Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 3:01 pm on June 4, 2024 Permalink  

  Gray Skies 

  With fairly strong winds you would think the gray skies would be blown away . . . not.  It looks like rain.  The winds are bringing the cotton tree’s fluff down.  They make a mess on window screens and also air filters on the lawn mowers.

  I went in for my 24 hour check up with Dr. Steve Pitcher.  He was very happy with how the bottom gum looked and surprised my speech was so clear.  When he did the litmus test on the bite:  first the right side, then the left, and once in the middle. He said he would see me next Monday.  When the swelling goes down, things can be different.  He did say my black and blue chin may become a darker bruise yet.  I paid my bill and got the discount for it.  Sweet.  No bill coming in the mail.

  July 1st, Steve and Kris will have their daughter Morgen join the dentistry family team.  She will be moving here from Salt Lake where she attended college.  Wonderful to know that our community will continue with great medical professional caregivers.

  I made Dennis a hot meatloaf sandwich for noon.  I got a piece of butter bread down.  For breakfast I had had an individual cup of apple sauce.  Both tasted good.  After lunch I sat in my rocking chair and dosed off.  Not my usual thing to do, but I can’t say it felt bad.

  I am working on a counted cross stitch.  Monogamous white on mottled blue.  I have three items that I can switch off and on to.  Having a book going is also a good thing.

  I think soon Dennis will let me get on the zero-turn to help.  I would welcome it.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:26 pm on June 1, 2024 Permalink  

  The Weekend 

  Today I was very content to be in my studio.  Dennis’ daughter, the nurse, from Mankato drove out for some plain talk with her brother, Jeff.  Yesterday I had set up the patient portal so Sandy could read Jeff’s medical info.  I then backed off.

  Sandy is a hard core nurse.  Jeff doesn’t want treatment . . . he will die.  His thinking is that in one month, it will be all over.  No.  Dying could take months and it would be very painful.  Everyone is on the same page, except Jeff.  I know Dennis very well and he will do for Jeff what I am not willing to.  I will work very hard to not let this come between Dennis and me.  I can stay in my corners, keep busy and keep my mouth shut.

  That being said, I worked with my “new to me” padded pressing mat from Kersten and Kevin’s find in Goodwill.  I am enjoying making pin cushions in between reading, sewing and stitching.  Megan took one with her the last time she visited.  Yes, the processes are timely.  I have time.  I have designs to stitch called Stoneware.  Once they are stitched they are squared up on my pressing mat.  A backing fabric deems them to be little pillows that need to be filled.  I am on the fence about that process.  Spun poly can be stuffed into each pillow.  It doesn’t make for a very sturdy pin cushion.  I really like the crushed walnut hulls.  I know in pet stores, it is sold as lizard litter.  Price wise, of course, the hulls are more.  At my wonderful place in life with very few needs in the clothes department or housewares, the price is not the ultimate.  Ease of working with threads and fuzz is sweet and brings contentment.

  I have found gluing on the trim is worth the time it takes rather than over-cast stitching that would not be uniform.  I also found out some of my glue containers need to take a hike.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:04 pm on May 30, 2024 Permalink  

  The Week is Closing Down 

  The last thing we had wanted to do today was to make a trip to Mankato.  Every year Denis qualifies via the Veteran’s Clinic to receive a pair of shoes with the specific orthotics to make up for the lack of toes on his left foot.  The VA sends a prescription to the Limb Lab in Mankato and they allow us to know when we can come to their clinic.

  This morning Dennis, one foot at a time, had a laser image taken of each foot.  The orthotic is thus built.  The right foot also has an orthotic to make sure Dennis will walk evenly.

  Anyway, in three weeks we will be notified when the shoes are at Limb Lab.  It was great to be home by noon.

  There was a huge flat box on the front deck from the mail delivery.  The Fairfax family are frequent visitors to Goodwill.  In the mail they sent me a portable padded mat for pressing.  Wow.  It will be perfect to pin and and stretch stitched items.   Quite a few useful items have been added to the studio via Fairfax.  Kersten thinks nothing of having a dozen or more items each day being sent out via the post office of eBay items she has sold.  I am sure she could land a job in any retail store at Christmas time for special gift wrapping.  I called her to give her a huge thanks.

  As I sit in my bedroom porch using the laptop, I have a full view out to the south.  Our neighbor to the south has been fighting the wonderful aluminum storm windows of days gone by.  It was the in-thing to conserve energy and get rid of the heavy wooden storm windows that needed changing out if you wanted a breath of fresh air from windows being opened after a long cloistered winter.  Oh how those suckers could get blessed.  Been there . . . done that.

  The southeast wind is harsh.  Perhaps we will make it to the weekend without rain.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:26 pm on May 26, 2024 Permalink  

  The Sun 

  The sun stays out for only a few minutes at a time with 70 degrees struggling to maintain.

  Dennis’ two nephews from Windom came over this forenoon for their annual visit.  You can count on those two to bring flowers over for their grandparents’ cemetery plot.  Regardless what brings them over, Dennis enjoys the visit tremendously.  Matt and Mitch are bachelors.  Mitch lives in the basement of their home and Matt is on the main floor.  Matt works at Ag-Co in Jackson and Mitch works at Toro in Windom.

  I have done no local effort today.  Shame, shame . . . not!  I don’t have Lena’s favorite Sunday afternoon task to do.  Mom would sit at the round oak kitchen table and darn socks.  I don’t think dad was that hard on them, but mom could weave the softest patch possible.  Sunday afternoon naps were on dad’s agenda.

  I have been diligent watching traffic, doing a few stitches while reading in between time.

  Dennis has gone on to changing the oil in the mowers.  They have been getting a work-out and will continue so with this cool weather after having the roots of the grass totally soaked. 

  I am looking forward to seeing the Eden Prairie family tomorrow afternoon.

  With that I take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 2:47 pm on May 23, 2024 Permalink  

  Thursday 

  My oh my.  The ole cowboy is in the mowing gear.  I assume it is going to be all or nothing for him today.  When I got a small bottle of Sprite for him, his clothes are dripping with dandelion fuzz, clipped grass and anything else that shot out of the mower from the cutting side.  He uses a bungee cord to tie up that which would keep the grass and such blowing down when it comes off of the blades.  Where does it go if not down . . . but caught in the breeze to cover the operator.  As I am not using the old Sear’s mower or doing any mowing, I have no beef. 

  Jeremy has been keeping me up to speed on Carrie.  Jeremy is forthright and no drama.  Tylenol plus is the pain med being given.  Jeremy said they would be going home from Rochester as soon as the doctor had made their morning rounds.  I have not asked any questions whatsoever.

  I have been in the studio today and enjoying it.  I can also report to the Watson boys that the toilet is cycling every fifteen minutes and needing about nine seconds to refill the water in the tank.  Burk said he would be back as what had been done earlier in the week was apparently not the rest of the story.  We are in good hands.

  It is clouding over and I think I heard something about rain showers.

  The one baby Robin that has been fed non-stop, actually made it out of the nest today.  We will be able to enjoy sitting on the front deck without the mama badgering us to leave.  Her mouth would be so full of food for the one baby, she still had a way of guilting.

  It is beef meatballs, instant mash potatoes and jellied cranberries for supper.  The sell-by-date of the milk was the 20th.  It will do just fine for the potatoes.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:39 pm on May 16, 2024 Permalink  

  Birds 

  This spring the birds are happy to be around us.  We have had enough rain that the sump pump on the north side of our home provides the perfect pond for the birds to bathe in.  Last year was so terribly dry, the sump pump never ran . . . not once.

  By the way, that also speaks as to why the studio was so comfortable to be in the early part of 2023.

  We have a pair of Cardinals that flit among the lilacs.  The Blue Jays have not been plentiful.  The Thrush have nests in the evergreen on the northwest corner of our home.  Sitting very still on our front deck is rewarding for bird watching.  Mrs. Robin is busy feeding her babies in the nest built on the brackets of our awning on the west side of the house.  Neighbor Jan mentioned there is also a pair of Red Birds that she has noticed.  The sump pump pond welcomes them all.  I have noticed no one in the neighborhood has a Martin house up.

  My dad built some great Martin houses that looked more like a Martin hotel.  Martins were notorious for enjoying biting bugs as a snack.

  Some of the birds and maybe it is all of the birds, begin singing by 4:30 in the morning.  

  Don’t worry, sometime in each day the three porch kitties check out the watering hole as well.  Birds . . . beware.

  Dennis announced this noon he has spent more money these early months of 2024 on the gas for the mowers than all of last year.  The .32″ of rain from last night will keep the yards lush.

  The highway #4 going south out of St. James is detoured to Sherburn.  The traffic with side-dump trucks hauling fill begins past our home as early as the birds waking for the day.  Deadlines for that type of work gets crazy.  Prevailing wages for a MN Dot project is huge per hour.  For the truck drivers it gets to be a short night for rest.

  We are doing Jimmy Dean pre-cooked sausage patties and Bisquick pancakes for supper. 

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on May 15, 2024 Permalink  

  Mowers 

  The hum of lawnmowers is more like a multi-directional roar.  Dennis did contribute to it.  I say nothing in regard to where or how often he mows.  I do know he needs to be busy and mowing is not confrontational with me.  Have at it.  I put in my stint with getting some weeds out of the flower bed.  I put them where Dennis mulched them with the Sear’s rider.

  Yesterday, a box was delivered to Dennis.  The return address was just Reliable Shipping.  As I was in the backyard, I don’t know if it was UPS or Fed-X.  The cardboard box was really dirty dusty.  It’s not unusual for those trucks to have their doors open and this time of year, there is dust everywhere.

  The contents of the box was from my aunt in Arizona.  One large heavy quilt, one lap quilt and one table runner.  I did know her kids were asking her to begin a dispersal of hundreds of such items.  When we went to visit her in 2015, she sent several table runners home with us and she then replicated those items to put back in her stash.  Hmm. 

  This morning, I knew the quilt needed to go out on the clothes line.  I can’t tell you what the scent was, but it wasn’t good.  I am hoping it was from the cardboard box.  The remaining two items went to the wash.  Dennis had to help me get the quilt on the clothes line and even Dennis said it was not good.  In the fresh air it was really noticeable.  For now, I can’t even tell you what size the quilt is.  I do know when Lorraine had the top pieced, she ordered the stitched quilting design for a long arm quilter to follow.  She told me that stitching design package cost her an additional $399.00 over the cost of the pattern with which to piece it.  

  I like my threads and fuzz but tend more to do the basics.  I can tell you why.  I want my quilts to be used and perhaps even be abused in the use of them.  My grandmother Laura used feed sack prints and I am still getting use out of that quilt. The quilts that I have pieced were used with fabrics of a much higher warp and weft count.  Please . . . use them.

  We are having chicken titties and the remainder of my potato salad dish that was left over from last night.

  As people are getting off from their work places, the grass doesn’t stand a chance.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:11 pm on May 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Sunday the 12th 

  What great temps for today.  70 degrees right from the start.

  With my breakfast coffee filled to the brim of my cup, I was headed to the front deck to take in the morning.  Not long after I had sat down, I was feeling guilty.  MaMa Robin had her beak so full of goodies waiting and wanting to get to her nest.  That nest is tucked in under the awning of our front door and deck.  I gave in and settled into my front porch bedroom caving in to opening the window for the great breeze.

  Our day was a quiet one with each of us settling in.  When Dennis’ granddaughter, Sadie, and her two little girls made a surprising visit the quiet went away.  It is wonderful for his family to feel popping in is good.  It is good.  The visit lasted for several hours and they were off to surprise more family members here in St. James.

  It is three in the afternoon and there is thunder rumbling in the northwest.  The wind has changed from northeast to northwest.

  Not only have I no projects going on in the studio, I need the ground water to subside a bit after we have had quite a bit of rain.  Our basement is tiled on three sides, aka: the studio.  Yesterday, I could hear water coursing in the tile heading for the sump pump.  That is ice cold water.  No matter how I would dress these last days, the air and the floor is very very cold.  My goal was to finish Megan’s kitchen wares with embroidery and I did.  She knew I was doing placemats but the towels and pot holders will be a surprise.  Mission completion.

  We had Sub-Way for supper last night.  A 12″ Tuna with all the fixings, split in half is all Dennis and I can do for a meal.  Seeing as how neither of us have done more than lift a single finger today, supper will be light.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on May 11, 2024 Permalink  

  Pollinators 

  Our lilacs are full of pollinators.  Quite a few bumblebees found their way into the patio porch.  What I have noticed is a fair amount of wasps by the front door.  That reminds me to take the roll of Gorilla Duct Tape into the attic and put it around that west-facing window.

  The studio is closed for the weekend.  All projects have been completed and any new thoughts will need to take a breather.

  Before Fleet Farm could close yesterday, Dennis bought and came home with a Proctor Silas coffee maker.  A buy at $33.00.  He had not even considered having to go to Cassey’s this morning for coffee.  Hopefully, the third coffee pot is charmed. 

  Dennis has mowed what he felt needed it.

  It’s a great day for the fishing opener.

  It’s a great day for me having some time in my bedroom porch for either reading or stitching.

  The coffee pot episode yesterday got quite a bit of my Saturday work done on a Friday.  Happy sunny Saturday to one and all.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:24 pm on May 10, 2024 Permalink  

  Stitching Right Along 

  By the time the words are done dribbling out of me, my Bernina will tell me there are no more stitches left in it for today.  Everything in the studio went without a hitch today.  Needing to fill a bobbin is no big deal.  I did take the time to fill five of them.  In between time, I have been placing threads back in the storage boxes.  I place them in sequential order so there are eight boxes with 30 spools each.  Inside each box is a slip of paper giving me the range from lowest to highest number.  Restocking the thread goes quite quickly.  I felt compelled to capture the colorful pot holders and mitts with the camera.  The repair stitching of mitts will be for another day.

  I thought I would have enough umph left today to sew up three of the four oven mitts with their faces having been stitched.  Not!  Where did the umph go?  When I lifted the Mr. Coffee this forenoon, the handle let loose.  The same thing happened to Dennis last month.  He was lucky in that the full pot landed and splashed in the sink and all over the counter.  My luck . . . the pot fell on the floor exploding hot coffee and glass everywhere.

  I shut down the sewing machine in the studio.  I needed to do a “clean-up on aisle one.” I used a loaded Swiffer to push everything to one pile.  With the dust pan and brush, coffee and glass went into the trash.  I used paper toweling to corral more of the same.  I took the dust pan and brush outside to make sure no glass slivers remained.  I needed a breather and got some fresh air.

  That is when I captured a bit of bliss from the back door.  The Star of David blooms don’t last long, but they are the sweetest part of the early spring.  You can’t kill them, as I have tried.  They self-pollinate at will.  Over time their greenery dries up and doesn’t leave a trail. 

  Back to the kitchen mess.  With the coffee having been mopped up and the floor dry.  I got out the little shop vac and with the smallest attachment that left no air between attachment and floor.  I covered every square inch of flooring in the kitchen, bathroom and living area.  The bathroom showed shards of glass, the living room not so much.  I wasn’t going to take a chance.

  After I post this blog, I will do the vacuuming again.  The bright spot of taking breaks was getting cards in the mail from the kids for Mother’s Day.  Sweet!  Sweet!  I will have a great Mother’s Day weekend as I know they will also.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥