Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2023 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 1:40 pm on June 11, 2023 Permalink  

  Great Sunday 

  It was a very cool morning, and . . . I loved it.  An oatmeal and flax meal hot breakfast and I was out the door.  There was that Elm tree that needed the lopper treatment.  After some of our older Lilacs were cut down last summer, there is no shortage of young plants coming off of those stumps.  Yes, we would enjoy that privacy between neighbors again as these young plants grow.  We do not need as many as what shot out of the ground.  With my clipper this morning, I decided to cut off those that were intruding into the Hosta area.  I know if I continue to whack and stack some of them, they will decide to die back. 

  While I was doing gardening, Dennis had a pail of Dawn dishwashing liquid in his trusty pail.  The tracks of the three slider doors were caked with dirt from the winter.  A bit of elbow grease did wonders.  The garden hose was strung out, the doors were closed and the tracks were flushed out.  We both couldn’t figure out where all the clatter was coming from.  Snuggles was off chasing a squirrel up the oak tree in the neighbor’s yard.  There was bark flying from his claws.  He was a good thirty feet up in the tree.  I think he surprised himself.  No squirrel was caught.  After a time he decided to back himself down.  

  By 10:30 I had accomplished what I set out to do in the gardens.  The studio was my next stop.  Dennis came down with his cup of coffee this afternoon to see how things were progressing.  Of course I had KNUJ radio on.

  It is now 2:30 this afternoon and the two backings for these two quilts have been cut and sewn together.  The quilt tops are 75″ x 75″ and the backings are 84″ x 85″.  Sewing two lengths of 44″ wide, less the salvage, is making up the backings.  The last thing I did was open up one of the packages of batting.  It has been unfolded and taking air on the church tables after having been crunched into a plastic bag.  

  Perhaps tomorrow I will tackle securing one of the backings on the church tables with an arsenal of thumbtacks and strapping tape.  It needs to be as taut as I can make it.

  The lights are going to be turned off in the studio and I might take a cup of cold coffee and join Dennis on the front deck.  It is a wonderful cool day.

   
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  Noreen 2:01 pm on June 10, 2023 Permalink  

  Moral Support 

  Thursday, with a bit of elbow grease and lots of moral support, I worked with Dennis to tidy up the patio porch.  It is not 100%, but a dang site better.  Dennis went on to clean the pickup garage on Friday and today the car garage.  Dawn dishwashing liquid to the recue.  When I went out to ask Dennis in for a noon half sandwich, the corners of the car garage were tidy, tidy.  I did notice the recycling bin’s cover didn’t go down all the way.  There is one shelf on the north wall that Dennis said he would need help in deciding what to keep and what not to.

  Never ever will our outside dwellings stay spick and span.  All we can do is give it our best . . . often.

  I noticed this morning, there were no mosquitos outside.  I headed to the area of our picket fence to the north.  Oh my gosh.  We have never had Night Shade plants like there were out there.  Good thing with the rain it pulled up easy.  Wild thin vines that crept around stronger plants.  Those leaves looked like wild morning glories.  Kudzu vines can be seen draped around trees and shrubs, killing them.  I found one of them, also.  All I can think of is that our old lilacs kept this area in dark shade.  Last summer we cut down the old rotting lilacs that had trunks as large as dinner plates.  This year that whole area has full sun.

  Neighbor Jan came out and she worked on her side of the picket fence while I was on our side.  I think we gave each other moral support.  With my clipper I whacked off many, many volunteer trees: Cottonwood, Elm, Oak and Maple.  There was one Elm that I will need to visit with the lopper.  I did rake up a huge pile of the Maple seeds.  They will end up in the burning ring . . . soon.

  When the black flies began biting, I headed for the studio.  As of this posting, both quilt tops, 75″ x 75″ each are done.  I did unfurl the yardage of the backing for this tops onto the church tables.  That will be for another day. 

  When Dennis came in to check on me, he commented how warm it felt in the studio.  Ah ha!  It dawned on me that the dehumidifier needed to have the setting changed.  When we had gotten water in the basement, I had the setting at “44.”  The recommended setting should be about “54.”

  Dennis declared it was shower time and I will follow close behind as it feels like the humidity has done its number on the both of us.

  Catch you tomorrow!

   
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  Noreen 3:46 pm on June 7, 2023 Permalink  

  Rain in the Afternoon 

  I am hoping the rain that has begun falling at 4:30 will continue for a while.  The backyard has cracks in the soil.

  The luncheon that Dennis and I went to in Mankato was the close of the Chosen Frozen Korean Veterans for this area of the state.  The letter from the home organization laid out all that was needed to be sent to them.  The funds in the treasury were dispersed to three beneficiaries: the VFW post where the meetings have been held for repairs and to the Blue Earth County Library.  Though it was a mere $2,600.00, no money needs to be sent to the home organization.

  We were home shortly after two in the afternoon.  I called a friend, June, to see if she was up for company.  June had lived down the road on Stauffer Avenue until two years ago when she moved into an apartment.  June has never driven so the relationship is a bit one sided.  June had a severe change in her life this spring, when she went to the hospital with COPD.  June walked everywhere, everyday.  This may not have been brought on as suddenly as first suspected.  Today she showed off her portable oxygen bag.  She is on oxygen 24/7.  A whole lot for this 82 year young person to adjust to.

  It was as I was returning home that the skies got dark with a horrendous clap of thunder. 

  I came down into the studio to put up a few items I had purchased at JoAnn Fabric.  Not much needed here in the studio.  When all was said and done with t-shirt quilt blocks, there were two not needed to make the top times two.  I will make those two blocks into pillows for Michel’s two small sons.  Pillow forms: buy one, get the second at 50% off.  Why not.

  It will be interesting when I close down the studio to see if the rain is continuing when I hit the first floor of the house.  I can only hope.

  Tomorrow I will be at the hospital here in town by nine for my metabolic blood panel to be drawn.  Small inconvenience for reassurance.

   
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  Noreen 1:39 pm on June 4, 2023 Permalink  

  Oh So Warm 

  This Sunday is oh so warm.  I was outside early and the feeling was putrid.  The biting bugs didn’t seem to mind it.  I did not stay out long.  

  With a cup of rich hot coffee I checked out my usual items on the HP in the living room.  Nothing much new there so the cherry red reading chair and a book caught my attention next. 

  Yesterday we had a delivery from Amazon.  There was one item in the kitchen we could never do without.  Kevin had found it and I am sure . . . on Amazon.  Every time Dennis used it, it always had the same comment . . . “I could kiss that kid.”  It had saved us from having to have clerks in the grocery stores to open containers before we left the stores to come home.  Alas . . . it had gotten some issues.  From using it time and time again, the wear and tear was making it less effective.   There were certain sized containers that were opened more frequently that bore the brunt of the wear and tear.  It was shear bliss when the “pop” could be heard as the seal of a container was broken.  There was nothing to do but visit Amazon for a replacement.  Never was there a better investment of $10.00 for a new handy helper.  There were other items as well in the package to assist opening of containers.  Dennis and I both knew which implement would be used the most often.  Seek and ye shall find.  If Kevin had not given us our first one we would have never known how easy it was to open containers of all sizes.

  Dennis has had a good day of watching crime television programs either in the patio porch or the living room and playing solitaire.  I have been in the studio going slow and steady on quilt blocks.  The forecast had been right on allowing us to know how uncomfortable this Sunday would be.  I peeked ahead.  This coming Friday I saw a temp in the 60s.  Halleluiah.  That will be the day, I will get after some unwanted plants among the Hosta.

   
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  Noreen 2:27 pm on May 31, 2023 Permalink  

  Summer is Here 

  I thought I would be outside again today . . . not!  This Grammie got out of bed too fast and brought about a feeling of less than.  Not consistent dizzy but enough and often enough that my place today is indoors.

  I moseyed down to the studio about noon.  Dennis came in from outside and thought I had found the perfect spot as it was fairly uncomfortable to be doing any gardening.  He had been mowing one lot at a time.  That fellow does enjoy mowing grass.  Keeping him hydrated is very important to this ole cowboy.

  My quilt top is getting to the point of running a tape measure. Sixty one inches square.  Putting in a new blade into the rotary cutter, I decided to cut some border fabric.  The first border to be sewn on will be the same mottled black as the sashing that is between the blocks.   I will finish with an orange border to tie in the corner stones and bias tape trimmings.  As this is the first of two duplicate quilts, I decided to cut fabric for the second quilt while I was at it.  The sixteen blocks are prepared and having the sashings and cornerstones done will put the decision making process to be little to none.  I was in no mood to turn on the sewing machine today.  Getting prep work done felt right.

  This morning Dennis saw the wound doctor here in our clinic and tomorrow we see the surgeon’s second in command at the Mankato hospital.  Right now when I do the dressing change each day, I have to pack the tiniest piece of gauze that has been made wet by the acetic acid wash into that tiny wound.  This is to prevent the area from healing too fast.  It needs to heal from the depth to the surface. It would be great if Dennis could begin wearing a shoe on the left foot.  I do know from past appointments that Dennis has very touchy skin on his feet thanks to conditions from the time in Korea.  Even the gal that does pedicures here in town takes special care.

  With the warm temps and daily warnings of possible thunderstorms, yup . . . summer is here.

  Catch you tomorrow if the Mankato trip doesn’t take us into a late day.

   
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  Noreen 2:21 pm on May 30, 2023 Permalink  

  Short Night 

  Yesterday in the afternoon we did have rain.  The heavens rumbled nonstop into the evening.  So much muted noise.  

  At 2:40 I sat straight up in bed.  The wind was coming in all directions and it was a white-out of rain with thunder.  I was wide awake as I navigated the house.  The rain continued on.  About 4:30 I felt the slumber creeping in and slept until seven.  Dennis had not heard a thing.

  The only item on the docket for today was a pedicure and a half up town at eleven.  I like Maria’s work and so does Dennis.  Maria is easy to visit with.  One thing I would like to share.  Maria grew up following truck farming across much of the USA.  When her and Dennis visited about the economy, she told of working on an onion farm.  She received $.40 per bushel of onions that were harvested.  Yes . . . it took a lot of bushels to make a living wage for a day.  Interesting to expand our awareness of others that live among us.

  When we got home Dennis and I raked up Maple tree seeds.  Man were they thick this year!  Those seeds fall off of the tree in clumps.  If the clumps lay where they fell, a clump of small Maple trees will be there in no time flat.  We will tackle a bit more of them tomorrow.

  Dennis wanted to get some chairs out of the potting shed to put on the patio under the umbrella.  He manned the water hose with some soap and a brush to get off the winter’s dirt.  I wanted to pot up some Russian Sage for Dennis’ daughter.  Those plants are perennials and take a lot of full hot sun.  I finally had to use a lopper to clip the roots from a parent plant as they do spread via the root much like quack grass.  We will leave the Russian Sage at her house putting the container in the shade so she can work with it at her own pace after she gets home from work when we see the wound doctor on the first of June.

  When we called it a day from being outside, we were both red in the face.  At three this afternoon it was 85 degrees with a nice breeze.

  There is always something to do when owning property.  It does beat living in an apartment complex.  There is no such thing as being bored on Stauffer Avenue.  It’s my personal belief that only boring people get bored.

   
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  Noreen 2:28 pm on May 29, 2023 Permalink  

  Monday the 29th 

  There was quite the buzz over at the blue barn acre this forenoon.  Tom and Sandy came from Mankato with a chainsaw and also a smaller saw.  I stayed home with Sandy’s dog.

  By two this afternoon, Tom and Sandy were headed home.  Dennis took me for a ride and I was amazed how much had been cut up.  There had been enough done that now loading up what has been cut will be headed for our tree dump to be visited.  If all goes well, the skid loader with the teeth attachment will be used to load the trailer.  Slow but sure.

  We had not expected rain this afternoon.  It had come up with wind and I can hear the thunder from the studio.

  I have been pecking away with sashes and corner stones on quilt blocks.  After I finish this posting, I will be closing down the studio.  As quilt blocks are attached and rows are built, there is heft to be felt as it goes under the needle.  The arms, shoulders and hands need a break.

  Let’s hear it for the last week of May!

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on May 28, 2023 Permalink  

  A Project Completed 

  This morning I got a call from Carpenter Bryan.  He asked if I had a problem with him installing the storm door on our front door.  Absolutely not!  By twelve noon the door was installed and there was no cleanup for me.  I had stayed busy in the studio the entire time . . . staying out of the way.

  What had happened while Bryan was working with his helper on our front deck, the neighbors to the north of us had called the fellows over.  It seems as if Jan and Randy will be having their back door tricked out with a deck such as ours.  For the entire time I have lived next to Jan and Randy, they have only had rough wood steps not attached to the house at their back door.

  When I paid Bryan, he was grinning from ear to ear with another job to do in time to come.  I kidded Bryan that he had gotten a job for our same deck and steps design while he was finishing up with us.  Now that Jan and Randy will have a nice deck and steps such as ours, Bryan can soon have this design as his signature.  Bryan thanked me for putting his card on Facebook as he had to install some windows out on a rural site.

  St. James needs several Bryans for small carpenter jobs.  I let Bryan know I was hanging onto his card for a time when we might need him again.  He smiled and we shook on it.

  Tomorrow Dennis called in a favor without labeling as such.  Dennis’ daughter Sandy has a fellow that is storing a car in our back garage.  Tom will be coming over tomorrow with his chainsaw.  The plan is to cut up branches and trees on the blue barn acre.  Cutting them up in six foot lengths or less, will allow them to fit in the bucket of the skid loader that Dennis can borrow from his nephew Brett at any time.  It’s a smaller loader than Brett uses with his concrete work.  Brett keeps it at his house for moving snow in the winter. 

  Daughter Sandy wants to take some Hosta home from the east end of our original lot.  My plan is to stay put out of everyone’s way.  Sweet.

  May everyone’s Memorial Day be safe and restful . . . as mine will be.

   
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  Noreen 1:19 pm on May 23, 2023 Permalink  

  Enough 

  I was up early today.  I slept soundly from nine last night until seven this morning when I heard the coffee pot going off.  

  I checked my usual items on the HP in the living room while enjoying the coffee.  It really tasted as good as it smelled this morning.  My second cup of coffee I had while sitting on our front deck.  It is enjoyable watching traffic and watching birds in the huge evergreen right off of the deck.  Enjoyable until I heard in no uncertain terms that mama Robin was not happy.  On both ends of the awning, Robins have made a nest.  I teased her for a bit longer before I gave her space.

  It was very apparent that the dewpoint was low this morning.  The grass in the front yard was not glistening with dew.  I put on my garden shoes and headed outside.  Dennis was at his PT appointment but had left the weed trimmer with a charged battery in the patio porch.  The agreement was he would mow and I would trim.  It looks so much nicer when there isn’t a halo of tall grass around everything that a rider mower can’t get to.  I only trim on our original acre as now we do have an additional barn acre.  By the time I have used the battery up, the trimming is done and I can feel that I have used up the energy I had for this task.  Dennis would be mowing that area after the PT appointment.

  Cleaning off grass clippings from my pants, I made sure to break off some catnip before heading to the house.  Snuggles was right there rolling in it.  Several spots for several cats.

  It may well get to the 83 degrees that KNUJ was forecasting.  I intended to spend time in the studio.  When Dan at PT takes care of Dennis’ foot with new dressings, I do not have to do it in the same day.  The oven dish that I had taken out of the freezer for last night’s supper will have a repeat performance for this evening.  The remains of the day I pretty much had to myself.

  It was smooth sailing today making and sewing trim onto the remaining t-shirt blocks.  When the last block was trimmed, the sewing machine and lights were shut off.  I still need to poodle through the thoughts about orange sashing versus black sashing.  The next visit to the studio will be cleaning and oiling the sewing machine, complete with a new needle.  By that time, I will have made a decision.  For today . . . enough is enough.

  My cheery red reading chair is beckoning me.  The front deck might be a good spot for reading but I cannot hold a book with my arms and hands.  I have a great stand sitting on a table in my bedroom porch that is perfect.  All I need to do is turn the pages.  Mission completion.

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on May 22, 2023 Permalink  

  Here Comes Monday 

  Traffic past the house is indicative that a working Monday is underway.  The school buses will soon be out of the fray.

  Of course the grass was way too wet for mowing this morning.  After Dennis had a coffee guest in the patio porch he decided to check his eyelids for cracks in his recliner.

  This afternoon the Cub Lo-Boy was fired up.  I walked to the backyard as Dennis was mowing.  The new blades are doing a great job.  The front yard is done with the Sears rider set at a higher height than anywhere else.  It eliminates scalping next to the drive.  

  I took an oven dish out of the freezer for our evening meal before I visited the studio. 

  I put several colors, black and orange, out on the table top that now has 16 blocks laying out.  I think the bright orange for sashing that is also in the quarter inch trims, is too bright. A two or three inch strip in the orange to sew the blocks together takes away from the continuity as the eye moves from t-shirt block to t-shirt block.  The orange and black is laid out.  As I work in the studio and catch a glimpse of the two from time to time, in the end I will know what will be best.  Food for thought.

  In the mean time, in between time, the trim is being made into bias tape strips and then sewn on the 16″ blocks.  

  After doing six blocks, the lights went out in the studio.  I want to do a bit of weed whipping tomorrow.  There are always a few places that a rider mower cannot get to.  Taking the battery weed whip makes the mowing look complete.

  Going out to the front deck, the town is alive with the sound of mowers.  Time will tell how many of our yards Dennis will do today.