Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 6:15 pm on February 22, 2019 Permalink  

  Eventful Day 

  A non-event day for me, but for the three cats . . . oh my gosh!  The leaf blower was put to work.  A large portion of the east patio was clear of all snow.  I settled into Dennis’ rocking chair and left the door ajar so the three cats could come and go for a short time.  When Dennis is home the pickup overhead garage door goes up and goes down, goes up and goes down as he has to check as to what has happened around town.  Dennis is in and out of the service door more times than I can count in one day and evening.  The heating fuel of a “Dennis Day” compared for today to allow the cats to feel safe as they wandered around outside for a bit, came in and cleaned off in between the toes, and went out for more fun.  Many deer smells that had to be taken.  Honey Bunny made it around the patio porch to sniff at what was there on the west patio.  I have not kept anything clear other than the east patio, so the tummy was dragging in the snow.  I have not experienced cabin fever this winter.  I know the cats have, as there are multiple things to pick off of the floor as they have adventured onto many shelves in the garages.

  There was some sewing done today, nothing serious.  The only tidbit I can recall from having the news on was that the word “blizzard” has been touted many times for Saturday night into Sunday.  Oh goody, goody.  I have a squash baking out.  That may be the extent of supper with butter and salt and pepper.  Hmm, there is a tub of herring that hasn’t been cracked yet . . . that sounds good as well . . . but not together with the squash.

  Next Friday will be March.  No matter how much snow we have had, time has marched on.

   
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  Noreen 5:00 pm on February 21, 2019 Permalink  

  The Table 

  Sun shining and whether the temperatures want to cooperate, the birds sure are singing.  Spring is on its way whether Mother Nature likes it or not.  All that I am doing today is working with ice build up right at the back door.  We have a bag called Safe Walk, it is a derivative of corn.  I use it sparingly as I have no idea where we bought it quite a few years ago.  Sprinkle a little . . . let it work.  When the bare concrete shows, I move the slush of it to the next spot.  I know as soon as the sun goes down, ice will materialize as we have snow melting down onto the back door.  Tomorrow we will do it all over again.

  Most of today I have spent at our dining room table.  No . . . we don’t have a dining room.  We have an expanse of an area that serves as a living room, dining room and office.  The table was purchased at a garage sale many years ago.  It was the first table in the home that Dennis and I built.  It needed a new piece on top of quartersawn Oak.  A fellow here in town did a great job on it.  Dennis and I refinished it and it has been in service every day since in our home.  It is called a refractory design as both ends pull out for additional table surface.  Why on earth do we need a table that pulls out to 72 inches in length? For me every home needs a table of serviceable size, even if the two of us use only a small portion of it. 

  When I was growing up there were six sets of feet under a round Oak table.  Untold number of loaves of bread were rolled out and pit into pans on the surface.  School work was done on the table while Mom darned socks.  Mom prepared her Sunday School lessons at the table.  If a home perm was to be given, all the paraphernalia was spread out on the table. Dad spread out and read multiple issues of The Farmer magazine at the table after the milk cow chores were done. The table was an extension of the sewing area as the treadle sewing machine was just a few feet from it.  Card games were played at the table when aunts and uncles visited.  The less desirable duty it served was when I had buckets of chicken eggs to wash so they would be ready for the egg hauler.  Dang, some of those hens would poop in their nests. Yuk!  That Oak table could fill a library of tales.

  No matter where Orlin and I lived, the table was always where we gathered.  When the kids were small, they were tied into the highchair and slid up to the table to take part.  Later on, four sets of feet were under the table for all meals.  The table was used when we made sauerkraut in the farm kitchen in Boon Lake Township.  The kids were in charge of tamping the kraut into the quart jars.  When an apple press was present, . . .  yup, the kitchen table was there getting splattered with sticky juice that didn’t get into the jars.  Poultry was always raised to be butchered for the freezer.  Nothing like a table to take care of the evisceration. As the kids got older, when Carrie and Kevin were home alone during a meal time, most likely it was in front of the television.  Why not give the table a break!  Carrie cut out fabric on the table from patterns that she would put under the needle of the sewing machine.  Kevin used the table when he worked on his Cub Scout Pinewood Derby cars.  Thread, fuzz or sandpaper dust . . . the table took the brunt.  Nicks and scars were taken in stride.  The table was the center of the family.  

  That may well describe why now, on Stauffer Avenue, we have a huge table in a space that could very well utilize a card table.  Our table has scars on it.  A pocket knife seemed just the right tool to try and loosen a rusted screw.  The pocket knife spared the finger and the table got the nasty end.  The rotary cutter that I used for fabric piecing happened to run off of the cutting mat during a time when I didn’t have a sewing studio.  On second thought, a hot pad should have been used to spare the finish of the table.  Who knew that one of the metal boxes that Dennis has spare gun shells in had a sharp corner.  The table, just as our house, is here to be a part of our day-to-day living.  The wear and tear that the table may show can be seen as badges of those who live here or may have visited here . . . our home.  Why would we save it and shelter it so it can remain pristine?  This table, in the home on Stauffer Avenue, represents all the tables that have gone before and makes for wonderful memories of my life worth nurturing.

  Today, I spent the day at the table, cutting out pieces of a project yet to be.  Priceless!

   
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  Noreen 6:58 pm on February 20, 2019 Permalink  

  All In 

  The snow has been taken care of where needed. Nine inches felt like 18. I made a trip to the grocery store after Randy had cleared the driveway.  I am calling it a day!  

   
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  Noreen 5:43 pm on February 19, 2019 Permalink  

  It Still Works 

  This was a red letter day.  No snow to move.  No doorways to shovel out.  In fact, yesterday I took the leaf blower out through the east patio door and blew down to bare concrete is several places of the patio.  I no more than had the blower unplugged and Honey Bunny was out on the bare concrete rolling.  She has always enjoyed rolling on the aggregate rock patio.  She gets a good massage.  There won’t be that chance tomorrow.  

  Realizing that today would have been a good day to go to the grocery . . . I checked . . . nothing was needed.  Some frozen selections of Birds Eye Steam-Fresh items landed into my grocery cart last week.  They are labeled “Protein Blends.”  For Noon I had the California Style.  It was a dish with whole grains, lentils, peas, broccoli and shelled edamame . . . another name for soybeans.  Garlic sauce made it very tasty and satisfying.  I have the Southwest Style left in the freezer for another day. It would resemble a taco in a bowl.  No!  Dennis would have none of this for a meal. 

  With the impending return of my ole cowboy,  The coffee pot had a good healthy dose of vinegar run through it, followed my several pots of clear water.  Hot tea has been my beverage of choice since Dennis left on the 3rd of February.  It surely hasn’t changed my energy level compared to coffee.  There has been enough snow moved by Grammie in the last two weeks to make many, many snow forts.  There is 5-9 inches forecast for tonight and tomorrow. It doesn’t even seem that daunting anymore.  Just another day on Stauffer Avenue.

  As I felt I had a day off from the great outdoors, the sewing studio lights went on.  For me, five days of not hitting the power button on the Bernina is rare.  It still works, it powered right up.  The sewing studio most likely will be my hideout for most of tomorrow.   My hope is that everyone stays safe during snowstorms.

   
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  Noreen 6:26 pm on February 18, 2019 Permalink  

  I Know 

  Today is Monday and I know that from the recent workout from snow removals, my back feels weary.  I know that when I am doing diligence with snow, I have an awareness of how to use my shoulder, knees and feet as all of those have foreign parts.

  Today I know that had not Raymond and Lena taught their tribe to endure, work until the work is done, and make fun of work to keep hearth and home secure, I would be in the same boat as some of my gal friends here in town. They are oh so bored, oh so hurting with minor aches and pains; can’t find anyone to help out, etc.

  Today I know that with some sharing of thoughts from Boon Lake, it is making this winter easier.  We are in the same boat.  Laughing, sharing snow stories and making plans for when the snow is gone.  It’s a very good thing.

  I know I need to encourage myself when self wants to give up and give in.  No one can put sunshine in my days, after all, it is right there radiating form my heart.  

  I know that it was meant to be that Dennis has not been home for this month.  When I play with the snowfalls, I am in and out of the house and in and out of the patio porch multiple times.  Sometimes to catch my breath, sometimes to warm cold extremities, and sometimes to put the tea kettle on for a cup of tea.  Dennis begins and doesn’t want to stop until it is ALL done.  It’s hard to put a brick in an 82-year-old cowboy’s pants when you can’t even catch him when he has the snow blower going.  I also remember some of the lingering aliments from those times.  No . . . this has worked out great.  Being weary is not a bad thing.  It has been a good thing that this Grammie’s ole body is living the benefits of walking and stepping those basement steps each and every day.  Life is good on Stauffer Avenue.

  I did get a scare today.  When I got up and looked out the bathroom window there were kitty prints everywhere next to our doorways.  I mean everywhere.  I was sure I had all three of the cats in my site when I locked up last night.  When I went out to open the patio porch for business this morning, I called for the cats.  Harriette and Honey Bunny came down from the rafters.  No Snuggles.  She is the one that will walk right behind you as you are going out a door and . . . zip, she is out.  At Noon I went out and looked out the back patio porch slider to the east and felt like a criminal.  It was cold out there and their patties are soft from being coddled.  I went about getting some things ready for this evening, one of which was opening a new bag of shell corn for the deer. Clunk!  Snuggles jumped down from the rafters that are over the car.  There she stood on the roof of the car and stretched and stretched and yawned.  The dang cat had had a huge sleep in.  Oh, now she was ready to be so lovey-dovey.  There is a cat out there that really needed shelter last night, but I am afraid, there is not room in the patio porch.  Dennis and I promised each other.

   
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  Noreen 4:58 pm on February 17, 2019 Permalink  

  Good Grief 

  Do they need to be right on target with their snow forecasts!  Dennis has been gone since the third of February.  If memory serves me, there has been snow removal almost every other day.  The three cats are almost catatonic.  They would love to be outside but the little paws are quite tender. Consequently they sit humped up on the patio porch table and glower.

  Most of my portion of cleaning snow along doorways and the front stoop I had done before Randy came.  The banks of snow are getting quite tall.  It’s easier to have it pushed into the path that Randy will blow it up and farther than I can.  Oatmeal sure tasted good when I came in.  I sat down for a bit and it didn’t take long and my head was nodding.

  It is Sunday and I am taking it easy with anything other than snow removal.  Nothing is started in the sewing studio.  When I am at that point, it is harder to kick butt and start something new.  Good grief, the sewing studio was all smartened up yesterday of threads and fuzz.  I am not in any hurry to go and mess it up right away.

  Today Dennis is in Lake Havasu, Arizona.  Dennis and Brett both know the fellow who retired from our area and now lives there.  Dennis said the weather has not been that great as they have traveled.  He was very happy to have long sleeve shirts and jackets with.

  I have found a television marathon on one of the channels.  I am in for the day.  The livestock has been tended and are on their own.  Tomorrow is another day and it is up for grabs as to what will grab my attention.

   
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  Noreen 5:46 pm on February 16, 2019 Permalink  

  The Deer are Snacking 

  It’s 5:35 and there are two doe and two fawn having a snack on our east patio.  It’s a good feeling.  Snow is moving in overnight, they will need the corn to carry them over.

  I checked with the Santa Project adviser.  At a time when we get a path through the deep snow to the back garage, Santa can come into the sewing studio.  With that good decision, it spurred me on to make room in the sewing studio for a time when Santa may be in-house for a duration.  It gives me a good reason to move everything under and around the two church tables.  What would the world be without Swiffers.  The sewing studio is prepared for a time to come.

  My supper will be Green Giant Garden Vegetable Medley Steamers.  A good mixture, and I do believe I have worked up an appetite.  

  I am amazed and thankful that each day holds an agenda to keep me busy, balanced and happy.  Thanks be to God.

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on February 15, 2019 Permalink  

  Santa Jacket is at 95% 

  As of this afternoon, I can safely say the Santa Project jacket is 95% completed.  There are belt loops to attach as well as portions of the lining that need to be made secure.  It has not gone without challenges.  The sewing machine did well and the shortcomings would be within my fingers and hands.  I am 100% sure that the most difficult part of this project is completed.  One inch thick foam had been bought to use as padding under the jacket to fill out the jovial Santa.  On second thought, I remember what happens when pillows age and have foam fillings.  It can get quite nasty.  I now believe that taking my stashes of leftover quilt batting and sewing pillow-type additions would be better to add where needed.  The old fashioned, aged cotton batting that had been used on Santa’s arms, shoulders and body was a horrible mess that fell apart upon touch. 

  The next portion of the project will be taking apart Santa’s hat for a pattern.  The original hat was a rather poor fit.  It didn’t quite cover up the back portion of his head, thus showing off a very bald spot.  Amazon is sending out two different orders of what they call white “Doll Wig Hair.”  The hope is that between the two types we can work with Santa’s beard as well as his hat.  Out goes the beard that is made of the ancient angel hair that is nothing more than fiberglass.  It itches if you even come close to it.  Kevin and I soon found that out.  My hope is to sew some of the hair onto the inside of the bottom of the hat.  That would allow for the appearance of his hair flowing over the collar of the back of the jacket.

  I am thinking that Santa may very well need to take up residence in my sewing studio as the project goes on.  Fittings, when Santa is a half of a city block away, isn’t reasonable.  My advisers will need to be consulted on that matter.  Looking over the velvet material, there is enough material for replacing his pants, the hat and also the mittens.  Needing to shore up Santa’s physical physic would be another reason to have Santa in house.  Fit as we go.

  A new belt was ordered for Santa.  The original belt was of very brittle vinyl that was pulled though a sharp silver metal buckle.  It was a joint agreement that the ole fellow needed to be smartened up a bit with a belt and buckle that he so welled deserved for sticking around for 55 plus years.  

  The sun has been out all day.  We made it above zero at noon to a whooping six above zero this afternoon.  The wind chimes have been tinkling steadily.  I checked on the patio porch critters this morning.  They get the enjoyment of having the house and garden television channel on during the day to allow them to know, they still matter and have not been forsaken.  Later in these days I have been spending time with them before I put the shell corn out for the deer, clean the litter box, and make sure they have food and water.  They miss the ole cowboy that would spends hours at a time out in the patio porch, letting one after another sit on his lap.

   
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  Noreen 4:44 pm on February 14, 2019 Permalink  

  It’s Real 

  It’s a real bummer of a February.  Who bothers with the news first thing?  For me, it is turning my computer on and looking at the weather for St. James.  Today that forecast prompted me to get up and moving to get some errands done uptown.  Snowfall and blowing winds were the impetus.  The streets are ice packed and when you think you are looking at a bare street surface, it is 100% the solution to break through the ice. 

  It was nice to get some groceries in the house.  It was my quest to use up as much of what there was in the refrigerator and freezer as possible before replenishing.  I did have a list and maintained the route around the perimeter . . . less the bakery.  My goal: When I have breakfast, it is to break the fast from not having eaten since the night before.  I choose to break that fast with something other than pure carbohydrates.  Oh the memories of donuts for breakfast, super sweet.  Today I broke the fast with a chicken from the oven in the grocery store.  I was finishing up my grocery shopping and they were just filling the oven with chickens ready to purchase.  It was good!  I made it through the wings and a drumstick.  What’s not to like about chicken for breakfast.

  I did make it home before the 35 mph winds and fresh snow descended. 

  Today was the real deal when it came to doing our 2018 income taxes.  Why put it off.  We have used TaxAct for several years.  Ours is not a complicated return as we have no deductions.  The standard deduction of $24,000 does us well.  We are both over 65, so it adds another $2,000.  It does frost my ass that we still have to pay taxes proportionately on our Social Security income.  It has already been taxed once.  Dah!  I did have to reach out to Dennis in California, as I did not have his driver’s license number.  I don’t remember having to include that last year, but then I don’t commit income tax info longer than it takes to e-file it and print it out.

  Today when I cleared off the back door to get the livestock chores done, the cold bit and it bit hard.  Worse than any day this winter.  Maybe I have become more sensitive than when it was November.

   
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  Noreen 4:21 pm on February 13, 2019 Permalink  

  Gray but Quiet 

  There is not any howling wind.  There are no wind chimes threatening to take flight.  The sky is a morbid gray and I will take that any time as we are having a lull in snowfall and winds. 

  I believe it was the winter of 1973.  We were living in a 14′ x 80′ mobile home in Renville County.  It was a winter such as we have had this last week.  Every time you turned around it was snowing and blowing.  We had a hard time keeping the pilot light lit on the furnace.  The perfect angle of the blowing wind snuffed it out.  It took the home getting quite chilly before we realized what was happening.  During one of the weekends we didn’t realize how bad it was outside until daylight.  Our driveway was completely drifted over.  I am not talking about several feet.  When our neighbor, Bod Dasher, got our driveway blown out with his full sized equipment, Orlin’s VW car couldn’t be seen as it passed through the snow canyon to get to the tar road.

  It’s not quite that bad here on Stauffer Avenue this week.  I was shocked to see the amount of snow the city had piled on our front yard.  Directly opposite of our driveway, to the west, is an alley that runs west to the main area of town.  They must have had a lot of speed coming from the west, going east, and they didn’t stop until they could push it onto our yard.  I did catch on the news last night that they were warning people to keep their private snow on their privately owned property and not push it into the streets.  We just inherited a whole lot of public snow.  Oh well.

  I am cozy in our home.  The snow that blew around from the north yesterday and last night has been taken care of.  Doorways and bins are clear.  I took care of the furnace vent.  I did notice some huge icicles on the northeast corner of the roof.  I’ll see what tomorrow brings as that is not in my cleared path.  Dennis washed his pickup before he left on his trip.  It has been getting great gas mileage and has remained clean as there is about four feet of snow on the south side of the garage where his garage door faces.  We talked about it last night when he called.  As the end of February gets closer and he is close to home, grandson Ryan will take care if it with the Bobcat.  

  No complaints here.  I do think I will make a grocery run tomorrow. I have several books that are due at the library.  I wonder, do they still charge a fine if the books are late?