Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from May, 2023 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 1:10 pm on May 2, 2023 Permalink  

  More Straight Line Winds 

  The winds from the north are getting old.  Our flag and the neighbor’s stand straight out from the northwest.  Upon reflection . . . it still beats the storms.

  Dennis gave me a car ride to our tax forfeit lot as the crew was loading up their equipment from the demolition.  What a fantastic job was done.  Denis feels relieved that a sad old dangerous building is no more.  As we took a tour via our car, it is amazing the amount of nice green grass.  Dennis always mowed the gal’s lot that was adjacent to this lot.  We now know Edna’s property is for sale as our 96-year-young gal is in Sleepy Eye in a care facility.  One lot that no longer needs Dennis to mow, trading off for our own additional lot to mow.  Did I mention that Dennis got new blades on his rider yesterday?

  When we got home, I did pick up some garbage that has blown into our backyard.  Several branches are now on Dennis’ fire ring.  If ever there were loose branches in our trees, these winds would have brought them down.

  The studio lights came on today.  Working in 45 minute increments, I have 24 firefighter’s t-shirts cut down to what I can work with.  One bag of garbage made up of sleeves, neck ribbing and such.  A second bag is labeled as “cotton rags” from the backs of the t-shirts.  With that . . . the lights were turned off for the day.  Slow and steady will be this project.

  I know the farmers are out and about.  I can imagine the dust storms behind the areas being worked.  My plan is to wait until I can stand upright with little to no wind before I venture into my dirt.

  This week should be a turning point in spring-like weather.

   
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  Noreen 2:22 pm on April 30, 2023 Permalink  

  Math 

  I enjoy challenges in regard to math.  On the dining room table is my graph paper and a good pen.  I only spent one hour in the studio today.

  I dumped out two plastic grocer’s bags of a firefighter’s t-shirts onto my two church tables.  The quest was to see how many t-shirts I had to work with.  Some were two sided.  With the project being two twin sized quilts . . . the graph paper and I headed for the dining room table.  Many different scenarios on how to effectively use 42″ wide fabrics in conjunction to t-shirt fabric.  It will be some time before fabric needs to be purchased . . . for sure. 

  The winds during the night shook our small home.  The wind has continued during this Sunday.  With my bedroom porch on the west end of the home, it does help to have a huge evergreen shrub that we don’t prune on the northwest corner of the home.  It will be nice when our Larson storm door comes into the lumberyard in Truman.  That would snug up the doorway.  Special ordered length takes four to six weeks.  We do have a carpenter that will do the install once the door arrives at the lumberyard and is delivered.

  Each fall at the time of colder weather coming, Dennis gets a new winter down-filled nylon jacket.  The jackets are light weight and very warm.  As our winter temps are dragging along, warmer jackets are still needed. We have noticed a goodly amount of tuffs of ever so fine feathers.  We checked for holes.  Cat’s claws were the number one thing we thought of, next was possible cigarette burnt holes.  Nope.  The seams on the elbows are worn thin to the point that they are leaking.  For a bit more time, I can think of worse things to be floating in the air. 

  Tomorrow morning, Dennis donning his leaky feather jacket will drive our Sears riding mower to nephew Brett’s concrete shop.  Dennis has the blades purchased and the fellows in the shop will swap out the old and dull with the new.  The next step is for Dennis to drive out north of town to Charlie’s shop on Hwy. #4.  The Cub Lo-Boy is also going to get new blades.  As far as Dennis could track, the blades were last changed out fifteen years ago.  Spring may be slow to come, but the grass has a good showing.

  It doesn’t take a math genius to know that 30 mph winds decrease the temps from 50 degrees to 41 degrees.  It feels raw.

   
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  Noreen 4:31 pm on April 29, 2023 Permalink  

  A Brick 

  Today would have been a good day to have your favorite brick in the undies.  The wind at 20 – 23 mph hour makes this 50 degrees feel very cool.

  Hmm.  My sewing tables are bare nekkid.  Some time back a family member had reached out from the family tree about making a t-shirt quilt as he had retired from his local fire station.  This was pre-AJ and his Harley quilt.  Why not!

  Today a car came from Gibbon.  My dad’s sister, Esther. was married to Theophil Opitz.  Their son Wayne settled in Gibbon.  Wayne’s son, Michael, was the retired fireman.  Wayne and his wife Jean had never been to our home and had decided to ride along with Michael and his son Jaden.  What a treat.

  I now have church tables that look busy and happy.  Dennis has already signed up to cut t-shirts apart.  What a guy!  Michael would like two twin sized quilts out of his shirts for each of his two sons, Jaden and Wyatt.  I can do whatever as I go along and there is no timeframe.  Sweet!

  We have come home from a friend’s 87th birthday coffee.  Late day coffee with cake.  What’s not to like.  There will be a light supper of soup for supper.

  I came home to have a chat with the Fairfax team via the phone.  Amazing when your family looks out for items that I may well put into service in the studio.  The studio does after all have a certain standard to uphold.  Dennis and I will do a road trip sometime to the fair city of Fairfax.

  Today is the first day for the Fairfax tulips to open.  They have been gracing our home for some time.  Kevin and Kersten rescued the pots of spent tulips after a Valentine’s day.  The pots came to St. James for the tulip bulbs to be cleaned and dried for planting that fall.  They are the darkest of reds and enjoyed each spring. 

  Have a great weekend and be ready to welcome May on Monday.

   
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  Noreen 2:23 pm on April 27, 2023 Permalink  

  Gloom and Sprinkles 

  It is a day of gloom and sprinkles.  The donuts that Megan and Nicholas used to like had more sprinkles on them than what our windshield had on it.

  Today was a visit at Dennis’ radiologist.  Dr Gio did the three angioplasty surgeries on Dennis’ left leg getting Dennis ready for the amputations of his left foot’s toes.  Can you believe it?  We were told that he would check in with us next year.  He had photos of Dennis’ foot that were taken Monday of this week.  He is very pleased at how Dennis’ last surgery, January 11th, 2023, is healing.  He brought the photos up on the computer screen and Dennis got to see it in full color and up close.  

  Monday was the 24th and today is the 27th.  Three doctors in three days have given us positive affirmations on the rate of healing.  I told Dr. Gio I had read the clinical notes of that January surgery.  Those notes did not give much hope for healing with the notation that an amputation below the knee would give better healing odds.  I never shared that with Dennis.  Each day the dressings were changed here in our living room with care and a pat given for being a good patient.  Yes!  Dennis is beating the odds.

  With that bit of news, I am looking forward for all to continue as it has been going. 

  I am looking forward to snapping on those lights in the studio and checking out what next will make threads and fuzz.  First things first as the laundry basket could use a bit of relief.  Who doesn’t enjoy pulling on clean fresh clothes.  Friday seems to have come quickly this week.  It has been a good week.  See you all tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on April 22, 2023 Permalink  

  Cold and Raw Wind 

  The morning didn’t offer any sunshine.  What the morning brought was Dennis’ grandson, AJ, to pick up his quilt.  It didn’t take him long to unfold the 96″ x 112″ to inspect and take in all the extra blocks I had added when the amount of t-shirts fell short for the project.  I received several hugs as he ferreted his quilt away into his pickup and AJ headed to the patio porch.

  Well done for the studio and this Grammie.

  AJ and Grandpa Dennis spent a good long time visiting in the patio porch.  When I went upstairs for a cup of coffee, AJ was putting up the patio umbrella.  It is cumbersome.  Hefting the umbrella up into the cast iron stand . . . it can become top heavy.  Last we took down the Christmas wreaths on the north side of the garage and today we are trying to coax the sun out by having an umbrella up.  Go figure.

  We least expected that the demolition on the blue barn would begin yesterday, Friday.  This barn is the structure on the tax forfeit lot we purchased late last fall.  A sorry structure that has been failing for years but did attract animals and kids thinking it was fun to play in.  Also a lawsuit waiting to happen.  It seems the fellow doing the job had put us on his schedule early on.  Ryan has the license to do this type of work.  Anyone else offering to take part in this, could have gotten hurt and we could have been on the hook for medical expenses . . . or worse.  One load was taken out yesterday.  Monday will be quite busy.  Dennis had checked and yesterday’s load took out an old refrigerator and such items that a homeless man had amassed while living in a building that had no services.  Where was the the city’s building inspector then?

  The good thing was that there was no asbestos.  The old wood shingles had been covered over with tin.

  The studio is quite in the recovery mode.  Extra fabric has been put away and there is no fuzz or threads about.  That could change in a heartbeat.  

  There are some plants brave enough to poke through.  The Fern Peony is always early.  I have two plants that came from my mom’s garden.  Mom’s Fern Peonies came from my grandmother Laura’s garden.  A sweet plant to hand down.  I did hand two off to Carrie’s garden.  Taking care of my plants as you can never tell who else might start a garden.

  It is time to shut down the lights here in the studio.  Tomorrow is a new day and I might have a new idea to go with it.  But for the rest of this ducky day . . . rest up for a new week.

   
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  Noreen 2:06 pm on April 21, 2023 Permalink  

  Betty Crocker 

  The 1962 recipient of the state’s Betty Crocker award received less than favorable comments on the oven meal that was prepared for last night’s supper.  The person that prepared the dish was . . . me!  Myself and Dennis were the two giving the comments. 

  There is a serious revision that needs to take place when or if I do this oven meal again.  First off the Lawry’s Seasoned salt should have been omitted.  Way too salty.  In hindsight the Stove Top Stuffing should have been prepared as the box directed and then spread on the green beans and raw chicken.  Dennis’ suggestion would have been to top the dish with a jar of Alfredo sauce, and then using the handle of a wooden spoon, popped holes in the top allowing Alfredo sauce to penetrate the layers.  Good thought.  The beans are canned in a salty mixture, the stuffing mix has salt in it and Campbells’ soup is loaded with salt.

  As Forest Gump so wisely stated, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

  We will have a second round of last night’s oven dish as neither one of us throws out good food.  Live and learn.

  Today has seen a mixture of mist and snow.

  Dennis has his pickup bed filled with all that is needed to change oil in the rider mower and the Cub Lo-Boy.  It was too wet and raw today for that.  Hopefully the weekend will bring more favorable weather.

  Dennis helped me take the 6′ x 10′ jute carpet and put it going east to west next to the church tables on the south side.  I have found the extra heft of rolling my sewing chair over carpeting during different sewing needs requires a momentum that begins with a motion in the hips and follows through to the back.  The chair does not move on its own.  It proves over time to be hard on a tender back.  Funny story on that bit of carpeting and where it came from.  My brother, Calvin, had bought the jute piece for in front of their television.  Liking to go barefoot, the new jute texture didn’t feel good on tender feet.   

  I have enjoyed that handed off carpet for many years.  Would I ever put more carpeting down in the studio?  No.  Pins have a way of taking flight while I sew and they hide surprisingly easy.  Though I don’t go barefoot in the studio, we do have some that visit and don’t think a thing of slipping off their shoes when they visit me in the studio.  I would hate to have someone find one of those pins that have evaded me. 

  The sun threatens to shine, but I give it a flunking grade.  Maybe tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 2:58 pm on April 20, 2023 Permalink  

  The Last Task 

  Oh my oh my, have we ever had the rain.  The blessing is that the ground around the patio porch has been able to take it.  No flooding, no tornadoes . . . as I said, blessings.

  Yes, the king sized project is now officially a quilt.  There are bits and pieces of leftover fabric I need to put in their place.  Black and orange will not be in my future for some time.  When Dennis came into the studio to see the finished item, we did manage to get the quilt folded, so my church tables look tidy.  I could not resist putting my John Henry onto AJ’s quilt.  It didn’t take but a few minutes to put the embroidery module onto the machine and play around with the fonts that are already loaded on the sewing machine.  The quilt hooped up nicely and I found the perfect spot on one of the bottom corners.  This was indeed the last task on this project.  It just so happens that the block that is adjacent is the only embroidered block not done in manly colors.  The quilt needed a heart on it.  When I texted AJ, he may see us this weekend.  

  As the studio is too cool to make a day of being down here, I gathered up some supplies from the pantry down here and decided on making an oven meal.  That should warm up the entire house.  I don’t carry items up from the basement.  I took what I had gathered and set them on the second step from the bottom.  As I walked up each step, so did my supplies.  It does take me a bit for me and the supplies to reach the kitchen.  But we do make it to the first floor and for me, it is safety first. 

  The oven dish is a layer of diced raw chicken tenders in a Pam sprayed baking dish with a sprinkling of Lawry’s seasoning salt.  One can of drained green beans placed equally.  A package of DRY Stove Top Stuffing sprinkled over the dish making sure the bottom of the package that has all of the seasoned herbs is sprinkled evenly.  A can of cream of chicken soup that I added the last of the cream I had and whipped it together.  That is the topping.  Bake covered.  It will be in at 325 – 350 degrees for an hour, using my thermometer to let it reach 155 – 165 degrees.  Here is my secret . . . if not as moist as what was anticipated after each of us have spooned a helping onto the plate. . . add butter.  You can never go wrong with butter.

  Tomorrow, the last of the week, with no promise of better weather.  We need to suck it up and make the best of it.

   
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  Noreen 3:08 pm on April 19, 2023 Permalink  

  And the Thunder Rolled 

  During the night we had flashes of lightning that lit the house up.  Right on target, a few seconds later, the thunder rolled.  It rattled the windows.  According to KNUJ, 4/10ths of an inch of rain.  I think there is more to come as the remainder of the week is uncertain.

  Today, Dennis and I visited the Hallowed Halls of Watonwan with questions on the  Notice of Values that came in yesterday’s mail.  The assessor’s office has totally new staff from when I left almost twenty years ago.  We had questions and we received answers.  Of course . . . no satisfaction.  Jessica is the appraiser that assisted us with our inquires.  Jessica is Norma Wellnitz’s granddaughter.  Norma worked for me for several decades in by-gone times.  Sweet.

  Our trip off of the property was taken care of.  Check that off the list.  

  I continued with stitching binding on the king sized quilt.  Dennis came down to check on me and of course a snapshot was needed.  Amidst all the folds and mass of fabric, I have felt overwhelmed at times, but not really swamped.  There is an end to this project, perhaps not today, but soon.  A tug here and a tug there around the corner the stitching went.  This tugging is a great reminder that quilts of this size will not be tackled again.  I did not add the word “never.”  Realistically, I have plenty to do without looking for additional projects.  I don’t call it work as it is with a joyful heart and soul that each project is tackled.  

  As in the photo, over my right shoulder is where the button tree had found a home for quite some time.  A vacant spot with additional spots to be thus wished for.

  Tomorrow is my target date to send a text to AJ for him to pick up this quilt the next time he finds himself coming in our direction.  AJ just had his 29th birthday, he mans a team that does fiber optics.  AJ has an old soul persona.

  A fellow stopped by today and confirmed that he will be working in our backyard soon, demolishing the old barn that is on the tax forfeit lot we purchased this winter.  Now for the rest of the story.  After the lot is indeed free of all materials that can be labeled as part of a structure, our value on that lot will be reduced considerably for the value of 2024 and taxes paid in 2025 . . . as a vacant lot.  Sweet indeed.

  That is all folks.  Hump day has been chilly and damp.

   
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  Noreen 1:49 pm on April 18, 2023 Permalink  

  Desperate Times 

  The old adage is that desperate times call for desperate measures.  I dispute that on every point.

  Coming upon challenging issues, indicates to me that I need to think things through before it comes desperate.  

  You all know that I have had a stroke that makes the left portion of me less than it was . . . less than I would wish.  I have carried on with all that I had previous to the stroke.  It may take me a bit longer, but try, try, try again.  The leaf raking several days ago didn’t go too badly.  Granted, my rake is only 6 inches across, it still managed to roust the piles that were as matted at the manure in a calf pen.  Yes . . . one layer at a time.

  My true joy is the studio.  So named as there is no one choice of activity down in the studio.  All is fair game.  My goal is to keep it zeroed onto one project at a time.  I get nervous when there are UFOs, unfinished objects.  It’s not that I think I won’t have time to finish them, I just want to honor the effort and resources that have gone into them thus far.

  There have been quite a few posts on here, of this beast of a king sized t-shirt quilt I am doing for Dennis’ grandson, AJ.  All has gone well with the slow and steady technique.  Once all thirty blocks had found themselves sewn together, I didn’t have to think about it for awhile.  I dumped the project onto Old Alley Quilt Shop to do the longarming.  I knew I would have a several week hiatus before I would get the call to come and pick it up.  Yes, it did make me feel good when I got the invoice and the notations were “Fantastic quilt, I loved the embroidered blocks.” Bless her heart.

  The meandering on the quilt top looked great.  Hmm.  Here I was with the last step.  Four hundred and sixty inches of binding was going to be my best friend.  I prepared as much flat surface as I could to distribute the bulk.  Feeding the quilt under the needle ever so slowly.  It really did go slow.  The left hand could not grip the heft to take it away as the needle stitched.  Creativity to the recue.  One of my 2 lb. weights had a surface of fabric much like sticky felt.  It didn’t take me long to use that weight as my rudder as the sea of fabric threatened to swallow me.  The left hand had only to gently push it and the fabric followed suit.  Oh my gosh was this fantastic or what!  If the hand didn’t have to work hard the left shoulder also benefited.  You can be sure, this little beauty will be close at all times.  The 5 lb. weights worked well for anchoring the yet-to-be-sewn quilt.

  There comes a time when a break is needed.  Tomorrow will be ready for more sewing.

   
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  Noreen 1:57 pm on April 17, 2023 Permalink  

  Happy Monday 

  Happy Monday and the last day to frequent our favorite IRS peeps.  This gives us thirty days before our real estate taxes are due.  Anyone needing to get their car tabs?  Might as well do all of the nasties up.

  It is mid afternoon and I have surfaced on the main floor of our home.  The real reason I have shut down the studio is that I got cold.  This time of year the thermostat on the furnace can in no way make the basement comfortable.  It happens every year and this too shall pass.

  I did get all set up to begin sewing on binding of the king sized quilt.  Plus the two church tables I have moved the ironing board to the south side of the tables.  All of this done for as much area as possible to help with the heft of the quilt as it gets moved around from under the needle.

  After the project got strung out onto the flat surface, I had to flip the switch on the sewing machine to take a gander on how the binding would be sewn on and at what length of stitch.  Hmm.  Four hours later, I do have the binding sewn onto the back of the quilt.  Four hours . . . no wonder I got chilly bordering on flat out being cold.  Being in the studio it is easy to become distracted and loose track of time.  I do so enjoy that.

  As I am doing this posting, I do have the television on.  With the Samsung smart TV, I have found that I can watch some YouTube videos on the television, rather than my laptop.  One of my favorites is “The Last Homely House.”  A woman, Kate, from the eastern end of the UK that is into all things similar to my tastes.  For me, it’s relaxing and it gives me permission to be my eclectic self.  Did I mention how I so enjoy the distraction that can be found in the studio? 

  Dennis has been off to Fleet Farm for oil.  It’s time for getting all things with an engine ready for yard work.

  No sluffing off on Stauffer Avenue.  Have a happy Monday!