Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from April, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 2:46 pm on April 8, 2026 Permalink  

  Much to Do 

  For a Wednesday there has been quite the list for me to take care of here on Stauffer Avenue.  By most it would be no more than what could be accomplished by nine on any given day.  But you all know, I am not “most.”

  I took the time to read through all of the mail from our county’s auditor/treasure for this year’s taxes as well as next year’s value proposal.  Lots of pieces of paper, most of which is going into the recycling bin.  I came away with three pieces of paper large enough to fit handsomely into a legal sized envelope plus our personal check to cover the total of the 2026 payable property taxes.  The envelope was then sealed with a stamp and now is in the post office’s care.

  Dennis visited in the studio this forenoon to check on the progress of Nicholas’s college quilt.  He had not seen any of the process since it had been folded pieces of fabric I had brought up to the living room to share with him.  It is now lacking one more border and then the extra long twin sized quilt top will be ready.  I ordered the licensed cotton yardage for the last border, the backing and binding, specific to the college’s motifs.  That fabric arrived from Ohio last week.

  This afternoon, via Amazon, the mid-loft “Dream” brand of batting should be here by Friday.  It’s an 80/20 of polyester and cotton that will give good wear and tear.  I have used that brand of batting often.

  Dennis has his six month medical checkup at our clinic this afternoon.  Dang if he isn’t going with a rather huge nasty looking bump on his forehead and a large band aid on the top of his right hand.  Now the story goes that he ran into the door frame going from the garage into the patio porch on Monday.  The hand was scrapped today in the garage.  God willing and the creek don’t rise, they will let him return home later this afternoon.

  I think that’s enough for this day of reporting.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 1:56 pm on April 2, 2026 Permalink  

  I Heard It 

  I heard the rain falling during the night.  I knew the snow would have been silent.

  When I got up and saw that Randy’s yard next door was all but floating away.  There is only so much that a gravel yard can take in.

  The next thing I did when my feet hit the floor, was to say “Hello Art.”  The arthritis in my feet told me all about the weather pattern we were in.  When you feel discomfort you know you have been given another day.  Thank you Lord! 

  I sat upon my cherry red chair in my bedroom porch with a cup of hot coffee and watched the plunks that the rain made in the puddles on Stauffer Avenue.  It was rather mesmerizing.  I knew I had a phone call to make. 

  When refills are needed, the Lewis Drug’s automatic answering machine asks for a prescription number.  I had taken care of that last Thursday, the 26th of March.  On Monday I drove to Lewis Drug to pick up the medication.  It’s the one that does my heart good.  There was nothing.  They were kind and said there was nothing forthcoming.  They said they would fax it to the clinic again.  I had taken my last pill on Sunday night.  They were kind and gave me six pills as a temporary refill.  I came home and used the Mayo Portal to message my primary.  When I called Lewis Drug this morning, the medication was ready and Dennis went immediately in the rain to pick it up.  Dennis can use the drive-up window.  With a bum left arm, I cannot reach the automatic drawer as it slides open.  Just a small inconvenience that allows me to go directly into the pharmacy . 

  Being mindful of personal responsibilities is important.  Nothing can be left to chance if we want to stay independent.  I sure do!

  It has rained most of the day.  I see by the weather map St. James has been moved into a dry spell.

  I now have the pieced 18 blocks making up the extra-long top of Nicholas’ quilt put together and pressed.  Nicholas is over 6′ tall and will need the extra foot covering.  The three border fabrics have been pulled out and are awaiting.  To make the quilt wide enough, there will be a 3″, then a 4″ and finally a 5″ border added to the four sides.  The labor intense portion is finished.

  We are having an oven meal for supper.  The two passes of preparing supper that were granted me for my birthday are over.  Here in the real world we are.  Not such a bad place to be.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:27 pm on April 1, 2026 Permalink  

  Another First 

  We are experiencing another first of a month for 2026.  It surely does seem to come around fast.

  So far today we have had a few drops of rain.  Time will tell.

  The first of every month, we continue being on schedule to replace all of Dennis’ CPAP components that are issued via our Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance supplement and Medicare.  It’s an 80/20 split.

  Dennis walked over and visited Randy next door.  Each Easter we let Randy know how much we appreciate him and his long green line for snow removal.  Randy tries hard not to let us pay him, but it’s not up for debate.  His unit does not run on air.  We so appreciate it.  Randy has a heated garage and the two fellows got a chance to visit as well.  

  The studio was lit up for several hours.  The first two lengths of stitches needed to be ripped out.  The 14.5 inch blocks are pieced each like the next, but the way they are turned tells the rest of the story in the pattern.

  Yesterday Aunt Janet had called with birthday wishes.  She loves to chit chat . . . and I do also.  Today, my sister-in-law, JoAnn called.  We had not been in contact since sometime last summer.  The Boon Lake farm keeps her busy as well as four of her six grandchildren that are still in school.

  We received news that our two dining room chairs that we ordered in February will be delivered on April 9th.  It stands to reason that no store would sell two of the four chairs that they have paired with a table.  We were not in any hurry.

  We have agreed on a plan for supper this evening.  Last night, my birthday supper was sharing a Subway with Dennis.  Very special indeed.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:17 pm on March 28, 2026 Permalink  

  Progress 

  Progress is upon my church tables.  All of the needed blocks in Nicholas’ collage quilt have been arranged.  There is madness in how the blocks are turned in order to see the full effect.  Sewing the blocks together will be for another day.

  The last of the small Christmas stitched projects had been on the corner of the ironing board long enough.  It did not take long to put red thread in the bobbin and in the top thread.  Getting it turned right-side out is always a challenge.  It may look as if I put too much stuffing into the elongated pillow.  I know when I plunk down a heavy book on it, that will take out some of the air.  Wonder Clips are holding the end secure as I used Aleene’s tacky glue to seal it up.

  I didn’t think there was anything left that was loose enough to blow from one lot to another today. The 30 mph winds from the southwest have the whole house quaking, yet the leaves are blowing across Stauffer Avenue from the northwest.  Hmm.  The metal mail slot gets caught with a wind gust and can really clatter.  Thank goodness for an interior cover.

  Last night when I sat in my recliner, listening to a pair of floss tubers from Bloomington, they were talking about going to a shop in Blue Earth.  I didn’t think Dennis had been listening.  He didn’t think it would be a bad idea to make the trip to Blue Earth sometime and I could check out the ship called “Welcome.”  The ole cowboy still has a surprise or two up his sweater’s sleeve.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:22 pm on March 26, 2026 Permalink  

  A Plan 

  I always have a plan.  Sometimes I have more than one.

  I have been known to do a lot of the counted cross stitch stitching and sewing machine stitching.  I find quiet comfort in it.  Nothing goes to hell around me while I do stitching.   Work first and then play and more play.

  Hundreds of hours of contentment with very little financial resources needed.  Right after 2021, I had tried my hand at cross stitching.  I had ordered a kit.  I worked diligently on it.  The kicker was that of the six stranded embroidery floss, this design was worked with only one of the six strands.  Is it any wonder I found it on the bottom of my thread stash last week?   I brought it out for an airing.  I have since found quite a bit of joy in tackling it again.  During the evenings sitting in my cherry red chair in my bedroom porch with the 5x magnification lamp to my right.  Do I need the magnification lamp 100% of the time, no.  The fabric is 20 stitches to the inch and as there is quite a bit of floss demanding room to be made into a “x” and help is a good thing.

  I was lamenting yesterday about a machine embroidery design.  This forenoon I found it.  Yup, all 2″ x 2″ of it.  I preferred it being 5″ x 5″.  I downloaded the 2 x 2 onto a flash drive.  On the Dell laptop, I opened the Bernina Tool Box software.  I downloaded the 2 x 2.  I kept increasing the size until it was 5 x 5 and loaded that on the flash drive.  I stitched out a sample to see how fragmentated the stitches were.  Pretty sparse.  With the flash drive loaded into the sewing machine, I increased the density by 140%.  Not a bad result at all.  I could have chanced increasing more, but . . . stitching that design on one of my quilt blocks, I went with what would stitch out smoothly. 

  I have had a good day but I can’t help but hear the wind gusts driving the windchimes crazy.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:45 pm on March 25, 2026 Permalink  

  Some Wins 

  With creativity there are some wins and some fails.  Thankfully I have racked up more wins than not.

  Each day finding appropriate downloads for the digitized embroidery takes you to many sites.  Depending on how bad you want to find exactly what you are looking for, there can be some angst.  “You know what you want and you want it now”  doesn’t always compute.  Patience, patience.

  I did find success to the point that I even stitched out a prototype.  Knowing the various prompts and the responses needed make for knowing your final forever stitch with be a good one.

  My partner in crime, aka: the ole cowboy, knows what he wants and needs and he is going to get it via tapping me for it.  Grr.  Let’s just say it’s easier complying as soon as possible rather than stalling and getting those reminders, much like the nasty little bill that can come in the mail over and over.  Gratefully, we are not in that reminder category. 

  Today the huge leaf blower has been removed from the back entry.  I do believe there will not be any more heavy snows that we need to engage it to blow ourselves out of the house.  It did come in handy.

  I did get my arm exercises done for the day.  Who knew that when you engage your arm to be raised over your head or doing other arm exercises, your thumb pointed up from your hand maximizes the muscle movement.  Amazing.

  Thumbs up to you!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:16 pm on March 22, 2026 Permalink  

  A Good Thing 

  A good thing to do after the sewing session of yesterday.  Out came my tool box to clean fuzz and threads caught where they are not wanted or needed.  Oiling and a new needle puts the machine in the ready mode.

  Sandy asked me yesterday when I had learned to sew.  I told her about six or seven.  She commented what could I possibly sew at that age to be finished for anything.  I have seen some carpet rag rugs in her home that she had bought at a flea market.  I went on to tell her that I would sit and tear the strips of old clothes that would go into those rag rugs.  Using the treadle sewing machine I would then sew the strips together for my mom keeping like colors together to roll into a ball.  It taught me about using the sewing machine needle for a seam that would carry me through much more to come. Her comment was that she wondered how those rugs were made.

  Oh the difference in how families did things and how children learned.  I wouldn’t trade my up-bringing for anything.

  I called Aunt Janet and we had a very good visit and a lengthy one.  I have mentioned before that she is my dad’s youngest and only living sibling.  Being about ten years apart,  we can and do share memories.

  There will be an oven dish for supper.  A pound of ground beef browned, pasta boiled with plenty of life left in it combined with a jar of Alfredo garlic seasoned sauce.  Simple will do the trick.

  Tomorrow at 12:55 p.m. Dennis needs to be in Mankato for an eye injection.  Dennis commented that at his age, maybe he should forego those appointments.  Hmm. I brought him up short.  If he liked his little red pickup and the “get in and take a whip” he would need his eyesight.  If anything would get him pulled over, I think he would be given a ride home and the little red pickup would have to find its own way home.  I like it when a conversation is closed, never to be had again.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 3:15 pm on March 21, 2026 Permalink  

  Let the Sunshine In 

  The sun means business today.  The boxelder bugs are basking in it.

  Today, Dennis’ daughter Sandy and Tom came out from Mankato.  I knew what the visit was for.  Sandy had sent pictures plus dimensions of a skirt she wanted to go around the raised base of their wash machine that sits over the floor drain.

  I pulled out fabric for it and that is as far as I had gone and was going to go.  Watching her as she used the rotary cutter was like watching someone use a chainsaw for the first time.  She cut through the multiple layers of the 93 inches as I knew I couldn’t.  I wound the bobbin and threaded the machine.  Believe me, it was more difficult watching her go through the paces than running the machine myself.  She got it done and felt very proud of herself.  All she needed to do was run 1/2″ elastic through the top casing when she got home.

  Tom took with them all of the empty plastic dry litter containers.  He works with concrete and the jugs are just the right size for water for hand and and tool cleanup.

  I had a great phone call from Sharon.  The Sharon that lives in the north country in a sweet “shed-house” with her daughter and family.  Always a treat to swap air-time.

  The afternoon has left both Dennis and me kicking back for some quiet time.  Hmm.  The dreaded word . . . “supper” has not been mentioned yet.  I think I will let the clock run on this and see where it takes us.  Life lived vicariously!  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:20 pm on March 19, 2026 Permalink  

  Get it Done 

  The agenda for the morning took precedence over the first cup of coffee.

  The washing machine buttons were pressed on my way out of the bathroom.  The oven was turned on to 325 degrees.  While it pre-heated that first cup of coffee was poured.

  Several weeks ago, our grocery store had Farmland thick sliced bacon on sale for $5.20.  I checked out the expiration date . . . May 30, 2026.  I took home four packages.  My favorite flat cookie sheet covered with tin foil would be the host for the slices of bacon.  Of course five pieces didn’t fit.  I have saved the cover off of the forbidden aluminum cake pan.  Covered with tin foil it is the perfect size to fill in when cookie sheets just aren’t large enough.

  Coffee tasted really good in between swapping out the washer’s contents to the dryer’s.   I always save junk mail to put down with a few paper towels over it to drain the bacon when it comes out of the oven.  The bacon had been rendered just enough that when we want to enjoy it, a few seconds on the microwave finishes it off.

  The final treat from the kitchen came after the bacon was done.  I covered the same pans with parchment paper.  The last of the frozen chocolate chip cookies that Carrie had brought were popped into the oven.  I made sure to stay close as to not have them over-bake.

  Kitchen duty done, I headed to the studio for some seam stitching, taking a fresh cookie with me.  For every seam sewn, there is a steam iron press to be had.  I call it a good session when I don’t have to take out stitches that went haywire.

  All of my activity was carried out while Dennis had company in the patio porch.  Doug Gappa from Madelia had called me to make sure Dennis was home.  Why call me?  Most people in Dennis’ rehem know he doesn’t carry his phone.

  To my way of thinking, both Dennis and I have had a great Thursday.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 2:51 pm on March 18, 2026 Permalink  

  Disappearing Snow 

  The power of the sun is fantastic.  The covering we received last night is allowing our concrete to be bare . . . once again.

  We did have an energetic individual in a powerful pickup see how much he could slide and spin down Stauffer.  Idiot.

  The stitching in the studio went well today.  I thought it was about time, I checked to see what the size was of an average/normal dorm sized bed.  38″ x 85″ is what did come up at various sites.  Length and width to be added for drops.  I am on the correct tract.  

  Dennis’ HP laptop is running smoothly.  I have loaded Klondike card games and Facebook.  Each in the easiest “click away” as possible.  A post-a-note is on the wall right next to him for his pin and password.  Whew!  My sewing Dell is back in the studio.  I have mentioned before how important I think it is for Dennis to have computer access for what he is interested in.  The “market place” and the “reels” give him untold hours of enjoyment.  It beats sleeping his time away. 

  I have a lean pork steak in the oven.  Lawry’s seasoning on top.  Covered and at 325 degree, it should be ready for our 4:45 supper.  Dennis is in charge of what will be going with it.  Spread the joy!

  I have my arm exercises left to do before supper.  I am in it to win it!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥