve success in working with and against tough elastic.  Dennis commented how it brightened up the room.  Yes, it did.

  Onto an update of the studio.  I have sticky stabilizer coming in the snail mail to complete a few more potholders for Megan’s kitchen in Virginia.  How fun for her and her three friends.  Actually, as cool as it is, the studio is a bit chilly as well.

  Our chicken oven meal will be doing a repeat performance this evening.  There are some potato chips from the bottom of the bag that will be crushed and added to the top for an additional taste.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on May 1, 2024 Permalink  

  The Rest 

  Today is the rest of the story of yesterday’s Mankato visit to Dr. Saraff.  There was a general discussion of activities on my home-front.  No, I have no pain in my day-to-days.  With my mind and body moving from the time I get up, I shared that weariness took over about 9-10 in the evening, I would be ready to call it a day.  No, I do not have heart beating fluctuations.  No, there was no need for help in our home as Dennis fills that bill.  I have no restrictions on my activities, except . . . heart-raising activities no longer than five minutes in duration.  Saraff suggested multiple short quiet times in my days to rest the mind and body . . . I didn’t comment, but that is easily done in my bedroom porch perched on my cherry red chair.  I was very pleased for the time he had for me.  His philosophy is that being self-reliant is a good way while you can do it.

  That was what yesterday held and what a great feeling it brought.  Caution each day still is on me to stay in a good place.

  The meal for the day is a chicken oven dish.  Diced boiled carrots, diced green beans, sautéed chopped onions, pasta, chicken and Alfredo.  The kitchen with the sautéed onions has been wafting great aromas that will only get better when the oven works its magic.  Good eating with enough boned-out chicken to plop into a freezer-bag for another time.  Dennis worked his magic by covering the surface of the oven dish before it goes in at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours with ground pepper. 

  The grain elevator must be calling in contracted corn.  The semis have been coming and going for most of the day.  

  Thanks be to God for a time of peaceful reflections on this gray and chilly day.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 4:03 pm on April 30, 2024 Permalink  

  Home Sweet Home 

  Home after an appointment with my cardiac doctor.  It was a one stop in Mankato and heading straight home after.

  My doctor was impressed with the result of the lab work I had had done here several weeks ago.  He commented that for someone my age, 80, it was unusual for the total lab package to read so well.

  I will be seeing him in six months, but only after I have had the Echocardiogram here in our clinic.  The TEE, swallowing the camera, will be decided after I see him.  He stressed the aortic bears watching.  I am all for doing whatever is needed.

  That is all I have to report.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:57 pm on April 29, 2024 Permalink  

  Much Gray 

  It sounds like we are going to have gray skies for the majority of this week.

  Once a year Dr. Gio in radiology wants to see Dennis and his legs and feet.  Today was the day at 9:30 this morning in Mankato.  The foot, less the toes, has healed well.  Dennis does have a stint in one of the arteries below the knee in the left leg.  Dennis was asked if he would do an ultra-sound at our convenience to see how well the stint held up.  Last year at this time it was a newer product.  May 9th the ultra-sound will be done.  Regardless what the ultra-sound indicates, no further surgery would be planned.  Last year the process went from the foot up the leg to place the inflatable stint in.  The groin area where it is usually done had too many occlusions, blockage.  The wire is tricky in that a perforation of a artery would be followed by a bleed-out.  Dennis is very content as things are.  Today, again, they mentioned the miracle of healing.  Dennis didn’t know it at the time, but the next treatment would have been an amputation.  Thank the Lord. 

  With the addition of the hospital and clinic in Mankato, there is more walking to get to where you need to go.  We are blessed that 45 miles to Mankato is medical expertise.  Tomorrow I see my cardiac doctor.  Every six months is doable and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I will keep you all posted.  My appointment is in the mid-afternoon.  The post on this site may be a bit late.

  Of course while we were in the big town, I had a list for Sam’s.  The price of 152 Tide pods was the same as the 45 pods I had bought here in town.  The lightweight 19lb. of kitty litter that equals 42 lb. is usually on the list.  There was a run on rotisserie chicken.  Three pound chickens for $4.99.  We will have one supper of chicken, potatoes and green beans and then save the rest of the boned-out chicken in the freezer for an oven dish sometime later on.  I have Dennis eating a Cutie orange every evening.  Literally sweet.  That and unsweetened apple sauce is about the limit of fruit that he will do.  There also . . .  5lb. of Cuties for the price locally of 3lb.

  Last night, Dennis came home with a pizza from Casey’s.  That indeed was a treat as Dennis doesn’t do pizza.  He knew I would enjoy it and by golly he did also.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:47 pm on April 28, 2024 Permalink  

  Happy Sunday 

  It is a happy, wet and green Sunday.  There is greenery showing itself everywhere.  In fact some of the greenery has a bit of light lime green showing, indicating it is very soaked.

  This was the first of two weeks of the Odin Craft Mill in Ormsby.  It had been three weekends long up until this year.  Over time, people either don’t feel the need to fill their homes with what someone else has created, or their homes are full of items they have no emotional attachment to.

  Yesterday when Dennis’ Sue was here, she sat in Dennis’ recliner.  She mentioned how sad it was that the finish is peeling off.  Several years ago, Kevin fixed up the arm rests with vinyl.  Before Easter, Dennis and I took the Gorilla Duct Tape to it.  I took Sue’s suggestion and I have ordered a fabric cover for the recliner that indicated that this model of covering could be used for it having electric buttons on the right side.  Worse case scenario, it can be washed if soiled or the chair ceases working.  This chair . . . so much for shopping locally.

  Dennis’ cousin Bruce was here this morning at nine, and by then we had two inches of rain.  We have had rain since.

  It may well be an old wives tale . . . but this damp weather is killing my back and hips.  I keep moving from one place to another, not sitting anywhere for long.  No studio for me today.  My electric heater is operational if I stay in one spot.  By moving around working on projects, the heater cannot affect the overall feeling of cold cement.  There are other days coming.

  The shrimp and baked potatoes for supper last night was very tasty.  Dennis had bought 5 lbs. of white Russet potatoes.  Very dense and good for baking.  I put Ranch Dressing on my potato and Dennis had butter.

  It’s still a bit too early to put out the calkboard for tonight’s options.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:52 pm on April 27, 2024 Permalink  

  Busy Day 

  Dennis’ grandson, AJ, came for a Saturday forenoon visit.  Those two fellows never run out of topics to discuss, hash out or solve.  It does Dennis good.

  This noon, we got a call that Dennis’ twins plus Sandy’s Tom, they were in Windom heading this way.  They had been in Sioux Falls where Sandy’s daughter, Chey, won her fight match.  I do not remember what it is called.  The fight encompasses, kicking, wrestling, hitting, etc.

  It is now mid-afternoon and all is quiet on Stauffer.  Sandy and Tom live in Mankato and Sue lives in Silver Bay and will stay over at Sandy’s until Sunday.

  I did get my oven mitt sewn back together.  My first embroidered one and not without a few oops.  My design could be said to be upside down.  I wasn’t too bothered by the placement of it . . . measure, measure.  I am bothered by the speck of sewing machine oil I got on the mitt.  That I might try to get out.  I have three more mitts.  I have several more designs.  What I don’t have is any more Stabil Stick.  Hmm.  I did order it yesterday when I realized what was required to get the job done.  The hand does slip in and allow for the user to grip an object. Considering this was a new venture, the fear of the unknown has been met.

  Tonight for supper we are having cooked shrimp that will be heated through and tossed in butter and a baked potato, sliced with cheese and bacon bites within.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:35 pm on April 26, 2024 Permalink  

  Slosh, Slosh 

  This for sure is more than a drip, drip day.  When the patio has water standing on it, we here on Stauffer Avenue are out of the drought.

  Today is the ultimate challenge in the studio.  How could I not make up some items for Megan and her three friends when they move into their first apartment sometime in May.  The kitchen theme is succulents.  Megan had been growing succulents her entire time in high school.  When she worked at the Mustard Seed Nursery, she would save the petals that fell off of the succulents, take them home and start new plants in a dirt mixture that succulents like.  Once the plants had a good start, she would sell them to classmates.  Sweet.

  This morning, we worked together to put extra bedding up on the shelves that Kevin put in for us in our one and only closet.  Dennis’ arms are stronger than mine.  The kitchen step stool with wide steps was used.  Dennis got up on the second step, so I could hand quilts and such off to him while putting my shoulder against the back of his legs for a secure feeling.  This transpired as Dennis really likes sleeping under the feather/poly filled comforter with the flannel duet encasing it.  He still has the electric mattress pad set at the magic number of 3.  Needless to say, Dennis needs the max of warmth while sleeping.  Both of us appreciate the ease of dressing the bed each morning.  A good flip and all is smooth and ready for the next night.

  Today I deconstructed an oven mitt potholder.  I needed to do that to emborder a succulent design and still allow the user to insert the hand in while using it as the potholder.  As the potholder would not fit into a hoop, I used a stabilizer called Stable Stick.  After the stabilizer is hooped, you use the sharp point of a scissor, score it and tear away, revealing a sticky surface to hold the area to be stitched on.  Success.  The fabric where the design would go, needed to be taut on the sticky surface for the tension of the design to stitch.  You may wonder how I know this?  I tried using pins to hold the fabric surface to a non stick product.  With the fabric not large enough to hoop and tighten to be a taut surface.  No go.  Taut was needed for correct tension stitching.  I wore myself out to the point it was time to surface to our main floor.  For tomorrow, after removing the stabilizer, I have chosen the gray thread that is sitting on the sewing machine to use when I sew the bias tape binding back around the entire pot holder.  Putting it back together might be as large of a challenge as embroidering it was.  Time will tell.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:06 pm on April 25, 2024 Permalink  

  The Fields 

  The farmers are out in full swing before the weekend of promised rains.  

  The strong winds from the southeast has some field dirt winding its way into town.  It makes for a hazy look.

  In our small home, when one item is moved into better utility it guarantees that five other items will also be moved, either going down to the studio, or coming up from the studio.  I am gaining on it.   More importantly I am in this to win it.

  I will say that each day, I hope to hear from my dentist that my bottom appliance has been received and we move onto the four extractions.  Ish!  I hate pain.

  The end of April is soon upon us.  In these first four months I have achieved much.  Some of the achievement was making our work being done smarter and safer rather than harder . . . oh, I have fallen and can’t get up.  I have noticed that Dennis is no longer apprehensive getting on to the zero-turn as he was last year.  Of course it was his idea to have Randy put on the grab bars.  Tee hee.

  Security in my life has always been important.  Many times I had no control over that security.  It warms my heart knowing that within this tiny home, I have physical and financial security at the age that I am.  Thanks be to God.  I have been able to help son’s and daughter’s families when needed without hindering our day-to-day life within this sweet tiny home,  May it be so for a very long time.

  With this I take my leave.  ♥