Dennis and I are having a quiet Saturday. Kicking back, feeling content that we have all under control here on Stauffer.
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Noreen
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Noreen
I Gave Up and I Gave In
Today the level of humidity was just a notch below the outside temperature. That was enough to keep me inside. It’s an itchy, twitchy, bitchy feeling when there is no choice in staying comfortable, not only for your skin temperature, but to have your breathing feel as if there is heavy weight on your chest.
I was not alone. Dennis was prone to roaming from spot to spot in the house and then literally sucking it up and heading for the garage porch for a change of scenery. He was maneuvering fans in the garage as the carpeting is slowly drying out from the heavy rain of Thursday morning. Not a good thing when his man cave has been disrupted.
I know that complaining about the weather comes with the territory when you live in Minnesota. In cold weather I can always suit up accordingly, but in this humid tropical condition the choices are slim to none. It’s all subject to change . . . thank goodness.
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Noreen
Yesterday I called brother Michael and kidded him that there was a hint of rain that we might get. I told him I was going to wiggle my naughties in a rain dance. Who knew it would work? Our rain gauge registered 4.75 inches this morning. Be careful what you wish for . . . you just might get it! The fans are running in the garage porch as it came down quite fast and the carpet needs drying. It was a very much needed rain.
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Noreen
Super 8 pool gets our business several times a week. Dennis and I buy our swim pass and usually work it so we are at the pool at the time the previous visitors to the Super 8 Hotel are checking out and the new arrivals have not yet hit town. We can both stretch and bend and twist and turn without a worry in the world of loosing our footing, which could easily happen if we were standing in our living room. We have been assured the water that may be swallowed accidentally is at acceptable safe levels.
On the off days of using the pool I use my exercise bike in our basement. It’s old, but it works. For me, it’s safer than walking out on city streets for mobility. There are irresponsible drivers out there.
At our age is all of this activity necessary? The answer to that is that Dennis and I don’t feel our age. We are sure that at any time we will be called into action when our kids need us for demolition, landscaping or construction projects. Safety glasses: check; hard soled shoes: check; gloves: check; travel coffee cups: check. Yep, we are ready for the calls.
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Noreen
Moving Day
As the years roll by we are becoming sun starved in one of your backyards. The Oak, Ash and Black Walnut trees all contribute to that feelings of cooler temperatures during the hot months, but it’s bad news for plants that need at least six hours of sunlight to be at their best. The humidity was low today and that spurred us on to transplant the Fern Peonies that needed more sunlight hours to be at their best.
The beauty of the Fern Peony
My Mom always stressed that the month of August was the time for any and all Peonies to be moved. We watered down the four Fern Peony plants in the hope that the moist dirt would allow for the plants to come up in clumps rather than in pieces from soil that is extremely dry, suffering from weeks without rain. It worked like a champ. I could never have done the deed if Dennis had not been at the business end of the shovel. A little fertilizer in the bottom of the holes with a bit of water and voilà.
Next spring will be the rest of the story. Fern Peonies are some of the first to peek out of the soil and are in full bloom by mid May. We always give special attention to these Fern Peonies as they were harvested from my grandparent’s farm by my Mom and Dad and shared with the four of us kids. The plants represent some of the history of my Dad’s family and for me having spent many summers on their farm . . . priceless.
The plants can be purchased in nurseries around the state, but they come with a hefty price tag. The going price is generally $40.00 for a sprig in a six inch pot. The tubers do multiply for a full bush over time, but this plant is not for the impatient gardener.
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Noreen
Monday, Monday —
It is the start of new week and all is well on Stauffer Avenue. The smell of the changing seasons is in the air.
Some of the
garden plants are ready to give up the fight and still others are going to stick around and give the Butterflies a chance to have a late season snack. Autumn Joy takes the center stage right into the cold temps and early frosts.Dennis and I are taking every advantage possible of the patio now that we have outlived the latest batch of mosquitoes.
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Noreen
— And the Least of These
The least of these, aka: Dennis’ Meow Mix-eating stray cats. Periodically, a mouse is left in the middle of the patio. It’s as if to say, “We want to do our part. Thanks for the food and water.”
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Noreen
Yesterday Dennis had an upper GI scope to check on an esophagus situation. Trooper that he is, it went well. Amazingly, he wanted to get the yards mowed beforehand in the event that there would have to be a followup in regard to his health. That did not happen. As he was being put to sleep he was telling the nurses about the need for the mowing. As I sat with him as he was coming out of his la-la land sleep he was talking to the nurses about mowing the yards. They were such good listeners.
Well, today Dennis got his wish and we mowed and trimmed all the yards. Due to lack of rain, it had been three weeks. Dennis was right on, it does look wonderfully manicured. All is meeting Dennis’ expectations of having a nice looking yard. A good health report and the yards are mowed . . . life is great on Stauffer.
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Noreen
At Long Last
Overall Sam is coming into his own.
After decades of being separated in my stashes of sewing projects, Overall Sam will finally meet up with Sun Bonnet Sue. These two iconic characters were popular in the 1950s. My mom, Lena, made several baby quilts with these two images applied to white feed sack blocks using feed sack prints to complete each image.
Here we are in 2014 and the popular feed sack prints are being reproduced for just such a project as Overall Sam. Darlene Zimmerman from Fairfax, Minnesota, has a great line of such prints like the one that will finish off Overall Sam’s quilt blocks.
Just as Sun Bonnet Sue, Overall Sam is being done with Tri-Chem fabric paints. Over the last several weeks I have been replacing tips in paint tubes to allow me to finish up this dynamic duo. The ball point tips are fragile and Aunt Florence’s set of paints were just waiting for such a project as
this. Sun Bonnet Sue was painted in the 1960s and amazingly I got quite a few paints operational for allow for each of the twelve blocks of Overall Sam to be a bit different from the next, much like Sun Bonnet Sue. Needless to say, I am being very careful to clean each and every tip when I am finished with it as they may be called into service for other projects now that I have dipped my toe into an additional option.
Quilted Sun Bonnet Sue
After all the painting is finished I will be taking the Overall Sam quilt top to the Old Alley Quilt shop in Sherburn, Minnesota, to have Sharon put the quilt on the long arm sewing machine for quilting. In times past there would be a gathering of gals sitting around a quilt frame to do the sewing, but that portion of quilting is just about a lost art. I can still manage a wall hanging for hand quilting, but the arthritis in the fingers says a definite “No” to the amount of stitching a full sized quilt mandates. I know from past quilts that Sharon has done for me, Overall Sam will come into his own with pride.
What really makes this special to me is that there will not be a time when someone would come across these printed blocks and discard them. I know from experience that a finished quilt will find a great home compared to 12 blocks that need to have something done to them, but no one knows where to begin or what medium to use to finish the project.
Oh yes, this project is quite the investment of hours and I do own the fact that my hands are not nearly as steady with the painting as they were fifty years ago. I forgive myself for that, for the revisiting of memories of times past as I work at this is priceless.
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Noreen
It was a red letter day on Stauffer. Dennis enjoyed fresh produce in the form of creamed cucumbers with sliced onions over boiled potatoes. He said he would marry me again. Priceless.
