Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from July, 2018 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:37 pm on July 8, 2018 Permalink  

  Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained – 

  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  For me working with two-part epoxy paint was just as much of a challenge as a man walking on the moon.  I was fearful.  The two wonderful closets in the basement have always had carpeting on them.  The rough cement floor invariably shuffle off concrete dust.  The last of the heavy rains also made the last of me dragging out pieces of carpeting from the two closets.

  I took counseling from Kevin.  That pointed me to Sherwin Williams Paint Store in Mankato.  The fellow eyed me up after I had made my request, as if I really didn’t understand what I was asking to buy.  At that time I didn’t.  I took my two pails home and began reading online and watching YouTube videos.  I ask you . . . when is the best time to be mixing a two part epoxy job?  I already had the floors prepared several weeks ago.  The cans have been in the basement for almost two weeks.  There never is a best time for a project such as my closets, but by gum . . . today was the day.  Dennis rode shotgun, staying in the basement in case I had an issue with the fumes.  Neither closet has circulation.  It was a matter of having as many fans going in the sewing studio as we had.  The only negative was a blister on my index finger of my right hand.  Pushing down on the roller to fill all the pits took its tole. 

  The project is done and it can take as long as it wants to dry . . .  or does epoxy cure?  No matter.  I have all the time in the world.  I can stand in the doorways and know that I ventured forth and gained a floor surface that can withstand water in the event that Moses sends out a decree.   The closets aren’t fancy but they sure come in handy with a small home.

   
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  Noreen 4:30 pm on July 6, 2018 Permalink  

  I Know Myself 

  I know myself well enough to know that when I become too preoccupied with a situation I cannot alter, as in the post of yesterday with the passing of a young relative, I need to get busy.  I need to get very busy.

  When I got up and checked the weather, it was going to be a day of comfortable humidity with not severe heat.  A bowl of Cherrios was my choice of breakfast.  By 8:30 I had my heavy full length blue jeans on and Dennis’ heavy chambray shirt buttoned to the wrists and to the neck.  Coffee and Deep Woods Off were my equipment.  Being sure to have my eye glasses parked far away I hit the spray button of the Off.  I made sure the tops of my hands were well covered.  As I rustled the leaves of the Hosta plants to get at the weeds, the gray swarm did ascend.  Those buggers were huge.  Everyone has commented on the plague of mosquitos and they were not joking.  It was a toss up if I would end up with weary shoulders from hoeing or weary hands from pulling.  I opted for the pulling of the weeds.  The soil remains wet enough that I could get the entire root of each and everyone of those nasty weeds.  Even the volunteer trees pulled easily.  

  By 10:30 my Off spray was beginning to wear off.  I felt a few pricks right behind my ears.  A bottle of green tea took the place of the empty coffee cup as I sought the spot on the patio that was catching the best breeze.  Oh, there was a breeze but it would have taken a gail force wind to keep the mosquitoes at bay.  I had just taken the twist off cap from the bottle of tea when Dennis came out of the house and headed for the garage.  Yup . . . it was lawn mowing day.

  Dennis did have a small medical issue earlier in the week but he was raring to go today.  I couldn’t argue as it has been eight days since we had last mowed and it needed a trimming.  I did a geriatric twirl so Dennis could give me a quick spray of Off before starting.  I think I got by pretty good with only filling four bags of grass clipping with the area around the house and the front yard.  It takes Dennis a good two hours for the remaining area of the acre.  I surely couldn’t sit around while he was doing due diligence. There is an ancient lilac on the northwest corner of the house that needed some TLC from tell tale damage from the late winter heavy snow and ice.  With various clippers and loppers it is tidied up.  Lilac wood needs to be really dried out before it burns well.  A new pile for the burning ring indicates homeowners are on top of taking care of their property . . . ya . . . right.

  We had a late lunch at 1:30 and called it a good day.  Dennis took a nap and I sat in my favorite chair and I do believe that I checked my eyelids for cracks for a bit.  It felt good.  I did wander down to the sewing studio and check to see if elves had finished my baby blanket that I was working on.  No such luck.  Putting a binding on it will have to wait until my hands have recovered from today’s yard work.  I can do everything I always have with my hands . . . but respecting that they have limits.  I know myself well enough to temper the hand activity or I will have several days when they won’t cooperate.  Tomorrow is another day. 

   
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  Noreen 6:18 pm on June 28, 2018 Permalink  

  What a wingding of a day. Lots was achieved in Mankato. The machine embroidery class that I attend once a month is a good source of information of what and how other individuals have found success. Today was the last day that Dragon Fly Quilt shop was open. Closing forever. River City Quilts in Mankato will be closing for good in August. Changing times. What was astonishing is that there will be a new quilt shop in Madelia. In times past there was a gas station called Dystie’s. It has been a closed business for some time. The gal that is opening that new quilt shop will be purchasing all of the inventory that was left in Dragon Fly Quilt shop after the 5:00 p,m. closing today. Very interesting and I will be keeping an eye out for it to open. In the mean time there will be a new spot for us machine embroiderers to meet by the end of July. One of the gals from Mankato is in charge.

  I have my product for painting the two closets in the basement. It is a two part epoxy. I have the full dity printed out as to how to go about this, including the amount of time that the two products to need “sweat” after being mixed together. I have four hours to use each batch that I mix. I am excited to see a nice light gray greeting me when I go into the closets and choose the groceries out of our pantries.

  When I got home the ole cowboy was just about done mowing the acre. With the amount of rain we have had . . . it needed it. Did it mow well in spots . . . no. It will grow and there will be another time to give it the manicured look. It could be worse as our neighbor to the southeast is still mowing around a water pond.

  This weekend is not for the faint of heart to be out and exerting themselves. Even those who have a lot of stamina need to be taking care. Humidity and heat to allow it to feel 100 degrees plus and even a higher heat index is not safe. I am happy Dennis got the mowing out of his system today. Long grass gets under his skin and you might just as well let him loose in it.

   
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  Noreen 4:06 pm on June 20, 2018 Permalink  

  It was my day for a solo trip north. Bird Island, Minnesota, is the best place to take a sewing machine for expert service by a licensed Bernina technician. There may be a shingle out here or there for sewing machine repairs, but they do not have access to Bernina components. I have total confidence in Kelly and Amanda. The plus is picking Amanda’s brain on techniques. I also took Mom’s New Home brand sewing machine with and that one needed to stay as some parts are needed. What a great reason to head north again sometime soon. Do I need to have Mom’s machine in working order . . . not unless I could grow several more arms or . . . get Dennis to saddle up for stitching. It seems a shame or a waste to not have it fixed. I cannot get myself to believe that sewing is a passion that is lost on Millenniums. Someday, somewhere the disposable style of living will come crashing down and that type of creativity will be alive and well again.

  I stopped in Fairfax for a “Kevin Fix.” I would never miss an opportunity to see family. Phone calls and text messages have their place, but feeling and touching is the ultimate. The old Lincoln just veered into Kevin’s place of work automatically. Now, on the other hand, when Megan and I having texting conversations that is simply priceless. She is busy with violin lessons and now she is preparing to teach a class of kindergarten age in Vacation Bible School. But . . . she still has time for Grammie. The 60 years of difference in our ages transcends into sweetness.

  As I was driving home south the clouds got thick. Twenty six miles from home the windshield wipers needed to be turned on. That was right after dinner time, twelve noon. Now at 5:00 p.m. the rain never has stopped. It’s something about a weather pattern that is stalled. It goes on and on and on and we persevere. Hey . . . I’m set. The sewing machine has been given a clean bill of health, I have threads and I have ideas.

   
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  Noreen 12:55 pm on June 14, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Kersten ( 6 )   

  A Check on my Work 

  

  I have been playing around with embroidery designs on white bleached feed sacks. These particular feed sacks are 36″ x 36″. The set of designs were to stitched out at 2.5″ x 2.5″. They would almost be lost on the size of towels that I have. I did use a program to enlarge the design to 5″ x 5″, much as I did when I enlarged the designs when I made the quilt squares for Kersten’s Pokémon quilt. The designs in the cat collection stitch out at 13,000 to 16,000 stitches. It is quite different from the hand stitching when perhaps the outline had been embroidered with DMC floss. Machine designs can be quite compact. I needed to check on my work and see what would happen if when these towels were given away, used and then laundered . . . how would they look. Would the 16,000 stitches become a mass of puckered stitches on the towel? Before I began a second towel this towel was pitched in the laundry with other white clothes and then dried in the clothes dryer. No special treatment before, during or after . . . no hot iron put to it for smoothing it out. I would be comfortable giving this towel to someone to use and having it remain much like the day I stitched it. Quality control needs to be checked from time to time. I also do test runs to see what type of stabilizer works best with what type of fabric I will be stitching on. Choices, choices. I enjoy my stitching, but I also need to make sure it will pass the time of use. What does it amount to in time and energy to get that result? . . . It doesn’t matter as it is my joy.

   
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  Noreen 1:37 pm on June 10, 2018 Permalink  

  There is a Reason 

  When we realize the six inches of rain within the last four days has us hog-tied for outside work . . . we go to plan B.  For myself that is an easy task.  I can while away hours in the sewing studio doing some tidy work, find a better place for supplies or begin a stitching project and let the machine hum so I can get a post typed out.

  This past week I have been exposed to a lot of family time.  Last Sunday I was with my sister’s family.  Thursday Dennis and I spent the day on my cousin’s farm taking in the church steeple work as well as farm talk.  Every family member of mine has a different dynamic.  As I have had rainy days to mule over everything from the last week I have decided . . . for me, myself and I . . . I like what I have with my children and their families.  I wouldn’t trade my troop for anything in the world.  Orlin and I didn’t have an instruction book when we had our children.  It was a learning curve to say the least.  Each day, each month and each year we did what we felt was needed to keep the kids safe while allowing them to be themselves.  I have no idea how each event that took place may have imprinted within them.  All things that have come into my children’s lives as adults have been choices.  From my perspective they have chosen well for themselves and the day-to-day lives for their families.

  Do I wish that I could spend more time with them? . . . Hell yes.  That is the exact same thought that Mom had.  In reality we bring those wee ones up to be and do what they need to do for love, for home and for jobs.  At this juncture in my life, it is MY job to stay healthy, safe and motivated so when family times do occur I am cognizant to enjoy every last detail.  As I see it, the balance in my life is working out just fine.  Dennis keeps me on my toes so as to not slack off on the details of multitasking.  Our acre allows for all the fresh air one can take keeping it tidy and I surely cannot discount the challenges that I enjoy in the sewing studio.  There is a reason for rainy soggy days. My blog post has allowed me to express some thoughts and I have a wonderful kitchen towel completed on the sewing machine.  Sweet.      

   
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  Noreen 12:53 pm on June 6, 2018 Permalink  

  Back to Normal 

  Today is Wednesday and Stauffer Ave. feels like a normal today.  I put all the shelves back on the north wall of the sewing studio.  Nothing needed to be sacrificed in regard to storage.  It felt normal today that my brother called and we took jabs at each other.  Humor is always a good thing when there are under- tones of care and support.  It was also back to normal to get the weed whip going so Dennis could get the riding lawn mower going without all the back and forward motion needed to get close and personal to objects.  I am quite sure he will be heading in soon for a good drink of water.  After an additional half inch of rain last night it is humid, sticky, soggy and a bit muddy in sparse grass areas.  All the phones in the house were ringing at 4:00 a.m.  Our county has an alert system.  The alert was for a severe thunderstorm heading our way.  Lots of rain, wind, thunder and lightening.  Quite the season of rain.  Yup . . . on so many levels normal feels good.

   
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  Noreen 5:17 pm on May 31, 2018 Permalink  

  Though rare, I do hit Minnesota State Highway 60 solo from time to time. A group of us that do machine embroidery met at one of the quilt shops in Mankato to share tips on stitching, materials and projects. YouTube videos are wonderful, but you can’t beat open conversations. The group is of various ages using various brands of sewing machines to accomplish the end result. For the most part I am self-taught. Several of the gals have traveled as far as Seattle for workshops. I continue to take part in these gatherings as at a unique moment a grand tip can be picked up. My end game remains the same . . . I am having fun doing it.

  While I was in Mankato, Dennis finished up the mowing that we got rained out on last night. We started the mowing late yesterday to give the grass a chance to dry out. We had agreed that a late supper would be the plan. When the clouds began dumping rain, we had supper right on target. That rain tipped us over three inches within the week. The week went quickly and as usual the weekend will be taken as it comes.

   
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  Noreen 2:51 pm on May 29, 2018 Permalink  

  I had bugged off of walking the last several days but this morning I had my walking shoes on and ready to go . . . I just didn’t go as far as I usually would. By the time I got home I had soaked through the waist band on my jeans. . . and beyond. Another high 90s day and the dew point and humidity are also high. I was already past comfortable so I decided to clear off the patio of Oak blossoms, airplane seeds from the maple and small sticks from the wind storm that blew through at supper time last night. We were fortunate as there were buildings that went down about eight miles to the southwest of us. I finished up by doing some vacuuming in the patio porch. Local effort . . . completed.

  I admit it . . . I got real and spent some time in the basement where it is cooler and I have a small fan . . . in my underwear to totally cool down. I sweat like Dad did. Not to worry, I had the house doors locked. After an hour, I was ready to wash up and tidy up to go with Dennis to his doctor appointment here in town. Dennis is in the process of going off of some of his meds that he has been on for some time. The opioid prescription is no longer. There is one other that was at 3,200 mg per day and today he is at 1,200. The carotid surgeries have been successful in fewer meds. Priceless. It is still a work in progress.

  Noon had us back at home and all errands taken care of. We currently are in a storm watch. It has been raining quite hard and for all practical purposes it should help the lawn fertilizer that we just put down. The granules for the ants also likes the rain for effect. Heat, humidity, dew point, rain . . . we take it in stride and I get stitching done when it’s not a good idea to push my luck outside. It’s a win, win.

   
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  Noreen 4:20 pm on May 26, 2018 Permalink  

  Out of the literally blue sky last night we went from blue to purple. At supper time we commented that those north of use would most likely be getting some rain and or storms. Not a half hour later, Dennis was putting down the umbrella and batting down the hatches in the patio porch. The wind whipped the heavy rain in every direction. Every side of the house had lilac and crab tree petals stuck to the siding when all was said and done.

  I was hoping the rain would have cracked the heat that was forecast for today . . . not. I blew off the patio this morning, picked up tree branches and righted the patio chairs. After a storm, no matter how long lasting, I am always thankful there was nothing severe in damage to our home.

  We had forenoon company when Dennis’ niece and her husband from Morris stopped in. It’s always a good thing to catch up with family. When Jean and her husband left, Dennis decided to check his eyelids for cracks and I headed down into the sewing studio.

  Jean is three years younger than I am. She was just recovering from having cataracts done on both eyes. Her vision is still recovering. Jean also made mention of meds to control the shaking in her arm and neck, also known as onset of Parkinson’s disease. Needless to say I said a prayer of thanks for my health as I whiled away the hot afternoon in the sewing studio. Dennis says I am too mean and too suborn to get the chronic stuff. Lord, oh Lord, I hope he is correct. Personally, I think perseverance is a more apt for what I practice than Dennis’ terminology. Tee Hee!