Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from March, 2020 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 2:08 pm on March 18, 2020 Permalink  

  Snip, Snip – A Quiet Day 

  It is quiet in the town today.  Virus lockdown has brought more posts and emails to come through of things canceled or closed.  I do know that one of our Physician Assistants at the clinic has tested positive.  As luck would have it we are set with what is needed medically. 

  Being the hermit that I am, this too shall pass.  I am not missing out on anything.  When I reflect, my mom was often on the farm for weeks at an end.  Heck . . . when I think of when Orlin and I were farming in Boon Lake, it was nothing to be on the 160 acres for weeks on end.  When feed concentrate was needed, Orlin would head into Buffalo Lake or Hutchinson with the pickup and do double duty of picking up what groceries we needed.  At that point it was easier for me to stay home with a baby and a toddler than bundling them up.

  I learned early on when there is Kevin in a baby carrier on the shopping cart and Carrie wanting to stretch her legs after the car ride into town, that little girl could make tracks.  Oh so many things within reach and she had just enough reach to pick items off of the shelves and get it over the edge of the shopping cart. Oh no . . . I voluntarily stayed on the farm and left the shopping to Orlin.  We never went hungry.  What little was needed to add to what we had in the fruit cellar or freezer didn’t amount to much.  It was usually sugar, flour, yeast and laundry soap.  We pasteurized our own milk.  We had it made.

  Dennis is keeping busy in one or the other of garages today.  It will be harder on Dennis to keep the little red pickup in the garage than anything else going on here on Stauffer Avenue.  We are not quarantined, we just have no needs right now that would take us off the homestead.

  There were certain scraps of fabric that I just couldn’t part with.  It was an unusual fabric that I had for a quilt for Kersten.  I now wish I had purchased more of it at the time.  It’s very hard to find more fabric to purchase of a certain design once you leave the quilt shop.  Bolts of new designs come in as fast as clothing fads.  I managed to put together enough scraps of that print with other plains for a small wall hanging for the Fairfax Team.  I am taking a break from sewing before I put on the binding.  As sure as I knew the previous project, a 52″ table runner, was for Carrie, as she has dark blue walls in her dining room and living room, I knew orange was the dominant color for Kevin’s home.  I have really enjoyed working with the quarter inch bias tape on both of these projects.  Something different to tie into embroidery.  My stashes love being raided.

  Today the week is half shot.  Each day brings new happenings.  Whatever!  Each day’s events can never be duplicated or taken back.  I choose to celebrate each on their own merits.

  It is homemade soup night, right out of the freezer with a coldcut sandwich. Dennis’ favorite is Cervelat summer sausage.  Stauffer Avenue is in good stead.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:06 pm on March 16, 2020 Permalink  

  Clouds Everywhere 

  At least the clouds did not bring rain today.  Raw breezes had Dennis putting on a heavy winter jacket.

  I spent quite a bit of time texting today.  Oh my gosh!  My fingers and wrists are feeling it.  Would I have given any of it up?  Nope.  Megan and I were chatting via texting.  Megan has a job for after school until school is out and then hopefully it will continue into the summer day.  The Mustard Seed is a large landscaping location with all sorts of plant, tree and aquatic goodies.

  I encouraged Megan.  My one line included that perhaps some in the past have encouraged her to exercise more.  Now she can get the exercise while being paid for it.  Cha-Ching!  It surely doesn’t seem possible that this wee one can now drive herself to her part-time job.

  In the sewing studio, I did a good job wearing myself out working with my stashes.  Measure this, cut that, better measure again.

  We are having soup and Chip Steak sandwiches for supper.  The frozen Chip Steak option had eluded me in the grocery store for some time.  This last trip it was as if they had a blue flashing light on them.  They always were a great addition to plop in between hot buttered toast.

  Yes, there is a funeral planned for a family member on Saturday.  I think tonight after supper I will have a heart to heart with Dennis.  If anyone is a vulnerable adult . . . he is.  We are to go to his cousin’s home tomorrow.  My hope is that he will go to his cousin’s tomorrow and allow her to know his concerns and care and then let her know he will be staying home.  The best blessing will be if she offers immediately that she would feel better if Dennis did stay home for his own health.  Time will tell.

  One thing that would make me thrilled this evening is if the PBS channels are finally done with their pledge drives.  It has been going on for several weeks.  We get spoiled watching some great mysteries with no interruptions.  Having six to eighty blurbs of commercials every ten minutes on the regular channels is disgusting.  That’s all I have to say about that!

   
• 

  Noreen 2:31 pm on March 15, 2020 Permalink  

  Frost on the Shingles 

  We were full bore into a lazy Sunday morning.  We had surprise coffee guests by eight.  Dennis’ son-in-law stopped by as he was on his morning walk.  It was a family type visit as Dennis’ cousin’s husband has passed away.  At the age of 72, it doesn’t seem like something that should be . . . but the good Lord has other plans.  There will be a service of some type this next week.

  When Tom left I had the news on and caught the governor’s newscast of closing all schools in Minnesota this week starting on this Wednesday for a period of two weeks.  Time will tell how this situation plays out.  I would pray that it is all hype, but the number of fatalities is the real world.  Even my Bernina people in Bird Island have sent an email to their customers in regard to how they will be safeguarding the environment in their store on a daily basis. This email went out as Renville County has a case of the virus.   

  Shortly after Tom left, and I had gotten the most of the the governor’s news conference as I cared to hear, I had a sewing buddy that called and wanted to come over with questions.  Yup.  The back door is open.  That visit lasted right up to twelve noon.

  So here I am at mid afternoon and I am still in my pink fuzzy robe.  What the heck.  There is no point in getting gussied up at this late time of the day.  Dennis also has been in his PJs and has been wandering in the backyard picking up sticks as well as burning off my landscape grasses to make room for new sprouts.  It is one of the blessings of being an older adult in a small town . . . there are worse things than being caught in robes and PJs.

  When Dennis came in just a bit ago, his son, the trucker, had called and was on his way to Wyoming to deliver a semi load of toilet paper to a Sam’s Club.  It is a nationwide awareness.  Awareness is not all bad. 

  By the way.  Last night for supper the Green Giant Veggie Tots that are cauliflower and not potato were a huge hit with Dennis.  If only there were more veggies that could be disguised that well.

  May the new week bring contentment where we each are found with a profound sense of security for our homes and families.  Dennis and I feel very secure.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:19 pm on March 14, 2020 Permalink  

  Tidy, Tidy 

  Each Saturday is a day to catch up with fuzz, thread and ordinary plain dirt.  The winds have brought a lot of dirt right up to our back door.  Shoes love to drag some of that inside.  The enjoyment of having that easy breezy shop vac on our attic steps continues.  I only have to move the canister three time within the floor space to tackle the week’s worth of that which needs to be taken care of.  Having flannel sheets contributes to the lint, but they sure are sweet to sleep between.

  The last week or so I have pulled off using more supplies from my stashes.  I found an older pattern book with stained glass designs.  The stained glass look comes from bias tape outlining certain areas of a pattern.  I experimented with double needles in the sewing machine for attaching and sewing the bias tape on both sides of its width.  One bobbin thread with two top side threads.  It worked great and saved a lot of twisting and turning under the needle.  One path got it.  I did go back to a single needle to do the ovals at each end.  There is no maneuvering around curves with a double needle.  There were two springtime embroidery designs that were included in a vintage design pack from the late 1990s that I found on eBay.  The packet came with a CD and also a flash drive that had the designs ready to plug into the sewing machine.  It was a sweet find for $8.00. The table runner is 52″ and it was a good challenge.

  The Husky sewing table that Dennis picked up at Home Depot is a winner.  Having the embroidery module going is a true test of its durability.  I couldn’t resist putting a glass of water on the table as it was stitching.  Very little vibration.  In all honesty, I didn’t leave the glass sitting there past the photo opt, as sure as can be I would knock the glass over and have a mess . . . or short circuit something.  I do learn from past mistakes.

  The sun is shining on a brisk day.  Gotta love it.  Tonight I will see how supper goes with having precooked pork chops with what would look to be tater tots.  The tater tots are actually in a perfect disguise, being cauliflower.  Good for the Jolly Green Giant.  Hush is the key.  What goes on in the Stauffer kitchen, stays in the Stauffer kitchen.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:24 pm on March 13, 2020 Permalink  

  A Chilly Day 

  March is so unpredictable.  Warm to cold.  Wet to dry.  I think spring fever is hitting the ole cowboy.  With the batteries charged up on the small leaf blower, he is doing just that.  The leaves that are still weighted down from ice, snow and wet hung tough.  The rest were air borne.  When Dennis came in it was due to the fact that the battery had to be put back on the charger.

  Brett had asked a favor of me.  He wanted to know if I could do some golf towels for him.  I had no idea what a gold towel was or what its purpose would be.  Come to find out, just as I had done towels for Megan and Carrie for the teams to wipe their skates off as they came off of the ice, these golf towels are to wipe off the clubs.  Hmm.  I would imagine not all golf clubs hit the ball on squarely. 

  Today I have been playing around with a very minimalist program I have from Bernina.  For $600.00 I had purchased a program called Tool Box.  I can free-form text layouts in multiple lines in multiple fonts.  It is much like the Word program that home computers had with which to print out labels or posters.  This Tool Box will actually take the design and digitize it for loading onto a flash drive, then loading it onto the sewing machine.  I did quite a bit of it for Kersten when I had purchased digitized images of her Pokemon characters and enlarged them on Tool Box to do quilt blocks of them. 

  What a blessing when I can pull out a 9″ x 9″ pan of frozen meatloaf that only needs to be taken from the raw state to the baked state for supper.  Earlier in the day I had hit our Dollar Store and our grocery store for some staples for the pantry.  I do so much better when I can go into the pantry and pull out items for a meal rather than making lots of trips for one or two items as needed.  When I got home Dennis helped me unload and add to the pantry cabinets.  Bread and milk as needed is easy.  I did notice that there were some shelves that were totally bare in both places that I shopped at.  Noticeably the toilet paper and sanitizers.  One thing I had been wanting to include in grocery purchases was a small box of instant milk.  There are days when that noon bowl of oatmeal for Dennis is short of a bit of milk.  When Dennis unpacked it . . . “Hmm, this hasn’t been in my world since I left Korea.”  Sorry, but in a pinch, it sure will come in handy to open an envelope rather than making a trip in the car.  Surprisingly, it was the last box on the shelf. 

  This has been a good week.  I rousted out lots of loved memories from times past.  For me it is a good thing to realize that where I am today didn’t happen without incidents of two people working through challenges and building fortitude that has served me well over the years.  I can and do, silently think of and thank Orlin as that is where it all began. 

  May everyone have a great weekend of spring feeling weather.  If Dennis is having episodes of spring fever, I am sure lots of able bodied people are right there doing their own thing.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:50 pm on March 9, 2020 Permalink  

  Gray Skies 

  Gray skies with little pellets of . . . something.

  A Monday morning is a great time to start something new.  Dipping all ten toes into a new venture with chin up and shoulders squared.  Ready or not here I come!

  For myself, I have been kicking around an old pattern book for several weeks.  I did do a project out of this book when Lena still lived on the farm in Boon Lake Township.  Who knew that I would end up owning a sewing machine that could also do embroidery.  My plan is to take out a portion of the pattern that was pieced and put in an embroidered stitched item.  Right now my church tables are a mess with fabric scraps, rulers and stabilizers.  I am holding my breath as to the outcome.

  I took some time off to head to the grocery store for milk and a few items.  It does the noggin good to get some fresh air and clear muddled thoughts.  I knew that the project I am working on would need some quilt batting.  Dennis’ nephew always saves me what is left after one of his quilts is off the longarm.  As I got into his sewing area I was blown away.  Talk about dipping toes into new projects.  He is in the process of building a sewing table top to put on an existing table.  It is 7′ x 12′.  He has lots to think about in regard to stabilizing it.  I could just see one of his buds coming to visit him, putting a butt check on the edge of the table to chat and having the entire table top flip.  I suggested legs on the corners.  I took my quilt batting and l left.

  We all need to know what is within ourselves to make our lives doable and meaningful.  Suggestions can be made but in the end, all that can really be offered is a lot of moral support when someone is strong enough and brave enough to get those toes wet right up to the the ankle bone.   Life is sweet when we realize the options that are out there and . . . go for it!

   
• 

  Noreen 6:29 pm on March 7, 2020 Permalink  

  Got it Done 

  Today was the day for “out with the old, in with the new.”  Grammie was going to get a new sewing table.  For the last fifteen years I have been sewing on an old heavy table.  The top was shiplap tongue and groove that had more layers of paint than could be counted.   2 x 6 boards made up the four sided frame with 2 x 4 legs.  It was built to last.  The table was too short to sit up to as my legs couldn’t get under the 2 x 6 sides.  Two bricks under each leg and all was good.  

  Dennis came home yesterday from Mankato with a new Husky height-adjustable table that was 20″ x 46″.  It was totally assembled.  That in itself was a Godsend.  We don’t do well with DYI projects.

  Slow and steady to allow for the old table to be brought up the steps.  There had been a railing put on the south wall that took away a good five inches of width in which to wiggle the table up one step at a time.  Break time!  Dennis hit the rocking chair in the patio porch and that gave me time to get out the old Filter Queen vac to tidy up in the sewing studio.  

  As heavy as the Husky table was, I was totally taken aback how easily we got it down the steps.  “Watch the crank, watch the crank.”  Bend the crank handle and the adjustable height is history.  Let’s hear it for the older ones on Stauffer Avenue!  We decided to take the casters off of the legs.  That made a whopping 4″ difference in the height. 

  Dennis was anxious for me to get the sewing machine with the embroidery module set up on the table so we could see if the table would vibrate beneath the sewing machine.  Nope.  Steady as a rock. 

  This whole process went a lot faster than I could have planned.  From Thursday night to Saturday noon, the project was talked about, sought after and installed. 

  Sometimes as we work through physical challenges, what is right in front of us goes unseen.  This table top is now 5 inches lower than my ever faithful lumber table top.  I know that my body said a prayer of thanks.

  Spring ahead!  That is the message heard everywhere on the news.  It does seem like we just adjusted the time.  For my part the winter has gone fast even though we were quite the homebodies.  We realized the depth of that when we were in Mankato last week and had the pickup serviced.  The last oil change had been done August 9, 2019.  As we pulled into Jiffy Lube we were right on the 3,000 mile mark for the service.   Yup, time flies when we are having fun.

   
• 

  Noreen 6:09 pm on March 6, 2020 Permalink  

  A Popping Type of Day 

  We found out that company was coming.  Michael’s wife Jo was coming our way than going on to see her daughter and grandson in Laverne.  

  Dennis had a prescription in Mankato that could be picked up today for his CPAP machine.  Some components of the CPAP, particularly the latex gaskets that attach to the headgear, are issued one a month.  We do have it set up that Dennis can pick up three months worth at one time saving us driving.  It’s a window of picking up supplies that’s not wise to delay.  Dennis took his friend Lyle with him on the road trip.

  Kevin had shared with us that the Home Depot might have an adjustable height table that could be used for my sewing studio.  We may have to order one if they don’t have the small one in stock.  The lowest height was 27″.  Right now my old lumber table has the needle hitting the project at 35″.  Dennis said he would check it out after he had his prescription.

  It was right around noon when Dennis called.  Home Depot had one small adjustable table, 46″ in length, with the remaining stock much larger.  Dennis could purchase it right off the floor, totally assembled.  What a great deal.  I had been looking at some online that were much more expensive and shipping charges would have applied.

  While I had a great visit with Jo over coffee, Dennis and Lyle had the table loaded in the pickup and were off to enjoy lunch at Perkins.  It was a win, win.

  Tomorrow we will take our time and do some configuration in the sewing studio before the new sewing table comes into the studio.  This purchase was one of the last items to be gotten in regard to getting the right fit for the ole gal with tender shoulders, hands and neck.  Sweet!  It is amazing how some things fall into place so smoothly that it’s downright scary.  I put out a request to Kevin on Thursday night as to what he felt in regard to some website tables I was thinking about.  Here it is 24 hours later and the table is ready to come into the house.

  The weather for the weekend is to be wonderful, giving the dirty old dirty snow a run for its money.  That coupled with the turning of the time clocks forward by one hour, can Spring be far behind!

   
• 

  Noreen 6:20 pm on March 3, 2020 Permalink  

  A Day of Good Feelings 

  Dennis was up and at it to be in place at his favorite spot for coffee . . . McDonald’s.  It does him a world of good to kibitz with those that can share what their days bring.

  Dennis had barely driven out of the yard when I had company in the sewing studio.  Very unexpected but surely was welcomed and enjoy.  Nothing serious going on but sharing ideas and picking each other’s curiosity in all things fuzz and threads.  It was almost Noon when Dennis popped home and he shared some thoughts with my visitor about all things fuzz and threads.  Dennis has been down in the sewing studio long enough and often enough that his thoughts give credence.

  This afternoon, I decided to check over our tax returns for one final peek.  Nothing had changed but I felt better refreshing everything in my mind before I got the checkbook out to write out the amounts due to the state and federal.  Sigh!  At suppertime Dennis had the privilege of putting the postage stamps on and also the inked return address on the envelopes.  A team effort.

  I am no further in my endeavor to begin a new project.  Quite a few quilt books are out on the church tables with bookmarks in some.  I am on the trail.  Would you believe in all of my studio stashes, I do not have two-sided fusible web.  How could that be!  Dennis has the first Wednesday of the month luncheon in Mankato tomorrow.  I am riding shotgun to make a short visit to JoAnn’s while he is at lunch.   It will be my first visit to JoAnn’s for the 2020 year.  Felling pretty good about that. 

  Over time my thinking gets muddled.  It’s also called ruminating.   I cannot believe how fast time has gone over the year.  Many challenges have been met with just as many sleepless nights at times.  We have made it through those challenges and come out on the other end in good stead ready to take what comes.  From my point of view . . . feelings don’t cripple us, feelings don’t debilitate our spirits.  Maintaining good health is where it is all at.  Our healthy bodies visit regularly with our minds to keep us on track to know that we are children of the Old Adam.  It was never meant to be a walk in the park.

  Mid 40s tomorrow.  Gotta love it.

   
• 

  Noreen 6:15 pm on March 2, 2020 Permalink  

  It was Needed 

  This day, this Monday, it finally worked out for us stitchers to get together at Baker’s Square.  There are times when schedules don’t pan out, but let me tell you the wait is worth it.

  Sharing ideas can be compared to finding a new planet that is orbiting earth.  Sharing the stitches that didn’t work out is like an earthquake in your very own backyard that needs recovery time.  We speak a language that is foreign to many.  All of us agree that finding homes for our finished projects is priceless.  Any family request for what we may be able to stitch does not go unheeded.  Sometimes we would hope more would be needed from us from our families.

  I enjoyed being out and about today.  No heat needed within the vehicle with just a hint of fresh air from a cracked passenger window.  As I had stopped for several groceries at Hy-Vee, I also brought home supper from their deli.  Coming home and needing to get right into the harness can really take the glow off of a great day.

  Dennis has all of his five gallon pails at the elevator for shell corn.  Tomorrow after his usual Tuesday coffee group he will head to the elevator and have enough corn for several weeks.  This evening at supper he did mention that perhaps this would be the last of the trips to the elevator for corn.  The snow has shrunk allowing some of Mother Nature’s offerings that were snow covered to peek out for a nibble here and there.

  As I have not one single, unfinished item in the sewing studio, I came home from the stitchers with a new idea.  It will take time to flush out a pattern from my stashes and see what will happen.  I am still on target that stashes will get hit before purchases, so this might get interesting and be a lot of fun.

  Enjoy the Tuesday and realize that whatever the day brings, it will never ever be duplicated again as the real time, real deal.  Yesterday is over, tomorrow is not as yet ours, we need to live in the present.