Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:00 pm on June 18, 2024 Permalink  

  Stormy Humid 

  Being outside for very little time is telling that we may be in for a stormy afternoon.

  By 9:15 this morning the huge limb that had blown down Saturday during the night was gone and the fellows cleaned up the area with rakes.  They do a great job.

  Neighbors Jan and Randy left this morning with a group of Gold Wingers on a trip to Colorado.  Twelve bikes and 18 people.  I wished them a safe and fun vacation.

  First off I have news.  After Kevin read my blog yesterday, he sent me a link via email to help with the noise in my ears.  I have since subscribed to that link so I may always find it.  The exercises on that 10 minute video has helped and I believe has taken care of that hissing noise I had commented on.  Was it full blown Tinnitus or congestion in the ears?  Knowing what to do about it if it comes back . . . sweet. 

  I had done the exercises through several repetitions yesterday and again first thing this morning.

  As the noises have not been a usual for me over time, I did take in the proximity of the ears and jaw.  I have had some extreme dental work done in the recent past and I wonder if there was a coloration.  Whatever!  The simple exercises worked and the video is now a part of my YouTube library.  Praise be!

  I have fun in my studio.  Today I filled two pincushions with crushed walnuts and two mini pillows with fiber fill.  Getting them sewn shut felt good.  Putting the trim around the outside is tedious.  I can only do one one per day.  It challenges the left hand to no end.  I can report I did not get glue in my hair or on my glasses.  The surrounding area was well protected so cleanup was minimal.  The crushed walnut shell pincushion got the adornment.

  Tomorrow at nine, I will be at the dentist’s office for a bit of adjustment on the right hand side of the bottom plate.  It will be a good thing.  Yesterday when we were in Mankato we stopped at Perkins.  The two eggs, hash browns and sausage patties were a great treat.  I couldn’t do the crust on the toast.  I admit I slid the bottom plate in my jacket pocket on the way home.  The rotation of the tongue while chewing allowed me to know I needed a bit of adjustment, which is coming tomorrow. 

  This evening we are having Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup and a potted chicken sandwich with butter and Mayo.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:32 pm on June 16, 2024 Permalink  

  It’s a Happy Father’s Day 

  For all the folk out there that are mentors for their households . . . Happy Father’s Day!

  I went to sleep last night by a sky full of colorful lightning.  

  When I got up this morning and looked out to the east via the bathroom window, I saw a huge limb had blown off the Maple.  That potting shed has had nine lives for sure.  Nothing damaged.  The huge limb will be taken care either Tuesday or Wednesday by Ryan of Affordable Tree Service.  When Dennis went out to talk to Ryan, he noticed quite a few places where branches had blown down.

  I spent several hours in the studio today.  I am making a batch of pin cushions.  Of course they are not large.  Some are smaller than others.  After having them stitched by hand it is on to the sewing machine.  Sewing around the perimeter needs a 1-2 inch opening left for turning the project inside out.  That takes patience.  I had three to sew and to turn.  I then shut down the studio as the hands and fingers had had enough.

  This evening we will be having and sharing a 12″ tuna from Subway.  Good eating.

  Tomorrow morning we will be in the pulmonary department at the the Mankato hospital.  It is time for Dennis’ yearly prescription renewal for his CPAP supplies that he can then get at the May Store in the old Madison East Mall when needed.  Again, so thankful for insurance.  It is zero co-pay.

  Of course we will need to pick up kitty litter and kitty food.  32 lbs. at Sam’s Club for Meow Mix compared to 18 lbs. at our Fleet Farm.  Eating and pooping . . . what’s new . . . two legged or four legged.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:31 pm on June 15, 2024 Permalink  

  The Rains Came 

  As forecast, the rains came at ten this morning and have continued with gray dark clouds.

  I had originally thought I would be in the studio today . . . not.  

  I slept in, dozing off and on while the birds gave their songs in the evergreen outside my bedroom windows.

  Having an HP laptop in my bedroom porch allows for enjoying several sites on a day-by-day basis.  Checking in on our bank site has become a daily usual.  Too often I have heard of seniors letting something slip in their finances.  Not that Dennis and I have much to check on . . . but check on it I do.

  Today I have enjoyed having a YouTube video on for noise while stitching.  I glance up now and then when something catches my attention. One of my stitching project is quite large and also a challenge.  DMC embroidery floss is made of six individual threads.  Some projects call for three strands, some two strands.  I am working this design fabric of 25 stitches per inch with one thread over one.  I really enjoy working on it.  I don’t stay with it for hours on end.  Thus, having several different project of stitching is a good thing. 

  Leftovers is the meal of the day for supper.  Gotta love that.

  Yesterday I enjoyed helping with the mowing of the yards.  Four years ago on the 14th of June I was finishing the painting of our home’s garage.  A good job done as that paint job has held up quite well.  No more ladder work for me.  Now sitting on a mower . . . I can handle.

  We may very well get the 1-2 inches forecast.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on June 13, 2024 Permalink  

  Never Know 

  You never know if the rain showers are over or not.  Our last heavy one was just past noon.

  Today I finished one of the three hand stitching projects I had going.  The hand stitching is done, but the rest of the story, not so much.  Each of the remaining four of the six pin cushions or small pillows will need to be trundled down to the studio.  A backing fabric will be cut and all pieces will have stabilizer ironed to the back.  The sewing around the perimeter will need a small opening left for the filling.  Some will have crushed walnut shells to fill them and some with fiber fill.  A trim around each of them will deem them finished.

  Yes, I did stock up on crushed walnut shells as well as fiber fill.  When I can get what I need with free postage, it beats spending gas money to fetch it, let alone to find it.

  A quiet day in the patio porch.  Dennis needs to pick up Jeff at 6:30 in the morning heading to Mankato.  They will be expressing fluid from his left side and doing a biopsy.

  As things turned out, Dennis got a call from the Limb-Lab that his new shoes with the orthotics came in.  Dennis will drop Jeff off at the hospital and then go on to his appointment. 

  I have chicken tenders out for supper and Idaho instant potatoes and green beans will round it out.

  I did have an issue with uploading a photo.  Better luck another day.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:00 pm on June 11, 2024 Permalink  

  A Tuesday 

  The first floor of local effort was accomplished. 

  Quite a haul to our recycling bin.  I needed to call the Handi-Medical in Mankato and order my 90-day supply of catheters.  Our kitchen floor needed a Swiffer job followed by a damp mop.  Yesterday I picked up a small American flag to strip over a steel post on the northeast corner of the front deck’s sidewalk.  That’s always been a staple at our home.

  Counted cross stitch fabric can ravel very easily.  I had mentioned some time back, I had a healthy stash of said fabric from a time Carrie and I both stitched.  What I had caught on one of the YouTube channels was a pattern that I then ordered.  One of my emotionally attached items in my studio is a wooden circular box of Grandma Schafer’s.  I have no idea what the original contents had been.  It’s been with me for many decades.

  The pattern I ordered was a six inch wide ribbon of a lower and higher case alphabet interspersed.  The pattern also included a circular round pattern for a cover.  Hello!  The promise of a finished project is on the horizon.  Braided trim will tie everything around and together.

  Out came the Singer Ultralock Surger that Kersten’s grandma had handed down to her mother that was then handed to me.  Super sweet.  Of course it is not the latest model, but I had downloaded the user’s manual.  I may never change the color of the four spools of thread as the threading of it is quite arduous.  Black it is.  Improvisation can be achieved.  

  The pattern is 27.5″ long.  The circumference of Ester’s box is 34.5 “.  At that time, I will improvise some smaller stitch designs to make ends meet. 

  I have had a great afternoon getting this project towards a beginning.  It will be added to the other three projects that are in the works.  It never gets overwhelming if I switch off from one to another.

  I have an interesting bit of information.  At one time at a family get together we talked about jaws that can click while chewing.  As I have been going through the dental process and experienced his 360 degree X-ray, I asked Dr. Pitcher if something had shown up on the X-ray.  Why oh why would I not have suspected it.  Little bones in the jaw are susceptible to arthritis.  I asked him if others can hear that clicking if sitting beside me while I eat.  No.  That clicking noise is so close to the my ear drum . . . it’s just for me.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:56 pm on June 9, 2024 Permalink  

  Windchimes 

  We have two old pieces of metal hung in the evergreen on the northwest corner of our home.  Nothing fancy.  On a day such as this, sitting in my bedroom porch, it can very well lull me into total relaxation making me believe it came from a high-end nursery.

  Yesterday, it was the straw that crimped my patience.  My cherry red reading and sewing chair hugs my back to perfection in my bedroom porch.  It was a gently used Bernina chair the Fairfax team had found at Goodwill for Mother’s Day of 2023.  The rollers were a bit stiff.  Dennis took the chair out to the front deck and de-frocked those rollers with a whole bunch of sewing threads and carpet threads.  As I have said this chair is fantastic . . . roller wise . . . not so much.

  At Easter Kevin replaced one of the rollers on my sewing chair in the basement from a five pack from Amazon.  I remember Kevin mentioning that chairs with rollers use pretty much universal rollers.  Dennis helped me pull four of the five rollers off of my sewing and reading chair.  At first I thought, I was too heavy for the chair to roll easily.  When I read the box that contained the four rollers we were going to swap out, the label listed “Up to 1,000 lbs. each.”  Well, well, well.  The swap-out went well and I am amazed in the difference of the chair moving from point A to point B.  The fifth old roller of the cherry red chair is going to have to keep up until such time an Amazon order is placed when the rollers of the chairs at the dining table give out.

  After a nap and a snack, Dennis is off in his little red pickup to see what is happening around town.

  I had boiled eggs, diced onions and mixed in some bought Gerry’s Original potato salad.  Dennis says its my extra touches that make it almost as good as starting from scratch.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on June 6, 2024 Permalink  

  Under Attack 

  The strong gusts of wind are lobbing pine cones right and left onto our west awning.  It does make quite the bong.

  There was one run to Lewis Drug today.  Dennis and I are quite content to spend time right here on Stauffer Avenue.  Dennis had a huge day of mowing yesterday, I encouraged a nap in his recliner. 

  Last night for supper I enjoyed a soft egg on butter bread.  Very tasty.  Vanilla ice cream later on wasn’t shabby either.

  Neighbor Jan popped over this forenoon to see how I was doing.  She was surprised in the over-all process.  I assured her it all went according to expectations and skill set of the dentist.  Dr. Pitcher, at the on-set, said he could and would refer me to Oral Surgery Of Mankato as extractions of roots could be a challenge.  I immediately told him, I would do just fine under his care.  All that referral would have done is added mileage and extra expense as they would have put me to sleep, with possible stitches.

  I checked in with daughter Carrie as she is two weeks out of her cancer lung surgery. 

  Text messages . . . where would we be without them!  I do very little on Facebook.  Very little brings news via emails.  I do have a smart-phone with no internet connection, neither does Dennis’.  We seem to get along just fine.   

  I would have thought once school was out, the traffic passed our home would have lessened.  Not a snowball in hell chance of that.

  Right now there are leaf tips, flower pots and litter flying south down our street.

  JoAnn’s Fabric has apparently solved their filing of bankruptcy.  That was proven today as the box containing two bags of pillow stuffing at a hugely reduced price and a $1.27 shipping fee was delivered by FedEx.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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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.  ♥