Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 5:37 am on December 29, 2016 Permalink  

  Dennis and I are home from the big city of Mankato and very thankful when that Stauffer Avenue sign appears and then the next right is our driveway. I have picked up another embroidery project as of the UPS delivery today. I do enjoy fulfilling family member’s dreams and needs.

  The sewing studio isn’t even going to get it’s light turned on today. Enough is enough. Tomorrow Dennis and I will put on the top layer of my new ironing board surface. Sounds silly but this is huge. Fabric all comes at 44″ wide and often times worked with it folded at 22″. Working with t-shirt blocks that are 14″ to 16″ that need stabilizer, the current surface did not allow for a block to be stabilized without moving it for an overall ironing, thus allowing for less than a good finish.

  Life is good when Grammie is busy. This is the very same sentiment that I heard from my Mom. She told me how important it was for her to feel like she and what she could do for family was still needed. I say “Amen” to that.

   
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  Noreen 9:45 am on December 28, 2016 Permalink  

  A Productive Day 

  

  We have had a great productive day here on Stauffer Avenue. Dennis’ shirt has buttons on the sleeve and we fixed the Baby Jesus on the Oak Christmas board that Kevin had made in the . . . way back days when Kevin had a wood shop in the chicken barn of the South Branch farm. Nephew Brett was over for his quilting tutorial. He has the will and I have the words. My 1962 Mary Proctor ironing board is getting a new cover. Overson Lumber cut half inch plywood that is 56″ x 24″ and that will lay right on top of the ironing board.  No more working with the peek of the ironing board. We first covered it in felt and it now has two layers of cotton batting on it for some loft. I could not have worked the stapler and . . . then Dennis came down into the sewing studio. Tomorrow when we hit Mankato, I will purchase some silicone fabric for the final cover. Ya know . . . the fabric that is shiny silver and doesn’t scorch very easily. It has been a great day and right now Dennis just took the hotdish out of the oven. Gotta run!

   
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  Noreen 3:53 am on December 27, 2016 Permalink  

  Hmm! 

  

  During a Christmas visit to Nicholas and Megan’s on Friday, Grandpa and I got to take in Megan’s very first one-on-one coached lesson for figure skating. I could not believe how tall she has gotten when I saw her out on the ice. Nicholas made it through his black belt experience and Megan is showing good skills in figure skating. As Megan did her lunges and her turns, I could feel my own legs wanting to make the moves with her.  Dennis and I looked at each other as she was whizzing by us. Where did the “Look Grandpa, I am jumping on your your bed naked” days go?  I can tell you . . . way too fast. Not often do I wish I could go back in time, but with grand-kids . . . every time. Hmm.

   
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  Noreen 4:27 am on December 26, 2016 Permalink  

  A Christmas Day of rain, sleet and a few snowflakes. It was a day for peace on Stauffer Avenue for Dennis and me as we knew everyone of our family members were safe and sound. All that is left to remember is that every day can feel like Christmas if we keep our hearts open for it to come in.

   
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  Noreen 3:45 am on December 25, 2016 Permalink  

  Christmas Eve 2016 

  

  When all has been done that is needed, there is a place in my sewing studio that brings contentment. Listening to the Christmas songs, enjoying coffee and making progress with all things under the needle. This day is perhaps not much different from my Mom and Dad’s Christmas Eves from long ago. In between preparing foods, visiting families, Dad would be in his workshop in the basement and Mom would be making sure she also had something to show for the day. Christmas Eve 2016, brings storm warning from the west coast to the east coast. Intermittently there is a warning on the St. James radio station of freezing rain beginning Christmas morning at 6:00 a.m. lasting until after three in the afternoon. I do know I tried to clear off some of the two inch snow we had yesterday, but the snow fell on what had been freezing rain. Hmm. I will just have to look at it until it freezes off. I am not as active in the winter as I am during the yard work season, but it has always been my thing to keep the concrete driveway cleaned off.  I do feel better when I have a few balls in the air.  I, like my grandparents and my parents, need to have something to show for the day that has been given.

  Now . . .  I await the birth of the Baby Jesus as this day is setting.  Tomorrow I will have a full heart knowing that with the birth of the Baby Jesus, my life has been given new meaning with new hope.

   
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  Noreen 5:05 am on December 24, 2016 Permalink  

  We are good and safe road warriors. We traveled to spend a portion of the day with Megan and Nicholas in Eden Prairie. We drove in rain with road conditions good. When we got home this late afternoon, our temperatures here at home must have been cooler as we are now showing about an inch of new snow.

  The metro family is good and it is always fun to see their home as they have decorated it for Christmas.

  My ole cowboy comes home after being gone for a day and I can almost hear his heels click as “there is no place like home.”

   
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  Noreen 4:30 am on December 23, 2016 Permalink  

  Nothing like a scare first thing in the morning. Yesterday I had gotten a lot of fresh air clearing snow off the driveway doing battle with heavy winds from the north. After Dennis got his sleep apnea machine with the 10 foot air hose, my sleep was less than good. As Dennis would move in his sleep the 10 foot hose could cover a lot of area in our double wide bed. Facing me the air from the face mask would blow in my face. I needed good night’s rest to be up and about the next day as well as Dennis. I took residence for sleep in our west porch. Yes, it does face the busy thoroughfare concrete street with all the semis, but the noise does not bother me.

  Yesterday I got a lot of fresh air taking the snow down to our concrete driveway battling a brisk north wind as the temps were in the mid 30s. I slept sound and deep last night. Like clock work I usually get up and visit the bathroom at three a.m. and then right back to sleep. My time to rise is 8:00 right on the dot.  This morning when I peeked at my cell phone, which is always lying on the corner of the bed, I could not believe it was 9:30 a.m. Dennis is always up by 7:30 a.m. and heads out to the porch for his first cup of coffee, has a cigarette, bids the cats a “good morning” and is back in his recliner by nine for a nap. I never heard any of it. I got up . . . no Dennis in the recliner. I can see into the porch through the bathroom window and . . . no Dennis in his rocking chair. I glance into the back entry and his jacket and cap were on the hook. Where could Dennis be? No noise from the basement. Had he fallen down the basement steps? I finally checked his bed. He was still in it, sound asleep. Good grief! What a way for the two of us to start our day when the rest of the world had a several hour head start on us.

  Oh those older ones on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 5:02 am on December 22, 2016 Permalink  

  What a day. A very full day here on Stauffer Avenue. This morning I was determined to make a coconut pie from one of the cards in my Mom’s metal recipe box. I did sit up until 1:00 a.m. just a few nights ago reading through the entire box, one card at a time. The recipe was from my Aunt Gertie, mom’s only sister. The pie was a custard and soon I began to realize that I was equating this to a coconut cream pie . . . not so this recipe. This is more of a solid pie. The good news, Dennis said it would not go to waste. I am just not going to waste a meringue topping on it.

  One of our favorite heating and coolant fellows, Burke Watson, stopped in with a stash of his Viking t-shirts asking for a t-shirt quilt. Burke stressed he wanted good quality material used and it would not be done in “gratuitous,” and there was no time frame. I called over to Old Alley and as it turns out the Monday after Christmas, they have a 20% off sale on all materials. Burke is paying for this project, but there is nothing wrong in making the sale advantageous for him. Dennis will be tapped to cut up the t-shirts for me.

  This afternoon Renee came for coffee. Renee worked for me in the assessor’s office for 17 years and we have enjoyed keeping up with each other since I retired in February of 2009.

  In between time, it was warm enough for me to clean the remaining snow off of our driveway with the temps being in the mid 30s. The wind had been fierce from the north.

  Dennis caught up with his life-long friend, Lyle, at the common area in Lyle’s apartment house. I think Dennis brings a lot of chuckles to the table . . . no, I know he does.

  Life is always full here on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 5:07 am on December 21, 2016 Permalink  

  What a great day of sunshine and warm temperatures. I now have light beyond belief in my closet where I keep my fabric stashes. Just a bit of good advice of LED bulbs did the trick. The gal in the hardware store shared that she had to take a secondary route into work as her usual road had drifted shut this morning. Who knew? We live in town and I must say spoiled when it comes to knowing what is going on out on the prairies.

   
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  Noreen 10:37 am on December 20, 2016 Permalink  

  Slow and Steady 

  

  It is a slow and steady process to quilt this under the needle. A lot of shuffling the bulk. As I take time out to rest my shoulders, I think how long this would have taken my Mom and the “Riverdale Quilters” to have hand sewn this. Even taking yarn and floss would be a long time if I were tying it. I like the slow and steady pace of my life. My gosh how it has changed. I will admit, this time of the year is always the hardest for me, and keeping extra busy helps. Orlin and I lost a son 43 years ago during the hub bub of the Christmas season. Amazingly, the loss comes forward on its own and for a reason. Holding Carrie and Kevin so close to my heart to help the hurt lessen. There is a reason for this season and the birth of Jesus does help heal.