Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from August, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:47 pm on August 13, 2025 Permalink  

  Wednesday 

  Today is a fairly comfortable day weather wise.

  Today on this fairly comfortable weather day . . . I feel punk.  A feeling of not quite being with it.  I perhaps slept too hard during last night’s slumber.  I woke with the heel of my left foot being in a lot of pain, as if I had jumped off of a huge step and my heel took the brunt of it.  Since getting up this morning, my right arm has no strength in it.  I must have been in a horrible fight during the night.

  I did encourage myself to stick with some of my usual routines.  That took me to the studio.  I do have an on-going project for the sewing machine.  The first twelve inch seam was wrong.  Got the stiletto and picked it out.  When I went to align the second seam I had cut the fabric too short by one inch.  Grr!

  I had always known that when I had reached my 80th birthday, there was bound to be changes.  Maybe I have been too busy being 81 that those changes have slipped my mind.  

  One.  I do protect my immune system.   Large crowds are not for me.  I like to know who I am sharing air with.  Too many that I know believe that their deep hard cough is no big deal.  When the toes on my right foot ached, were red and swollen, I wanted to find out why, and . . . I did.  Arthritis.  Keeping up with levels via a blood workup is important to me.  So far . . . right on.

  Two.  Protein intake is important for me as muscle loss is more prevalent.  Because the right arm is weak today, does not get it off the hook when I need it to do what I need to do.

  Three.  I do stay curious to keep my cognitive reserve up to par.  Twenty questions wouldn’t have anything on me.  I do try to squelch it a bit as people get defensive if the questions come as rapid fire.  Well . . . inform me of what is going on and perhaps the questions could to tapered.

  Four.  Visibility is lost somewhat now that I am 81.  In a gathering, the younger ones gravitate to others similar to their age.  Dennis and I have talked about this to each other after we have come from a gathering we were actually invited to and then ignored.  We can’t help it.  Truth to be told, we have more knowledge and awareness in our little fingers than the whole lot of them.

  Five.  Actual social interaction has taken a back-seat these last years.  I don’t think I am missing out on anything.  I have people that share my interests to communicate with.  I feel totally full on that portion of being 81.

  All in all, having a punkie day is alright with me.  Today is what it is.  When tomorrow shows up, it may be totally different.  Time will tell.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 12:36 pm on August 12, 2025 Permalink  

  Hello Tuesday 

  This Tuesday is a waiting game for me.  We have a funeral midday and starting something in the studio . . . just not doing it for me.  It is a perfect time for me to get a load of light-colored and white clothing into the laundry.  When it’s time for them to be loaded into the dryer, Dennis is on hand.  Today I have two items that I will stand guard over the process as they do not do well after they have been in the heat of the dryer.  Dennis’ help in the swapping process is much appreciated as the left shoulder, arm and hand don’t do well diving down to the depth of the washer to get the clothes hefted into the dryer.  When the clothes are dry, I enjoy standing in front of the unit and folding one piece at a time.  Doing the laundry is very satisfying for me.  Who doesn’t enjoy putting on clean clothing.

  In between time, I have been watching many Bernina YouTubes.  I have had this machine for, I think, seven years.  When there was a chance to have it upgraded via Kelly at the Bird Island Bernina shop, I did it with the cost of $600.00.  This has been the only new machine I have bought since my 1965 Sears machine . . . a workhorse.  This Bernina sewing machine is the last machine I will be purchasing.  It has all the bells and whistles I will need going forward.  I did purchase a Bernina for Carrie several years ago.  It replicates many of the same features as my machine, so I could help her with questions.  It can also do the machine embroidery with the add-on of the embroidery module.  It is just one-step down.  Megan has a Bernina.  It is the machine that my sister-in-law Lois bought for herself when they moved to Decorah.  A wonderful machine that Eric delivered to me after his mom had passed.  Eric had taken it to the shop where Lois had purchased it and it had been serviced before he dropped it off here.  It is in a sweet travel case with the full instruction manual and several additional attachments.

  By the way, the 1965 Sears is still fully functioning.  It has been at Carrie’s and will come back to Stauffer Avenue and then it will go to Bird Island for Kelly to service it.

  Dennis and I have agreed to go to the Home Town Cafe after the funeral.  What a sweet way to end a Tuesday.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on August 11, 2025 Permalink  

  A Necessity 

  After a good run in the studio, it is a necessity to get it cleaned up.  It would not be good to have a seam that needed to be mended to only find the sewing machine was not ready.

  I began with using the old Filter Queen Vacuum for the table tops and the floor.  I knew Saturday had been just as long of a day for Megan as it was for me.  It was more important Saturday that she get home safe.  Today gave me a chance to tuck away all the bits and bobs of sewing items that had been taken out of their storage.  The sewing machine was tidied very slowly.  Amazing how a thread can travel into the deepest, darkest places under the hood.  Several different tweezers got the job done.  A bit of oil and a brand new needle made for the next project to be taken on.

  As we have a funeral to attend this week, I do have a box on the shoulder-high shelf that has some choices of condolence cards.  As I was taking the box off of the security of the shelf, my hand slipped.  The box and all of its contents spilled onto the floor in a five foot wide arc around me.  Nothing to do but get to it and clean it up.  Lots of goodies were in that box.  Some new cards, some old goodies and lots of memories.

  One slip of paper caught my eye as I was picking the contents of the box off of the floor.  It warrants sharing.  “Contentment is a moral excellence.  Contentment without external honor is humility.”  Nothing more needs to be added.

  I did find a card that brought that adventure on.  The box has been returned to the shelf that is the height of my shoulders.

  The air quality is that of a low slung haze when I look out.

  Dennis’ secret sliced cucumber with onion deliquesce will be added to the chicken tenderloins for our supper.  Sweet.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:09 pm on August 10, 2025 Permalink  

  Happy Comfortable Sunday 

  I realize we had rain over night as the deck and drive was wet with the last of the thunder when I got up.

  Yesterday, I had a very full, busy day with Megan on board in the studio.  Megan arrived at ten in the forenoon and we went immediately to the studio for a one-day stitch.  The objective was to sew a pair of pajamas.  Oh yes . . . it was very stretch fabric.  It took Megan several minutes to re-acquaint herself with my sewing machine.  It had been five years since she had used the sewing machine.  The Simplicity pattern was used to cut out the fabric.  Using all the best practices that YouTube could offer it was time to get some seams sewn.  A nip here, a tuck there and the day sped on.  Alterations took most of the time.  No two body proportions are equal.  Simplicity takes the middle of the road.

  Of course we took a turkey, cheese, lettuce,  mayo on soft rye sandwich early afternoon break.  Dennis came down into the studio and was content sitting and watching Megan as she manned the sewing project.  I can only imagine the memories he was recounting.

  As we were winding down, I asked Megan if she would tackle another pair of pajamas using similar fabric.  Without hesitation she was sure she would knowing more about the “how to go about stitching on stretchy fabric.”  I tucked a package of the stretch needles and a roll of the Wonder Stitch into the Simplicity pattern envelope.  She had been amazed at how the Wonder Stitch held the seams and helped in the hemming process.  I knew she would not be able to find the Wonder Stitch very easily now that JoAnne’s is no more.

  By five-thirty we bid Megan and her finished pajamas a “see you again.”  I was happy when we got a text from Megan that she was home safe and sound.

  Admittingly, this Gramme was weary.  I had wanted so badly for this experience to go well for Megan that she would tackle another such project.

  Today the two older ones on Stauffer Avenue are having a quiet day.  Tomorrow my be a tidy, tidy in the studio.  Megan’s fabric left little tuffs here, there and everywhere.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:26 pm on August 8, 2025 Permalink  

  A Day 

  This is a humid nasty day.  Anything taken out of the refrigerator needs to have a towel, paper or otherwise, underneath it to soak up the sweat.

  No studio lights were turned on today.  Nothing needed t be accomplished.  As is my usual, I don’t leave anything to the last moment.  The cat that has be wrestling around in the bag can now be brought out as I just stated I don’t leave anything to the last moment to thus make a crisis.  Tomorrow Megan is coming!  Yaa!  Megan has ask my help with a sewing project.  Yup, you guessed it.  It is a stretchy sewing project.  All the prep that was possible has been done and now we will find out the rest of the story when she arrives.  Needless to say, we are excited to see Megan.

  It’s not uncommon that the first floor of our home gets the after-thought when it comes to the tidy, tidy when I have juicer items going on in the studio.  This morning with my cup of coffee still half full and me in my bathrobe, I had the vacuum going.  I get my best tidy, tidy done in that garb . . . nothing restricting the movement of diligence.  I happened to glance up and saw my friend Maria park in our drive.  She retrieved a plastic bag from the back seat of her car and was headed for the front door.  I didn’t even get the vacuum shut off as I wanted to greet her.  In the past, not wanting to disturb us she has left a bag of goodies on the front deck.  My pink robe and a very disheveled occupant greeted Maria.  Farmer’s Market had just been greeted at the front door.  Sweet.  Green peppers, cucumbers, onions and cherry tomatoes all in her parcel.  You’ve heard the adage, “only your hairdresser knows.”  Maria was on her way to open her salon and stopped to see us first.  Maria was beautiful in a bright red top with not a hair out of place.  She got a good first hand look as to how much her skills are needed.  We hugged it out and she was on her way.

  It is now the afternoon.  I went off to the grocery store to make sure we had some of Megan’s favorites on hand for tomorrow.  When I got home Dennis already had several cucumbers peeled and sliced and was tackling the onion.  Bless his heart.  Now . . . why didn’t his eyes tear up in doing the onion?  Mine were already watering just by coming into the kitchen.

  All that activity and Tom is mowing the yards.  Much accomplished on Stauffer Avenue.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:19 pm on August 7, 2025 Permalink  

  Never too Old 

  Never too old to learn new ways of doing things in the world of sewing.

  When I did a tremendous amount of sewing for my children there was at that time not a lot of yard goods in the stretchy selection.  Well maybe there was, but I chose the woven fabrics.

  When I was in Hobby Lobby, I looked at all the bolts of fabric that were stretchy every which way.  I was intimidated. but I bought a half yard.  Stretchy fabric comes at 60″ wide and not the 44″ of the woven world.

  This week I am watching YouTubes on stretch stuff.  I already have needles geared towards stretch.  One down.  Number 9 on the choices of stitches my Bernina can do is a stretch stitch and I tried it out on woven material.  Two down.  Putting my sample stretch piece under the needle . . . didn’t go so well.  Using my stiletto and encouraging the feed dogs to grab the fabric helped.  Any serious stitching, YouTube suggested “stay stitching” close to the edge with a usual straight stitch, slightly diminishing the stretch.  When I layered two pieces together as in making a seam, with right sides together, they wanted to slip.  The stretch fabric bucked at stick pins.  Push, push and still not sliding in smoothly so as to not distort the soon to be seam.  Hmm.

  The last time I had a challenge was the year I did the remake of the five foot tall Santa.  The velvet fabric with right sides together wanted to slide away from each other.  As that time I had ordered a product that was 1/4″ wide and I think they called it Wonder Stitch.  It came on a fairly good sized flat roll.  By peeling of the protective coating, it became a 1/4″ of almost an invisible product.  At that time I put down a strip on the right side of the seam allowance and then carefully put down the right side of the soon to be seam.  It worked.  I couldn’t get too far ahead of the machine sewing as with no pins working it kept me busy lining up the 3/8ths seam.  I still had some of the Wonder Stitch.

  I tried it on my Hobby Lobby stretchy fabric.  It worked!  As the Wonder Stitch was not stretchy, it also managed the stretch of the two layers for the seam.  My next quest was to try putting on double fold bias tape.  I knew I had scored that as I had just sewn double fold bias on two of Kevin’s shop machine shrouds . . . the key . . . there was no stretch.  I again laid down the Wonder Stitch to sew down the opened double fold bias tape.  Once that was sewn down, there was no more stretch left to fold over the bias take for the top stitching.  Whew!

  All of my “what if” were on a flat straight seam.  Working with curves . . . that’s for tomorrow.

  With all of that, I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:29 pm on August 6, 2025 Permalink  

  Hump Day 

  This is a good day.  At 4:15 when I made a bathroom visit the thunder and lightning was just beginning.  When the commotion is severe enough that multiple windows rattle, I know it means business.  When I listen to the six o’clock news I will find out how much rain we did get. 

  Quite a few years ago on a day such as this, aka: the Nicollet County Fair, Senior Citizens Day, Megan and I would be at the fair taking in all the animal buildings and the rides.  Senior Citizens Day was never very crowded and I didn’t have to keep such a close eye on her.  This was an annual event for Megan and me until Nicholas was three, then Grandpa Dennis went along.  That particular year, it was really hot, but nobody complained.  We ended up having a Dairy Queen before coming home with two weary tikes in the back seat.  Good times and sweet memories.  I can almost taste the greasy min-donuts.

  I was content in the studio trying out different techniques for a soon to be project.  Bernina’s YouTube videos come in real handy.  Google does a pretty good job as well.  If you can think to ask it, there will be multiple solutions.  I now know all about Farm Fest that is in full bore with KNUJ broadcasting pretty much full-time.  That is a lot of work setting up for three days.  I did learn that there are 93 Runnings Stores.  Hmm.

  Time to get some laundry folded.  

  With that I will take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 2:25 pm on August 5, 2025 Permalink  

  Tuesday The 5th Of August 

  Dennis and I had a relaxing day in the big town yesterday.  A few items that can’t be found here in our local town.  It was the first time I had been in any type of store that offered items much like what JoAnne’s had.  Hobby Lobby it was.  The store was very busy and it sure kept Dennis busy watching people as he sat in his little red pickup listening to radio 105.0.  Not everything I needed was found . . . Hello Amazon!

  We did pick up a few items at Sam’s Club . . . a mega package of toilet paper was one of them.  We have tried other types of pre-cooked breakfast sausage patties.  Nothing holds a candle to Jimmy Dean’s.  I stocked up on them in Sam’s.  There are eight to a package and when we got home I cut the package on the perforated line so our serving is two each.  They work well for pancakes, waffles, eggs, etc.  The toilet paper is one commodity that is too high priced to buy here in town.  I have begun purchasing more kitchen items here in town as Sam’s Club’s items are often too heavy or too cumbersome for my hands.  When we came home and put those purchases where they belong, we went up to the Home Town Cafe for supper.  The cafe is for sale . . . just like most businesses here in town: Bolin Lumber, The Collage, Schmidt’s Bakery, and the Radio Shack/hardware.  I may have missed a few.

  My morning was spent searching the website of our local Mayo Clinic.  Last week Dennis and I received individual letters that our primary health provider is retiring.  Very Sad news indeed.  This is the third primary Dennis and I have lost in as many years.  I chose a doctor that is a M.D. and her only responsibility is the St. James clinic.  Many of choices served multiple communities.  I made an appointment for Dennis as well as myself for September 4th.  Two different back-to-back time slots for one couple.  The appointments that had been set up for us in October is just getting moved up a bit.  I feel Dennis and I are interviewing her.  I could have waited until October but it has happened when we had chosen a primary and were told when contacting them that they were full-up and not taking any new patients.  I did the same thing with my cariologist.  Not going to wait until the last minute and then being told . . . choose again.

  The air is nice outside with a breeze.  This is what has been waited for. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:27 pm on August 3, 2025 Permalink  

  Sunday the 3rd 

  Even with the Canadian smoke it was really nice outside.

  When AJ was here yesterday he cleaned the eve troughs on all three sides of what is my bedroom porch.  Today Snuggles and I got the leaf blower out.  The front deck and the sidewalk was covered in what looked like slivers of shale, aka: decades of dust that had settled in for the long haul.

  Tom had used his four-string weed-whip to cut down the Russian Sage that choose not to boom this year.  Cut down, close to dug up.  When someone offers to lend a hand, you allow them to do what they feel the task is.  Both Tom and AJ realized when the large stepladder came out of the potting shed that Stauffer Avenue is quite a bit higher than when the potting shed was built.  We had been barely wangling in and out.  The fellows totally dug out the doorway.  Sweet.

  No studio for me today.  I had a few inquires on Google for future solutions.  If you think it, there will be solutions you never ever dreamed of.  The time can really be eaten up when you do a click here and then a click there.

  Dennis has spent a quiet day in his recliner catching a nap . . . or sitting in the patio porch catching a nap with Snuggles on his lap.  I think if I sat still long enough, a nap might catch up with me.  Maybe tomorrow.

  Our week is quiet, but that won’t keep the calendar days from flipping by.  My oldest uncle, Bill Riebe, had a birthday in August.  Whenever I see a field of wheat turning that wonderful gold color I think of Bill.  Little seeds that have been planted in the mind, spring forth with just the smallest reminder, visual or auditory. 

  Nothing huge for our supper fare as we haven’t done anything to work up a real appetite.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 12:58 pm on August 2, 2025 Permalink  

  New Pests 

  Our neighbor to the north is fighting a pest.  Not necessarily new, but new for the neighborhood.  The ground wasps are popping up as mounds of dirt that have not been there the last time Jan mowed.  They are really nasty looking with bright orange and red markings.  We were bothered by them several years ago.  Overnight the amount of dirt they could pile up was amazing.  When we found several mounds we pushed moth balls into the openings until a gnat could not get through.  

  Grandson AJ from Mankato came to check on his grandpa.  He had said grandpa should have an idea or two that needed his help.  Well, well.  This summer is the first time we have had a tree growing out of our eve troths.  AJ got the huge stepladder out.  Though the gutters have screen over them, AJ commented they were thick with dirt dust.  The screens were holding up the tree so it could grow straight and tall.  Too funny.  AJ rolled back the screen and gave it a good cleaning.  By that time AJ’s dad was over.

  Dennis had the weed whip out as our Russian Sage, first time ever, was putting out greenery and no blooms.  I had checked on the internet and the best advice was to cut them back and try again.  Dennis’ plan was the cut-back.  Tom went home and got his four string weed whip out.  I was in the studio and I heard the commotion and I stayed indoors.  Don’t mess with the worker-bees.

  I was in the studio working with the frame that came yesterday for my Christmas Quaker stitching.  For the nominal price, no hardware.  As of now, I have four wood screws holding in some brackets I found.  I then found some gauge or other of light wire.  I was feeling quite proud of myself when I could strip said wire over one of the nails in the Livingroom.  It may all be temporary, but it is up and I am smiling. 

  

  My measurements were spot on.  It came with a piece of foam board.  The foam board I had used to pin on the design slid right in.  The narrow frame has a look of cherry wood and the little gold hits the spot.  As I said . . . temporary.  I got the wood screws in about 75% of the way.  I cannot fail if I don’t try.

  This evening we are having soup and a half sandwich for each.  I have knocked heftier meals out of the park for some time.  I will admit my hands will enjoy a break.  Damn those screwdrivers need a lot of pressure to bite into the wood.  Yep, as I said . . . I am smiling.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥