Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from July, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:41 pm on July 22, 2024 Permalink  

  It Happens 

  It happens that when I need to get up from my sleep and the time is after four, there is already noise out on our street which is a thoroughfare.  Swift Eckrich food processing is only four blocks north of us and there are three rotating shifts.

  This morning, after I had gotten up, going back to sleep was not to be.  It happens.  It happens and it’s not a serious thing.  After we had showered before going to bed last night the laundry basket beckoned me.  I closed the bathroom door and went about my Monday chores, though a bit earlier than usual.

  The coffee pot goes off at six in the morning.  I started it a bit earlier.  When Dennis got up at six, I was on my second cup.

  With the extreme wet, we have had our share of ants in the house of various sizes.  Neighbor Jan north of us has reported likewise.  The best way to not have them is to keep everything tidy in the kitchen and bathroom.

  After the heavy fog lifted and the dew had dried off, Dennis headed out to the blue barn acre with his vegetation spray.  It does take about five days but death by spraying does work.  Dennis was home by 1:30 and he hung is heavier jacket up in the back entry.   It did provide shelter from the mosquitoes.  His winter cap pulled down low helped but when the buzzing about his face got hard to ignore, he called it quits until another day.  I know he will tackle it another day.  His mantra: slow but sure.

  I spent several hours in the studio.  Some containers on the shelf of sewing supplies were able to be combined.  It felt good to take a serious look.  I have three containers left to go through.  

  I am looking out the south window of my bedroom porch and our neighbor is mowing his yard.  Only his eyes are visible from his face mask.  His hoodie is tied tight and he has a straw hat pulled extra low.  He could pass for the Lone Ranger.

  Dennis and I have agreed on Subway for supper.  Sweet!

  I have not napped today and I know sleep will come easily tonight.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:57 pm on July 20, 2024 Permalink  

  Mowing Team 

  The mowing team on Stauffer Avenue has the blue barn acre mowed.  Sweet!  I do enjoy helping with some of the yard work.  The zer0-turn, from starting it to backing it where it needs to be in the back garage is getting easier.

  This morning while I was waiting for Dennis to give the all clear in regard to how wet the grass was, I pulled from my stash.  I pulled deep from my emotional stash.  All these years I have had a Wonder Bread plastic bag among my sewing items that had been Esther Schafer’s, aka: my children’s maternal grandmother.  I would look at the contents from time to time and then zip . . . out came the twister to close it up again.

  I knew what the contents were as a bit of paper no bigger than a paperclip had scrawled on it “silk.”  An entire hank of silk.  Talk about intimidation!  On to booting up YouTube.  The floss was variegated going from bronze to tan to navy to steel gray.  I knew I wanted to cut it in half.  The beauty of a YouTube video is that you can back it up as often as needed.  I now have it contained and in a zip-lock bag.  Will I ever use that entire hank in my stitching?  On the photo with the scissors there is one thread lying across the scissors.  That one thread is 6 ply.  When I cross stitch I use two of the 6 ply.  By following the instruction, I can take my needle at the top where the knot is and snag one thread of 6 ply and pull it free from the braid.  I had to try it and it worked great.  There will be or should not be any tangle whatsoever.

  Dennis has “people.”  Dennis’ friend Jack has live traps.  Dennis knew where the holes were and from there is was a crap shoot.  Woodchucks eat everything that is on the blue barn acre.  When Dennis was at the back garage after mowing, Jack stopped in.  Within one week, one possum and two woodchucks.  Jack is hopeful for more as woodchucks generally have four in a litter.  Wow!

  On a more somber note.  I do post the ongoing situation with Dennis’ son Jeff.  It is reality when people choose not to be responsible in the care of the body and life God has given.  Five liters of fluid were removed from Jeff yesterday.  OMG!  I did go on to Mayo portal for the summery of the appointment.

  I put in a pork steak in the blue speckled roaster for supper.  Dennis said to next time try bone-in porkchops with white sauce to bake out.  For the life of me, pan frying porkchops so they stay moist . . . cannot do.

  I had bought a small container of Mrs. Gerry’s coleslaw.  I fixed it the Lena way.  Minnie marshmallows and a sliced banana.  Dennis sampled it last night as I put it in the refrigerator.  I got a thumbs up.

  I hope everyone had as great of a day as we have had on Stauffer Avenue.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:56 pm on July 17, 2024 Permalink  

  Middle of the Week 

  The days don’t wait for anyone.

  There is no shortage in the laundry basket.  I had it sorted and three loads were on the docket.  My way is to fold it as it dries.

  I kept an eye on Dennis.  Yesterday after getting our home acre mowed, he strung out the long hose towards the patio porch.  With the patio under water for 36 hours, the amount of dried mud is nasty.  Dennis started on the east patio with a broom brush in hand.  That included getting the mud out of the patio door slides.

  Today, Dennis continues with his dried mud job.  Every time Dennis would take a break, I could see Snuggles crawling up Dennis’ belly so he could take a break as well.

  In time Dennis’ grandson AJ and a friend will be coming to put the mower back on the Cub.  In today’s mail a hand-hold assist came in the mail.  It resembles the one Kevin put on at the top of the basement steps at Christmas time.  This assist will be screwed to the top of one of the fenders of the Cub.  It will help getting on and off safely.  The assists on the zero-turn has proven to be a good thing, so more good things ensue.

  Dennis realizes how weak his legs are as per the ultrasounds at radiology in Mankato.  He does push himself by staying active outside but also taking breaks in his routines.

  When I am in the studio with my ever trusty battery-operated radio, when there is music playing, I am apt to do a waltz or my version of the Jitter-Bug around the church tables.  Visualize that for too long and it could cause sensory overload.  I don’t sit for long times at the sewing machine.  I could chain sew pieces of the pattern for a long time, but I choose to cut the chain and get on my feet and do some ironing.

  Both of us realize that we need to keep moving so as to not give up what we enjoy . . . each and every day.

  I continue building my Log Cabin pattern blocks.  The larger the blocks get, the more material and time it takes.  No marathons.  This evening, I will pick up the cross stitch project for the circular wooden box of Grandma Schafer’s.  I am halfway through the alphabet on the band that will go around the belly of the box.  I am also contemplating a few designs to add to each end as the box is a hefty one.  The circular design for the top is quite stitch heavy.  Where am I going?

  This evening it is waffles and breakfast sausages.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   

   
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  Noreen 2:23 pm on July 14, 2024 Permalink  

  What’s New 

  Here on Stauffer Avenue, I can report. . . not much.  I am thankful for a comfortable home with very few responsibilities for today.

  I did rummage in the freezer last night.  I took out the remaining chicken tenderloins and a bag of shredded Swiss Cheese and parked them into the refrigerator.

  This forenoon I gathered together what I needed for a chicken sauerkraut oven dish.  Yes, it is warm to use the oven for this evening’s supper.  It is worth it to fix a good meal in our own home.  It is a great tasty dish.  Small cubed raw chicken in the bottom of a sprayed casserole goes first.  Poultry seasoning is sprinkled onto the raw chicken.  A good two inches of sauerkraut is spread over the chicken.  It does bake down.  1,000 Island dressing tops the dish.  After I have covered the dish with ample dressing, I take my wooden spoon’s handle and poke holes into the top for the dressing to find it’s way into the ingredients.  This will be baked at 320 degrees until my thermometer reads 150 degrees.  I then will spread a package of shredded Swiss cheese on top and pop it back into the oven until the cheese gives a great toasted look.  This served with the remaining jellied cranberries will be a wonderful supper.

  With supper covered I headed into the studio for some stitching.  My stitching is comprised of three different 2.5″ light printed fabric strips and three different 2.5″ dark printed fabric strips.  It is the Log Cabin pattern.  The center is a 2.5″ white fabric.   If I remember, each finished Log Cabin block is 12″ square.  I have been putting on one colorway each day.  I had all the fabric cut earlier on.  With stitching and pressing, two hours is enough for each session.  I remember when my sister, Elvera, started doing quilts, she always skipped the pressing aspect.  Hmm.  I learned from the best . . . Lena.  Quilting is not for someone in a hurry.  Elvera was most likely at a Lion’s meeting or a Feed the Hungry gathering.  The blocks when stitched together with a border makes up a quilt top for a double sized bed.  I am a long way from a finished top.  This top is in the gray and blue hews.

  I discovered today that Spencer, Iowa, has a great AM radio station playing country western.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:19 pm on July 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Home Sweet Home 

  As the weather outside is frightful, there is no other place to be, but home sweet home.  Dennis c0mmented that the dew point and humidity are neck and neck.

  Even my dad preached that no matter what kind of vehicle you have or how new it is, rubber tires on hot road surfaces can cause problems.

  That brings to mind a memory.  Orlin’s brother Elroy from Willmar, drove their family car with little to no tread on the tires.  On the hottest of July weekends they would be at the Boon Lake farm.  Orlin could not believe that Elroy would chance that.  There may have been such a thing as AAA road service, but Elroy would have expounded on it being a money scheme.  We had chores to do and they were there for a meal.  Talk about grin and bear it.  Some memories sneak in when you least expect them.  

  I did call Aunt Janet from Brownton that I wouldn’t be at Mrs. Kenneth Wendlandt’s funeral tomorrow forenoon in Hutchinson.  My decision.  

  After chasing a dust bunny or two under the beds, I came down to the studio to do some stitching.  Whether sewing via machine stitching in the studio or hand stitching in my bedroom porch, it is the peace that passes all understanding.  At some time, there will be project completions.  From now to then I am content.

  We have canned beef in the cistern pantry.  I will thicken the beef so that it will be a nice gravy consistency over the instant mashed potatoes.  Green beans and jellied cranberries will round out our supper.  Sweet.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:40 pm on July 11, 2024 Permalink  

  1″ on Wednesday 

  Who would have thought there was that much rain in those clouds compared to areas around us. One inch was the measurement.

  That had spoiled the mowing for yesterday, but it was on the calendar for today after the dew was off.  Sunday we had mowed one of our acres.  Today the blue barn acre was the target.  With nothing but grass and trees, it does take a while.  Dennis used the Sear’s rider among the trees which is on the west side.  He also did the bit of a ditch where the lot borders the Hammond Highway.  Can a zero-turn tip over?  I don’t want to even go there.  Where I did go was the large area from north to south of straight mowing.  Glory be . . . Dennis’ spray did work and perhaps is still working on the weeds that were snuggled up to the trees.  I know he will be back at it when conditions are doable.

  It took the two of us an hour and a half of mowing.  When we parked the mowers in the back garage, I walked home as Dennis lets the mowers cool off before re-fueling.  Yes . . . the two gallon containers are sweet.  As I was cutting across our yards to come home, I wished I could still run.  Some towns spray for mosquitoes.  I wanted to hurry home, but not as such that I would trip and fall.  That would have really been a feast.  All they could get at was my face and ears and wasn’t that enough!

  No studio stitching today.  Dennis and I are both satisfied to wind down for the rest of the afternoon in our home.

  By the way . . . the 12″ tuna from Subway for supper last night was a hit.   

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on July 9, 2024 Permalink  

  Summer Has Arrived 

  In all of its glory we will be experiencing summer this week.  It was bound to happen.

  Dennis was home by noon from his very early trip taking Jeff to Mankato for an appointment.  With the trip to Silver Bay last weekend, Dennis went to Jiffy Lube when they opened at eight.  He never passes up when the oil and lube needs doing.  I did not blame him one bit for taking a nap in his chair after a bite of noon lunch.  

  For myself I have been up since four.  When a bathroom call comes one hour before the alarm is to go off . . . I knew I would not be going back to bed.  It is what it is.  Right on cue, the birds in the evergreen outside my bedroom window began chirping and singing at four.  So what did I do at four?  I started the coffee and turned on some CBS news before waking Dennis at five.

  My mission today in the studio was to put a few things back in place after Watson’s had visited yesterday.  KNUJ was tuned in.  With all the LED overhead lamps, you never know where the radio needs to sit for it to come in clearly.  

  The steam iron has been filled.  The sewing machine got oiled and cleaned of any fuzz.  The bobbin has the correct thread as well as the machine got threaded up.  I did a test stitch.

  I know its warm out, but I did pull an oven dish from the freezer for supper.  We had sandwiches and chicken noodle soup for supper last night, so a bit of a heartier meal for the two early risers.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:27 pm on July 7, 2024 Permalink  

  The Happiest 

  I swear the happiest of God’s feathered is the Wren.  We have what I call a Dr. Suez copper roofed bird house.  Try as hard as I could to take the mosquitos after we had finished mowing . . . I cried uncle.  Not so the little Wrens that were sticking their heads out of their home.  Cheerful beyond belief.

  The mowing went well.  With me on the zero-turn it cut the total time down in half for Dennis as he was using the trusty Sear’s rider.  I am still on a learning curve in regard to how hard I turn it with the dirt as soft as a sponge from the rain.  Wouldn’t it be something if we had no rain today!

  Dennis and I are both in for the day.  The pork steak will be ready by five.  That coupled with the beefed up Mrs. Gerry’s potato salad and jellied cranberries to make a fine Sunday light supper. 

  I have no appointments for this next week.  I will call the Watson boys to make a house call for a plumbing issue in the studio.  Each time I make a trip to the studio to keep an eye on said issue, I take some extra time to tidy up the church tables.  Yes, I am gearing up to do some stitching.  I had cut fabric up during the winter for several Log Cabin quilt tops.  Will I make them into quilts?  That I do not know.  I surely would if someone would come forward.  If not, I will make a donation to our church for the church ladies to make them up and give where needed.  For me, it is all about using what I have for the greater good.

  The activity in my bedroom porch has three different cross stitch projects going plus a good book.  Variety is the spice of life.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:14 pm on July 6, 2024 Permalink  

  My Day 

  My day feels full.  At ten we were downtown for pedicures and haircuts.  Both were needed and for me, I can tell you . . . both feel wonderful.  It may take a while with two chairs going at one time, but Dennis loves how the hot soaking bath feels on his feet.

  After the spa treatment we went shopping at our local grocer’s.  No matter how I power shop in Mankato for staples, there is always something that we run out of.  Dennis wanted to make a pie.  Who knew?  He had seen something on television.  He needed a graham cracker crust, two boxes of instant pudding, the same flavor.

  If we are going to have a treat for the day, it is usually at eight in the evening.  Time will tell how the coconut cream pie fares.  All I suggested was to cut back on the two cups of milk to allow for a firmer set up.  We may have spoons handy.

  Dennis’ grandson, AJ, came for a visit from Mankato.  Talk about a shot in the arm for Dennis.  AJ also had had rain seeping into his basement.  AJ helped Dennis set his heavy television buffet cabinet onto the plywood floor.  The little red pickup will be able to be housed again.

  About at two, the sky clouded over and a heavy shower of rain came.  All these little blurbs on the radar have rain in them.

  My day tomorrow may have some grass mowing in it.  I enjoy helping.  I will suit up from top to bottom as much as possible as the mosquitoes are ready for fresh blood. 

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:55 pm on July 2, 2024 Permalink  

  Hit and Miss 

  Today is all about hit and miss showers.

  When I went to bed last night it was lightning in the northwest.  This morning there were puddles on Stauffer Avenue.

  I decided to do a Cinderella today in my kitchen.  Now, at mid afternoon, I can report that we will have a pasta oven meal for supper.  There are also two containers of said dish in the freezer.  One pound of ground beef with lots of odds and ends to accompany it.  While the pasta was piping hot, I added the last of the cream cheese in with the pasta and put a lid on it to melt the cheese.  The cream cheese coats the pasta for an additional flavor.  While the ground beef was browning, I added some Better than Bullion roasted garlic flavor.  That cleaned out the little jar.  I sautéed the half of the Vidalia onion that was double bagged in the refrigerator.  There were some Bush’s baked beans left from last night’s supper . . . in they went.  Two beef brats also from last night, sliced into thin rounds.   A half cup of peas that were asking to be recued from the freezer for a bit of color.  Classico basil flavored red sauce folded in and around.

  Dennis is all about using up and putting in rather than throwing out.  This concoction is my craziest one yet.  It has hit all the marks of the nutrition wheel.  I will give you a review tomorrow.

  The last of the laundry has been done, leaving an empty laundry basket for about . . . not very long.  Gotta love clean clothes.

  All the dishes have been done as well as taking the top of the kitchen range apart for a tidy, tidy.  With the last of the breakfast coffee, Cinderella is in her cherry red chair in her bedroom porch.  Those walking by on our street are swatting bugs as much as stepping it off.  The air is dead.  The dew point and the humidity are the same.  Not for a good feeling.  We are to have more rain falling this afternoon.

  Dennis did the local grocer’s trip today.  

  Tomorrow I will visit my dentist.  The adjustments are soon to be over.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥