Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2019 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 12:33 pm on June 12, 2019 Permalink  

  Hmm 

  When signing in with passwords, it really ticks me off when my pinkie finger is flailing out in the wind and has clicked the caps key, thus giving me an obnoxious message.  Oh well.  Computers have their jobs to do.  I need to pay more attention.  

  Tonight we are going to an evening banquet for the Korean veterans at the VFW in Mankato.  Dennis has belonged to this group for some time and has made new friends.  It’s not all bad when you step out of the comfort zone and mix it up a bit from the St. James gangs.  This is a huge night out for the older ones from Stauffer Avenue.  We definitely are mixing it up a bit ourselves.

  While in Mankato we have a few items on a tick list to take care of.  Shopping locally is wonderful but not all things can be obtained.  

  The temps are great and this would be my wish for the rest of the summer season.  It would have been a great late afternoon being out in the gardens.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a repeat.

   
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  Noreen 4:14 pm on June 8, 2019 Permalink  

  Lightening the Load 

  It was a huge decision to put down the huge perennial flower bed last fall.  I had created it, tended it and decided when I had enough.  The flower bed had given me hours of enjoyment.  As the plants had done well, many of my friends had received slips and roots for their enjoyment.  Now the  scene of green grass is enjoyable.

  With my friend Doreen, we had each traveled over the summer months and had located a variety of garden art.  You name it, we had found it and hauled it home.  Dennis and I have our favorites to put out around the patio and under the Maple tree and Lilacs.

  This spring I had let Dennis’ two daughters know that I was ready to lighten the load in the potting shed.  Both have small grandchildren who enjoy helping with placing the goodies.  Susie was the first to visit during the Memorial weekend.  She looked, she touched and decided on several items to take back to Silver Bay.  Sandy came today.  Sandy had moved to Mankato just a year ago.  She had her yard ready for some of our garden art.  Yup, we lightened the load in the garden shed.  After hinting to Carrie, I realized that metro properties don’t go into garden art to any extent.  That was all well and good as their yard has multiple raised wooden beds for vegetables.  I would take fresh veggies over decorations any day.

  Dennis and I are hoping for some nice temps tomorrow.  I have noticed that the humidity has dropped by 30 points since this morning.  We may see a few rain drops in the change.

  Last Wednesday I took the advice of “one who knows,” I ordered the Weather Tech mats for the car.  In ordering the cargo mat in addition to the front seat and back seat mats, the shipping would be free.  Today, right after Noon, the Fed X delivered the goods.  Talk about fast service.  I admit, I am contributing to the decline of the store fronts.  If I can order what I need and not have to visit various sites seeking and searching, I am all in.

  We are taking the late afternoon with whatever it brings.  It is warm outside . . . even in Dennis’ beloved patio porch.

   
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  Noreen 4:33 pm on June 7, 2019 Permalink  

  Hot and Breezy 

  I do believe that breezy might be a bit short as to what we had coming from the south.  Brisk and gusty with full sun makes for the need of getting my four plants watered.  Four plants in four inch pots is enough for me to take care of after they were planted where needed.  I was out and watering them this morning by 7:30.  I didn’t stay outside any longer then needed as the gnats had the welcome mat out.  I didn’t want to spray myself with Bug Soother for such a quick trip outside.

  As part of my days this week, I am making sure to use the new, used car each day.  It is quite an adjustment, but a very pleasant one.  I sit so much higher in this model and have better visual.  The seat control knows it is me when I start the vehicle, via a button, and all items adjust for my settings.  Who knew!  We have yet to have the second driver’s control set.  Yes, my ole cowboy will be the second driver, as long as the cigarettes are checked at the door.  I had realized in the 20-year-old model, I had a hard time getting the gas cap off and then on again.  If I didn’t get it on correctly, it would signal a “Check engine light.”  With us being unaware of the connection, it cost us $40.00 to have that message checked out at our local repair shop. Yup, the gas cap had not been tighten as it needed to be.  Now, I only need to get the nozzle into the hole on the driver’s side and I will be set.  My hands will be grateful.  The car is a learning experience.  Never too old to learn.

  The sewing studio on warm days such as we had today is the best way to stay busy and forget about what is going on outside.  Dennis went over to his nephew’s late this afternoon.  The concrete guys had checked out at three this afternoon from laying a parking lot in Fairmont.  One unlucky fellow was left behind as he was in charge of scoring the concrete after the appropriate time.  

  We always know what is in store as Minnesota’s seasons arrive.  It just takes some mental and physical adjustment.

   
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  Noreen 5:02 pm on June 6, 2019 Permalink  

  Wanted: Goats 

  Within a week, Dennis commented how the grass is seeding out within seven days.  That is a very good thing for shoring up a good thick stand.  The thicker the grass the fewer weeds that have a chance.  The end of the day the acre is mowed and manicure.  From Thursday to Thursday, it was badly needed.

  Dennis began mowing in the far east portion of the acre.  He came up to the house for a drink and also to get out of the heavy grassed area where the gnats had banded together and they were bound to aggravate him to no end.  Before Dennis headed out, I sprayed him with the Bug Soother from Kersten and Kevin.  The report upon completion of mowing: no gnat issue experienced after the spray.  I was able to trim and I saw plenty gnats, but no new bites.  The bites that I got Monday and Tuesday, before we got the spray, are actually festering.  Nasty business.

  The Maple tree airplanes seeds are lessening.  Coming right up behind them is the white cotton seeds coming from the northeast.  Our neighbor in that area has the mother of all Cottonwood trees.  Dennis was thankful he mowed today, as by tomorrow, his air filter on the mower would have needed a clean out. 

  Late this afternoon, I had an eye appointment.  After the checkup that included dilation, via drops, I was worthless.  The pupils are so huge there isn’t any chance for clear vision.  I will be seeing a specialist in a week or so to have a tiny spot of pigment checked out in my right eye.  Wonderful service to have a specialist to come to St. James.  

  In thinking it over, if we had goats to take care of the acre, we would need a fence.  We would need a water supply for them.  We would need to wear five buckle overshoes that could be hosed off after stepping on all the manure.  They are not like pigs that have one special spot for doing their duty.  Goats are indiscriminate.  Hmm.

  All is good on Stauffer Avenue!

   
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  Noreen 3:19 pm on June 5, 2019 Permalink  

  Bountiful Hosta 

  

  This huge heavy cement goose will forever bring my departed friend, Doreen, into my mind when I garden. Her and I found this at a nursery near Rochester. How we managed to get it into her van will forever be a mystery.

  It may have been a late spring by all measures.  It does show up in the farming schedules.  For my acreage it seemed to have turned out just fine.  Yes, we had more rain than we needed.  No, it didn’t seen to hurt the Hosta.  In fact they are huge and looking very good.  I spent two days with the Mantis tiller working up the soil in between the Hosta plants.  Some were too full to take a ram into them and break off stems.  It could use one more day with the tiller, but life does seem to get in the way.  To be honest, it was the bugs.  Within those two days, I was totally chewed up from gnats and small flies.  I made sure to wear a long sleeve shirt but it was the neck, ears and hairline that really got it.

  When I left New Ulm on Tuesday I stopped in to show Kevin my new used car and came home with a wonderful treat.  Kersten had found in Fairfax a product called Bug Soother.  This morning, I needed to clear off the patios and driveway from Maple airplane seeds, and the gnats got behind my glasses and I almost tripped trying to rid them.  I got the Bug Soother and Dennis sprayed my arms and neck and I stayed outside for most of the morning.  It has Lemon grass oil, Castor oil and a few other natural ingredients.  It smells wonderful and it did the trick.  Kevin thought it would have to be reapplied every 4-5 hours, but I had all the time I needed to get done what I needed to before settling in with some things in the house.  Yes, summer is here along with all the less than desirable flying insects.  

  I do need to find a perennial that would vine up the iron works that Calvin has made for me.  Our next door neighbors have put up a new storage building and it was the perfect back-drop to move the iron works to.  The Dr. Seuss birdhouse found a new home after the back garden was tilled up.  When we decided to downsize the flower gardens, it was amazing how everything fell into place.  I have plenty to keep me busy and I need not worry about contending with unwanted weeds and a garden that stood under water more times than I can count. 

   
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  Noreen 4:33 pm on June 3, 2019 Permalink  

  A Busy Monday 

  Dennis aced his checkup at the VA clinic here in St. James this morning.  Check that off of the list of items that are on the calendar for June.  Dennis had a bud of his stop in and they were talking paint for the Cub Lo-Boy.  Rich used to have his own body shop for years.  Very good tips were given.

  Dennis got the electric Mantis out for me from the potting shed.  The weight of fallen snow coupled with the snow that Dennis blow off of the patio, the Hosta plants next to the patio needed help to get the soil loosened up.  It was as packed as a township gravel road.  Today was the first of quite a few days of this type of work. 

  Jan and I had visited over the fence.  Jan pulled up the edging that had been adjacent to their driveway for decades.   Jan had scored pavers from her son that would work better than the hard plastic edging.  What was really going on was her flower garden area would have some added width for the entire length.   As luck would have it, she had an extra pile of dirt that Randy has had on hand for quite some time.  Talk about hard clumps.  Jan managed to shovel what she needed and had the clumps lying out where the pavers would lay next to.  I took the Mantis over to her yard and Jan took the helm.  The Mantis made short work of the clumps that now had included some sod.  The Mantis is a mighty worker.

  It was turning very hot this afternoon.  The perfect time to take a trip to Fairmont.  Dennis had the info that Rich had given him for the paint and I willingly rode shotgun.  Crylon spray paint was what we were after.  Rich said it dried fast and he had used it many times.  I think Dennis and his variety of buds will have a good handle as this goes forward.

  It has been a good day with the promise that the two older ones on Stauffer Avenue are not going to be looking for anything to keep them occupied for some time.  It’s a good thing.

   
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  Noreen 3:02 pm on June 1, 2019 Permalink  

  Raining Airplanes 

  

  Over the night hours the Maple tree let loose with all of its seed pods. We have called them airplanes since I could talk. At just the right time as the seed pods have dried, they spin from on high to the ground. The base of the seed pod is heavy enough that that stick straight up into the soil. You can believe me, I was out raking them off of the Hosta area. Each one of these seed pods would love to sprout a tree . . . right where it is not welcomed. On a sidebar, the dappled warm sunlight on the backyard is just what we need to continue encouraging all of the newly planted area to take off. It is coming along nicely.

   
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  Noreen 5:40 pm on May 30, 2019 Permalink  

  We Got ’er Done 

  The acre has been mowed and manicured.  It is very self-satisfying.  Dennis does the rider and I am the resident “pusher.” It works great that when the bagger is full and I beat feet for the backyard driveway, Dennis gets off the rider to empty the bag for me and re-starts the mower.  It had been just one week since we mowed but the front yard would only take a half of a swath to mow the best.

  Now onto an evaluation on the new weed whip trimmer.  I did trim around everything on the acre where Dennis could not get close to.  The north side of the house even had about three feet out from the foundation that I trimmed.  Last fall we put a slope on the soil adjacent to the foundation and that dirt is still very soft.  It’s also a bit of a stretch to get between window wells and the central air unit.  I was rounding the last bit of trimming on the potting shed when the battery had no more umph.  The objective today was to see how long one charged battery would last.  I would say being 20′ short of a total yard being trimmed was pretty dang impressive.  Grammie ended the day of yard work in good shape.  In regard to how my body responded, it was good.  I am teaching myself to swivel at the waist when using the trimmer rather that working the shoulders and neck as I take a whack from side to side.  Never too old to learn.

  While I blew off the patios and driveway with the electric leaf blower, Dennis cleaned the filters on the Koi pond.  We got ’er done for the week.  It’s a good thing.  For the life of me, I do not know how some people our age tell us they are bored.  

  To round out the day there is nothing better than egg salad sandwiches and tomato soup for supper.

   
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  Noreen 4:55 pm on May 29, 2019 Permalink  

  Quite the Day 

  Last fall I had sworn that weed whips were out of my life . . . forever.  Hmm.  How much shag can a Grammie take around the property.  I’m weak.  I can’t take it.  Today we went to Mankato in a search for a weed whip that I could handle without injuring neck, shoulders, back . . . in other words, one that would operate like a drone.  The final results was one called WORX.  A 20 volt recharable that weighs 4.2 lbs.  The lightest weight one we could find other than the electric ones.  I know myself well enough that I could see myself tripping over 100′ plus of electrical cord as I made my way around the yard.  Dennis is in charge of charging up the battery for tomorrow.  Dennis bought a 2nd battery and several refills of line.  We know all too well what happens when the unit is out of line and we are up a creek without a paddle.  Time will tell.

  The weed whip was on the list for the day.  Also on the list was haircuts at Great Clips, a pedicure at Nails Group, a few groceries and a stop at JoAnns Fabric for some Dritz supplies.  The grocery store items at Sam’s Club included a bottle of Glucosamine with Chondroitin. Lena clued me into this at a time when she was still on the farm.  It is taken for joint and cartilage lubrication. I had since been taking it, for years.  Late winter, I ran out and decided to see if I could spare myself of one less pill.  In the recent weeks I had been rethinking that choice as the movements from the neck on down wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked.  In fact, it was quite noticeable.  Now . . . you say, it could be the damp, wet spring we have had that has made the arthritis buck in the joints . . . I don’t know.  I am going to take them religiously for the amount in the bottle and then rethink the whole situation.  Seriously . . . when was Lena ever off the mark with her advice!

  As we drove today the fields look so wet from our dumping of 2.5 – 3 inches of rain.  Wouldn’t you know it!  It rained all the way to Mankato this morning.  Some sun did peek out but the clouds are hanging on.  Nonetheless, we will mow the acre tomorrow.  It is lush and long.

   
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  Noreen 1:18 pm on May 28, 2019 Permalink  

  An R.W. Day 

  This would have been a day that Raymond Wendlandt would have been sitting on the bench right outside our back door . . . for the entire day.  The neighbor to the direct south had a crew in cutting down a Black Walnut tree that I am sure was close to 100 years old.  This would have been right up Dad’s alley to sit, taking it all in while sipping on Folgers coffee.  

  Often I think of many things that Dad would have enjoyed as they have come upon my life in the recent years.  Dad was too young at 72 years of age to be called home.  I have outlived Dad by three years in this 2019 year.  That fact is not taken for granted by me.  Each day there must be local effort on my part to make the most of all that there is to see, to do, to take in.   Perhaps I do believe in the old adage that idle hands are the work of the devil.  I can tell you all, the devil is not working within me. 

  Striving to continue to learn is how I honor both of my parents.  Raymond and Lena would dip their toes into new endeavors without fail.  Mom had her rug loom, Dad had his sawmill.  Both of my parents had a zest for learning and creating.  I thank my Good Lord for the genes I have.  My quests have not always come naturally.  Try, try, try again.  Good grief.  I refuse to give in.  Sometimes I wear myself out and I know to walk away for a bit, take a deep breath and then hit it again.  Sure enough.  I can do it.  Reading directions and watching YouTube videos is a huge assist!

  Yup, Dad would have enjoyed being here today.  I, as always, love the memories that Dad evokes.