Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from July, 2019 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:48 pm on July 6, 2019 Permalink  

  One Firecracker Left 

  There was one firecracker left from the 4th of July and I think it landed in my pants.  This morning when the feet hit the floor the day was on full bore.

  It may have been the reduction in humidity and temperatures or it may have been my day to get it done.  Some days just click.  Dennis’ objective for the day was to get one of his prescriptions filled at Lewis Drug.  I was home alone.  The bed got stripped and the laundry was humming.  When the bed is stripped that means that all dust bunnies under said bed are on high alert.  Nothing is as satisfying as checking out all corners of the bedroom for lurking lint.  Yes . . . Dennis still has flannel sheets on the bed.  You would think that eventually they would just give it up and quit shedding . . . Not!

  With laundry going, might as well get a kettle of boiling water going to sterilize a batch of catheters.  They say a watched kettle does not boil.  That is not true.  A boiling kettle of latex catheters can be disastrous if left unattended.  Staying close to the kitchen seemed the wisest thing to do.  I dug out our favorite recipe for sugar cookies and decided that having a batch of dough ready to bake out in the evening hours would be a good treat.  Starting the oven after supper doesn’t heat up the house as much as doing it mid-day.

  The schedule was going according to plan.  I knew . . . I just knew that when Dennis came back from the drug store and had his late breakfast, the lawn mowing would be his topic of conversation.  I was not going to fight him.  We have had 1½ inches of rain this week and yes . . . the grass was in need of trimming.  Dennis sprayed Bug Soother on me from head to foot and I was ready to push the mower.  With all of the rain the pushing was tough as the ground was soft.  I looked as if I was doing aerobic lunges as I dug my feet into the ground and propelled myself forward enough to make some head ways on each swath of the grass. 

  Here we are at supper time and the acre has been mowed and trimmed.  It looks wonderful.  Here is the kicker.  It is supper time! Meal times seem to be highly over anticipated.   I could call a piece of cheese on a slice of bread a meal.  Not so for the ole cowboy.  In the regard of meals, Dennis is way too much like Dad.   If the clock says it’s meal time . . . “By de-God, it’s time!”  I have no idea how Dad came about whipping out that “By de-God” lingo, but he sure used it a lot when he was making a statement.  Gotta love those memories and I can still hear him saying it.

  After the rustled up supper, it will be relaxing baking out those sugar cookies.  There will be just enough of the firecracker fizzle in my pants to pull it off.

   
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  Noreen 4:36 pm on July 5, 2019 Permalink  

  Rain? 

  We did not know that rain would be coming.  Seems a daily occurrence.

  We did make a trip to Mankato this morning.  First stop was Harbor Freight.  Kevin and Kersten had the most comfortable lawn chairs for us to sit in while we took in the Fairfax parade several weeks ago.  Our butts and our knees were at the same height when we sat in the chairs.  Talk about a comfortable chair complete with a side table that flipped up.  Kevin is on Harbor Freight’s mailing list and he forwarded to us coupons for these chairs.  We are now owners of collapsible comfortable chairs when we need to take along our own sitting arrangements.  

  What surprised Dennis was that I had checked out their small electrical chainsaws.  We have a need for a small saw to take care of limbs that have died in our lilacs or our front yard evergreen.  Yup! As of this late afternoon, he is the owner of a 14″ chainsaw and has added the oil.  Dennis and it are ready to do some duty when the yard dries up.  There is a Tiger’s Eye Sumac that needs to be taken out of its misery.  Half of it had died over the winter and what is left is not good for anything but to swat Dennis in his face as he mows.  Chainsaw duty coming.

  This afternoon I motored on to the Old Alley Quilt Shop in Sherburn to pick out the fabric that Megan needs for the backing in her quilt project.  What was sweet was that Laurie, who is the Design Consultant at the quilt shop, had time to lend her expertise.  When we had several choices pulled out, I sent Megan a text with a photo to let her decide which fabric was her choice.  Yup . . . cell phones and their capabilities are quite nice.

  The evening meal is soon to be put together.  Our choice is tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.  Dennis just came in and is reporting 3/4 inch of rain with gray rumbling skies still deciding if more is coming.

   
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  Noreen 12:54 pm on June 30, 2019 Permalink  

  Summer Steamer 

  When we looked at the temperature outside this morning, it was 82 degrees and the humidity was 82%.  There was nothing to do but call the day a summer steamer.  We also called the day as “not doing anything outside.”  It wouldn’t surprise me if that was subject to change.  Sunday should be a day of rest . . . subject to change.

  On Friday’s post Dennis had declared that the acre would not be mowed until Monday . . . which would be tomorrow.  The heat wave was to last the entire weekend.  I liked that idea as Megan was coming on Friday afternoon and the weekend would be full of “all things Megan.”  Megan is only able to stay for a weekend several times a year and her and I can pack a lot into each visit.

  Saturday Megan and I decided to have lunch at the Encore coffee shop which is adjacent to the Country Collage shop.  It takes us several hours to do both places justice.  Megan and I were close to coming back home when my phone rang. “Do you want me to mow the front yard with the rider mower?”  WTF!  Can’t leave the ole cowboy home alone without him getting into mischief.  The answer was “No.”  The rider mower scalps the front yard to no end. 

  

  The top is 57″ x 76″. Lots of cutting, piecing and seaming. A wonderful project that Megan plans on putting in their basement family room when it is done.

  When us girls got home, Dennis had the mowers sitting in front of the garage.  Dennis’ focus does not allow any portion of the acre to go unmowed if part of it has been started.  I went into the sewing studio and got Megan going on the next portion of her quilt that needed to have fabric cut so she could continue sewing on her project.  She has gotten very good using the rotary cutter on the quilt fabric.   I headed upstairs, changed my shoes, dug out my straw hat and garden gloves and hit the back door ready to mow the front yard.  It was proposed to be a tag team effort.  I knew from the get go that that wasn’t going to happen.  I came in a time later and Megan looked at me.  “Grammie, you are really red in your face.”  Dennis’ goal had been reached.  He retired into the patio porch with a cold bottle of green tea and was content.  Hmm. 

  Today is Sunday and all is well.  After a breakfast of French Toast and bacon, Megan completed her quilt top.  The remaining steps of getting batting and the backing are too involved for this visit.  It will all be here waiting for her when she visits again.  A bit of down time on the tail end of her visit makes for a relaxing time for all of us.  The summer steamer can’t last forever.  Carrie and Nicholas will be coming later this afternoon.  Carrie tells me Nicholas has an agenda with Grandpa Dennis.  Time will tell.

   

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on June 27, 2019 Permalink  

  Dodged the Storm 

  The skies stayed black for most of the morning.  We dodged the storm with no winds and had about a half inch of rain.

  The cookie dough that was stirred up yesterday, has now been baked out with a good portion of the cookies in the freezer.  It’s kind of an “out of sight, out of mind” thing.  With the pending storm, it didn’t get as warm as quickly as they thought for today.  With the oven humping at 350 degrees for several hours, I still felt the kitchen was quite uncomfortable by the time the baking was done and all the dishes and pans returned to their rightful place.  The official sampler, Dennis, gave a thumbs up as he headed out the door.  

  In my mind’s eye, I do not know how Lena kept a family of six in baked goods.  I looked at the amount of cookies from the peanut butter batch, thinking how long would four dozen cookies last with four kids and a hard working farmer dipping into them for two lunches per day.  I kind of remember that there was never a single batch of anything stirred up.  If the oven is already hot and the utensils are dirty . . . go for a double batch every time.  It was the only way a small container could be hidden in the chest freezer in case coffee company came over.

  No matter how my days go, I could never have kept up with Mom, even at the age that I am now and she was then.  I have gotten soft.  I do continue with the home chores just like Mom did.  I take a loaded Swiffer and dance around our floors.  Mom had the Fuller Brush wool dust mop that got a bit of the Fuller Brush furniture oil on it to catch dust bunnies.  We had to shake the dickens out of it multiple times on a Saturday cleaning binge.  No one took shoes off when coming into the house while we were growing up.  That’s what Mom had two daughters for.  For us, nowadays, the debris is minimal.  There are no alfalfa stems or oat chaff that get drug in on chores shoes or in the cuff of the overalls.  More than likely for us, it is the evergreen needles that come in under the shoes or grass clippings after mowing the acre.    

  Secretly . . . I enjoy keeping a home that is tidy.  It is not a chore for me.  I take as much pride in our home as Dennis does in his yard.  We are two fuss budgets, each in our own right.  I like that.  I like it a lot.  Pride in ownership of our home . . . all 720 square feet of it . . . priceless.

  What with this last rain and an inch and a half previously since we last mowed the acre,  I have a sneaking suspicion as to what tomorrow holds.  I will get sprayed down with Bug Soother and we will get it done!

   
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  Noreen 3:15 pm on June 22, 2019 Permalink  

  Success 

  Though it was different for Dennis to not take part in the car show during Railroad Days, he deemed today a successful day.  The acre is mowed and trimmed and looking sharp.  Self satisfaction is hard to beat.  

  We got a late start mowing as the grass was heavy with dew.  Temps at 66 degrees and the humidity at 77 % . . . it was understandable.  Dennis rambled over to the shop to check on the paint he had applied yesterday to his Cub Lo-Boy, with the last being said we would mow after lunch. 

  His last words gave me the go ahead to strip the bed, load the laundry and get the Swiffers out to do the floors.  There are gliders under everything in our home . . . other than the refrigerator.  Today was the day to glide it out and get the dust bunnies underneath.  Hmm,  a crinkled up leaf of the Christmas Poinsettia was under the sofa.  No jelly beans were found.  Occasionally when I hear the jelly bean dish being opened there may be one or two that have escaped.  Dennis will hunt for a jelly bean only so long before it is left to cohabitate with the dust bunnies.  I had started at the west end of the house and just kept that east bathroom window as the target.  Oh so thankful that our home is small.  It can be whipped into shape in no time flat. 

  The day is ending here on Stauffer Avenue.  I did check to see if Dennis wanted to take the Railroad Days Parade in . . .  the nod of the head was a negative.  In times past when Megan and Nicholas would be here during this time, we didn’t miss a beat of all that was offered to enjoy.  I am thankful there are people that will put out their chairs along the parade route and wait it out.  No so for us anymore.  We are content having taken part in it at some time and now it is home sweet home enjoying the success of our labors for our home.

   
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  Noreen 3:52 pm on June 21, 2019 Permalink  

  Stauffer Avenue Persevered 

  With the storm that went through Stauffer Avenue around seven last night, Stauffer Avenue persevered.  We went into the basement when the sirens began blowing.  The winds were horrific but more than the winds was the concern about the hail.  When the hail hit the metal awning over our back door it made me jump.  It seemed to go on for a long time. 

  The hail lasted long after the sirens had stopped blowing.  The size of the hail was between dime and quarter size.  Dennis was brave and went up to check on the skylight in the kitchen.  When he came down he gave the thumbs up on the window.  All but the skylight has screens over the windows and I believe that helped a lot. 

  When all was said and done, no large branches came down.  I think the winter winds had pretty much cleaned out what was loose.  The tree tips look like confetti over the entire acre.  An inch of rain had soak in without any standing water in the backyard. 

  This morning I walked the acre, and yes, the hostas took a beating where there was little overhead shelter from the trees.  They will make it or not.  We felt blessed that we had no damage to take note of.

  This morning Dennis took a drive around in his little red pickup.  A storm can’t go through without a check to see it for one’s self.  I decided to do a load of laundry and start some chocolate chip cookies.  I do say start.  My modus operandi is to get all my ingredients out and measured out.  Cookie sheets have bakers paper on them, trays in the oven are adjusted.  While the butter is getting to room temperature, I played around with the laundry.  It’s a good job done when I haven’t burned the last tray while in the oven and the dishes are all washed.

  Dennis  gave me a pat on the back as he swooped by with several cookies in his fist.   It was a very satisfying day.  As Dennis was eating cookies on his way out the door, he made a comment about checking the lawnmowers over for tomorrow.  Hmm.  If the storm didn’t take it out of me, I am sure I will persevere the mowing for tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 5:32 pm on June 18, 2019 Permalink  

  Success 

  When I went out this morning to water a few plants, the last thing on the list was the area where we put down grass seed on newly tilled soil off of the corner of the house.  That grass seed was put down last Thursday afternoon.  Here we are on Tuesday and there are multiple spears of grass showing.  That is deemed a gardening success.  It did help that it was so close to the water supply that the area did get a sprinkle of water every day.

  Yesterday my trip to Mankato was to have lunch with some fellow stitchers.  Once a month we encourage each other, help each other with some challenges and do a whole lot of chit chat.  Enjoyable beyond belief for me.  I have yet to find fellow stitchers in St. James that are willing to commit to getting together.  

  A recipe had surfaced on Facebook called “Lemon Brownies.”  I printed it off for future reference.  Today was that future.  Dennis made a run for two chubby lemons that we needed for lemon zest and the actual juice.  It could have well been called “Lemon Bars.”  I can tell you that it looks wonderful and Dennis and I have a date at 8:00 this evening to cut into them.  I had not baked anything for a very long time.  I need to do a bit more of it.  It’s very satisfying.  I have been give the gift of a gently used Kitchen Aid heavy duty mixer that takes the heft out of mixing stiff cookie dough.  Stauffer Avenue’s Betty Crocker may be making a come back.

   
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  Noreen 2:41 pm on June 15, 2019 Permalink  

  Lots of Thunder 

  The skies have been rumbling for several hours.  It’s dark out but Dennis tells me it has all gone to the south and east of us.  A good shower of rain would have been welcomed.  You never can tell how the thunderstorms seem to be gone and they can wangle themselves back.

  Dennis did wear himself out yesterday with making several trips to Fleet Farm for the right connections for his hose to be attached directly to the sump pump as the water is pumped up and out of the basement.  It doesn’t help matters any that his hands don’t always do as they are directed to.  I did stay out of the way until such time that I could help with reeling in the garden hose as he took it off of the secondary sump pump.  Looking out of the north dining room window it does seem strange not to see a swamp with standing water in the area of the drain field.  Dennis said he would put the direct connections on later this fall.  I totally agreed with him. 

  Tomorrow is Father’s Day.  Lots of memories surface.  I absolutely know that I had the best father anyone could have had.  He taught me how to work and how to appreciate life.  I absolutely know that Carrie and Keven had the best father anyone could have had.  Orlin was strict and fair and had the same blessing as my father did . . . logic.  The logic I see in my children by far passes what can be taught in schooling.  Learning aspects is needed, but how it needs to be applied is a true gift.  My children and I got the real goods and it serves us well. 

  My sewing machine is stitching and I have done a bit of extra organization in my sewing studio while it is hard at work.  Sometimes the things that I have looked at for a long, long time can all of a sudden be seen in a different light.  Yup, what I sew with most frequently needs to be closest at hand.  The rest . . . is still important but not so much needed right at a reach away.  

  Looking at some stitching designs, I am pulling together some fabrics out of my stashes and thinking that they would make a wonderful quilt with some special embroidery when someone special leaves for college.  It really isn’t that much of a reach.  That someone will be sixteen this December.  I don’t like the fact that she is growing up, but I sure do see one mighty fine young lady. 

  Oh the memories of an older gal . . . me,  that still sees her own children as her babies and sees the grand babies as precious wee ones.  I know, I know . . . we bring them up to be strong independent people, but I can still reminisce and thank God Almighty for my memories.  They sure can get me through a whole bunch of days, weeks, months and years . . . and they are all mine.

  Hmm.  Maybe the rumbling will still bring some rain.

   
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  Noreen 3:20 pm on June 14, 2019 Permalink  

  Waiting for Rain 

  We had a very ugly patch of dirt that should be green with grass.  I can’t imagine where the grass went.  It’s right off the north east corner of the house.  The Mantis tiller was pulled out and with the dirt being mulched grass seed was sought.  As I was checking the potting shed for grass seed, I ran across two bags of garden soil.  That soil has now topped the tilled dirt and is sporting raked in grass seed.  Dennis put a hose with a good attachment on the north house faucet so it’s easy to keep the grass seed damp.  With the sun and higher temps, I am anticipating some green showing up within a week or so

  Dennis is annoyed that we need to have a sump pump sitting on top of the drain field for the sump pump that is pulling water from the tile within the perimeter of the basement.  Basically he is annoyed with all the rain that Mother Nature dumped on us this spring.  The area of the drain field is a swamp.  That is only because we just did not have the lineal feet to get it any farther from the house.  That may be bad enough, but then there is the issue of the garden hose lying across the lawn to rid the extra water from our swamp.  He is determined to try and drain the swamp.  The Complete Basement fellow did work with Dennis yesterday and cut the PVC pipe that pushed the water to the drain field and put a rubber boot on that cut.  Dennis has been out to Fleet and Farm and is going to eliminate the water going to our swamp and just let it all go out to the street via a hose attached to the house sump pump at the rubber boot.  He has been determined today.  I stayed out of the way and minded my grass seed.

  Do Dennis and I drive ourselves nutty trying to keep on top of things for our home?  Most likely.  We never seem to get bored and . . . we sleep damn well at night.  If nothing else we give the neighbors something to watch.

   
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  Noreen 4:47 pm on June 13, 2019 Permalink  

  Can’t Keep a Good Man Down 

  Thursdays are our lawn mowing days.  I felt I had a chance to get a few things done fore we hit the mowers.  On my list was to bake out some bacon in the oven.  A quick meal of eggs, bacon and toast is always a sure winner.  It is a slow process and one you do not want to walk away from and forget what is in the oven.  Do grease fires happen with stuff in the oven?  I was not taking a chance. 

  Little did I realize that there was no dew on the grass this morning.  Before nine, I heard the mower.  Yup it was Dennis in the far east corner of the acre.  All I could do was finish what I had started and that included a load of laundry.  

  Complete Basements of Mankato was due to be here in the afternoon to check out the sump pump, the back up battery and all else that can be checked.  Joe was here before twelve noon.  We are safe and good to go for another fifteen months.  Joe’s van had barely backed out of the drive, when the Culligan fellows were here with the salt run.  The bags of salt are heavy, and yes, we do pay a bit more to have it delivered and put into the brine tank.  Leave the heavy stuff for the young fellows.

  I did eventually get my push mower going to do the front of the yard and around the house.  Having bought a very light weight trimmer, the trimming of the acre was all said and done in short order.  I thought with the acre being mowed and trimmed we were done for the day.  Not!  When Dennis put the down spouts back onto the house and took a look at all the spider webs and bird pop, out came the garden hoses.  Dennis made a trip to the Family Dollar and came home with a gallon of the cheapest laundry soap he could find to help wash off the house.  As he is just finishing up, the entire yard smells like Lavender.  Priceless.

  I think my ole cowboy is going to sleep like a log this evening, or he will have a hard time shutting down.  Time will tell.  Once Dennis gets started, there is no talking him down.  Whatever the reactions of his actions, he was doing what he wanted to do, when he wanted it done.