Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from March, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 4:14 am on March 14, 2017 Permalink  

  Oh for Pete’s sake. We did get snow. We did get dumped on to the tune of nine plus inches. The sun is definitely in our favor for this late season snowfall. Wherever I had pushed snow off of the concrete, the concrete is now bare. Our driveway won’t be quite that fortunate as the pile of snow on the south side will be thawing and there is nowhere for it to go but puddle on the concrete. During the next few nights, there will be some freeze drying.

  An interesting event to watch out of our northwest house window. A small hawk has found it quite advantageous to sit next to the area of the yard where the sump pump spews forth water that has collected in the tile that encompasses the perimeter of our basement. Last week I thought that perhaps his foot had gotten caught in the grate that is over the opening of the tile. Not so. If his luck continues as I have witnessed, he will continue feasting on the unexpected birds that have enjoyed open water all winter. It is the circle of life. It reminds me that if one is patient enough, things come your way.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:59 am on March 8, 2017 Permalink  

  After the storms of yesterday, we have sun and wind. No damage here. There are several of the Fairfax Tulips peeking out of the soil under the south windows. As I checked out the yard I also saw some of the pink Fern Peony spikes just breaking through the dirt on the east side of the house. I so hope they just slow down in case winter deals us some harsh cold temps. What a ride this winter has been and I am thankful Dennis and I have come through it with nary a ruffle.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:21 am on November 1, 2016 Permalink  

  It is Halloween and my ole cowboy just announced he was heading up town to buy some candy . . . just incase we have some kids stop by this evening. Dennis is right. Just because we have not had any kids stop in here during the recent years, how would you tell some little kid “Sorry.” It is hard to believe that the temps for this Halloween are in the high 50s. It is darn damp out. Just one more reason for us to hug ourselves that we do not have to be out in the chilly air taking care of duties that beseeches homeowners. Though . . . it is not beyond the possibilities that if the sun comes out this week and dries some of the leaves, that Dennis and I won’t be out there using the leaf blower to get some leaves into windrows to mulch with the rider mower. Contending with matted wet leaves in the spring of the year has always reminded the two of us of times in the past when it was time to clean out calf pens in the spring after the calves had been penned up all winter. The layers of manure had to come out in layers much like peeling an onion.

  Heck yes, we will be out there to make the most of the last drying days of fall. Old people . . . we are just crazy enough to make the younger ones scratch their heads. We are amazing.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:59 am on October 23, 2016 Permalink  

  It Was Not to Be 

  

  I was totally planning on spending the day on some sewing items. Last night when I finished cleaning up the kitchen from making cookies, my plans were whirling in my mind. This morning with the sun bright and warm temperatures, the sewing was not to be. Making sure I had a charged battery in the weed whip, I headed to take down all of the perennials. In past years we would have had a killing frost by now. Not. The perennials were lush with stems filled with lots of juice. I went through my two batteries and finished with the garden shears. It did need to get done. Better doing it with warm sun beams and not chilling arthritic fingers paying a price. Snuggles and I took quite a few breaks. Snuggles would find some foliage that I had whacked and settle in the sun. If I headed to the patio to sit a spell, Snuggles was right there to curl up on my lap. His moral support was great. When Dennis returns from a trade show, I know we will be pulling leaves and foliage out into the open and Dennis will have the riding mower ready to do some mulching. The sewing studio will welcome me when the air has a crisp nip. Today Snuggles and I did what was needed. Both of us will rest well this evening.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:08 am on October 18, 2016 Permalink  

  Bright Spots Can Always Be Found 

  

  A gray day of mist. It can’t decide if it is going to rain or not. The Tiger Eyes Sumac glows this time of the year with or without sunshine. No way can the weather hold this beauty down. It does lighten my heart to look to the backyard and push the gray day far, far away.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:17 am on October 13, 2016 Permalink  

  Hmm, I had forgotten what cold fingers felt like when doing some last minutes chores outside. We have had the same two house plants out next to the Koi pond for years. Each summer we cut them back so when the fall season hits and we need to harbor them in the porch over the winter, they are of a doable size. Today was the day to pick out all the leaves that had blown into the plant branches and pots and find just the right spot in the porch. Now . . . it will be interesting to see if the cats have gotten one more year older and will leave the dirt in the pots alone. Last year it was a matter of adding all sorts of items around the base of the plants that no dirt could be accessed.

  The kitchen window was the last to be cleaned and locked for the season of winter that is just around the corner. We have no other items to take care of outside. As I mentioned earlier, my fingers felt the cold as I was getting the plants ready even though the sun was in full shinny mode. I will be enjoying my sewing studio from here on in . . . OOPS! I forgot that I still need to get up to the attic and clean what may have filtered in from the chimney project of this last weekend. Tomorrow I will have Dennis bring in the shop vac and take care of it. No point in putting it off and thus no guilty feelings of being in the sewing studio with many cups of rich coffee going forward.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:20 am on October 12, 2016 Permalink  

  Work for The Night is Coming 

  

  All good things must come to an end. One cactus was pretty, two cactus were okay. A huge tangled mess of cactus was on it’s way out. The kicker was the day Dennis washed off the west side of the house and the garden hose was pulled along the right side of the cactus bed. Yup, the garden hose was full of the very fine hair-like prickles.

  “Work, for the night is coming,
  Work through the morning hours;
  Work while the dew is sparkling,
  Work ’mid springing flowers;
  Work when the day grows brighter,
  Work in the glowing sun;
  Work, for the night is coming,
  When man’s work is done.”

  I love this hymn of Ann Coghill’s.  Today it just spoke to us as we hit the sunshine with a bit of tick list.  The south side of our garage is a mere three feet from a gravel alley with a few potholes. Splish, splash goes the mud on the white siding.  As of today . . . no more.  The garage and potting shed got a soapy bath, complete with personalized scrubbing.  The city did put some crushed asphalt down and the petroleum product mixed with the mud needed some TLC.  Dennis was the one to wash the porch off.  The screens held enough dirt that I could have transplanted one or two of these cactus in pots.  After the hands and arms have recovered, I will go on to wash the patio doors before too long.  It is more enjoyable to be in our rocking chairs in the porch when we can see through the patio doors’ windows.

  Once we got the cactus dug out . . . where to go with them.  We decided that the tarp was going to be pulled off to the side until such time that they would dry out and perhaps be burned.  As careful as we were, I did snag some of the fine prickles. In the bright sunlight I could see the little devils almost glowing in their brilliance.  Just because I could see them was not necessarily meaning I could get at them to pull them out.

  The older ones on Stauffer have had another great day.  The night is coming and we are done with our work . . . for now.  My main objective is to keep an eye on the weather, least we have rain.  That means I will beat feet up into the attic to get the window closed.  These last several day of brisk breezes surely must be helping to dry out the bit of insulation around the area where the chimney was.  I know both Dennis and I will sleep very well tonight.

  ---

   
• 

  Noreen 4:18 am on October 4, 2016 Permalink  

  Working Together 

  

  Fall means that our potting shed is going to get a workout. Dennis stated this morning that it would be a working day making use of the warm temperatures. I am quite sure he heard the forecast of cool days with a chance of rain. Garden art is fun to put out in the spring. October means the end of the flourishing gardens and time to button up. We have taken note that some homes leave out the garden art twelve months of the year. We are of the mindset that perhaps next spring may bring a change of heart or change of physical endurance and low and behold there is a yard left with much to contend with.

  

  It is just a good feeling to have the garden art tucked away where it is dry. Nothing is worse than working with cold fingers or worse yet, cold wet fingers. The patio umbrella will take center stage with the push lawn mowers snuggled right up next to it.  The day went well and we fought the good fight against the no see um biting bugs, the Boxelder bugs and the late hatch of stinging mosquitoes.  After today, this will give Dennis a chance to get the snowblower out and tuned up before it is needed.  I will go back to my fall house cleaning taking a stance against the dust bunnies.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:08 am on September 27, 2016 Permalink  

  Today would be a good day to put a brick in my bloomers. The wind is having its way. In years past, during a wind this strong for the last week in September, we would have had our garage roof bombed with Black Walnuts from our neighbor’s tree. This year: there are no Walnuts to be blown off of the tree. Hmm. Perhaps the winter will be so mild we don’t need food for the squirrels . . . or the winter will be brutal and the squirrels will suffer. Hmm.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:34 am on September 9, 2016 Permalink  

  Now this type of day is what I have been waiting for. A bit of breeze, low humidity and low temps. The mosquitoes didn’t get the news flash that they could have the day off. My lawnmower didn’t let me down. We may have grunted a bit as the ground is just like a sponge. The front yard offered up three full bags of clippings. This surely must be the tail end of push, push, push. Here I am all cleaned up and Dennis is still out in the northeast part of the acre on the rider mower. This will be a good grill cheese and tomato soup supper night.

  Something about this day brought back a memory from times gone by. It was this time of the year many years ago that the kid’s dad, Orlin, announced the television was on the blink. Oh my gosh, Downtown South Branch and all it didn’t have to offer and now . . . no television. Though all we could get for reception was Channel 12 – WCCO, it was still the glow of the tube and entertainment. With no fluid funds to take it to Truman for the repair shop, the television set became a rather large knick-nack.

  School had just started with a fair amount of daylight in the early evenings. Kevin found things to do in his make-shift tool shed. It was a concrete block building that had once been a chicken house. Carrie spent more time on the piano. She tried out different recipes that made tasty suppers by the time Orlin and I got home from work. Quiet times in their bedrooms for schoolwork served them well. There was still a fair amount of yard work for all of us, as we were the grounds keepers for the next door church, the cemetery and the parochial school grounds. Fall turned into the early stages of winter. I am not sure how it was revealed to the kids when the television was re-instated after it had been taken to Truman for a new picture tube. The kids didn’t even complain when ole Chuck Pesket was the man of the hour for news or the host of the John Deere Band Wagon. The kids kept on with some of the things that had kept them occupied during that “black out.” It was a good thing.

  If my memory serves me, Orlin had pulled the “television is broken” one time when we lived in Madelia. The television set was actually put into a closet. After a lengthy spell in the closet, Orlin and I came home from being out and about and the kids met us at the door. Oh my gosh! “We just tried plugging it in to see what would happen and it worked!” Poor ole Dad, it’s hard to pull something past kids that have inquiring minds. The wonderful thing is that Carrie and Kevin did have, and still do have, inquiring minds to continue broadening their horizons for themselves and their families. Now that’s a good thing.