Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2016 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:40 am on June 13, 2016 Permalink  

  I believe Dennis and I are both feeling being out in the hot wind yesterday for a graduation reception. The temps were at the 90 degree mark and we didn’t feel it until we got home. Today Dennis is in a nappy mode. He may feel bad about it, but the ole body does not lie, it wants what it wants. He just needs to regenerate.

  What’s this gal to do when the heat takes away vim and vigor. . . I hit my sewing studio and tore apart my sewing machine for a good cleaning and oiling. As I was picking fuzz, my mind was working on a birthday card that is in its “what if” stage. I do feel better when I have a few irons in the fire.

  When I did go out to see if the heat was abating about five p.m., and by the way it was not, even Harriet and Tabatha were stretched out as far as their four legs would let them. The heat hits everyone.

   
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  Noreen 3:34 am on June 11, 2016 Permalink  

  The skies are very dark this afternoon and the rumbling never stops in the heavens. There are plenty of weather warnings out, but we seem to be on the safe side. When I realized how warm and humid it was right off the bat this morning, I truly acted the retired person I am. I headed to the sewing studio.

  When the doorbell rang, I was pleasantly surprised to see a past employee of mine who was stopping in. Over coffee we spent several hours catching up, enjoying coffee right there in the sewing studio.

  Later on Dennis and I had some great egg sandwiches for lunch. Simplistic is always good. I have a request to fix chicken titties for supper. There again, we never get tired of chicken.

  On a sad note, Snuggles has not been home since Monday night. For him to miss curfew going on five nights . . . it doesn’t look good. I fear one of our far neighbors may have had something to do with it. My prayer is that if that is what happened, Snuggles didn’t suffer.

   
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  Noreen 3:41 am on June 9, 2016 Permalink  

  Being Frugal 

  

  I had been making two inch squares out of quilting scraps and there was a day when I was in the mode to sit at the sewing machine and pull at random, squares for a scrappy quilt top. By putting on two borders I will have a 60 x 75 throw quilt when it is finished, not quite what is deemed a twin sized quilt, which would be 63 x 87. I do have it pinned and it will be the largest project that I will do free motion quilting on. Yesterday when I opened the bag of quilt batting, I could not believe the state it was in. Chunky is the best way to describe it. I refuse to throw it away. Saving my two inch squares, coupled with what I thought was a good buy on batting qualifies me for being frugal. I refuse to let this project be anything but a quilt that someone will take comfort in.

   
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  Noreen 3:59 am on June 8, 2016 Permalink  

  My ole cowboy got home about seven thirty this morning from the sleep study. His appointment later this month will tell the rest of the story in regard to his new sleep apnea machine.

  I did spend some time in the sewing studio this morning until I hit a snag. I need time to think things over before continuing. I poked my head outside and determined today was just a perfect day to be outside.

  Dennis helped me get the Mantis electric tiller hooked up. It felt good to get the last of the perennial gardens tidied up by tilling the dirt around the plants. Just to get the packed dirt worked up will allow for future rains to soak in rather than just running off.

  I will admit, I sweat like my father did, and a refreshing shower was needed. After the shower it felt wonderful to sit on the patio and do a bit of reading. Life of Stauffer is just about perfect.

   
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  Noreen 4:55 am on June 5, 2016 Permalink  

  It was actually cool on the ears this morning. I did have to take a walk to the far east of the acre to check on the Holly Hocks. Of course all the cats have to traipse along, as if they have never ventured that far before.

  I am never too old to learn . . . and learn I did in my sewing studio this afternoon. I was doing an embroidery pattern from one I downloaded off of a website. I knew I could plug the flash drive into the sewing machine and leave it there for the duration. For some reason, after the pattern registered on the display screen, I pulled the flash drive from the sewing machine and continued on. I had relied on the pattern to be a “saved project” within the machine. As the last of the three colors out of the 14 were to stitch, the sewing machine went into the mode as it does when it has finished. But, it had not. The project was too large to be totally saved within the memory of the machine and it needed to have been stitched from the actual flash drive. With the more than a hundred stitching options loaded into the machine from the factory, I should have known better.  Got it!

  As the sewing machine was doing the embroidery project, I knew I had to work on a pieced quilting project. The muddy gray blue I had used as a border had to come off. It was so not a good thing. After realizing the seam rippers I was trying to make work were not worth the angst, I went into the box of goodies that came with my Bernina. Yes, over years of using seam rippers, they become dull. The new one went through the stitches as if they were melted butter.

  At the end of the day, I came out of the sewing studio with an embroidered project done to perfection and the pieced quilt top is ready for some bright borders to be attached. The timing was excellent. Dennis had tried out a new pasta using a new variety of the Classico sauces. The day was a win win on both levels of the home. I think I came out the winner enjoying a catered supper.

   
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  Noreen 4:06 am on June 4, 2016 Permalink  

  No Storms for Us 

  

  After today’s rain, there won’t be many of these Snow Ball beauties left. We have escaped the strong storms today, but the heavy rains and periodically strong winds will take their toll. I attended Lorraine’s funeral today along with about 50 of her family members and friends. It was only fitting that when I came home I felt the calling to go into the sewing studio and while away some time while listening to the rain falling.

   
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  Noreen 6:00 am on June 3, 2016 Permalink  

  The cool air was perfect to spend some time in the gardens this morning. A late breakfast was enjoyed on the patio. It was safe . . . the curious one, Snuggles, has decided that plain yogurt is not his cup of tea. Dennis passed on my choice of breakfast for his all time favorite, Oatmeal.

  As the warm temps creep in, so did the bugs and that is when I headed into the sewing studio. Having a few projects in the works comes in very handy. What I was surprised at was the message that awaited me when I turned on the Bernina. In the display was a very clear message, in color, that it was time to get the sewing machine oil busy. It is so easy to forget how many thousands of stitches are eaten up when the embroidery function is running.

  I needed a quiet stint in the sewing studio to prepare myself for Lorraine’s visitation at the funeral home that will be followed by the funeral tomorrow. Out of respect for Lorraine I “show up.”

   
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  Noreen 3:47 am on May 31, 2016 Permalink  

  Delicate Pink and a Beauty 

  

  This pink Iris is one of my favorites. What makes me so happy is that all of the blossoms are just about ready to make their entrance. This forenoon I did work in the dirt under the Maple tree. It was not ideally dry, but there was a need to take out some unwanted green stuff. The rest of the gardens need to dry out a bit more as I drag more dirt out of the gardens on my shoes than is warranted. This afternoon, I took time to check through some quilting patterns that were no longer on my bucket list, but taking up storage in my three ring binder . . . out to the recycling. As I was doing the sorting, I had the Bernina embroidery sewing machine going. Yes, I needed to change thread colors as it worked through the pattern,  but getting two things done at once is what could be called “Time Management.”

   
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  Noreen 4:29 am on May 29, 2016 Permalink  

  24 Hours Makes a Difference 

  

  It was time to get this table of goodies organized, and the best way to start was by color.

  Yesterday at this time I felt overwhelmed. I had started a project that required putting it all out there . . . literally. Various pieces of quilting material needed to be sifted and sorted through so it could easily be accessed in times to come.  I have come to realize that not all fabric can be saved.  Polyester and rayon are not a quilter’s friend. In time, Polyester pills lint-type balls of fuzz that cling to the fabric. When it has been mixed with cottons it is less than desirable. Rayon does not launder well and allows for puckering when mixed with cotton.  My mom, Lena, taught we well when it came to her all time favorite hobby: that being quilting.  Mom had an eye for finding the coordinating hues in fabrics, mixing the perfect array of prints together to allow the eye to flow from light to dark.  It is something that many find very frustrating.  Practice does make perfect.  Yesterday I called it a day when the colors had been sorted.

  

  It was a joy tapping into this stash as I continue enjoying cutting up fabric to make a bigger piece, aka: a quilt.

  Again, having had a huge amount of rain today, it was not hard to get back into the sewing studio to finish what I had started yesterday.  To organize this stash of fabric meant something had to give.  The shelves I had my eye on were already busy. The recycling bin was tapped big time, as well as working smarter, not harder, in grouping like items together throughout the basement shelves.  Dennis kept the coffee coming.  Putting together a supper this evening is going to be a lot more enjoyable as my project came to a very good end.  The fabric is organized and my sewing tables are bare, ready for the work they were intended for.  I am very grateful to have them for just such a sorting job.

  I know I will be back into the gardens as soon as we get some sunshine.  We have reached the seven inch mark of rain within the last seven days.  We are not quite done with rain showers.  The forecast looks favorable for sun next week.  Waiting for the gardens to dry out will give me the edge I need to finish a project that has a July deadline.

  This morning, my dear and cherished friend, Lorraine did go home to her Lord.  It has been her wish for some time since the cancer had beaten her down with very little strength and resolve left in her slight being.  Praise God for granting prayers.

   
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  Noreen 2:32 am on May 12, 2016 Permalink  

  Totally Soaked 

  From the last several days, our rain gauge topped off at three inches.  The rain is still at it and Dennis dumped the gauge and it is ready to take on more.  I am sure we are just about through the worst of the rainfall . . . until tomorrow’s forecast comes about.

  

  This was the type of day that I did not need tempting to hit my sewing studio to finish Lorraine’s quilt. Good grief!!  I was waylaid a bit as a wasp had either followed in on clothes or from the back door being open.  Gotcha! It will be a real treat to deliver it to her tomorrow. Lorraine’s granddaughter will be thrilled to receive this from her grandmother. I am going to inquire of Lorraine if there are other goodies that she intended to finish for family and friends that are in need of a bit of finishing in her sewing room. Lorraine’s will is still good, but the cancer is leaving her without a lot of stamina.