A late supper today. The great sunny day brought Dennis’ three daughters popping in at various times. What the heck . . . eating doesn’t have to be on an exact time table. It does seem strange to have it getting dark earlier and earlier. I am not in any hurry to have this beautiful fall season end. I believe it’s going to be a great week.
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Noreen
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Noreen
A Fond Farewell
After thirteen seasons, we bid a fond farewell to our patio umbrella. The center wooden hub of this umbrella had wire threaded through it and through each of the wooden ribs. This last season we noticed the wire had worked its way through some of tips of the ribs, detaching them from the center hub. Once Dennis had it opened this late spring, we left it up and opened and decided to enjoy it while it could still give us shade to sit under while enjoying the patio. I know we had paid $99 for it at Sam’s Club. We have gotten our money’s worth. Checking online, our 2018 purchase will be an umbrella not of wood, most likely of an aluminum or such. That should make it so much easier to operate it and also when we put it into storage after each season. This 10′ wide umbrella was very heavy. Our faithful cast iron base will be put in the potting shed, waiting for a new umbrella to flutter in the breeze next spring.
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Noreen
Cleaning out the gardens after my walk these last several days, I have had some amazing situations in the dead of the night. A twitch here. A twang there. Last night I awoke at 2 a.m. and the toes on my left foot were in dire pain. I know I didn’t drop anything on them. I got up and walked up and down the basement steps several times and they seem to have unkinked.
As I came to this morning, I had hoped this was the day to finish up the gardens. Rain was threatening via the computer forecast. No walking shoes for me. I got my grubs on and was thankful when the weed whip battery was letting me know we could get this done. I grabbed the loppers, the large shears and the weed whip and made for the far east yard. As the last of the Anne Belle Shrub was coming down, Dennis was on his way to get the rider mower out. Wham, bam, thank you, everything was ground up and out of site. Talk about a team effort.
Neither Dennis or I had bothered with breakfast before our chores. Dennis decided on Cheerios and I had yogurt and flax meal. As Dennis was pulling his recliner quilt up to his chin, it began to rain. I grabbed the last of the morning coffee and a book and settled in.
I realize in the scheme of things our days may not seem eventful to most. Perhaps most could knock off in several hours what it may take us most of the day to pull off. At 81, Dennis, at a drop of a hint is ready to help. Neuropathy effects the nerves in his hands and the feet. He has made comments that while he was in Korea, his feet and hands were either cold or wet and many times both. it does take a tole on stamina. For me, I thank the good Lord every night and many times during the day that he has given me what it takes to continue working with Dennis to keep our home up to date, up to snuff (ours that is) and always tidy. The replacement knees and shoulders are amazing. The arthritis in various other places . . . that sucks. I acknowledge we can’t keep at the yard work without a break now and then. Challenged nerves with a bit less blood supply than normal need a chance to rejuvenate.
The bottom line . . . I have a great life and the last time I checked . . . my ole cowboy agrees.
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Noreen
What a great day to take a whack at the outside work. I used the weed whip to take down foliage in the gardens until the battery needed to be recharged. The foliage was raked out into the grass and Dennis was right there with the rider mower to mulch. If the rain holds off tomorrow we could see the last of the gardens being put down for the 2017 year.
The horse tank that Dennis uses to house the Koi over the winter months is full of water in the car garage. With city water, it is best to allow any alien additives from the water plant to dissipate before putting the Koi in. The water may be in the tank for some time. It is always a good thing to do what you know will need to be done before it becomes a crisis. Before the water went into the tank we made sure to cut some of the lattice plastic that we had been storing to put on top of the tank. With curious cats, I would rather that they can check it out and not suffer the consequences after falling in.
Snuggles is going to be so bored when winter sets in. He has been getting a squirrel day. He loves the quest, could care less about the deceased. It’s our job to try and keep up with him and keep the yard tidy, if you know what I mean.
I will say we had a treat for supper last night . . . a pizza from Casey’s. It is the first pizza since . . . neither I or Dennis could remember. Half “Supreme” and half “Taco,” it totally was enjoyed. It wasn’t half bad either this noon when I popped the remaining pieces in the microwave with a damp paper towel on top of it. Yum.
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Noreen
Check That Off the List
Today Dennis’ granddaughter and her family came from Mankato for a visit. Sadie brought over a project for me with the results being a quilt made out of tee shirts. For ten years, the Army unit that Sadie is a part of in the Army has been doing a bike ride to raise money for a scholarship in honor of a fallen comrade. The tee shirts represent each of the ten year’s rides. We made a barter. I took the tee shirts and her hubby Mike put in new faucets on our laundry sink. The previous set had the water falling straight down within several inches of the side of the sink. Water will now fall into the center of the sink with just a flip of a lever. My hands were having a hard time turning the water off and on when a twist of the wrist is just not as doable as in times past. The barter system is alive and well.
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Noreen
Golly Miss Molly . . . the older ones on Stauffer Avenue have done a bang up job of getting the acre tidied up. It may take us all day, breaks of talking smart to each other while some patio time is important. Lush green grass this time of the year is beautiful but it would be nice to be able to call it a season and park the mowers.
I couldn’t resist cleaning up several of the flower beds right next to the house and patio. Cutting back the foliage and getting down to the root of a few weeds is hoping that next spring there won’t be quite as much competition when the perennials poke their heads through the dirt. That reminds me, I need to put up a labeled stake signifying the gas line as it was coming out of the foundation of the house and continuing underground to the garage. Yup, a few of those weeds had roots that deep. Truth to be told, I had forgotten about its location. In time come to come, I have quite a bit more area to cover to close down the gardens, but today, enough was enough.
Dennis and I both enjoyed sitting on the patio, both of us enjoying the self-satisfying feeling of getting it done. Snuggles was feeling pretty good in his own right. Not being a slouch, he had managed to snag a red tailed squirrel. It may sound gross but once his four footed prey is down and out, he leaves it lay as a trophy for us to pay homage to.
As we sat out enjoying the sun and the good feelings of being weary, the ole tabby cat sat on Dennis’ lap, Snuggles came and got comfortable on my lap. I am sure anyone driving down Stauffer Avenue would have observed us as they drove by and thought, “Two old people with nothing to do but take care of cats.” Oh, if they only knew what the rest of the story is.
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Noreen
I may need to dig a bit and find some ear muffs. It was a bit brisk this morning for the daily walk at 39 degrees. Was I chilled . . . yes, but It felt good when I got home and had a hot cup of coffee waiting. It took until late afternoon before the sun came out.
My ole cowboy just went out to the patio porch with his firearm in hand. Last night as he manned his rocking chair while watching the RFD television channel in the porch, he realized he had company on the other side of the patio door. Two raccoons were scoping out the Koi pond. Dennis only had his BB gun handy, but felt one of them may have gotten a feel of the shot. It is too early to put the Koi into the horse tank for the winter. There are no guarantees when we live on the wild side here on Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
By golly some days just seem to roll on by without a thought as to staying in the present . . . well that may not be the norm, but it does happen to me. It is very true that with Stauffer Avenue being a great retreat for two old retired folks, the days of the week and the times of the day do not have the same importance as in times gone by. We don’t make light of family or appointments. What I can’t shut off is what is almost as if a silent alarm goes off in my head and I know I need to stay focused, sometimes too much so. Who does it really matter too that the house and property has a bit that needs doing?
I had an aunt named Corrine. She was what was referred to as an old maid until she found “her Allen” in her early 60s and they made a home together while he was employed at Bongard’s Creamery near Norwood, MN.
Corrine always worked out as a hired gal on farms, taking care of the homes, canning, cleaning and baking. Everyone knew she was a fuss budget. Everyone also knew that she never went without a job as her reputation preceded her. Whoever had her in their employment, everything was tip top and spotless.
My home has never been spotless. Having normal children will soon break you of any idealistic ideas of that. Living on a farm had allowed for any and all types of dirt and or dust. Living with an ole cowboy has its challenges as well as with four footed creatures that love our patio porch. But . . . I must admit I have quite a bit of Aunt Corrine in me. I can fuss, I can fume, I can wish for a slatted floor in the entry of our house, complete with a tray that can be pulled out and emptied. But at the end of the day, we start over and collect new dirt. Old dirt does not stick around.
In times past, having carpet in a home was just the “cat’s meow.” I learned in my later years, it is the last thing I want in our home. Give me a Swiffer, wet or dry, and I can reasonably stay on top of anything that lands on the floor. I had at sometime back shared a photo of two-year-old Megan sitting under one of our kitchen stools and eating a snack. Kevin picked up on it and commented that I hadn’t lost my touch . . . eating off of my floor was still doable.
Most days I go with the flow, I do vent verbally at times, most times it just becomes second nature to put the head down and do what is needed and the home remains fairly clean . . . and, peaceful.
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Noreen
The rains have gone and the sun was welcomed. It makes everything a bit better, even if we were not aware of how gray we felt.
Saturday evenings have become my favorite for television. BBC on our channel 2 or 13 has some wonderful weekly shows. Some “feel good,” some mystery and of course the Antiques Road Show. 45 to 50 minutes of good viewing with zero commercials, filling in the remainder minutes to the full hour with some older British Antiques Roadshow clips. I was weary of shows being interrupted every eight minutes for commercials. Two commercials during one break wouldn’t be bad, but I have counted as high as eight different products squeezed in. Of those eight, some don’t get to run totally through and they are whacked into the next. I don’t do television during the day, but after supper and after I have helped Dennis with dishes . . . I am off the clock.
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Noreen
Just as in days so long ago, I had made some shelves in my basement using good tidy bricks with a board across and perhaps another stack of bricks for the second shelf. I had gotten modern and used 12 inch patio blocks for the first tier and then bricks for the second. Hey, it worked. When Orlin and I lived in Texas it was “shabby scheek.” Today my Fleet and Farm wagon came out in the rain and loaded bricks from the basement.
Guess who noticed the back door was propped? Out of nowhere Snuggles was fast enough that I just saw the tip of his tail as he beat feet up the entry steps. I decided to stay on the task and worry about him later. Worse case scenario, Snuggles would jump up on Dennis while he was napping in his recliner and give him a nudge. I got the wagon loaded and pulled into the potting shed for unloading and then went to find our fine feline.
Snuggles is an amazing cat that was left in a cardboard box next to the Waste Management bin during some very cold temps. If we had not been late putting out our garbage, Snuggles would have frozen to death. The veterinarian thought he was about six week old. Now that he is two, this summer his passion has been catching squirrels, baby bunnies and some rather large bunnies. Neighbor Jan was an eye witness to him stalking a squirrel and catching it. Once the deed is done he leaves the deceased and is satisfied.
I never have a camera when one is warranted. The day Snuggles took a bunny for a walk was hilarious. He found the bunny and pounced. Rabbits and bunnies have a horrible scream. In a short time, he let the bunny go and trotted right along behind it . . . and then pounced. This went on for a very long time. Trot and pounce, trot and pounce. Talk about hunting for the sport of it. It has kept Dennis and I busy being on the lookout for the deceased critters. Every once in awhile we don’t know that he had been busy until the wind is from the right direction.
After coming in from the potting shed, I did find him in the basement . . . checking everything out. When I patted my knee he came to me and let me pick him and up and up the steps we went. He has all of his claws and yet knowing he was going to be evicted, the claws didn’t come out. I am quite sure, now that he has had several visits into the inner sanctum, we will need to watch what is awaiting beside the outside door as we come and go.