Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:56 am on August 25, 2015 Permalink  

  Great Sleeping Weather 

  The windows on three sides of our home stayed open all night long.  It could not have been more conducive to good sleeping if we had been up north in a cabin off of Lake Superior.  Who knew Stauffer Avenue had so much going for it?  These temps and low dew points may not last, but I will take this reprieve right up to November.

  Monday mornings seem to trip the housework mode entirely on its own.  Sorting laundry, loading a clean Swiffer and using a spray of Windex here and there, I was in the zone.  Dennis felt the compelling morning energy by going on a shopping trip for new tires for his little red Ford pickup.  We bought the 2005 used pickup in the summer of 2008.  Dennis felt we had really gotten good mileage out of the tires that were on the pickup at that time.  Shopping locally Dennis was very happy with the quote for tires, balancing, alignment and wiring needed for pulling a trailer for the price of $700.00 plus tax.  He received a heartfelt “Thank you for buying from us” from the owner’s young son.  Sweet.

  I had asked Dennis to bring home milk and an onion for the evening meal fixings.  You got it!  Dennis scored cucumbers on Saturday and we were short an onion for creamed cucumbers to go with his left-over hot dish that he had fixed for last night’s supper.  I did get a call from Dennis as he was hefting different onions in the store.  It was a choice of yellow, white or red.  He came home with a white onion as the the yellow ones were showing their age and he passed on having chopped red onions in his cucumber dish.  As tomorrow is the farmers market here in town, he knew he could pick up some really choice onions there.

  I hop around from task to task as it keeps me from overdoing those areas of the body that have arthritis ready to make its presence known.  I was pleased to have gone through the refrigerator to take a check of what needed to be sorted.  The front of the shelves are for those items that need to be used in the next several days; condiments that don’t need to be kept as cool go to the shelves in the door.  They do tend to wander at will throughout the refrigerator.  Room was made for the creamed cucumbers and I headed for my sewing area.

  

  Continual sewing of two patches at a time for later pressing really takes less thread and no mess of ends of thread being clipped off after each block has been run through the machine.

  I may sit at the sewing machine for no more than an hour and then head over to the ironing board and continue swapping back and forth.  It is so much easier on the back rather than having a portion of it seizing up.  The scrappy quilt will need time at both the machine and the ironing board.  This is not a project to finish in short order.  My Mom taught me years ago to do the chain sewing when multiple pieces of the same size are in a quilt.  It takes so much less thread and the time saved of clipping the tread on either end of the sewn item really counts up.  Now if only they would take themselves over to the ironing board – that would be the neatest thing since sliced bread.

  I did get the paper and pencil out to see just what would be required for a queen sized quilt from my scrappy squares.  I do believe I have enough of the 2.5 inch squares that will result in the 4.25 inch center each 6.5 inch finished quilt block.

  It’s time to enjoy more of this great day and take a stroll out to the gardens and I know Butter Ball will be right beside me the entire time.  We may even find a stray weed or two to pull.  We have supper preparation totally in the bag so I can’t think of anything better than some patio time.

   
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  Noreen 5:39 am on August 24, 2015 Permalink  

  This is the type of day that finds the windows on either end of the home open with a breeze bringing in wonderful, refreshing air. It may have been the storm yesterday that swept from the northern tip of the state to the south that has brought low dew points.

  Dennis and I did pick up quite a few small branches from the strong wind before it became a welcome breeze. Thankfully, our neighbor, Bob, allows and welcomes us to use his fire pit to take care of branches as they may fall.

  We did make good use of the patio chairs, enjoying the weather, watching Butter Ball and Snuggles chase acorns across the patio as the wind knocked them down from aloft. Yesterday’s road trip was a good trip, but Dennis and I need a bit more training for extended periods of time in a vehicle. We’ve become accustomed to short jaunts to Mankato and errands here in town. Well . . . you can’t visit the people that mean a lot to you, if you are not willing to challenge yourselves.

  We kicked around what sounded good for supper. The end result was that I headed down to the sewing room for a bit and Dennis manned the kitchen and pulled together a great chicken noodle hot dish, complete with mushrooms topped with Panko bread crumbs. I think the reason the hot dish tasted so good was that Dennis was very liberal with the Panko, keeping the Alfredo sauce smothering all the ingredients to perfection.

  It is our goal to clean our pantry to the point of being lean, and then to restock it before winter. It is amazing what can be easily created for a tasty meal on a fall-feeling evening.

   
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  Noreen 5:12 am on August 23, 2015 Permalink  

  We arrived home at six bells this evening just as thunder and rain hit St. James. We made the 400 miles round trip to see my brother, Calvin, and his wife Lois for afternoon coffee. The road trip went well and it was fun catching up with what the Iowans have been up to. The wonderful bounty of patio tomatoes will be enjoyed for several days to come.

   
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  Noreen 5:43 am on August 22, 2015 Permalink  

  Today was a joyful day. This forenoon, I enjoyed having coffee with Lorraine, a previous employee. Coffee and a bite of coffee cake made the visiting in regard to family special. She also had several new quilt projects laid out in her living room to share.

  Today, I received news that the biopsy I had on my right facial cheek was negative. Who would not want to receive news such as that from a biopsy! I did have a cat scan this afternoon that resulted from a routine office call to the clinic. It was in regard to a burning sensation in the area of my sternum. Hey, I read and watch news programs. It’s my job to do the work on getting my butt into my family doctor. What I did do, when I got home, was immediately follow up on instructions of setting up and accessing my medical records with a user name and password. At 6:05, I received an email with the “all clear” news. It is possible that I have stretched tissue, tendons or minor muscles from doing yard work. Nothing to be concerned with; take it easy for a time. What a fantastic way to get quick medical results. I will share that Dr. Eatwell called for the cat scan to be done immediately due to his knowledge and history of such symptoms of cancer. I feel so blessed to have a family doctor who knows I don’t come into the clinic unless I am very concerned, and then goes the extra mile immediately to put me as ease with the best of diagnostic tests possible.

  Anyway, at the time I got home from the clinic and setting up access to the website for the clinic medical records, I was in the process of making a small pot of coffee for the hard working ole cowboy. He had mowed our entire acre on his own. I was totally surprised when the doorbell announced Elaine had arrived and would love sharing some of that fresh coffee. Elaine retired from my office 15 years ago, and I had not seen her since she had moved away shortly thereafter. Coffee and pumpkin bread was enjoyed in the porch with a wonderful breeze blowing through it. Great friends, you treasure them no matter if you see them often or every 15 years.

  Joyful days happen when you least expect the blessings that come from various sources.

   
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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.