Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 5:29 am on December 20, 2015 Permalink  

  The dust bunnies caught heck today. I am always amazed what my Swiffer can catch when I dance across the laminate flooring.

  We did have carpeting in times past. Back then, the beds were in place and there was no considering that they could be easily moved to vacuum under them. With the laminate flooring, and the felt coasters under the legs of the frames, the beds can be moved single-handedly. I feel so much better knowing that the dust bunnies do not get a chance to co-mingle. All the furniture in our home has various forms of the felt backed coasters for easy moving. Priceless.

  Flannel sheets make for fuzz. I do not care how old they are, the fuzz just continues and that goes for bath and hand towels. It keeps me on my toes. Dennis has often heard me say, “I don’t need much or want for much, but I do like a tidy and clean home.”

   
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  Noreen 4:15 am on December 19, 2015 Permalink  

  Dennis and I had an early Christmas road date. We had a few items to pick up in Mankato.

  Last several years we have realized how much the birds appreciated our heated water dish outside of the garage porch. We picked up a second dish. One will be used in the porch for the garage kitties and cats. I know the water dish sitting on the concrete floor next to the outside wall makes for really cold water on the tummies of the feline.

  We decided to have lunch at Old Country Buffet. Dennis and I each enjoy different foods and where else can I find Brussels Sprouts and Okra along with all the fresh fruit, plus a sliver of pecan pie to top it all off? We had a heartfelt conversation over coffee. Sometimes reviewing things from the past can make what we have in the world of today more meaningful.

  We drove home with a dusting of snow, and while the sun was shining through the flakes, it was very magical.

   
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  Noreen 4:39 am on December 18, 2015 Permalink  

  It Was Time 

  

  My Dell laptop is just about eight years old. It has started to buck a bit. Today I did a total backup of all files within this hard working tool of mine. I do use it non-stop. It brings me much satisfaction in communicating with family. At a time when my laptop was in the repair shop, I was using Dennis’ computer and his command center to work on my blogs.  It was a great backup computer, but the entire area just didn’t feel cozy and friendly like my own command center.  I think Kevin is right, we each need our own space.  I cannot count all of what I have learned for the various of my hobbies while watching YouTube videos. We are now totally backed up in the off chance that one morning I may hit the ignition of this laptop and I am greeted with a blank stare. I do mean a totally blank stare – with not even my little pointing arrow.

   
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  Noreen 3:07 am on December 17, 2015 Permalink  

  It can’t decide if it wants to rain or snow or sleet. With the high winds, it does sound like a storm. With temps in the low 30s, anything could happen. Days like this, rattling around in my sewing studio feels good, plus I took a nap sitting on the sofa with my feet propped up this noon. Life is good on Stauffer.

   
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  Noreen 4:59 am on December 16, 2015 Permalink  

  Challenges abound. Dennis’ daughter Sandy called and asked if I could help her and do some sewing. Mission accomplished: an ugly sweater was created right here in my sewing studio. Sandy’s family and her twin sister, Susie, are getting ready for an early Christmas this weekend in Silver bay. There will be 12 contestants as they vie for the best of show in the ugly sweaters. Another satisfied customer.

  Sandy and I had time to work on it as Dennis was preparing one of his famous and delicious hotdishes. Life on Stauffer is good.

   
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  Noreen 4:54 am on December 15, 2015 Permalink  

  I Have a Plan 

  

  During the last two weeks of cleaning, sorting and arranging my sewing studio, I had almost forgoten all I had gleaned from the new sewing machine. My plan is to make potholders. It will give me practice for the embroidery aspect, the free motion quilting and the straight sewing.  Soon they will all become second nature. This evening, I look forward to some sofa time while I hand hem the potholders.

   
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  Noreen 5:54 am on December 14, 2015 Permalink  

  Nice packages of bite size turkey in the freezer to be enjoyed another day. I do not skimp and think every scrap has to be used. For me there is nothing worse than biting into grizzle when thinking about a nice turkey sandwich.

  I was doing some kitchen duty, so Dennis brought in all the squash that was left in the garage and we did a “bake out.” It’s a good feeling to know that they won’t go to waste. Several good packages in the freezer.

  I was done in the kitchen and Dennis took over and used some of the freshly baked squash to mix together a squash dessert. No pie crusts: 2 cups of squash, 1 cup of sugar, one can of evaporated milk, 2 eggs and cinnamon and bake at 325 for an hour. It makes for a fairly healthy treat.

  The weekend was gray and damp, but the weekend has been good.

   
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  Noreen 5:15 am on December 13, 2015 Permalink  

  Here we are on a Saturday evening on Stauffer Avenue.

  Monday when I came home from Kevin’s, I was accompanied by two huge frozen turkeys, both of which were larger than the kids’ apartment oven. One of the frozen turkeys were left in the refrigerator to begin the thawing process.

  This morning at 9:30 a.m. with the oven preheated the turkey went into the oven to roast. At 4:30, the pop up button in the turkey as well as our meat thermometer indicated the 180 degree temperature had been reached. For our evening meal, I enjoyed a portion of one drumstick and one wing. Dennis is a white meat type of person.

  After the turkey has cooled down to take the goodies from the bird, there is going to be a lot of diced and cubed meat to be put into portion bags and frozen for future use. A can of cream of chicken soup and a baggie of cut up turkey will make great hot sandwiches or to be used in a hot dish with noodles and veggies.

  My Dad would be waiting in the wings for a turkey commercial. For the novices out there, a commercial is sliced hot meat in between two slices of bread and then cut in half as they are snuggled up to a mound of mashed potatoes, with the entire fare smothered in hot gravy.

  No doubt some of this bird will be headed north for the contributors to enjoy. It will be some time before bird #2 is roasted. The size of these turkeys must have been in the 11-12 pound range. Look as I might, I did not see the weight on the wrapping of the turkey.

   
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  Noreen 5:30 am on December 12, 2015 Permalink  

  Friday and All is Well 

  

  The sewing portion of the basement is now on the north side of the basement with plenty of room to access the work table. As evident there is a project waiting in the wings for a great granddaughter.

  What a great way to go into the weekend.  The work in our basement is finished.  No monies needed to be spent.  If the going wages for cleaning services would have had to be met,  $500 would not have covered it.  Damp wiping off of the shelving that is covered with vinyl wall paper was a snap.  Our local decorator store had various rolls at reduced prices when we put up all the shelving.  The shelving hangs from brackets that are hooked into the top row of concrete block.  It just meant a trip to the lumberyard for various lengths of pine boards.  No tools were required.  A perfect solution for individuals that are challenged in construction skills.

  Dennis took care of the half bath area as I finished up the last of items to be put in place.  During this process, Dennis had been on hand with his hacksaw to shorten a shelf, lift heavy items down to be cleaned and sorted, plus making a trip to the laundromat to do several loads of rugs from the basement as well as some that were in the laundry basket.  It is so much easier on our Maytag stackable unit.

  The last of the cleanup was getting our old Filter Queen vacuum to be danced around the floor before some fresh rugs were put down in the half bath area.

  

  This is the south portion of our basement. The button tree has been relocated. At Thanksgiving time, I mentioned that I might put the buttons in clear plastic storage boxes. The idea was nixed by Megan, “No Grammie, it needs to stay a Button Tree.” The entire basement is a much improved area for this Grammie to continue putting out treasures.

  During this week, I had taken a lesson from Kevin when it came to the sorting.  If there were no emotional attachments, it did make some items easier to be sent to either the garbage container or the recycling container.

  There is only one cardboard box left in the basement and I just did not have the energy to sift and sort that one.  All things considered, I will not put it off and do it within this next week.  I do like the Rubbermade or such brands that make containers of various utility.  For me, I needed to organize with pooling “like” sewing and crafty items into one container at one location.

  After I rest up a bit, it will be fun to spend some time in this beloved basement that I feel can now be officially labeled as my sewing studio.  As Dennis and I worked this week on a much needed reorganization,  it was amazing how many projects and quilts we could remember that have gone out of this basement.  If there is a passion and a love for an interest or a hobby, it doesn’t have to be, or need to be, anything fancy.  All that is needed is the heart to see what can be accomplished and finished for family.

   
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  Noreen 5:31 am on December 11, 2015 Permalink  

  This was my third day of revamping my sewing and crafting studio. The first day was moving tables, cabinets and such and disconnecting all things electrical. These last two days have been spent going through the contents of every drawer, every storage container – whether it be plastic, cardboard or totes. The recycling bin looks quite healthy for tomorrow’s pickup.

  It was a matter of having all things with Cricut crafting together, stamping supplies in one spot, all in the south portion of the basement. The sewing center is now in the north portion of the area.

  This entire revamping was not just a wild hair. It was for my physical wellbeing. The two church tables were a bit too high for my new sewing machine, thus hard on the two new shoulders as I would work at the machine. Cutting the legs down on the church tables would have made the tables too low for fabric cutting. The wonderful old wood table with 2 x 6 lengths of lumber under the legs, plus a brick, made the perfect height. So, why would you ask or wonder why I would not leave well enough alone? Our basement floor sloops to the center of the room where the floor drain is. Sitting up to the wooden table with my sewing machine, my back was to the center of the room, allowed my sewing chair to roll at will. It was really hard on my lower back to continually put enough pressure on the chair to have it roll back up to the sewing machine.  I will now be facing the center of the basement floor . . . let the chair roll, keeping me in front of my sewing machine.

  Why put off what needed to be done? 95% of everything has been dusted and sorted into a much more desirable abode. No, I had not forgotten what I did have. It was more that as items were obtained, the realistic placement did not follow to the practical place where it would be used.

  One more day tomorrow will bring my basement up to snuff, as I will be hitting the two storage closets as well. Might as well trick out the entire basement. This organizational blitz will have to last for another 25 years.