Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2020 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:43 pm on September 8, 2020 Permalink  

  Chilly Willie 

  Wow-zer!  47 degrees this morning.  First day of school for many and I will bet there was a scurry to find jackets.  I stayed in all day.  I saw how gray and damp it was and decided that I would head to the sewing studio.

  I really did not have a choice.  I started an embroidery design yesterday.  It had about 84,000 stitches in it.  I don’t run my machine fast.  It never even hits the halfway mark.  I had gone onto Ebay a while back and found some brand new embroidery designs for a very far price . . . $10.00 for a collection of 18 designs that could be stitched in four different sizes.  It was a collection that had been discontinued by Anita Goodesign.  It was called Vintage Easter.  I think it was discontinued as not many would appreciate having the entire process take hours.  Yes, I said hours.  With a slower speed the machine said 390 minutes. Yesterday at supper time, I put the machine on “sleep” mode and shut off the lights in the sewing studio. 

  This morning, my agenda was to get a batch of chili going.  A good way to get some extra heat in the kitchen and have a great supper for us this evening.

  About ten this forenoon, I went down and woke up the sewing machine and we were off to the races.  I don’t leave the sewing area when the machine is working.  I have heard horrible tales of something going wrong and pieces were needed to be picked out from under the hood.  I can tell you that with the stitching taking five hours, I got a lot of cleaning done in the sewing studio.  The cleaning felt just as good as the final project.  It all turned out great.  This stitching will be ready for next Easter.  The attention to detail on these designs is amazing.  I did put in a new needle halfway through.  Two layers of the corn starch stabilizer plus the needle having to go over previous stitches, I didn’t want to take a chance to have a partial project on my hands.  I did notice with the friction heat of the needle a bit of the sticky stabilizer wanted to pull up and hang onto the needle.  I keep a bottle of nail polish remover handy to take away the sticky residue.  If not, eventually it is sticky enough the tread will break.   

  It has been a good day.  I didn’t really care what was going on outside.  Dennis checked on the chili and he gave it thumbs up for supper.  I had a small pan of rhubarb crisp in the freezer.  That is now making the kitchen smell wonderful.  No . . . I had not prepared this.  When we were coming home from Mankato a time ago, Dennis stopped at the Welch Heritage Apple barn and we tucked one of their goodies in our freezer.  This is a perfect topper for us older ones on Stauffer Avenue.

  Take this weather and enjoy the break from the heat and humidity.  It may not last long but a welcome break it is indeed.

   
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  Noreen 3:43 pm on September 6, 2020 Permalink  

  A Damp Sunday 

  About midnight last night the rumbling of thunder started with consistent lightning.  No large cracks, just consistent.  It was very loud.  I looked out to see if we had wind with it, but nothing to speak to.  About two it had settled down.  Every once in awhile there would be thunks of hail but thankfully nothing consistent or large.  

  With the inch of rain working its magic on all things green and soon to be green, I decided to stay indoors and get a few things taken care of.  On the docket was a cold salad to whip up for tonight’s supper and most likely an additional supper or two.  

  I have had an attachment that came with my sewing machine. I have looked at it a time or two but today was hands on.  Time to get serious.  I have blank dish towels on hand for just such a day.  My first towel was close, but as in horseshoes . . . close doesn’t count.  I was off in maintaining an even center for the decorative stitching.  Deciding on the stabilizer for the backing is the key.  I also was disappointed in the fact that the fabric around the design puckered, a sure sign of not having the right backing.  A soft cotton towel needs help in holding the stitches as intended.  

  Try, try again.  I had a stabilizer that has corn starch in it.  The backing of glossy paper gets peeled off and then applied onto the back of the towel with consistent pressure smoothing it on.  As I changed threads and designs, I was careful to keep the center of the fabric in place.  I held my breath until I could dunk the finished project into warm water to wash away the stabilizer.  I popped it into the clothes dryer and hoped it wouldn’t shrink into a mess of crunched up stitches.  I do believe I have found the best stabilizer going forward.  It may have something to do with the extra step in having to dunk into water to release the stabilizer and then drying, but the end result is classy and not puckered. The end result of it looking less than the time and thread spent to achieve it . . . it’s not a good thing.  The blank dish towels from Mills Fleet Farm are choice, much like the originals from feed stores of times past.

  God bless corn starch.  It thickens any gravy sauce into a smooth texture. It soothes skin that has chaffed from rubbing fabric that is sweat-drenched.  Lo and behold, it is my choice of sewing stabilizer when doing decorative work.  Who knew! 

  I think there is still time for some patio sitting before putting out supper.  Cold salads always have a better taste after all the ingredients have co-mingled.

  This next week looks like a winner in regard to weather.  So far we have a light schedule.  As long as I keep checking the calendar on my telephone, we are good to go.

   
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  Noreen 4:05 pm on September 3, 2020 Permalink  

  Full Day 

  It was my day to head north to my sewing people.  Amanda at Creative Stitches has done a great job of serving those of us that need our machines kept up.  Today was a day for me to pick up thread.  As the shop is changing out the brand of embroidery thread going forward, I needed to fill in some colors that I use with my machine.  I am going to have one brand in the sewing studio.  I hear too many stitchers that end up with a variety of brands.  The Isacord is what I started out with and that is what I will stick with.  $2.00 a spool compared to $5.80 per spool made the drive north an easy one.

  I stopped in at Fairfax for a feel good stop.  Half of the Fairfax team was hard at it at Casey’s.  Finding out that all was well, I continued on my way home.  As I drove it was amazing how the crops are showing the season is soon changing.  

  What to find when I drove in the drive . . . were mowers all gassed up and ready to hit the acre!  I didn’t argue.  Let’s get it done and then we can enjoy the satisfaction of having it done and having it look good for the weekend.  My portion around the house is quite diminished as I have been watering the very front, encouraging my grass seed to sprout.  There is evidence that we have success going and it was easier to use the weed whip to swipe at patches that needed a trim rather than run the mower over spots that are showing new growth.  Patience and water, water, water.  Just as Dennis was going to head east to begin mowing, he got a wasp sting in the back of his neck.  Those nasty buggers.  Ironically, any time either of us have ever gotten a wasp sting, it has been in the back of the neck.  Very telling that they like to sneak up on us.

  It has been a full day.  Now, if I could wiggle my nose and have supper appear.  Dennis is not a fussy person, he may be on board for fried egg sandwiches with soup.  Gotta love the ole cowboy that is always on the move as to what is needed to be done.  Retired folks that say they are bored . . . we can’t relate to that.  Our kids work hard all week and we need to stay active as well.

   
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  Noreen 2:31 pm on September 2, 2020 Permalink  

  Getting it Done 

  Today we had our checkup with Complete Basements out of Mankato.  Every fifteen months, they do a check on all things related to the sump pump.  Without that sump pump and the maintenance of it I would be up a creek.  Glub, glub.  All is well as of now with the reminder that next year, we will need to replace the battery for the backup system.  It is now metered out at 11.2%.  We have never had to have the backup used . . . thus far.  It sure would be a sad state of affairs if we didn’t maintain what has and is serving us so well.

  Dennis went to his veteran’s luncheon today in Mankato.  They had not gotten together since February.  Dennis reported it was a slim turnout as I am sure some don’t feel that they are ready to be in a crowd, remembering that all of them are at the age of being vulnerable adults.

  Anytime I finish with a project in the sewing studio, it’s time to tidy up.  Threads escape . . . everywhere.  With the last project having a lot of lint and fuzz, it warranted doing some deep cleaning of the sewing machine and oiling all parts indicated.  Putting in a new needle after each project is also so worth the time and money.  My gosh they are less than $.75 each and it makes a huge difference.  

  It felt good to get the sump pump checkup over with as well as the mighty sewing machine cleaning.  I am not a procrastinator. With that . . . I take after Dad.  I appreciate getting that in my genes.  Getting things done in a timely fashion makes for by-passing crunch time or stressing over thinking about doing it.  Last minute glitches can throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Doing it sooner than later allows for enjoying the bubbles, aka: freeing up the spirit.

  We are on to more days of tolerable temps.  How sweet is that!

   
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  Noreen 2:52 pm on September 1, 2020 Permalink  

  The Minkee 

  Off and on today, I was at the sewing machine.  In between time I was out giving Dennis moral support for his task of working on the Cub Lo Boy.  What’s not to like about a tractor that can be tinkered on.

  Though we had a good shower of rain, I also want to keep the newly seeded areas next to the drive and the curb damp.  It’s been a good thing to have some cool days and allow the soil to stay damp for more than several hours.

  Needless to say, the Minkee blanket is done.  This was a kit that friend Rita had picked out.  After cancer had taken her, her daughter gifted her fabrics to me.  Pairing a stretchy Minkee polyester fabric to a woven non-stretch flannel posed some issues.  The multi-colored black flannel came from the stashes of my friend Lorraine.  After cancer had taken her, her children gifted her fabrics to me.  After much pinning, I went to the Fairfax team’s embroidery floss cabinets.  Using the old fashioned way of quilting, tying with yarn or floss, made it possible to treat each square unto its own, corralling it as best I could.  I did have some plain black in my stashes to use to bind the Minkee.  I decided to anchor each block with some machine embroidery in each of the 20 blocks, putting it in the center.  Putting each block into a hoop allowed the stitching to go on smoothly.  After the stitching was done, it was allowed to go back to its fluffy, unkempt form.  So be it!

  I have no idea where this blanket may end up.  There is no waiting list.  All I know that having it in blanket form it is more appealing with usefulness, than having twenty pre-cut blocks in a plastic bag.  I have an idea the circular file would be found.

  So you may have gotten the path I am taking with sewing.  I am using up what is lying before me.  Working my whiles, using some of this and some of that, making it work.  I have no doubt, walking into a quilt shop, there may have been additional choices for the backing.  The colors that this black had incorporated, spoke to me.

  This was actually the second Minkee project that had been initially Rita’s. On my own, I won’t be seeking out another project with it.  I really like my cottons.  In thinking on it, it will be a long time before I need to shop for fabric. Thankfully the remaining fabric from Rita and Lorraine is cotton flannels and printed cottons.  At the gathering we had in the park last Friday, there was no one that had a love for working with stretchy polyester Minkee.  2020 was my year to make due with what was within the sewing studio.  Yes, the fabrics from friends need to be honored and worked into something useful and something for someone to cuddle up in.  

  Dennis has had a buddy stop in to help with tractor putzing.  I am off the hook until supper time.  Where did the time go . . . tomorrow is already hump day!  Giddy-up and make the most of it.

   
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  Noreen 4:20 pm on August 31, 2020 Permalink  

  New Week 

  Waking during the night to hear the rain was perfect to lull me back to sleep.  I will take 6/10ths any day.  It was sorely needed.  I am assured that I can take several days off of watering grass seed.  I have noticed needle-like spears coming up in the midst of the front yard.  There’s nothing like trying.

  As wonderful as it was outside, I didn’t spend any amount of time out.  The most physical thing I did outside was take the time to take off all the bugs from the front of the car.  Elmer’s glue has nothing on bug glue.

  Off and on I was in the sewing studio.  I don’t spend hours on end at the sewing machine.  Neck, shoulders and wrists need to be honored so I can continue sewing long into the months of 2020 . . . and beyond . . . just like Buzz Lightyear.  When Dennis comes in he always calls out as he doesn’t know if I am in the basement or the west porch on our first floor reading.  With our home being so small it would only take a few steps one way or the other for a visual.

  Today Nicholas started seventh grade school at the Christian Academy in Eden Prairie.  Both of the grand-kids are where they need to be.  A positive experience to fuel enthusiasm. I hope there are many schools that can kick off the year with kids being in the classrooms.  The virtual is something I would have a hard time feeling vested in what the day should be. 

  The neighbor’s Oak tree is shucking acorns like crazy.  Jan reported that the deer are in their yard every night snacking.  The squirrels have their paws busy trying to score as many as possible.. . . and of course digging them in for later snacks.  When the acorns manage to bounce off of our metal down spouts, it sounds like a mini bomb.  Our Black Walnut trees have not put out very many nuts.  No, I have no idea what the wive’s tail take is on what kind of winter the nuts forecast.

  Take this weather and do with as you will.  It is such a fantastic break.  Wednesday is the only day this week that may be a bit warm.  We have gotten toughened up with the heat so a few more days won’t break us.

   
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  Noreen 3:40 pm on August 30, 2020 Permalink  

  A Pleasant Sunday 

  It was planned to have a quiet day and as it is rounding to the supper time, I believe we have pulled it off.

  Getting up at eight, it doesn’t take long to realize the world around me has been on the go for some time.  I cared not.

  My day was spent for the most part in the sewing studio puzzling through how to continue working with my Minkee fabric.  All twenty blocks have been sewn together.  It was time to hit the stashes to see what the backing would be.  I am determined to use what I have.  I know when I see it, a light bulb will pop and I will have found the answer.

  When us stitchers got together last Friday, I was amazed how many have been out and about to quilt shops.  One of the gals has taken to ordering online.  For myself, I like to touch and feel before I buy.  My stashes allow that for me.  I have been picking away at the stashes as I seem to have an empty tote in the cistern closet.

  I could hear by what was going on outside that Dennis was taking the auxiliary hose that we have had stretched along the drive to get rid of the sump pump water and rolling it up.  He will be putting the boot back on at the origination where the sump pump brings the water to the surface at the northwest corner of the house and takes it underground.  By late spring the soil in that area was so saturated, it had become a swamp.  I know we will be getting rains, but doubtedly so much that the swamp returns. 

  It sounds like this next week will be one that will bring a smile to the face when we step outside.  How sweet will that be!  Enjoy the remainder of this evening and put that head on the pillow giving “Thanks Be” for the great weekend.

   
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  Noreen 3:26 pm on August 28, 2020 Permalink  

  A Day Away 

  The group that we call ourselves “The Stitchers” met in an open park today in Mankato.  There were eight of us that brought our chairs and headed to the huge shade tree.  Our Harbor Freight chairs are wonderful for just such a day as this.  But . . . after sitting on one for four hours, it took a bit for the legs to get mobilized for that push to get me upright.

  It’s not so much what we share about stitching but just getting out, visiting without wearing masks and taking in the breeze under a huge shade tree.

  First thing this morning, I did visit the courthouse to pick up the license tabs for the car.  I realized they said September, but guess what . . . that is right around the corner.  The courthouse office doors were mainly closed.  The hall always has echoed, but more so today.

  I was in Mankato a little early today and I walked through Hobby Lobby and it felt like I was being mauled by Christmas items.  Good grief.  Here it is the 28th of August and there were lighted trees everywhere.  Amazing to me that there is very little in that store that is ever full price.  All Thanksgiving and Christmas items were 40% off.  I left my cart in the designated area where it would be sanitized and then be put out in the entry for the next possible customer. 

  My second stop was JoAnn’s Fabric.  I had not been in the store for some time and it didn’t take long for me to realize there was nothing I needed.  I found one item at the 70% off aisle.  One lone towel that will be perfect for machine embroidery come winter.

  No groceries were needed and as I was coming west on Highway #60, heading for home, I knew where Dennis was.  Dennis was at friend’s Dwayne’s building site in the country.  Apparently the site has been sold and the crunch is on to liquidate what Dwayne has in the sheds.  When Dwayne retired from the International Tractor shop he had here in St. James, I have an idea that he moved what wasn’t sold at that time, right out to the shop on his building site.  Dennis’ red pickup was parked next to the overhead doors of the huge shop.  The show and tell over the supper hour will sure be enjoyed with all the embellished stories as to why we now have more in the pickup than we had in the morning.  Fun times for two old duffers.

  I did have the day off from being outside today.  I am looking forward to a pleasant Saturday with the wheelbarrow close at hand.  We had 3/10ths of an inch of rain during the early morning hours.  For all the thunder and lightning, I would have guessed more.

   
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  Noreen 3:11 pm on August 27, 2020 Permalink  

  A Thursday 

  It is a habit to check the temperature, humidity and dewpoint first thing in the morning.  It does spur me on to get dressed and head on outside before I really think about it.

  Snuggles and I worked on the Crab Grass situation until 9:30.  The wheelbarrow was full and grass seed was ready to be watered down.  It is amazing even early on in the morning hours how hot the sun can feel on my scalp.  I do have a hat, it just seems to get in the way.

  I came in, cooled down and read a bit in the west porch, the entire while seeing the sprinkler in my peripheral vision.  At twelve noon . . . the water got shut off.  Hopefully we are to get rain during the late night and early mornings.  Rain always does more than hose water.

  As I geared up to do some stitching, it again struck me how individual we are when picking out fabric to work with.  Rita, rest her soul, had fabric and kits that she had envisioned working up.  I am honoring what she had planned.  Fabric companies put together kits.  Of course they always display the finished item within their quit shops as a come-on.  This particular kit is of the Minkee fabric line.  It is close to a stretch velvet but much more durable.  It will end up being 48″ x 50″.  As the finish is quite slippery, it needs to have a lot of pins in place to stitch out well in the seam allowance.  As I look at it as it is being put together, I puzzle over what fabric and what color should be on the back.  I think I will take it one step at a time.  Hmm.  I am seeing something in black.  Flannel does do well with Minkee.

  Dennis has had a great day.  In weeks past, friend Dwayne has shared items with Dennis as Dwayne is moving into town.  Dwayne just wanted things “gone.” Dennis’ grandson was thrilled to have all the shotgun shells.  There were many bridals that Dennis spent time on oiling up and cleaning up.  As Dennis was driving past the fairgrounds this morning, there were two gals working their routines with their horses in the arena.  Dennis stopped in and found out that these gals were from New Ulm and they like to work their horses out in various arenas.  Dennis came home and told me he was off to share goodies.  The two gals took all that Dennis had cleaned up and couldn’t believe a total stranger would be so generous.  That’s how Dennis rocks. 

  Here we are getting ready for supper and we both have had a great self satisfying day. 

  Tomorrow, no dirty finger nails for me.  I am going to Mankato and us stitchers are meeting at one of the outdoor parks.  Fun times.

   
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  Noreen 2:39 pm on August 26, 2020 Permalink  

  Slow and Steady 2 

  I did have a plan for this morning and as luck would have it Dennis needed to have the alarm set for an appointment at the VA Clinic.  Getting up before seven, jumping through my usual hoops, I was outside before eight.

  By 9:30, the wheelbarrow was full of nasty Crab Grass, the rich black dirt had been raked, the Kentucky Blue Grass had been sprinkled and the water sprinklers were on.  Dennis came home in time for some patio sitting. 

  Dennis kidded me that this fussing over Crab Grass was granddaughter Megan’s fault.  When Carrie and Megan came in last spring, Megan had kind of shook her head at Grammie in regard to the flower garden that was very evident when someone drove into our drive.  Sure enough, Megan was right on.  It was beyond sad.  She has a job this summer working for the Mustard Seen Garden Nursery.  Megan clued me in on plants to put out there in the full sun.  Thanks, Megan, they are doing great!  It has eye appeal!

  In these last months when someone would pull into our drive, what could be seen was a front yard that had grass that had gone dormant.  But . . . not so the Crab Grass.  It almost looked like a mine hedge growing along the concrete drive for about eight inches into the lawn. 

  Digging a bit each day hasn’t hurt me one bit.  In rethinking the Mantas electric tiller, it would have succeeded in cutting up the roots, but not getting to the nitty-gritty of the depth of the roots.  We are moving onto the area along the curb of the city street. It is doable. Thank the great Lord we don’t have a front yard with excessive lineal feet.  Give that crap of Crab Grass a whack and a dig and soon the “thought about project” will be a “done deal.”  Even this afternoon, it is hot out but the humidity and dew point look favorable for better days ahead.  Dennis has been great moral support and our front yard is getting to look as if those that live here . . . do care. We just needed a “Megan push.”

  Yesterday late afternoon, I did put the sewing studio lights on and twirled in my sewing chair, contemplating a project.  It was the first step in eventually moving from yard work to fun work.  When nephew Larry’s mother-in-law became ill, I was given a rather large amount of her stash of fabrics.  This afternoon, I turned on the sewing machine lights and tried out a few possible scenarios. 

  Yup, I am going to be just fine.