It’s 10:00 p.m. and we are home from a trip to the north country for a wedding. It feels so good to be home. Catch ya all later.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Luncheon out with former colleagues can’t be made slight of. Working together over numbers and formulas now takes a backseat in our conversations. It’s far more relaxing to chat about family photos that are going to be organized, quilt patterns to try and garden produce that is coming into its own. Plans are underway for the three of us to do a day of quilting as the first granddaughter of the three of us will be graduating in the spring of 2015. We need to pitch in as a trio, the graduate’s grandmother is virtually blind, but her determination is second to none. Though we had to read the menu to her today, she knows just what will be needed to move the project along. Priceless.
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Noreen
We had notice today that grand daughter Megan had eight teeth pulled getting ready for braces. That takes me back to when Megan’s mom was in the need for braces. At that time there was nothing such as dental insurance that we were aware of. Who knew that a love of antiques that Carrie’s dad and I shared would save the day? The Black Walnut pump organ was put on the auction block and the tidy sum went straight to the dentist to cover the total cost. Do you think the tidy sum of $1,500 covers the cost of braces today? I think not. The cost becomes less important when the beautiful smile after the braces are taken off goes on for a lifetime.
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Noreen
And the Bounty Begins
Fried Zucchini rounds for supper to go with an Angus beef patty off of the grill. I used a dash of turmeric sprinkled in a fry pan with olive oil to preheat while I prepared a bit of dry Bisquick powder with all seasoned salt in a baggie. With a whipped egg in a bowl the 1/2″ Zucchini rounds were coated with the egg followed by a toss into the baggie of dry ingredients before they hit the hot fry pan. Frying them about three minutes on each side coincided perfectly as Dennis was bringing in the grilled Angus patties.
The interesting thing about Zucchini season is that the plants continue to bear until the frost kills the vines. I know before long there will be a host of new recipes circulating, some really weird, to try to use up the ever-bearing produce. The gal that gave us this treasure this morning shared that generally one plant will keep a family of six in fresh produce during the season. Angela has eight plants and her garden used to be a horse pasture. Need I say more?
Dennis, known as a good trooper, had two of the rounds and passed on any additional. For the next several days when I open the refrigerator the remainder of the Zucchini will be haunting me until I try one of those less than usual recipes.
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Noreen
There have been reports of bad weather to…
There have been reports of bad weather to the west and to the east while Minnesota is enjoying another great day of low humidity and mid temps. What the . . . ? This is such great weather and Dennis brings up going to Arizona this winter. I need to slow this fellow down to enjoy these great days. I admit, I cringe when Dennis brings up high mileage road trips as the pedal hits the medal and I thank the good Lord when the vehicle needs refueling. The highway with moderation is not in this ole trucker’s vocabulary. Maybe there needs to be a reminder as to how stiff he feels as he get out of the car after driving the 45 miles to Mankato.
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Noreen
All the windows are open in the house and it truly feels like a preview of the fall season that is just around the corner. I did take Dennis’ offer of taking today off. Nothing serious got accomplished and that included making a lot of fuss over the meals of the day. Dennis and I sat on the back patio this evening and just enjoyed the time taking in the sounds of a happy neighborhood. It has been a long time since the patio could be enjoyed due to biting bugs. 72 degrees and a brisk to strong wind . . . I could take this from now until the snow flies. I will be sad if high temps and humidity become the norm for August.
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Noreen
Wonderful, much-needed showers of rain this morning. About 5:30 this late afternoon I heard Dennis’ rider mower idling in the driveway. I played nice and the mowing brigade of “two” began. Let’s hear it for an 18″ Toro lawnmower! This last week and a half had been the longest we had been able to go without mowing since we began in April. After taking the time to cool down there is still plenty of a Saturday evening to enjoy. I can assure you the enjoyment will be right here on Stauffer Avenue. Maybe a root beer float will be the culmination to a great day. Dennis said I get tomorrow off. Priceless.
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Noreen
A low key day that felt right to just stay on Stauffer Avenue. It had to be that kind of day as Dennis hasn’t even left the property. That is very unusual, but then, the day doesn’t end until midnight tonight.
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Noreen
To Pitch or to Save
To pitch or to save . . . that is the question? The cleaning and organization of the sewing and craft area has continued and it has slowed down considerably as there are some tough decisions that need to be made.
Aunt Florence’s Tri-Chem oil fabric paints
As mother-in-law Esther Schafer did fabric painting, so also did my Aunt Florence from my mother’s side of the family. When Aunt Florence and Uncle Norman (the Reibe Uncle that played the concertina) visited, it was always a show and tell from Florence as she was quite crafty. Norman was my Christian sponsor and we kept in fairly close contact while Orlin and I were farming. Their daughter Judy came and spent time during a summer so I could help her with garment sewing projects. Carrie and Kevin were quite young and easily entertained while Judy and I sewed.
In time to come after Norman had passed, Florence lived in an apartment in Litchfield and her fabric painting was a hobby that she spent a great deal of time on. Many years ago on a cold New Year’s Day, Mom and I called on Florence for an afternoon coffee. It never crossed my mind that when we left I would be leaving with all of her fabric painting supplies. Florence could no longer enjoy the hobby and she passed it to me. I had no idea if I would take up the painting but I excepted the gift that brought her so much joy.
Here I am years later and the fabric oil paints have become one of the last items to be dealt with in the organization of my haven. I went online and the company is still in existence that markets the fabric paints. In reading about them online it is known that the oil paint remains in good stead, but the ball point tips may be dried out from nonuse or not being cleaned at the last time of use. I dug into the supply of repair items and sure enough, if the tips are replaced, the paint is very use able.
I had dabbled with fabric paints in the 1960s. As late as this last spring a Tri-Chem painted quilt top I had done from that era was finished into a very lovely quilt, ready to be enjoyed. The Sun Bonnet Sue painted top had been in storage long enough. It needed to be finished so it could be enjoyed in time to come by someone that needed a bright quilt.
So I have decided that I will spend the time getting the paint tubes ready for use by installing new tips, and who knows what will be produced from them? Esther did dish towels with paints rather than embroidering everything. Florence produced a variety of table linens and place mats and I have a finished quilt – all via the oil paints. It is, for a sure, a “save.”My fall and winter calendar is going to need scheduling in order for me to split my time with oil paints, piecing quilts, quilted wall hanging, counted cross stitch, crocheting bookmarks and afghans and knitting dish rags. Maybe I can con Dennis into helping out either with the sewing room or the domestic side of Stauffer Avenue. Dennis already takes over the kitchen after our meals are finished and I don’t want to burn him out. We will have to see. Needless to say, I will not have a problem staying busy, and it will bring out the peace that passes all understanding.
In life, please remember to give and have no memory of it, or take and remember it always.
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Noreen
Today we took a trip to New Ulm, MN to look up the “Disabled American Veterans” drop off site for gently used clothing items. We were amazed at the volunteers that were working at the site. The green “DAV” bins are apparently at various locations within the area as evident of several bins that were ready to be unloaded from volunteer, privately-owned pickups. In the past we have favored the pick up that the Epileptic does through the city every several months. We are thinking that we will try and do right by both that work hard to make use of items for distribution to those that are in need.
We couldn’t help but marvel at the healthy fields of corn and soybeans along the way. It was a good day.
