Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:13 pm on September 28, 2024 Permalink  

  What’s Up! 

  To the west of us and to the southeast of us, there are lilacs blooming.  Very full blooms of soft lavender.  Truly this has been an unusual year.

  AJ was here this morning bright and early.  I was still in my robe having my first cup of coffee.  Dennis was in the patio porch.  The two fellows are planning a day for next Saturday.  I will wait until then to see what is popping.

  Just so you all know, we are minding the salt in-take.  For supper we are having an oven meal and it will be the chicken rueben that has been in the plans for several weeks.  The deal of staying away from anything in a can is being adhered to.  Unfortunately, I had a jar of sauerkraut open in the refrigerator for a time.  It is getting used up this evening.  Also . . . no red meat.  That will not be hard to stick to.

  As I was getting the oven meal ready, Dennis had the garden hose strung to the patio porch watering down the two small evergreens really good.  Yes, they are out in the open but amazingly having the potting shed five feet away from them is just enough shelter to keep the rain from hitting them.  His next task was washing out the tracks of the three sliding patio doors.  Yes . . . I think when we hear things from professional people, such as doctors, we tend to go with their advice a bit easier.

  I dug around the cistern closet for some beads.  Those that go thrifting had given me an unusual shaped red plastic carry case about as big as a bloated football.  As you open the lid it rolls over and over, exposing with each roll a tray of plastic beads.  I had never seen anything like it and oh yes, the trays had various plastic beads.  Every once in a while, Grammie gets a wild hair.  I am not sure where this wild hair is going.  I will keep you posted . . . but I have beads.

  I have been working with Grandma Schafer’s silk floss.  Using the “5” magnification helps ever so much.  It works best if I leave my prescription glasses on.  I work for about two hours with the project and then I turn to reading.  As I have had an indication all summer that when my yearly eye exam comes around, my lenses will be changing.  No, I do not feel as if I have eye strain as I do my various tasks.

  Dennis is patiently waiting for the time, 4:00 p.m., when the oven will be turned on to pre-heat it for the oven meal.  I can’t say I blame him.

  It would be interesting to learn why our lilacs are blooming going into October.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:33 pm on September 25, 2024 Permalink  

  Not Long 

  Not long after I had been using my pruning shears, taking out volunteer trees, I was very warm in the sun.

  It might be 79 out today, but it feels like 88.  Some people have a difficult time starting new trees, not here.

  Earlier this summer, I had Dennis kill off whatever was growing under the Hackberry tree in the backyard.  When I asked him to kill off the area right next to the sidewalk on the north side of the porch, he took it all the way along the patio to the back door.  Yup, the killer works.  Oh well.  Take my own advice and use more words.

  The salt-free supper went well last night.  The next trip to our local grocer’s, I will buy some salt-free butter.  This evening we are having Albacore tuna with a hearty amount of onions mixed with mayonnaise, where there’s a minuscule amount of salt in it compared to miracle whip.

  Dennis’ appointment for his yearly eye exam went well.  There is no need for the lenses to be changed out.  Tomorrow, Dennis goes to the VA for his flu shot and the Covid booster.  I do neither.  He will also pick up a form that will allow him new glasses when needed from the VA.  I am sure the paperwork will explain how it all works.  So many people complain about the VA services they receive.  I have no idea what state or planet they are from.

  No stitching today.  The day seemed to fill up on its own.  Maybe after supper a stitch or two will be taken.  Hard as I try, my internal clock has wound itself down by nine or nine thirty.

  Snuggles seems to be getting back on his feet.  Finding a spot of bare black ground to roll in, he is as black as the ace of spades.

  That is all I have to report on today.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:57 pm on September 21, 2024 Permalink  

  What’s Up 

  There is quite a bit popping loose on Stauffer Avenue.

  Next Monday our favorite tree man will be coming back to the blue barn acre.  The remaining light brush that runs east to west will be taken out to the south line of the property.  We had been on his list for a time.  The tree dump where most of this is going is only a 1/2 mile to the north of us.  Ryan had wanted to get the jobs done that were farther from St. James first.  It will feel so good to do it and get it done.  It is surprising that once the property owners on the south side of that property fence realized we were cleaning, no more extra garbage found its way over the fence.

  We are having guests tomorrow, Sunday.  Megan is coming home from Virginia and she wanted to make a trip to see us.  Fantastic.  I don’t know how many of the family of four is coming.  It won’t be a long visit as her flight leaves late Sunday to take her back home.  Dennis and I will take however many minutes as possible.

  As I am doing this post, Dennis is manning the crockpot as the sloppy joes are being fixed in the crockpot.  I like to have the flavors co-mingle and that could not happen if I start the process at eight in the morning and have them arrive at eleven.  Beans, chips, dip, pickles with the dessert being the frosted pumpkin cookies from our local bakery.

  When we stopped at the bakery before doing the grocer’s. I waited in line until a young Hispanic fellow could ask me how he could help me.  When I told him how many dozen of pumpkin cookies I wanted, he reach behind himself and picked up the pre-packed bags.  I chuckled and he said it made the day so much better when they had bagged cookies ready.

  I do have a progress report on Esther’s wooden box embroidery.  All of the stitching is done.  I had to scrounge for an additional 18″ of a substitute blue floss. Nothing like cutting it close.  The remaining of the project will be done in the studio enlisting the sewing machine and various other of my supplies.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:40 pm on September 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Thursday the 12th 

  Bummer.  Not much to report today.  I spun my wheels in the studio for a bit of time today.

  I had curiosity and that warranted some reading on the world wide web.  It also burns up a whole lot of time.

  Last night as it was getting dark, wonder of wonders.  Harriet wanted in to the patio porch.  Harriet had been gone since a week ago on Tuesday night.  Where was that kitty for 8 nights!  She looked thin and she headed straight for the water dish.  First Snuggles coming home after a missing stretch looking as if something had tried to have scratched the fur across his hips off.  Snuggles is healing but still taking the right hip easy.  Dennis looked Harriet over and she had not been hurt.  The mysteries of the wild life on Stauffer Avenue.  Dennis had kept the light on for them, always hopeful. 

  Hopefully those two will stick close to home.  We had given up that either of them would ever be seen again.  Honey Bunny used to have the wander lust.  She has gotten old enough that home seems quite sweet to her. 

  I remember in the 70s our pet Snoopy liked to wander about in the fields around us.  Snoopy came home one day or it could have been night . . . hurting really badly.  Someone had taken a shot at him.  Fur babies.  The love and attachment to them is fierce, no less than their devotion to us.  When they are hurt, the feeling of helplessness is deep. 

  Dennis admitted today he felt grumpy.  I did hear the Tylenol bottle rattle this afternoon.  It could be a variety of things for him to ponder through.

  Dennis set a can of bean and ham soup out.  That in itself tells me a lot.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:31 pm on September 11, 2024 Permalink  

  Been Awhile 

  It’s been a while since I spent a day in the studio.

  It was on my agenda when I went to bed last night as well as when I got up.

  I was pleased when I came down to the studio and saw Ester’s box waiting for me, showing the colors I had chosen to work with for time to come.  Today I worked on getting the inside of the bottom of the box ready for a fitting.  Circles, circles, got to love them when it comes to sewing. 

  There are plenty of places on this ole time box for splinters.  The inside of the cover is quite rough.  I had some thin foam to face with the fabric.  I did try it out to make sure the cover would close easily before setting everything in place.  Unfortunately I thought I had a large roll of fusible . . . not.  The interior bottom of the box I wanted to have a double layer of foam.  I did luck out for the bottom of the interior.  I had just enough of the double sided fusible foam to cover the top layer that would have fabric.  The fusible top piece I covered with fabric larger than I needed and turned under the raw edge using a lot of straight pins.  I then laid the fabric-covered fusible onto the non-fusible, lining them up.  Using a pressing cloth with the steam iron I put a lot of pressure onto that circle, but not sliding the iron.  Press down, lift up, press down.  I was really nervous when I thought I had applied enough pressure to have the two circles fussed together.  I left it on the ironing board until it was totally cooled off before I began pulling out all the straight pins.  So far so good.

  Tomorrow will be the test.  The interior will need to be fitted for the sidewalls.  I still have 9 inches to complete with cross stitch for the band that goes around the belly of the box.

  I was flying right through this blog posting when someone was at the back door.

  My little ditty in the studio took most of my creative juices for today.

  By the way, Dennis loved the brussel sprout oven dish.  It’s a good thing, as we are having a repeat this evening. 

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:50 pm on September 10, 2024 Permalink  

  Clouds 

  We may well have clouds that have a sprinkle or two in them.

  Dennis did go to the Eagles last night for the liver and onions.  He got home late as there were some good ole boys that got to visiting.  It was a very good thing for Dennis . . . to get out and connect with old friends.  Besides, he said, the liver was good.

  I have taken my blue speckled roaster out of the refrigerator with the brussel sprout oven meal I had prepared for last night’s supper to enjoy this evening.  The flavors have been co-mingling.

  Today I have spent quite a bit of time stitching using the magnifier lamp with my prescription glasses on, listening to YouTube.  It has been the quietist day for me in a long time.  I didn’t look for dust on the floors or look at the laundry basket.  The only local effort I did this morning was set the kitchen garbage bag out for Dennis to put in the Tuesday garbage pick-up bin.

  I have mentioned this before about the local effort thing, but it bares repeating.

  When I worked as the county assessor setting values that real estate taxes were based on, the Minnesota Department of Revenue had performance reviews.  It was my job to follow the real estate sales of each classification of property and set the values at 90% of the market for the next year’s taxes.  My work was called the “local effort” meaning me as the local determinator.  If I didn’t achieve that 90% in each classification, the Minnesota Department of Revenue could mandate a state increase across the board to each parcel whether it warranted it or not.  My performance review could then be passed to the county commissioners, aka: my salary consideration.

  In all my years I never received a state increase in the agricultural, residential or commercial classifications.  Whew! 

  Fast forward . . .  I am remaining the local effort in determining how well I maintain our home.  Hey . . . whatever it takes . . . I am it!

  It is sprinkling here on Stauffer Avenue at 3:45 p.m.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:27 pm on September 9, 2024 Permalink  

  Not Unusual 

  It’s not unusual for me to be busy enough during a day to wear myself out.

  Yesterday, totally doing my bedding did it for me.  I think the next home I have, I would like to be able to walk around the bed, hence dressing the bed would be easier.  Hmm.  I think I will continue with the gymnastics here on Stauffer as that home may well be in a health care facility.  A good challenge has never hurt me in the least.

  Dennis made supper for us last night.  He pan fried potato patties from the left-over instant potatoes of the night before last.  The left-over roast beef was heated in the microwave.  Apple sauce was a side dish.  Dennis also did the dishes so I could get my second wind and be able to hand stitch before bedtime.  It was all very much appreciated.

  I did sleep until 8:30 this morning.

  My agenda today was to put together an oven dish using the left-over rotisserie chicken meat.  There was a box of frozen brussel sprouts in butter sauce.  I microwaved them until they were fully cooked, then chopped them up and put them with the butter sauce over the chopped chicken meat that was in the round blue-speckled roaster awaiting the cooked pasta to be finished.  One jar of Alfredo sauce plus a bit of heavy cream added to the roaster to fold over and over coating all the ingredients.

  There is a possibility that this oven meal may be put in the refrigerator until tomorrow’s supper.  The Eagles Club is serving liver and onions complete with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn as a side.  Dennis loves liver and onions.  I encouraged him to go solo.  The Eagles is always packed on a night like this.  I know myself well enough that all the commotion and noise can throw me off of my game with a crutch in one hand and managing a plate in the other to go through a food line.  The tables and chairs are very close together making my stability to sit down and then get up without help difficult.  Cutting the liver may also be my challenge.  Here at home if I am far enough back from the table top I can manage the motion of cutting my meat.  Knowing myself as well as I do, I will pass on this evening.  I told Dennis to let me know what he has decided by four this afternoon.

  The UPS fellow just delivered my catheters.  All is well.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:37 pm on September 8, 2024 Permalink  

  Labor Day Extended 

  This is Sunday, Labor Day was Monday.  Officially, today is still in the Labor Day week.

  I knew I had been putting something off and it niggled in the back of the gray matter.  I can really get caught up into my hand stitching, sewing machine stitching and reading.

  Today was the day to take the duvet cover off of my feather comforter.  It is cotton flannel polka dot with a white background.  For the same reason I rotate Dennis’ cotton white t-shirt the duvet covering needed washing.  White cotton will yellow if not used enough to launder often.  While I believe I wash my hands every time I turn around, right in the middle of the covering, where my head would be, the flannel had yellowed, not from non-use but from the oil of my hands.  I had realized this was happening and I had even turned it end to end.

  Well, I had gone down the rabbit hole.  I decided to do it up right and wash the mattress pad along with the bottom sheet.  In addition to using two laundry pods per load, I even used a bit of bleach.  The house would have smelt wonderful if I had been able to use the clotheslines, but . . . the house really smells fresh.

  Thus far, I have the mattress pad back on the bed.  Slow is the key doing gymnastics when my bed has three sides against walls.

  In between keeping tabs on the laundry, I played with the magnifying lamp.  There are quite a few adjustment to be made to using it effectively.  My posture in the cherry red chair and the distance of the chair to the lamp lens and then the distance from my work surface was the starting point.  I tend to hold the stitching project at a slight angle to the right holding it in my left hand.  The center of the light of the lamp needs to be in the center of my stitching to avoid a distortion of what I am looking through.  The brightness of the light as well as the color of the light can be adjusted from time to time.  To keep my prescription lenses on or not is still to be determined which is best and how my eyes feel after stitching a bit.

  I was on a roll until I realized I had been using the wrong size of needles.  YouTube suggested size 26 ball point needles.  The needles with too sharp of a tip tend to get caught on threads that are not warranted.  Hmm.  Down to the studio to do a hunt in the stashes for a ball point needle.  It took a while and of course I got side-tracked.  Lo and behold for the price of $.76 I found a package of four, size 26 ball point needles.  The package had a bit of yellowing to vouch for its age.  I went back up to my bedroom porch and did indeed stitch up several thread.  Tomorrow . . . just think of all the items that have been taken care of and I can sit and stitch with everything having been adjusted.  

  I am going to keep my little lamp from neighbor Jan for reading.  Reading at magnification of five is not doable.  So I have a lot of toys . . . it takes a lot of tools to work smarter, not harder.  

  Supper is going to be light.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:31 pm on September 7, 2024 Permalink  

  Oh What a Day 

  This Saturday has been busting at the seams.

  Once a month we have a spa day just a few blocks to the west of our home.  We so appreciate Maria.  Pedicures bring with them healthy feet.  Maria pays just as much attention to Dennis’ left foot as the right foot that has its five toes.  Decades back I dropped a heavy item on my left foot and the toenails will not let me forget that.  Those nails grow differently then the nails on the right foot.  Gnarly little devils.  The haircuts that follow do not disappoint either. 

  The two hours with Maria are full of wonderful chit chat.  I remembered that they settled in Glencoe when they came from the west coast.  Their last crop that they harvested were Vidalia onions before coming to Minnesota.  I reminisced with her about the Green Giant plant.  They had never worked in a cannery before.  She remembered about the huskers when I told her several of us farm wives car pooled for extra money during the corn pack and the huskers is what I worked at.  She said that it was the hardest thing to work, with all the noise and the conveyer belts when they were used to being outside.  The Tony Downs plant is what brought them to St. James.

  Well, well.  Snuggles came home this morning.  It looks like a large animal bit him right over the hips.  The blood has dried and he went to the water dish and then to his basket.  If Harriet followed Snuggles into the thicket I wondered how Harriet fared as she is not home as yet.  Life on the wild side on Stauffer.

  After the spa date we went on to the grocer’s.  As we drove into the drive, Dennis commented about a package on the front deck that my three month supply of catheters didn’t take long to come.

  Lorde, Lorde.  There were some text messages that ensued to unravel the delivery of what will be an assist with my stitching.  I wasn’t going to open it right away, but . . . I did.  Dennis sat back and took all of the commotion in.  All parts are together.  It could either be floor model or table clamped.  The floor aspect was the choice after a bit of grunt work.  Tomorrow will be the testing day.  I already have a covering for the lamp . . .  the cat is out of the bag.  It is a lighted magnifying lamp.  I have heard of fires starting due to sunlight shining on magnifiers and it is and will be used by the south windows of my bedroom porch.

  Grammie is always appreciative with the unexpected.  The issue was that Kevin, after reading my blog, ordered this lamp at 6:45 Friday night and it was on our deck this Saturday noon.  Amazing that eBay and Amazon are joined at the hip.  There are a lot of amazing thoughts about this lamp.  Sweet.

  At the grocer’s I bought a bag of onions and several packages of real cheese.  Nichols, I got the message.  I also bought a rotisserie chicken.  Supper this evening will be chicken and potatoes with frozen corn.  Sometime in the next days, I will make a pasta oven meal using some or all of the chicken that is left.  There was a lot of meat as I was boning out the chicken.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:56 pm on September 6, 2024 Permalink  

  What a Day 

  What a glorious day it is.  Definitely feels like fall.

  I have the screen down on the front door, bringing in the freshness. 

  There is not a lot of activity from the two older ones on Stauffer Avenue.  Dennis caught a forenoon nap.  I had a load of laundry going, while I sipped breakfast coffee, reading a few chapters.

  I did make some progress on the round wooden box today.  I ruminated about fabric to use inside of the box.  I was determined I would find the correct match no matter how many times I went through the stashes.  I finally hit on a fabric that kept pace with and spoke to the age of the box.  I also decided to put a band of the same fabric on the rim of the cover and also on the rim of the bottom of the box.  I cut short lengths of the fabric, pressed them and temporarily added each.  The fabric trim on the rim of the bottom will need to be narrower that the trim on the cover.  It will be a timely endeavor to cut, fold and press and then decided how to permanently attach said bands.  No do-overs will be allowed.  I temporarily attached the counted cross stitch band on the belly of the box to get a feel for the fabric choice . . . sweet!

  I like where it is all headed.  The lights were turned off.  The next time I come down to the studio and turn the lights on, I want to see the full impact of what will be.  Silly ole Grammie.  There may be snowflakes before mission completion.  Tee Hee!

  I brought up from the pantry a can of roast beef.  I will thicken it with corn starch.  There were plenty of potatoes left over from last night to make fried potatoes this evening.  I’ll let Dennis decided on the veggies.

  It is pretty different in the patio porch.  Snuggles was taken a back during the extreme hot days.  A very heavy cat with a super thick coat just couldn’t cool down.  Dennis brushed and brushed to help him out.  Earlier this week, Tuesday, Dennis said Snuggles walked slowly into the far back yard and kept on going into the thicket.  Not thinking anything of it, that night neither Snuggles or Harriet came home and not since.  It is not unusual for cats to wander off if they are ill.  Maybe Harriet followed her best bud to keep him company.  The oldest cat, Honey Bunny, has been bawling when Dennis goes out to the patio porch.  As I said, its pretty different in the patio porch.  All of the kittens were feral.  We took them in, got their shots, fixed them and gave them a great home.  Time will tell.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥