Fleeting Thoughts:
In life – the punishment that is dealt out should fit the crime.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Gearing up for Winter Olympics on Stauffer Avenue
It’s time for the next test of endurance here on Stauffer Avenue. Go Stauffer Avenue Olympics! Shoulder surgery does not have a successful ending if the patient does not follow up on the excellence of the surgeon. I have been working with the elastic band that is hooked to a doorknob here in the house. The band is pulled high, the band is pulled low, the band is pulled wide, and as the days pass I grasp the band closer to the doorknob for a bit of extra resistance. Whatever movement of the arm and shoulder I expect to have in the future, I mimic those movements with the band. Oh, how much is taken for granted. I do forget that at five weeks all is going according to the plan of recovery. I’m a true blue German and I get impatient.
Dennis and I have talked about going out for a Valentine supper this Friday. We agreed to postpone the holiday supper as eating with my left hand is getting me by, but not very gracefully and when using the right hand I may end up with more food on the floor than in my mouth. Just not socially acceptable.
Generally, an exercise bike may not seem as if it would play into the next step for physical therapy of a reverse shoulder surgery. The exercise bike we have has the back and forth motions of the handlebars as the bike is peddled. What a great way to extend the arm and rotate the shoulder as it requires firing up some muscle power, giving the legs a free ride for the motion.
This exercise bike is a 23-year-old jewel that has been used to no end. Dennis checked the bike over this morning and disappeared for a bit as one of the pedals needed a bit of attention to detail in the shop. Nothing would be worse than a pedal coming off the shaft and finding myself in a recovery of another body part. I don’t think Dennis would be up for that as well. So, in days to come, I hope to give the shoulder a new challenge for movement. Tuning into the Winter Olympics on NBC while I give it a whirl should be great incentive. It’s either this or better.
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Noreen
Today Dennis’ porch cat Honey Bunny had an appointment at the veterinary office for her yearly shots. Dennis said she bawled all the way as she was peeking out of the carrier. It’s a good thing it was still below zero for outside temps and everyone had their vehicle windows shut. Someone may have mistaken the commotion as a child that was being mistreated. Oh yes, she can wind it up that loud and that consistent. Once the vet pulled her out of the carrier she never made a peep and took it like a little hero. Honey Bunny spends a lot of time outside roaming the back yards and there is no telling what she may get into and pay the consequences later. Dennis’ porch bud is good to go. Check that off the list of “must do.”
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Noreen
The cowboy made it home from the Sioux Falls trade show without out a hitch. Lots of news to share from buddies that came from far and wide. Everything is back to a usual schedule here on Stauffer Avenue. What also is usual and customary are the sub-zero temps. It can’t last forever, but even for me — the one who likes winter — it is getting to be a bit much. Catch ya later.
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Noreen
She Brings Thoughts of Spring
Sun Bonnet Sue in Her Glory
It’s not a new concept that mothers of small children need “me” time. I am not saying that it was a huge block of time each day when Carrie and Kevin were toddlers but I took what I could get.
We were full blown farmers in the mid 1960s with chickens, cows, pigs, ducks and big gardens. I was no different than any other farm wife and mother in our area. Farm houses brought no income to the family and that determined the work schedule and also Carrie and Kevin’s schedule. Meals and naps were not always at the same time each day but it always was a goal to attain. The first order of business every day was livestock chores that needed doing morning, noon and night. Though chickens only lay one egg a day, the egg nests were used by multiple hens. Those darn chickens would certainly decide if it was worth your time to pick the eggs out of the nests several times a day, because they would either scratch too hard to find the perfect spot to drop their egg and one would be broken all over the rest or they would poop in the nest. Payback was not good. Just like the family, noon lunch was always looked forward to by the young calves and dairy cows. Hay was needed in the bunks at noon and then Carrie and Kevin were the spotlight for lunch. It was all usual and customary.
Carrie and Kevin’s Dad , Orlin, had taken an off-the-farm job at 3M to supplement the farm income, and depending on which shift of the three possible shifts he was on, I was the go to person for the farm animal schedules combined with my kids and the house. Somehow it all fit into 24 hours of the day. I will say that the kids did get a lot of fresh air and wore themselves out to the point that naps and bedtimes were not fought. A nice warm washcloth on their face and hands after noon lunch and it was the peace that passes all understanding for me.
Orlin’s mom, Esther, was a crocheter and my mom was a quilter. I enjoyed doing them both. The dining room table was my area for play when the kids napped. The huge old dining room oak buffet was the storage spot for my goodies in between time. Somewhere along the line Esther got into fabric painting and of course it piqued my interest. All I
had to do was rearrange my buffet and there was room for one more hobby I could enjoy when time allowed. Tri-Chem oil paints for fabric painting was fun and allowed for being creative. It was resilient for being washed and Esther enjoyed using the paints on dish towels rather than everything being embroidered. Who used dish towels that were not embellished? Esther kept her mind young by embracing new ways to do what she enjoyed. Her wares were sought after by people in Hector to be used as shower gifts for bridal and baby showers.With Esther and my Mom as role models, of course I found “me” time. Tri-Chem was the craft I could pull out from the buffet in short order in a small contained box and while away time when the kids were napping or off to bed at night. My sister, Elvera, had sewn herself a rose-colored shift dress (strait design with seaming and darts for form fighting). Elvera ask me to paint Sweet Pea flowers and vines that would cascade diagonally down the front of the dress starting at one of the shoulder seams. It turned out great. I enjoyed the creativity of it all and decided to mix the quilting with the painting and thus came about Sun Bonnet Sue quilt blocks to paint and then incorporate into a quilt top.
Sun Bonnet Sue Ready for Spring
The Sun Bonnet Sue quilt top had been in the cedar chest since the late 1960s. Before I had shoulder surgery I took the quilt top to the Old Allie Quilt Shop in Sherburn, Minnesota, for Sharon to work her magic. When Sharon called several weeks into the recovery of the surgery that she had it done, it gave my spirits a lift to no end. Sharon’s quilting did not disappoint and I was thrilled that Sun Bonnet Sue was brought to life for enjoyment. Looking at the quilt made the coming of spring seem possible after this long cold winter. The finished project and the bright spring colors just make me smile. Dennis could not believe the outcome and thought it might be too pretty to use. Sun Bonnet Sue has seen the last of her dark storage world. Our west porch bed will welcome her with open arms.
Considering my stashes of creativity it’s no surprise that I still have the Tri-Chem paints. I have used them over the years but with no huge project in mind. There in the cedar chest, next to where the Sun Bonnet Sue quilt top had been resting, is 12 Overall Sam quilt blocks. I had started them, but life happened along the way. There may be “the rest of the story” to come.
In life, please give with no remembrance, or take and remember it always.
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Noreen
Waking up from a nap this afternoon with…
Waking up from a nap this afternoon with the Will and Grace Marathon going on in the background it took a while before I could realize what day it was, what time it might be or if Dennis was home or not. Deep sleep naps are wonderful and I am sure Dennis had a slight pain in his neck in Sioux Falls right about that same time.
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Noreen
My Ole Cowboy is on R & R
For the last several days Dennis has been organizing and packing up for Sioux Fall, South Dakota. Each year there is a trade show for collectors of various makes and models of guns. I am pretty sure this is Dennis’ 22nd year of some great cowboy R & R bonding. I so appreciate the fact that Dennis’ acquaintances stretch beyond the five day a week buddies here in St. James. There are fellows from Utah and Nevada that Dennis looks forward to visiting with and broadening horizons is always a good thing. Over the years Dennis has bought, sold and traded. It has been a lot of fun plus quite financially successful.
It’s a huge project deciding what to take to show on the tables that he has rented. Friday the dealers get set up and buy and sell from each other before the doors are open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. I have been with Dennis various years and it is non stop people checking out the 300 plus tables of goodies.
I got the full lecture before he left this morning. No driving unless an emergency as I cannot work the seat belt with the right arm. No attic adventures – I am to stay down on the main floor. Basement travels are allowed but no carrying items up or down – just me navigating the steps. The last four weeks Dennis has been taking care of me morning, noon and night and this trip felt right for both of us. After we had gone over all the ground rules there was one happy cowboy heading out in his red pickup. I know tonight I will get a phone call and it will be a “just checking in” type of call. Gotta love it.
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Noreen
Fleeting Thought:
Could I have possibly contracted Narcolepsy during this Minnesota winter?
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Noreen
A Few Therapeutic Stitches with Lots of Memories
The Spring Kite Adventure
At the time when I found out I was going to have surgery, I did prepare a few items that I could tackle as time went on in recovery. I had saved a few finishing stitches on this wall hanging for just this time. This particular panel had caught my eye as I could so easily link this print to actual events in times gone by.
When Carrie and Kevin’s dad Orlin worked at 3M in Hutchinson they often offered promotionals that were linked to products in their tape lines. Orlin brought home several black vinyl kites in the shape of bats. The vinyl was very much like the 3M electrical tape. What kid does not like to break out the kites when the spring breezes turn to warming winds.
When school schedules would allow, Kevin’s cousin Eric would stay with us and the boys made sure there were fun adventures and thus one of the kites came out of the wrappings. Orlin and I had a four harness rug loom at the time and the warp string used in the rug making process made for ideal kite string. A spool of rug warp slipped perfectly on a round dowel and the boys were ready.
The kite found the perfect gusts of wind and they played with the kite off and on during the weekend and the cool spring air plus some cookies in between made for a lot of fun. I occasionally would look out the window to the north to check on them and at one point I did notice they were venturing out into Bob Dascher’s plow field on various flights. The worst would be very muddy boots to clean up. This afternoon the yelling and screaming brought me up short and I realized they were far out into the plow field. I found boots and went to find out what was going on not knowing what I would find. The winds were perfect and the spool of warp on the dowel was turning like a well oiled wheel. Both little six year old boys were in tears and it took me a while to realize they both were man handling the dowel by tugging with all their might and as they tugged they were walking farther into the plow field. Where was the kite? Far, far off to the north was a little black speck in the sky. The bat kite had taken flight like no one would have ever suspected and the loom string was proving to be strong enough not to snap but not strong enough to reel in the kite. The roll of loom string had 500 yards on it and in the end if I remember correctly we had to cut it and cut the lose of the 3M vinyl black bat.
As I said earlier this wall hanging just brought back the adventures of Kevin and Eric on that spring day. All three of us were quite muddy by the time we were back on dry gravel land. Their tear stained cheeks had soon chapped in the brisk air but they had fought the good fight. Oh for memories and let’s hear it for 3M products.
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Noreen
As the shoulder is healing a good resting…
As the shoulder is healing a good resting position for sleep is becoming a challenge. Why waste the time rustling around when time to think through the day’s events can’t hurt. Dennis seemed surprised to learn through reading the blog that I labeled him a procrastinator. I assured him that when opposites attract it really works out well. Both of us being the same could be disastrous for our families. For me being a non-procrastinator came from eighteen years of being my father’s ‘go to’ person much like what my brothers were. When Dad was under a piece of equipment and needed additional tools the order was given and “don’t walk – run.” The needed was told to us and we moved – now. When we worked with Dad we knew if something was worth starting it was worth finishing. Something left undone was unacceptable. Dad was an amazing teacher and you never forget that which works. You can ask my daughter Carrie. She knows when I tackle a project it is head down and the head doesn’t come up until the task at hand is completed. Extremely frustrating for those that have to be in close proximity but never is there a need to work through incomplete projects long after the enthusiasm is gone. If I like a project well enough to try it – watch out and be prepared to fend for yourself until I am done. So – thanks Dad for life lessons that continue to serve me daily.
