Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:16 pm on June 3, 2026 Permalink  

  The First 

  When I was in our grocery store I noticed the first of the apricots were in the produce isle.  They are one of my favorite fruits.

  Apricots made a great sauce to can in quart fruit jars.  So different from peaches or pears, they didn’t need peeling.

  After dad had passed away, Lena would come and stay with us for a week or so over the next years.  Mom drove herself and the visits were always a treat.  On one of her visits, she and I made several batches of apricot jam.  The apricots were pureed in the blender.  Small jars were washed, the heavy soup kettle came down from a nail on the attic steps and the process began.  Sur-Jell and sugar mixed according to the instructions in the Sur-Jell box.  Every fruit you could imagine had the instructions printed on the multi-folded pamphlet inside the box.  The jars looked like jewels as they sat on the kitchen counter after having been filled.  An old metal Folgers coffee grounds can had been bent for the top to serve as a spout.  Melted wax from the can sitting on the gas kitchen burner was poured over the cooked jam to seal it.  How sweet it was to work hand in hand with my mom in my kitchen.  Of course the amount that wouldn’t fill a jar to its brim was on the table for the three of us to sample come supper time.

  Once mom gave up driving, her solo visits were missed by Dennis and me.  I still miss my mom.

  With that I 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 2:14 pm on May 18, 2026 Permalink  

  Heavy Air 

  We had a wonderful rain in the evening hours of the 17th of May.  The skies were lit with lightning that brought thunder, long past bedtime.  

  The studio brought a challenge today.  I took my eyes off of the project under the needle for a bit too long.  The spool for the top thread had shredded and there was a whole bunch in between the top spool and the needle.  The bobbin thread had continued to do its due diligence on top of the design.  Taking the hoop off of the machine and then deciding to either fix the project in the hoop or in the machine.

  Any craft will give you a challenge once in awhile.  I sat and picked out an entire letter with a seam ripper, tweezers and a sharp scissors.   The sewing machine I started very slowly as I had really wanted to get the last 31 minutes of the design done without literally throwing in the towel.  KNUJ kept me company.  When I thought I had it conquered,  I ran thread through the tension disks much like flossing it to make sure there was no undo tension.  Success.

  Silly ole me.  I should have checked the bobbin before starting up the machine.  Nine minutes left and the bobbin was empty.  Living and learning has no time element.  You just suck it up and work through so that when the project is done, no one else is the wiser of anything that has gone before.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:57 pm on May 17, 2026 Permalink  

  Nice Sunday 

  It’s quite the service when Dennis’ son-in-law, Tom, calls to make sure we are up as he is going to mow the yards before the forecasted rain.

  Our front door has allowed the screen door to be open with the nice temps.  The birds have made nests in the evergreen boughs that are right off of the deck.  The little Thrush male takes great pride in sitting on the deck rail to serenade the world.  His bright red colors are a treat.  When the female comes for a short visit and rustles her feathers after a long sit on the nest, her feathers under her wings and the base of her tail shows bright red.  Sweet music in the morning. 

  One embroidered design was accomplished today in studio.  Should have, could have made a better decision in the stabilizer.  That shows I may be out of practice with the embroidery.  The plans are to do a bit more of it.

  My most important thought to remember in life: with every action, there is a re-action . . . some cannot be undone.

  No . . . we have not had any rain as yet here in the mid-afternoon.  One huge system traveled south and then north.  All in all, it is a nice Sunday.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on May 5, 2026 Permalink  

  The Day 

  Today is Tuesday the 5th of May.  The day has gone by quickly.

  I could have, would have stayed in the studio for longer today, but the trickle of water around the tile perimeter of the studio made it feel a bit too chilly.

  I have a project that I could bring to the first floor.  I fight that as one thing after another could dribble up to the first floor.  That would break the rhythm I have for my days.  Just so much time in my morning is spent having coffee and breakfast.  It’s then time to get dressed and do a tidy, tidy on the first floor.  After the “have too” is finished, I give myself permission for the studio time.

  The studio time is  say-la-vees.  If I get lost in thoughts or threads and fuzz . . . it matters not.  Creative time is good for the soul and the mind. 

  I will follow up that our unique oven meal of last night was a success.  It’s always convenient when a bag of ingredients can come out of the freezer to mix with sauce and pasta. Even doing a pork roast in the crockpot can leave it become dry as a pork loin roast doesn’t have any marbled meat.  When we had done the roast for a meal,  I used the kitchen shears and cut up the remaining very small.  The juice from the crockpot that contained the seasonings from the meat and the bed of carrots was perfect to pour over the cut up meat and cut up carrots.  Too much flavor to waste.  The ingredients of the leftover stove top added its kick of flavor.  Two cups of uncooked medium ribbon pasta and a jar of Alfredo . . . mission completion.  

  Dennis said he would be up for that combination any time.  He is the food critic.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on May 4, 2026 Permalink  

  New Week 

  I awoke with a new agenda.  Well . . . some of the old.

  Time was spent on folding and pressing binding for my project.  The binding has now been sewn onto the quilt with tipping it forward for the last go-round on another day.

  When I went to clean my eye glasses this last weekend, the lens fell out.  Good thing the old pair were retrieved for the duration.  What had happened was a screw had fallen out.  Where the screw had been allowed for the frame to have the clearance to put the lens in.

  It was also important for me to visit a friend this afternoon.  Karen and I have been friends since the 80s.  At that time, Karen was the city clerk of Lewisville.  We met over city and county business.  Karen has since been the proprietor of the County Collage, a retail store on Main Street.  Last week it appeared on Facebook that she would be closing her store.  How could I not take time to stop in and wish her well on her next journey.  It was time well spent for me on this Monday.

  A new screw has been inserted in the eyewear.  A clear sealant was put over the screw to avoid another mishap.  Whatever.

  We are having an oven meal.  This is our experimental oven meal.  It consists of the pulled pork, not so much pulled as diced, the leftover diced carrots and the chopped up stove top dressing.  These ingredients were from last week when we did the pork crock pot meal.  The Alfredo sauce is the mixture to combine all.  Dennis put a hefty layer of ground black pepper on the top.  I’ll let you know what the reviews are.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:21 pm on April 27, 2026 Permalink  

  A Drippy Day 

  Lots of moisture . . . no bad storms.  What a kick-off to the lawn mowing season.

  I turned the thermostat on the furnace up a bit so I could work in the studio for a bit.  That activity lasted until noon and then that was enough.  It’s a good thing there was breakfast coffee left when I came upstairs.  I usually have a bottle of Lipton’s Diet Green Tea open in the studio.  I am not going to fess up how many days that bottle lasts.  It’s a good refreshing taste and I do not need it ice cold.

  The trip to the grocery story was a very good trip.  It’s amazing the great things that can happen while one is strolling up and down the isles.  I did pick up a 2.5 lb. pork shoulder roast for the crock pot plus a bag of carrots to go with it.  I now have five options for meals plus perhaps a night of soup with a half grilled cheese sandwich.  Dennis requested a box of cold cereal.  Sometimes it might just do the trick for him as a snack.  Four of Marie’s pot pies and three other Marie heat and serve meals for Dennis.  When Dennis wants a heat and serve oven meal, I opt for a salad.  It doesn’t matter if a few dishes are dirtied or a lot.  Dennis is in charge of doing the dishes.  There is no free lunch.

  I checked in with Dee.  She works in the bakery.  Her husband is in the memory care unit in Sleepy Eye.  She has just listed their rural home as she will be looking at living in an apartment.  Brenda at the checkout is always ready with a smile.  Her husband got hurt working at Swift Food Processing here in town.  Dan is now confined to a wheelchair.  And then . . . there is James Mitchell.  A Hispanic fellow in his fifties that loves working in the grocery store whether it’s stocking shelves or carry-out.  He and his wife packed up from Texas to be in this community where their family has settled.  A very wonderful fellow.  It does take me quite awhile to get out of the store.

  I did do a stop at Family Dollar.  Kitty litter was needed.  They carry 21 lb. lightweight in plastic jugs.  Much more doable than Sam’s Club’s box which is 40 lbs.

  Amazing how a day can fritter away.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:27 pm on April 25, 2026 Permalink  

  A New Look 

  The studio has a new look for the upcoming quilting via the sewing.

  It was not difficult to achieve what was needed.  I could not believe that the 1962 Mary Proctor ironing board’s adjustable height level lever still worked.  It worked so well, I barely touched it, it went straight to the floor with my top mat that Dennis made for me.  The top mat is 26″ x 52″ to allow for fabrics that are to be used for quilting to be ironed in a rectangle rather that the pointed tip of the ironing board.  No toes were were bruised in this operation.

  I pulled the Hefty sewing machine table almost to the furnace so I could wrangle the square card table partially onto the sewing table.  I can easily get around the configuration.  The Culligan Man was here this week so that won’t be a worry for salt delivery. 

  I now have the ironing board to carry the heft of the quilt yet to be sewn in front of the sewing machine and the card table to help carry the heft as the quilt has been sewn.  The hoop is ready as is the free motion quilting attachment.  That was about all I managed today in the studio. 

  I called Aunt Janet to check in with her.  She appreciates the chit chat.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:20 pm on April 24, 2026 Permalink  

  The Rain 

  The rain we received last night was cleansing and needed.  Just a few pebbles of hail mixed in with thunder.  For sure the sounds of a spring.

  This is the time of spring if there are wine enthusiasts about.  We have several neighbors that have carpets of the yellow dandelions.  Many decades ago, Raymond and Lena along with Uncle Lester, dad’s brother, tackled a batch.  Nothing ventured nothing gained.  In the old fruit cellar that had the dirt floor, one shelf was reserved for experiments and tasks such as that.  In today’s world, the micro beer breweries are the challenge.

  I met my challenge of getting the studio ready for some serious machine quilting.  Oil change, grease job, threads and fuzz rousted complete with a new 90/14 needle for the thicker heft.  Nothing has yet come to mind in how I want to traverse across the quilt.  The studio will stay dark until such time I have it figured out.

  Dennis had a day yesterday lost in thought and memories.  We all need a day like that once in awhile.  No pressure to be social.  Today a whip around town and there was much to share when he came home.  All is well with the world once again.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥