Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2019 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:27 pm on September 28, 2019 Permalink  

  What a Day 

  I started by getting the bedding into the laundry.  Dennis was going to wash off the outside of the house.  When the neighbor who was visiting his dad to the south of us came over and asked if we needed help with anything . . . the day went crazy.

  Yes . . . there were branches of the crab apple tree touching the shingles.  Yes, there were dead lilac branches touching the shingles.  Three load of branches out to the tree dump later and much raking of the smaller annoying branches having hit the burn barrel . . . Oh my gosh!  Matt was at the chainsaw and neighbor Jan came over as it was too nice of a day to stay in the house. 

  It was sometime later that Dennis got back to washing off the house and I got back to the laundry. 

  What a day on Stauffer Avenue for the two older ones.

   
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  Noreen 4:07 pm on September 25, 2019 Permalink  

  Gray and Cool 

  I don’t mind a gray and cool day once in a while.  In fact I didn’t mind it so much that I am still in my robe as supper is in the oven.  Hey . . . I am retired, I’ll have you know.

  It has been a week since I was flitting around getting ready for the sewing retreat, being a good trooper at the retreat and now settled back in our home.

  It’s not often that I totally take a day off.  That is . . . after the house was tidied, wrote out some household bills for Dennis to pop in the mail and make sure there was a casserole for the oven.  I also knocked out four towels for Megan’s skate club project.

  Our lawnmowers are totally ready for the next go round.  I am hoping that go round will be the spring of 2020.  With the .20 inch of rain from last night, I might not be so lucky.

  Dennis thought he was ahead of the game.  We went for afternoon coffee and when he pulled his little read pickup in the garage, there was either smoke or steam coming from under the hood.  It directly came out of the garage to sit in the driveway until he could safely open the hood.  The radiator was low on water, so that will be the starting place to look for the problem when he takes it out to the repair shop tomorrow morning.

  Yup . . . if it is not one thing, it is the other when you want to live self sufficiently . . . and we sure do want to live here on Stauffer Avenue, taking care of what may come.

   
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  Noreen 5:36 pm on September 15, 2019 Permalink  

  It has been Great 

  The fall temperatures that we have had . . . I give them 150%.  Totally my kind of weather.  

  There are some leaves falling from the giant Maple and Oak trees.  As we drove yesterday to Windom, the soybean fields are showing signs of turning.  I know the farming community is not looking for an early frost.  In the end, it will be what will be.

  Dennis got busy outside today and I had not kept track of him for a time.  When I did seek him out, he had one of our cement lawn ornaments loaded and heading for the potting shed.  Dennis must feel the early fall pressure as well.  We had put out less of the lawn ornaments this year than in summers past.  It may dwindle even more so next year.

  If we are lucky there might be four months that are perfect for flowerbeds to look as if someone does live here and does enjoy tending the plants.  The feeling of working the flowerbeds is hugely satisfying . . . but it doesn’t last.  The high spring winds, the hail storms and then the heat that comes with its own kind of merciless winds all take its toll.  The prettiness doesn’t last.   What does last is the stress and strain that has been put on the joints and tendons.  I am sacrificing a feeling of physically good for more months after than I want to admit . . . nope, it just doesn’t pencil out.

  Perhaps if I could totally get over the inflammation on my feet from the episode of late August when I walked in the neighbor’s yard and ended up with chiggers, I would have a better outlook on being outside and gardening.  All types of home remedies have been tried, such as: soaking my feet in water that has just as much baking soda in it as water, patting the feet dry, as you surely don’t want to rub them and start the itching, putting on a paste of wet soda, and today the latest is trying some hemp oil.  I have taken Benadryl.  It contains antihistamine to fight the histamine of the infection. This irritant surely can’t last forever.  Patience, patience.

  Couple the less than happy feet with the pair of eyes that are unhappy due to not having the lens in my glasses that would let them work harmoniously.  October 5th is just around the corner for that to be taken care of.  

  My secret to overcome the less than good things in today’s world is to stay as busy as possible with what I can handle.  Surprisingly, working on a project with the embroidery sewing is serving me well. Getting each hoop set up takes me the longest right now, but after that I know it will stitch out just as I would want it.

  Time to quit griping and enjoy the late day with some patio time.

   
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  Noreen 2:01 pm on September 13, 2019 Permalink  

  When the Light is On 

  I am sure over time you have heard a phrase similar to “When the beer lights come on . . . ”  When the red light comes on on my portable radio in the sewing studio . . . the sewing machine is working.  That portable radio was a Christmas gift from Kevin almost three decades ago.  It was first on the wall in the bathroom.  When I started spending time in the basement creating a niche for myself, now known as the sewing studio, it has been right there tuned in to tunes, news, etc.   Ya, the antenna needs to be given a tweak from time to time to get reception and I may not always get the same station, but it is reliable.

  I started out in the sewing studio this morning, but in time the strong gusty winds dried out the acre so we could mow.  Lush grass this time of year is unusual.  Dennis tried out the Cub-Lo-Boy in the far east portion of the acre.  First time mowing with it since it has been smartened up with paint and the blades have been sharpened. Dennis was surprised when he came closer to the house and saw that I was mowing with the push mower.  I had promised myself if it started on the first pull, it was a go, otherwise I would have to wait until Dennis could start it.  It obviously was a go.

  Here we are in the afternoon and all has been accomplished that Dennis had in mind for the day.  When the temps are in the high 50s with a brisk wind, mowing was actually enjoyable.  With a lot of rain, there is still dust caught near the base of the shrubs.  Maybe, just maybe this will be the last mowing.

  On a gotcha note: this August I again tried the cherry and grape tomatoes for snacks.  I had given them up for over a year as the acidity in them and what I had in me for acidity was not a playing well together.  At first I thought I had been outside and gotten bug bites from no-see’ms or late hatching of mosquitoes.  Then I thought perhaps there was a spider loose in the sewing studio as the irritants were on my legs.  NOT!  The few what was thought to be bites blossomed into hives . . . all over the ole gal.  I had not had hives for a long, long time.   There I was with a 2 lb.  container of the lush beauties.  When I looked up to make tomato jam, the recipe called for 8 cups of sugar for 2 lbs.  of tomatoes.  Dennis took the tomatoes off my hands and I hope the birds enjoy them when they run across them in the far reaches of the acre.  The itching is subsiding and I have moved on to celery for a snack.  What next!

   
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  Noreen 5:45 pm on September 3, 2019 Permalink  

  All is Good on Stauffer 

  A bit warmer than the past few days, but sill doable.

  I will have a spell of personal endurance.  Today was my one month checkup after right eye cataract surgery.  I was excited to get a new prescription and the order for the new lens would be off and running.  Not so today.  

  In the beginning of June my left eye with corrective lens was testing at 20/20 while the right eye that was diagnosed as needing surgery with corrective lens was at 20/60.  Well, well!  Today the left eye with lens tested out at 20/30.  A significant decline in three months.  Next Tuesday I will be seeing my eye specialist to see if it would not be prudent to do the cataract that is on the left eye.  In June there was a speck of a cataract, much different today.

  Dennis and I had talked about it before I left for my appointment.  If it is to be, I will do the left eye as soon as possible.  I have adapted to a degree with each eye with a different focus.  Why spend the money on the new lens for both eyes when in six months, it would need to be addressed.  By the way . . . lenses do run in the the mid $400s to a high as $500.  New frames could push it well over the $500.  Now, our wonderful insurance is great but it does not cover anything beyond the six month eye checkup for vision.

  Hey folks!  I can handle this as I know it is temporary.  No so for some of my friends with more serious life-long situations.  

  On a lighter note . . . tomorrow Dennis will have the mower for his Cub-Lo-Boy put back on the tractor.  The blades have been sharpened and with the new paint and decal job, it’s been give an extended life.

  Life is good on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 4:00 pm on August 31, 2019 Permalink  

  Saturday Evening 

  It is Saturday evening and Dennis and I are home together after a full day of being with family and friends for sister June’s funeral.  It’s now time to let the sorrow meld into sweet memories.

  Now onto my quandary.  Last week I walked across the neighbor’s yard for a quick hello.  I didn’t have my walking shoes on, just a pair of slip-on shoes.  I have since been battling chigger bites on both my feet,  WTF!  In all my 75 years, I have never had chigger bites.  I can just see where the line of the shoe had sheltered the foot, and the rest was fair game. 

  It took several days before I realized what was going on.  We are gaining on it, but I dare not accidentally heed to the wanting of itching any portion . . . I would be hard pressed to stop before I drew blood.  What would we do without the Internet for our general health care information!

  Today is a Saturday that feels like a Sunday that will be followed by another day that will feel like a Sunday.  I hope everyone who has the chance of having Labor Day off from their employment enjoys these wonderful fall-feeling days.

   
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  Noreen 12:53 pm on August 28, 2019 Permalink  

  Today May Be a Clue 

  Is life ever dull on Stauffer Avenue . . . not!

  Before I begin my tirade, this weather is such a gift.  Regardless of what comes during the day, this blessing cannot be taken for granted.

  There may be a clue as to why some elderly people decide to hang up the single family residence and find an apartment.  I made mention of another limb that was hung up in the ancient Maple.  It wasn’t safe to leave it swaying in the breeze 20′ off of the ground.  Addressing it was the next step.  Hmm.  Dennis dug out the 15′ fiberglass ladder and was off to get the Cub Lo-Boy out of the back garage.  The ole cowboy rides again.  Easy peasy! Dennis planned on going up the ladder and lassoing the branch with a rope and then using the Cub Lo-Boy to pull it loose and let it fall to the ground.  Fall to the ground . . . I had visions.  While Dennis headed back to the east edge of the acre to get the rope and tractor, I was on the cell phone. 

  Dennis’ sister’s funeral is Saturday.  No way on earth did we have time to plan a double funeral with the escapades of Dennis.  Son-in-law Thomas was over before Dennis even had gotten the tractor started.  Good man Thomas!  All was not lost for Dennis’ part of the project.  He was able to pull the huge limb out of the tree after Thomas had it all rigged.  Huge drama averted. 

  I usually greet the mail lady as she makes her rounds.  As I walked around the northeast corner of the house there was a puddle of water that caught my eye.  Wait a minute.  We had a hose connected at the house to take the sump pump water out into the street.  Aha! The blue plastic hose had split, letting just enough water to show up at the street with most of it spilling right into the lawn adjacent to the house.  I got Dennis a lawn chair and we began the task of taking off the clamps of the blue hose and reconnecting the water out-take from the pump, allowing it to drain underground.  Why had we disconnected it?  With such a wet spring and summer, we virtually had a swamp as the area with the underground drain had nowhere to go but pond. 

  With two possible problems taken care of, do we really want to give up our forever home with some needed day-to-day maintenance?  No!  Just enough activity to made us mindful of checking out the home from stem to stern consistently.

  With all things calm, it’s time for a cookie and some coffee.

   
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  Noreen 4:52 pm on August 27, 2019 Permalink  

  They are Still About 

  Negative things travel faster than the speed of light.  I had positive blessings come my way today. 

  With the good report of the MRI yesterday, you would have thought my doctor would have been off the hook.  Not so.  He called this afternoon to let me know he had gotten some time slots for me at physical therapy . . . with the fellow that has gotten me through two new knee hardware and two new shoulder hardware surgeries.  Dr Eatwell believes there is more here than scans are showing.  Something is going on with my balance and there may be a solution.  Doctors that go beyond are still about.  Oh my sweet Lord, I so hope there is a solution in sight.  I am so not giving up or in.  

  I find humor is all things great or small.  Dennis loves his oatmeal, side dressed with flax meal, cinnamon. a bit of sugar and milk.  When he is on a mission to prepare his fare . . . look out!  I believe if I had the entire kitchen work surface covered in plastic protective gear to dress out some poultry, he would move aside the entrails to get his oatmeal breakfast prepared for the microwave.  Yes, I agree, that was exaggerated a bit.  Nonetheless, it was the truth of the situation.  This morning it was just a matter of getting the cookie dough prep on hold.  

  As Jan and I were visiting across the backyard fence this afternoon, we both took notice of how many dried branches are showing up in the Maple tree.  As we took a look up farther in the dense foliage, there is a limb that has been sheared off by the storms of late, but is caught in a snag.  Note to self . . . don’t sit on the back patio until that issue has been resolved.  Oh the joys of home ownership.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  Being ever so watchful is still important.

   
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  Noreen 4:41 pm on August 20, 2019 Permalink  

  Pulling in Opposite Directions 

  Dennis has gotten news that is sister at Alexander, age 88, was not doing well.  Cancer was found and she is not strong enough to undergo any type of treatment.  There was an offer of us going along with Dennis’ daughter and her husband to visit. 

  Today was my first appointment to see the eye specialist since the cataract surgery.  I needed to keep that appointment.  Gong forward I know that I will need new lens in my glasses.  This was the beginning of that process. I had to give Dennis a hug and a peck to send him off, with me staying behind.  

  It was planned that the trip would begin at 6:30 a.m. sharp.  At the allotted time it was raining pitchforks.  Surprisingly . . . it had been raining heavily since five this morning and continued until eight.  A total of three inches on top of the three quarters we had gotten from the Saturday storm.  I call that down right soggy.

  We actually had a band of wild turkeys walking across our yards at noon.  Straggly looking things.  Where had they been flooded out of.  Naw . . . none of them would have made even a poor plucking for a roaster.

  Chiropractors do not shake their fingers at patients.  I got the drift from his eyes when I went to see him this afternoon.  They were piercing.  Yes, the branch picking up scenario of the Saturday storm was a lot of repetitive hunching of the shoulders with the neck in a less than good position.  I willingly took an acupuncture treatment.  I will . . . and I repeat . . . I will be good for the next two and half weeks until I go back to see him.  Dennis has an exercise to do with me each evening and I will find that dang old heating pad. 

  Dennis just got home from seeing his sister.  He and I will get caught up from being pulled in two directions for the day.  Dennis and I will be going back to see her this weekend.  I did feel bad for not making the trip today.  His sister has always been a kind sister-in-law. 

  The rest of the week lay ahead and I do believe St. James is off the weather radar for a spell.  Whoopee!

   
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  Noreen 4:34 pm on August 19, 2019 Permalink  

  On to a New Outlook 

  Our acre is back to looking fantastic.  All remains of the Saturday night storm have been taken care of.  All that does remain is taking it easy on the bodies that sucked it up and cleared up the debris.  Dennis and I did well.

  Today was my trip to Mankato to meet with my stitching friends.  I will admit when I rolled out of bed this morning I was slow moving as the body wasn’t in gear as yet.  I did wake up with a new outlook for the day. Being with others that share my interest in all things with thread and fuzz is enjoyable.  In all years I had never put my toe out to be a part of a group.  It does bring additional perspective to my day-to-day life.  It is important to have balance.  All the years I worked, I worked.  All along I kept my passion for sewing intact, but did it solo.  I now realize the wealth that people who share a kindred spirit bring.  

  I will share that the trailer never showed up to haul the remainder of the tree mess to the tree dump.  When I had left for Mankato Dennis was sure the trailer would be here any minute . . . not!  While Dennis was in the patio porch in his favorite rocker, he had noticed a pickup go up Stauffer Avenue slowly.  It turned around in our east drive and came back slower yet.  Dennis’ son-in-law was stopping at all the various piles of limbs and beginning the task of loading them onto his pickup.  Dennis and Thomas worked together and took things slowly and made five trips to the tree dump.  Very special.  Special indeed.  

  Dennis does not hold back when a favor is asked of him by his family.  Today was a great pay-back that was never envisioned.  

  No doubt Dennis is weary this evening, but he takes pride that the acre looks just as smart as it always has.  He had even gotten the rider mower out to chop up the leaf tips that had been left behind.  Priceless.