Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from November, 2021 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:48 pm on November 17, 2021 Permalink  

  Hanging Tight 

  The Northern Red Oak is still hanging tight to about 50% of its leaves.  Again, the winds are a steady 25 mph from the north with gusts into the 40s.

  The chili using bear ground meat and ground beef tastes wonderful.  I added bullion roasted onion.  The concentrated bullion is a paste.  I purchased the concentrate in onion and garlic.  It really works slick to add flavor easily.  I know there are other flavors as I have seen them advertised.  With the meat for the chili I added chili powder, black pepper, one can of tomato sauce, one can of tomato soup, one can of red beans, one can of black beans and four cups of water.  No salt.

  Today we drove down the highway 15 miles to Madelia for the single express purpose of purchasing flat egg noodles for beef stroganoff.  Same store brand in each of the towns, but St. James appears to have a different distribution link.  Not to worry, I purchased plenty. 

  As we drove home on the Hammond highway, there was mile after mile of rail crews adding new ties.  The equipment was varied and the man power was huge running different aspects of the equipment.  I couldn’t help but think . . . dad, Raymond, would have pulled over his little blue Chevy Luv pickup along side of the road and sat there watching the process.  All things mechanical intrigued him.  Dad had a very mechanical mind as his workshop had attested to.  Sweet memories.

  I still have some time before serving chili so hitting the studio it is, starting to square up flannel baby quilt blocks.

   
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  Noreen 4:56 pm on November 15, 2021 Permalink  

  New Week 

  It’s a new week and a new day.  One of the things I needed to check on this morning was the far northwest window of my bedroom.  I had to check on it being locked.  Saturday night the wind was in blizzard mode.  Our replacement windows have served us well and they are tight.  I did awake during the gusts of wind and with the streetlight I could see that valance curtain moved.  Nope . . . I checked everything on the window and it is secure.  Even winds that defy what is secure can find something on an old house to let in the breath of winter’s unforgiving winds.

  The studio beckoned.  The first thing I did was clean my sewing machine of fuzz and wayward threads.  Out came the oil can and a brand new needle was put in.  On Amazon the Organ needles are reasonable by the bulk purchase.  I generally sew with a 80/12 and embroider with a 80/11.

  With socks done, I am back to the baby quilt for the new arrival that is coming in February, thus expanding the Riebe clan.  Applique is fun to do with embroidery designs.  The majority of the real estate is fabric that is stitched around in the scheme of things.  Today it was a reindeer that is going to be added in the quilt.  It was an option of the designs that are already loaded into the sewing machine.  It was a fun way to start the week.  The machine outlines the area that fabric is needed.  Once the larger piece of fabric is stitched down, it can then be trimmed for the statin stitch to finish that portion.  This particular design asks for four contrasting fabrics.

  Half of the blocks will be embroidered and they are now done.  What will take time is to trim each of those blocks down to eight inches square, centering the design.  Measure once, measure twice and cut once.  Dennis sat in the rocking chair in the studio and took in the stitching.  He made the comment and I agreed:  getting requests is nice, but considering the time element it can take away the fun of the studio.  This baby quilt will be the last of the relation’s requests.  Going forward it will be my dime, my time.

  I was at the UPS depot at four.  Having the Christmas socks out of the house and out of my hands felt oh so good.  Surprise, the package will be there tomorrow!

   
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  Noreen 2:25 pm on November 14, 2021 Permalink  

  A Shortage 

  In this day and age it is evident that there is a shortage of moms and grandmas for the younger generation.  What is more evident is that the younger generation took no interest in what they had been exposed to at the elbow of these women.

  With pride I know that daughter Carrie did pay attention and she could sew herself out of a maze in a heartbeat.

  What is ready for tomorrow’s UPS depot is a package to my nephew Larry.  Larry’s mother-in-law, Rita, had a passion for all things threads and fuzz.  She was so good it rubbed off on Larry’s mom, my sister Elvera.  Elvera learned the fine art of piecing quilts and an even finer art . . . pressing seams.  When I last visited Rita to deliver a quilt she had started, Rita was quite ill.  I can still chuckle over a comment when reminiscing quilting with Elvera.  “She spent more time ripping out seams than not and then finally she would just let the mistake slide.”

  So, getting on to my point.  Many younger women do not sew.  They passed on the opportunity to acquire their mom’s sewing machine after they had passed.  When want comes and they can’t do any more than purchase fabric and pass it along with a “please,” the realization sets in that there is a shortage of those that can and those that do.

  I willingly took on the “please” of making three Christmas socks for Larry’s wife, Rita’s daughter.  Family is family.  Admittedly, I could have easily used a working left hand and arm.  My mother-in-law, Esther, repeated often, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”  When I sewed on the hanger for the three stockings, I did feel stronger.  The three stockings were for the fact that Larry’s family has grown since Rita made stockings for everyone.

  The remaining fabric that Jennifer had purchased will remain in my studio on the event that the family again has a growth spirt.  The gamble in that is that I may be the one to guide someone in making more stockings and my role will be strictly supervisor.  Time will tell.

  Now on to the question I will have of my children . . . “Do you need Christmas stockings.”  I am game.

   
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  Noreen 3:29 pm on November 13, 2021 Permalink  

  A Wellness Check 

  Oh my gosh!  Dennis did a wellness check on me this morning.  I had gotten up during the night for a bathroom call and went right back to bed.  At ten this morning, Dennis came and checked on me to see if the covers were moving in concert with my breathing.  Hmm.

  It was a tough PT appointment yesterday.   There is no pussy footing around with tendons and muscles.  Maybe the long ride to Eden Prairie and back in conjunction with a program have added to a bit of a setback in the therapy . . . maybe.  Would I or Dennis have missed it for all the world . . . NO!  There are more appointments next week and we will be staying close to home for some time to come.  I have a great PT person in Mike T and I also have good insurance.  This too shall pass.

  This afternoon on the radio station 105.1, it is Christmas music non stop.  How relaxing.  As I was typing I looked up and out of the studio window . . . and snow is sifting down.  Perfect afternoon after a relaxing morning.  I can tell you the day goes by swiftly when half the day was spent in bed.  As my ole cowboy said, “You must have needed the rest.”

  Dennis got a call this forenoon that the snowblower he had taken out to a rural shop just several days ago was fixed.  Grant it, it is an older snowblower, but has had very little use.  The snowblower needed a new carburetor.  That plus a good grease and oil change . . . it is ready for snow, plus complete with chains on the tires.  Dennis is waiting for grandson Ryan to stop by later to take it off the trailer.  It is too heavy for it to be a grandpa one-man job.

  Wellness checks out of concern are a good thing on any day.

   
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  Noreen 3:49 pm on November 9, 2021 Permalink  

  No Dust on a Tuesday 

  Dennis and I are both on the move on this wonderful Tuesday . . . not letting any dust settle on us.

  Dennis and Dwayne loaded a snowblower that Kevin had sent home with us.  It is now at the repair man’s property that is north of here on Hwy #4.  Charlie said he would have time to do it after the crops were off of the fields.  It will most likely stay on the two wheel trailer until it is ready to use and bring back home.  Those two 85 year young do work well together.

  For me, it was going through the first floor and making tidy.  We do have people dropping in unexpectedly.  With a small home it only takes two items out of place to make it look as if the person to make “tidy” has gone AWOL.

  The PT appointment was at 10:45 and I would not have missed that for all the Folgers on Stauffer.  Mike T admits I don’t have a lot of cushion to protect the muscles and tendons that run across the tail bone.  Consequently it smarts to sit.  I don’t sit very long in any one place.

  As I can stand at my sewing machine, I am tackling Jennifer’s Christmas stockings.  The flannel stockings will be lined.  I am able to add a decoration before sewing the two halves of the flannel together.  The red flannel will be the cuff at the top.  The stocking that Jennifer’s mom made is of vintage flannel and is awesome.  I am beginning with two socks to see how it all comes together.  I enjoy trying new things.  I know that my mom, Lena, made stockings for all the grandchildren many decades ago out of red felt.  Dad, Raymond, cut out the letters that spelled each child’s name.  I don’t remember if they were sewn on or glued on.

  I will check to see if anyone needs a new stocking . . . or perhaps a bigger one.   

  The afternoon is bright with 54 degrees.  I couldn’t take my usual walk on Stauffer as the city has spread crushed asphalt over the entire width of the street.  I really didn’t want to get that in the waffle type rubber soles of my shoes.  I did quite a few laps up and down the drive and also the patio as it winds around the patio porch. 

  On a bright note, the boxelders are slowing down.  It was getting to the point that we were getting pyrenoid when we saw a fuzz on the floor.  My aunt Janet says they bite.  A boxelder never had a chance on either of us to try it. 

  Tomorrow is a free day.  There should be nothing that warrants taking the vehicles out of the garage.  That is subject to change.  Blessed is the calm of a fall day when the only creatures that are in a hurry are the squirrels looking for the sweet spot to bury just one more black walnut.

   
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  Noreen 3:21 pm on November 8, 2021 Permalink  

  Clocks Have Been Changed 

  Cellphones update those clocks automatically.  Our clocks in the home were changed this morning.  It didn’t seem to matter; move ahead or fall back . . . I slept until 7:45 this morning.  The chatter of the kids getting ready to board the school bus east of our drive is a pleasant alarm clock.  Dennis has been up for some time but the noise he makes as he prepares to hit the patio porch is so usual, it does not shock me awake.

  Sometimes when my eyes are not ready to open, I try to procrastinate.  Maybe I’ll decide to roll over and see how long I can lay still.  Pretty soon it is tick, tick in my mind.  Then the tick, tick becomes tic tock, tick tock and I know the day is beckoning me.  My kids, far away, have been up for ages and it surely does not speak well of me to be a lazy bones. 

  How much effort does it take to toddle to the bathroom for personal comfort and then return to my bedroom and strip off the sheets and punch a few buttons on the washing machine back in the bathroom.  Having done that . . . I feel the day within me has started.  It will not be denied.   Neither will I deny myself a cup of coffee with creamer added.

  The oven was started and preheated for a batch of frozen scones to be put on a baking sheet.  I did get my breakfast in a bowl and put on the dining room table.  I stripped Dennis’ bed of sheets and added that to what would be additional loads of laundry.  I enjoy my breakfast while catching a bit of news on the television.

  The morning spins on as I swap out loads of laundry from the washer to the dryer and have had enough coffee to keep me going.  The small vacuum is taken off of the attic steps and the dust bunnies under the beds . . . beware! 

  By noon it was nice enough to head east on Stauffer for a walk.  Dennis was in the back garage working on tractors and as I passed by the driveway of the back garage, I told him I would have lunch ready for us when I got back from my walk.  So the morning went.

  I spent some time in the studio pondering steps to take in producing Christmas stockings.  I have paper patterns ready.  I must say, the sample stocking that Jennifer sent with the fabric is rather large.  Lots of goodies would fit in them.

  It is now mid afternoon and there are piles of freshly laundered bedding in the living room.  I don’t need any more caffeine to finish up the beds.  Dennis has had the Cub tractor out taking care of more of the fallen leaves.  He is gaining.  I never said anything negative when I looked out this afternoon and Dennis had started a fire next to the Maple tree.  It was handy for him to keep raking leaves onto the fire.  Get as many done so as to not have to deal with them next spring.  Supper is leftovers from Sunday night.  Wham, bam, thank you . . . supper will be a breeze.

  Such is the day that begins with the tick tocking.  We see what needs to be done and we get it done.  Showers after supper will be sweet dreams when bedtime hits . . . . fresh beds.

  Maybe procrastination will be participated in tomorrow.  Tee hee.

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on November 7, 2021 Permalink  

  A Dose of Indian Summer 

  Oh my oh my, what a great Indian Summer.  Walking these last several days has been a treat.  There is a Cottonwood down the way east on Stauffer Avenue.  Many times I take a pause and listen to its music.  There remain so many leaves on this tree.  With the fluttering of the leaves as the breeze moves through the limbs allowing the leaves to clatter.  I would like to bottle that sound and do a musical mixer when the wind of a snow storm would play in the background.

  There may be some time in the coming days that I will not be venturing out of the studio.  There is the baby blanket I have started for a family member.  Yesterday the mailman left a Priority Mail package on the front steps.  The package came from Stewart, Minnesota:  Larry Trettin.  I am sure his wife Jennifer had gotten the package ready.  Larry is my sister, Elvera’s, youngest of her three children.

  As with the baby quilt request, there are no moms or grandmothers alive to help out.  I have been requested to make some Christmas stockings.  Jennifer’s mother had made socks for the family as they numbered at that time.  Larry’s family is growing and the Christmas stockings are a tradition.  Jennifer had shopped for fabrics in Hutchinson.  There was ample fabric for stockings, plus one of the Christmas stockings that Jennifer’s mom had made.  I will be able to model the new stockings off of that.  It is doable. 

  The baby blanket is for a baby boy coming in February.  Christmas will be here next month.  Time to regroup.

  I was happy to have cleaned the studio and basement yesterday before I knew what was waiting for me on our front steps.  When I had begun yesterday I knew there were two church table tops . . . they just couldn’t be seen.  Today I am moving a bit slow from the aerobics and antics that was warranted to do the job.  There is a clean slate in the studio.

  As I have sat in my favorite chair off and on today, it gave me time to think things through going forward.  What is really sweet is that Dennis is enthused for me to help others out.  That is not to say that if my two children would need something done tomorrow . . . get out of my way . . . I have things to do for them.

   
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  Noreen 2:58 pm on November 6, 2021 Permalink  

  The Hunt 

  Today was the day that I was on the hunt for all that should not be.  I spent the majority of the day in the studio as well as all points in the rest of the basement.

  It began when Dennis went to Fleet Farm for some flying insect spray.  The goal was to spray the doorway chase of the screen door of the east house door.  Even with several hard frost mornings, the boxelder bugs come a calling as soon as the sun is out.  We check each other over before coming into the house.  Invariably, one or more beats us into the house.  Dennis and I have commented that had we not had new basement windows put in, it would be a loosing battle.  These bugs may be the payback for not having gnats and mosquitoes over the entire summer.  

  As I began vacuuming the basement carpeted steps and cleaning up dead bugs that had been carried into the house on the bottom of our shoes, it didn’t take me long to decide on doing a clean sweep of vacuuming the entire basement, studio and cistern closets.  It was due.

  Every wall that had something sitting against it was cleared to where the floor met the wall and it was tidied.  My Filter Queen canister vacuum did a great job.  I admit that in times past the open floor area got the brunt of cleaning.  I was determined to hit all the spots and corners.  This should count as fall cleaning and maybe even early 2022 cleaning.  I saved the worst for last in the studio.  Brother Calvin gave us a hemmed jute carpet.  It is not the easiest to vacuum threads off of.  As diligent as days can be, there is always a tuft of this and threads like that, that float to the carpet and immediately become intertwined.  The trade off is that it does feel good to stand on it when ironing.

  There was a short break over noon when Dennis’ niece and her husband from Morris stopped in.  They were taking advantage of the nice temps and making a wide swing in the state taking in whatever family they could catch.  Sweet.

  I have since cooled off from the Filter Queen marathon and had a very successful hunt of all things that should not have been.  I need to make a run to the grocery store for milk and bread.  Dennis has been blowing and raking leaves out from under the lilacs. He may enjoy some vanilla ice cream this evening.  Vanilla is our favorite flavor. 

  In the scheme of things, where would we be if not for a conscious allowing us to be stewards of all that God has given us.

   
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  Noreen 3:24 pm on November 5, 2021 Permalink  

  What a Friday 

  What a busy Friday we have had.

  This forenoon some friends from Madelia stopped in.  Both Doug and Lynette are hunters.  For a cup of coffee and cookies there was a trade off of some bear burger meat and a ring of bear bologna.  Both are mixed with beef and pork at the time of processing.  Their next hunt is in Wyoming.  Lynette shared with me she is ready for some home time.  Her hobby is Cricut paper greeting card crafting.

  I headed out for PT at 11:30.  The right spots have been found.  It can best be explained as a roller ball on the hamstrings, that when worked on, Mike finds the spot where muscle meets tendon.  There is no “uncle” allowed for the time that Mike T has me on the table. I will take whatever he has to dish out.  I want this fixed in as short of a time as possible.

  When I came out of the clinic, my cane needed to be planted securely as the winds were horrific.  When I got home Dennis had had the Cub Lo Boy out and already put away from hitting the leaves in the backyard.  It did a great job.  That is until the last of the Maple leaves drop.  The Northern Red Oak tree is hanging onto its leaves like this would be the last year it would put any out.

  Our noon lunch was barely had when Dennis’ nephew drove up. Brett spent an hour with Dennis in the patio porch as Brett’s concrete business has really kept him hopping to finish jobs before the weather changes.

  When the fellows had solved all the world’s problems, Brett came down to the studio to catch up with his fellow quilter . . . me.  Brett spends his winters in his basement quilt studio.  Brett has gone so far as having his own long-arm to finish his projects.  It seems to be a good transition from pouring yards of concrete from early spring to this time of year.  He knows if he runs short during a project, he can rattle my fabric stashes to pitch in.

  The winds are still howling and we are set to spend a quiet weekend here on Stauffer.  Sweet!

   
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  Noreen 2:08 pm on November 3, 2021 Permalink  

  Tip of the Day 

  My tip for the day: never, ever have a wastebasket sitting close to your sewing table.  Oh yes, it is oh so handy for scrap fabric and threads that want to wander.  The garbage is picked up every Tuesday and the studio stays tidy.  It’s a good habit to get into.

  I had mentioned that the sewing table was at the highest point it could be cranked to these several weeks.  It has made a huge difference not sitting so much.  I have watched quite a few sewing tutorials where the gals do quite a bit of straight seam sewing while standing.  I am not sure I am up for that.  When it comes to actually putting these baby quilt blocks together, the sewing table will be put down to the 21 inch in height.

  Not!

  I have always had the handy dandy crank on the back side of the sewing machine.  Today is Wednesday and as I was getting geared up to the “check . . . check” before turning the sewing machine on . . . there was no crank on the back side of the machine.  Panic!  After doing a brain scan of recent days, I recalled having a lot of fabric on the sewing table over the weekend, pushing it through the needle to do some basting.  With the wastebasket full, I would not have heard the thump of the heavy crank hitting it.

  I wanted to cry!  What would Lena do?  What would Raymond tell Lena to do?  I had gone online for the Husky tables and they had various parts available, but not the crank. I called Home Depot in Mankato and got an “888” number to call for their main contact.  I had the wherewithal to have the correct model number of my table before I called and I had a credit card handy.

  Working with an oriental young woman, it went one arduous step at a time.  I was put on hold several times and each time I had her promise to not drop the call.  I had told her I was an elderly grandmother that needed this crank or my children would chalk this up as one more notch on the “going to a nursing home” belt.  Praise be!  I have an email that I have printed out allowing me to know the particulars, that in ten days or so, I would be receiving the crank at my given home address.  Best blessing . . . no charge. 

  I swear, when that crank shows up, I may wear it as a necklace.  As of today, the wastebasket is over by the ironing board . . . six feet away from the sewing table.  Seriously, the crank may be hung on the button tree when it arrives.

  Sometimes it really hits home hard . . . to clean up your own messes.