Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from February, 2023 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:03 pm on February 13, 2023 Permalink  

  Furnace at Rest 

  It sure seems nice not to have the furnace noise.  I know this stage of resting will not last long.  We have a lot of winter left.

  We can’t have what is long past and long gone.  I think of a little house dog we had by the name of Sparky.  Sparky didn’t appreciate being left at home all day long while the rest of us went to our jobs and to school.  Sparky retaliated.  Carrie was so proud of her Nike red and while sport shoes.  She had babysat the Lyndale girls west of South Branch, saving for a pair of Nike sport shoes.

  We came home one weekday afternoon and there was crying and sobbing.  Sparky had chewed off the little thingie on the heel of Carrie’s shoes.  They had not been worn for too many days.  There was nothing to do but continue wearing them.  I can’t remember if Kevin had shoes that were ravages of Sparky as well.

  What makes me think of Sparky is that even with a shoe horn, that I do so need to get my shoes on, I would give anything not to have those thingies on my shoes.  With a shoe horn, the thingies do not want to pop out like they should and then I play heck getting my finger into the already tight shoe to release the thingie so the shoe feels as it should.  Hmm.

  Yesterday evening, Dennis got two large cottontails as they were enjoying some of the deer shell corn.  Today he aced two gray squirrels.  Those two squirrels did not make a dent in what we have.

  I did have a successful day in the studio.  The log cabin quilt top is totally done.  Tomorrow, it gets a press and then folded.  It sure did keep me occupied.  That’s a good thing.

   
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  Noreen 5:10 pm on February 12, 2023 Permalink  

  A Great Day 

  The sun is shining with nothing much going on.  

  Dennis was doing his thing in the garage and patio porch and I was in the studio.  I kept my nose down with my eyes on the seam allowance.

  I have the last border to sew onto the log cabin.  It is the 5″ border and as the quilt top gets larger, it becomes more difficult for stitching as well as pressing.

  This last step will be my Monday’s work.

  The good news is that we have no ice left on the center of the drive.  Of course as the snow banks on either side thaw, there will be a border of ice on each side.

  Happy week to one and all!

   
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  Noreen 2:42 pm on February 11, 2023 Permalink  

  A Balmy Day 

  Though a bit on the windy side of things, 36 degrees is acceptable.

  We have just completed the first change of Dennis’ dressing for his left foot since the new orders.

  Hydrofera is blue in color and has the consistency of a sponge.  I am applying it to the area of the incision that needs to heal and close.  What this blue sponge does is to wick away and extradite debris from the wound, aka: pus.  I am willing to do whatever is offered to us for healing.  Dennis is on the same page with me.  I have mastered the art of using a roll of gauze, all 4.1 yards.

  I can tell you that my “C” batteries are the best.  We are back on board with KNUJ.

  What’s this I hear about snow coming this next week!  Us stitchers were going to get together next Thursday.  That may not happen.  Whatever this winter brings . . . it can’t last forever.  I am fortunate.  I gleaned that via the stream of text messages that the weather forecast brought on.  I am fortunate in the fact that I do not experience cabin fever.  Time will tell.  My text message allowed them to know that when the dust has settled on changing the date, just let me know when we would plan on getting together.  So be it.

  Supper is going to be soup and toast.  Neither one of us came even close to breaking a sweat today.

  That’s all folks!

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on February 9, 2023 Permalink  

  One Without the Other 

  Today proves that one without the other does not work.  It is 32 degrees out but with no sun, it is down right feeling raw out.

  Today Dennis took his little red pickup in to be fitted for new shoes, aka: new tires.  Rod’s shop is just a bit off to the east of us and next Monday, the tires will be in.  They will be in and on and also balanced.  2015 was the year new tires were put on.  I think they did remarkably well.

  I worked on getting borders cut for my log cabin quilt.  I needed a total of 27 strips cut from 44″ wide fabric.  At the halfway point, I knew something was about to give.  Last year I had a gift certificate at the quilt shop in Bird Island from Nephew Larry as I had made a total of eight Christmas stockings for his family. 

  In the summer of 2022, I headed north to cash the certificate in.  To round things out I purchased a card off of the quilting supply rack.  It was for one of the cutting blades that my rotary cutter uses.  It was $14.98 plus tax.  Today on Amazon, I ordered a package of ten blades for $47.98 plus tax.  Shipping was free.  I did not get fleeced by the quilt shop.  I know from experience that the price would not have been any different if I had shopped elsewhere. 

  I did get through all of the cutting that was needed for now.  There is a certain amount of grunge in fabric, regardless of the price per yard.  After the cutting, I did iron the strips.  It makes it easier to get it under the needle if all is nice and flat.  As per the photo, my calculation on the amount of fabric that would be left of that third border fabric, was spot on.  No, it won’t be doing anything but hitting the circular filing cabinet.

  After submitting this blog for publication, all lights in the studio will be turned off as well as the heater that has been oscillating, keeping my legs warm.  The shoulders, arms and hands need a bit of a break before changing out Dennis’ dressing on his left foot.

  Tomorrow we have an appointment with the surgeon.  We are hoping for a good report, but I seriously doubt that the Velcro boot will be retired.  As many stitches as I cleanse every day, I can only imagine how many layers of stitches cannot be seen.

  As per Dennis’ promise of earlier this week, while I stayed busy in the studio, the floors were damp mopped.  Sweet indeed!

   
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  Noreen 2:26 pm on February 8, 2023 Permalink  

  A Taste of Spring 

  I am sure this taste of spring is not here to stay, but . . . in the meantime, in between time, bring it on.

  As nice as the temps have been it is not cutting through the deep ice that can be found wherever one needs to walk.  Once ice has been walked on several times or driven on, it wants to remain until the Easter Bunny comes hopping.

  Speaking of bunnies, if natural fertilizer is great, we have both bunny droppings as well as deer.  Neither one of those four legged animals has much to choose from for eating.  I hope our two shrubs that we had planted where the Koi pond had been, tasted good.  They really got a haircurt.  Dennis just returned from the grain elevator.  Dennis drives into the drive through and on one day, the gal takes his empty buckets out of the back of the little red pickup and the next day, she loads the buckets up for him.  Sweet service indeed. 

  All the lights are on down here in the studio.  I have finished sewing 24 log cabin blocks together.  Now comes the head scratching portion of this project.  A quilt of 77″ x 105″ could be used as the topper for a queen sized bed and is a good size for a double sized bed.  In adding borders, that 77″ x 105″ can be met.  It will take the first border at 3″, the second at 4″ and the third at 5″.  The angle at which I took this photo skews the proportion.  With a 1/4″ seam allowance it will be a very good thing.  Using three of the six colors in each block, will put my stash of the outside 5″ border with not enough left to use as a hankie.  That is my goal . . . use what I have.

  I have no idea who will need a quilt, but there will be one ready.

  Last week on Facebook, there was a photo of a name plate on the back of a quilt.  Many years ago, a gal that I worked with in the courthouse had a rural house fire.  Their family lost everything within their home.  When I shared this with mom, The Riverdale Quilt Club, 90 miles away to the north, that Lena belonged to, had put together two quilts.  I delivered those quilts to LuAnn in the rural rental home they were living in.  The photo of that name plate was special and sweet.  You never know where a quilt needs to find a home.

  I am out of ideas for a supper.  Never fear, something will come to mind and we will not be going hungry.

  It is time to turn off my sweet little heater that has been keeping my legs warm as well as all the overhead lights.  Tomorrow is another day and things in the studio may fall right into place as if there had been a definate plan all along.

   
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  Noreen 2:23 pm on February 7, 2023 Permalink  

  Bummer of a Morning 

  We needed to be at an appointment in Mankato at nine this morning.

  Last night we had rain after dark.  This morning when I looked out, what had been puddles last night was now little ice ponds.  Dennis said we would leave early this morning to make sure we’d be safe while still being on time.

  As we were on 169 at the turn off towards the hospital, about eight 10, my phone rang.  The nine o’clock appointment had been cancelled due to illness.  At that time, we rescheduled for this coming Friday at 9:15.

  Illness is not planned, but it can be a bummer.

  We had no other business to take care of in the big city, so Dennis pulled into the first safe drive to turn the little red pickup around.

  I have since been in the studio.  First on the agenda was cleaning under the hood.  Oil in all the right places and a brand new 80/12 needle.

  There is something strange happening to my little battery operated radio.  It will shut itself off.  It happened yesterday and I had totally forgotten about it until this afternoon.  I came down to the studio, got all the lights on and by habit, I pushed the “On” button for KNUJ and it came on.  This afternoon, it has happened twice that it shut off.  I need to check the batteries.  I cannot remember when this set was put in.

  More thawing is underway, and yes . . . just like last night, there will be a refreeze.

   
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  Noreen 4:05 pm on February 6, 2023 Permalink  

  A Helping Hand 

  With several loads of laundry and an oven meal to prepare, I had a helping hand that volunteered to vacuum the floors.

  Dennis has become quite mobile wearing the 24/7 boot.  He had realized that I had not said one word in regard to what may have been tracked in.  The tracking can’t be helped.  I think it’s wonderful that he is out and about taking care of what this little household needs in the errand department.  It is a blessing that we have no carpeting and only two scatter rugs that need shaking.  Of course there was a trade-off.

  Dennis requested that I stay busy in the studio while he vacuumed the floors, and . . . he did do all the floors.  Tomorrow we check in with the surgeon’s second in command and both of us are eager for the update.  After the vac was back in its storage spot, Dennis announced that Wednesday he would be doing the damp mopping throughout the house.  I do appreciate the fact that he does notice and is willing to help.

  When the boot gets to be retired, both of us will celebrate as it means the healing is complete and the foot can have the pressure of wearing a normal shoe.  That normal shoe will be after it has been fitted for an orthotic to make up for the loss of the length in that foot.

  I will be putting out an update after tomorrow. 

  Right now, it looks as if the forecast of rain may be spot on.  Gray skies while it is 35 degrees.  I am hoping that if there is something falling from above, the roads will be good early tomorrow for traveling to Mankato.

  By the way, the oven meal for today’s supper is in part cubed chicken from the freezer when we had had a broasted chicken from the deli and the excess was cubed and labeled for such a day as this.  I parboiled two cups of carrots and opened a jar of Alfredo sauce, a heaping teaspoon of Better than Bullion roasted chicken flavor, and two cups of pasta boiled, tender to the taste.  It was mixed and blended as it went into my blue speckled round roaster. 

  Four thirty at 350 degrees will have supper ready when the contents reach 155 degrees, or thereabouts.

   
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  Noreen 2:46 pm on February 5, 2023 Permalink  

  Powerful Sun 

  With warmer temps and full sun, there are noises and they are not waiting to do the “bump in the night.”  Ice on the awnings is letting loose.

  I spent time in the studio and with one third of the quilt top sewn together . . . it was lights out.  I have started on a new book.  What better way to get into the storyline than with a cup of coffee.

  If I am lucky, I can make it through the entire night without a trip to the bathroom.  When I am not lucky, four thirty seems to be the magic time.  It is too early to stay up and yet there have been enough good hours of sleep, returning to that can also be difficult.  When I do finally drift off, it can well be eight thirty before I am up for the rest of the day . . . whatever is left of it.  Dennis does drive home the point that it doesn’t matter.  He is right.  If we are not expected somewhere at a certain time . . . go with it.

  A lifetime of getting to the day at hand as soon as the feet hit the floor, it is difficult to adjust to slacking off a bit.  I am still a work in progress.  There are some of us that have a stringent work ethic, whether in the work force or retired.  

  This next week is to be enjoyed as snow piles begin to shrink.

   
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  Noreen 3:40 pm on February 4, 2023 Permalink  

  A Waft of Spring 

  By golly, I stuck my head out this afternoon to add to the recycling bin and I got a waft of spring.  This morning it was 8° above and now it is 32° and balmy.

  Dennis and Dwayne had a coffee date at McDonald’s this morning.  When Dennis came home at noon, he told me he was leaving to get the car into the car wash.  He and Dwayne had already gotten the little red pickup run through.  Yes, the ultimate wash has been raised to $11.00.  Dennis will pay that as it gets some of the crud under the body washed off.  Getting each vehicle back into the garage where it was warm enough to not have the doors freeze shut.  That would be hard on the rubber seals.

  I also had a productive day.  The studio had sun shining into the south windows.  That in itself was a good motivator as well as the heat on my legs from the electric jobbie under the sewing table.  What allows me to have a bit more time sewing is to have the sewing chair tricked out with two balls to sit upon.  It does help to keep the pain at bay as well as stitching a bit and then getting up to iron the seams that were just stitched.  Never sitting in any one spot for very long is the tip for the day.

  With the 24 blocks of the log cabin pattern stitched, I got out the booklet and decided the sequence of the blocks when stitched together.  With 24 blocks, I did have choices.  I decided on the Starlight choice.  That stitching will be for another day, as each block may need to be trimmed a bit.  Keeping the 1/4 ” seam is desirable . . . but also does not to need to be perfect.

  The aroma in the kitchen is beckoning.  I browned two center cut boneless porkchops for just a hint of color, which is not mandatory.  With the crockpot sprayed with Pam, the chops were added with a bit of seasoned salt sprinkled on.  A can of cream of mushroom soup was spread evenly on top.  The setting of low was applied at nine this morning.  The chops will be falling apart by five thirty.  To round out supper, Dennis is going to fix a box of Stove Top dressing.  Does it matter that the flavor of the pantry was chicken?  No!  The remainder in a dish of cranberries in the frig will top supper out perfectly.

  I keep the crockpot on the kitchen counter 24/7.  It is amazing what can be fixed with no mess and many hours to bring the dishes to perfection.  If in doubt, the internet has the answers.

  This entire next week seems to promise a chance of the furnace getting a break.  Sweet.

   
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  Noreen 3:07 pm on February 3, 2023 Permalink  

  Fooled Me 

  I had checked out the wind chimes that hang from our evergreen on the northwest corner of our house and all seemed calm.

  I needed to make a run to Lewis Drug on the south edge of town.  When I opened the car door, it felt as if the wind would take the entire car.  Being sheltered where we live sure fooled me.

  If it indeed reaches mild temps this weekend, we will all need to regroup with items that were put on hold for the duration of these last weeks.

  A bit of stitching this forenoon in the studio.  I have not been putting in long hours of said stitching.  What with needing to change out the dressing on Dennis’ left foot each and every day, I don’t put my back in a challenging position, aka: overdoing it and then pay a hefty price at the close of the day and not be able to get a good night’s rest.  It is called pacing one’s self.  

  Both Dennis and myself will be eager to hear the report next Tuesday when we see the surgeon.  We so want to hear good news as to the healing since January 11th.

  Dennis peeled enough potatoes yesterday, that this evening we are going to have fried potatoes with lots of chopped onions in the mix.  I will finely dice the remaining pork steak and call it a meal in a skillet.  

  Everyone take care for the weekend.  There seems to be enough ice on walkways and streets to make me curl my toes when I am out and about.  Extra grip power surely can’t hurt.