Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from March, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:21 pm on March 23, 2025 Permalink  

  And Again 

  It may be getting old, but . . . again I am referring to the blustery winds.  First from one direction and then to another. 

  I took coffee and headed to the studio in time for “Radio Church.”  Grace Lutheran from Glencoe in part sponsors it.  I find it enjoyable.

  I will let you know that last night’s poor man’s Shepard oven pie went over well.  Might try that again some time, as one of the stuffing mix is too much for us for one meal.

  When we have extended family stop in, they usually are interested first and foremost what Dennis has been up to.  Then, they want to see what’s going on in the studio.  I enjoy having something extra that I have stitched to send along home with them.  My completed items in the stash was bare bones.  I hope to soon have that rectified with Dan River hand towels from Amazon.  First things first, they hit the laundry for factory sizing to be washed out.  Once that is out during the laundry, it remains to be seen as to what type of stitching they will tolerate.

  When Megan was in the Eden Prairie State Club, Carrie had gotten towels from Amazon so each girl had a towel embroidered for skate guards.  Amanda from Creative Stitches, aka: Bernina, digitized the logo for me.  If I remember there were 80 plus towels for the skate club.  Yes, I was re-embused and happy to contribute.

  My stitching won’t be anything in that number count . . . just Grammie enjoying her studio and its possibilities.

  This afternoon there may be a possibility that will be added to the studio.  Dennis’ granddaughter Sadie, the military E9 gal, sent me a text with a question.  As of the last day of March, Sadie will no longer be in the Minnesota National Guards of Red Bull.  Sadie is 35 and has been in the military since she joined up in her high school junior year.  We give her so much credit for her service as she started a family during that time.  She is ready for “more” in her life.  Grandma Noreen has been asked for one more tee-shirt quilt.  I did not hesitate.  It meant the world to Dennis when she would come over and swap tales of her military experiences during her three tours and Dennis’ in Korea.  Sweet.  Time will tell how it all will work out.

  Subway will be our evening’s fare on this Sunday.

  With that I will take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:25 pm on March 20, 2025 Permalink  

  Can’t Fail 

  I can’t fail if I don’t try.

  I had met my local effort this morning by cleaning the bathroom.  Studio . . . be ware.

  I tried out a design pattern with the embroidery module this forenoon.  Sometimes if I don’t keep my hand in it, I forget what stabilizer works well with what.  That was the case this morning.  I was so confident that a sticky stabilizer would work with my terry towel to hold it nicely in place.

  Hmm.  The design stitched out without a glitch.  Taking the terry towel off of the sticky stabilizer, I dang near pulled off all of the loo0ps that make a terry towel a terry towel.  I settled down and decided to take my time to work a sharp knife under the stabilizer pushing and freeing the loops as I went.  What a huge lesson.

  

  I was determined.  I hooped up another try.  The only thing in the hoop was water soluble stabilizer.  I laid the terry towel on top and used long stick pins to attach the towel to the stabilizer.  I then ran a basting thread around the perimeter of the hoop using my fingers to assist in keeping the towel flat.  It worked out just fine.  Whatever stabilizer couldn’t be cut away from the back,  dunking in warm water will take care of the rest.

  The photo is actually of the “Bunnies” that I picked the sticky stabilizer off of.  No warn, no foul . . . just plenty of patience.  I have some hand towels coming in brown.  Who doesn’t like brown bunnies.  Today was a testament that if you don’t use it . . . it can be lost.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥ 

   

   
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  Noreen 2:26 pm on March 17, 2025 Permalink  

  Tempting 

  There was a bit of restless-leg going on with me during the night.  I had gotten up and decided to walk it off with the length of the living room, kitchen and bath.  By two, I felt I could settle in . . . and I must have.

  When I got up at eight I had no bad effects from a shorter night’s worth of rest.  After one cup of coffee while sitting at my HP laptop, I mulled over staying in my robe for the day.  I tried to tell myself that I deserved that.  I had been clocking into the studio with regularity during the last week or so.

  The mulling didn’t last long.  I got dressed, put my phone in a pocket and went to the studio.  All the lights went on and KNUJ was telling me the latest news.  On a morning such as this I force myself to get up and move.  Sitting is not my friend.  It does nothing for my physical wellbeing nor my mental wellbeing.  Stagnation could so easily set in.  Giving in to one day of not moving . . . what could it hurt?  Than a second day and soon it could be the norm.

  I had one large tote that was full of varying sizes of quilt batting.  That got emptied and all of the box pouches found their home within it.  On the cover is a taped on label, “Curry Pouches.”  The quilt batting found a home in a zippered bag.  A large amount of it can be squeezed into a small container.  A smaller picnic-type of a tote is housing the box pouches I made for my family.

  The Filter-Queen vacuum was a life saver for picking up all the snips of cork and tons of thread clippings.  I tuckered myself out and took a noon break.  But . . . I did not shut anything down in the studio as I was planning on returning to do a bit more.  Dennis had been in the patio porch since he had gotten up and my noon break was solo.  So be it.

  I feel good about the state of affairs in the studio.  Everything is geared up to do some embroidering.  Four towels are laid out.  The module is on the serviced and cleaned sewing machine complete with a new needle.  It will be easy to get into the groove.  Not having to start from zero does encourage me.

  For me . . . moving is a good thing.

  Tomorrow is my first PT appointment at 2:15.  The first one is for a meet and greet and where does it hurt type of dialog.  My blog schedule will be a bit later in the afternoons that PT is offered as one session has already been scheduled on the 18th of March at 2:15.  I am hopeful for help.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:32 pm on March 16, 2025 Permalink  

  Mission Completion 

  I am giving myself a high-five, aka: my right hand slapping the left.

  The studio is dark.  KNUJ will need to get along without me for the remainder of the afternoon.

  

  I have completed the “cork phase” in my studio.  The phase was doing a project to use up the scraps of various colors and designs of the cork fabric.  I had no intentions of cutting into the larger pieces that were rolled each within their cellophane bag.  Perhaps another wild hair will prevail in days to come.

  Tomorrow the sewing machine will be cleaned and checked over from top to bottom, inside and out.  No needles were broken during this project.  Oh my gosh . . . all the snippets of threads on the floor.  The handy dandy Filter Queen will be on board.

  Before I had headed to the studio for the final hurrah of the cork, I had put together a tuna oven meal for this evening’s supper.  Ya, ya . . . I know Dennis likes peas with the tuna.  I had none in the freezer.  What I did have was a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.  Why not!  Worst case, the green beans are stacked on the edge of the plate.  The fact that I used Albacore white tuna makes up for the vegetables.  I know I have mentioned this before about tuna.  Star-Kist is like so much mush in the can.  We are worth having a choice grade of tuna for our meal. 

  When I came up from the darkened studio, Dennis had done up all the dishes and the stove top.  Kudos.

  A while back I had used up the Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix.  I did not over-bake.  I had actually put them in the lettuce saver from Tupperware.  The lid is a tight seal with the two little white things snaped up to keep it sealed.  Last week I was going to have a cookie and I dropped it.  It shattered like a piece of fine porcelain.  Way too many cookies for dunking.  I had the individual containers of Mott’s apple sauce in the refrigerator.  I opened one up, enjoying half of it, leaving half of it in its container, and set the container in with the cookies.  Overnight we had soft sugar cookies.  Good job Grammie.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:29 pm on March 15, 2025 Permalink  

  A Day 

  What a difference a day can make.  Yesterday was shirt sleeve weather for some and today brings on the warm clothes to bundle up in.

  Today has been a turning point in the studio.  My sewing table looks like a zipper fest.  The last two of the box pouches have the zippers in ready to finish up another day.  I have been using the scraps of the cork fabric as well.  I have completed three using 7″ zippers and they resemble the finished size of a checkbook.  I have several remaining of the odd-ball size also with zippers sewn in.  The perfect size to zip up something of a stash of no specific heft or size.  My zipper foot of the sewing machine is going into retirement for now.

  I was so sure the awning that goes the width of the front of our home would take off sailing, landing on someone’s vehicle passing by on Stauffer Avenue.  It could really waft with the gusts of wind.  I have no idea if the rain we got early last night amounted to anything.  It sure did thunder.  I do know looking at Jan and Randy’s yard, it is back to having muddy puddles on their gravel yard.  When I had walked over to visit with Jan on Thursday the mud of last week’s snow had dried off.  So many times I am thankful that our drive is concrete.

  This wind has been going on since Thursday.  When I got into the car at the clinic a gust of wind decided to close my car door for me . . . before I had my left leg in.  I am sporting a huge bruise on the inside of my left knee.  I had all I could do to keep the door open long enough to get my leg into the car.  Lesson:  check which way the wind is blowing before I park the car.

  We are tucked in for the weekend.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:16 pm on March 14, 2025 Permalink  

  Howling Wind 

  We have just enough of an air leak around our front door that the wind can be heard howling.  Surprisingly, we still have a few pine cones to come bouncing off of the tall pine tree on the northwest corner of the house.  When they hit the metal awning, it could very well be mistaken for a small bomb.

  I put out some Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls this morning to thaw.  I got busy in the studio and when I came up, they were begging to be put in the oven.  I wasn’t about to start anything new and forget them in the oven.  I can report that they are out of the oven.  The aroma from them baking was wonderful.

  We talked about what supper’s offering would be.  Dennis decided on a Banquet frozen dinner.  I opted for a bowl of oatmeal.  Two satisfied people.  

  The weekend sounds slushy.  We have no plans on being out and about in it.

  Yesterday I found out that a cousin of mine had passed away.  Sharon was 81.  She was my aunt Gertie’s daughter, and Gertie was never called Gertrude.  One or both of my kids called her Aunt Berdie. 

  Dennis just came in and reported that what he thought would be a brake job on his little red pickup would not be needed.  Following the tip on what was needed to re-set them seems to have done the trick.  After doing a check on the baked rolls, it seems as if three o’clock coffee time would be a good time for a taste.  Why not!  Raymond and Lena always enjoyed an afternoon break such as that.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:14 pm on March 12, 2025 Permalink  

  Sunny Hump Day 

  Good news from my endeavors of yesterday’s kitchen duty.  The oven meal passed mustard with a repeat of that coming for this evening’s supper.  We sampled the crab salad for our noon lunch today and that also is deemed good.  A full day in the kitchen pretty much guarantees a day such as this one with only light duty.

  The studio work went well today.  I am down to pairing up some of my colorful zippers from an older stash to see what can be coordinated with smaller pieces of the cork fabric.  Have I gotten tired of the project?  No.  It has felt good to work up what needed to be put into something with a utilitarian use.  Right at the end of one of the church tables is a small quilt project patiently waiting.  Over the years of doing embroidery designs, there are enough extras from various projects to get them kitted up to see what size can be achieved.  I am not venturing into my batting stash as yet.  That step would be fairly far into the project.  I know when nephew Brett took a quilt off of his long-arm, he gave the trimmings to me.  I have a lightweight paper adhesive type of tape to pair up scraps into a usable size. 

  The sun has worked hard and Stauffer Avenue is no longer looking like a huge mud hole.  That may change if we get the weather they are predicting for this weekend.

  Tomorrow I have an appointment with my primary doctor here in St. James at 3:30.  The lab work was completed some time ago and now for . . . the rest of the story.  Our clinic is short of doctors.  I don’t want to miss an appointment and fall through the medical cracks.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:56 pm on March 11, 2025 Permalink  

  Tuesday the 11th 

  This morning, everything seemed to come up roses.  We have chillier weather but the sun shining seems to make up for it.

  I gave myself kitchen duty this morning and forenoon.  Once the washer was doing its thing, I set about making a batch of cold crab salad.  I always add a few extra ingredients.  This time it was minced raw onions and the remainder of the Asiago shredded cheese.  The box of Suddenly Salad has a good amount of herbs in the seasoning packet.  It went into the refrigerator and by tomorrow noon the flavors will all have co-mingled.

  Next on the docket was getting pasta boiled for this evening’s oven meal.  I sauteed the remaining chopped onion and then put them aside.  One pound of 80/20 ground beef was the next item in the fry pan.  While that was browning, I drained the jar of sauerkraut into my cheesecloth.  Taking it up like nap-sack on a pole, I twisted and twisted that bundle of flavor to get as much of the juice out as possible.  Not to worry, there will still be plenty of salty flavor for the blue-speckled roaster.  The ground beef was drained of extra fat and while it was still hot, I stirred in a hefty tablespoon of beef flavored Better than Bullion as I know the ground beef on its own lacks flavor.  All ingredients were waiting for the binder . . . a jar of Ragu Alfredo.  It’s not my favorite brand but it was on sale at $2.49 a jar.  The folding over process of all the ingredients does takes its tole on the Grammie.

  Just as if planned Dennis was on the scene to do the prep dishes.  That fellow knows good eats.  His job is also to top the oven dish with ground pepper.

  I left the kitchen in good hands and went into the studio.  I had three pouches as part of my assembly line.  What I had to do first, which I had forgot to do yesterday, was to clean the cutters.  Not needing to cut the threads after a seam has been sewn may not sound like much but that in conjunction of not having to raise and lower the presser foot or threading the needle saves so much on my hands and arms.  Those three pouches now join the other finished ones on the church tables.  If I return to the studio tomorrow, I have three laid out ready to have zippers put in.  Sweet.

  My great day continues.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:22 pm on March 10, 2025 Permalink  

  Appreciation Day 

  Today was showing appreciation and love to my sewing machine.  My sewing machine is a work-horse.  It has given me so much joy and contentment over the last seven plus years.

  After all the lights and KNUJ were on, it was time to pull out my tool box for the sewing machine.  Nothing sews better than an oiled machine.  Underneath and topside my syringe-looking oil can did its duty.  Tiny threads no larger than the tail on a flea were rousted.  The surgical tweezers got them all.  The dual feed foot got a going over as well.  A tiny screw that can wiggle loose with each stitch the machine takes got a bit of tightening.  The dual feed can be engaged as the feed dogs move to allow motion under the needle, this acts as additional feed dogs right behind the needle to help things move along.  The last thing was to put in a new needle.  Needles are so cheap with tips so small, whatever I am working on deserves for the thread in each stitch to be done to its best.

  I didn’t get much stitching done in the studio.  I do have notations as to what amount of the corks need to be met up with the correct size of zipper.  That alone makes the next visit to the studio enjoyable.

  Last night we enjoyed our usual Sunday night supper of sharing a 12″ tuna sub.  Very tasty and fresh.  This evening, we are having a skillet meal that I am in charge of.  I man the skillet and Dennis takes charge of the dishes afterwards.  Well . . . that’s because I wouldn’t do them correctly.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:33 pm on March 9, 2025 Permalink  

  Cool Air 

  No matter how many people I see walking their dog past our home, I do not buy into the fact that jackets are not needed.  This is where the lungs struggle with that cool air.

  By noon I was up from the studio.  My fingers were cool and I had met my quota for today.  I am a monogamist sewer and stitcher.  I will continue with my box pouches until I have done the amount I need for a Curry family function far into the future.  I do not get bored.  I can stay focused.

  As I mentioned I am also a monogamist stitcher.  I watch a YouTube channel of those that enjoy cross stitching as I do.  Some of these gals and men have as many as one hundred projects kitted up, each in its own project bag with the needed threads.  Oh my gosh.  I can only imagine the investment.  

  I do have projects for the studio that I have planned.  Right now the stitching that is needed for each pouch is in the sewing machine’s memory.  I am not going to go through that process until the cork project is finished.  Will I have used all of the cork from Amanda?  No!  It will be in my stash in the studio until such time I find another project to use the cork.  After all, this pouch project took me several years for it to come into fruition.  I will keep my eyes out.  There again, YouTube is an amazing source of ideas.

  The changing of the time does not effect me as it does for some.  I stay with my routines without watching a clock.

  Next week at this time the month of March will be half over with.  Hmm.

  Enjoy the new week and make sure to find something each day to smile about.  It’s good for your heart and soul.

  With that I will take my leave.