Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 5:05 am on June 14, 2013 Permalink  

  I’ll Take Minnesota Anyday 

  Yesterday we enjoyed a visit from Martha who drove from Arkansas to make a swing through Minnesota seeing family and friends.  If we are lucky we do see each other once a year and then the chatting is amped up to cover all bases in each other’s life.

  I am just getting to the point of being out every moment I can to enjoy our late spring and summer. Martha made mention that when she returns home in several week the temps will be hot enough that she will be staying indoors.  Of course, right now, there is a bit of a challenge with the small black flies and gnats as they are the first string of our less-than-pleasant fellow Minnesotans.  We do know how to thwart their advances with a spritz of spray here and there.

  Martha relayed a story of doing battle with a six foot long black snake that was gaining ground on a bluebird birdhouse that was at the top of a pool in her yard.  A stick was not enough to dissuade him from reaching the house that was home to the baby bluebirds.  When the steel garden rake was used it only caused the snake’s pursuit to be stepped up as he entered one of the holes that only shortly before was the safe heaven for the adult birds to come and go.  As the entire body of the snake gained entrance the roof of the bird house became dislodged and it was a lost cause to save the babies.

  Apparently the six foot long black snake lives in the lean to of the machine shed that houses some hay and straw.  When I inquired why she wouldn’t make sure the lean to was snake proof I was informed that the snake took care of rats that can be prevalent.  I cannot begin to remember the number of species of snakes that have been and are a part of Martha’s area, but the frosting on the cake was when scorpions were mentioned a bit later.

  Nope, that stuff is not for this gal.  I will take whatever Minnesota dishes out, and the best thing is that I have lovely black dirt to sift through my fingers with only fat wiggly earthworms wanting to share the same space.

   
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  Noreen 1:29 am on June 13, 2013 Permalink  

  The Final Test 

  It really isn’t news any longer when rain amounts can be reported.  Thunder boomers in the early hours brought an additional two tenths in the rain gauge.  Sun has eluded us again.  This morning I really didn’t care if it was gloomy, Dennis and I had plans.

  Yesterday was a seven week recheck with new x-rays of the left shoulder and a follow up visit with the surgeon.  After his assessment of his handy work on the shoulder I had a few questions: could I use a weed whip, could I push a lawn mower that was not self propelled, and could I use the ladder at the Super 8 swimming pool to get into the pool and get out of the pool.  The answer was a definite “yes”.  He only listed two restrictions: I cannot split wood and I cannot operate a jack hammer.  Hmm, there goes my summer jobs for a few extra dollars.

  Dennis and I had a date and we were out to the pool by ten this morning.  I really had missed this activity the last eight weeks even if the water wasn’t more than 82 degrees. My limit was fifteen minutes this first time back at the pool of wiggling my naughties aka: exercise.  One pass of the pool length while totally under water using the arms and then a rest.  One pass of the pool length doing the butterfly stroke and then a rest.  One pass on my back with arms reaching backwards and propelling and then a rest.  The hot tub felt great after that and I knew that I, for real, was back on tract.  Sometimes one needs more affirmation of your own private final test other than what a doctor’s record records.

   
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  Noreen 3:12 am on June 12, 2013 Permalink  

  A Tranquil Quiet Place 

  We live on a very busy thoroughfare in St. Jame,s complete with more 18 wheeler rigs that you can count in one day.  There is a food processing plant two blocks to the north.  One block to the north is the railroad tracks that you can almost use as an alarm clock that could set multiple times within a twenty four hour period.  Holding a conversation during the height of the hub bub is impossible.  Did any of this register to us in the late 80s when the house was purchased for $8,500?  Heavens no!

  We began using a patio umbrella put up in the driveway to enjoy coffee and the outdoors.  Other than the noise, the amount of people that would be passing by on the street and wander up the driveway was like “Welcome, Open House” was just as impossible.  We decided to pop out a porch off the northwest portion of the garage and put a patio that went totally around the porch.  That did the trick.  We could sit out, cook out or be out in the porch and have some private time.

  

  The Koi pond with its tranquil sound

  With too much time on my hands and I began sizing up up the area east of the garage porch and decided that this could be the answer to being outside and finding a bit more quiet.  This was the area that Dennis had the grill set up, but with several dozen octagon-shaped blocks, I pushed out the size of the patio to hold a small table and two chairs.  Just the distance from the back of the garage porch to the street made a huge difference in the noise of the traffic plus the Oak and Maple trees are now leafed out, aiding with the filtering of noise.  The winning element to the tranquil quiet is the water pump in the Koi pond.

  The sound of the water can hypnotize me when I take a break from the gardens with my feet up on the neighboring patio chair.  This area of the backyard has become my all time favorite.  No one knows I am out there reading with a cup of coffee.  No one knows I am sitting out there scraping mud off of my shoes.  No one knows that I have decided to stay in my bathrobe until noon.   Such a little effort has made all the difference in the world in creating this tranquil, quiet place.

   
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  Noreen 8:22 am on June 11, 2013 Permalink  

  Quick Apple Dessert 

  1 can of Apple Pie Mix

  1 box of “One Step” Angel Food Cake Mix

  Combine both for a 9 x13 greased pan

  350 degrees for 25 minutes

   
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  Noreen 1:27 am on June 11, 2013 Permalink  

  A Time Study 

  As I was a W-2 Form worker for 45 plus years the need for time studies was always a necessary evil.  In a perfect world we were to work smarter, not harder.  Time was of the essence.

  I feel pretty cockie as this is the second full week of no longer needing to wear a sling on my recovery left arm.  There has been a project in my sewing room that has been itching me for weeks.  I waited until I knew where Dennis was and how long it would take him to stay out of the house and then I made my move.  I headed down into my sewing and craft basement.  A certain project was beyond the hand sewing and needed my trusty 1968 Sears sewing machine.  I was at a point in recovery that it mattered how long something took to get it done with the hand stitching.  I was ready for some mechanical speed.  It had been seven weeks that I been down among the thread and fuzz and I just sat for a moment and took it all in.  The project of the day was that I needed sixteen button holes to be made to kick this project toward the finish line.

  

  My Grandmother – Laura Wendlandt

  I have never made a button hole using the attachment on my sewing machine without thinking of my paternal grandmother Laura Wendlandt.

  During my senior high school year grandma came and stayed with with us for a few days and helped out after my Mom was recovering from surgery.  Prior to that surgery Mom had made me a new pair of slacks and a blouse that I was going to wear going to the state basketball tournaments in the metro.  This was huge as I had never been and the day long bus trip was a new adventure for this Boon Lake Township gal.  The missing element for me to wear the new outfit were the buttonholes.  I can still see as clear as yesterday Grandma Laura sitting next to the north kitchen windows making all the buttonholes by hand.   She kept an eye on the oven where she had baked goods going, as well as the top of the stove that had the beginnings of supper for six of us that would be putting our feet under the round oak pedestal table.  Grandma was short in stature but a little dynamo when it came to organizing a household.  She had had a lot of practice with their eight kids plus her mother-in-law, Christine, who lived with them and in years to come when the eight were away from home the youngest son Jerald and his wife lived at the homestead.

  My sixteen buttonholes today were completed in less than a half hour and Grandma Laura would have worked on the seven of them on my new blouse for the better part of an afternoon.  Time studies will be going forever as we think we need to get everything done in record time but memories of the labors of love of yester-years are priceless.

   
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  Noreen 4:33 am on June 10, 2013 Permalink  

  Can't Outrun Mother Nature 

  Today is truly the day the Lord has made.  How could we not be happy with it?  After listening to the rain fall all night on our house awning I had hoped for a chance to have morning coffee out on the patio.  Not so much.  The rain gauge noted another inch of rain had fallen.  Dennis decided it would be a good day to take a short road trip and as the sky was clearing in the south — south it was that we headed.  Neither of us had been in Fairmont, Minnesota, for quite awhile and it is only a 40 minuted drive.

  I had a short grocery list and I also knew there was a great greenhouse to the far southeast of town.  As we drove and the sun peeked out both of were thinking the same thing, how great to have the sun shining in the morning when we got up and have it shine right up to sunset. We had no more than commented to each other and the clouds descended.  The Janzen Greenhouse was loaded with plants. I couldn’t help but wonder where they would all find a home before the middle to the end of July when greenhouses usually close for the season. I knew as tempting as it was to fill the holes in my gardens from the winter kill, I had to stay on track.  I couldn’t look at the perennials as about that time the clouds opened and the open air garden hoop was being drenched. My conquest was two tomato plants, a bush cucumber plant and a Boston Fern to hang under the lilacs branches. That last item was not a necessity, but dang, so enjoyable for the summer right up to the killing frost.

  The HyVee grocery store was our only other stop and we came on home with windshield wipers just a going.  We again noted the clearing of the skies and by golly if we didn’t drive into our driveway with the sun shining. I put on a fresh pot of coffee and then took a full cup out to the backyard to check out the status of some small self seeders I had hoed around. As I got to the far end of our lot I had to hustle to make a dash for the garage porch as the rain that was falling was diluting my coffee. Today the clouds have opened at will with little warning. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and Lord I do thank you for this one.

   
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  Noreen 10:44 pm on June 8, 2013 Permalink  

  Indoor Activity for a Cool Day 

  Though I have the soul of a farmer the cool temps of 60 degrees and very gray clouds are driving me to seek indoor activities. It’s always nice to have a fabric project in the works for days such as these. There are no deadlines for my projects to be finished and that means no pressure. I have no idea where my fabric projects will end up at some point in time. The purpose that they serve is quenching my creative side.

  The wall hanging I am currently working on is called “Too Many Men” aka: snowmen.

  

  Wall hanging called ‘Too Many Men’

  During the recovery of the shoulder replacement I revisited hand quilting and found it very self satisfying. It didn’t matter how many stitches per inch I accomplished it was relaxing and allowed for quiet time for self reflection: so important for good health. The fabric was printed with the blue sky dotted with white dots to represent snow. I found just the right size of white buttons to replicate the snow flakes. It adds an additional dimension to the project as light reflects off of them. This is just one portion of what will be the completed project and that will be for a later posting.

  Today I can tell you that no matter how thick the clouds get or how much additional rain we get I am O.K.

   
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  Noreen 2:51 am on June 7, 2013 Permalink  

  My Surgery Success Story 

  I believe this is the longest that I have stayed away from “My Stories” in several years. A lot has happened since April 17, 2013.

  All of the preparation for the Reverse Shoulder Replacement that took place on April 25th was totally worth it. In the seven weeks since I have been amazed almost on a daily basis. Twenty four hours after awaking from the actual surgery Dennis and I were on our way home to St. James and everything I had organized for the both of us back home gave me a sense of quietness. The instructions before being discharged where very simple: “Wear the sling as close to 24/7 as possible and wiggle your fingers as often as possible.” I kidded the surgeon if he had put a bit of Super Glue onto the ends of the screws. He went on to tell Dennis and I that the screws were in fact hollow so they would fill in with my very own tissue to truly become a part of me. Wow! I left the hospital in one of Dennis’ large button shirts with the left arm safely kept tucked into the inside. Once home, for the first several days I was either in the recovery chair (wooden chair made of 2 x 4’s), pacing the floor or lying flat on my back in bed.

  One pain pill a day taken before bedtime was sufficient as I am not fond of the “out body feeling” that the drugs allow for. I know I was relying on the bedtime pain pill to help me settle in for the night. The bed had been made up to allow me to sleep with my head on the foot end. My grandmother’s rocker was put close to the bed so when I would rise out of the bed my right arm would be able to seek the wide arm rest and help propel me up and out, keeping the left arm immobile. Two days out and the blessing of having the washer and dryer in the bathroom made it possible for me to take care of our laundry. One arm to literally sling it in the washer and again after the wash cycle to sling the laundry into the dryer. The rocking chair in the bedroom was the gathering spot of the dried clothing and either Dennis folded it or we pulled out what we wanted when we needed it. A pretty laid back routine.

  Dennis was doing double duty from the start of my recovery as twice a day he was driving out to son Ken’s farm home to check on Ken’s wife who is on Home Hospice from brain cancer. The importance of Ken keeping his job and the remaining family members all punching into their places of employment, Dennis and his red pickup were enlisted. Dennis made sure before he left home that I gave him an itinerary of my plans and we both were manned with our cellphones. My only edict from Dennis was not to even think about going into the basement.

  We never went hungry. I served up quite a few batches of cold cuts and cheese for the noon lunch and Dennis manned the kitchen for supper. Whatever was fixed we enjoyed. Dennis had the job of being dishwasher and he did a fine, smart job, but, his most important job was neatening up my underware and elastic waist slacks as I pulled and tugged to the best of my ability and the rest waited until he could assist. It may have put a whole new slant on wedgies.

  I have learned a lot about being patient with myself. Try, try and try again as the weeks went on and I ventured into other activities. After the first three weeks I could move the left elbow and below as long as the arm stayed close to the body in the sling. I soon got needles threaded and tackled a few dishtowels. I am not saying it went slick or quick but where was I going? I soon reacquainted myself with hand quilting and thoroughly enjoyed it.

  The weather has not been all that great during these last weeks but the patio has offered a place to check out the robins and the nests they have built close by. As the Meow Mix bowl is always set out for any neighboring cats that need a snack I was amazed how many birds helped themselves to the cat food.

  After the sixth week the sling is no longer a mandate. I did continue using it during the last several days as I took back my flower gardens from all the wonderful green weeds that offered to take up space. With the sling on it was a great reminder that caution was still needed. I will admit after the sling was no longer a 24/7 item, the arm did feel very heavy as I was able to use it for light duty. Nothing serious, just making sure all the muscles and tendons knew that their vacation was over. The best thing is I can pull up my own pants as often and whenever it is needed. Oh, the little things in life that we all take for granted. The patio is my favorite place for enjoying a cup of coffee and doing some reading in between the fits of gardening

  I am so thrilled that I did not accept the palsied condition of the left arm for the rest of my life. As it turned out the rotor cuff had been entirely severed thus causing all the pain. The surgeon made sure during the surgery that he found the exact location of the Axillary nerve that had been damaged in the initial dislocation injury. It was embedded in the muscle with a bit of scar tissue around it. In no way was he going to disturb that nerve and have any portion of my recovery jeopardized. It was only after that nerve had regenerated itself to the point it was prior to April 25th that allowed for the surgery to even be done. I was a bit frightened of the entire procedure as it seemed like something out of science fiction. I do realize that the health of that Axillary nerve at the time of the surgery is what it will be after all my recovery is completed. It was not 100% then and my mobility that depends on that nerve will not be 100% now. It will be interesting to see what the rotor cuff replacement adds to my mobility in the left arm. I do know that the lack of pain stemming from the severed rotor cuff is already evident 100% and so appreciated. That is my update and I deem it a success story. It is important to take stock and know we don’t want to settle when it comes to the quality of our lives.

  In life, please give and have no memory of it, or take and remember it always.

   
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  Noreen 3:54 am on June 6, 2013 Permalink  

  Ready to Enjoy 

  Even after the half inch of rain yesterday the gardens were fit to work in. I was in my hay day. In years past I have enjoyed creating gardens where it was impossible to grow a good crop of grass.

  

  A clean slate of dirt ready to show off the young plants

  Once perennials are established the maintenance is minimal. The secret is that the maintenance needs to be done in the spring of the year. There is no end to the trash that blows in with the snowstorms. Flooded areas have new weed seeds deposited and birds love to share weed seeds in their droppings.

  As of today my gardens have all been tended to and they can now work on producing lush foliage and even a bit of color from some plants that bloom. Several plants shot out of the dirt and took off like a steak of lightening. A few I found on these last days were just breaking through the soil. It does take a watchful eye. Many of my neighbors put down bark mulch to prevent the weeds from taking over and some even go through the expense of coco bean hulls. You’ve got it. It does smell like chocolate. The draw back on the bean hulls is that they mold if we have lots of showers of rain. The draw back on the bark mulch is that some perennials drop seeds for new plants in the next year and the seeds need to find their home on dirt to take hold.

  

  My favorite hangout for the summer

  As I was using my pusher hoe over these last days I maneuvered around many flocks and bleeding heart plants that are new seedlings. Greenhouses and nurseries generally start their perennials at a cost of $3.99 per six inch growing pot. Being a little thrifty is part of having fun gardening. I do take pride in my tidy gardens. Both Orlin’s mother and my Mother were lovers of flowers and I was a good student. The contentment that I derive from gardening cannot be beat by any tranquilizer a doctor can prescribe. I am now going to sit back and enjoy the fruits of Mother Nature and my labor.

   
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  Noreen 3:25 am on June 5, 2013 Permalink  

  A Day Out of the Gardens 

  The day started out cool and that would have been OK. Being outside working in the gardens keeps the body temps very comfortable. Dennis ran an errand for concrete supplies for his nephew and I took the opportunity to start the day a little slower and had coffee out in the garage porch. The garage cat, Honey Bunny, loves to be outside during the day and always returns after supper. There are some vacant sheds on the adjacent lot (also with a vacant house) that Honey Bunny loves to run to. I would really enjoy a nanny camera on her to see what the heck she does all day. Maybe the sheds are just her first stop of the day as she is out and about. I slid open one of the patio doors for her to decide what she wanted to do for the day. She ventured out to the edge of the patio and out of nowhere the blackbirds just swooped down at her. She turned tail quickly and was right under my chair inside the porch. After the fourth try it was sad to see this fearless creature knuckle under to angry birds. I went out on the patio and called to Honey Bunny and she felt very safe by my feet. I walked off the patio and called for her and she came. We walked a bit farther together and the blackbirds stayed at bay. I ended up walking the cat all the way to the vacant sheds. Good grief! Oh for the life of the grammie that is retired. It was satisfying to know how safe Honey Bunny feels with me and just amazing what we do for our pets. I also now know why Honey Bunny waits until dusk to come home – no blackbirds to pick at her little butt.

  Anyway, it started to rain and sporadic showers that were forecast have now registered a half inch of rain. I turned inward for laundry duties, some bill paying and getting a macaroni chicken hot dish to put in the oven for supper. The weeds will wait after all. I am on the downhill side of that task.