I am a retired 44-year veteran of the Real Estate Assessment field. As with real estate assessing and how it applies to real estate taxes, one can make many acquaintances, but not many real friends. It was a great career choice.
It has been nearly 10 years since I reclaimed my home and my real passions within my home. I enjoy it more each day and tip my hat to those who I left behind.
Each day I try to stretch myself with the use of my computer as it relates to this site and using it to print out labels for quilts for trying to incorporate photos into my sewing. Life is so full and I know that I have room for more.
Aunt Lorraine came with an agenda, Her daughter Chris had bit off more than she could stitch. Today Lorraine and I picked out tons of stitches in order to make the quilt top want to lay down and play nice, We didn’t quite get it done today . . . tomorrow is a new day and our fingers will have gotten some life back into them.
Of course this post would have been more realistic if it were a video. Snuggles got up on the patio porch roof via the potting shed roof that is adjacent to the east roof line of the patio porch. We were enjoying morning coffee when Dennis noticed a shadow playing on the umbrella. Realizing the shadow was a cat, Dennis got out of his chair to make a grab for something! About that time Snuggles began running around the perimeter of the umbrella trying to figure out how to do a feline graceful exist. His weight began the spinning of the umbrella as he went from one segment to another just like a tilt-a-whirl at the fair. Before we could do anything but have our mouths hanging open, the umbrella took the easy way out and tipped over with Snuggles taking the ride down to the patio as if he did it every day. Life with pets can be an action film. No harm no foul for the cat or the umbrella. The base of the umbrella now has a huge rock to assist in its stability.
The over 80 gang (referring to their age) gave the tractor a good look over. Dwayne, with suspenders cinched, had to take a good look down under. Dwayne had the International Harvester dealership years back in St. James. Dwayne, Lyle and Dennis are all within a year of each other. Of course this trio shuffled over to the patio for coffee and Rice Krispie bars for reminiscing of days when Dennis had just come home from Korea and these three would frequent the Fox Lake Ballroom. This age group is becoming quite unique in our community. The good Lord has called many home.
I wish I may, I wish I might . . . have more days like today. Getting the acre in tip top shape on a beautiful day such as we have had today, makes it fun. Dry air, no mosquitos with low humidity . . . perfect.
Late this afternoon, brother Calvin called from Iowa for a great visit to stay caught up. Decorah is not so far away, but too far to pop in the car for a coffee break. This worked out just fine.
Dennis has several appointments: one with the former International Harvester tractor dealer to give a few tips for the mower on his Lo-Boy, and a Monday date out at the welding shop for a few tweaks on the mower. Kevin has a shop manual in the mail to Dennis for all things important in the mechanical department of the tractor. Busy days . . . fun days ahead. This beats the medical appointments that had been the norm for Dennis of late.
Dennis is happy, I am happy . . . perfect way to head into the weekend with more wonderful weather predicted.
I was sure the cool temps this morning plus a brisk breeze would allow me to go out to the backyard and pull some weeds. I had my garden shoes on and in no time I had mud clumped to them. Our backyard may take a whole bunch of time to dry out. As long as my shoes were already muddy I stayed the course regardless of the mosquitoes. I did have about 10 minutes before some little bugger sounded the alarm for the attack. My arms and neck have ridges.
Late forenoon I came in and tidied up for a trip to Mankato. Three months ago via Facebook, I took notice of a group of machine embroiderers that were getting together to share and vent. I have enjoyed getting together with kindred spirits . . . all for the love of stitches. Machine embroidery can be enjoyed by anyone . . . all that is required is patience. I have only been working at this for two and a half years. I still have so much more to learn. Being curious to find ways to accomplish what is the ultimate end result is very rewarding. Trying to put a time frame on a project . . . that is so not happening. For some of my larger projects, I couldn’t even give you an estimate of the hours that it represents.
Yesterday I had caught a television show that was having a discussion on Alzheimer situations. It also mentioned dementia as many of the symptoms are similar. At the point where individuals may be brought in for a diagnoses, one of the first items that the medical teams take note of is the speech of the individuals. Often times those who are afflicted have narrowed the choice of words that are used in their conversations or the number of words in a sentence become less and less. Well, my kids . . . I don’t think you need to be concerned at this time. I am still quite wordy. Priceless.
In times past the adjacent lot had a house fire. The house didn’t make it and we bought the lot for the detached garage. It does sit at the far corner of our acre. A good stretch of the legs to get to it. As it was a separate legal description it does have a driveway right up to the doors. It houses the 1966 Ford convertible, lawn mower, two wheel trailer and many other goodies. Dennis was off with his tractor to locate a bud that does welding. The mower deck needs some repair and Dennis is going to have that fixed before he takes the mower off of the tractor. I headed to the back garage with good intentions and my electric leaf blower. Tidy, tidy is my motto. When Dennis returned home I had a chair for him to sit in and an area more than large enough for the Lo-Boy tractor. For the time being the tractor will be in the garage up by the house as Dennis tweaks, tinkers and cleans. We don’t have the city water connected for our back garage and I know that would be a hardship when deep cleaning is needed. For a short time my car will be parked in the driveway. My objective for the day has been met and Dennis gave me the remainder of the day off. Sweet.
After all the medical Ps and Qs have been met for Dennis, it was only a matter of time before he began hunting for a project. While Dennis was feeling less than great with his health he was interested in checking out coins. Now being mobile in his little red pickup there were greener pastures to check into. This 1968 tractor just happened to be available. The mower was thrown into the deal. Dennis was going to get it home via a trailer from the neighbor but soon realized the width of the package was 60″. What to do? Bring it home by driving it. All this took place while I was on a road trip up north to retrieve Mom’s sewing machine. When I got home there were tails to be told. Dennis had is bud following behind him with the trailer empty. They reported that it drove well. It came with a new battery, tires are good and are turf tires, complete with new belts for the mower. What a deal! There will be tinkering, cleaning and more cleaning. It will be a good thing for Dennis to get his hands dirty and check all things that move on this tractor. It would not surprise me that in time to come Dennis and the Cub Lo-Boy will be doing the round-a-bouts up town just like the fellows in their golf carts.
Today I traveled north to pick up Mom’s sewing machine that I had taken in for repair. Repair people for sewing machines are much like your family doctor. You know them, you trust them, and when you have a good one, you make sure to give them your business.
I knew Hwy 4 would have a detour as they are putting in a round-a-bout into one of the heavier traveled intersections. I decided to take the detour. Oh my gosh. I was taken from Renville County to Redwood County and then through a portion of Brown County before I was reunited with HWY 4 back in Renville County. I felt as if I had been traveling for days.
The sewing machine has been retrieved, I got some good tips from the Bernina gal and I walked down the sidewalk and checked out the quilt shop. I had taken several fabric swatches with and picked the creative juices of the gal. She was very helpful and it will make my time here with my aunt Lorraine next week go quite smoothly. Interestingly enough, the quilt shop is for sale and my Bernina people are trying to work with the city’s Economic Development so the Bernina Shop could move down the block a bit and purchase and combine the quilt shop with the Bernina Shop. Each of these businesses have added much to the small town on Hwy 212. I hope it works out for each of them.
When I returned home I drove within a mile of the detour and took several miles of gravel roads to work myself around the detour. In that area, there seems to be very few roads that go around sections of land squarely, but meander. My detour on the main detour was still an experience, but it worked.
It’s great to be back at home and enjoy what seems to be several nice days coming.
Last week there was a wind that came through on the early morning hours of Thursday. A rather large limb from the top of the Hackberry Tree on the east edge of the acre bit the dust. Nothing else showed any signs of the wind. Hackberry is a very dense wood and by all accounts it was not rotted in any manner, that limb was green and wet. Man . . . Dennis and I both grunted when we were going to drag it home. To the rescue came Jan, the next door neighbor, with her little electric chainsaw. Enough of it was cut up to make it dragable. It will be some time before it is dry enough to burn. But . . . we didn’t mention that to neighbor Bob who has the burning pit. While Dennis and I were having egg salad for noon lunch, Bob had the limbs drug to his burning pit and there was smoke . . . a lot of it. It may be in the burning pit for some time. Perhaps the fire that Bob did get lit will hurry along some of the drying. Most had best be cautious here on Stauffer Avenue. Neighbors young and old pull together. Priceless.
What a great day today. Dennis and I were outside till mid afternoon. Yes . . . that is when the mosquitoes got the news that there was fresh meat about.
In passing this morning we were visiting with the next door neighbor Jan and Dennis relayed to her that he had been out at a farmer friend’s home and the farmer had the worst infestation of moles ever. The entire yard was infested. Both the neighbor and us were thankful we weren’t bothered by them. Dennis and I got busy and before long the neighbor was back. She invited me to see her front yard lilac bush. Oh my gosh! There were actual rings around the lilac of mole activity. The ground was like walking on sponges. She was shocked. There had been none when she mowed last Saturday. Jan went out to Fleet Farm and returned with treated peanuts. I watched as she took her trowel and channeled down on of the holes until the trowel hit the loose tunnel . . . and in went several of the peanuts. When I left Jan she was really peppering multiple holes. Dennis and I will be on the watch.
I did get Dennis’ flannel quilt hemmed this afternoon. Got that done and tidied up the work surfaces and the floors and shut down the sewing studio for the weekend. Ya . . . I say that but in a heart beat that could change. I like options and I have many. Tomorrow may be another day of us being able to spend some time on the patio.