Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from May, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 1:57 pm on May 17, 2026 Permalink  

  Nice Sunday 

  It’s quite the service when Dennis’ son-in-law, Tom, calls to make sure we are up as he is going to mow the yards before the forecasted rain.

  Our front door has allowed the screen door to be open with the nice temps.  The birds have made nests in the evergreen boughs that are right off of the deck.  The little Thrush male takes great pride in sitting on the deck rail to serenade the world.  His bright red colors are a treat.  When the female comes for a short visit and rustles her feathers after a long sit on the nest, her feathers under her wings and the base of her tail shows bright red.  Sweet music in the morning. 

  One embroidered design was accomplished today in studio.  Should have, could have made a better decision in the stabilizer.  That shows I may be out of practice with the embroidery.  The plans are to do a bit more of it.

  My most important thought to remember in life: with every action, there is a re-action . . . some cannot be undone.

  No . . . we have not had any rain as yet here in the mid-afternoon.  One huge system traveled south and then north.  All in all, it is a nice Sunday.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:06 pm on May 12, 2026 Permalink  

  The Wind 

  With the horrific winds from the northwest it includes dirt visible in the skies above the tree tops.  Someone’s garbage bin is depositing it’s contents across yards.   White plastic grocery bags are flying much like kites.  It is bad when the air smells like dirt.

  Dennis has shorn up our small PVC flag pole that we have on the patio.  If it can fly our flag in this wind, we are assured of many more days to fly the red, white and blue.

  There was a success in the studio this forenoon.  It helped that I had a video playing on my Dell laptop that I could play and stall at will.  Lena would not have believed what could be accessed for help.  She was blown away when I brought a cutting mat and rotary cutter to her sewing room.  It was complete with a t-square ruler to hook over the edge to cut whatever length was needed.  It gave the weary hands an assist from totally relying on a pair of scissors.  Oh for the wonders that were made by those hands.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:10 pm on May 11, 2026 Permalink  

  Amazing 

  It’s amazing how much I got done on the first floor this morning while I was on hold.  We had gotten a letter informing us that Dennis needed to be re-enrolled in being notified that he could order his CPAP supplies from the Mayo Store in Mankato.  The system had new software that was being implemented.

  All four waste baskets in the house were emptied into one for Tuesday’s pickup.  A load of laundry was folded and put where it belonged.  The pound of thick sliced bacon was taken out of the oven and put on draining newsprint.  The plant I received yesterday was taken out of the gift bag and placed on an older plate to catch any water that would flow out the bottom when it was watered.  Basically, most of my Monday morning work completed until Erica could take my phone call.  No harm, no foul.  I have learned, calling the number another time would not have brought about any quicker response.

  A short studio stint cutting some fabric.  The studio is chilly these days.

  Dennis is off running some errands and then to his six month appointment with our primary.  It allows Dennis to be forthright in the Q&As.  If I had noticed anything out of the ordinary within the last six months, I would have gone with Dennis.  Seeing as how his appointment is at four, our supper is going to be eggs, as Dennis likes them . . . basted, bacon and toast.  Easy to fix once Dennis gets home.  Sometimes at a clinic appointment there could be a wait.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on May 8, 2026 Permalink  

  Teacher/Student 

  I have a student in the studio.  My cousin Mark was here at 9;30 from the Hastings area.

  Mark is doing a quilt for his nephew that will be stationed here the end of May from his last four years in England.  Robby is a licensed mechanic for the Air Force.  When Robby finishes a plane, his name is on the aircraft.  The end of May, Mark will be going to see his sister, Carol, and family in Arizona as Robby will be able to live with his mom during this stint. 

  The Minky material that we are working with was a kit that Carol bought for her son as a finished project and she asked Mark to make it up.  Mark had never worked with the plush fuzzy stretchy fabric and was scared to start it.  Here-go teacher . . . student. 

  So far . . . so good.  I do the prep work and Mark is on the cutting end and manning the machine.  As I have been on my feet since morning in the studio, I am taking a Lipton Ice Tea break.  Mark has a soda at his hand.

  How could I not help.

  I will have more tomorrow.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on May 6, 2026 Permalink  

  Might be the Day 

  The skies are gray, the sun won’t come out and the air feels heavy.

  It is mid-afternoon and I am yawning.  Even a few laps on the driveway haven’t helped.  My gosh, you would think I could sit in my new recliner and nap.  Nope.  I am not a daytime napper.

  I looked out the bathroom window and Snuggles is asleep on Dennis’ chest while Dennis is napping.  Good for the both of them.  

  It felt good to clean up a bit in the studio from a job well done.  The sewing machine needed a cleanup of fuzz under the hood.  I still have the old Filter Queen plugged in and it did a right handsome job of helping.  Oil change, grease job and a new needle.  Doing justice to the machine is all important now as Kelly at Creative Stitches in Bird Island is not taking any machines in for work or a tune-up until the crops are in.  He and his dad farm many acres.

  I put out a small bag for the epileptic’s pick up today.  I truly hope they do come by.  Our street is a throughfare after all. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on May 5, 2026 Permalink  

  The Day 

  Today is Tuesday the 5th of May.  The day has gone by quickly.

  I could have, would have stayed in the studio for longer today, but the trickle of water around the tile perimeter of the studio made it feel a bit too chilly.

  I have a project that I could bring to the first floor.  I fight that as one thing after another could dribble up to the first floor.  That would break the rhythm I have for my days.  Just so much time in my morning is spent having coffee and breakfast.  It’s then time to get dressed and do a tidy, tidy on the first floor.  After the “have too” is finished, I give myself permission for the studio time.

  The studio time is  say-la-vees.  If I get lost in thoughts or threads and fuzz . . . it matters not.  Creative time is good for the soul and the mind. 

  I will follow up that our unique oven meal of last night was a success.  It’s always convenient when a bag of ingredients can come out of the freezer to mix with sauce and pasta. Even doing a pork roast in the crockpot can leave it become dry as a pork loin roast doesn’t have any marbled meat.  When we had done the roast for a meal,  I used the kitchen shears and cut up the remaining very small.  The juice from the crockpot that contained the seasonings from the meat and the bed of carrots was perfect to pour over the cut up meat and cut up carrots.  Too much flavor to waste.  The ingredients of the leftover stove top added its kick of flavor.  Two cups of uncooked medium ribbon pasta and a jar of Alfredo . . . mission completion.  

  Dennis said he would be up for that combination any time.  He is the food critic.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on May 4, 2026 Permalink  

  New Week 

  I awoke with a new agenda.  Well . . . some of the old.

  Time was spent on folding and pressing binding for my project.  The binding has now been sewn onto the quilt with tipping it forward for the last go-round on another day.

  When I went to clean my eye glasses this last weekend, the lens fell out.  Good thing the old pair were retrieved for the duration.  What had happened was a screw had fallen out.  Where the screw had been allowed for the frame to have the clearance to put the lens in.

  It was also important for me to visit a friend this afternoon.  Karen and I have been friends since the 80s.  At that time, Karen was the city clerk of Lewisville.  We met over city and county business.  Karen has since been the proprietor of the County Collage, a retail store on Main Street.  Last week it appeared on Facebook that she would be closing her store.  How could I not take time to stop in and wish her well on her next journey.  It was time well spent for me on this Monday.

  A new screw has been inserted in the eyewear.  A clear sealant was put over the screw to avoid another mishap.  Whatever.

  We are having an oven meal.  This is our experimental oven meal.  It consists of the pulled pork, not so much pulled as diced, the leftover diced carrots and the chopped up stove top dressing.  These ingredients were from last week when we did the pork crock pot meal.  The Alfredo sauce is the mixture to combine all.  Dennis put a hefty layer of ground black pepper on the top.  I’ll let you know what the reviews are.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:57 pm on May 2, 2026 Permalink  

  A Balmy Saturday 

  We might actually be having a spring-like day.  All the yellow flowers in our neighborhood tell me the same thing.

  We had a spa morning for haircuts and pedicures.  It sure felt good.  I have usually wore my hair short over the last decades.  This morning, I asked her to thin it out on top as it felt heavy.  Ask . . . and it can be done.  Dennis is always pleased with Maria’s work.  Those two can really chat each other up.  Unfortunately, someone had told tales, false, on her husband that made them loose work hours on this last Thursday as they had to meet with the immigration services in St. Paul.  All was cleared up, but it was a worry for two very nice people.

  A bit of fabric was cut for the binding of my project.  One step closer.

  We are having pizza for supper.  I am thrilled to be having a meat lover’s pizza from Casey’s.  Pizza is not Dennis’ favorites and this is special.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:31 pm on May 1, 2026 Permalink  

  Brr Chilly #2 

  This afternoon standing against the south side of the house in the full sunshine felt warm and toasty. 

  Not so much in my studio.  It phased me not.  I suited up and put in several hours.  Next step . . . trimming off excess batting and backing of the project. 2.5 ” x 300″ for the binding will be cut and that is for another day.

  Dennis had the little red pickup into the shop this afternoon.  Yesterday he smelled anti-freeze in the cab.  A new valve was ordered, it came in this afternoon and all is well.  Good thing it happened here in town as the pickup could have over-heated.

  I am usually not one to use ketchup on my food.  Ketchup is one of Dennis’ major food groups.  What I did find out by accident:  Real Potatoes, found in the refrigerator department of the grocery store in the same cabinet as eggs.  The small cubed potatoes with a bit of southwestern spices, when pan fried taste wonderful with Ketchup.  Not drowned in ketchup.  I put a plop of ketchup on my plate and with my fork, dip a piece of potato in the ketchup and it’s like eating a French fry.  I tried putting the potatoes in the oven uncovered in a foil lined pan and when heated to the 155-160 that also works.  Better yet, no fry pan to clean up.  Home, home on the range . . . where food is always experimented with.  Too funny.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on April 30, 2026 Permalink  

  Brr Chilly 

  It must have been a chilly cool morning as our mail carrier was back to wearing long pants.

  Suiting up as well to stay comfortable and spend time in the studio has been in the cards.  Even with furnace running off and on, there was a chill in the air from water running around the perimeter of the studio going out into the sump pump.  Lots of rain will cause that.

  Today finished the free-motion quilting in the eighteen log cabin quilt blocks.  Another day I will quilt the borders.  Some of my free-motion meandering could have been a bit more polished.  None of my projects are juried.

  Dennis spent the morning over at the acre to watch Ryan and his crew take down the tree that had tipped over.  It was two trees out of one stump.  What remained wasn’t heathy either.  Stump and all has been cleaned up.  It feels good to stay on top of things.

  Prices can be seen being a bit higher in the grocery store.  What felt good was that our next six month premium for our house insurance was the same as the last six month bill.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥