My goal today was to get my two mile walk in and then I would see how the rest of the day would fill in. Dennis is fighting a head cold and is hiding out in his recliner. I headed for my sewing studio. No hard and fast plans. I moved a ruler, straightened up some spools of thread and did a bit of dusting. Seven hours later, I now have an embroidered 12 part project started, a scrappy blue quilt thought through enough to have some of the fabric cut and pairs of blocks that Aunt Lorraine helped me cut, put together and marked to make triangles. Yup . . . Grandma Laura Wendlandt, I have something to show for my day. Into Grandma’s 90s that was her ultimate goal each day.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Wow!
My first new sewing chair since 1970! It brought to mind a diddy from “Words With Weight”: I forever remain humble as I know I could have less. I am grateful because I have had less.” The height that this chair can be raised to will be make my shoulders very happy campers. Life is oh so sweet on Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
This morning I did not check the weather on my laptop. I took a huge glass of water before enjoying my hyped up cup of coffee and began contemplating the two-mile walk. I headed out with my cellphone in one of my pockets and filled the other pocket with my wonderful mini tomatoes for my go-to snack while walking. I so enjoy my tomatoes. When I got home, I did check, and sure enough, it was to be one of the nastiest days yet. That’s okay. I got that “One” done. I can report the tomatoes also wash up well. As I emptied the washer this morning, lo and behold there was one lonely tomato washed still in tact. I need to check my pockets better. I am sure the birds enjoyed that freshly washed snack.
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Noreen
Eagle Restored
We purchased this chain saw art about 15 years ago. It was completed with a poly finish when we bought it. Each year the Eagle gets tucked inside the potting shed before winter arrives. Over the years there were areas where no doubt air and dirt had gotten under the original finish and it began looking gray and dingy. Dennis, armed with multiple sizes of brass brushes, decided the wood needed to be cleaned up. We can’t put Thompson’s water sealant on it as not all of the old poly has been removed in the small crevices. After a bit more elbow grease and all of the dust blown off, it will get an exterior poly applied. If this layer lasts as long as the last one . . . we will not have to worry about it. Snuggles took it upon himself to issue a mandated break from the work.
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Noreen
No Photos Needed
This is the 4th of July, 2017. I can go back to various days just such as this with no photos needed to bring the memories of celebrations back as if yesterday. What did we do for the 4th of July celebration before Kevin was born . . . I have no clue, nothing jumps up.
Kevin’s first birthday brought a family picnic like no other. It started with a thought and before we knew it, suggestions were made throughout the relations and . . . yup, we would host the picnic. The picnic included the Schafer clan, the Riebe clan, the Wendlandt clan and friends and neighbors in between. On the farm in Boon Lake Township we had a sprawling grass lawn to the west that enjoyed shade and breezes from all directions.
Orlin’s nephews, Craig and Frank, came to stay with us several days before the 4th and they were in charge of the lawn mowing, the branch pickup duty and anything else that their uncle Orlin could think of. We were milking a herd of Holsteins at that time and the chores of the hogs and chickens kept us busy and we welcomed the help.
Before we knew it on the forenoon of the 4th, Frank and Craig were directing cars to park east and south of the circle drive in such a manner that no one was blocked in. Everyone who came unloaded chairs from their trunks and food that had been transported carefully. Empty 50 gallon drum barrels supported any and every plank that could be found, ready to have a table covering put onto it for a picnic food line. Everyone pitched in except Kevin. His job was to stay content on a blanket in the center of it all. It was a great day and it was decided to repeat it the next year . . . and oh ya . . . the little guy would be two.
The gathering did continue for quite a few years on. Frank and Craig stayed with us often during the summer months and were always a help. It didn’t hurt that Orlin had fixed up a wagon that I believe Kevin got for his second birthday from Orlin’s sister Mickie to pull behind the lawnmower for rides of the smaller kids. Kevin’s second birthday had him sporting the remains of the Chicken Pox. Uncle Norman would play the concertina and Grandma Schafer would chime right in with her harmonica. They both could play by ear and how they could bring about the old time music. Great Grandpa Christ kept time with the toe of his shoe on the soft grass. Friends, Otto and Evelyn, couldn’t believe there could be that much commotion spread over the entire yard. In Kevin’s baby book, I am quite sure there are memos of those picnics.
We had great family gatherings on the 4th with each one winding down with birthday cake, the birthday song and the thrill of birthday gifts for Kevin being opened. Soon people got busier, lived farther apart, their children married and had families and in-laws that also wanted to share time. That’s okay. I remember the feelings of those picnics after the day was done, being so weary it just felt great, it felt right. Without Kevin having been born on the 4th of July, each family may have indeed gone their own way to take in a picnic or some fireworks perhaps with no extended family participation. But . . . for those years of this huge family sharing space and time on a given 4th of July, I choose to believe it did make a difference. Not just for Orlin, me, Carrie and Kevin but for those who also may have a moment when they go back in their memories and reminisce of a quieter, softer time in life. Of course each of Kevin’s birthdays would have taken center stage when the special day in the special month had occurred, but we had an opportunity to open our home to welcome families that may not have had a chance to share time with so many in one afternoon.
It does give pause when I think of how many of those who spent time with us on those birthday celebrations are no longer with us.
I have always enjoyed my children’s birthdays even into their adulthood. The ability to spend that special day with them is many times not to be. It matters not. I hold them in my heart just as fiercely as when I held them for the very first time. Priceless.
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Noreen
No Machine Needed
The hottest quilter’s tool out is the Accu-Cut. It works similar to the paper cutting Cricut, cutting out multiples. The Accu-cut will cut fabric when multiple pieces of one size are needed. All I had was Aunt Lorraine in my sewing studio for an afternoon and the rotary cutters caught hell. No expensive machine needed here. I showed Lorraine the choice of scrapes I wanted to use up. In a flash she had a pattern thought of and we were off cutting and cutting and cutting. I had to put the coffee cup adjacent to the cut piles for a reference of . . . mass. I have not worked with the embroidery option of my sewing machine for quite a while, so this project will be taking a back seat. Rest assured you will be kept apprised.
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Noreen
8:00 a.m., and I have slept in. We had many pit stops in Mankato yesterday and this morning when I lay in bed and moved a bit, I thought I deserved a day off from walking. Taking my time with my usual breakfast, I was still in my robe at 9:30 contemplating what to do with my free morning. Umph! 9:36 a.m. and I am out on the county road with my cell phone in one of my pockets and the second pocket was full of my bite sized tomatoes. Talk about ingrained safety nets in the brain. Yes . . . I should have been out earlier as it was rather humid. Thank God I didn’t have to pee right when I got back home as I would never have gotten off my sweat soaked shorts and underwear. I sweat like Dad . . . profusely.
Aunt Lorraine came from Arizona with software designs to share for the embroidery aspect of my sewing machine. I am accustomed to purchasing images online and downloading them directly onto a flash drive. All of Lorraine’s were on CDs. Umph! My laptop in the sewing studio is my go-to for tracking the sewing software and that no longer has a working CD unit. Best Buy was happy to sell me an external CD unit yesterday for $29.00. What better way to cool down for the afternoon than working with the images and moving them from the CD to a flash drive. It took a bit of puzzling and eventually I connected with the correct file formats and the slow process began.
I had my Bernina powered up to check my transfers. Never leave anything to chance. As my ole cowboy stated: “You may use one of the designs or all of them, you now have them at hand.” I did note one difference in her choice of software: in order to have the ability to change the size of an image either smaller or larger, one needs to purchase “Grade A” images or groups of such. All of Lorraine’s were “Grade C.” The collections that she was sharing had a choice of two sizes for each design on each each of the CDs. Very cumbersome and very limiting. I have taken a photo of each of the jacket covers and have done a printout of them per CD for a quick reference as to what the flash drive holds.
It’s a fact of life that if you don’t continue to grow in day-to-day experiences . . . as Nicholas would say “I guess I miss out.”
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Noreen
Delivered!
When we delivered this 84″ x 84″ t-shirt quilt to Dennis’ granddaughter Amy today it was a hit. Amy, her husband Brandon, and 4-year-old Oliver began reminiscing when these t-shirts had been worn. Amy stated emphatically that this quilt was her’s as Oliver had gotten a previous one from us that I had used his infant clothing for and it was much smaller. Another good product done and delivered from the sewing studio on Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
This was a day of puttering around the house. An oddball item here and an oddball item there . . . irked me to the point of getting tidy. Yes, Dennis hid.
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Noreen
Bountiful Beads?
No beads required for this project. Today my button tree had its limbs shook. I found the perfect gold buttons with which to open the fans of the wreath. As luck would have it there were four cards of these beauties. More than likely in the 60s these large 7/8″ buttons were a steal at $1.50 per card.
I check my button tree as I am about to finish each project to see if I can’t lighten its load. Today I got to cash in.
