A Walk to the Back Yard
The far garden to the east is looking good. Our Hackberry tree in the background is on the lot line for us. I love the red lilies even if the blooms are short lived. I did hustle as the mosquitoes were not bashful.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Fleeting Thoughts:
As my days progress, not all memories come flooding that are sweet and fond. Today I was working on some sewing and I allowed my mind to wander into some dark pools. It didn’t take long for the good Lord to speak to me. I ended up ripping out the same seam twice. Enough said Lord.
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Noreen
Today was the 4th of July. Dennis and I spent a very comfortable morning on our patio and eventually went inside as the humidity kicked in. I spent a bit of time in my sewing room and Dennis caught up with Fast and Loud episodes of a reality show dealing with the restoration of cars.
We had steak for supper, and I must say, the brine I had the steaks soaking in overnight was a success. I do listen to some of the experts on television. I used a hot fry pan with a bit of oil (with a spatter screen on top of the fry pan) and got a good sear on the meat and timed it eight minutes on each side. I took the hot fry pan off the burner and let the meat rest in the pan for eight minutes. It was tender and tasty enough that very little else was had. We had not fixed a steak here on Stauffer in several years, and this evening’s fare will fill the bill for some time to come. We are not grill masters and it seems like a fry pan still does the job.
We hope everyone had a safe and happy day . . . we sure did.
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Noreen
I Had Not Realized What Was Going On
Our day started at six this morning as the new coffee pot was going off. Dennis had agreed to keep his nephew Brett company on a trip into Wisconsin to pick up a new trailer for Brett’s concrete company. I did get up long enough to put the morning news on the TV. and lay back down to take in the whatever news I could focus on.
By eight the boys were on the road and I had had several cups of coffee. I didn’t really have anything planned for the day and a bit of laziness had set in. Butter Ball and Snuggles stayed around the porch as we enjoyed the sound of the Morning Doves in the background. Neighbor Jan was out and about early and we exchanged a few gardening tidbits. Coffee cup was empty and I headed back into the house. The cats followed me to the door as if they knew all too well that Dennis was not going to be hanging out with them for the day. Sorry guys, no cats in the house.
Fast forward and here it is 1:30 in the afternoon. The refrigerator is stocked from the grocery store with choices of ingredients to fix meals. The dollar store’s bag of jelly beans at $1.00 each . . . Dennis now has several of those bags next to his computer. There is two lbs of bacon that has been baked out for use in days to come. Dennis had expressed that a bowl of potato salad would be good this weekend and that has been prepared and chilling in the refrig, complete with chives from our garden for garnish added to it. Chocolate Chip cookies are on cooling rakes on the dining room table. A wonderful looking seedless watermelon has been cubed and is chilling to be enjoyed at will. All of the garbage from the prep is out in the Waste Management garbage container. The buzzer has gone off on the clothes dryer several minutes ago and I have folding to do.
What has gone on with the day that found me welcoming a lazy daisy type of day? It is the day before the 4th of July. This day for many years had been THE prep day for the family picnic Orlin and I would host on the 4th of July for many, many years. My family and Orlin’s all gathered for a day of family fun. It also happened to be Kevin’s birthday on the 4th and so why the heck not have a blowout like neither family had ever seen. Orlin’s nephew, Frank, would give rides in a trailer behind the riding lawn mower for the little ones. Lawn games were everywhere on our sprawling lawn. Balloons seemed to float in the air at will. Several of the empty huge wooden electrical spools were used as severing tables, and let me tell you, they overflowed with all the potluck items that had been brought. The huge shade trees made a canopy of ongoing shade to sit under. When eyelids of the adults became heavy due to good and rich food, there was an outbreak of music. Orlin’s mother on her harmonica and my uncle Norman on his concertina had everyone thumping their feet before long. Both needed no music, they played by ear. Most of the people attending were dairy farmers. Morning chores had gotten done and the welcome mat was out with no time table. Noon was a great time to start the picnic singing the song everyone was familiar with . . . “Be present at our table Lord – – – .” By four in the afternoon the crown would thin out, as again, there were chores to tackle. Needless to say, there was one very weary birthday boy that we could count on to be easily contained as Orlin and I did the diary and livestock chores. Big sister Carrie had it easy to keep a check on him. Priceless.
Sometimes when I get lost in memories that are oh so sweet, I kick into automatic overdrive, and today was such a day. It’s not as if any of the aforementioned items completed in my kitchen will not be enjoyed and appreciated by Dennis and me, as we spend the weekend at home. What went on here today is a portion of my life, that has been made oh so sweet by times past. I am here to tell you, I am up for a lot more sweetness to carry me on.
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Noreen
This evening I feel really mellow. I needed to replace our white Black and Decker Programmable coffee maker. It was kaput. When I went to Shopko, I really anguished over all of the models. I thought it would be really cool to be able to brew one cup at a time, and this certain model could brew a pot of 12 cups or brew the popular flavored one cup at a time. I did visit with Dennis about it and he gave the thumbs up on the one that had the brewing options as well as the brewed coffee going into a thermos carafe to keep the coffee hot. It would be great to take the full pot out to the porch and have hot coffee for hours and not have to track into the house for an additional cup.
When we unpacked it, we noticed some irregularities in the packaging. Hmm, there were coffee grounds in the thermos carafe. The plate for individual cups to be placed on, had coffee stains on the bottom of it. Someone had purchased this . . . used it . . . and worked very hard to cover their trail when they returned it to the store. I got my money back and took a break from looking at coffee pots. The situation made me think twice about what I really wanted, or more important what was really needed on Stauffer Avenue in order to enjoy a cup of Folgers.
When Dennis came home, we discussed our morning coffee ritual. Dennis said he would go back to Shopko and take care of the situation. I love a man that takes charge.
The mellow feeling at the end of this the day stems from the fact that there is a new coffee pot sitting on the kitchen counter, hand picked by Dennis. The new coffee pot is programmed to go off at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning and is ready to make 10 cups of that wonderful Folgers coffee. By the way . . . it is a black Black and Decker Programmable coffee pot just like the one that hit the recycling bin earlier in the day. Gotta love that ole cowboy that knows what’s best on the things that really matter to get a day going.
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Noreen
The Only One
This is the only poppy on the entire acre. I did have poppies at this site 25 years ago. Maybe a seed had been lying dormant for all these years . . . or perhaps it was a birdie pooping. No matter how, when this beauty drops her seeds, next year there may be many more wonderful delicate blossoms.
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Noreen
Fleeting Thoughts:
My thoughts about Donald Trump: he has enough money and resources behind him to say out loud, what most Americans are thinking. Sometimes “plain speak” is needed.
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Noreen
Today was yard day. No matter, even if we have had rain within the last 48 hours, it’s a dirty job. I have been bagging the front yard, only as it is my preference as to how the lawn looks after I have expended the energy to do it. I did fill my 2 gallon hand sprayer and covered the front wherever there was a patch of clover. It takes out good grass in a heartbeat.
I did, after cleaning up, made a trip to Fleet Farm, and tomorrow the sprayer is being used behind the lawnmower for ants. Let’s hear it for Dennis! I spent a long time reading labels. We have tried the dry applications with no luck. Believe me, it will be mixed strong, as it can’t be any worse than loosing many square feet of grass to the buggers.
It’s time to call it a day, and it was a good day.
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Noreen
What’s a Person to Do?
When the garden work is done and the grass doesn’t need mowing, there has to be a respite. We enjoyed a day away from home yesterday and today I felt like pulling in for some quiet stitching. I have often said I do not want to leave unfinished sewing projects and go on with new. It is very difficult to recapture the same enthusiasm as when a project was first started.
I can recall 1967 when my horizons were small and centered on being a farm wife and a mother of a toddler. Mother-in-
law Esther piqued my creative nature with crochet thread, embroidery and tube painting. I was able to invest in some of my own paints and Esther would allow me to use additional colors from her collection. When I saw the Sun Bonnet Sue and Overall Sam unfinished quilt blocks, I knew there would be a few cases of eggs that would jingle my fun money cup.
Sun Bonnet Sue, circa 1960s, as one of the hottest
patterns to hit the Farm Journal, lady page.At that time, I would wait until Carrie was napping, or after her bedtime and the paints would come out of the storage. I may not have had a lot of time in one block, but soon I could see some progress to Sun Bonnet Sue. Though the twelve blocks were painted, the resources it would take to piece it into a quilt top had to be put on hold. Never forgotten, but stored mindfully.
In 2014, I began checking all my stashes to make sure the forgotten were given a new lease on life. Out came Sun Bonnet Sue to be made into a quilt top and she took an early spring trip to the Old Alley Quilt Shop to be finished as a “for real “quilt. At the time when I dropped off the project, I made another appointment with Sharon for an additional project to be quilted on her long arm. I beat feet it home and the Overall Sam quilt blocks got to see the light of day. One problem: all of the paint tubes had dried tips and it was a no go for the state they were in. I got online and finding that the Tri-Chem company still was in operation, I ordered new tips. When the package arrived I organized my sewing room to allow for a painting area. There were no nap times to work my schedule around. I painted at will and still had time for gardening and keeping the home on track. Dennis never lacked for clean clothes or missing a meal.
It warms the cockles of my heart to see Overall Sam ready
for adorning any bed that is worth a night of rest.When my appointment at Old Alley came about in January of 2015, Overall Sam and I were ready. I must admit, I had noticed that my painting hand was not as steady as it had been in 1967. Life is what it is, and I enjoyed being able to complete this long lost project.
As of this afternoon, Overall Sam is finished from head to hem. This is what I do, when time allows and the humid temps keep me indoors. Right now there are no plans as to where Sun Bonnet Sue and Overall Sam will find their final home. For now, I can enjoy them and appreciate a hobby that at one time was the center of my free time. Mother-in-law Esther and I had quite the time sharing projects and even treks to purchase additional colors of paint. Oh, for the sweet memories. It is fair to think that everyone has such sweet memories, isn’t it?
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Noreen
Dennis and I have returned from the wedding at the Gilfillan Estates. What a marvelous farm it was in its day when the barns were filled with livestock and the lawns showed activity from children. The Redwood Falls County Museum now owns Gilfillan Estates, much like the University of Minnesota owns the Congdon Mansion in Duluth. How wonderful that places such as these can live on.
