Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 1:48 pm on June 17, 2026 Permalink  

  Bright sun on a Wednesday 

  We have had spurts of rain with the last spurt being a downpour for about five minutes.  We’ll take what we can get.

  Yesterday’s trip to the sleep study lab in Mankato was interesting.  The sleep mask that Dennis has used for the last nineteen years is being discontinued.  An entire new head gear with fasteners that are different are in the plan.  We are never too old to have to adapt.  His prescription has been updated at the Mayo Store and a sample that was tested right then and there was sent home with Dennis.  Time will tell.  I left Dennis to-it last night at bedtime.  I can’t do it for him.  I stayed up long enough to hear that he had met the challenge.

  As of last night Dennis has 30 banana nut muffins in individual sandwich bags in our freezer.  Horray for Dennis.  Horray for me.  No more make a sandwich for the breakfast box each day.  Would Dennis have made one for himself each day?  I tried that.  I am better off doing the muffins knowing he is not taking all his meds on an empty stomach followed by carcinogens of the cigarettes and allowing the stomach acid to build into a medical situation.  I realize my own path to resistance and not wanting to make hospital visits when Dennis would and did call from a hospital bed wondering when I was coming to see him.

  Yesterday, I brought home from Sam’s 2 lbs. of strawberries for $4.99, which would be one 1 lb. package here in town.  This morning I pared them, crushed them and have two freezer bags in the freezer with some for this evening.  A little backup plan helps. 

  Speaking of backups, Sam’s rotisserie 3 lb. chickens are the best for $4.98.  Dennis’ grandchildren that live in Mankato make special trips for them.  Our grocery has a small chicken for $9.98.  For supper, we had planks of chicken breast meat with a savory sauce I made.  I boned out the remaining chicken and there are two freezer bags ready for oven meals sometime.  Our freezer is looking mighty fine. 

  There has been no stitching for several days along side a dark studio.  Get the jobs done around the first floor before play time. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on June 13, 2026 Permalink  

  Saturday 

  Today is a bright sunny Saturday with nary a cloud in the sky.

  I was having breakfast coffee in my bedroom porch when I could hear . . . Marco, Marco.  It was faint but I responded Polo, Polo.  I followed and it took me right into the laundry area.  Sure enough, the basket was overflowing.

  There were items I wanted to watch and not let them go unattended.  That gave me enough time to cast my eyes downward.  Hmm.  The vinyl floors needed help.  Slow but sure the loads of laundry got swapped out and the floors were getting done as well . . . all but the back door floor.  Time for a break.

  It was time to put together an oven meal.  Long time a going since we had one.  My oven meal for today: 

  -one bag of Armor Swift all beef meatballs cut willy nilly

  -one bag of Real Potatoes hash browns from the grocer’s refrigeration section

  -one can of cream of mushroom soup

  -one can of white cheddar soup – both cans Campbells

  -mixed well, ready for the blue speckled round roaster that had been sprayed with Pam

  -half of mixture put in a container for the freezer for another time, sealed with Press and Seal and the cover

  At supper time, good covering of ground black pepper – preset oven at 325 for 40-50 minutes.

  The back door floor was the finale.

  Having an invite for the day would have only stalled on what was needed to get done.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:52 pm on June 7, 2026 Permalink  

  Muggy 

  It’s a muggy feeling day.

  Hackberry trees have huge limbs that stretch out far.  Neighbor Jan visited this morning to let us know the north such reaching limb broke off of our tree.  It is laying just east of Randy’s LP tank.  I texted our tree man to let him know we will be in need of him.  Let him know where the project was and ask him to put us on his list.

  After taking in the church service on KNUJ of the Grace Lutheran Church, I decided to hit some items on the first floor.  Laundry baskets grow without any prompting.  I remember mom taking dad’s chambray blue shirts each night and hanging them up in the basement laundry to make sure they dried out before stuffing them all together.  Yes, dad sweat profusely.  While doing a load on the small side, it was good to do the ceramics in the bathroom.

  There is no schedule for housework here on Stauffer.  A hit and miss works.  If I see it, it will get done.  There are times when I have looked but have not seen what was needed.  That seeing and looking bit can happen with a boatload of items.

  We trimmed a few branches on the north side of the house that were able to give Tom a swat in the face while mowing.  It’s tidy, tidy when property is owned.  The acre got a spray job during this last week from Spring Touch for weeds and grubs.  The grass is getting heavy and that will prevent weeds from getting a start.

  Leftovers for supper this evening.  It may be hot beef commercials that can be made from last night’s supper.  Oh my gosh.  That was one of dad’s favorites if a restaurant was offering it.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on June 6, 2026 Permalink  

  Warmish 

  It is warmish, actually hot feeling.

  There is a small Angus beef roast in the crock pot smothered in a can of cream of mushroom soup, full strength.  A batch of instant potatoes and a bag of steam-able veggies will round out our supper.  There are only so many cold suppers I can do for the ole cowboy.

  Every once in awhile, there is a rather large black ant that seems to be scouting out our home, west and east ends.  While Dennis went to fill the gas cans for Tom’s mowing, I walked the outside perimeter of the house seeking ant hills.  The north side has sporadic small plugs here and there, nothing large.  The south side where the sidewalk meets the driveway, had hills of dirt all along the foundation with one major hole showing.

  In the garage on the shelves was a can of ant powder by Toro.  I sprinkled the white powder as close as I could to the foundation.  In the garage I took the ice scrapper back to the foundation and pushed the remaining powder into the holes.  Several black ants scattered.  Time will tell.  Tom is going to mow tomorrow.  After he has finished mowing, I may well go back to the north side and sprinkle some of the powder here and there.

  For the time it took Grammie to do the deed, I felt the sun and its reflection off of the white siding.  I was content to seek the inside of our home.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:58 pm on June 2, 2026 Permalink  

  Taste Buds 

  This evening’s supper is all about taste buds.  The Braun Schweiger liver sausage has been sliced and popped back into the refrigerator.  It takes a very sharp knife to get that job done.  The red onion has been sliced into perfect thin slabs.  There is a sandwich and soup supper coming up.  Dennis and I have both been hankering for this sandwich.  You either hate it or enjoy it.  The soup choice is up to Dennis.

  Dad, Raymond, would have been the first to slide up to the table for Bran Schweiger and onion.  Fine dining restaurants call it Pate.  His slice of onion would not be a thin slab.  One of his favorite sandwiches was of one ingredient: a thick slice of raw onion on Lena’s fresh homemade bread buttered up.  Sure do miss that fellow.

  It’s been first floor living so far this week and I will admit, a rather lazy one.  Catching some quilt show videos does entice me to start something with threads and fuzz.  I need to keep in mind all the steps required to get to the end-gate.  I don’t know if I am up to it and there is no one anticipating getting a quilt.  I need to really think this through.

  Persevering with my one floss thread over one cloth thread is challenging to say the least.  It’s been a long time since I stitched a pattern that has ten or more color swaps in a one inch square.  I did it when I was in my “Christmas phase” but that was some time ago.  This project I am doing because I started it and I don’t want to leave for a time when it might be pitched.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on May 27, 2026 Permalink  

  Hump Day 

  Hump day, all day long.

  I didn’t think I would ever hear Dennis say he didn’t need a hot supper.  Last night I had given the bacon a few seconds in the microwave after I had pre-baked them in the morning.  It had been bacon sandwiches and cucumbers with sliced onion.  His comment was that maybe for the reminder of the week we could do likewise as he sure enjoyed the cucumbers with some protein.

  Dennis has also been given to enjoying strawberries lately.  Any time I can get fruit and vegetables into that fellow I will willingly make sure I have them as an offering.  This morning that meant that I return to the grocery store for more of the mini cucumbers.  The larger cucumbers are not as solid.  The minis are sold six to a tray and are sealed cellophane.  I also picked up two cartons of the strawberries.

  The gal at the checkout commented that the produce did go up a few cents when they got the read-out from the headquarters for Super Fair.  At that time their tills are updated for checkout.

  My take on the price of groceries is: Dennis and I don’t eat like we used to in quantity.  What we do buy is what we enjoy.  It is still a fantastic bargain considering most of the fellows that were and are Dennis’ friends are either dead, living in an assisted living unit, or in the nursing home.  Compare the the dollars spent and it’s a wonderful trade-off.  That’s my take on our grocery bill.

  I have the cucumber dish co-mingling in the refrigerator right next to the cleaned and diced strawberries.  Tonight will be the above mentioned with John Morrell’s summer sausage that will be sliced very thin with a container of coleslaw added for variety.  The summer sausage is Dennis’ all time favorite.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:21 pm on May 26, 2026 Permalink  

  Happy Summer 

  Last week it was a chilly atmosphere in the studio.  Today, it felt just right.  Talk about a theater of seasons.

  Again I worked on an alteration in the studio.  I had ordered an item online.  After waiting for an extended time for it to come, when it came the size was off by 2 to the excess.  I contacted the business and it was a mix up within the sizes from the US sizing to the European sizing.  All was checked over and the result was that it was a error on their side.  I didn’t need to return said item and the correct order would be forthcoming.

  I am not frugal but I had the opportunity to see if I could make a do-0ver.  Lena would have been up for the task.  Snip here, trim there.  She could take the collars off of dad’s blue chambre shirts when they frayed, flip it over to the underside and in a heartbeat dad never appeared to be in dire straights of going to town looking anything other than dapper as always.  Yes . . . those were the days when dad would come in to change out of his chores overalls into a pair donned as “town overalls.”  Call it self respect when going into town on business of either a thousand pounds of cattle concentrate or purchasing a new piece of farm equipment.  Dad ran a high-end business.

  It’s a warm afternoon and Dennis cleaned the garage floor for our car.  There was enough of the winter’s collection of kitty hair tufts to make a new kitty as the strong leaf blower got into every corner.  Outside it looked as if there were cotton balls flying through the air. 

  Before it got warm this morning, I baked out a pound of the Black Label thick cut bacon on a cookie sheet lined with the wide foil.  No mess when all was said and done.  Six of the smaller cucumbers have been peeled and a red onion sliced in very thin additions.  The sauce is some mayo with bit of salt to pull out the moisture of the cucumbers with a teaspoon of sugar.  Supper is bacon sandwiches and creamed cucumbers.  No additional kitchen heat added to this day.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:51 pm on May 20, 2026 Permalink  

  Hide and Seek 

  I knew that there was a separate electrical charger for our Samsung television remote.  Supposedly it is to self-charge in daylight.  It might need direct sun.  When a message comes up on the television screen and the remote is sluggish, it’s time to plug it in.  I had been using my phone charger.

  I could visualize the cord of the charger as the coloring was a slate gray.  It had always been on the shelf to the left of Dennis’ computer chair.  It dawned on me that when we needed a new laptop for Dennis, I had bagged up everything electrical for it all to be recycled when the visitor came to take it.  Sure enough, the laptop and the goodie bag were in the closet.  In the bag I had also included the Samsung charger.  Hide and seek is ended.

  My memory isn’t as good as it may have been, but when it does click, it’s as good as it’s ever been.  The charger is back on the shelf to the left of Dennis’ computer chair.  Take that!

  My day has been emptying the laundry basket, getting it dried, folded and stashed away as what was in said basket.  There is some of my clothing and I might dry it just get it fluffed and then hang it on hangers.   Got it done.

  I have made an oven meal for us.  Some of the contents were awaiting in the freezer.  A time back when a pork roast had been in the crockpot, the remaining had been diced right along with the carrots from the bottom of the crockpot.  That mixture had the remaining stove top stuffing mixed with it and a portion went into the freezer.  Today with medium sized egg noodles prepared and a jar of alfredo, it will be our supper.  The jellied cranberries are just the sharp bite needed to finish it all off. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on May 19, 2026 Permalink  

  Too Chilly 

  When the air temps feels like 30 outside, and the water is rushing through the floor tile in the studio . . . that was my signal to stay on the first floor today.

  It’s not like there is nothing to do on the first floor, it is not my normal schedule.  What I did take note of today is that the robin has a nest in the same brace of our west awning as the wee thrush, just inches away.  Talk about getting along.  It will be interesting as mama Robin is already feeding babies.  The chatter for food could be interesting.

  I have interesting serial type shows on both HU and Acorn.  However, today the internet was connecting but not long standing.  Dennis had the same issue in the patio porch.  He then reverted to the Godahl tower television set.  It’s a good thing AJ has him covered regardless of connectivity.

  The stitching I am currently doing is the kit I ordered from Colorado Stitching in 2021.  I wanted to try my hand at counted cross stitch after the stroke.  I didn’t research it very well prior to purchasing.  It is one of the six strands of floss as it comes that is used over one fiber of fabric.  I had put it in a plastic bag after a good start and just recently dug it out as I don’t like UFOs: unfinished objects.  I am working in a sea of blue stitches in the design.  Using a multitude of blues gives it a dimensional look.  It gives a good challenge.

  Due to it being a chilly day we are having soup and a fried egg sandwich for supper.  We both agreed.

  With that I will take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:06 pm on May 12, 2026 Permalink  

  The Wind 

  With the horrific winds from the northwest it includes dirt visible in the skies above the tree tops.  Someone’s garbage bin is depositing it’s contents across yards.   White plastic grocery bags are flying much like kites.  It is bad when the air smells like dirt.

  Dennis has shorn up our small PVC flag pole that we have on the patio.  If it can fly our flag in this wind, we are assured of many more days to fly the red, white and blue.

  There was a success in the studio this forenoon.  It helped that I had a video playing on my Dell laptop that I could play and stall at will.  Lena would not have believed what could be accessed for help.  She was blown away when I brought a cutting mat and rotary cutter to her sewing room.  It was complete with a t-square ruler to hook over the edge to cut whatever length was needed.  It gave the weary hands an assist from totally relying on a pair of scissors.  Oh for the wonders that were made by those hands.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥