Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from August, 2020 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 3:48 pm on August 29, 2020 Permalink  

  Little Einsteins 

  When Megan was small, there was a group of videos for small children.  It brought about recognition of colors, numbers and animals.  The Little Einsteins videos were played many many times.  The entire time, there was a mystery to be solved.  The background music was soothing classical choices.  It was a great platform for the wee ones.  Each time the Little Einsteins had put out a good caper and had been successful, the ending was always the same . . . “Mission Completion.”

  Today, I have had my mission completion day in regard to the front yard and the Crab Grass.  the city curb that borders our front yard, is now free of the huge plants of the Crab Grass.  It looks as if it has had a manicure.  The Kentucky Blue Grass has been sprinkled, raked in and watered . . . twice in fact.  This late afternoon, I gave it one more light sprinkling, hoping the little buggers of seed swell up and want to make their presence known in a matter of a week or so.  I did have input from a kind neighbor letting me know that there is a chemical spray that will work on the dandelions and Crab Grass.  The secret is that each plant has to be saturated and eventually the chemical is absorbed into the deep roots.  Oh, by the way . . . it takes several weeks for the plant to give up.  

  I enjoyed the great workout.  The only person I did it for . . . was myself.  All the rakes, shovels, and my favorite of all time . . . the potato fork have been put back in the potting shed.  The wheelbarrow deserves a rest.  Going forward it will need watering and that will be a lot easier on the ole body than the digging.

  Dennis kept busy today.  With the mild temps, he had managed to work up a good sweat.  In the late afternoon Dennis announced he was going in to shower.  Whatever his system was sporting, the sweat in the armpits was doing a number on him.  He couldn’t wait to shower up and then dust up with cornstarch.  He said he felt almost immediate relief.  I know from experience that acidity in the sweat can have a yeast infection going quickly.  

  I am thinking that tomorrow us two old farts take it easy and maybe get in some patio sitting.  There is something to be said to knowing when to hold it and when to fold it.  Yup, Kenny Rogers spun that song with style. 

  May everyone have lifted the eyes to the great blue skies today and felt that “this” is what Minnesota waits for as a great day to begin the fall season.

   
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  Noreen 3:26 pm on August 28, 2020 Permalink  

  A Day Away 

  The group that we call ourselves “The Stitchers” met in an open park today in Mankato.  There were eight of us that brought our chairs and headed to the huge shade tree.  Our Harbor Freight chairs are wonderful for just such a day as this.  But . . . after sitting on one for four hours, it took a bit for the legs to get mobilized for that push to get me upright.

  It’s not so much what we share about stitching but just getting out, visiting without wearing masks and taking in the breeze under a huge shade tree.

  First thing this morning, I did visit the courthouse to pick up the license tabs for the car.  I realized they said September, but guess what . . . that is right around the corner.  The courthouse office doors were mainly closed.  The hall always has echoed, but more so today.

  I was in Mankato a little early today and I walked through Hobby Lobby and it felt like I was being mauled by Christmas items.  Good grief.  Here it is the 28th of August and there were lighted trees everywhere.  Amazing to me that there is very little in that store that is ever full price.  All Thanksgiving and Christmas items were 40% off.  I left my cart in the designated area where it would be sanitized and then be put out in the entry for the next possible customer. 

  My second stop was JoAnn’s Fabric.  I had not been in the store for some time and it didn’t take long for me to realize there was nothing I needed.  I found one item at the 70% off aisle.  One lone towel that will be perfect for machine embroidery come winter.

  No groceries were needed and as I was coming west on Highway #60, heading for home, I knew where Dennis was.  Dennis was at friend’s Dwayne’s building site in the country.  Apparently the site has been sold and the crunch is on to liquidate what Dwayne has in the sheds.  When Dwayne retired from the International Tractor shop he had here in St. James, I have an idea that he moved what wasn’t sold at that time, right out to the shop on his building site.  Dennis’ red pickup was parked next to the overhead doors of the huge shop.  The show and tell over the supper hour will sure be enjoyed with all the embellished stories as to why we now have more in the pickup than we had in the morning.  Fun times for two old duffers.

  I did have the day off from being outside today.  I am looking forward to a pleasant Saturday with the wheelbarrow close at hand.  We had 3/10ths of an inch of rain during the early morning hours.  For all the thunder and lightning, I would have guessed more.

   
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  Noreen 3:11 pm on August 27, 2020 Permalink  

  A Thursday 

  It is a habit to check the temperature, humidity and dewpoint first thing in the morning.  It does spur me on to get dressed and head on outside before I really think about it.

  Snuggles and I worked on the Crab Grass situation until 9:30.  The wheelbarrow was full and grass seed was ready to be watered down.  It is amazing even early on in the morning hours how hot the sun can feel on my scalp.  I do have a hat, it just seems to get in the way.

  I came in, cooled down and read a bit in the west porch, the entire while seeing the sprinkler in my peripheral vision.  At twelve noon . . . the water got shut off.  Hopefully we are to get rain during the late night and early mornings.  Rain always does more than hose water.

  As I geared up to do some stitching, it again struck me how individual we are when picking out fabric to work with.  Rita, rest her soul, had fabric and kits that she had envisioned working up.  I am honoring what she had planned.  Fabric companies put together kits.  Of course they always display the finished item within their quit shops as a come-on.  This particular kit is of the Minkee fabric line.  It is close to a stretch velvet but much more durable.  It will end up being 48″ x 50″.  As the finish is quite slippery, it needs to have a lot of pins in place to stitch out well in the seam allowance.  As I look at it as it is being put together, I puzzle over what fabric and what color should be on the back.  I think I will take it one step at a time.  Hmm.  I am seeing something in black.  Flannel does do well with Minkee.

  Dennis has had a great day.  In weeks past, friend Dwayne has shared items with Dennis as Dwayne is moving into town.  Dwayne just wanted things “gone.” Dennis’ grandson was thrilled to have all the shotgun shells.  There were many bridals that Dennis spent time on oiling up and cleaning up.  As Dennis was driving past the fairgrounds this morning, there were two gals working their routines with their horses in the arena.  Dennis stopped in and found out that these gals were from New Ulm and they like to work their horses out in various arenas.  Dennis came home and told me he was off to share goodies.  The two gals took all that Dennis had cleaned up and couldn’t believe a total stranger would be so generous.  That’s how Dennis rocks. 

  Here we are getting ready for supper and we both have had a great self satisfying day. 

  Tomorrow, no dirty finger nails for me.  I am going to Mankato and us stitchers are meeting at one of the outdoor parks.  Fun times.

   
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  Noreen 2:39 pm on August 26, 2020 Permalink  

  Slow and Steady 2 

  I did have a plan for this morning and as luck would have it Dennis needed to have the alarm set for an appointment at the VA Clinic.  Getting up before seven, jumping through my usual hoops, I was outside before eight.

  By 9:30, the wheelbarrow was full of nasty Crab Grass, the rich black dirt had been raked, the Kentucky Blue Grass had been sprinkled and the water sprinklers were on.  Dennis came home in time for some patio sitting. 

  Dennis kidded me that this fussing over Crab Grass was granddaughter Megan’s fault.  When Carrie and Megan came in last spring, Megan had kind of shook her head at Grammie in regard to the flower garden that was very evident when someone drove into our drive.  Sure enough, Megan was right on.  It was beyond sad.  She has a job this summer working for the Mustard Seen Garden Nursery.  Megan clued me in on plants to put out there in the full sun.  Thanks, Megan, they are doing great!  It has eye appeal!

  In these last months when someone would pull into our drive, what could be seen was a front yard that had grass that had gone dormant.  But . . . not so the Crab Grass.  It almost looked like a mine hedge growing along the concrete drive for about eight inches into the lawn. 

  Digging a bit each day hasn’t hurt me one bit.  In rethinking the Mantas electric tiller, it would have succeeded in cutting up the roots, but not getting to the nitty-gritty of the depth of the roots.  We are moving onto the area along the curb of the city street. It is doable. Thank the great Lord we don’t have a front yard with excessive lineal feet.  Give that crap of Crab Grass a whack and a dig and soon the “thought about project” will be a “done deal.”  Even this afternoon, it is hot out but the humidity and dew point look favorable for better days ahead.  Dennis has been great moral support and our front yard is getting to look as if those that live here . . . do care. We just needed a “Megan push.”

  Yesterday late afternoon, I did put the sewing studio lights on and twirled in my sewing chair, contemplating a project.  It was the first step in eventually moving from yard work to fun work.  When nephew Larry’s mother-in-law became ill, I was given a rather large amount of her stash of fabrics.  This afternoon, I turned on the sewing machine lights and tried out a few possible scenarios. 

  Yup, I am going to be just fine.

   
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  Noreen 1:32 pm on August 25, 2020 Permalink  

  Slow and Steady 

  There is something within that allows for getting vested into an activity.  Right now, I am not getting a good vibe about spending much time in the sewing studio.  The call of the outside is beckoning.

  I don’t enjoy the hot humidity.  My choice is to get outside in the mornings by eight and then call it enough about 10:30.  My choice then is to cool down and slow myself down by reading for a spell.

  I had mentioned Crab Grass in the last days.  It is nasty and it is as undesirable as a cow pie in the lawn.  Hmm.  Funny, it even resembles the size of a cow pie with it’s center root and the huge spread of greenery from the center.

  Slow and steady is my mantra.  With my trusty wheelbarrow and my potato fork, I have a mission.  Ideally Crab Grass is nipped in the bud just before the lilacs pop out blossoms.  Sure missed that deadline.  We have had enough small showers of rain to encourage the Crab Grass.  Ironically, the worst of it is right along the driveway.  Starting slow I tackled it Monday morning.  I pooped out quite soon.  So be it!  Today, it seemed as if the plan of what tools I needed for yesterday, made it easier to get going today.  At 10:30 as I called it “enough,” I had the nasty greens loaded, the area was raked, the Kentucky Blue Grass seed was down on that strip and the sprinkler was going.

  Tomorrow is another day and I am not prejudging what I get done.  What I know I have gotten done these last two mornings was to put out some effort and energy, making me feel that I have not wasted the God-given day.  Self satisfaction . . . you can’t beat it for having a quiet soul.  

  For all that is going on in our world, the soul needs feeding.  There are not a lot of opportunities coming from outside sources right now so it’s up to me.  “It is well, it is well . . . with my soul.”

   
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  Noreen 3:04 pm on August 23, 2020 Permalink  

  Not a Pleasant Day 

  I am hoping that when the end of August comes, it will take with it the threat of so many hot uncomfortable days.

  We were both out this morning before eight.  Dennis needed to clean the Koi pond filters and I wanted to position my sprinkler system for the front yard.  I could have done a bit more outside, but with no breeze and clothes starting to stick . . . nope.

  Yesterday when I was in the front yard getting plenty wet as I figured out the sprinkler, the Media-com fellow was working up on the large post at the end of our drive with their connections.  Alex works our town quite consistently with customer problems.  He is a very good rep for his company.  He commented he was ready for fall.  He likes his work and the days in the hot sun . . . not so much.  When the work day is over for him, he can go home to wind down and cool off at his own pace.  Several of his buddies with families . . . he said those daddies were the ones that were pounced on the minute they got home and there was no wind down for them till dark. 

   Needs put upon us . . . who doesn’t have them.  I didn’t work outside during the time we lived at South Branch until after the town job was done.  I do recall coming home at 5:30 during this time of the year and there was more of the day waiting.  Garden items needed to be gotten in and handled.  Washing items up and either canning it or getting it ready for the chest freezer it needed to get done.  Chickens needed to be butchered.  It was all taken in stride.  Amazingly we take many things in stride and we get through it, knowing there is some bastard out there that has it a whole lot worse.   Funny . . . those words could very well have come out of Dad’s mouth.

  Stauffer Avenue is having a quiet late afternoon.  I am going to fix us some chicken titties, mashed potatoes and veggies for supper.  I had made a pot of chili last week, wanting to use up a lb. of pork sausage and a lb. of hamburger.  Out of the freezer came two frozen packets of baked beans from the Curry picnic held prior and a packet of Barb-B-Q from the same event.  A quart jar of tomato sauce and spices, the soup kettle got quite full.  We finished the chili last night and we both agreed that after having it for five consecutive nights we were ready for a change.  I flew it past Dennis each afternoon and he was all for us being able to heat up the kettle . . . one more time.

  Check in with older people, we are quite entertaining.

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on August 22, 2020 Permalink  

  Not a Drop 

  Last night after dark, we had thunder and lightning . . . but not a drop of rain.

  True to form, Dennis and I got the tag team job done of getting the Kentucky Blue Grass lawn seed on the the front yard right before it got dark.  We managed to get about one hour of watering done via the sweep sprinkler before we called it a night.

  The agenda for today, Saturday, was set as being a light one.  My main focus was to move the sprinkler around on the front yard.  The laundry basket had exploded last night after we came in from the yard.  Nothing new to have the washer humming many times during the week.  Dennis had his suspenders pulled on and he was heading out to friend Dwayne’s for more goodies to be loaded on a trailer for an auction next week. 

  It has gotten quite warm out today.  I moved the sprinkler on the front yard from various places starting at eight this morning until twelve-thirty.  Tomorrow it will get another dose.  The raking combined with the watering, Dennis thought the front yard looked a whole lot better already when he came home at noon.  I agreed.  Of course, we are prejudiced.

  We each had an agenda for the day, but we also were going to take it a bit easier on the bodies today.  I had my spot already in mind by the time the last of the clothes was in the drier.  The west porch of our home is my reading spot during daylight hours.  My book prop keeps the pages at a good level that my neck appreciates.  The old green stool that has several levels of emotional attachment to it, carries my snack and my beverage.  Sweet.  In times past, I could read while lying in bed.  I could read sitting in any soft chair.  Those were the good old days.  My hands can no longer hold a book up to read independently.  That neck of mine isn’t in-like of looking either up or down.  I know my porch perch has the best setup ever.  Sweet.

  Dennis and I will meet up for supper and right now I know those two boys are mulling over each and every item before randomly putting it on the auction trailer.  Lots of history to part with on Dwayne’s part.  Lots of history in those two fellows.  Having gone through high school together, going forward, I know one or the other . . . Dennis or Dwayne will make prudent decisions.  Tough calls.  Good grief, if I would have to sort through my sewing studio . . . let’s not go there.

   
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  Noreen 4:23 pm on August 21, 2020 Permalink  

  Friday 

  Often when we catch the Kare 11 news over supper, I don’t think Dennis is zoned in.  Surprise!

  Whatever the garden center specialist, Larry Farr, had deemed as a cure all for a dried out, burnt up front yard . . . Dennis had it down pat.  This morning we were on target to use the old faithful iron rake and rake the entire front yard to drag off the dried grass.  The second pass was to titillate the grass and dirt that remained.  I was really happy that our front yard is only 25′ x 30′.  Dennis gave great moral support after his first five minutes of raking.

  Out of the potting shed came the sprinkler and hose.  We let it run for several hours on the grass that looked like it had enjoyed getting its roots teased.  Larry Farr’s last tip was to put down Kentucky Blue Grass seed.  We did go out to the Fleet and Farm store here in St. James to follow up on the grass seed for blistering hot conditions that our front yard experiences.  Farr’s advice was to not worry about the heat.  He swears August is a great month for seeding. The soil is warm and with consistent watering, it should take hold.  What we found at our local store was pre-bagged products that had fertilizer in it, peat pellets and the last item listed on the enclosed grass seed was Kentucky Blue Grass.  Lots of grass for sun and shade guaranteed.  Nope!

  I called Drummer’s in Mankato.  Yup, off we went.  We have enough for 4,000 square feet.  The gal that waited on me agreed that this is the best time to give the weary yards a lift.  It will be a good thing to have a bit of grass seed to re-do the truck tire ruts east of the house from the tree trimming in June.  I had enough dirt to fill the ruts, but the shade and sun grass seed didn’t take.

  Dennis has had his eye on the weather.  After supper when the sun has gone down, guess who will be working with the Kentucky grass seed.  Dennis has promised it will be a tag team.  I am not proud.  I will tell you straight out the raking of this morning has left me thinking . . . “Ya, it has been said and I heard it,  I can do a tag team.”  I will have Dennis’s coffee cup and a fresh pack of cigarettes right on the front steps. 

  I am totally up for trying to get a front yard that looks as great as the backyard does.  The secret is honoring what the sun mandates.  Our backyard always has dappling shade. 

  Have a safe weekend and I will check in tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on August 18, 2020 Permalink  

  What is Up! 

  Good Grief.  I finished my blog yesterday a bit after three in the afternoon.  I sat in my chair and slept until it was time to help Dennis get his CPAP gear on at 10:30.  I slept soundly until 7:30 this morning, when the door bell rang.

  I have no idea what hit this ole Grammie.  We were out and about on Sunday. I will admit, my arthritic neck was killing me.  Too many conversations going at one time.  Try hard as I can to keep and focus my head straight forward it doesn’t work.  I should have worn the neck brace for the entire time.  I do know from past experience pain can drain one from energy.  I have been taking my temp and it is normal.  

  Today I have slept for three hours since getting up.  Dennis was mowing the acre . . . solo and I did toddle outside to visit with him for a bit.  Also from experience, when arthritis is aggravated and broken loose to some extent . . . it bucks.  Buck away! 

  There may have also been an underlying thing in the gut.  Dennis could hear my gut rolling and making noises from across the room.  Our thought on that: eat only the food that you take to a gathering.  Better yet, stay home from large gathering for the interim.

  The sleeps can’t hurt me and I am taking fluids and nutrition during intervals.  

  I have not had anything such as this for decades.  

  Be better tomorrow is my mantra.

   
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  Noreen 3:06 pm on August 17, 2020 Permalink  

  Hmm 

  It is not my usual.  I am off my game today.  Such a great outside day but not so much within me.  I sat on the patio for some time this morning with Snuggles on my lap.  We were content watching traffic and having an occasional acorn plunk down on us.

  When Dennis left to help his friend Dwayne he made sure I had my phone and encouraged me to stay quiet.  Me stay quiet!  I think Dennis is on to something.  Tomorrow will be different, just as each day is.  I will check in tomorrow.