Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:27 pm on January 7, 2018 Permalink  

  Buttons 

  

  The button tree really got shook for this project. I am pleased with the placement of the buttons as they were held in place with a bit of glue so I could get them under the sewing machine. I don’t as yet have the perfect answer for hanging them for the best show. This 12 Days was embroidered on gray fabric. The one previous was done on white. I have two more options to try out to see what Dennis thinks is “Best of Show” in regard to color combinations. Measured once, measured twice but the next one will need more work in the embroidery at the top. The “s” comparison in the banner measured out 1/8 difference. Bummer!! There is always a challenge and that is what makes life and projects worth while doing.

   
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  Noreen 6:42 pm on January 6, 2018 Permalink  

  It seems the little dash to the left of the temperature reading is becoming a normal. I am still holding onto keeping March in the near future. The minus temps don’t define me. I know it comes every year about this time and I know it does not stay.

  Working on sewing buttons onto a project is always a challenge for me. I need to back up on that comment. Sewing them on is easy with my Sears Kenmore sewing machine, sewing multiple of them on in a straight line . . . now that is something else. I thought about it for some time. I found myself in the storage closet of the basement. Never did I think I would reach for a glue bottle with my stitching. It was a water based glue but fast drying. I put the project on the ironing board where I could measure once, measure twice and then put barely a dab of glue on with a toothpick where the button would go. Of the 57 buttons, I tried it out on five buttons.

  Waiting for the glue to dry had me doing laps around the two church tables. Low and behold it has shown me it will work for the entire amount of buttons. Putting on a dozen or so of buttons is going to be the limit as I don’t know how much shuffling of a quilted project they can take before falling off. I have my work cut out for me tomorrow. Nothing is as satisfying as working the gray matter between the ears when you can’t change the cold winter.

   
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  Noreen 5:05 pm on January 5, 2018 Permalink  

  New Kitchen Gadget 

  

  This Kraut jar had to give it up. Try hard as he could Dennis couldn’t get the jar lid to budge. Out to the garage and in he came with our newest addition to the kitchen gadgets. Dennis tightened the Quick Grip to the lid and it popped and released the vacuum seal. Good going Dennis. The rest of the kitchen prep is on me.

   
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  Noreen 3:40 pm on January 4, 2018 Permalink  

  A Snow Pushing Day 

  Flurries are in the air and it gives pause to pushing some snow as getting fresh air and some exercise.  Our winter seems to be snits and starts on snowfalls.  Nothing heavy.  Compared to the east coast, I’ll take this every time.

  My experiment wall hanging is complete.  Am I totally satisfied?  Of course not.  I have yet to meet or visit with a quilter who they feel their faux pas are not glaring.  At least the prom dress fabric is out of the stash designation.  The brass washers and beads are acceptable as buttons.  I do have a hanger on the back of it.  I do need to find a better way to hang my finished wall hangings when I do the photo op.  Oh for the challenges of domestic crafters.  If all were perfect, there would no doubt be a label indicating it had been mass produced in China.  My projects give me joy in experimenting as to what I can do and how I can do it perhaps differently.  Yes, also with a bit more articulation.  My children know that some of my “end results” may beg the question as to whether I had both eyes open or not (smerk). Using the stitch design one by one also worked well for binding the design block to the batting and backing.  

  All in all this will be ready to share next Christmas.  I did do these embroidered designs of the “12 Days of Christmas” on several other types and colors of fabrics.  Hopefully, I will gain insight on techniques that will better serve the end result.

  It’s time to use that snow pusher and clear the driveway before chicken tittes are fixed for supper with a side of green beans.  Sounds good to me.

   
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  Noreen 5:12 pm on January 3, 2018 Permalink  

  I did get a walk in this morning. While at it I had my snow pusher out ahead taking out the snow we had over the night. Walking the 90′ of the driveway back and forth several times isn’t the ultimate. but it feels good to get fresh air. Soon I will be able to stretch my legs a bit farther and not worry about frost bite. We need to be careful for what we wish for. Taking it one day at a time and being thankful for it works for me. What do people in Minnesota think! It’s winter, get over it.

   
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  Noreen 4:54 pm on January 2, 2018 Permalink  

  Day Two of 2018 

  Yesterday I began peeking in closets and storage areas.  This Friday our recycling bin will be filled and awaiting the truck.  Not so much that I pitched items, it was all about getting rid of cardboard that may have held groceries that we had bought in case lots from Sam’s Club.  Some items from our bedroom closet needed to be taken downstairs and put in storage totes that were less than full.  On day two of 2018 there are empty spots in our bedroom closet and I see bare shelving in our storage area in the basement.  It’s a good thing.  

  In between time I was thinking through a project that I have started.  This is a project that I experimented with fabric that had been left over from a prom dress in times past.  Not enough gold buttons on the button tree to get the job done, I used brass washers and beads to make my own buttons.  Today as I was organizing storage areas, I hit on an idea with which to quilt within the nine inch squares of the project.

  There are so many options with fancy running stitches on the sewing machine.  Why use the running option of a stitch but rather start and stop the stitch and let it look like snowflakes!  Time out to turn on the sewing machine and seek and search options.  I have a “what if” cloth that I have used often to try out stitches or patterns.  Sure enough.  Taking the time to start and stop and figure out when to start and stop, I could use this stitch to quilt the nine inch block rather than using meandering or hand quilting.  A step up from using embroidery floss to tie a quilting project.  Tomorrow I will choose a light blue thread and see how many snowflakes it will take to do the quilting to hold the block in place with the batting and backing as often times, if laundered, you don’t want to take a chance of anything shifting.  Stay tuned on how it all shakes out.  It was a very good day even if it was too cold to run any errands.  I left that to the ole cowboy and his little red pickup.

   
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  Noreen 4:44 pm on January 1, 2018 Permalink  

  It is now 2018 and by all accounts it promises to be a year when more positive things occur than negative here on Stauffer Avenue. Our Christmas tree is back in the attic as well as all things Christmas that were here, there and everywhere. It’s a good thing. We have been safe and sound during the arctic weather. That also can only get better. In 2017 I began my daily walking in March. March doesn’t seem all that far away. It is after all, not the altitude that we fly at but the attitude.

   
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  Noreen 11:12 am on December 31, 2017 Permalink  

  One last Time 

  Today was the day to doing everything one last time and calling it “done in 2017 .”  Where did the 2017 year go?  Just a bit ago I went outside for a few minutes and pushed the light covering of snow off of the driveway. Sometime during the night it flurried.  The full sun made the snow crystals shine as if they were diamonds.  Yes, I realize that they encouraged senior citizens to remain indoors as there was a report of -40 degrees wind chill.  Zippered from head to toe, it took me longer to suit up than what I stayed outdoors.  I feel better if I get outside and take in all that has been given for a new day.

  Mid year the Stauffer Avenue homestead began to have some challenges.  Dennis was having mini strokes, sometimes twice a day.  Every test imaginable and . . . each time nothing.  Every test but one . . . carotid neck arteries.  I could not believe that such a simple ultrasound had not been thought of by the doctors.  During the time that Dennis was having problems, his days were spent either sleeping or trying to get from one chair to another, many times needing help if he had slipped to the floor.

  As my adult life had been spent working with numbers, appointments and legal issues during my time at the courthouse it was easy for me to take care of some of our needs since I have retired.  I was not prepared that Dennis had checked out of all sense of what was needed each day.  Our little home became a full time assisted living unit.  One day at a time, one seizure at a time.

  

  These are the smiles that Dennis and I want to continue enjoying the entire 2018 year. Happy New Year!

  I thank the good Lord that Dennis didn’t put off a routine six month eye check up.  That is when the eye doctor suggested the carotids to be checked.  That in itself was a challenge as there needed to be an order for the ultrasound and it wasn’t coming from a M.D.  October 17th Dennis had the left carotid that was blocked 94% surgery.  The right carotid at 74% blockage would have to wait.  After October 17th, his brain had not had that much blood supply in some time.  It has been a path back to some semblance of normality.  There are signs that the right artery needs to be taken care of.  It’s not quite as frightening as we now know what and where the problem is.  Checking with the surgeons, February of 2018 will have Dennis back in the OR in the Mankato Hospital facility.  It’s not that far off.  Is it easy for him knowing what he has ahead of him . . . no.  It is a wonderful thing knowing that it is his decision and we are not left with what might be if it is not followed up on.  What would follow up is a stroke that may leave this ole cowboy not being able to enjoy his patio porch or his little red pickup and God forbid his cats. 

  Yes, this last day of 2017 is a good thing for Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 5:52 pm on December 30, 2017 Permalink  

  What a great day for burrowing in and finding busy work with a glance outside once in awhile. Yup . . . it’s still cold and windy. I was surprised that with the wind that I heard all during the night from the north that the snow had not drifted over the driveway to any great degree.

  Dennis ran away from home for a short time this afternoon. I was surprised he didn’t have a pickup full of cats with him as I am sure they are experiencing a bit of cabin fever also.

  I worked at the dining room table with my beads and brass washers on a project. Even with a heat vent for the sewing studio being open there was a chill in the air. Several more days of cold and then it will be different. Each day of winter in Minnesota can bring different. For me, I am prepared and have contentment. Preparing for such glitches in weather is the key.

   
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  Noreen 4:32 pm on December 29, 2017 Permalink  

  As I did the snow pusher today, in my mind’s eye it was as if I was going out for a walk just as I had been doing during the year. The good thing was that I wasn’t a mile from home when I realized it was time to go in and warm up. Several different short walks and the driveway is clear of the snow we had today. I wasn’t alone in the cold. I could look up into the neighbor’s Walnut tree and see the woodpecker that was making his share of noise. I wondered if he was able to peck deep enough to find some bugs that were hiding for the season.

  It is forecast to be bitter cold until the second day of the New Year. There will be no reason for us to venture out that I can think of. Right now as supper time is approaching the house smells wonderful. At noon I put in a pork roast with seasoning and some Habanero flavored mustard. It was an oops in purchasing it but makes a very flavorful addition to the roasting process. The oven at 275 degrees will have pork roast totally falling apart. It’s a good thing.