Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:43 pm on December 24, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Megan ( 9 )   

  Megan’s Clouds 

  With passing birthdays that Dennis and I have enjoyed, our needs are minimal and having nothing to do with material items.  Each year we seem to live a bit more minimalistic.  It feels good.  The “extras” that we do have in our home are these: that we have an emotional attachment to our own personal history, the handmade items from family, or those that have come from my creativity.

  Families know that our Christmas is a celebration of knowing that those self same families are safe, happy and being good to each other.  That’s all we wish for and that is what we want Santa to assure us with.  Our request is that being thought of is all the gift that we need and we really feel good when family members honor that.

  As Dennis and I ruminate over family members during the course of the year we keep our eyes and ears open.  We get the biggest bang out of doing for some that we hope will be surprised.  We can feel like Santa Claus!  

  At Megan and Nicholas’ home on Saturday after having enjoyed a good meal, the time went to visiting about what was going on in their schedules.  I could not keep up with it, I can tell you straight out.  It seemed ages ago when we could have either one of the two kids or both of them for a period of several days.  As soon as the kids hit school age, the trips to get them from Eden Prairie became less.  We never minded the miles on the highway, we were scoring time with the kids.  Carrie and Jeremy had just as many miles under their belts as we did.  Priceless.

  The afternoon was winding down when Megan came to me with a white bag.  “Grammie, this is from me to you.”  I was blown away and touched to the bottom of my Grammie heart.  Inside the bag was a ceramic rendition of a cloud factory.

  

  Megan’s Cloud Factory

    Believe me there is a story behind this:  Megan was born in a December.  The summer of the next year, Megan could come and stay  without a worry or a bother to her in getting homesick.  Granted, it is a long two hour drive when the little squirmy butt is tied down in a car seat with only mile after mile going by the window in the backseat of our car.  It wasn’t long in that summer that there were two and three word sentences coming from the backseat.  Cruising down Minnesota State Highway 60, out of the backseat came “Cloud factory!”  Dennis and I looked at each other.  “Look!  Cloud factory.”  Megan spotted the sky full of the steam billowing out of the stacks of the ethanol plant right out of Lake Crystal.  Well . . . from then on it was dubbed “The Cloud Factory.”  When Nicholas came along in their family and they would both be in the backseat coming to our home, you know he was tipped off when we were getting close to “The Cloud Factory.”

  Megan Lena turned 15 on December 2nd, which is my Mom Lena’s birthday.  Somewhere when her and her mom were out and about, there to her amazement was a cloud factory just meant to be found by Megan.  “The Cloud Factory” will be the most treasured “extra” in our home for as long as I live.  That little piece of ceramic can evoke more memories than a small library.  I took the card that was with it and the back of that card now has a synopsis of its special meaning.  I tucked that card in the hollow of ‘The Cloud Factory” for it to remain there forever.  Not to worry, I will be building my stash of memories that will involve everyone of my family for years to come.  Some of those memories when I share them, bring a light in their eyes of awareness.  It is in their library of memories as well.  Priceless!

   
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  Noreen 4:36 pm on December 23, 2018 Permalink  

  Not much activity here on Stauffer Avenue. We are still basking in the enjoyment that we had yesterday with Megan and Nicholas. Carrie had a great hot meal that hit all the marks. Jeremy took me down into the basement where he has all the stud walls up for having a finished basement, ready to start stringing the wiring. They had gotten an estimate to have it totally farmed out. Not in the budget. The entire family has been pitching in. A good DIY. As I said, it was a full fun day.

  I had given Dennis’ daughter Sandy a scrappy quilt this summer. Last night I received a text message asking if I could make some pillow cases . . . four to be exact. I have nothing left of the scrappy material that is in her quilt. I did spend some time looking into my stashes. I have pulled out a variety of fabrics to begin the project . . . sometime. The pillow cases will be varied in colors, just as the scrappy quilt was.

  I am going to be treated to a tuna hotdish for supper, compliments of the ole cowboy. The secret to his great hotdishes is: I stay out of the kitchen the entire time he is concocting his meal. No problem with staying in the sewing studio as he even washes up the dishes and pans he uses. I do know it is pasta, tuna and peas with some type of sauce. Works for me!

   
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  Noreen 6:14 pm on December 22, 2018 Permalink  

  Home Sweet Home 

  We are home safe and sound from the metro. Fog and traffic were abound. I am sure many were on the byways of the highways traveling near and far for family gatherings just as we were.

  We were welcomed by Kody’s wagging tail and hugs from Megan and Nicholas. Nicholas took up the saxophone in October. Today we were entertained with renditions of Christmas tunes. Not bad for such few months. What really hit the note was Nicholas’ singing voice. In tune and able to add a bit of his own spark . . . it was fun to take it in and he was not inhibited to belt it out.  Priceless.

  Megan is back on the ice after having to wear a boot for six weeks to let an arch fracture heal.  Her mom says she is right back on track with her routines. The high school orchestra will be taking auditions for the violin seats starting in the 2018 – 2019 school year. She has been practicing hard and I still am amazed that such fine music can be made out of such few wire strands with the bow at different angles.

  I had been stitching for Megan and Nicholas. I keep my ears open and take notes. I then begin the search on various computer sites for the right stitching designs. When Megan was here at Thanksgiving she worked on a comforter for Nicholas since he has begun reading the Harry Potter series. I found a crest of the house in the School of Hogwarts that Nicholas favors: Gryffindor. His bath towel turned out great and he just about bowled me over with a hug. Megan and cats go hand in hand even though she can’t have one of her own due to allergies of her dad’s. She now has a stunning cat pillow that she can snuggle with when she reads or when she is on her iPad. It hit the mark as after coming over for hugs, she disappeared into the family room with it under her arm and iPad in hand.

  We headed for home a bit earlier than we had planned as there was freezing mist that started in the early afternoon. Better to be safe than sorry.

  Carrie and Jeremy will take advantage of the time between today and Christmas Day when they will be having Jeremy’s family over. Hmm. Twenty plus. I couldn’t do it anymore but kudos for those who can.

  Dennis and I are safe at home and enjoying it beyond belief.  It’s fun to go.  I wouldn’t want to miss going.  Today when we visited, even Nicholas said how much fun it is to spend Christmas at home when they have just the four of them.  They get to play board games, have popcorn in the middle of the day, and they don’t have to get dressed.  Grandpa and I agreed.  There is no place like home when the season allows for some quiet time.  From the younger ones comes words of wisdom.  It is the season of peace and quiet.

   
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  Noreen 4:10 pm on December 21, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Janel   

  Good Follow Up 

  Last night before I went to bed, I checked my email.  There was a new email awaiting in the medical portal from the Mayo Clinic.  It did not surprise me when I noticed it had been posted at 8 p.m.  Dr. Eatwell doesn’t wear a watch.

  When I had been in the clinic we had visited about my arthritis discomfort.  It is real.  It is annoying.  It can be quite severe.  The first thing he suggested was to stop taking the statin.  A statin is given for controlling cholesterol.  It can also be prescribed for family history of stroke or heart issues.  That did apply.  My reading for two years running has been less than 175.  The side effects could include joint pain.  Hmm.  The blood draw that he asked for in addition to the regulars, and had taken longer to be processed, was for rheumatoid arthritis and for lupus.  Both can be quite deliberating and need special meds.  Both reports came back negative.    

  The suggestion in the email was that perhaps Cymbalta could be an answer.  I checked it out on the web.  That will not be taken.  It may help joint pain but the first thing that came up was for treatment of depression.  I will pass on that for sure.  I emailed Dr. Eatwell this morning to allow him to know, that for now I will stick with Alive Gel Caps.  If needed I can take up to four a day.  I will try and stick with two after I have had breakfast.  Yes, food intake is important.  So that takes care of that!

  When the mailman came, I could hear he was working hard at getting something into the mail slot.  I went and helped him out.  I love surprises.  There in the slot was wedged a small package that was quite forgiving for having been pushed and shoved and then pulled.  My cousin on Dad’s side of the family had remembered me with a small stuffed pillow for the Christmas tree that she had done in counted cross stitch.  Pretty dang special.  Janel and my brother Michael were close in age.  With the ornament was a wonderful letter of her sharing some memories of Michael.  As I said.  Pretty dang special, complete with me giving the letter a wash of a few tears.

  It was a cloudy day but we were in high cotton as we were getting organized to spend the tomorrow at Megan and Nicholas’ home.  I made sure I had everything by the back door that was to go along for Dennis to put in the backseat of the pickup.  Dennis checked over his little red pickup complete with cleaning the battery posts.  As always the day ends here and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.  Contentment . . . a wonderful feeling that springs from the heart.

   
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  Noreen 5:28 pm on December 20, 2018 Permalink  

  Today was the closest that I have come to doing nothing than I can remember in a long, long time. One trip to pick up a prescription for Dennis was the huge ten minutes outing.

  My sister-in-law, JoAnn, and I did swap text messages and shared a few photos. That was priceless. It felt good. It felt right.

  YouTube videos did take a fair amount of time. I am working up my nerve to try and sew a bag, aka: purse for myself. I fight with finding stuff in the hollows of the last several purses I have had. I like compartments . . . lots of compartments. As in my sewing studio: a place for everything and everything in its place. I am the detail person when it comes to handling items for doctor appointments, etc. I can travel with enough to sustain us for a week. I am close to giving it a try after having finished one such project. The basics will now be familiar. The finer details will need to be thought out carefully.

  This is Thursday night and it is the night for some of the PBS usual shows that I am following. Dennis will be on one of the other televisions watching the RFD channel. I am sure there will either be a tractor auction or a rodeo for him to enjoy. Good stuff all around.

   
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  Noreen 5:23 pm on December 19, 2018 Permalink  

  A Good Sigh 

  When the day comes to a close and there have been some successful moments . . . there is nothing like a good sigh to center yourself.  

  I made a trip to Shopko to purchase a string of clear lights to allow our Christmas tree to shine brightly for the week that is coming.  There was nothing to choose from in any shape or form that would resemble anything Christmas.  Hmm.  I took a chance and stopped at the Family Dollar store.  It was a hub bub of business.  I recognized the store manager and headed her way.  “So you are the one!”  She turned and looked surprised.  “So you are the one that took all the Christmas out of Shopko and restocked it here.”  Rita laughed.  I believe Shopko wasn’t going to take a chance of having to have stock that they would need to liquidate on sale racks after Christmas.  

  Our Family Dollar store is stacked and stocked for anything and everything Christmas.  It was amazing how much stock was still being put out and arranged where some of the shelving was a bit bare.  I did find lights.  Oh . . . did I find lights.  200 lights per box was the smallest amount of lights I could purchase.  For $7.00, 200 lights and I headed home.  I had not put on any amount of ornaments to speak of so it was quite easy to get the tree naked.  Not all of the lights had gone out on our tree, so as I hummed around the Christmas tree, there were a few areas that got double duty.  The important thing is that we have a tree that has lights to be enjoyed every day until the first of the 2019 year.

  It was also a joy to finish the fringe on the afghan.  Any remaining yarn is going to be tucked away and joining a variety of other types of yarn in one of our totes in the sewing studio.  I am not saying no to the possibility of it being pulled out another time.  It will not be a high priority.  The afghan is joining our sofa with a new pillow I had made as part of our Christmas decorations.  

  When Kevin and Kersten had come at Thanksgiving they did not come empty handed.  In one of the boxes was the serger that I have since gotten up and running and in the second box were a few choice pieces of fabric.  Kersten’s mother had thought I might be able to use what she no longer needed.  The bright plaid spoke to me and I knew that there were some cardinals in one of my stitching collections.  Needless to say, stitching on plaid was new to me but has opened up many more options for projects.  Yes . . . taking a deep sigh feels good after a very accomplished day.

   
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  Noreen 4:10 pm on December 18, 2018 Permalink  

  A Good Day Done 

  It ended up being a good day though it felt like a snatch and grab.  I went out to the medical clinic to pick up a prescription renewal for Dennis.  Once the nurse had me in a cubical there was no way I was going home anytime soon.  The nurse had my medical charts up in a heart beat.  I was to have been in the clinic in May of this year and here it was December.  Yes, I was due to see my physician and as luck would have it, I could wait a few minutes and he would be right in. 

  Dr. Eatwell came in and welcomed me like an old lost family member.  When Dr. Eatwell learned I had not had breakfast as yet, the order went in for a full blood work up.  Another phone call and he knew that I could also get in for my yearly mammogram.  Yup, a snatch and grab.  Apparently with Christmas so close, there were people who were putting off their checkups.  Hmm.  Who would ever do that!   

  Dennis thought I had gotten lost.  I had left for the clinic at 9:30 and when twelve noon came along, he was getting ready to dig out his cell phone.  I did get home at 12:45 with everything having been checked and with his prescription renewal in hand.  It was a good way to end the year.

  This afternoon I began working on the last of the work on the afghan.  It’s never an afghan without a fringe.  It is a tedious job but perfect when it’s a quiet day and nothing else is pressing.  I had barely gotten a good start when there was a popup on my laptop that Dennis caught as he was playing Candy Crush.

  All of the lab report was on my site to log in.  The computer portal is really handy.  I was a bit nervous as numbers in lab reports do not lie.  It was a very good report.  Pretty good?  It was fantastic!  Every one of the indications that the five vials of blood that were drawn were in the mid-range or even a bit better.  Whew!  The snatch and grab turned out to have been a blessing.  Wondering is never as reassuring as fact.  

  I am looking forward to a good 2019.  After Christmas I will be getting back to the sewing studio.  Taking care of this lost afghan project has been proven to be a good break.  My stash of finished items to share and give is kaput.  Dennis is happy about that.  As I have mentioned before, he doesn’t mind how much I sew or stitch as long as I don’t pile it up.  Well sweetie . . . the only piles down in the sewing studio are the stick pins that are piled on the magnetic wand.  

  One sad note for today.  Half of our Christmas tree lights are out . . . done . . . dark.  That means a new string will need to be interwound among the good ones.  Hey . . . we are not throwing out the tree.

   
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  Noreen 3:32 pm on December 17, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Jake, Laura ( 2 ), Michael ( 11 )   

  What a Treasure 

  

  The UPS fellow dropped off a great delivery on Saturday. It was from my brother Michael’s daughter, Laura, and her husband, Jake.

   

  Michael had taken up Dad’s love of all things wood, complete with the sawmill on the farm. With the loss of Michael in November, 2018, the sawmill site became silent and perhaps not remain as such. On a visit since that time Laura and Jake had been back at the farm and revisited some of Michael’s haunts on the farm place. Picking up bits and pieces around the sawmill, Laura and Jake began hatching a plan.

  I grew up on the farm that Michael and JoAnn had made their home for 45 years. They knew that I would always refer to that as still my home, as from the age of five on this was “My home.” Michael and JoAnn allowed me that liberty.  Laura and Jake allowed me to have a piece of “My home” complete with all the character that Michael and the sawmill had created.  Looking at the clock I can almost hear and smell the saw blade cut through this piece of Black Walnut  leaving the markings for the life of what had been deemed discarded.  Not so!  This was and will always be special to me.

  This is why the trip to Mankato was essential to Dennis yesterday.  A shelf was in his wheel house for Michael’s clock to sit upon. He needed hardware brackets for a board he had found in our basement. I stayed out of the picture in total in regard to his staining of the wood to the point that he thought it was ready. This morning I had a chiropractor appointment as well as visiting the grocery store. The shelf project was Dennis’ in total, complete to where the clock and the shelf would be within our home.

  When I came home there was a bit of plaster on the floor and a few screws of various sizes on the kitchen counter.  The project had been completed.  Dennis admitted he was wore out.  My poor ole cowboy had worked far beyond his pay grade.  Multiple marks for screws on the board and also a few unused marks on the wall.  A trip to Fleet and Farm for the right screws and broken drill bit also was in his story.  Dennis’ first ever solo wood project and it was the frosting on the cake.

  A clock had been made with unconditional thought and love and a shelf put up out of inexperienced woodworking love for me.  I have said it before, life on Stauffer is sweet.  I am feeling pretty darn special.  The clock and Dennis are definitely treasures.

   
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  Noreen 4:27 pm on December 16, 2018 Permalink  

  Great temperatures in the early winter always brought frolicking to the young calves when they would be let out into the cow yard. We did it so we could get the pens cleaned out before they were like a thick bad mattress. Don’t worry, when they heard the banging of the metal bushel baskets against the feed trough they came in willingly.

  Now what can I possibly put with that for a sensible comparison. Dennis! “It’s nice out.” “We should be doing something.” Dennis was in a great mood and it shouldn’t be wasted. I so agree. When Dennis wants to go, I will get my town shoes on and be ready. Why not. There will be plenty of days when all we can do is put our nose prints on the windows when the frigid temps, ice and snow keep us home. I was ahead of the game. I had the house tidied up and when we would return home, there was leftover hotdish to heat up in the blue speckled round roaster for supper.

  We motored to Mankato in the sunshine. We checked out Home Depot. Dennis is getting very handy in the motorized carts. No toes were run over. We priced out a situation that we may tackle next year. We found some great insulated gloves to purchase for the ole cowboy right next door at Tractor Supply. The gloves were a bit of a sore spot. He had gone out to our Fleet Farm and came home with a pair that he thought would keep his fingers warm. They may do that, but when the gloves are pulled off, so comes the lining . . . of each and every finger. Not good. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that that is what $10.99 will buy you for insulated gloves. Hey . . . there were two layers.

  As we have gone to Mankato multiple times we always marveled and commented on two huge fields of corn that never got harvested. It must have been a total of 160 acres. Today as we went into town we made the same comments. Perhaps a bankruptcy or a death in that family. Well what do you know! On the way home there was a combine in the field making corn dust complete with semis at either end of the fields. Dennis felt better. He just thought it was a sin to leave so much crop out in the fields. We can take that off of our list of concerns.

  We are home. It felt good to come into a tidy home. Dennis has had some extra energy spent and is looking forward to having leftover hotdish for supper. I didn’t even have to bang the cover to entice him into the house. Priceless.

   
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  Noreen 4:00 pm on December 15, 2018 Permalink  

  A Little Bit of Envy 

  The last time Dennis and I were in Mankato, I had a coupon I wanted to use in JoAnn’s before the expiration date.  My need was located in the sewing notions.  I soon found what I needed and headed for the checkout isle.  JoAnn’s is always short of checkers.  The gal ahead of me had a full cart of various yarns of every shade imaginable.  Yes . . . she had her coupons. I was a bit envious.  I could see me in times past using coupons for yarn purchases.  My hands literally itched to be able to while away night times crocheting while having one eye on the yarn and the other on what was on the television.  

  Seeing that gal and her treasures made me think of the kids’ grandmother, Esther Schafer.  She could crochet in her sleep.  The blessing was that the entire time of her later years and her love of yarn, she only had to go out her front door down the short sidewalk, hang a left, go about 15′ and enter the Hector Variety.  I am sure that she was one of their most viable customers for yarn.  

  I am not calling it quits with my 24 crocheted blocks that I am determined to make into a “done” project.  I know if I take it slow, I can get this done.  In crocheting, holding the yarn in the left hand is much like the bobbin of a sewing machine.  That’s where the tension control is.  The right hand is much like the needle of a sewing machine.  I really hadn’t thought it through before mentally throwing in the towel when I first re-discovered these crocheted blocks.  Well, who is to say that the needle might just need to be held in a different way to still make good contact with the tension hand.  The photo on the left is the method I used to hold the hook for decades, that no longer feels good.  The photo on the right allows me to hold the crochet hook to make good contact but does not put undo strain on my right wrist.  It may not go as fast as in times past but it gives me a positive feeling that this long time craft of mine is not lost . . . for now.  When I really looked at the photo I had taken on the right side of this post, I vaguely was reminded of Esther’s hands in the last years of her crocheting.  Perhaps this is how she had conquered some less than good mobility in her hands.  Hmm.    

  I won’t be buying out any bins of yarn in the future, but I may revisit my tote in the basement from time to time and maybe be able to crank out a potholder or two.  I do not want to let go of what I enjoy doing.  As I mentioned a time before, I have become more patient with myself and I give myself permission to take it slower with my projects.  I find so much enjoyment and satisfaction in the outcome.  Life is pretty darn sweet.