After today there are no Hasenpheffers hiding in our yards. Four of the great grands covered every inch of the yards today. Addison at 9, Ava at 7, Bella at 5 and Josie at 2, had the best time collecting walnut shells, acorns and pine cones that were left to be found after the winter was over. Of course, cookies, rice crispy bars and water bottles kept them on track. Taking turns on the swing . . . now that was a tough pill for Josie. I could have swore her eyes were getting to be little slits, but when asked if she wanted to stop, the answer was a strong “No.” As Erin and Paul rounded up the kids for the next stop it took some time as the older two needed a little more time to say goodbye. When the last child was buckled in Josie was already asleep. Priceless.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Five in the afternoon and the sun finally decided to show itself. Dennis and I had a great road date. Driving along it was interesting that there were fields that were getting fertilizer applied. I have no doubt the soil is still very cold, but then hard telling how many acres they need to prepare.
After a trip to the Hy-Vee grocery store in Mankato, I made a side trip to the Goodwill store. Dennis decided to check his eyelids for cracks during that time. Spring cleaning is about to hit the kitty baskets in the patio porch. Out with the old. For a few dollars next to nothing I picked up a comforter that will adorn the kitty baskets over the spring and summer. There is no way I would even consider laundering all the love and fuzz that has accumulated over the winter. It will be interesting to see the response from the spoiled critters. I am sure they have grown fond of the way they can curl into the folds of the blankets just as the two legged ones here on Stauffer.
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Noreen
I have had a great day. My six month check up at the eye clinic gave me a clean report. In times past I have had laser surgery on both eyes for detached retinas. Cataracts are common once the age of 70 is reached. I asked Dr. Pinke how I would know if they have occurred. It would be like looking through a film. I am okay in that department. My lens did not need changing so I will continue reading and sewing to my heart’s content. Later in the afternoon I got my walking orders from Curt the chiropractor. No more appointments needed. I feel like a million dollars. The gardens have been raked off and I have good walking shoes . . . both of those items have either not caused harm or have increased good movement while walking. Tomorrow we are having a road date to Mankato. My first priority will be getting up a bit earlier to get my walk in before the ole cowboy whisks me away.
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Noreen
The rain had missed us and so now has the snow. I am hoping for a fairly dry Easter Sunday for Megan and Nicholas’ sake. Today the main event was “Haircut Day” on Stauffer. Friend, Jean, has moved back from Colorado. She had at one time a salon here in town. Now in her early 70s . . . hey . . . just like me, she has not renewed her Minnesota license, but gives good haircuts for a price point of a “tip.” It’s been a great day. Biscuits are about done in the oven and that will be followed by some chicken mozzarella meatballs with Penne pasta sautéed in Alfredo sauce. Dennis is a good sport when it comes to trying new items for a supper. Gotta love that guy.
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Noreen
Number Check
The amount of rain we had didn’t amount to squat. The air was cool this morning as I could see my breath as I walked. It was a great day to spend the rest of it in the sewing studio. Dennis came down and did a lot of cutting for me. As I
am working up the peach fabric for the three great grands . . . there happens to be a fourth great grand from Dennis’ daughter, Sue, who lives in Silver Bay, in the next block from the three great grands. This great grand lives right here in St. James. Shame, shame on the older ones on Stauffer for a brain fart. At some point when the St. James grand visits and stays with the Silver Bay grands, we didn’t want anyone to feel like they had been forgotten. Anyway, what’s one more twin sized quilt in relationship to my time, Dennis’ energy and the dastardly “stash of peach.” We might get all those yards of fabric worked up and put to good use yet. -
Noreen
No Shortage of Thoughts
The morning began right off the bat as mild temps and no wind. As I got back from my walk, Dennis was down for a nap. I got into cooler clothes, changed shoes and hit the gardens complete with rakes and a big yellow cat following me from place to place in the yard.
Branches about the size of the width of my thumb were everywhere. I raked them together with the intent that I would pick them up as bundles and get them burned before the rain started. It was cloudy out, but the rain held off and I continued with raking off the flower beds. No sooner would a pile of leaves been raked up than Butter Ball would have to pounce into it to see what he could find. It made the task tolerable.
As I raked and found perennials peeking though the dirt, I couldn’t help but think of Elvera. My sister and I both enjoyed flowers and checking in with each other being 80 miles apart, it was fun to see which one of us had what coming up in the early spring. I couldn’t help wonder what would become of her backyard of flowers this spring. As the spring and summer would continue, our 3 P.M. telephone coffee breaks would invariably include work that we were doing in our yards. Nothing to notify “Home and Gardens” about, but satisfying to us nonetheless. Dennis has always been on hand to help with gardening. Not ever venturing out on his own, but if I had a request, he would always be right there. It seemed like Orville also helped Elvera as he would make sure she had all the wood mulch she needed. I liked the rich black dirt around my plants and Elvera did the mulch. Did she need to keep track of weeds as I had to . . . no.
I would like to be a little garden mouse hiding in Elvera’s flowers to see if Orville’ new girlfriend will help Orville tend the backyard. I know, I know . . . it’s as I said, working with my back and my hands in the backyard there was no shortage of thoughts. Enough of the thoughts that spring from being of the lineage of the “Old Adam.”
Our neighbor, Bob, has a huge fire ring and has been very willing to let us use it. By the time Dennis was up from his nap, the plastic garbage barrels were packed with leaves ready to be burned. The bundled branches hit the fire and our spring work went up in flames. The rain is still holding off. It is just the bestest of the best feelings knowing that now plants can enjoy the spring rain and there will not be any “would have, could have, should have” in regard to getting the backyard cleaned up after the winter.
I could not wait to grab a cup of breakfast coffee and enjoy one of the lawn chairs Dennis had pulled out for the patio. He has been looking forward to sitting out on the patio for a long time. Hmm. Butter Ball was so exhausted he stretched out on the patio not even giving the birds that were almost at eye level in the low Lilacs branches a look. Now that is a weary cat. Come to think of it, my eyelids felt heavy as well. The rain will be welcomed to wash away winter’s grime . . . storms, not so much.
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Noreen
And So It Begins
So it begins. The Koi pond is full of water with Dennis’ pump in place making bubbles. After several days any additives from the city water will have dissipated and then the seasonal residents will be added. Dennis took care of the pond work and I picked up branches and did a bit of raking where the leaves had really piled up in some sheltered areas. The strong winds cleaned out the huge Maple of any branches that were on the verge of letting go, and the same can be said for the winds taking most of the leaves off . . . maybe to “the cloud.”
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Noreen
It’s a pretty special day. Grammie got a new pair of walking shoes!
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Noreen
Reality Check
Yesterday as I was coming back from my walk, I decided to take a detour from the county road and cut through the backyards of our area. As I came upon the far east end of our original lot, I stood still and looked, and looked and looked. Dennis is very particular about our property. Nothing leaning against the garage walls, no piles of limbs that have fallen or blown off the huge Maple. When lawn mowing season hits, he wants to make sure we are tidy. Bless his heart.
As Dennis does spend a lot of time in the garage porch, his view of the backyard is very present. A shady yard means that grass has a challenge. Wanting to have our backyard look as nice as the front yard, Dennis felt it was time for some serious work to be done. That serious work would entail having the backyard tilled and replanted. We spoke to a worker bee about the possibilities of having that work done as soon as the soil was of a good temperature and dry enough to till. There was talk about the amount of grass seed and also the variety of seed for a shady lawn. A packer could be rented from the hardware store and heaven knows we have plenty of hose to keep the new seeds moistened. That was a far as the plans got as it was only the end of March.
As I mentioned, today I stood at the far end of that back lawn and looked. What our backyard really needs is about four dump trucks of dirt to bring it to a good grade for drainage when we have heavy rains. I tentatively broached the subject with Dennis at supper. We keep the backyard very tidy and it has a lot of eye appeal as the perennials show themselves. Yes, there are some spots of good grass and then there are some pretty sparse areas. And . . . it is all ours.
What does our backyard harm is standing water. Does that happen often? Being a low lot to begin with, more times than I can remember. In times past this entire subdivision was a pasture.
Homes were moved onto lots that had been plotted, ours being one of them. Topography had little attention. Stauffer Avenue, which by city maps, is labeled as an alley; 20 feet wide. It is much wider now as traffic has a way of blowing out the boundaries. Stauffer Avenue continues to be built up year after year by the city. It really needs to have a field cultivator come and work it up and then put down the final finish. I know the extent that it has been built up as in years past during fast spring thaws there would be water making its way in the car garage and the tires would be frozen down. Dennis contacted a local contractor and they raised the garage off of the foundation and added a ten inch cement block to the existing foundation. Problem fixed. Well guess what? Stauffer Avenue is now again level with the garage on the south side and none of the ten inch block is visible. Stauffer Avenue to rising. The moral of the story is that we will continue keeping our backyard up as best we can and live with the reality that, given the enjoyment we received from the backyard, we can contend with it as it is. Let’s be real. Dennis is 80 and I am 73, this in time to come will be someone else’s problem. Sometimes you have to accept rather than expect.
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Noreen
Good Eating
Today was time to get some extra things prepared for the freezer so when I hear “What’s for supper?” I won’t have to have that deer in the headlights look. The bowl on the right is an eight quart bowl that is just perfect for working with a total of six pounds of a blend of meat and all the fixings. I pared the onions, green peppers, celery in the smaller bowl and that has the beaten eggs, spices and oatmeal ready to go. With Dennis’ homogenized hands he gets to blend it all so it is ready for some freezer containers. One day it will thaw and bake and there will be food on the table, just as we have never gone hungry here on Stauffer Avenue.
