Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from November, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:20 pm on November 15, 2017 Permalink  

  We had a great trip north to my favorite sewing shop in Bird Island. Karen and Al are turning their shop over to daughter Amanda and her husband Kelly. While Al and Karen took in the Bernina show in Las Vegas to keep up with all the new technology that is coming, Al came down with H1N1 flu, swine flu as we are familiar with. The bottom line when all was said and done and time had lapsed to try and regain his health, he was down to having two weeks to live. It came out in the news that the strain of flue was running rampart at that time. Al’s lungs remain very fragile. He is teaching his son-in-law the repair ropes. Al and Karen are moving to Duluth in January, as it is touted as having the cleanest air for such health issues.

  I know I will enjoy working with Amanda and promised to see her and Kelly in six months. I came home with some new items to try working with my HP Notebook and existing designs on my flash drives. I can change the size and/or add multiple rows of text choosing so many different fonts, it will be hard to decide. I have had the HP Notebook since Christmas 2015 loaded with Windows 10. I would not be able to tackle this download if my Dell with Windows 7 was still my #1 laptop. Humph . . . things do have a way of falling into place. Go Grammie!

   
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  Noreen 5:37 pm on November 14, 2017 Permalink  

  It may have gotten to high forties today, but with rain, drizzle and enough gray to make huge elephants it left something to be desired. Fog is setting in over the supper hour. We have a road date tomorrow, heading for Bird Island. Every six months the sewing machine is taken in for a grease job and oil change . . . so to speak. I do clean it often and oil it to the degree that I can. I know Al will have it all but turned inside out working his magic. With the fog setting in this evening, I am happy about our 11:30 appointment. Of course we need to leave home early enough to stop along the way for a cup of coffee and a “Hi.”

  My track phone was needing the 365 day air time to be bought. Locally if the brand is not Verizon, track phones cannot be worked with. I surprised myself by getting the job done via the Internet with just a few prompts and just as many minutes. My original program allowed 400 bonus minutes every year when I bought 400 minutes for $97.00. Humph . . . I now have 3,025 minutes. That is not to say I use our land line phone to any degree. I am not a phone person but the cell phone is more of a safety precaution to have on my person when I am on my daily walk . . . or to find Dennis when I have lost him in Sam’s Club.

  Well, I had best get that sewing machine packed up for a huge day on the road tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 4:58 pm on November 13, 2017 Permalink  

  XYZ Completed 

  

  Perhaps things happen for a reason. Today Dennis and I moved a few things and the XYZ plan was the best yet. My church tables are totally open for laying out quilting items. We did need to carry in four of the many bricks I had carried out in September. The stury wooden table was a bit low to sit up to it. When we were in the potting shed for the bricks I snapped up a paper holder that we have had around for a long time. The freezer paper that I like to use for mailing items to family now is in a proper holder and it is on the table on the north wall. I have, and Dennis told me the same thing . . . holding onto the cardboard freezer paper box and pulling the paper out of the box for a clean cut . . . sooo doesn’t happen. We have had us a great day here on Stauffer and considering we were down to plan XYZ, my plan is to hunker down and enjoy the sewing studio at will.

   
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  Noreen 4:40 pm on November 12, 2017 Permalink  

  Go to Plan XYZ 

  

  Hmm. I was to be sitting in my red chair on the south end of the church tables while running the embroidery unit. While I was doing straight stitching . . . all was well. Today I wanted to do some embroidery work. The church tables are not stable enough. With the embroidery unit moving back and forth, doing various stitch patterns, I feared all of the shaking, vibrating and jiggling would harm the sewing machine. This trustworthy solid table is where the machine is happy. In time to come I will shift things around and get this table over by my red chair as that is where all the sewing supplies are. I thought I had everything worked out with the new sewing studio design. Not! Plan XYZ will need to take presidency. Shimmy, shimmy shake is not what my warranty would cover on the sewing machine.

   
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  Noreen 4:14 pm on November 7, 2017 Permalink  

  A sunny bright day. I took my gloves off as I walked today. I had been geared up with gloves, mittens, double socks, etc. A mild breeze rather than barnstorming winds does make 32 degrees very pleasant. I am weary right now, I could almost put my head down and nap. My two mile walk . . . done. Sadie’s military tee shirt quilt . . . done. Shortening Dennis’ two pair of PJs . . . done. Embroidering three year old granddaughter’s bath towel for her birthday . . . done.

  All I need to stay on top of this late afternoon is not letting my kettle boil dry on the cook stove that is full of my catheters. I am very close for having a monthly prescription written for them. It is very difficult for me to dispose of each one after each use when in reality taking the time for the multiple sterilization process is not that big of a deal. The other alternative seems so wasteful. Can’t help it. Mind sets are hard to change. Time will tell.

  On the bright side Dennis is in charge of supper this evening. Beef brats and sauerkraut. I think he is up for it. I am going to pass on catching a nap and keep an eye out for the process on the kitchen burner. It’s a good thing.

   
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  Noreen 4:53 pm on November 4, 2017 Permalink  

  Among Other Things 

  

  The day was a bit of this and a bit of that. In the scheme of things, I am calling it a day.

   
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  Noreen 3:42 pm on October 31, 2017 Permalink  

  Thinking it Through 

  

  Thinking all things through. As I was rounding the last of my two mile walk this morning, I knew I had to better assess my clothing for these colder mornings. My toes were chilly and my hands were sweaty. When I got home I turned my jacket and my hat inside out to make sure my excess body heat would dissipate . . . as I sure had collected some. I might have to nab some of Dennis’ warmer socks and wear a pair of lighter gloves and keep the heavy mittens in the pocket until they are needed. I have thought through the latest tee-shirt project to the point that the stabilizer has been applied to the backs. I sliced the gray sweat shirt up so I could use the back as well as the front for one 16″ square block. This quilt will commemorate 10 years of an annual event honoring the fallen. Dennis’ granddaughter Sadie grew up with and served with Brent Koch. Dennis came to the rescue and cut strips of sashing for use in between the blocks. I cannot believe it . . . I will not be purchasing any materials for this. What a great feeling. Time to call it a day and think about those chicken titties and baked squash for supper.

   
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  Noreen 1:45 pm on October 29, 2017 Permalink  

  Walking in Rain Showers 

  Walked in rain showers this morning and thankful for jackets that have hoods. Dennis drove down the highway today to Windom. It’s only about 26 miles and I know it did him good to meet up with some fellows and talk smart to each other.  This has been his first outing since his carotid surgery, hopefully the first of many to come.  

  While I loaded an embroidery design on the sewing machine I am managing to get several loads of laundry done in between time. Multi-tasking does me proud. Running the basement steps in between thread changes to change out the laundry from washer to dryer can’t hurt the gluts.

  Dennis’ grandson-in-law, Mike, was kind enough to change out our faucets on the laundry sink a week or so ago. Today I willingly took on a bit of sewing for Mike. Having a very expensive CarHartt winter coat with the logo of his previous employer . . . just doesn’t cut it. Today Mike brought over the jacket with a patch from his current employer. It will nicely fit right over the previous one and will be ready for pickup the next time Mike stops in.  This is what the barter system is meant to be.

  I have several projects going in the sewing studio.  It works best for me to have that variety.  If I am intense on a single project, I know myself well enough that I work full bore, will loose perspective, and screw up.  Now that I can walk around my two sewing tables there are multiple work areas. 

  Each night before I close my eyes for the last time of that day, I thank God for the day that I have had and give thanks for the wonderful serene and secure life that I have.  Each morning before leaving my snug and secure bed, I ask that God fill me with his grace and that I may be a better person than I was the day before.  Hey . . . I am a work in progress.

   
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  Noreen 3:06 pm on October 26, 2017 Permalink  

  Sew it Begins 

  

  The winds are howling and I am snug in my sewing studio. A few things going on as I am multi-tasking. The flash drive is in the Bernina and the embroidery unit is stitching. At the far end of the table I have Sadie’s tee shirts cut down for her newly requested quilt. No matter how much high tech I have, I still need my paper and pencil to the right of the sewing machine to calculate how to get the achieved size of Sadie’s quilt. It helps to have work area close to the machine for needed color changes of thread in the embroidery patterns. Tomorrow I can begin finding the fabrics from my stash boxes for the quilt. My goal is “Use what I have and not purchase!” I now also have room for my trusty Sears Kenmore machine on the far end of the church tables. It came in handy to sew buttons on Kevin’s shirts after I had mended them. Let the seasons change . . . I am ready.

   
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  Noreen 2:41 pm on October 24, 2017 Permalink  

  Who knew that the winds would actually last into a second day? When I suited up this morning I knew coming home from my walk would be interesting. I tied my hood quilt tight under my chin. Even as the winds are slowing down they are blowing and gusting at 25 mph.

  Dennis was enthused to make a chicken and pasta hotdish for supper. I made sure all he had to do was ask for help if it was needed as I headed to my sewing studio. Today was the first day in a month that I turned the machine on. It all felt foreign. Moving everything, and I do mean everything, around it took a bit to get my grove on. First item on the agenda was some mending that had found its way to the studio this last weekend when the job jar was emptied. It was tackled successfully . . . at least from my perspective and the parcel is on it’s way to its rightful owner.

  Even with the new basement windows the harsh winds could be heard here on the lower level. Knowing that we had everything taken care of outside, I just snuggled in that much deeper with my threads, fuzz and project.

  We have one more project for our basement and Friday is the day. The vapor barrier under the east portion of our home will be put in. The area under the bathroom, which was an add on onto our 100-plus-year-old home, does not have a basement, just a dirt floor. There is access from the main portion of the basement that allowed for plumbing, wiring and heating aspects to be included and then of course updated. That access allows for moisture from the dirt floor to have an impact onto the rest of the basement. Hey, we have tweaked every other aspect for good quality of air and utility, we are on the last biggy. Using the same company for all the work we have done in the basement, gives me a very good feeling. They are careful and guarantee their work. When they put in the windows there was a floor covering put down from the back door, and down the steps. All areas where they needed to work were cleaned up before they left. I feel very confident about this last phase and for that reason I had no qualms in using my sewing studio today, set up just as I had imagined it a month ago.

  Gotta watch us older ones on Stauffer Avenue. We get the jobs done. Knowing that family members do and have helped out, we know they have plenty on their own plates. Family that does a bang up job and knowing contract companies that work with the same quality outcome makes for two very happy people here on Stauffer Avenue.