Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:54 pm on June 8, 2025 Permalink  

  Perfect Day 

  With the clouds, mild temps and a brisk breeze, this would be my all time favorite perfect day.

  After a walk, I went right down into the studio.  The first thing I did was to cut open with the Worx scissor the four pack of C batteries I had bought in the grocery store yesterday.  I almost choked on the $13.98 price tag of them.  I had been without a radio for over a week in the studio.  I knew they were on the list for Sam’s Club the next time we went to Mankato for a better price in a larger volume container.  I had waited long enough. 

  The Worx scissor is going to come in handy for the encased plastic containers that are horrible to get open.

  Today was a tidy up day in the studio.  Odds and ends of purple fabric needed to be put away.  Some of the fabric was piecing materials and some of it was leftover flannel that I had used for the backing.  A Christmas placemat that I had embroidered.  I used my eight inch stool to take down the metal box of memorabilia items to add to it.  Wall shelves to the east and church tables to the west.  I had support.  Some of those items were taken down from the attic when Kersten was lending a hand.  Get it tidied up before the tee-shirts would take over!

  I picked out two red, white and blue wall hangings from the totes.  Bright colors for the living room.  Sometime the amount of wall hangings in the totes will need to be addressed with the kids.  Also there are two quilts that I did with Tri-Chem fabric paints.  One pattern is of Sun Bonnet Sue and the other is of Overall Sam.  I have kind of been kicking around selling those two.  Again addressing that with the kids sometime.  Not soon . . . just sometime.

  When Carrie’s had been here the day before Esther, Megan noted a few small ants in the bathroom.  I kidded her about having live entertainment.  Over time, they had been increasing.  Every day I would add another drop of Terro Ant Killer to the two pads in the areas behind the sink and next to the heat run.  I went outside to the east area that the bathroom was on the house.  No sign of ants outside.  Today, there was a lessening.  I have no idea what they were after.  More drops of the Terro for any late-comers.

  Dennis is feeling the day of walking at the acre with his brush killer yesterday.  The ole cowboy still thinks he is in his 20s.  I can’t do anything to change his mind about what he wants to do.  The 500 mg bottle of Tylenol rattled as he headed to his recliner for a nap.  I hope it helps where ever it hurts.

  We are having Manwich sandwiches, potato chips, coleslaw and pickles for supper.   

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:15 pm on June 7, 2025 Permalink  

  Cloudy Saturday 

  Gray and cloudy is the day.  That didn’t much bother what we had on the agenda.

  Dennis mixed up a gallon of brush killer so he could in turn go to the acre and do some spraying.  His Harbor Freight pump sprayer is very doable.  The sprayer was full and the gallon jug for easy refill.  For decades there had been a tree that had had a ring of aluminum lawn fencing around it about a foot tall.  The aluminum has been long gone but the ridge of dirt around it has harbored thistles and other weeds.  Dennis got in a good amount of walking.  There was one huge stump of a tree that Ryan’s crew did not take out.  A lot of barb wire grown into the tree.  The stump is about four feet tall and Dennis gave the area around it a good spraying.  In about six days the effect of the spray will be able to be seen. 

  After my morning walk I headed to the studio to do a batch of tee-shirts.  I came up from the studio for a coffee break.  After checking things on the laptop, I decided to do a second batch of the shirts.  Well, well, the tee-shirts have been cut up with a rather huge bag of the cotton and poly leftovers geared for the garbage.  The backs of the shirts I did bag up for Dennis in the garage.  If nothing else to wipe the hands off when working with mower oil.

  Both Dennis and I had a good day of getting things done and kept under control.

  Late on a Saturday afternoon is a good time to visit the local grocery store.  Everyone buying up for the weekend have been through the check-outs.  Dennis gave me a ride in the car and kicked back listening to the radio while I headed in with my list.  Now, all the groceries have been put away in the refrigerator and or in the freezer.  I have a Maria Cullender cherry pie in the oven with the crumbles to be added on later. 

  Fixing our meals here on Stauffer is more desirable than eating out. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:45 pm on June 6, 2025 Permalink  

  Gray Skies 

  The gray skies go with the cooler temps that we have.  Dennis has his winter jacket on . . . that’s a bit of over-kill.

  Yesterday after I had put out my post in the mid-afternoon, I was calling it for the day as I had my calisthenics in by doing Dennis’ bedroom.  Surprise, surprise.  By four in the afternoon we had a porch full of various Curry’s.  Susie was here from Silver Bay.  There must have been a silent homing device.  By six the volume was deadening by multiple conversations and alcoholic drinks.  Leave it to the oldest son that has not sobered up since he got here last week to provide to the patio porch.  Dennis kept getting quieter and quieter.  I soon begged off and I retreated to the silence of my home.

  Oh well.  I sat as a bystander, reflecting that last year about this same time, Dennis’ son Jeff would be sitting in the patio porch with his dad, just content to sit and share time and space with his dad.  How soon his siblings forget what alcohol can do.

  Today, I am content being in our quiet home.  I visited the studio and using the Worx scissor, I cut up five tee-shirts of Sadie’s.  Though the scissors has a heft and is started by pushing the safety button to allow a hand held lever to stay engaged, it is a breeze compared to a rotary blade or a usual scissor.  I am taking a wait and see as to how long before I need to recharge via the plug in.  As I work with the shirts, it gives me the time to decide how the next steps will be done.  Amazon delivered the stabilizer that I will need.  Any additional fabric will come out of my stashes that I have on hand.

  Our week is wrapping up nicely.  No appointments on the docket for next week.  Sweet.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on June 3, 2025 Permalink  

  A Great Rain 

  Today I am sharing something that I have a difficult time doing . . . resting.  Resting for the sheer joy of it.  I have always achieved a busy schedule once my feet hit the floor.  Almost to the point that if I didn’t have something visible, it didn’t count.

  I am caught between two people that I loved dearly.  My grandmother Laura always stressed that if God gave a day there should be something to show so as to not have wasted it.  Though wheelchair bound she wore herself out each day being all that she was able to do.  My dad, Raymond, always took time out for a moment of rest mid-day.  Whether beside the shade of a tractor tire out in the field, or on the floor of any home or building he happened to be in.  Dad laid down and napped.  He didn’t need a wrist watch.  He knew when the day needed to be resumed.

  I did hear what Mike at PT told me on my last session.  Wear and tear over the years of our activity cannot have all the discomfort alleviated by his hands, by medications or steroid shots.  Life.  Mike gave me two exercises to do daily, perhaps multiple times during the day to help me stay on track.  I could not believe it.  Two!  That was it?  Yup Grammie . . . listen to what the body is telling me.  I am not doing steroid shots with short-lived relief.  I will do the Tramadol medication.  I am doing the exercises.  I may still be able to do all that I have a passion for and what brings me joy.  I need to learn the art of resting.  Umph!

  Some repetitive motion is needed on a daily basis . . . but not to excess.  I have always prided myself to continue learning new things with my sewing and even housework.  So . . . this afternoon while in my bedroom porch doing some repetitive work in stitching with bouts of watching traffic.  I believe Dennis has nailed this resting thing.  I am going to give it a daily try as well.  I will keep you up to date.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:28 pm on May 31, 2025 Permalink  

  It is Going to Be 

  After another several minutes and a few more stitches, the purple quilt will be finished.  Dennis came down to visit in the studio this afternoon.

  I have put in a fairly long day today in the studio.  Once there is calibration on the chosen design, it doesn’t make sense to work at it for a time, shut things down and begin again tomorrow.  When all is going well, finish it up.

  I will have photos for tomorrow’s post.

  Dennis’ son Kenny stopped in this afternoon while Dennis was here with me in the studio.  I am being forthright.  Being a trucker for most of his life, he really doesn’t have a personality with which to carry on a conversation as his awareness of more than trucking is nil, and he is not the least bit interested in advancing beyond that.  Dennis is so much more and I appreciate and respect that.

  I very much appreciate the fact that Dennis’ daughter, Denise, is putting him up for his visit.  Cable television, a recliner and being fed fills the bill.

  This is short, but I need to close down the studio.  The air is chilly down here.  And . . . this is a finish.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:08 pm on May 30, 2025 Permalink  

  Summer 

  Summer is coming this weekend.  I have enjoyed the cooler temps.

  Today is the first day of the cotton seeds flying from the Cottonwood tree to the northwest of us.  It can play havoc on air filters when lawnmowers are running just sucking them up.  The one tree that did show us some grace was the huge Maple.  The tree seeds that spin in the air like small airplanes were slim to none.

  The studio felt cool this forenoon.  Enough so that I wore a sweater.  The sump pump continues to run intervals.  That announces the fact that cold ground water is running on three sides of the studio via the tiling.

  When I work on the purple quilt, I can see daylight at the end of the tunnel.  What I can also feel is the action of the binding that is needed to finish off the raw edges.  Sewing the yards of binding on one side of the perimeter of the quilt is step one in a two-step process.  Step two is taking that binding and bringing it over to stitch it to the top of the quilt, meaning my right hand needs to grip that half inch of binding fabric to cover the edge of the quilt to feed it under the needle for the last hurrah.  I let those two steps to be done in just as many days, showing some mercy to the ole body.

  For another day in the studio, the eight blocks that are eight inches by ten inches need to have some stitching to ward off the batting bunching up.  I sized up the process for possibilities.  I do believe I need to think on this.  Most likely the solution will come to me as I lay in bed this evening before dozing off.  In the mean time, the lights went dark and the radio was turned off.

  I put a pork steak into the little blue speckled roaster for the oven to be ready for our supper.  A bit of bold and spicy marinade on the top will seal in the flavors.  The pork to fix for meals today is not the pork for meals that I grew up with.  It is now by far leaner and more flavorful.  Instant potatoes and green beans will round out the fare . . . plus whatever else we come up with.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:37 pm on May 28, 2025 Permalink  

  Gray Skies 

  I knew when I got up this morning the streets were wet.  It didn’t take long and I was in the studio.

  I have two projects that are on my radar to finish before I tackle the mountain of tee-shirts that Sadie brought over for a quilt.  Today in the post, an electric scissor was delivered from Amazon.  The brand name is Workx.  Their products have good reviews.  I had ordered extra blades at the same time.  Even a rotary cutter can play havoc on hands and shoulders.  The case that it came in was unzipped but I took nothing out as I am not ready for that task.

  Yesterday at supper time, Dennis’ son, Kenny, drove up.  He had retired from the over-the-road in Arizona and came to Minnesota to drive grain from northern Minnesota to the ship yards in St. Paul and take fertilizer back.  It was a setup from a fellow that was a snowbird where Kenny lived.

  No more backing up to a load and hitting the buttons to dolly up a load or unload it.  This was in and out of the cab. climbing the ladder of the load to secure tarps, etc, etc.  I did not respond when he said he couldn’t take that much physical work.  His shoulders hurt, his legs and feet are swollen.  Hello.  At 325 lbs, his idea of working for $300 a day in cash for one load each day . . . isn’t working out so good.  Living in a truck and showering at Kwik Trips for nothing if you are filling fuel.  I have no idea where he is hanging his hat while here or for how long.  Hmm.  I may not see much of Dennis as now there are two smokers in the patio porch.  I will take it slow and gracious, but my meal plans are for two and the bathroom is for my personal use.  Kenny has a sister, cousin, nephew all living here in town.  Spread the wha-wha-wha.

  I have a new stitch in process.  The five patterns are fairly small and they were labeled as a Congress of Eagles.  They are intended to be stitched monotone.  I will use red floss and blue floss, deciding which design to use either color.

  Stitching does enhance my resilience.  It shifts my focus away from small and annoying stressors.  I can totally zone out.  It brings back a neutral mood and helps my brain to feel safe and in control.  If anyone can make an “x” on fabric, they are stitchers.  The floss tubers on YouTube sit and chat into their telephone cameras sharing what their’s has held.  It is no different than me plunking out my blog.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on May 27, 2025 Permalink  

  Oh Happy Day 

  Through the rain sprinkles, I am having a happy day.  Why not!

  I didn’t even mind going through the grocery store as the refrigerator was threatening to disconnect its own light if something wasn’t put in it.

  I went to visit a friend, Dee, this afternoon.  There wasn’t much I could do but spend some quiet time with her.  Her husband has been in Memory Care in Onamia for five weeks now.  It’s too far for frequent visits.  There was no opening anywhere closer.  He calls her every evening and asks her when she will pick him up from work, as he is ready to come home.

  In 1973, or there abouts, Ester Schafer, the kid’s grandmother needed a hospital stay.  From there she needed to spend time in the Buffalo Lake Nursing Home.  They call them Care Centers now.  It was only four miles to go and see her and we did it everyday.  Sometimes with Carrie and Kevin, sometimes I would go alone when the kids were in school.  Each and every time Ester would ask me to please take her home with me.  Just thinking of that now, makes me feel sad.  I really feel horrible for Dee.

  With groceries unpacked, we have warded off a wellness visit.

  After some sadness, I am finishing out this day with a cup of coffee.  Dennis kept it hot for me.  Most of all I will retire this evening, knowing for what was in my ability . . . I had a happy day.  I had a very happy day.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on May 24, 2025 Permalink  

  A Quiet Town 

  Out little town is quite quiet for a Saturday.

  There is a whole lot of humming being done by mowers.  Two inches of a needed rain will do that for yards.  Our yards will be in for mowing sometime next week.

  This forenoon, I took my handheld clippers and clipped off a lot of volunteer trees.  I know they will be back.  I just wanted the instant gratification of not having to look at them for a time.  The Elm, Maple, Oak and Black Walnut got whacked.  I took no favorites.  I need to do a Lena.  Mom had her ways.  With rubber gloves on, she would have brush killer full strength.  She would dip a rag in the brush killer and wipe and swipe the leaves of the naughty volunteers.  It may have taken awhile for the effect to get to the stem and then the root.  Lena was a patient person.  The next sighting of a few trees, I am going to try to give them a treatment.

  The sewing machine needed some TLC after a diligent job done well.  A new needle, oil syringe, soft brushes . . . I went to work.  Behind the bobbin case, with a pair of long-handled tweezers, I got a ball of lint that was hiding.  Success!  No sewing today.  I did decide on a piece of tan suede fabric to make the pillow with for Megan’s cat to be appliqued onto it.  I have the name “William” loaded from the Bernina Tool Box onto a flash drive for the embroidery to be done.  As it is a small design, I plan on doing a prototype of the stitching first on a scrape of suede to make sure I have enough stabilizer on the back so it will lay totally flat with no puckering with the applique that is lying flat.  You know . . . don’t have time to do it right, but always time to do it over.  

  Dennis tells me the air feels cool.  It is the type of cool that I most enjoy on this spring Saturday.

  With that I will take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 1:57 pm on May 22, 2025 Permalink  

  Great Spring Day 

  It may have been cool this morning, but my oh my, what a great spring day.

  I had a PT appointment this morning.  After a good going over and assessment by Mike of my back, hips and legs, it was my last session.  Over these fourteen appointments, I have been given and used daily several exercises that being done, perhaps several times a day, allow me to maintain mobility throughout the day.  The end of my days are not fraught in pain as they had been.  It’s all about me being reasonable with what I expect of my body and what I put my body through.  In my mind I think I am still the same person that chopped wood to put through the Warm Morning stove that we had in the Buffalo Lake schoolhouse.  Silly ole me.  Fourteen session have given me a lot to think on and now act upon.

  It is going to be a challenge to put me first in some situations that arise here on Stauffer Avenue.  I am going to think about the reactions of my physical actions.  That is what is going to allow me to stay in my home, doing what gives me contentment, joy and happiness.  Sweet.  I have a voice and I know how to ask for help when needed.  

  On an update of the stitching process of yesterday.  The cat design that I stitched out is a keeper.  Being very careful, I will cut it out going very close to the stitching.  Then by outline-sewing it to a durable fabric, embroidering on the cat’s name, and making it into a pillow for Megan.  As the stitching of the 56,000 stitches was quite dense, I had only allowed it to be stitched at 85%.  The design itself lays very flat, but not so much the cotton fabric around it, thus cutting it out much like a large patch.  Stabilizer can do only so much.  All of this finishing work is for another day.  In the meantime, in between time, I have a cup of breakfast coffee left to enjoy while watching a floss tube YouTube.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥