Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from October, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:35 pm on October 20, 2026 Permalink  

  Fall is in the Air 

  The mornings are chilly.  With the sun shining and a soft breeze . . . I like it.  I like it a lot.  With the front and the back of the house having windows that are open, it adds to the good feelings.

  With a container of small pieces of various patterns and colors, it is my quest to use those bits that are begging to come out of a container and become a beautiful solid item.  It is setting right beside my sewing machine.

  Amazon delivered the Nurge hoops!  The round spring hoop literally sprung off of my project.  It was a small matter to lay everything out and push the fabric down, position it a bit to the right, a bit to the left and begin tightening it.  It makes the project easy to hold rather than clutching the back side of the spring.  Dennis asked why the fabric was so stiff.  Good question.  I knew the dimensions and the fabric count needed for this pattern.  When you send for what you need, it comes in the mail and you use it.  It would be great to walk into a retail needlework shop and be able to feel the various fabrics used for counted cross stitch work.  Albert Lea has a shop, Welcome Stitchery.  it’s a bit far to drive for a five minute seek and search trip. 

  Listening to the experiences of stitches from all over the world is the best available.  Ninise Lynn from Australia is one of my favorites.  She has a video once a week.

  Dennis delivered two bills into the post office this afternoon.  It is rare to use a stamp these days, as I am comfortable by paying via the internet.  I believe the stamps are $.75 each.  I do a daily check of our bank account.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:03 pm on October 19, 2026 Permalink  

  Continuing On 

  A restart on the hand stitching has commenced.  The 25 count per inch fabric will make the design doable.  The finish will be 14″ x 18″.  Not to worry as I have a magnifying lamp directly off of my right elbow.  I did additional needles.  I have two brands that are size 28.  I threaded up both needles to see how it feels with the punching and stabbing that will ensue.

  The fabric is quite stiff.  In time from handling it and doing the hooping and rehooping as the stitches go in, it will loosen up.  The situation that broached itself yesterday was that it took both Dennis and I to get the six inch spring hoop onto the fabric.  We got it done and that would have been great, other than the fact that each time the stitches would fill the hoop, the application would need to do done over and over.  Six inches sounds like a lot but only the center can be filled in comfortably.

  The hoop situation sent me straight to Amazon.  Watching numerous Floss tubers, one hoop was referred to many times by many stitchers.  The Nurge hoop from Amazon will be at our doorstep in several days.  I watched many videos.  Four different sizes for $29.00 plus tax . . . no shipping expense.  The Nurge hoop is used by tightening the screw when the fabric is as taut as desired.  I know!  I know!  A screw to be tightened with my arthritic fingers? 

  When we had the sewing machine to Bird Island a month ago, Kelly sent home with me the ScrewKeyDoo #2.  It is a hard vinal attachment and is two ended.  One end is metal to easily take the sewing machine needle off and on.  The other end is to slip over the screw of the Nurge hoop to loosen and tighten.  The ScrewKeyDoo #2 is championed by Bernina and is a product of Spokane, WA.   The first hoops by Bernina had had the same concept of the screw for their embroidery hoops, of which I have several.

  I have spent the cost of the Nurge order for something that will and may offer me  countless hours of entertainment with my stitching.  The stitching is all a part of occupational therapy.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:26 pm on October 18, 2026 Permalink  

  Measure, Measure 

  Measure twice before cutting.  The cutting was not even entertained as I had not even measured once correctly.  The hand stitching design was very specific as to what would be needed in fabric to achieve the finished product.

  It was a good thing I had only two days of hand stitching in, before I realized something looked off.  The only thing that was right, was the fact that the fabric was white.  Nothing too serious.  Start over and be thankful it was caught before too long.  I had two pieces of fabric in the drawer and I assumed the correct one had been pulled out.  Try, try, try again.

  Dennis received news today that his granddaughter that does the fighting:  kicking biting punching, barefoot will have her next match in France.  Yes, the same France that is now experiencing much upheaval.  There must be a much better, much safer way to make a living.  That’s all I have to say about that.

  The Subway treat was very good last night.  The Italian bread was very tasty with all the goodies.

  Catching an update on YouTube never hurts when I am not quite sure about a sewing element on the machine over and above of what I normally do.  Foundation paper piecing called for an update by me.  It worked out well.  It’s just too hard to be believable that it would not be one if not the first place to make an inquiry about..  I belong to a Facebook group specific to my model number of the Bernina sewing machine.  It blows me away, when some of the ridiculous questions come over and over.  Even referring to the owner’s manual would work.   

  It’s been a quite lazy day on Stauffer.  I am thinking an omelet could be the answer to this evenings meal.

  With that I will take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:55 pm on October 17, 2026 Permalink  

  MEA Weekend 

  Our neighbors to the north ask us to keep an eye out on any comings and goings as they would be gone over the weekend with their son and grandchildren.  What a great weekend to travel to Omaha’s famous zoo over this MEA weekend.

  It did not take long today and the grain hauling is in full force past our home to the grain elevator.

  A jacket was needed this morning when I went to Lewis Drug for a prescription.  The north wind dang near swept me away getting to the door.  Drive-thru service would be great, but the left arm doesn’t play well for that to work.  It’s nice to greet Audrey as she man’s the counter.

  I have my next stitching project begun.  It’s a pattern of monochrome cross stitch.  Shades that define the pattern while worked in black floss over 20 stitches to the inch fabric.  One thread over one.  A small slow start until I decided to work one ten x ten grid at a time . . . it will still be slow, but less likely for counting errors.  I do like the monochrome aspect.

  At four this afternoon, I will be visiting Subway for our supper.  A twelve inch tuna on cheese bread with all the fixings does well for us.  A bag of sea salt and vinegar flavored chips rounds it out.  That combo is not to be found in our grocery store.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥♥

   
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  Noreen 2:15 pm on October 15, 2026 Permalink  

  It Is What It Is 

  The rain has been coming down since sometime before I wanted to get out of bed.  I had slept well straight through the night.

  I have let many creative ideas that I had had leave my days.  I found someone that could make good use of re-purposing them.  It felt just as good doing that as the decision to look at bare dirt rather than flowers among the weeds.

  It is what it is.

  I am on a quest of quite a few things.  I have finished one small hand stitched item and that brought about what the next would be.  Pulling out fabric and counting threads to pair up with what the design calls for and then pulling out the floss.  Watching Floss Tube on YouTube is encouraging and also can be enabling.  I need no new products of any type.  The encouragement is sufficient.

  It is what it is.

  My sewing machine, as of this morning, is oiled and sporting a new needle.  There are more things for a sewing machine project other than mending, quilting, embroidering.  Much like the squirrels, I am gathering my supplies from the shelving in the studio.  Search and I will find.  I surprise myself as to what I can find in my stashes.

  It is what it is.

  Dennis has been in the napping mode most of the week.  It humbles me that I need to curb how much I tackle from the time I get up until I go back to bed at night . . . as when the physical umph has been spent . . . there is no more.  It saddens me that Dennis has no will to tackle anything any more.

  It is what it is.

  After laundry has been folded, supper will be considered.  Today I vote for fluffy waffles and sausages.

  The rain is continuing and the parade of harvest semi trucks has ceased for now.

  With that I will take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on October 12, 2026 Permalink  

  Time Spent 

  Time spent in the studio today.  Sifting and sort always a good past-time.

  Many decades ago, I, was one that would pursue sale bins in craft stores.  One in particular in Sioux Falls when Dennis was attending a gun show at the civic arena for the weekend.

  This morning I pulled out the wares of that weekend.  It will be my next quest to use those wares as well as scrap fabrics.  At a time when Lena was in the apartment house in Hutchinson after she had retired from the farm, I would make cards as well as send letters within those cards.  She loved getting mail.  I am going to make a few of those foundation pieced fabric cards again.  What a great way to pass some sewing machine time using one color thread and one color bobbin thread.  That would give the embroidery module a great deserved break.

  Dennis’ son-in-law felt he owed me for what I had paid him for washing off the house last week.  Today Tom used the tiller attachment to edge the concrete drive.  I must say it looks sharp.  The yard is close to being tidy tidy for the next season.

  Shawn Cable our KEYC weatherman is warning we may have our first frost this weekend.  Not a killing frost but the tender plants may be affected.  Dennis’ two huge houseplants were put inside the patio porch last weekend in preparation.

  Supper will be left-overs.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:40 pm on October 1, 2026 Permalink  

  The Sun 

  The sun decided to make a showing this afternoon.

  Within 24 hours our home has been washed off and the yards have been mowed.  Both tasks look like someone enjoys living on Stauffer Avenue.

  A design is stitching out and it is quite a large one.  Keeping in mind the design needs to reflect what it is being stitched on.  Can’t have little mushrooms stitched on a 60″ x 12″ table runner.  12″ designs on either end works.

  While I was waiting for thread color changes, I glanced through some items on my shelves.  The most recent that I picked up was the Schafer Family History by AL Schafer.  It is lengthy and bound in an epco binder.  His sequence of events does get bifurcated from time to time.  I will say that Megan and Nicholas made it to print in family genealogy, so it brought forward recent additions.  I now wish I would have copied Art’s obituary as he was the last and added it.  I will tuck Al’s manuscript back onto the shelf for now.

  I have chicken salad for sandwiches and potato salad, both heavy with onion for our supper.  Maybe a nine pm apple pie snack. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:08 pm on September 30, 2026 Permalink  

  Hump Day 

  The air held enough mist that cars going by had their windshield wipers on.

  A cool cloudy day is the perfect day to get the house washed off of all the winter’s grime of 2026 taken care of as well as this summer and early fall’s grime off.

  Dennis was the straw-boss while Tom manned the container that Dennis has always used.  It can, with a flip of a switch, apply water and soap at the same time, and then turn on the plain water.  Soaping down the house with the cheapest laundry soap the Family Dollar has really allows the dirt rivers to run.  The concrete drive had lots of soap bubbles.  Even the windows on the outside don ‘t look as dirty as before.  Water marks?  Oh yes.  I will take it slow and steady with the tipping-in process.

  Though we have not as yet had a frost, the rain has really knocked off leaves from the trees.

  The studio has been returned to a manageable work space with the good tidy, tidy.  I did pull the next design.  Depending on what company the designs are purchased from, each company favors their own choice of threads to use.  I have been working with a company with designs that uses Floriani threads.  I only have collected Isacord threads as that is what Bernina sewing machines and the OESD design company uses.

  Online, I have accessed different thread companies and have been able to print off the numerical number of their thread colors and the companion color number of the Isacord.  As I have printed off most of the independent designs that have the color numbers to be used to achieve success, it’s a great tool.  On the designs from OESD, the Isacord number of thread needed is sitting in my storage bins ready to be lucked out.

  Working smarter . . . not harder.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:22 pm on September 29, 2026 Permalink  

  A Normal Day 

  The household on Stauffer Avenue had a good quiet night’s rest on Monday night.  It was obvious that Dennis’ CPAP was not giving the lbs. of pressure prescribed or needed for some time.  This loner should serve him well until he meets with his provider in November when he will be eligible for a new machine.  Each machine is issued for a period of five years and they don’t budge on that.

  We had a very heavy rain shower this morning and dribbles since.

  This morning I spent helping a friend close a ten year run on her store.  Though the store has been closed to the front door bell ringing as customers came and went for sometime, there was a lot of window dressing items: tables, racks, shelving, display cabinets, odd pieces of actual furniture, etc. that had accumulated over the ten-year period.  Karen had been selling the last of it on Facebook.  Wednesday at five p.m., the last key will be turned back to the Opera House’s committee . . . who Karen had been renting from.  She will be ready for a different chapter in her life.

  As I go about my business in and around town, there have been more and more Elm trees getting the red paint trim on the trunks of them, getting them ready for removal.  Not all trees are effected at the same time.  Hmm.  We have one on the acre.  Thus far no red paint.

  I had mentioned that Sunday had been a busy day for me multitasking in the studio.  Well, well.  I still have not gotten back to the studio.  Many used spools of colorful thread had been used and they now need to go back into their designated bins.  If I don’t do tidy, tidy, it will be less appealing to begin the next stitching.

  Going here and there, being able to help others, it is very reassuring and comforting for me to get back to and continue participation in my own life.  

  With that I will take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 2:16 pm on September 26, 2026 Permalink  

  Rain 

  And the rains came just as predicted for those overnight and early mornings of this Saturday.

  Sometimes I do my best thinking and planning in bed. 

  I have a 60″ x12″ table runner that could easily have been loomed on my Newcomb Fly Shuttle loom.  It is however a product of some country.  A similar one has  been completed on my embroidery module with coffee themed designs.  This one will feature Christmas designs.

  In three ring binders on shelves in my studio, I have kept printed out designs that include thread color choices for each.  As I said, I had thought this thought this through during my slumber time.

  Now, on the church table next to my sewing machine, is the line-up of colorful spools of thread.  All thread colors have a unique numerical digit that I have put on the inside of each spool with a permanent black ink pen.   I keep my threads in plastic see-through storage boxes that hold 36 spools each.  The range of numbers can been seen on a piece of a paper label through the cover.  This particular design will be the third time I have stitched it.  The design printout indicates the sequence with a number when each color is used.  I have the aqua mesh stabilizer cut lying next to the mega hoop for the stitching.  The design will be 7.25″ x 4.50″.  There have been six bobbins wound as the design is dense.  The machine has been oiled and checked for fuzz that has gone rouge. 

  The lights and the radio have been turned off in the studio.  The prep was my goal and the goal has been successful.  Tomorrow is another day. 

  It is now time for some reading, hand stitching and a few rows of crochet practice before supper. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥