Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:18 am on August 21, 2015 Permalink  

  Preparation 101 

  

  The stack of fabric to the top of the photo is what’s ready for consideration into the next scrappy quilt. My friend, Doreen, said she was in favor of lighter colors for this project. It is time to sort and head in that pastel direction.  Kevin has offered to use his huge cutter in his print shop to help cut multiple pieces.  In a perfect world, my scraps would all be the same size rather than a bit of this and a bit of that.

   

  

  Here is the same stack of fabric, but now cut in 2.5″ squares for the centers of the quilt blocks. I did not have the heart, nor the arm strength, to begin cutting the sashing that will go around the center of each block. That will be for another day. Preparation 101 has shut off the lights and closed down the shop .

   
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  Noreen 5:37 am on August 20, 2015 Permalink  

  Modern Marvels 

  There are more modern marvels that I have seen in my lifetime that I could possibly list.  I do know that at a time when I was in grade school attending Renville County Rural District #34, life was quite simplistic.  Television was found in some homes, but not as yet in ours.  The radio was our entertainment after the supper livestock chores were done.  The round Oak table was the center for homework and handwork.  There was little need for the lights to be on in our home beyond the kitchen until bedtime.

  My Mom was a great teacher in assisting whoever needed help with homework that involved English, spelling and history. My Dad was the go-to person for arithmetic.  Mom would be helping Calvin with homework, and with her other eye, she would be critiquing my stitches as I would work on a stamped dishtowel.  Embroidery work was like a national pastime.  The patterns that could be stamped were usually good for a maximum of two times using a hot iron.  After that, we relied on the little piece of carbon paper that was attached to the milk hauler’s receipt of the daily pickup of milk from Dad’s dairy herd.  The patterns for embroidery were traced very carefully using the carbon paper on the dish towels that had been feed sacks that were taken apart, hemmed and then bleached to a bright white.  The carbon pieces after use, were secured in a used envelope that had held a pattern from the Farm Journal Magazine.   The carbon paper was truly a modern marvel.

  

  The gift of carbon paper from a musty old courthouse
  vault that keeps on giving.

  At a time in the recent past while being employed at the Watonwan County Courthouse, it was not uncommon for offices to clean out the old vaults to make room for the mounting amount of records.  Joy Sing walked over from the County Recorder’s office one day and asked if I would have a use for some old carbon paper.  All of the individual records were using no carbon required (NCR), carbonless paper.  As I had always remained entrenched in quilting and embroidery, I thought I had won the lottery.

  As late as today, I gingerly took out the box of  carbon paper and peeled off a single sheet to use in a quilt project.  I doubt that very many of the 100 sheets are missing from the box.  I finished tracing my pattern and . . . no, I did not throw away the carbon sheet.  I placed it back into the box.  It’s very doubtful I will ever use the last sheet in this box.  It does speak to the fact that I so treasure having the supplies to enjoy my sewing, crafting and quilting, I can’t bring myself to be wasteful.  I can remember when resources were hard to come by and dreams of working on a project had to go by the wayside for the lack thereof.

  Remembering and having memories of tougher times, has brought me to taking advantage when there has been a chance to add to my sewing and crafting stashes with little or no expenditure of resources . . . or Kevin and Kersten know just where to put a few treasures that they have come across.  I sometimes admit to Dennis that I feel like a hoarder.  Dennis very quickly talks me down when he reminds me of how many people have received gifts of blankets and quilts and other handmade treasures from Stauffer Avenue, or even that I have shared what I have with someone that may not have the means.  Sharing with the wanna-be who may not have an awareness of what is needed, or how to get started on their own, may begin a lifetime of enjoyment for them.

  There are many numerous modern marvels that I have witnessed in my seventy one years, but it takes a lot to beat carbon paper.

   
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  Noreen 6:06 am on August 19, 2015 Permalink  

  This was quite the wet day. A trip out to Super 8 pool for some needed exercise while the rains continued. We had not realized that during the time we were at the pool, the wind had come up and was already down by the time we left for home. We were amazed at all the leaves and branches that were lying along the route home. Tomorrow will be a day to pick up branches and tidy up the patio. Yes, after three inches of rain over the last two days, we do have to have patio doors open and fans running to dry out a few spots of the porch carpet.

   
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  Noreen 6:02 am on August 18, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 )   

  Rainy Day Job 

  

  Dennis’ niece, Geri, has worked very hard on Ancestry to pull information in regard to the Curry family. Sunday at the reunion she had a book for each of Tom and Edith Curry’s children. The intent was that each child’s family would make copies for their children. It was a rainy day today and my Dell printer was kept quite busy. The genealogy went back to the year 1830 and came forward. Geri has spent years on this and to actually have a printout was priceless. The book had 51 pages up to Dennis’ parents. After that each of the four books were detailed specifically for each of their lives. Dennis’ book went on for another 23 pages detailing Dennis’ life to the present. As of this evening, Dennis’ children will each have their own copy to continue the story.

   
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  Noreen 4:02 am on August 17, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 ), Lorraine ( 6 ), quilting   

  Settling In 

  The older ones on Stauffer Avenue have had a whirlwind of items on the calendar.  After each appointment or event, it pleases us to check it off and say, “Well done.”

  Last night the telephone rang.  Not even looking at the caller I.D., I had an inkling who it might be.  My Aunt Lorraine from Arizona does call on a Saturday evening about the 9 p.m. time.  Our visit last night lasted for a full hour.  Lorraine is 84 and lives with her daughter after my uncle passed away.  Lorraine is a retired teacher from the Jackson, Minnesota, area, who taught children in need of speech therapy.  Our bond is family ties as well as the love of fabric and quilting.  Each year as Lorraine visits her remaining three children in Minnesota, Dennis and I are always graced with a day’s visit from her.  I feel very honored.

  Through family connections, Lorraine has found a friend.  Dick is a widower, about the same age as Lorraine.  Lorraine and Dick enjoy going out for coffee and he enjoys taking her to various quilting shops to the degree that he is trying his hand at a project or two using her tools and sewing machine.  A teacher and her student.  It makes me smile.  Lorraine’s son is a young widower and works in Hastings at a large printing company.  Mark is on his feet for the entire work shift, and while Lorraine was visiting him this passed summer, Mark took her to several quilt shops in his area.  As it turns out, his wife had been a quilter and he has a good sewing machine.  Lorraine was happy to report that Mark has finished his first queen-sized quilt.  Working with multi-colored layouts has given him an eye for color combinations. Being on his feet all day, the relaxation sets in as he whiles away home time sitting at the sewing machine being creative in his own right.  Lorraine has managed to encourage two special fellows in her life to share her passion.  Now there is a subtle, persuasive personality.

  

  This scrappy quilt will be using more of what has been left over from previous projects. It will lend itself to more of the pastel colors, as Dennis’ quilt had the darker hues.

  I have appreciated Dennis’ help in the sewing room, helping me to herd large quilts under the sewing machine needle as I put bindings on.  This summer he tackled using a quilting tack gun to hold layers of the quilt together.  Who knows?  Perhaps Dennis will find himself being pulled into the world of lint, fuzz and threads.  Not!

  The calendar is clear for some time of appointments and events and I am ready to settle in and begin on my next scrappy quilt projects.  I will be able to use many lengths of scraps that are two and a half inches in width, quite a bit larger than the ones used for Dennis’ scrappy quilt.

  Balance in my day is what brings joy to my life.  Checking out the flower gardens every day on a walk with Butter Ball comes first with a cup of coffee.  As I type, we are in for some rain that will be coming out of the very dark clouds, insuring the gardens won’t need to be watered.  I have an idea the sewing machine will be humming tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 3:49 am on August 16, 2015 Permalink  

  We are home from the Curry reunion. Tom and Edith Curry had four children: Dennis will be 79 in October and his sister June is 85. Dick passed away in 1985 and Roger passed away in 2006. Each of the four families represented today wore different colored t-shirts. It was a great crowd with every type of food you could imagine. There was a breeze coming across the lake . . . but it was hot and humid. Dennis is in his recliner and I have finished washing up and putting away the picnic fare.

   
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  Noreen 5:28 am on August 15, 2015 Permalink  

  Someone Left the Front Door Open 

  I had an agenda for this morning, so it was that at 7:00 a.m. I was awake pouring my first cup of coffee.  The forecast for the day was hot, and then more hot.  It would seem that a measurable rainfall has not been in the cards.  I do have my arsenal for times as these: the Miracle Grow feeder put on the garden hose that will reach the 250′ length of our yard . . . I was ready.

  

  Every spring I wonder if I want to work in the gardens. It doesn’t take long and I am out there coaxing the perennials to show themselves. Right now the Phlox are giving a great show.

  I was in the far east flowerbed and I noticed a strange red pickup in the drive.  Knowing that Dennis was in the porch, I kept my head down and continued with my task.  I will say that my flowerbeds look better this mid-August than they have in prior years.  Let’s hear it for Miracle Grow!  The next time I looked toward the house there was a scooter that had joined the red pickup.  It was a good thing we had the lawn chairs out.  I took my time as I wanted this feeding and watering to be of a goodly amount and not just a tease.  I finished my task and the fellows on the patio watched as I hauled in all the garden hose to get it wound up on the reel.  I was a bit muddy.  Moving garden hoses that are sweating from the cold water rushing through them while encompassed with humid air . . . one is going to get dirty.  I was happy how the flowerbeds perked up by getting their leaves washed off while soaking up some extra moisture.

  My second task for the day was to bake out some bacon to have on hand in the refrigerator.  Yes, it heated up the kitchen, but that is what the kitchen is for.  I heard the doorbell ring and in waked Dennis’s son, Kenny.  A Curry family reunion for this weekend in the park brought Kenny in from Arizona.  As I pulled out trays of bacon, I looked up and there were Dennis and Kenny in our small kitchen, inching toward the bacon as it was cooling on paper towels.  I think I lost a pound of finished bacon right there on the spot before Kenny left.  If the kitchen is going to be heated up, there is no point in not doing a good amount of bacon.  The price of $2.50 a pound this week in the grocery store was a great score.  I had started out with five pounds.  It does take some time to put the bacon on foil-lined cookie sheets at 350 degrees.  The blessing is that at the end, the foil is striped off and no greasy items to wash.

  I was winding up the last two trays of bacon when the doorbell rang.  Dennis’ granddaughter and hubby from Silver Bay stopped in with the four great grandgirls.  The girls range from 8 months to seven years of age.  Some of the girls went right for the fish pond and a few had to scope out the house to see if anything had changed since the last time they had visited.  Dennis entertained in the porch and I continued with the kitchen duty until I could turn the oven off and be relieved that a task I don’t look forward to . . . was done and I could join everyone outside.  Ava, Addison and Bella had sat on the edge of the fish pond cooling their feet, while Josie was content in the porch watching Snuggles.  It was a treat to have Erin and Paul stop in.  I will say it again . . . when grandkids take time out to visit grandparents it is so special.

  It is now six in the evening.  The AC has caught up with the kitchen being heated up, the crock pot is out of storage for six pounds of meatballs to be fixed with Alfredo sauce for the reunion.  Pumpkin Pecan bread will be sliced and put on a tray for tomorrow and Dennis is going to make sure our small cooler has plenty of bottles of water at hand for tomorrow.

  As I had said, “Someone left the front door open,” this little cabin on Stauffer takes one and all in for a visit while managing to stay on track.  I am so hoping the humidity is kind to us tomorrow in the park.  It will be a fun time seeing family members that don’t often find their way to St. James.

   
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  Noreen 6:14 am on August 14, 2015 Permalink  

  It is so useful, it is bad. My Mom had a stainless quart and a half copper bottom Revere Ware saucepan. I was thrilled to add it to our kitchen. It is the perfect size for use here on Stauffer Avenue. Unfortunately, the handle is very heavy. With the saucepan having less than a quart of liquid or vegetables . . . it will tip if not handled with care. Dang, I like that saucepan, but it is a challenge. Kevin has shared that table knives with larger handles are easy to wield, but don’t expect them to stay on the edge of a dinner plate. Life is good and little items just keep us on our toes. We are up for whatever it takes to keep things on an even keel.

   
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  Noreen 5:50 am on August 13, 2015 Permalink  

  The Itch of Yesterday – Done 

  

  Yesterday I knew something was going to break loose in my sewing and craft area, I just quite didn’t know what it would be. Kevin gave me this metal display rack some time ago. No doubt, it was used in a grocery store for wares. Though a bit late for this year, my newly-painted birdhouses will be stored when fall comes, ready for the spring of 2016. I used a steel-bristled brush to give each shelf a good cleaning to implement using magnetic tape on the bottom of each house to help secure them during a breeze or perhaps a wind. Time will tell if this technique will work. Of course, a project cannot go without an oops. I was so busy putting my magnetic strips down, I failed to take the concrete bird down first as I was moving things about. You guessed it. It fell . . . right onto the left side of my face knocking my glasses off. I first felt for blood . . . finding none I picked my very bent glasses up out of the grass. A quick trip to the eye doctor to have my glasses straightened and we were right back on track. My bad. A bit of color in the back garden brings a smile to us as we enjoy the patio.  It also gives a good balance for the birdhouse we had put up earlier.

  

   
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  Noreen 3:45 am on August 12, 2015 Permalink  

  Fleeting Thoughts: 

  The house has been tidied; the grass doesn’t need mowing.  My sewing table and craft area has been clean long enough, I am getting the itch.