Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from February, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:45 pm on February 17, 2024 Permalink  

  Full Sun 

  Having the sun out and bold, sure makes the day feel good.  If I had to spend any amount of time in this wind, no amount of the sun would feel good.  They warned us.

  My goal for the day was finishing up my pincushions.  Perhaps more timely stitching than when the all time favorite tomato pincushion can be bought for a few dollars.

  For those inclined to enjoy the process of threads and fuzz, the investment of the timely stitching means nothing.  I do have a few supplies to put away as the studio is always more appealing when all is tidy, tidy.  Next, I will be focused on getting my last stitching put into a frame.

  Looking at a piece of stitching that is framed is more enjoyable for me than hauling out a piece of folded, wrinkled fabric.  The time spent stitching was and always is indeed enjoyable and relaxing.  Hmm.  That is the ultimate goal for this ole Grammie.  Doing whatever I can to stay on the healthy side of life. 

  Tomorrow we will travel to Mankato for the youngest of Dennis’ eight great grand’s sixth birthday.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:43 pm on February 16, 2024 Permalink  

  Keep Moving 

  It is chilly out and as I listen to KNUJ, it could easily feel like a minus temp.  I am in the studio.  I keep on moving from one side of the church tables to another and do not feel the chill.

  Listening to YouTube videos, I had picked up a tip for filling pincushions.  Leave it to Amazon to deliver to our front door two bags of 11 oz. each of crushed walnut hulls with some lavender seeds in the mix.  Three of the four stitched items were filled with the hulls.  The fourth had to settle for a poly fill as I didn’t want to open the second bag of hulls.  I enjoyed the stitching and will enjoy knowing there are no UFOs.  No unfinished objects, aka: pincushions.  I am waiting for the small openings to dry from using the E6000 glue to dry.  I love that versatile glue.  Kersten and I used some of it quite a few years ago to put the cement antlers back on the concrete deer.  Still holding strong.

  I scrounged around and have some trim to put around the edges of the stuffed pincushions.  Going first class the whole way.  Keeping busy is enjoyable for me.  I do manage to feel that I have worn myself out at the end of the day.  Perfect.

  In between time, I have a pork steak in the oven for supper.  I used up the half onion I had plus spreading some Ragu tomato sauce over it that was a leftover from last week’s chili.  Ragu is not the ultimate but I don’t have the variety of spices on hand.  Dennis is in charge of the instant mashed potatoes.  His appetite is not the best some days, but the milk and butter plus the protein in the potatoes is usually a win for him. 

  I am going back to the pincushion project.  That will take me to supper.  It might also be time to start another book in my bedroom porch this evening.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:08 pm on February 15, 2024 Permalink  

  Some Rain 

  Some rain right before the snow started last night.  The temps plummeted in the low 20s.  Yup . . . it was icy under the snow this morning.  We had a good three inches with the wind blowing from the northwest when I went to bed.  Looking at a streetlight the snow could easily be seen.

  Randy was over with his long green line fairly early.  It is three this afternoon and our concrete drive is clear from the strong beams of the sun.  I have our front deck cleared as well as the back door to the garage.

  When I read a paperback book and tear each page off as I read it for lack of being able to hold a book, around my cherry red chair and book stand, it is worse than a shredder with fine paper dust.  It was time for a cleanup job.  I wear fuzzy slippers in the house.  We have one rug in the house and that is in front of the toilet.  My fuzzy slippers catch all the fine shreds of paper and pieces of thread from stitching and then deposit that on the bathroom rug.  It is no wonder, Dennis shakes that rug almost every other day.  Oh well.  It is all doable for me to feel the contentment of reading and stitching.

  After the last large cross stitch item that is still waiting to be framed down here in the studio, I did several small projects that I want to make into pin cushions.  I have them down here in the studio, sizing them up for backings.  With my scrap bin, that was no problem.  I also had scrap pieces of woven stabilizer to iron onto the back of the stitched out items.  Those soon-to-be pin cushions will be my tomorrow project.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:38 pm on February 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Is it Over 

  It is Monday afternoon and sooner or later when I put the news on at supper time, I will find out which team won the game yesterday.

  Today was a make it or break it for me.  Dennis was at his daughter’s up the street and it was me, myself and . . . still me.  My project from the studio was going to be on my bedroom porch wall before the day was over.

  I knew I couldn’t pound a nail in the paneled wall to save my soul.  I did have Command hooks.  The Command product that I used to put my quilt on the wall was Velcro meeting Velcro.  I got out the Command hook package and all the strips were no longer sticky.  What!

  Going back to the studio, I took three of the Velcro strips and headed to my bedroom porch.  I put two sticky Velcro strips back to back on the Command hook so they could make nice.  The third I used to stick to them and then onto the wall.  Success.

  Back down to the studio.  I wanted to use some cording I had to staple to the back of the project for hanging.  I tied knots into each end so that the cording couldn’t pull through the staples even if it wanted to.  Job done and I headed to my bedroom porch.  The cording caught the Command hook on my first try.  I stood back and . . . yup, I had the cording on the bottom of the project.  Back to the studio.

  With project in hand this time the cording did well.  Kevin knows his mom.  Of course the project was not in the middle of said wall.  Hmm.  More coffee.  As I came back to my bedroom porch, my eye spied numerous small plaques that mom and dad had brought back from Germany.  Nobody would notice an empty small nail on the bottom of the remaining ones hanging next to the front door.

  Now to get said plaque onto the wall.  I knew I had small brass hardware hangers.  The super narrow nails go in at an angle for strength of what you hang.  With a needle nose plier to grip that nail so I could give it a start into the paneling, it took several tries of gripping that hard with my left hand.  Mission was accomplished.

  Did I learn a few things with this project?  You betcha!  I learned that with allowing myself patience over and over . . . I was and can be self-sufficient going forward each and every day.  I also allowed myself to except imperfection . . . but by golly it’s real. 

  This project is done, it brings heaps and heaps of self-satisfaction.  On to the next challenge . . . but not with what is left of today.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:47 pm on February 10, 2024 Permalink  

  A Taste of Winter 

  34 degrees is still more than what we should be enjoying.  We got very spoiled.  With no snow pack the sun’s rays have nothing to bounce off keeping us warmer.  Bring on those sun rays . . . wherever they are.

  This was my day to take care of some pantry items.  Buying in bulk on certain items, means excess shrink wrap and cardboard.

  The goal was to hit the studio this afternoon.  My “a little of this and a little of that” is slowly nearing an end.  Dennis asked me what I was going to do with it once it was totally done.  Hmm.  That had never been the goal.  Keeping me busy was the goal . . . and it did a right smart job of it.  With this nearing the end, it means another project will be thought out.  As I looked at the near finish, I got a wild hair.  I have had a pin that I have enjoyed for decades.  It has just enough bling to suit me.  I laid it on the curlicue of the letter “O”.  It may stay there or it may not.  It would be put on the board by nothing other than by the closure pin on the back.  From time to time, I could change it out.  Hmm.  With that thought, I have decided this is going on the east wall of my bedroom porch when finished.

  So . . . on to today’s work.  I need to affix the lace onto the board, thus semi-covering all of the stables.  I have several mediums to try, but all must dry clear.  I surely do not want to screw up at this late date.  I am heading towards Command Strips of some type for it to go onto the wall.  More to ponder, that’s alright, it keeps me in the game.

  I am on to having something to show for this God-given day.  That was always important for my Grandmother Laura.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:03 pm on February 8, 2024 Permalink  

  Rise Up 

  I spent five hours in the studio today and it was “rise up” and get to the first floor, stay there and take a break.

  I think I put a good mile on today walking around the church tables.  How much should I trim off of the linen?  Would that be too much?  Not enough?

  I finally put the ruler down and did it slicing some off.  So there!  I loaded up the old carpenter stapler and begin moving the linen on the foam board.  A pinch this way.  Then a pinch that way.  That took another hour of traveling around the church tables.  You might say it would help if there could be another set of eyes . . . don’t even go there.

  Dennis is doing the same old, same old sinus issue.  I can’t do a thing to help him.  He has all the meds he is going to get for helping with it.  I am very thankful that he is content to go to the patio porch and complain to the garage kitties.

  We do have a bit of rain off and on with 50-degree weather.  Better than sleet or snow. 

  You do know, don’t you, that projects in the studio are for nothing other than keeping Grammie busy.  There is no judging of color use or accuracy in measurements.  Saying that, no one is harder on myself than . . . me.  It’s not perfection, it is just real. 

  The day is now mid afternoon and there is some reading to do in my bedroom porch perched upon my cherry red chair.  I currently am reading a paper back novel that has almost 1,00o pages.  As I can’t hold a book of any size, there is the tearing of many pages as I complete them.  I believe I am on page 100 something and the story plot has captured me.  Sometimes, it takes that long to hook you in.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:54 pm on February 7, 2024 Permalink  

  Time Out 

  There has been enough activity in the studio for the day.  I am sitting in the studio doing this post with the heater on Turbo for my legs.  54 degrees on a partly cloudy day doesn’t bring the air temp in the studio beyond 60 degrees.  It’s a trade off . . .  the furnace doesn’t run as often.

  This morning we worked with our prescription provider on one of Dennis’ prescriptions.  Though the fellow’s first language was not English, he was by far better than some we have had to work with via a phone conversation.  All is well for the 2024 calendar year.  Our monthly prescription premium amount per each of us is $.50.  I could not believe that until I saw the amount taken out of our checking account in January.  I would say 75% of our prescription at the time of a refill pickup has no co-pay.

  I called my Aunt Janet today and we spent 45 minutes chatting.  Janet remains as active as possible.  She wishes her legs were longer as getting into her car is beginning to give her a fit.  Backing up to the car seat and using her arms on the steering wheel doesn’t work . . . legs are too short.  Bummer.

  Today I received an email to make an appointment with my cardiologist.  Dr. Sarraf will be seeing me April 30th.  I will be in Mankato with bells on.

  Progress on my sewing project went well today.  I wish the free motion quilting would have brought the same 100% satisfaction as covering the fiberglass panel with foam and fabric had.  Come on Grammie . . . you worked to your abilities with a left arm that never ceases to do its best, AKA: rising to the occasion as best it can.  Tomorrow I will trim the linen and letters down working towards centering it on the foam board.     

  With this first time of utilizing these panels, my mind is foreseeing a few more uses.  Thank you Kevin, for adding them to my studio stashes.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:03 pm on February 6, 2024 Permalink  

  It’s a Grammie 

  This is a Grammie checking in.

  I have no coffee left, so it is a glass of water with my blueberry fig bar.  This post is also the last thing going on in the studio.

  I checked into the studio at 9:30.  I had slept on some ideas and now was the time to see if all went accordingly.  The two sided fusible worked out just dandy.  Using a donated choice the focal piece fused on without a single ripple.  The fabric of donated choice was far better than getting yucky stuff on the plate of my iron.  Stapling the focus fabric that was now fussed to the foam went well.  I had forgotten how much pressure the old stapler needed to make a solid contact.  The hog panel has nice rounded edges via the foam.

  I left that part of the project on one end of the church tables for another day.  Loading a bobbin with my wild rice color of thread I practiced my free motion stitching to see if the weight of the quilt batting would give the desired effect.  Nailed it.  I had to make a hard decision on using the copper-looking tacks for the stitched letters to be affixed onto the foam board.  My fingers can’t hold the round tacks, let alone using a tack hammer to get them sunk into the foam board.  On to plan “B” or something like throwing in the towel.

  Out came a tote of treasures from Kersten that included ribbons and such.  The perfect ecru-colored lace.  The linen cloth of the letters will be stapled onto the foam board.  What a perfect solution and addition to this ole Grammie home.  All items of that project is halted for this Tuesday.

  I got into the cistern closet for what I hoped would be a successful find.  I had mentioned some time back that my Santa cross stitch projects were put behind UV glass.  I had saved all the frames that were tricked out.  With my latest cross stitch completed, I was looking for a frame to fit it.  These framed cross stitch projects of this winter are not for any matchie, match.  I found one that couldn’t have been a better size.  In days to come, I will gather together what I need to trim it and put into this frame.  Doing these counted cross stitch projects has been soothing on days when I may very well have felt less than tranquil.  

  The reading, the sewing machine and the counted cross stitch has lead me to balanced days.  I like it a lot.  I have many more plans.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:10 pm on February 5, 2024 Permalink  

  I Am Back 

  I am back in the studio today on the fifth day of February.  First things first . . . turn on all the overhead lights.  Second on the agenda . . .  tuning in KNUJ on the portable radio.

  It felt just plain ass good.

  I knew that puttering around in my Stauffer Avenue Michael’s-like stashes would tell me what and how much I had to work with.  Hmm.  I had forgotten that the foam I had in a roll was two sided fusible.  I had only thought it was one sided.  Never mind, I will make it work.  The piece of linen I used for the machine embroidery is really scant on the bottom.  I have always known I would use quilt batting on the back side of the embroidered piece to free motion quilt everything other than the actual letters themselves, allowing for the letters to pop off.  The color of the thread I will use is labeled as Wild Rice.  A very close match to the linen as I do not want the free motion quilting to take away from the letters.  I have just enough of the silk quilt batting for that job.  Linen fabric ravels super easy.  As I type, Fray Check is drying on that scant bottom of the embroidery.  That aspect of the project, I am still thinking on.

  Dennis cut the piece of the hog paneling for me for the length I needed.  I put off putting the hanger on the back side of the covered panel so it would lay perfectly flat when I needed it to.  I cut the fusible foam for the length and width with extra inches.  I tried out our very old carpenter’s stapler on the piece of paneling I do not need.  That staple was put into the paneling with the fabric I intend to use to cover the paneling with.  I will have enough width and length to bring the covered fabric over the paneling to staple it down.  It held really well.

  The quilted linen piece with the letters will be affixed to the foam-covered green fabric with . . . 

  Ya, about that.  My plan was to turn under a scant 3/4″ of the linen with copper covered upholstery tacks.

  This is a good time to shut down the studio.  All materials have been thought through, measured and laying out on the church tables.  I literally will need to sleep on all of this.

  It’s a good thing I had one more package of a hot dish in the freezer.  My thinking cap has worn me out.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:24 pm on February 4, 2024 Permalink  

  Sunday the 4th 

  Both Dennis and I have squared off in our own corners today.  Dennis in the patio porch working on a project that has required spray paint.  Watch out kitties for the over-spray.

  I am rounding out on some hand stitching that has taken me quite a while.  Threading the needle another three times should do it.  The finish for me will be taking it down to the iron and giving it some needed pressing.

  There is an unfinished machine embroidered piece that I have been pondering for several weeks.  I stitched out the word “HOME” on a piece of linen that was 10″ in width by 36″ in length.  After each letter, I had to rehoop with many times measuring.  The end result looking as if I had stitched it out in one run. 

  As I have been doing the hand stitching, this UFO . . . unfinished object, has been in the corner of my mind.  I do not like to have a project not completed when I have already invested a huge amount of thread and time.   It’s bad enough that I am a “Stable” stitcher.  That would be . . . “Stashes that are beyond life expectancy.” 

  The nice winter weather we have been enjoying does not help the studio’s cool to chilly air temperature.  I may need to dress up with thick soled shoes, a very warm sweater and turn my small heater to turbo.  If there is the will, there is always a way.

  May everyone enjoy a sunny Sunday.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥