Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:15 am on October 8, 2016 Permalink  

  A Dose of Reality 

  There are times when all of us feel like “fixers” in our day-to-day lives. We are self reliant, self taught and self motivated. If all else fails, we know people, we have people or know people who know people.

  Today, Dennis’ daughter Sue came from Silver Bay for a visit. It was a visit that was driven from the necessity of attending a care conference for her mother. Her mother is in an Alzheimer care facility in the neighboring town of New Ulm. Families need to attend these for all manner of care to be gone over for the patient. Very difficult for Sue and her sisters when their mother becomes upset, wanting to know why “these people” have to hear about how she is doing. “These people” would love to be able to pull up a chair, much like Sue did today with her dad Dennis, and have a heartfelt conversation with her mom.  Needing to sharing with us and pulling support from us for what may be coming in the future for Sue’s 25-year-old daughter who is physically handicapped.

  Nothing to learn, no motivation to instill, no amount of people can help; there is nothing that can be fixed.

  Later on this afternoon, I found myself quite emotional. In our lives here on Stauffer Avenue, Dennis and I strive to keep our lives “fixed” in all manner. How much we take for granted all that we are able maintain and keep fixed whether physically or with our material home. To think that that ability would be taken from us . . . made me emotional.

  Today, some of that emotion came from thinking about my sister Elvera and her family. How many times her and I would share a cup of coffee at three in the afternoon and visit via the land line phone. What we shared in regard to things that had transpired in our homes, with our husbands, with our children and the strength that we took from each other to help “fix” things. It was the type of fix and support that our spirits needed. Yup, I do know how much her family will miss that strength, as I sure do.

  Time to put my “big girl panties” on and deal with keeping myself in a position to continue fixing what I can. So, off to the pharmacy I went and got my one and only $3.02 prescription for the next three months to make sure I am here for as long as my family, Elvera’s family and Dennis’s children need me to be here for that caring support when it is needed.

   
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  Noreen 4:08 am on October 7, 2016 Permalink  

  We hope it helps. We purchased the Gila Heat Protective Window Film on our west combination door panes. The hope is that it will protect our new solid wood door from the west sun and heat. It is worth a try. I would weep if that beautiful door would show signs of sun abuse.

  Of course we had help today. We were dog sitting Tix, a Terrier. Dennis’ daughter, Sandy, has her house for sale here in St. James. Hmm, Tix is not welcome when strangers think they can come into her home to mess with her dog bed and perhaps her toys. Talk about territorial.

  A very cool day with a bit of rain and no one can miss the hint that fall is upon us. It could be worse. We have friends, Perry and Linda. When Perry retired from the courthouse, I was sad when he said they were moving to Georgia. They live just in that nitch where Florida meets Georgia . . . where the hurricane is swirling. I sure don’t mind a cool damp day on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 3:47 am on October 6, 2016 Permalink  

  Today was Dennis’ Korean Veteran’s luncheon in Mankato. Someone looked at his shirt as we then went on to run some errands and commented that the spelling was wrong on his shirt. Dennis’ unit is call The Frozen Chosin. Yup, that is correct: Chosin. Chosin was a geographical hot spot area in Korea that many from his group served at. It’s a great thing for Dennis to participate with these men and women. Visiting and remembering is a very unique experience for these wonderful veterans. War times . . . how sad that even Dennis’ young niece at the age of thirty one has experience during three tours of . . . war.

   
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  Noreen 3:58 am on October 5, 2016 Permalink  

  Several days ago, someone commented on Dennis’ pickup hood. “Dennis, your cats still like you.” Paw prints at their finest on the little red pickup’s hood. Today, I finally got back to visiting my basement sewing studio. Fall cleaning does take me and leaves me on the first floor of our home. As I was preparing to do an embroidery design, I noticed I was leaving prints: my finger prints. Though using precaution when scrubbing off the hard water spots on the outside of our house windows, several of my finger tips had cracked just enough to leave a tell tale pink smear of my “O Positive” blood. I now have an ample supply of band-aids on hand. During the evening hours I will continue saturating my finger tips with healing lotions. It is amazing, no matter how grease free lotions are, they also leave evidence on fabrics. I had a great day. Yes, Dennis, I agree, I also love looking out of clean windows.

   
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  Noreen 4:18 am on October 4, 2016 Permalink  

  Working Together 

  

  Fall means that our potting shed is going to get a workout. Dennis stated this morning that it would be a working day making use of the warm temperatures. I am quite sure he heard the forecast of cool days with a chance of rain. Garden art is fun to put out in the spring. October means the end of the flourishing gardens and time to button up. We have taken note that some homes leave out the garden art twelve months of the year. We are of the mindset that perhaps next spring may bring a change of heart or change of physical endurance and low and behold there is a yard left with much to contend with.

  

  It is just a good feeling to have the garden art tucked away where it is dry. Nothing is worse than working with cold fingers or worse yet, cold wet fingers. The patio umbrella will take center stage with the push lawn mowers snuggled right up next to it.  The day went well and we fought the good fight against the no see um biting bugs, the Boxelder bugs and the late hatch of stinging mosquitoes.  After today, this will give Dennis a chance to get the snowblower out and tuned up before it is needed.  I will go back to my fall house cleaning taking a stance against the dust bunnies.

   
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  Noreen 7:36 am on October 3, 2016 Permalink  

  Happy Birthday Day 

  

  Dennis had a great 80th Birthday. Many folks wished him a great day via, cell phones, land line phone, and of course, Facebook. We had a very wonderful evening date and plan on many more just as we had this evening.

   
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  Noreen 5:24 am on October 2, 2016 Permalink  

  Today was the Fall cleaning day from hell and I have no one but myself to blame. Our west porch is ten windows and two doors. The depth being eight feet as it goes along the front of our home. The south wall is the Dennis Curry Command center. A wall of a maze of wires for the telephone, the wireless router, the Mediacom power box, Dennis’ Dell computer and a television set. Dennis’ office chair is one of varnished two by fours. Heavier than a boxcar full of cats.

  We have replacement windows throughout our home. Getting in between the south wall and Dennis’ desk to let the replacement windows up and down to clean is a challenge. I gingerly unplugged various ports and plugins to allow for the desk to be moved farther into the room. After doing half of the porch windows and the walls and flooring in that half, I called it a day. I am happy I did the worst first. Going back at it on Monday will be oh so much easier as there is only one overhead lamp to work around, a double sized bed and my Mom and Dad’s glider rocker . . . and a wall with three individual oak shelves on it.

  Anyone can live in a 720 square foot home . . . if the organization is in place and stays in place. The end result will be a homogenized porch. With the traffic of the grain semis, tractors pulling grain trailers and the food processing semis with their refer trailers, I can guarantee it will stay freshened up for only a bit as we like to have windows open during the fall season. That’s okay. I will know that it is fresh dirt. A real plus at the end of this day is that ALL of Dennis’ media center is up and running.

   
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  Noreen 4:06 am on October 1, 2016 Permalink  

  It May Not Be As It Appears 

  

  It appears to be a lazy fall day. What it really transpired into was nothing less than it looking like a water fight. I had the noon dining room table set for Dennis and me. I was just about to sit down when out of the blue came a fumble of my right arm that sent my full water glass with the trajectory of a small missile. The table top, myself, the cushioned dinette chair and the floor five feet out from the table were left with dripping water. I looked at Dennis and his eyes were huge. I burst out laughing and took the water that had filled the plate and dumped it out on the table as well. For the amount of cleanup that was required, I could not believe the water glass was still a third full. Dennis said he didn’t feel so bad as he was usually the one with the “oops.” I was a bit late in finally having a bite for noon lunch, but the table top was totally cleaned as well as the majority of the dining room floor. Wearing dry clothes, lunch still tasted good, complete with dill pickles out of the quart jar with our hand dandy pickle spearer.

   
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  Noreen 4:37 am on September 30, 2016 Permalink  

  Today was a short road trip to the City of Windom. Frank’s Shoe Store has been a staple in our area for as long as Dennis can remember. A full shoe repair shop as well as a huge department of everything from cowboy boots, work shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes and slippers for the fellows. Dennis was in the market, but I did notice there was also a selection of casual and sport shoes of every style and color for the gals. We had not stopped for a quick meal at a Dairy Queen for some time. Though a limited selection of both grilled chicken and Philly Cheese sandwiches, we had to enjoy a malt to go with our sandwiches. Yup, a good little road trip.

   
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  Noreen 4:24 am on September 29, 2016 Permalink  

  Love these cool outdoor temperatures. I could go without the drone of the air conditioner for the rest of the year. It does get a bit noisy in my sewing studio. Our sump pump has not quit running . . . since forever. Right now it is going every three to four minutes. We have an air exchanger with a charcoal filter running non stop. A dehumidifier is running in what was the old cistern, now converted to a nice closet. The height of that cistern closet is also the access to the crawl space under the bathroom. When the central air is running . . . it is just way too much going in one ear and out the other. Now, on the plus side: our basement is dry and it does not smell like a basement. In reality, the pluses outnumber the minuses. So, shut your mouth, Grammie, and be thankful that a sewing studio is in place and it is super sweet!