Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:58 pm on June 2, 2026 Permalink  

  Taste Buds 

  This evening’s supper is all about taste buds.  The Braun Schweiger liver sausage has been sliced and popped back into the refrigerator.  It takes a very sharp knife to get that job done.  The red onion has been sliced into perfect thin slabs.  There is a sandwich and soup supper coming up.  Dennis and I have both been hankering for this sandwich.  You either hate it or enjoy it.  The soup choice is up to Dennis.

  Dad, Raymond, would have been the first to slide up to the table for Bran Schweiger and onion.  Fine dining restaurants call it Pate.  His slice of onion would not be a thin slab.  One of his favorite sandwiches was of one ingredient: a thick slice of raw onion on Lena’s fresh homemade bread buttered up.  Sure do miss that fellow.

  It’s been first floor living so far this week and I will admit, a rather lazy one.  Catching some quilt show videos does entice me to start something with threads and fuzz.  I need to keep in mind all the steps required to get to the end-gate.  I don’t know if I am up to it and there is no one anticipating getting a quilt.  I need to really think this through.

  Persevering with my one floss thread over one cloth thread is challenging to say the least.  It’s been a long time since I stitched a pattern that has ten or more color swaps in a one inch square.  I did it when I was in my “Christmas phase” but that was some time ago.  This project I am doing because I started it and I don’t want to leave for a time when it might be pitched.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:25 pm on May 29, 2026 Permalink  

  Good Session 

  A good session was had in the studio this forenoon.  The last of a collection was embroidered out on some hand towels.  Those towels had been purchased for the express use of the machine embroidered function.  Having them be ready for whatever occasion arises feels good.  Last week when AJ brought Amanda to meet us, one such finished towel went home with Amanda.  We wanted to make her feel welcomed and that will ensure her remembering our home.  

  It’s not unusual that I have sent a remembrance home when we have had visitors.  The visitors enjoy taking something home with them and it keeps me on my toes with familiarity of the process to have good quality finished items.

  OESD is a site that I do shop from for designs.  The selection is by category with thousands to choose from.  When I first purchased my Bernina, it came with a gift card from OESD.  I have only invested in one brand of thread, Isacord.  I do have several storage cases holding thirty spools each for selection.  It is manufactured in Germany.  Staying with OESD, the thread chart for designs lists in the order used and the number and color of Isacord thread to use.  One can always go off the suggestions with a different color-way.

  When I choose a design, it is so easy to pull the spools of thread I need and line them up on the table in sequence for when needed.  I have purchased designs from other companies and then downloaded their colors with their reference.  It’s a pain in the neck as hues of the same color could be in infinity.

  Just today, I scoped out some designs from OESD.  If you purchase the collection, it is cost-wise rather than one at a time at perhaps $3.00 to $4.00 each when the collection may have thirteen designs for $24.00.  All of my choices are keep in my history if I ever find that one of my USB drives has malfunctioned.  Another plus is the OESD, for a nominal reasonable price will load an order onto a USB drive and send it out.  Well, well.  Look at me being spoiled.

  My day-to-day itinerary may have some challenges to comply with, my creativity need not be one of them.

  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 2:19 pm on May 25, 2026 Permalink  

  A Busy Holiday 

  Sweet day with quiet sunshine.

  Dennis had an agenda . . . I had an agenda.  With our breakfasts and coffee we told each other “catch you later .”

  The huge plants that Dennis has tended since I retired have now gone out to the east patio.  Over winter months they sit in pans in the patio porch so when watered, any water that wants to run out the bottom keeps the floor dry.  You have guessed it.  There is a ring around where the pans sat made up of cat fur.  Time for the shop vac.  Not so fast.  The floor of the pickup garage bugged Dennis more as the floor was a gravel mess.  Any type of gravel imaginable had drug in over winter from the tires as Dennis steered the little red pickup into the garage from Stauffer Avenue, a gravel alley.  Pieces of cardboard that had been on the floor were going to be going to the burn ring.  Dennis’ plans, Dennis’ day.

  In the studio sits my wonderful Bernina QE . . . quilter and embroiderer.   The straight stitching it does isn’t half bad either.  Lena had taught me all sorts of tricks of the trade using the treadle sewing machine that had a permanent home under the north two kitchen windows.  It could be called into service as quickly as the leather belt could be strung onto the wheel.   I had a list of clothing items I had planned to alter and they were all on the table next to the machine.  Altering clothing and mending clothing is not the most desirable in the creative world, but a necessary evil.  All lights possible were in service allowing for a bright working relationship.  The Twins were playing in Chicago via KNUJ.  Sewing chair pulled up and head down, I tackled my task.  Not a hitch or a miss as the hours slipped by.  Success.

  I took a bottle of diet Lipton’s Green Tea out to Dennis.  It’s not carbonated and we have enjoyed it for decades.  The only problem is the case comes with 36 bottles and a plan has to be in place to purchase it, get it in the car, get it in the studio for a few bottles at a time in the refrigerator.  Come to think of it, when Megan was a toddler visiting, she got a bang out of sharing my bottle.  No harm was done appeasing a sweet child. 

  The floor for the little red pickup was as clean as a concrete floor that is pitted can get without water and soap.  He was tending a fire of all of the cardboard that he had drug out.  The little shrub that was finally put to rest was brittle as nettle and fed the fire.

  Dennis and I shared the bottle of tea and we did get caught up with each other.  We both had accomplished much with just enough left undone for it to be used as seed for another day.  Sweet.

  Happy Memorial Day!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:19 pm on May 23, 2026 Permalink  

  Saturday 

  It’s a great day out.

  I’ve been busy enough that my email account was not opened for several says.  When I know I have no appointment emails on their way, it seems there is plenty of other media to keep up with.

  This morning Dennis’ nephew Matt Curry came calling to see Dennis.  Matt is from Windom where he grew up as his dad worked for Toro.  Matt works for AgCo in Jackson.  You could put money on Matt’s visit on or around Memorial day.  The fellows were in the patio porch solving all the world’s issues.  Matt’s brother Mitch couldn’t come with.  Mitch works at Toro and they have been having problems getting parts, so Mitch was putting in a short day at Toro today.  

  We are sure there will be no more killing frosts.  The two huge plants that Dennis has tended over quite a few winters in the patio porch are now out getting some fresh air.  They sit in the area that we filled in after we gave up the Koi pond.

  A few hours were put in at the studio.  It keeps me on a good routine, rather than spending the entire day hand stitching with a YouTube running in the background.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:39 pm on May 22, 2026 Permalink  

  Good Times 

  The session in the studio went without a hitch or a glitch.  Working towards using some stash and getting it out of storage feels great.

  Dennis’ new PVC flag pole kit came today.  Great timing as the rains have made his Veteran’s American Flag a bit too heavy to stay off of the grass flying off of the old one that had bricks securing the pole to stand upright . . . well actually leaning quite a bit.  If this flag pole lasts as long as the previous one . . . hats off.

  The rain doesn’t really want to give me a break.  Seeing as I do not melt, I am going to don my rain jacket and make a break for the grocery store.  Nothing heavy is needed, just a few goodies for us for the holiday weekend plus some protein fixings for our suppers.

  It’s always interesting to find out how much rain has been received by the KEYC news over supper.  According to our neighbor Randy’s gravel yard . . . its a bunch.

  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 2:06 pm on May 12, 2026 Permalink  

  The Wind 

  With the horrific winds from the northwest it includes dirt visible in the skies above the tree tops.  Someone’s garbage bin is depositing it’s contents across yards.   White plastic grocery bags are flying much like kites.  It is bad when the air smells like dirt.

  Dennis has shorn up our small PVC flag pole that we have on the patio.  If it can fly our flag in this wind, we are assured of many more days to fly the red, white and blue.

  There was a success in the studio this forenoon.  It helped that I had a video playing on my Dell laptop that I could play and stall at will.  Lena would not have believed what could be accessed for help.  She was blown away when I brought a cutting mat and rotary cutter to her sewing room.  It was complete with a t-square ruler to hook over the edge to cut whatever length was needed.  It gave the weary hands an assist from totally relying on a pair of scissors.  Oh for the wonders that were made by those hands.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:10 pm on May 11, 2026 Permalink  

  Amazing 

  It’s amazing how much I got done on the first floor this morning while I was on hold.  We had gotten a letter informing us that Dennis needed to be re-enrolled in being notified that he could order his CPAP supplies from the Mayo Store in Mankato.  The system had new software that was being implemented.

  All four waste baskets in the house were emptied into one for Tuesday’s pickup.  A load of laundry was folded and put where it belonged.  The pound of thick sliced bacon was taken out of the oven and put on draining newsprint.  The plant I received yesterday was taken out of the gift bag and placed on an older plate to catch any water that would flow out the bottom when it was watered.  Basically, most of my Monday morning work completed until Erica could take my phone call.  No harm, no foul.  I have learned, calling the number another time would not have brought about any quicker response.

  A short studio stint cutting some fabric.  The studio is chilly these days.

  Dennis is off running some errands and then to his six month appointment with our primary.  It allows Dennis to be forthright in the Q&As.  If I had noticed anything out of the ordinary within the last six months, I would have gone with Dennis.  Seeing as how his appointment is at four, our supper is going to be eggs, as Dennis likes them . . . basted, bacon and toast.  Easy to fix once Dennis gets home.  Sometimes at a clinic appointment there could be a wait.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥