Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:33 pm on December 24, 2017 Permalink  

  It’s Christmas Eve. A magical night when many parents are working their hardest to complete all the plans that they have put upon themselves to . . . be ready for what they hope will be memorable for their children in the morning. Memories don’t need to have huge price tags on them. Often times they are the most innocent of words and extra long hugs that radiate love. At the age of 73 I am just as excited for my children as when I was in my thirties and forties. Being a Mom never changes, it knows no age, it does mean boundaries. Just a step or two back . . . not too far . . . to let them be the adults that you take such pride in.

  Being a “mom” has always been the greatest and most gratifying reason for being in my life. That’s not to say I have not stumbled a time or two and disappointed them. Each of us has an innate spirit within us to survive what comes to us and at us each day. Was it the best I could do at the time . . . I don’t have an answer to that as I cannot be objective. I do know that after the calendar pages have been flipped, the calendars have been replaced with current ones, I still am a mom to two amazing kids. Yes, they will always be my babies.

  The baby born in the stable, the Christ Child, born just about this time, was born to save the world from all those like me who have a hard time being objective about ourselves. My babies were born to me as the greatest gift that God could present to me. They are my pride and joy. In their lives they may also need to fight with objectivity at times. I will always be their mom and they will always be my babies. How can Christmas come and moms not know why we rejoice in anticipation of being a family at Christmas time.

   
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  Noreen 5:25 pm on December 23, 2017 Permalink  

  Many Years – Many Memories 

  Today was a day of putting on the radio in the sewing studio listening to Christmas music and cleaning up of wandering threads, spools of thread in various colors and oh my gosh . . . stray pins.  It was almost necessary to go out and get Dennis’ magnet that he uses when we have had a construction project going on the outside of the house.

  I have been taking time to e-mail some of my cousins with wishes of a Merry Christmas.  I do keep up with several of the younger generation as well.  Two of Orlin’s nieces sent heartfelt messages when they received the quilts Dennis and I sent.  Remembering a Schafer Christmas at Grandma Schafer’s in Hector . . .now that should just about take biography of some sort.  Ester’s children, I swear to God, were not born with filters when it came to verbalizing.  It may be in the genes, God help us.  Frank, Elroy and Eugene were the three that could really make the rafters of the old home shudder.  Everyone had an opinion and the sarcasm came as easy as breathing.  Times long gone, many Schafer family members are gone.  There are many more wonderful memories than not.  The nieces and nephews are scattered, but with e-mails it’s still a wonderful thing to send out Christmas wishes.  I would like to be a mouse when in receiving such a wish, what memories are evoked within themselves.  It’s all good

  Several of my favorite Christmas’ were when we were farming and Carrie and Kevin were quite small.  Christmas morning was always a fiasco when the kids came down and Santa had been there.  My parents popped over one Christmas morning and we were all still in PJs.  It didn’t matter.  Kevin was strutting around in his dad’s new cowboy boots trying to stay upright.  Carrie was engrossed in the features of the Barbie Doll camper.  It’s all good.

  My dad loved Christmas.  He was handy in the workshop and he gave my mom all the time she needed in her sewing room.  Instant coffee was always ready with a Christmas cookie or two to go with it.  Having grown up in a predominately German speaking home, “San-tee Claus” is how “Santa Claus” came out of Dad.  Maybe the German dialect influenced it.  Doesn’t matter, I can still hear him say it.  It’s all good.

  I still have a few more e-mails to do this evening.  I can never wish too many Merry Christmases.  Dennis and I have been in the San-tee Claus mood for some time.  We’re just hanging out, taking it one day at a time and feeling very humble and thankful.  It’s all good.

   
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  Noreen 5:35 pm on December 22, 2017 Permalink  

  Dennis’ Collection 

  We all have things that become a collection when we least expect it at the onset.  In 1974 Dennis became the owner of a Hesston Belt buckle.  The buckles were not sold, they were given to the farm implement dealers to hand out at will.  Somewhere along the line a buckle was acquired by Dennis every year.  Here we are in 2017 and Dennis has each of the years.  We had bought a belt buckle case at one of the trade shows in Sioux Falls.  We never ever thought that we should have bought two at the time. 

  Dennis’ friend Doug offered to make Dennis a second case.  Today, we . . . the older ones on Stauffer Avenue, with not a little bit of a challenge, got them on the wall.  The type of wood that Doug used or the stain on the case is not of any concern.  The buckles are out of the plastic bin and each has a spot in the belt buckle cases.  We have a lot of window reflections from the south windows and thus I couldn’t stand exactly in front of the cases for the photo.  They are each of the same size. I have no doubt that as Dennis put the buckles in place there were memories that fleeted through Dennis’ mind.  Currently we need to keep the implement dealer in Sleepy Eye in the forefront of our minds each year.  When we stopped there last week and Dennis picked up the 2017 buckle, the fellow did comment that they don’t received as many as they had in times past.  What is noticeable in the buckles is the quality of metal and detail from 1974 to the present.  The first was very simplistic with not even the year on it.  Somewhere along the line the buckles began to represent the Hesston sponsored rodeos.  I used a photo of a belt buckle that is within the collection to show the rodeo influence.  It’s a collection that now has a life of its own and is ever growing.  I believe there is plenty of room yet to be filled.

   
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  Noreen 4:37 pm on December 21, 2017 Permalink  

  Today was my first day of driving with blowing snow for the season. When Aunt Lorraine was here in June, she and I cut scrappy quilt blocks to no end. One of the quilts from those scraps I quilted and sent to Orlin’s niece Evy who is raising her three grandchildren. Sometime I will seek a bit more information as to how that transpired. I received a wonderful thank you email and she did post a photo on Facebook of the three little ones under the quilt. Sweet.

  The second quilt that came about from those scrappy blocks turned out to be a king sized quilt top. I knew I had a free quilting job coming from Old Alley Quilt Shop on Sharon’s long arm quilter that I could use on that quilt top. King size is a lot for me to wrangle around even with a great sewing machine and a good setup around the sewing machine. I had taken it to Sherburn the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Sharon called from Old Alley yesterday at closing time to let me know the quilt was done and they were closing today at noon for a long Christmas break. The snow was setting in when I got up this morning and I knew there was more coming and then frigid temps for the time after Christmas. I was home by eleven this forenoon and knew there were no more items to take care of out of our home for Christmas Ho-Ho-Hos.

  Dennis and I have just come in from clearing the driveway. Most likely about three inches of white fluffy snow has arrived. With the two of us and our plastic snow pushers it didn’t take that long. Now for some planning for supper and we can call it a very fine day indeed.

   
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  Noreen 5:46 pm on December 20, 2017 Permalink  

  A Fine Day Has Been Had 

  I do believe in honoring medical notifications.  Today was the day I turned myself in for my yearly Mammogram.  The mammogram has never bothered me as much as some women have gone on and on about.  Mid afternoon, I got a call from the radiologist at the hospital and all is well.  There was no difference in the images from last year.  I had been able to see the images from last year to this morning, not seeing any difference, but coming from the one who knows what they are looking at brings peace of mind.

  Aunt Lorraine is spending two weeks in Minnesota for Christmas, coming from Arizona.  This morning we chatted on the phone for an hour.  She is staying at her son Mark’s home southeast of here close to the Wisconsin border.  We had not made plans for one on one as both of us had plenty on our plates without a long road trip.  Lorraine is a joy to visit with as we share our thread and fuzz experiences.  I mentioned to Dennis that I hope that when I am 87 I have as much zest for life as she does.

  I have been treating myself to toys recently.  A bit ago I shared that I had bought an additional hoop for the embroidery aspects of the sewing studio.  Well, I also bought a new acrylic Mylar sewing table for the top of the sewing machine.  The surround surface that came with the sewing machine hung onto the sewing machine by several clips.  Leaning on it with a quilt was not a stable experience as it would give.  This surface has feet . . . who would have thought!  I can tell you from first hand experience it is solid with a much broader area for projects to rest upon.  My Santa want list is now finished.  This Grammie is content, happy and will go forth sewing into the new year. 

  By the way, Dennis has not been left out of the Santa gift bag.  Too often we have been at medical appointments and Dennis needed his medical identification cards and I would hear, “They were in my other wallet.”  A new leather wallet that Dennis chose for himself to encompass all of his important cards will be here on our door step by Friday . . . and a new white t-shirt was also needed to keep him looking smart.  

  Neither Dennis nor I want for anything.  We believe WE HAVE IT ALL!  Our home is cozy, warm and welcoming.  Dennis has commented often we could take the 1999 Lincoln Town Car across the USA if we wanted.  Who wants to leave Minnesota?  Dennis went through the carotid artery surgery in October and is on the schedule to have the remaining carotid artery done in February as he can’t imagine not being able to take his little red pickup to trade shows and visit with other ole cowboys.  Yes, I say it often, but each time I mean it from the bottom of my heart: Dennis and I have a sweet life right here on Stauffer Avenue and the glow of our Christmas tree lights drives it home ever more so.

   
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  Noreen 6:14 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink  

  Dennis has been helping out this week with some kitchen duties. This evening we went to Jake’s Pizza for supper. That was quite a change of pace for us. The ole cowboy is doing this week up in great stead. As we sat in Jake’s we realized that it had been a long time that we went out and enjoyed pizza in a restaurant. A nice change from take out. The week is slipping by and God willing the weather man will continue the updates of snow and the chance of slipping and falling will be slim to none.

   
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  Noreen 4:37 pm on December 18, 2017 Permalink  

  It may be gray out and there may be no snow, but by all accounts our home is cherry, bright and with good tidings of joy. It’s all about the attitude that we fly at and not the altitude. Dennis and I have a great attitude and as we do some elfing before Christmas, all is well and may it also be with you.

   
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  Noreen 5:05 pm on December 17, 2017 Permalink  

  This afternoon we were invited to one of Dennis’ trade show buddy’s man cave. Doug farms south of Madelia and has converted the old dairy barn into his workshop and man cave. As Dennis had shared with Doug that his Heston belt buckle collection has outgrown the case we had found for them, Doug had offered to make a second case using Dennis’ previous one as a pattern.  Today was the day we went to pick up the belt buckle cases.

  Cabela’s Sport stores advertise the huge amount of mounted wild animal trophies to enjoy. Half of Doug’s man cave could give Cabela’s a run for their money. Doug and his wife have made several Africa hunting trips and the trophies are fantastic, huge and . . . many. There will be some remodeling going on as a wall of the workshop will need to be blown out to make room for the six additional mounts that are currently at the taxidermy shop.

  We had just the nicest visit with two wonderful people. Doug needs to make plans for his new mounts and Dennis needs to arrange his wall space for the additional belt buckle case. Either situation . . . it’s all relative.

   
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  Noreen 5:34 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink  

  I have had a great day. Dennis is fixing eggs and sausages for supper. Sweet.

   
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  Noreen 5:42 pm on December 15, 2017 Permalink  

  Repairs and Shopping 

  

  Dennis and I came back from the sewing center in Bird Island with the sewing machine in the back of the pickup . . . sweet. It is repaired and I have been stitching for the last several hours. I also shopped. The gray hoop came with my sewing machine. Take note of the small knob with which to tighten the stabilizer and fabric for embroidery. Today I purchased from the sewing center the brand new hoop that Bernina just came out with in this particular size. Take note of the knob! Easily handled with arthritic hands and fingers and just a push of the side buttons to release. No more twisting that itty bitty knob. Bernina had listened to their customers. Great company. I knew there was a reason that we needed to go back to Bird Island today. My major elf Dennis didn’t bat an eye, and by the way, the lunch at the Athman’s restaurant was also sweet. Again . . . all is well in the sewing studio and with us older ones who get things done.