I am a retired 44-year veteran of the Real Estate Assessment field. As with real estate assessing and how it applies to real estate taxes, one can make many acquaintances, but not many real friends. It was a great career choice.
It has been nearly 10 years since I reclaimed my home and my real passions within my home. I enjoy it more each day and tip my hat to those who I left behind.
Each day I try to stretch myself with the use of my computer as it relates to this site and using it to print out labels for quilts for trying to incorporate photos into my sewing. Life is so full and I know that I have room for more.
No matter when I would visit my grandmother Laura in her home she would always be busy. I can still hear her say “What shall I do? I cannot waste a day that has been given to me.” All through her ninety plus years the words ‘shall’ and ‘shant’ were very prevalent in her vocabulary.
Quilted Cardinals and Chickadees
The view out the east window allows for watching Cardinals, Chickadees, Blue Jays, sparrows and what I call cow birds. The view as I look towards the west wall of our home allows for Cardinals and Chickadees. I should have expanded my pattern choices to have art totally imitate nature.
Today it never did get above zero outside and the heated water dish was visited many times by the birds but they did have to wait their turn as the cats have first dibs.
Dennis’s Meow Mix for the neighborhood cats is frequented just as often by the birds. They swoop in and snatch a piece and fly up into the lilac bushes. Water and food — it’s there for all that need it.
As the last of the Christmas decorations were returned to the walk up attic it was bitter sweet. It’s over. It’s done. It will take a while before sipping hot coffee or hot coco in my favorite chair in the living room will be as satisfying. For me there is just this magical trance that takes over the home with the lit Christmas tree: peace on earth, good will toward men. So that is the bitter side of the day. The sweet part is that the 2014 year may bring – and I am sure will bring – many wonderful surprises and changes that will affect Stauffer Avenue. I am totally open for it. Bring it on. Life does not happen by looking in the rear view mirror. I have my windshield washed and polished and keeping the lights on bright as to not miss a single thing.
The snow is not all that deep but conversations can go to a totally deep depth. It doesn’t always have to be “how are you,” or “sure is a long winter,” etc.
I believe the best way to describe today’s conversation would go towards proficiency ratings – how well we can accomplish a task. It began with how long it would take to change a magneto on a tractor for a 100% accuracy. There is only one way for it to be done correctly and successfully. The length it takes for someone doing it to that correct successful end depends on that individuals personal proficiency and also having the correct tools to achieve that end. An individual may not succeed in the task but the method to achieving the task will always be the same whether manually or by robotics.
From that example the discussion covered products that will be sold, snow flakes and even quilting. The tried and true order of things will always exist and will always continue whether I am here to pass along my talents or not. Listen – do you hear it? Life does go on and while I may have been enduring at possibly a 30% of proficiency the option is out there that the next person or next generation will have the ability to preserver at their own rate of proficiency to the very same end – their own rate of success.
It won’t and doesn’t matter if I do limp along at 30% proficiency and on the off chance I have a intervention to raise that number – it’s mine. In my heart and mind I think I can achieve 100% but I have to include in that equation the outside stimulus of economics, materials at hand or the ever present logic that may alter that level. I have to give myself permission to accept the fact that all things considered I will still have a level of success – my success. My desire would be that no matter what each us do or how we do it there is that little warm fuzzy feeling deep within that we did it the best we could with what we had to work with.
In thought, word or deed it feels good to strive for ourselves as it matters to no one else and we do it for no one else other than for the Heavenly Father that has given us His gifts while we are stewards.
In cold weather the brain reverts to trivia. The definition of ‘active’ is to be involved and participating. The definition of ‘inactive’ obviously is un-involved and non-participating but also lifeless and out of use. For sure the latter is not a good thing to be.
The counting is done but shaping is needed
First off Happy New Year as we are now in 2014. I have saved the best of 2013 and left the rest.
We have had a lot of snow in December of 2013. More times than not there has been snow to remove off of the driveway and patio. Even on the days where it dribbled fine sleet, it eventually amounted to having to remove it or stand the chance of the snow hiding ice which equates to getting hurt.
Flakes have become the normal so I could hardly ignore working with some flakes indoors. From the days of my crochet tutor mother-in-law, Esther Schafer to my mom Lena Wendlant there have been snow flakes to crochet and then shape and starch. Of course the finer the thread the more delicate the flake. Number 20 is the ultimate and bed spread quality is the on the other end of the spectrum and quite coarse. I like the middle of the road.
Starch and stretching brings out the beauty.
Once all the counting has been achieved the little pile of crumpled thread hardly seems worthwhile. Esther used sugar water to starch and stiffen her crochet projects and Lena preferred corn starch. I have always gone with corn starch as sugar water starch may not stay stable over time and depending on the humidity where they are stored. No body likes finding something sticky.
I knew if I didn’t tackle the shaping and stretching while the project was still fresh, it would be found next Christmas season as a huge disappointment. The year of 2014 is starting off as a wonderful time to enjoy the warmth of the indoors and challenge the mind and the fingers to endure for what the year may bring.
It has been a while since the quilting department of my basement has been visited so I am off to check out some of my patterns. Whatever I do decide the challenge is always to use what I have in my stash.
Do not stand over a sink when flipping open the cap of a full bottle of prescription medication. When I woke yesterday morning there was a paper towel on the dining room table with what looked like popped popcorn that had given birth. It’s amazing how little moisture it took to allow each yellow time released capsule to explode and latch onto another capsule while it was exploding. Oh Dennis, life can be humbling and a good challenge keeps us on our toes. We just suck it up and make a phone call and find out what it takes to make it all better.
Just five minutes away – rain or shine – hot or very cold – the Super 8 awaits the two of us from Stauffer Ave for a good work out in the pool and then relaxation in the hot tub. I believe the mobility Dennis and I enjoy is due in a huge part to making use of a wonderful resource. It truly is the small town resort option.
Cold Weather Finger Therapy
Don’t you just hate it when the weather guys are right on with their forecasts. The minus temps came and the minus temps have stayed and will more than likely be here when I awake tomorrow morning. Dennis kept me informed most of the day when the number had bumped a degree or so. I decided my day was not going to be about ruminating about something I had no control over.
I fussed around in my stashes and decided today was a good pot holder making day. Having a few new ones about is always a good idea for that little bit of an addition to a bridal shower event. This particular stash goes back to Carrie and Kevin’s grandmother, Esther Schafer’s stash of crochet thread, cotton yarn and acrylic yarn. The storage tub gets cracked every once in awhile when the mood strikes. 
The week before Christmas when I was doing mittens for Dennis and a new hat for myself the same stash was visited. At the time in the distant past no one else was interested in that type of inheritance and I was not shy about taking it and enjoying all during these times past.
My project today was not all that difficult but the single crochets allowed me to think back on Esther Schafer’s crochet projects. What I was most impressed with were the crocheted thread window panels in the dining room of their Hector home. The window were the long 83 inch ones that every older home had. Panels were each crocheted wide enough as to have a bountiful gather stemming and flowing from the curtain rod. Four windows each giving anyone that had an eye for creative art an indication of the hours the fingers did the tension dance with the thread entwined.
I still have grandiose ideas and plans in my head for some of Esther’s crochet thread in my stash but today I had to settle on the utilitarian side of life. Maybe another day.
Today we traveled to Mankato to pop in on a friend in the hospital. Of course there were some errands to run and that did it – I feel whipped. Too much commotion. I am back on Staffer Avenue sipping on cold coffee and continuing to enjoy the living room lit by the Christmas tree. It is just plain sweet.