Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2023 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 1:42 pm on June 16, 2023 Permalink  

  Month of June 

  Today we are beginning the last half of June.  Time marches on and slows down for no one.  It wouldn’t hurt anyone of us to take a pause once in awhile.

  My pause is right here in the studio.  I have a computer to the left of my sewing machine.  Finding several YouTube sites that share my interests allows me to do some networking in the comfort of my studio.  Having a history with those I watch and comment on is not necessary.  We can begin anew.

  When I think of some of those in my family that are gone . . . so is that precious history I shared with just them.  After my loved ones were gone, all that I could accomplish was making new history going forward.  Oh yes . . . there are always special ones that can can do the “Remember when?”

  Today is Friday afternoon and I have finished taking a pause . . . for now.  This pause included a snack of several crackers with Avocado spread.  The perfect food considering other options.  Last week I offered a loaded cracker to Dennis when he was visiting the studio.  He was gracious but there will never be a repeat.

  The sewing machine has been shut down.  The t-shirt project of 75″ x 75″ has now been quilted by this Grammie.  There is no rhyme or reason to my meandering of the stitching.  The quest to sandwich backing, batting and top has been met.  I did take the time to trim the extra batting and backing off and then do a straight stitch all the way around to assist when the binding will be sewn on.

  Tomorrow the binding will be cut of the same fabric as the backing.  About 312 inches will be needed.  The 2.5″ strip is ironed in half.  That 1.25″ is sewn first to the back of the quilt and then turned to the front and stitched down.  Some do that last step in reverse, sewing to the front and then to the back. 

  It has been decided by the majority of two that supper is beans and beef Johnsonville’s brats.  That is going to allow me to publish this posting and take my next pause.  That pause will find me in my cherry red chair reading.

   
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  Noreen 2:49 pm on June 15, 2023 Permalink  

  Foul Air 

  Starting early it was as if there was a fog in the air.  Nope.  Bad air from the Canadian fires.  Dennis and I went for groceries up town at noon and to the southwest it was not good.  After we had run errands, I washed out my eyes as they burned.

  I didn’t have to convince myself to stay in the studio for the remainder of the day.  KNUJ radio is featuring the clay tile shooting teams in Alex.  Minnesota has the largest numbers of competitors in the USA.  How great for young men and women to learn the art of using guns safely.

  I called my brother’s wife this morning to wish her a happy birthday.  No more in the 60s.  I will most likely never forget her birth date as this is the date in June that I had open heart surgery two years ago.  My how time can fly.

  When I have had people ask me how I am doing when I am out and about, I can always say, “I am doing well.”  I speak the truth.  My days are full, my nights bring me rest.  My ole cowboy tests my patience at times, as I am sure I do his as well.  We do quite well together.

  The wasps have put out a bumper crop this year.  It keeps Dennis busy being on the lookout.  Their favorite spot for starting nests is under the awning over our back door.  A whooper of one followed me into the house this noon.  When I saw him on the bathroom window, I shut the door and I didn’t give up until I could give him a drink in the toilet.

  As I was stitching today, I realized how few of my cousins have kept in contact.  If rumors are true and Facebook is going to be putting a fee in place for an account on said site, I will most likely loose contact with even more. I think when Michael Opitz reached out to me for these two t-shirt quilts, I felt really great that he would want me to do it.  His grandmother was my father’s sister.  Why not do it!  What else have I to while away my days.  I could always sew quilt tops and donate them to the church for mission work.  Sometimes mission work starts in your own family.

  Dennis is getting chicken titties for supper.  He really likes the concoction I use to shake them up in a bag. Chicken tenderloins don’t take long to fry and with very little Olive oil.  And, oh my gosh . . . we have vanilla ice cream as per our visit to the store.  This is the first pail in ever so long.  Yum!

  If we could get some rain, it would help clear the foul air.  No such luck.

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on June 14, 2023 Permalink  

  My Day 

  A Wednesday that was deemed my day, my time.  That was after two loads of laundry.  I don’t mind as I never know where the ole cowboy will motor off to in the little red pickup and I want him in clean clothes.  There have been several fellows out and about where Dennis has been.  When he comments about dirt and grease, I know he has the message loud and clear.

  Today has been going well in the studio.  The key to my machine quilting is that the heft needs to be placed as such so there is as little drag as possible to the machine’s bed.  That means whatever I can get near the sewing machine to assist works.  The attachment that is used needs to have the feed dogs down.  It is my hand motion that moves the quilt under the needle that allows for the progression of stitches.  That attachment also allows for even stitches.  If I were doing it totally solo, I know there would be some very long stitches as well as cramped ones.  Again it is the neoprene weights that help my hands and arms to move things along.

  The heavy sweatshirt that I cut up needed some patience to get the needle up and over the stitching of the factory lettering.  Some t-shirts are so soft, they would be happy bunching with too much stretch.  What really was never meant to be under a needle while stitching is the rubberized fronts on many of the t-shirts.  We do what we can.  I did notice one thing about the shape-flex I used on the back of these t-shirts.  It could have been a bit heavier.  Had I used the heavy backing that I did for AJ’s t-shirt quilt, I would not have been able to quilt it, Old Alley would have been on speed-dial.  Live and learn.  A few blocks each day and the hare, aka: Grammie, will win the race

  I won’t be doing anymore stitching today.  I am going to load the bobbin and clean out the fuzz under the needle plate.  It is amazing what can collect.

  If I had not made the great egg salad that I had for last night’ supper, the other option, via Dennis, was Subway.  I think that will work for tonight.

   
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  Noreen 2:10 pm on June 9, 2023 Permalink  

  Good Results 

  All of the blood work of yesterday came back in the normal range.  Sweet!  Our family doctor had left a message for me at the patient portal.  It is handy to communicate without having to make an office call.

  After several loads of laundry it was the kitchen floor that needed more than running a dry Swiffer over it.  It will be great when Dennis has a pair of shoes to wear and the heavy Velcro boot is no more.  There is no way I can ask him to take that boot off when he comes in and out of the house.  We are getting close.  Yesterday the VA turned in the prescription to the Limb Lab in Mankato for Dennis to get an appointment to be fitted for shoes.  The left shoe will have an orthotic in it to make up the area of the foot where there are no toes.  Of course the right shoe will need something added into it so Dennis will have good balance. 

  The studio lights were put on today.  Yippee!  Fabric was cut for the two borders with even some stitching going on.  One step at a time and slow and steady.

  I have an oven meal to pop in at 4:30.  I took out some Jimmy Dean pre-cooked sausage links.  With the sausages diced, some penne pasta, Alfredo sauce . . . into the round blue speckled roaster it went.  There was just a bit of shredded sharp cheese in the refrigerator to top off the meal as it is in the oven.

  The weekend weather should prove to be favorable.  The rain gauge yesterday morning had 1.5 inches.  It was well needed.

  I am off to do a bit more stitching before supper.

   
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  Noreen 1:31 pm on June 5, 2023 Permalink  

  Not Much 

  Not much exciting today.

  The first item on the agenda was to visit across the picket fence with Jan.  She was outside watering her two potted tomato plants.  They have blossoms, a good indication.  Jan and Randy had back door steps put in last week with much the same design as our front steps and deck was done, in a mini version.  I have mentioned that Jan retired last week from the school district after a long career.  Jan didn’t win the battle with the steps.  She wanted room for her lawn chair so she would be up from the ground and maybe staying clear from bugs.  I gave her moral support and told her,  “I understand.”

  I dreamt last night about my long time friend, Sharon Skolberg.  She had come over to check out our new sofa.  She approved and we shared some chocolates.  Sweet.

  Dennis came in and headed for a dry shirt and a good cool face cloth.  I think it may have been heat related.  When I checked on him, he was in his recliner.  The perfect spot for him.

  It is mid afternoon and after I post this, all lights will be off in the studio.  I am making satisfactorily headway on quilt blocks.  It helps to do things that make me stand for awhile, sit for awhile and best of all . . . ponder the situation.

  I must add a bit.  Sunday, the 1966 highchair came back home to me.  I had lent it to Dennis’ daughter for her grandchildren that they no longer need.  This 1966 highchair has a terrific history.  Carrie was tied into it with a white dishtowel so she wouldn’t slide out the bottom.  That technique worked on Kevin as well.  The highchair had quite a rest in our attic and then was brought down for Megan and Nicholas.  The cute baby print covering on the back and seat was replaced with a nondescript orange.  The tray and footrest are complete on the chair.  This sweet memorabilia will stay in my studio.  Just looking at it makes my heart sing.  

  I think this evening’s meal will be a light one.  I had scored a great hard head of lettuce with which I have enjoyed a good salad the last three evenings, Dennis not so much.  I fixed him fried egg sandwiches.

  Stay healthy until this heat gives in.  Not much fun and is no laughing matter to overdo with heat exhaustion.

   
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  Noreen 1:20 pm on May 26, 2023 Permalink  

  Dust Bunnies 

  Today, I could hear the dust bunnies snickering at me.  We have had windows open when the winds were brisk, our front door with no storm door on has been open and I think the winds blew in what a good dust bunny is made of.  Loading up some Swiffers took care of the laminate flooring as well as the vinyl on the east end of the house and the west end of the house.  Our washer and dryer in the bathroom does add to the lint in the house.  Dennis needs to wear a Velcro boot on his left foot and I do not make him take it off and on as his day progresses.  So an investment of a few Swiffers takes on the dust bunnies.  Mission completion.

  When I had shopped for groceries yesterday, I bought some English cucumbers.  This forenoon I thin sliced an onion, thin sliced some cukes and mixed all with mayo and a bit of cream.  They are co-mingling with a hefty amount of black pepper in the refrig for supper.  I had two chicken tenderloins to take out of the freezer.  Dennis always makes instant potatoes for four people.  Of course there are leftovers.  Putting those potatoes on good china, aka: a paper plate with a damp paper towel over them, they reheat perfectly.  Supper is in the bag.

  A load of laundry got done in between time.

  My visit to the studio this afternoon was all about cleaning and oiling the sewing machine.  After doing more than 2,300′ of orange trim on the 32 blocks of t-shirts, there was orange fuzz everywhere including the rotary cutter blades that needed cleaning.  With a new 80/12 needle in the sewing machine, the work in the studio may continue tomorrow.  As I had mentioned, our long holiday weekend is low key . . . all ours.

  This afternoon, I still have some time to perch upon my cheery red reading chair and take in some of the south breeze coming in.  We will be starting to make new dust bunnies.

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on May 22, 2023 Permalink  

  Here Comes Monday 

  Traffic past the house is indicative that a working Monday is underway.  The school buses will soon be out of the fray.

  Of course the grass was way too wet for mowing this morning.  After Dennis had a coffee guest in the patio porch he decided to check his eyelids for cracks in his recliner.

  This afternoon the Cub Lo-Boy was fired up.  I walked to the backyard as Dennis was mowing.  The new blades are doing a great job.  The front yard is done with the Sears rider set at a higher height than anywhere else.  It eliminates scalping next to the drive.  

  I took an oven dish out of the freezer for our evening meal before I visited the studio. 

  I put several colors, black and orange, out on the table top that now has 16 blocks laying out.  I think the bright orange for sashing that is also in the quarter inch trims, is too bright. A two or three inch strip in the orange to sew the blocks together takes away from the continuity as the eye moves from t-shirt block to t-shirt block.  The orange and black is laid out.  As I work in the studio and catch a glimpse of the two from time to time, in the end I will know what will be best.  Food for thought.

  In the mean time, in between time, the trim is being made into bias tape strips and then sewn on the 16″ blocks.  

  After doing six blocks, the lights went out in the studio.  I want to do a bit of weed whipping tomorrow.  There are always a few places that a rider mower cannot get to.  Taking the battery weed whip makes the mowing look complete.

  Going out to the front deck, the town is alive with the sound of mowers.  Time will tell how many of our yards Dennis will do today.

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on May 20, 2023 Permalink  

  Check That Off 

  Today we had another item to check off of our “to do” list.

  My hand signals were good enough to help Dennis hook up the implement trailer to the little red pickup.  We had gotten a call that the 1968 Cub Lo-Boy was ready to come home with three brand new blades on the mower.  Charles told Dennis he greased everything that needed it once it was up on the hoist.  Charlie can no longer work in his shop due to a severe back injury that occurred when he was working for the county.  Charlie was servicing a pump on a county ditch when the area around the pump caved in on him.  Charlie has good workers in his shop and oversees everything.

  Dennis came home and unloaded his tractor.  It went right into the back garage, the trailer was parked and all was right with the world.

  After Dennis had left for Charlie’s this morning, I walked back home across the acre.  The heavy rains did a great job of dissolving all the deer pop from the winter.  Hmm.  There were tiny little biting bugs.  Not surprising.  I do have some sweet little yellow flowers to take care of on the east Hosta garden that wants to make a showing.  So be it.  Just not today.

  I had a good handle on getting some 16″ blocks tricked out with the quarter inch trim.  As I whiled away a few hours, it was great reflecting on how far we came this last week getting the basement back in good stead.

  We are having a scramble egg, sausage and toast supper.  Sweet!

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on May 16, 2023 Permalink  

  Tuckered 

  Today began the washing/damp mopping of hot bleach water on the concrete floors in the basement.  The stairwell closet has ceased with the seepage.  Good deal.  The cistern closet was also dry.  Both were homogenized.  

  I had lowered the setting on our huge dehumidifier Sunday.  In time it will be set to its usual which Complete Basements recommends at 52%.  We are scheduled for them to check the sump pump system later on this spring.  It has been so wonderful to be able to open the basement windows that Complete Basements of Mankato put in at the same time of the tile around the perimeter of the basement and the vapor barrier under the bathroom.  What we really appreciated was going with Complete Basement for everything.  One stop contact if something goes amiss. If the city’s system had not been overwhelmed, we would not have had any water problems in the large basement room, aka: my studio.

  Dennis began mowing at 12:30 today.  He has been by to re-fuel.  I think his hinny will be ready for a break this evening.  It’s easy to think there is another day coming for some additional mowing, but once Dennis starts, not so much.  

  After the damp mop was retired until more of the same tomorrow, it was oven dish prep.  I had one bag of the rotisserie chopped chicken in the freezer.  There was also a bag of pepperoni that was close to the “sell by” date.  A can of white kernel corn and Alfredo sauce was folded into the sha-bang.  One jar of sauce was not going to cut if for this batch.  Pouring on only half of the jar of Alfredo, I poured into the jar some heavy cream and gave the jar several hard shakes.  Folding all ingredients together for a good moist dish.  Between butter and cream, you can never go wrong.  As Dennis doesn’t care for pizza, this oven dish is close to a pizza.  Pasta in exchange of a crust.  In times past, Cassey’s had a chicken alfredo pizza.  To top things off, I threw in a handful of sharp cheddar shredded.  It made a huge batch, so I split the full blue speckled roaster contents in half so the freezer also has an offering for another time. 

  Folding the prep of an oven dish and mopping of concrete, I am going rest the arms to sit on my bright red reading chair for a bit of a break.  It is a partly sunny day with 79 degrees.

   
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  Noreen 3:52 pm on May 10, 2023 Permalink  

  Sweet Treat 

  This afternoon Dennis and I made a trip north.  The kids had spied with their little eyes when they were out and about, a chair that might fit in nicely into our little home.  Today that bright red cheery chair settled right into my bedroom which is also my reading room.

  When we were settled, I tried out the adjustments on the chair . . . a total of six of those.  I have never had a chair with which to read by that actually fits my body.  In times past, I never gave my body a thought.  Now, I know that teeny tiny voice that can be ever so annoying . . . is my body voicing its opinion.  I now know to listen to it.

  What made our road trip complete was stopping at the Dairy Queen for small sized ice cream cones.  Yum!  Our first of the season.

  Dennis decided to mow our original lot this late afternoon.  He heard of possible weather coming in for tomorrow.  It is the last of the “first of the season” areas to trim.  Dennis mows this first quite high to give it all a leveling out.  He does have a method to his mowing.  Early on, we decided I would not be doing any mowing.  Using the weed whip is a movement of twisting at the waist like waving a wand for success.  The push mower involves hitching up the shoulders as mowing in one straight line isn’t going to happen . . . not a good thing, lots of turning corners. 

  There was a half bag of pasta that I decided to cook up.  Some all beef meatballs were thawed.  A jar of Alfredo, a huge hand full of shredded cheddar cheese from the freezer, the pasta and the meatballs will be put in at 325 degrees at about 45 minutes.  I always use my thermometer to make sure the dish will be piping hot.  Thus is our supper.  There is determination to continue cleaning out the freezer.  Fear not . . . we will not go hungry whilst on Stauffer Avenue.

  Good thing we had our sweet treat early in the afternoon.