Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:56 am on May 20, 2017 Permalink  

  This morning, I realized too late I should have taken a pair of light gloves with me on my walk. A little extra of the swinging of the arms helped get as much circulation going as possible. It was down right cold with a brisk northwest wind. The gal that was mowing the cemeteries on the county road was suited up with a winter jacket and cap. This cool weather is really a bummer. I never realized how much I took for granted to being outside now that it is the month of May. I have several bags of mulch laced with Preen that I would love to work with.

  Today as I finished up a shirt remodeling, Dennis peeled boiled eggs for me. Having egg salad on hand is my go to for a snack. If that snack is on hand, I tend to overlook the cookie jar. As I worked with the peeled eggs getting it mixed with lots on onions, Dennis shared how difficult they were to peel. That explained the extra large eggs looking less than they should have. You know what? For the price of eggs being very reasonable and the help that Dennis gave me . . . I so appreciated the help. This batch of egg salad is very, very yellow and loaded with a lot of protein. Life shared on Stauffer Avenue is the best ever.

   
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  Noreen 7:30 am on May 19, 2017 Permalink  

  Hmm, the furnace kicked in and it felt good. Very cool outside and very soggy. Today was a good day to turn my interests into remodeling a shirt and leave the thoughts of the last flowerbeds that need attention for another day. Different strokes for different days. We did enjoy a great crab salad for supper. Green peppers, onions, celery, shredded cheese and crab. Colorful dish and quite healthy. The worse part of making the salad is all the fine chopping of the goodies.

   
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  Noreen 4:06 am on May 18, 2017 Permalink  

  A Trip to the Big Town 

  We headed out to Mankato today for various errands.  How can the older folks on Stauffer have “various errands?”

  The hardware store in town is not handling the brand of our shop vac any longer and so went any chance of purchasing filters for it.  Whatever happened to allowing a bit of a stash on hand for returning customers?  There is only so many times that Dennis can use my wallpaper brush to clean it or bang it on the city utility box.  Lowe’s was one of our stops.  Our patio porch gets daily use, and with a few four footed felines running in and out, a good running vac with a lot of suction is most important. 

  I had a tough day making a purchase.  It was not the dollar amount but the choice of product.  My 2006 Canon Sure Shot camera is kaput.  Dennis asked me yesterday how I got a photo on my post of him washing off the house yesterday.  “Honey, it’s all about keeping a file of photos of previous times.  It’s about a current happening message using a backup for a photo reference.”   I did purchase a Nikon.  It is the same physical size which is nice to pop into a pocket.  The old one had 8.0 pixels and this Nikon has 20.1 pixels.  Basically it has the same operational menu which is very important for me.  I need to stay minimal.  In the scheme of things I believe $89.00 does fit into that minimal slot.  The memory card was transferred over and all seemed well as I explored the new toy.  Bummer.  I do not have a USB cord that has a small enough connection for downloading the photos.  Dang, back to that same hardware store tomorrow that I had kind of left a hint of disappointment about the vac filter.  Oh well, crow doesn’t taste like the worst thing I have ever eaten.

  We had a tenuous trip home from Mankato in regard to the rain.  We put the pickup right into the garage when we hit Stauffer Avenue as hail could have been a possibility.  The weather is unpredictable for the remaining night.  It has been a constant rumble of thunder for the last hour and hard rain coming in spurts. I will be very thankful for no winds or warning of something worse.  My prayer is for everyone to be safe.

   
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  Noreen 3:59 am on May 17, 2017 Permalink  

  Rain Can Always Use Help 

  

  We may have had two tenths of rain this morning, but all it did was loosen up the grim on the house from the spring dust. Dennis finished it off in good stead. The muddy streams from the siding, the screens and behind the shutters made me very happy that our planning of having enough hose handy to get the job done. The city construction has allowed for a parade of every type of truck that can be imagined to pummel our concrete street since April first.  Concrete and tires make a lot of dust.  There is no sign of that slowing down, but it was rewarding to see our little home white again.

   
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  Noreen 5:17 am on May 16, 2017 Permalink  

  A little piddle of rain. Not what was anticipated . . . but . . . just enough to wet the Preen that I have applied to most of the flowerbeds. It was getting to the point that I was planning on stringing the garden hoses out. Put on turned over black dirt and then moistened, Preen does a great job of helping with volunteer weeds. One spot is about to get a second dose of Round Up. An invasive plant is spreading year after year. It does put out a white flower that lasts perhaps one day but the foliage is dense. When dug up there will be a cluster that looks like tiny onions. I dug out the perennials among it that were worth saving and they will be relocated. You can bet I will be cleaning those roots thoroughly to make sure a little bulb doesn’t tag along. Dirty fingernails is just what this gal needs right now. Getting lost in the gardens is better than any sedative.

   
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  Noreen 7:22 am on May 15, 2017 Permalink  

  Most of the time Mediacom does great. This weekend it has been maddening. Granted when the weather is nice, being outside is more enjoyable than checking out what the Internet can offer.

  Since I had not been able to be on the world wide web prior to the weekend, I have had a successful colonoscopy, awaiting the lab results. How much trouble could two small polyps create. I did miss out on several graduation parties here in town and will make contact with those families this week.

  I have had a great Mother’s Day. The sun was bright, the breeze was smooth and the back patio was a great place to begin a new novel. Cards and phone calls all added to the weekend. The plus was that our beautician was able to make a house call. I knew Dennis and I were getting shaggy but the pile of hair that needed to call on the Swiffer was amazing.

  Hopefully the Internet connection will be continuous. Dennis and I are normal people: we want what we want when we want it.

   
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  Noreen 7:17 am on May 12, 2017 Permalink  

  Another great spring day and all is well. The acre has been manicured, Subway gave it up for a great supper for Dennis. Life is good.

   
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  Noreen 4:51 am on May 11, 2017 Permalink  

  Peeking and Seeking 

  

  Today, as more garden work progressed, I always have a light hand as to where I point the Mantis tiller. It is only eight to nine inches in width, making it possible to go between most of the plants. They are small but two Japanese ferns have been discovered under some of the larger perennials. I believe they have self-seeded from a fern that was located several feet away. I have transplanted them into a spot that will allow them to grow unto themselves. It is a good thing I started cleaning the flowerbeds from the farthermost point and am working myself towards the house. I can see the end is near. My body does get weary but it does not hurt. Four hours is the max that I will put in each day. The plus was when Dennis brought out two fried eggs, over hard, for a snack. It was a great break. Doesn’t sound good?  The days prior to a colonoscopy have definite guidelines as to what can be enjoyed.  We managed to put out some garden art and called it a day when it was really trying hard to rain . . . it did not.

   
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  Noreen 4:44 am on May 10, 2017 Permalink  

  One good day after another here on Stauffer Avenue. At this time of the year, I can’t stay in the house. Plants are working hard to make their appearance so it behooves me to prep the flowerbeds so they can show themselves at their best. This gardener does not need to be out and about buying plants, I am excited to take care of the plants as they come up with the option of dividing them or moving them to a better location.

  I did have to take a break from the dirt as it seems prior to a colonoscopy a physical needs to be had by the primary doctor. In thinking about this as I will be under sedation via an IV during the surgical procedure, I do have plans for my life and it is comforting to know that I am in tip top shape. Surgeries don’t always involve an outward scar, but taking out polyps if they are present is invasive and may need additional caution for excessive bleeding. I have to admit. I am a polyp producer. Five years ago there were eight of them removed. If by chance there are none found, I would not have to return for ten years rather than the five year schedule I have been on. I can wish. Either way, a less than good several days of the prep and the actual is still better than the colon cancer.

   
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  Noreen 4:30 am on May 9, 2017 Permalink  

  Quite the Change 

  When I came back from my walk this morning the air was chilly.  I believe the high for today was to be about 60 degrees.  Dennis and I went in and had a late bite of breakfast before deciding what the rest of the day would bring.  I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Friday.  I know myself well enough that I will feel the after glow of this procedure for the better part of Saturday.  There is no way a fart will be taken for granted.  The wonderful prep effects can last for more than the procedure.

  I did decide to work on the far east garden along the east line of our original lot.  I knew I would be in shade for the time it took me to work up the dirt with the Mantis Tiller.  The south breeze turned to a brisk wind gust every once in a while.  I had green tea on hand as well as coffee very close at hand.  It was about 1:30 before I finished, and when I did, I realized it had gotten quite warm out.  Dennis came out and clued me in that it was 84 degrees with a very warm 15 mph wind.  Wow!

  Needless to say, I had a great day and that flower bed looks wonderful.  The perennials have had the dirt worked up and the dirt is quite nice.  Had the hard crust been allowed to remain from the winter, the next rainfall would have washed off the surface and the plants would have been lacking.