Had a great lunch date today Lots of…
Had a great lunch date today. Lots of chatter about each other’s holiday plans and ideas. Priceless.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Dealing with Limits
Way back when in this 2013 year, long about April, I shared that I had a reverse shoulder surgery on my left shoulder. The healing progressed and the body acknowledged that the ball for the shoulder and socket have literally been reversed. The surgery was required after a fall that severed the rotor cuff as well as damage to the axillary nerve that was cut off of blood supply. There was no repair that could be done to the damaged nerve and consequently the range of motion was not going to be 100%. I was willing to have the surgery knowing I could and would work around the mobility and leave the pain behind.
I decided to share the rest of the story. Thank you Paul Harvey for that wonderful phrase. I had a great season out in the garden this summer that included pushing the lawn mower. Dennis and I made great strides on repairs of our garages and I wore out several paint brushes one of which was used when I painted the tip of the garage gable on a ladder. Every chance I had in between times I was at the sewing machine. One of those instances lasted several weeks as I helped out our neighbor Jan and whipped out a pieced flannel queen sized quilt that needed to be tied when the piecing was done. Successes after the healing was complete and the best part – no physical pain.
So what limits are there to deal with? I do catch myself admiring hair styles that compliment silver and white hair. My hair will always need to be an inch to an inch and a half long as I cannot control my arms to reach the top or back of my head to style my hair. Yes, I did say arms. During the two years it took to regenerate the axillary nerve to be able to have the surgery my right shoulder that is riddled with arthritis did double duty to the point that it just can’t rise to all occasions any longer. Oh, I think perhaps there may be a second surgery in the works but not so much right now.
Happy Painter will Hire Out
My arms have a lot of strength for anything that is no higher than chin height, anything beyond the chin height I really have to think about before taking hold of something and thinking I can manage it. Gosh, I hated cleaning up a 5 lb. bag of flour that was on the top shelf of the pantry. Oh yes, I painted the tip of the garage gable and cleaned out the eave troughs on the garage and garage porch on Wednesday but I had to be higher on the ladder so I would not be doing any work higher than my chin. I can do these things just with a method that works for what I have to work with.
Several windows in our home are the long 60 plus inches with double sashes. The beauty of it is that we have inserts that tip in for cleaning. The bottom sash tips in after being pulled up a bit and the top sash is pulled down a bit and then it tips in. Cleaning is a one person job and I don’t mind being that one person. Yesterday the the temps were in the high thirties and I was sure I could whip these windows out quickly. Wednesday Dennis had washed the outside of the house off and with the city’s hard water supply the gray hard water drops were not acceptable to look through for the entire winter. Humbling as it was I did find out when all the water drops and streaks were gone I did not have the power to push the top sash up far enough for it to click in place so the two sashes would meet and then the window could lock. Of course I had told Dennis I was fit and able and he could go have coffee with the buds.
Yesterday in Minnesota the temps were plunging by the hour and snow was forecast coming in with the north wind. This window happened to be on the north wall of the living room. Even standing on the small step ladder I could not get the leverage I needed. I decided to cool down a bit and poured some coffee as a few more minutes of cold air coming into the living room wasn’t going to throw the furnace into a total flat line as it heaved it’s heart out. As I was leaning against the kitchen counter I spied with my little eye my Swiffer Mop. Total success! All I had to do was hold the mop handle waist high, stand close to the wall and position the flat head of the mop against the frame of the top sash and push straight up and hard enough until I heard the glorious click. Wham, bam, thank you very much.
Yes, there is a lot of life that happens higher than my chin and come hell or high water I will find a way to deal with it when the situation arises as I don’t feel limited.
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Noreen
Fleeting Thoughts:
Today was a day of reality. Putting the winter quilt and flannel sheets on the bed is acknowledging that I can’t wish winter away.
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Noreen
A Great Day
Another gift of a day with sun and temps in the mid-forties. A great work out at the Super 8 pool and of course – the plan of action for the day was decided. The huge grain elevator just several blocks away is finally caught up with the bulk of corn that needed to be dried. With the drying comes drifts of the pink chafe that blows in the wind and just so happens to stick to the house, the windows and the screens. The street that runs by our home is the thoroughfare for the semis hauling the grain and multiple 18 wheelers over an eight week period of time can raise dust even on the hardest of streets. I hated to see Dennis washing off the house on his own but I also knew if I started bugging him I might just get a dose of cold water so I was prompted to get out a step ladder and clean the eave troughs on both the garage and garage porch.
Finally the winds have cleaned the trees of the leaves and by all accounts most of them are in the troughs to cause a lot of problems when the early spring rains arrive. For two older ones we never seem to run out of things to do on Stauffer Avenue. Could it have anything to do with the fact that when we were quite young the work ethics were deeply ingrained in each of us? Would I want it any differently? Absolutely not. For me the satisfaction of a good-effort day is priceless. Gotta run – the satisfaction is turning into relaxation and I can hear the mummer of my recliner calling me. Catch ya later.
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Noreen
My least favorite area of the home is…
My least favorite area of the home is clean around the computer. That area collects everything and after today – not so much. The day began as usual and as usual I had my coffee cup in hand when I fired up the laptop. In my corner of the world the laptop is not portable. I don’t drag it around the house as it beckons me to its permanent area. Four years ago I wanted a second computer in our home that was compact and when I ordered it my biggest concern was storage of photos and a lot of them. In a corner of our living room is where my command center is for emails, on line banking, any and all correspondence from Stauffer Avenue and creating my blog entries all via a wireless connection from – hubby Dennis’ command center in our west porch. I am very proud that Dennis at the wonderful age of 77 has his own Facebook friends, his own email friends and his own favorite sites to surf not to mention a great game of cribbage. These two separate areas of the home keep us both curious and connected to things that make us interesting to be around.
There you have it. Not one but two computer areas that are under that “least favorite” places to clean and today the wind blew in the enthusiasm to do it. It began this morning when I set my coffee cup down and I noticed that sometime in the past I had spilled a bit of coffee on the glass surface and when I went to swipe at it to clean it there was no swipe about it. It must have been there a bit longer than I remembered along with a few wayward tell tale crumbs. Why I kept extra paper items and post-a-notes to move around is beyond my recollection. Four hours later Dennis and I both have clean computer areas to again drink coffee over, enjoy a snack over and make it our own space with our own special crumbs. We do our meals at the dining room table but ya gotta have a place that’s just “mine” to while away a bit of time. It’s a good thing.
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Noreen
The Day's Work Plan
For over forty plus years the first thing I did at my desk at the courthouse was to check over the day’s work plan with some additions and some subtractions. Hmm. Now being retired I am still doing the work plan and reviewing it as I do my exercises and laps at the Super 8 pool – who needs a desk? The need to have a plan is deeply ingrained and I benefit from it and I don’t easily stray from it. Do I think it’s a habit I no longer need and could wean myself from? I think I’ll be keeping that habit as I don’t enjoy being unorganized and having it cause a crisis here on Stauffer Avenue. We like the feeling of the retirement ease of each day. Catch ya later.
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Noreen
Fleeting Thoughts:
Either accepting as is or losing forever. Those are the choices.
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Noreen
Honey Bunny
The Hardest of the Kids to Control
Here it is a Saturday on Stauffer Ave. and all I can say is “naughty kids.” I am not referring to our two-legged ones. Dennis’ garage porch kid, aka: Honey Bunny. Wednesday morning she trotted of and has not been seen of since. She is very able-bodied and has claws on all four. She has had the run of the yards but always returned to enjoy one of her many cushions to curl up on for naps. Each evening Dennis walked the area calling for her with no avail. Dennis had a meeting at the VFW this afternoon and pretty much gave up on her but hoped she had not suffered. This afternoon I took to the yards and came to agree with Dennis. I have several house plants that are enjoying the garage porch for the winter and I got the watering can out. Dennis’s son drove up and I set everything down and we went into the house. After Ken left I went back to the garage porch and there in my rocking chair was Honey Bunny as if she had been there the entire time. Seriously? We had waited up for her every night much like when the two legged kids were out and about. We were a lot younger then and a scolding on them had an impact but not so much on this kid. I got her brush out and she totally gave it over for a full body brushing, purring the entire time. I would have loved to have had a nanny camera on her to find out where she had been, what had she eaten, did she have water to drink and where had she slept? It’s a good thing Dennis and I already have gray hair.
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Noreen
Needed Errands that Burn up the Highway
Megan and Nicholas with Grandpa Dennis and Grammie
Dennis and I have had one busy week complete with supporting the petroleum companies as the Lincoln has headed east, north and south getting errands done while the weather has been accommodating. With the completion of a quilting project it was the perfect time to get the Model 1802 Kenmore sewing machine tuned up before the next batch of lint, fuzz and thread that would begin floating through the home. Bird Island, MN is the home of Karen’s Quilt Shop. In the back room Karen’s hubby Allen is a master at tuning up sewing machines. We will be ready to wind up those bobbins and let the motor begin humming.
That humming was put on hold as we made a trip to the Veteran’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Did you feel the earth shake? Hubby Dennis voluntarily turned himself in for a hearing test. Happy days! Time will tell how this will turn out. It was the first step of a few to address the problem. A trip to Minneapolis is not complete without a stop to see daughter Carrie and grand kids Megan and Nicholas. I never get tired of getting hugs. Priceless.
After getting a message on the phone from the Old Alley Quilt Shop Great Grandma Laura’s butterflies headed to the long arm quilter for Sharon to work her magic. After 48 years the butterflies are going to be in their glory as a king sized quilt. It is exciting to be able to honor all of Laura’s handiwork. It was decided to quilt around the butterflies and allow them to be the centerpiece within each square. I am excited to get the next phone call from Sharon.Dennis and I are very happy about the week’s endeavors and now we can begin pulling together ideas for the Christmas lists. Ho-Ho-Ho!
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Noreen
Yet again – another great day on the highways. This weather is ideal to take care of items before the less than good road conditions. Tomorrow is a day to catch up here and at the home front.
