Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2020 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:09 pm on June 25, 2020 Permalink  

  Last Friday 

  Last Friday saw me putting down 20 bags of Scott’s Lawn Soil complete with fertilizer into truck trenches across the east side of our home adjacent to our patio.  This morning there were thousands of needle fine sprouts coming up.  Man oh man what a site for sore eyes.  I have been giving the areas a good sprinkle every day as Dennis had hooked up a hose on the north side of the house for me.

  By the time I got home from my walk this morning, I could feel the heat that would be coming for the afternoon.  The walk had taken me a bit longer this morning as I stopped to chat with Chuck along the way as he was weeding his potatoes.  When I got home I parked my butt on the patio to cool down.  June from down the way was walking by on her way home and she took a break and sat on the patio for her break.  Stauffer Avenue has groomed some very faithful walkers. 

  My afternoon was spent in the sewing studio.  I had not turned on the machine for several weeks.  I am going to finish a quilt that Megan started when she was here for Thanksgiving break in 2018.  Her world has changed since.  The ice skating had heavy schedules of practice non stop.  That shut down immediately with the virus.  She is pulling 26 hours a week at the Mustard Seed Nursery not far from her home.  I did check with Megan before planning on finishing it.  There will always be another option in a quilt shop if she so decides.

  I have supper under way and I think we will be having a quiet day tomorrow if the heat does what the weather man forecasts.  Take care, stay comfortable and for myself . . . I am thankful I sweat during hot times.

   
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  Noreen 3:03 pm on June 24, 2020 Permalink  

  What’s Not to Like 

  It’s a beautiful day.  I pushed myself to walk a bit farther today.  What made the difference was I had on my good walking shoes.  I tend to fancy them for the entire day.  That means that shoes are no longer taken off inside our home when we come in from the outside.  We have no carpeting in our home.  I am armed with Swiffers for our floors to take care of what may find its way to the flooring.  Mud . . . well that is another item.  No one wants mud drug in.  It’s a pain for us older folks when we need shoe horns to put on our shoes at the drop of the hat.  We are both cautious.    

  When we were in Mankato on Monday, I picked up a bottle of Turmeric Extract, 1400 mg.  Suggested dose is twice a day.  It also contains black pepper.  It is a dietary supplement for heart and joint.  Our family doctor mentioned it the last time Dennis and I were in the clinic . . . before the virus hit.  He is an avid reader and mentioned it to me for arthritis discomfort.  I have waved off taking chemical prescriptions for arthritis due to side effects that I had read up on . . . they didn’t sound good.  Kevin had sent me a video recently that also mentioned Turmeric.  Why not try it? I have used Turmeric in cooking for some time.  I also know that Dr. Oz has made mention of the benefits of Turmeric.  It is a rhizome found in India and other places.  Time will tell.  I have tried many things for the blessed arthritis.  Nothing helps arthritis more than staying active.  I am on that on a daily basis.

  We have each had a slow quiet day.  Soup and a sandwich is all that we will need for supper.  

  Dennis and I have been so blessed this spring.  We tackled what was before us.  Got it done in good stead and good workmanship.  And . . . I had decided to use my stimulus check on the improvements that we needed on our property.  That $1,200.00 bought the lumber that was needed for repairs on the garages, 4 gallons of $45.00 per gallon paint for the garages, the shutters that have been ordered for the three patio porch sliders, the new ridge roll for the garage, the labor for Mr. Moody to put the ridge roll on plus a few hours of his time, and 20 bags of Scott’s lawn dirt to take care of ruts from tree trimming.  Wow . . . I still have $170.00 left.  Talk about stretching the dollar.  Old people sure do get a bang for their buck!

  My hope is that everyone has positive feelings about 2020.  Dennis and I sure do.  Take care and catch you tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 3:18 pm on June 23, 2020 Permalink  

  True to Our Word 

  True to our word.  I slept in until 8:30 this morning.  I went about the house quietly as Dennis was in dream land.  I had promised myself I would take a walk this morning.  With all the busyness of painting the buildings and washing the garage, I had given myself permission that the exercise from walking was being more than made up for with the hours of bending, stooping and reaching.  When I got back from the walk, Dennis had just toddled out to the patio porch.  It was a restful morning for both of us.  There is nothing like walking to keep the joints moving in tandem.  Over the last month or so, there were times when I thought something had missed a cog in the rotation of said joints.

  This afternoon, I went to the west porch and read for a bit and Dennis took a nap in his recliner.  The restful day continued.

  When I finish up this short ditty on my blog, I will be cleaning strawberries.  George and Sheri are neighbors along Stauffer Avenue to the east. George has Leukemia and gardening is what he calls a huge part of his well being and therapy.  Sheri stopped by as she was on a strawberry delivery run.  Sweet.  Dennis will be enjoying strawberries on his ice cream after supper.

  We have had two and a half inches of rain within the last six days.  A downpour last Thursday of the two inches and Sunday brought about the half inch.  Today as Dennis napped we had two tenths of an inch of rain.  This will be very good for the new dirt and lawn seed east of our house. 

  I wished my brother Calvin a happy birthday this morning via an email.  At 73 years young, he is going to catch up with me.  No, not really . . . I can still outrun him. 

  What a great week for the first week of summer for our 2020.  Enjoy each day as you will never have a repeat of what this day has given us.  It may seem like a lot of little things . . . but when they become memories we realize how they have become such a huge part of who we are going forward.  I am speaking from experience.

   
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  Noreen 2:47 pm on June 21, 2020 Permalink  

  Father’s Day 2020 

  The day that we got for this Father’s Day is too great not to be outside.  I knew that I would have a batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven for brunch whenever Dennis wanted them.

  Hmm. I should have asked Dennis first and foremost what his plans were for the day.  After all it is his Father’s Day.  Dennis for sure had plans.  Dennis does do the mowing for Edna.  Edna’s property is adjacent to our property to the northeast.  Dennis already had cleared it with Edna that we could use her outside water faucet.  Her home in relationship to our garage that is on the east portion of our acre is a lot closer than our outside faucet.  There it is . . . Dennis’ plan for his Father’s Day.

  The garage that we have on the far east of our acre is 22′ x 30′.  When Dennis had been mowing he took in the fact that there was algae on the north side of the garage and the east side also had evidence of stuff.  Dennis wanted the garage to be washed off today.  I drove the pickup, Dennis sat on the back end gate allowing him to hold onto the handle of our hose reel so it could tag along behind and off we went.  Oh he was prepared. In the back of the pickup were several handled brushes, a gallon of soap to fill his container that would fit onto the end of the hose for washing, and his coffee cup.

  It was a huge job.  The best bet was to do one side of the garage at a time.  Rinse with water first getting one layer of grime off before changing the container for the soap to be applied and then rinse, rinse, rinse.  We have owned that portion of our acre since the year 2000.  We had done a wash job once right after we had purchased it.  Now it’s 2020 . . . it really needed it.  Dennis maned the hose and I was on brush duty.  I can tell you I got just as wet as the garage did.  Let’s just get in there and get it done.  

  Here we are at 3:30 on Father’s Day 2020.  We have caught our breath and have enjoyed those cinnamon rolls.  Brunch of Stauffer Avenue has no time frame.  Dennis is as happy and satisfied as one of his cats.  In fact, when I was clearing the table and I looked out the window to the patio porch, Snuggles was on Dennis’ lap and I am sure Snuggles is hearing all about the day that we have had.

  Yes, Dennis and I are weary.  Our limbs are weary.  No retiree has been harmed during this project.  Our evening meal is a treat from Carrie’s kitchen.  With our labor intensive projects on Stauffer Avenue, her gift of frozen meals has been very appreciated.

  I think the job jar for us will echo when the lid is taken off.

   
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  Noreen 3:34 pm on June 19, 2020 Permalink  

  Dirt Work 

  We had a day off yesterday when we went to visit my brother, Calvin, and his wife, Lois, in Decorah, Iowa.

  Today we reveled in the fact that we had two inches of rain yesterday in the late day.  Dennis wanted to mow in the eastern part of the acre.  I talked him into first taking me to Fleet and Farm.  We bought lawn dirt.  Dennis would do his thing and I would do mine.

  When the tree trimmer was at our property our neighbor to the north also had them do work on an Oak tree of theirs that had a lot of dead wood.  Ironically the tree guy couldn’t get at the dead wood via their yard.  My gracious ole cowboy spoke up and allowed the heavy truck with the lift basket to come onto our yard to manage their tree trimming.

  There is an old adage that says that “No good deed goes unpunished.”  Hmm.  Today we bought lawn dirt in two different trips.  We thought ten bags at a cubic foot each, thinking that would take care of the trenches from the heavy truck.  Nope.  It didn’t take long, I had used up those ten bags and we went back for ten more bags.  

  The investment of dirt was actually a benefit for my health.  I like to mow around the house with my faithful push mower.  The ruts and trenches were deep enough that I didn’t trust myself walking over them let alone push the mower over them.  I can be clumsy.  My titanium knees and shoulders are worth more than many more bags of dirt to have helped out a neighbor.

  Here we are at the end of a good Friday.  Dennis has 95% of the mowing done and I have the dirt work done.  The twenty cubic yards of dirt have filled in trenches and it is spread with additional fertilizer that was a freebie from Fleet. The grass seed that was spread has been watered down.  Yup!  We knocked it out of the park.  

  It is cleanup time for us two and settling in for a light supper.  Who knows what tomorrow brings!

   
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  Noreen 2:19 pm on June 17, 2020 Permalink  

  What Day is It? 

  Dennis finally broke it to me that I have been ahead of myself in what day of the week it actually was.  Hmm.  It was humbling.  Nothing serious had happened.  I hadn’t messed up any appointments . . . as I have none.  Being a hermit is quite idyllic.  

  I will admit that the warm weather has tuckered us out a bit earlier in each day as it has gone on.  The winds and the heat . . . we get done what is needed and then kick back.  Today was the day to get all the limbs and branches loaded from the east portion of the acre.  A huge cottonwood on the adjacent northwest lot has a lot of excess to share.  The home has renters dwelling within and they don’t look beyond their back door, so it is . . . get it done and get our yard cleaned up from all the strong winds.  The tree dump charges $2.00  per time.  It was worth it to be able to mow the yard at such time when we get rain.  As much as Dennis enjoys mowing, he has not even hinted at it.

  We did get the house numbers back up on the garage . . . making us compliant with city ordinances.  More important items could be monitored by the guy pulling a pay check from the city as he tools around in a city pickup.  I will not even poke at that.   

  It is 3:15 and our day has been called.  Dennis is in his rocking chair in the patio porch and I am mulling over how to put a quick light supper together.

  We may get some rain tomorrow and it may bring a wonderful weekend to enjoy.

   
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  Noreen 3:36 pm on June 16, 2020 Permalink  

  No Reprieve 

  This last week there has been no reprieve from the winds.  I do remember not too many days ago, Dennis went out of the house wearing a jacket as the north winds made it the right thing to do.  We had had four inches of rain and the grass was lush as the north winds blew through it.

  As of late . . . wham . . . the hot south winds have descended and with not a hint of rain, the grass has responded by crunching under foot.  

  Now that the out-buildings have been painted, it was time to walk the back portion of the acre and take in all the small branches that have come down in the course of this last week.  It was too many to walk back to the burning ring that Dennis has right off of the back patio.  We picked up the large ones that looked good on a pile.  The next size were the ones that were large enough to raise havoc with the mower blades.  Onto the pile they went.  I relied on my rake for the annoying ones as Dennis went to the patio porch to take a break.  The pile is large enough for Dennis to take his pickup to the back and we will need to make a trip to the tree dump.  That was the morning and by that time the heat of the day made us realize the trip to the tree dump would be another day.  There won’t be any mowing in the next several days so the pile will have a chance to settle in as the winds blow over it.  The pile has no chance of blowing away.

  Yesterday after we had cleaned up all things related to painting,  we did take one more thing off of the tick list.  We have mentioned for years that rock was needed in between the pickup garage and the potting shed.  It would surely allow for a layer of drainage with the rain and the melting snow and less black dirt to splash on the siding.  Dennis made a trip to the city shop and cleared the fact that we would be purchasing some rock from the city off of the stock pile not far from Stauffer Avenue.  With the back of the pickup full of pails . . . off we went.  We chose the same rock that is used for street work.  The river rock is such that it is hard to navigate over when it would need to be walked over between the buildings. As I mentioned . . . one more item off of the tick list. 

  I rummaged around in the potting shed and came up with a new look for the newly-painted potting shed wall over the Koi pond.  Re-purposing items from times past . . . you can’t beat it.   Dennis likes it as it looks tidy.

  This afternoon, with the heat having settled in, it is pretty quiet here on Stauffer Avenue.  True to our form, we tackled the worst first . . . that being the branches that needed to be corralled.  We have agreed on Tacos for supper.   

   
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  Noreen 3:44 pm on June 15, 2020 Permalink  

  Finished! 

  At 1:30 p.m. I was throwing my two paint brushes into the garbage . . . 2020 paint fest on Stauffer Avenue is finished.  I had washed my white paint brush and my black paint brush to the point that the bristles looked a bit like stubs.  Those brushes didn’t owe me anything.  I had bought new brushes when we bought the paint.  As I had looked around, there were several brushes that were on hooks in the garage and served the project very well.

  Yesterday when we were planning our tomorrow . . . our Tuesday, it pretty much was the trim on the peak of the garage roof and that was all.  Last night after supper, I looked out the bathroom window and I saw the art work that was on the wall of the potting shed above the Koi pond, now laying on the patio.  I didn’t say anything.  Soon the long garden hose was strung along side of the house, onto the patio, around the patio porch and the north wall of the potting shed was getting washed off.  I knew plans had just changed for our Tuesday.

  I will say that this will be the last time that I paint the trim on the garage gable.  Our large ladder is very sturdy as it sits on the concrete.  I had planned ahead and had been painting out of the quart black paint on everything that needed to be painted to lighten the paint can and not have paint wanting to spill out of it as I climbed the ladder.  Dennis was right there holding the ladder that was already sturdy.  The painting of the trim was harder on Dennis than it was on me.  He said my life as his adult day care person flashed before his eyes.  Special! We were out early and the sun had not yet gotten high enough to shine in my eyes for the project.  Sweet!

  With a little break we headed to the Koi pond.  Dennis was right in regard to getting it painted now.  When the Koi come out of the pond in the fall, it is when the temps are cold enough that he can get them netted and into the horse tank in the garage.  In the spring when the Koi come out into the pond the spring temps are still cold.  The planks were sturdy.  What did throw me a curve was bending done to load paint on the brush with moving water catching my eye under my feet as the Koi were swimming laps.  Blink, blink stay focused.  

  All is done.  It is the first time that everything that needs paint has been done at one time.  There is about two inches of white paint left in the can out of the four gallons.  I thanked our Lord for a great safe project.  Dennis and I work like one in our projects.  We may not have the greatest lasting power, but the important thing is we get up, show up and keep the time that we work at things so it is reasonable and doesn’t crush our spirit to do it all over again the next day.  

  For supper we are going to enjoy a loaf pan of Carrie’s meat loaf that needs to be baked for an hour.  Her frozen meals that her and Megan brought from their kitchen in Eden Prairie have really been appreciated when the two of us might not have had the energy to spoon out a dollop of peanut butter.

  I love life and I enjoy taking it on full force.  May the force be with us all!

   
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  Noreen 4:09 pm on June 14, 2020 Permalink  

  Drying Winds 

  It has got to be the windiest spring on record.  It has been a continued crop of tree tips and small branches.  It keeps Dennis’ little burning ring busy.

  By nine thirty this morning, I had my white paint brush in the cleaning water.  That awful west wall of the potting shed looks wonderful with its new coat of paint.  The 24″ between it and the pickup garage wall doesn’t leave much room other than bending at the waist and painting the four foot wall of the hipped roof that the potting shed has.  It’s okay. It is done.  Not everyone gets to have a 12′ x 20′ potting shed and it sure comes in handy.  Early mornings have always been the best to get the worst done.  Tomorrow morning may be a repeat.  I am not saying I will get the entire south side of the garage done that faces Stauffer Avenue . . . but it’s worth a try.  It definitely has had a very light coating from the handyman, I now need to give it a covering coat of paint.  It is working out great as I have a half gallon of the fourth gallon of paint left.

  Dennis thought it was a day worthy of going after our first Dairy Queen of the season.  I didn’t mind one bit that he was heading towards the Sleepy Eye Dairy Queen.  It felt good to take a road trip and relax.  I think today is flag day and there were many out as we drove by.  The sad thing is that with the high winds very few got to fly without getting whipped about.  We took ours down the other day as it was getting whipped into the Lilac bush that is usually too far away to catch it.

  We live in town but it is amazing how much dirt and dust swirls around.  We have the windows shut and shades drawn . . . keeping hot sun beams and dust at bay.

  Enjoy the Monday for whatever it may bring.  There is contentment in routines.  There may be a chance to experience some small difference from the usual . . . we just need to be open to it.

   
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  Noreen 4:27 pm on June 13, 2020 Permalink  

  A Saturday! 

  It’s been a day when our plans have worked out to the letter.  We were at it by eight this morning.  When the forecast has high temperatures coming around the corner, we needed to move.  Yup . . . it’s still about the “the paint.”  A quart of black was on hand for the trim work.  Nothing says satisfaction than seeing the trim paint go on.  Yup . . . it’s fussy work and by gum, I can still do it.  The cross buck doors of the potting shed got lots of the white paint poked into the joints and cracks.  Just a few more years for these plywood doors would suit us just fine.  Dennis had the east side of the potting shed prepped for white paint and I headed that direction after I put the black paint brush wrapped in foil, just in case I would see something after the paint had dried on the trim that would need a bit more paint.  Dennis brought out my neck brace and straw hat, as there was a lot of sun.  By one thirty I was ready to close all paint cans and sit on the patio for a break.  The first thing I did was take my shoes off as my feet felt hot.

  We had been on the patio for just a few minutes when my cell phone rang.  My cousin from the Hinkley area was up the street at the gas station.  Mark and his partner were heading to Jackson on his Honda trike, pulling a fold down camper, for the weekend and pulled in for a quick visit.  What a great surprise.  The breeze on the patio was great for catching up.  By four they were on their way as they still needed to get to the camp site, make connections with friends for the remainder of the weekend.  What a great feeling that they would share their trip with us.

  I had plunged the paint brushes in a tub of water when Mark’s had pulled up and it was time to pay the piper.  Those brushes have a bit more service in them.  I won’t speak as to when they will be used again.  Stauffer Avenue may need a day off and there is no painting that will be done when the bright sun allows for a 90 degree day.  

  Tonight Dennis and I are on our own for supper.  I have yet to catch my breath from the morning than dribbled into the afternoon.  Not to worry, neither of us will go hungry. 

  Days such as Dennis and I have had this entire week are priceless.  Getting local effort done for our beloved home . . . can’t beat it.