Where else but Stauffer Avenue could you walk across the alley on a Sunday afternoon and get the perfect haircut. It’s a good thing.
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Noreen
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Noreen
A Saturday that would make anyone happy. The drip, dripping of snow coming off of the awning tells me that spring will not be detoured by the latest snowfall. We did make a run to Sherburn for the Old Alley Quilt Shop. The Minnesota Wild t-shirt quilt is coming right along . . . one stitch, one cut, one pressing at a time. Old Alley has my choice for quilt batting. Dennis and I enjoyed the 26 mile trip checking out the different routes and seeing how the miles from here to there differ in the snowfall. We were very fortunate.
In between times, I should get mileage as I am up and down the steps keeping the laundry going on the main floor and checking on some dinner rolls that are rising on the back of the oven. A busy day on Stauffer. A very good day indeed.
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Noreen
As luck would have it, only about four to five inches of snow fell over the evening hours rather than the 12 inches that were predicted. Surfaces were so warm that much of the wet snowfall melted before any accumulation could be seen this morning when I got up. With neighbor Randy’s John Deere taking the brunt of the accumulation, our wide pusher did the trick. It’s getting on supper hour and the concrete drive is totally cleared . . . I take that back, there is enough wind from the north for the last 20 feet of the driveway to be blown in.
I worked in the sewing studio for a bit this afternoon while Dennis took over the kitchen. A chicken marsala hot dish is ready to be popped into the oven. We really like the Classico flavored pasta sauces. Steaming some carrots to add to it should give it a great flavor boost. Dennis had caught a cake recipe on Facebook that he wanted to try. Before the kitchen aroma takes on the hot dish goodness, the chocolate cake takes center stage. It was a chocolate cake mix, dry chocolate instant pudding, sour cream and four eggs mixture. Time will tell on that. I can’t see how it could be anything but spectacular.
Yup . . . great local effort today.
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Noreen
Hurry and Wait
There is so much to do about a possible snow event coming for today, February 23, 2017. Dennis and I are not banking on it one way or another. We have all we need in our home for not only this weekend but for many more days if needed.
A coffee guest this forenoon arrived with a brunch on the dining room table. When I received the text I was still in my robe. A fresh pot of coffee was started, I got dressed and opened the door with a smile. I’ve still got it!
It was one p.m. when I got into the sewing studio. If I tidy up at the end of each sewing day, it is a pleasure to flip light switches and begin where I left off. My days always have an agenda. It is safe to say that I make sure I have an agenda for each day. My grandmother Laura taught me that at the end of each day, there must be something that has been accomplished and you have something to show for it. If God gave me this day, I need to make good use of it. I believe that lack of planning is why some people can look me right in the eye and tell me they are bored. Seriously?
This evening for supper we are having fresh pan-fried Walleye caught as late as yesterday in the Watonwan County River. My coffee guest this morning brought them over. Pretty sweet. Once I knew I had supper nailed down, my sewing studio began to hum.
Quilt projects are timely and the best way to approach it is to stay in “real time.” One step at a time and no pre-judging beyond that step. Not adhering to that is a sure fire way to fail before you start. I looked at the pile of
crumpled t-shirts on my cutting tables, put a new blade into the rotary cutter and took one shirt at a time. One shirt with a rough cut and then off to the ironing board to apply the sizing to the back and then back to the cutting table to get a 16.5 x 16.5 block that I need. I know myself well enough that if I stay at the cutting table for the rough cutting of all 16 t-shirts, I won’t be able to walk away without a back that is hurting. I pace myself with a few sips of coffee in between and the constant moving from point A to point B doesn’t let the muscles, joints and tendons get tight. No, I have not always worked smarter than harder. It is now 
4:30 in the afternoon and I am about to close down the sewing studio for the day with a very good sense of having this step of the quilt completed. I will add that for all the pressing to get the blocks looking like a million bucks, the new “I Touch” Oliso iron made all the difference as to how my right wrist feels after the afternoon’s workout. Tomorrow is another day and perhaps all that I will get done is moving snow. Now there will be proof of accomplishment. -
Noreen
Changing Needs
Hello on another great sunny day. I have no idea what the temps are but the sun is out and the wind chimes are not ringing off the trees. I am not one to shun changes. It just takes me awhile to acknowledge that a change is needed. I have been using our basement for my sewing room for over 20 years. My projects don’t have to be put away when we want to set the table for a meal. Fuzz and threads get Swiffered up from a smooth painted concrete floor regularly. It would surprise you how many threads can catch on the bottom of shoes and show up on the main floor of our home. About a year ago Dennis and I traveled to Bird Island and I purchased a new sewing machine. First big purchase of a machine since 1967. It is so wonderful not to have to raise the pressure foot manually or cut thread manually. It is amazing how much those two items save on fingers, wrists and shoulder movements.
It has been in the last six months that I sat back down here among my goodies that I knew I had to make some changes. My cutting tables are no longer at the factory 29 inch height. They are now at 35 inches via bricks under the legs. My arms are now at 90 degrees as I sit up to the sewing machine via my 1960s sewing table that Orlin bought for me when we were farming. My ironing board is now 36 inches in height thanks to Dennis working with me to put a
26″ x 56″ topper on it for handling the quilting projects. So why all the changes now?In today’s currant world, I like my life and I like it a lot. Comfort for me goes beyond a pot of coffee each day and plenty of food for nourishment. I enjoy feeling good physically. Taking a large amount of pills for me is not where I need to be at my age, which soon the number “72” will no longer hit the mark. I will never beat the disease of arthritis. I can keep it at bay. If I don’t keep moving and doing, it will take over much like water as it travels over the top of a flat surface when I knock over my water glass at the dining room table. I just had a great checkup with my family doctor. It was so good that this time my weight was not mentioned. Oh . . . I am not done with that little item yet, it just no longer defines who and what I am.
I do believe that arthritis is in my DNA. With both sets of my grandparents it was evident of that in their day to day living that their mobility was hampered by arthritis. I am so fortunate that with medical advancements to be taken advantage of, the arthritis is my burden to carry but not a burden in my day to day activity. It was not enjoyable to have both feet surgically altered so I could walk, carrying myself correctly. Oh my gosh, that was in the early 1980s. I could do crutches up and down our basement steps at our home at South Branch. The attention that I needed from Carrie and Kevin could also be gotten with a tap on the head of the crutch tip. June of 2005 I decided to have my knees replaced. The bone on bone was very painful. Surprisingly the memories of the physical work that aided in the need of that surgery that I did as a farm girl and farm wife are not painful to remember. I cherish those memories. Both of the knees done at one time was a slick way of getting through the recovery and the therapy. Either you moved, or you didn’t. Using the push lawnmower that summer was the ticket for mobility. The two shoulders that needed to be replaced in the recent past . . . that was not a choice that I made. Within a year of each other, it was of necessity at the time. The arthritis was so severe, it didn’t take much of a mishap to put it on the schedule. I now, so appreciate my mobility. The lack there of with certain activity doesn’t really hinder me. I have learned to find different ways of achieving the same end.
As I said, I like my life. I like the comfort that each day brings. Dennis and I take care of our home as it needs it. It sure is a pain when we need to ask for help. The pain of swallowing our pride is less than having our home become less than it should be. By all accounts our home is handicap accessible via the hard-work of making it so. Dennis and I are very appreciative of the hours that it took to make it so. Hats off to carpenters whether biological or store bought fellows.
Many of the do-it-yourself projects to bring my sewing room into what I now deem as a “sewing studio” has been sitting back and taking stock of what could be moved or changed with very little effort or cost. Not so yesterday! I now have a brand new iron to put upon my improved ironing board. I knew that the Oliso irons have been around for a long time. Friend Linda has had one for at least eight years, perhaps shortly after they were first out. The sewing machine saves on my hands, the height of the work surfaces has been a huge help on the back and shoulders. The darn iron has been killing my right wrist which is a bit deformed with arthritis. Using the iron and having to tip it up or down does . . . in plain English . . . hurt.
The Oliso is also a steam iron, so I don’t have to use the laundry sink that is close by to wet a pressing cloth and wringing it out. Now when I am finished pressing a seam, I move the iron off to the side and it raises itself, taking its own hot plate off of the surface, patiently waiting until the next time I need it. As soon as I touch the handle, it lowers itself ready for service. I’ve gotten one square of a t-shirt quilt done and I already appreciate it. I take that back . . . my right wrist loves it. This was the last of the changes I knew I needed to continue loving my sewing studio and working in it as comfortably as possible. Why do I wait so long to make a change for the better? I have no idea. I am sure it is a deep seated feeling of making do with what is at hand. It’s a good thing at the age of 72 I am very aware of what brings me happiness and feeling good while doing it.
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Noreen
Dennis and I have had an energized day. The eye checkup for Dennis was a good one, no new lens needed. Since last evening I have had a new order come in for a Minnesota Wild t-shirt quilt. Sixteen t-shirts are on my sewing tables waiting to be transformed. A repeat customer tells me they were happy with the Vikings quilt. I did my homework on the computer and found out what store in Mankato carried the licensed fabric line for sports. JoAnn Fabrics was our first stop. It doesn’t pay to have a 50% off on a single full priced item as everything in that store has some sort of discount. River City Quilts was our next stop for the backing and right off the bat, found a compatible fabric for the back at the 108″ wide choice.
Yesterday Carrie had brought along English Cucumbers for a finger food. Dennis raved about them. Crisp and flavorful . . . he began talking about creamed cucumbers in February. Three of them came home with us from Hy-Vee. That will be on the list for tomorrow’s food options.
A stop at Sam’s Club for essentials and we were ready to relax and have a sandwich. Culver’s was our choice. Man, it was great driving home with a window cracked and the sun in our eyes. I have just stashed all the purchased items where they belong and I am pooped.
Dennis and I believe we were so energized today due to the carry-over of having the kids here yesterday. An unexpected visit from Carrie, Megan and Nicholas was just as great of a boost for us as a weekend get away. Priceless.
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Noreen
It may be President’s day, but here on Stauffer Avenue it was a holiday all of our own. Megan and Nicholas came to spend the day with us. Oh my gosh, it was wonderful.
Megan and Nicholas got to spend as much time as they wanted in the porch with the cats while mom Carrie and I caught up on visiting. Carrie brought a picnic lunch and as the day wore on we had to finish it with ice cream, root beer and of course a York mint candy bar. There is always time to dig out some of the old staples for toys.
It was a wonderful day and of course, my heart swelled when Nicholas wasn’t ready to go home. Hugs all around as they headed back to the metro. Priceless.
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Noreen
In the quiet of my sewing studio I am hatching out all sorts of things and turning the planning and scheming into fruition. The sewing machine had not been turned on for four days. During the last months, I had been listening and taking notes. Today I am seeing some of those ideas stitched out.
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Noreen
This evening I have one hell of a computer hangover. I have mentioned my ailing older laptop in past postings. Today was time to go through all the files. The largest file is the photos I have kept. Different flash drives loaded at various times meant some duplicates of photos. No more! Downloading files, photos and ZIP folders that were not labeled made for a very full day. I took time twice to back up my progress on my external drive as the laptop is critical . . . I think. I just couldn’t take a chance. At one point it did close down and a “restore to an earlier time” was done taking some time to accomplish that. I have done all I can and when I did shut the Delll laptop down to make supper, it will be interesting to see what tomorrow will bring.
As I mentioned, my aching head is very eager to find my favorite robe and put my feet up after supper away from the computers for the day. It was a day that needed to be done.
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Noreen
A Day of rest for me. I went with Dennis to Mankato for a new face mask for his CPAP machine. We dined at Perkins and were home by 1:30. After sitting on neighbor Jan’s back steps to catch up on news of the neighborhood, I headed for the sewing studio . . . but not for stitching. With the possibility of this laptop totally dying on me, I needed to clean up files that I have for the embroidery library. It is far too easy to download files on flash drives for stitching, plug the flash drives into the the sewing machine to read and stitch and then not put them into tidy folders so they can be easily found the next time I need them. Today was a day of rest from stitching, but also a needed day to keep my stitching designs ready for a time when needed. As this laptop is elderly, I plugged in the Click Free external backup . . . just in case.
I have learned one thing about downloading designs. Not all sites for embroidery designs are as good as others. If you have a “Grade A” design it can be manipulated into the size you want your finished product to be right on the laptop. Individual designs may be saved in various sizes for future use. Live and learn. The “take it or leave it” sized designs can only be manipulated if you buy into a software program for the alterations. I am very content using the site that gives me satisfaction without more bells and whistles.
I can report that there is no snow in our yard today, February 17, 2017.
