Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:13 am on August 11, 2016 Permalink  

  Never Give It Up 

  Yesterday I was in a quandary about being short a bit of binding for a quilt project that is very close to being finished up.  I stayed down in the sewing room and began the hunting.  It may sound silly to be in a snit about several inches of fabric, but could a carpenter hand over the keys to a new homeowner without putting a door knob on the new door?  I played with several choices and even decided to use my little tool that checks for color values.  I could almost bet you one hundred to one that the few inches of a different colored binding – which is about one half inch visible from both the top view and also the bottom view – very few people would detect.  But, I’d know it was there!

  

  Christ and Laura Wendlandt’s family. Left to right: Kennith, Janet, Lester, Corrine, Raymond, Esther, Lenard, Jerald, Maynard.

  So now that that issue has been put to rest, it’s on to the next item for me to poodle through my mental abilities.  I am involved in a family gathering in September.  I know many attendees will not readily recognize cousins, aunts and uncles and who belongs to who.  There will be a solution forthcoming from my gray matter before too much time has passed.  In thinking, there were nine children of Christ and Laura.  Each one of my cousins, including me, can identify all nine of them in a photo.  If . . . there were multiple photos of each of the nine at the sign-in table, for families to pick out their family member and pin it on themselves, it would be easy to track the lineage.  Hmmm.  It might be just a bit too hot today to get this nailed down.  I have a few other items on the back burners for this day in September.  I am taking it slow and easy, and of course, lists are growing.  As I said earlier, never give it up.  Slow and steady wins every time.

   
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  Noreen 3:48 am on August 10, 2016 Permalink  

  Charlie Brown is Quoted 

  

  To quote Charlie Brown, “I cannot believe it!” January of 2016, I tried all manor of my new Bernina Sewing Machine. I had all the materials for this queen sized quilt top in my stashes. Today, I was going to finish up the preparations to take this project to the Old Alley Quilt Shop in Sherburn for machine quilting and I would then have the binding set to go after Sharon has it quilted. I had set aside the remainder of the last boarder for the binding. “I cannot believe it!” I am ten inches short of fabric for what is needed to do the perimeter of this quilt’s binding. “Good grief!”  You can bet your sweet biffie, I will be down in the sewing studio until I find a resolution. That is so “me.” Reminiscence of measure twice, cut once and it’s still too short.

  

   
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  Noreen 2:43 am on August 9, 2016 Permalink  

  The Honeymoon is Over 

  This was, and I repeat, was, the fourth day with zero air conditioning being on in our home.  This late afternoon, I surfaced from the sewing studio, and as my arm touched the concrete blocks on the basement stairwell . . . I knew the honeymoon was over.  It sure was nice while it lasted.  We did spend most of the morning outside enjoying whatever came down the pike.  The breeze let up and the nasty black flies began feasting.  Yuk!  Wouldn’t you know it . . . we are in between hatches of mosquitoes and the flies take over.  Just can’t cut a break.  That is when I headed down into the sewing studio and Dennis checked his eyelids for cracks in his recliner.  It’s a good thing I was searching for my favorite fabric cutter, Dennis, or the house would have really heated up in the afternoon noon and rising humidity.

  I do have problems cutting lengths of fabric successfully with the rotary cutter.  I don’t have the endurance to push down hard enough with a long enough swipe for that sharp clean line.  Once you hesitate, the plastic ruler on the cutting mat has a tendency to move ever so sightly for an “Oh, No!”  I thought I had put an order in with Dennis for the ten cuts I needed, but I forgot to pencil in the diagonal piecing to get the correct length on all four sides.

  I am known for making lists for myself, be it grocery lists, to-do lists, or lists of things that need to be taken care of in the near future.  I am looking down on my computer desk and I have several going.  It can be rather embarrassing when something falls into the cracks that I should have had right at the tip of my fingers.  Well, my fingers are a bit more bent than they used to be and don’t hold as much, thus a clutter of lists.  It is a very good thing to have things and people that rely upon you.  It keeps the brain sharp.  I so want to stay sharp for a long, long, long time.  As my mom, Lena, would often say, “I don’t want to miss out on anything.”

  Now . . . where did that fabric cutter get to?

   
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  Noreen 5:12 am on August 8, 2016 Permalink  

  I would take days such as we have had recently right up until the first snowflake flies. We are cat sitting for our neighbors to the south. Poor Ollie, ten days out and he is weary of having the house to himself. Dennis and I go over about four every afternoon and it takes a bit for him to come out of hiding, and then the purring and the rolling and the “showing off” begins. We were told right off he does drink out of the toilet at times. Everyday Dennis flushes the toilet for cold fresh water.

  My job is the liter box, food dishes and the alternative water dish. Without fail, every afternoon I find the same little crunchy tool in the food dish. I have even taken it and put it in the living room and sure enough the next afternoon, it’s back in the food bowl. Who is playing who?

  Ollie does have the brightest greenest eyes I have ever seen on a cat. After a half hour we bid goodbye until the next afternoon. I know his owner has taken him outside for a part of every morning, but there is no way we are taking a chance. We have told Ollie, “Only five more days.”

   
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  Noreen 4:04 am on August 7, 2016 Permalink  

  Another great day of breezes, sunshine and the dew point is down. Dennis and I are on the down side of this Saturday. The acre is manicured and trimmed and the two-wheel trailer that has been collecting branches from the summer’s wind storm is now empty. For the sum of one dollar the compost site takes care of what is brought out.

  Great granddaughter Lux stayed with me earlier this morning. I was just about to have breakfast when her grandma Sandy needed to take care of some things. A wee one, not yet two, enjoys being with us. Sitting on my left leg, Lux enjoyed picking the blue berries off of the top of my bowl. If by chance she picked one up that had a smudge of yoget on it, that one went back in the bowl. We had a good breakfast. After all, what’s family for if not to pitch in when needed.

  It is time to clean up as the dirt in the grass was nasty. I am already tasting the creamed cucumbers that are chilling in the refrigerator. Small boiled potatoes with the skins on will soak up the sauce and it will Schmeckt gut (taste good).

  I hope everyone is as content and peaceful as I am. Stauffer Avenue is my heaven . . . enjoy your heaven.

   
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  Noreen 6:50 am on August 6, 2016 Permalink  

  This day and this evening I would rate a 10+ in regard to weather, supper company and a full tummy. Life is oh so sweet and I am sitting back and still taking it all in. Thank you God.

   
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  Noreen 3:49 am on August 5, 2016 Permalink  

  Rain showers off and on could only mean that the cooler, drier weather can’t be far behind. When I visited the farmers market the thunder was rolling. The family from Comfrey, Minnesota, does such a good job with all thy offer. Joel visited with Dennis last Thursday that they had 15 acres in garden produce. What an endeavor. Dennis and I sure appreciate them. Unfortunately, for some reason the powers that be in city hall did not renew the WIC (Women, Infant and Children) program that would include the items at the farmers market. Joel said it has shown in the amount of sidewalk traffic. Great fresh produce is second to none . . . especially when I realize and remember what it took in times past to have all of that produce coming out of our garden on the farm in Boon Lake Township.

   
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  Noreen 4:24 am on August 4, 2016 Permalink  

  Today was a corker. Dennis had his Korean Veterans Luncheon today in Mankato. I took advantage of riding along to visit the Hy-Vee grocery store. It must be this time of the year: I feel the need to add a few items for the basement pantry. No longer do I do the “home canning,” but it feels good to have some backup on the shelves in the basement pantry. It’s that instinct from days of old: winter is coming, stock up.

   
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  Noreen 3:10 am on August 3, 2016 Permalink  

  Never Would Have Thought 

  At the age of 72, I would have never thought that family would be far and few in between.  After visiting with my sister, Elvera who is 78, yesterday she expressed much the same sentiment.  I was relieved to hear that.  She and I remembered when there were family that lived just across the township section that could be popped in on at three in the afternoon for a cup of coffee and cookies.  We both came to the conclusion that it was a Godsend that each of us individually could keep ourselves busy, entertained and productive.  I always have had a love of fabric, but prominently sewing garments.  In today’s world, it is far too expensive to go the pattern route with yard goods; thus, I love my sewing studio where all manner of creativity takes place without worrying about a bust dart or a proper sleeve fitting.

  At the age of 72, I would never have thought that my hands would wear out.  Those joints and tendons and muscles were suppose to be able to grasp the smallest pin or pill on the first try.  It is a challenge to see how far the pill rolled as it hit the floor.

  At the age of 72, I would never have thought that I would care about a stray cat that came to our patio this winter with barely any life or will left in her.  I don’t think she ever thought she would not have to plow through deep snow to find a bit of food and water.  I don’t think she ever thought that being in out of the weather would be in her ancient life.

  At the age of 72, I would never have thought that I would back away from a sewing project to enjoy a cup of coffee while whipping through and enjoying a few chapters of a library book to give my back a break.

  At the age of 72, I would never have thought that I would have a kind loving helper that has discovered the joy of being creative in the kitchen.  Bless his heart.  Just give that man his own space and leave him to it!

  At the age of 72, I would never have thought that my world would be so full of the love of children that are making homes and families on their own . . . with maybe a bit of what their ole mom taught them.

  Priceless!

   
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  Noreen 6:45 am on August 2, 2016 Permalink  

  Today was a trip north through countryside I had not been through for some time. Was it the shortest route, no. Visiting some of the sites from my father’s family. In time, I was at my sister’s home in Stewart. Eleven radiation treatments down and . . . quite a few to go. I think she will have a great Halloween.

  I traveled through New Ulm on my way home. I had promised Dennis I would bring supper home. Supper was at 6:30, a bit later than usual. The Hy-Vee stores do not disappoint in the variety.

  Dennis and I were watching television and one of the commercials was for Gelato. He ask me what it was, I had to confess that I knew it was in the ice cream section of the grocery story; that was the extent of my knowledge on it. Later on this evening Dennis will be able to try some Triple Chocolate Gelato. The jury of one will tell me what he thinks of it.