Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:17 pm on May 27, 2023 Permalink  

  Quite the Day 

  My target was the studio today.  The machine is oiled and cleaned, the steam iron is filled and hot – ready to go.

  I have decided on the black sashing with orange corner stones and not the reverse.  My schedule is to sew a 16″ seam and then press it.  Going back and forth until there are four blocks done, making the width of the quilt.  With three strips done, the back door opened.

  Dennis’ nephews from Windom stopped in for a visit.  Their dad, Dennis’ oldest brother Dick, has been gone for twenty years.  It’s good for family to stay in touch.  Catching up in the patio porch is a good thing.  After several hours, the boys journeyed on.

  At bit after twelve noon, Dennis daughter Denise stopped in with leftover pizza from their noon meal.  Dennis will pass on the goodies, but I won’t.  Denise came down into the studio and made herself comfortable.  Dennis came down and joined us.  Getting caught up comes far and few these days.  Casey’s calls her a manager, Denise calls herself over used.  I can believe that. 

  The door bell rang and Dennis’ niece and her husband from Morris came in.  Dennis’ sister has been gone for several years.  Jeanie is always good about visiting the cemetery on this weekend.  The fellows went to the patio porch and us gals made it to the first floor. 

  This has been quite the day for family.  It made Dennis’ day.  Each one of our guests was doing multiple stops here in town.  How special that they made time for a stop-in, no matter how brief.

  As Dennis and I wanted to get caught up with what each of us had gleaned from various guests, I put him on hold while I went into the studio and closed everything down.  I can sew another day.  Spending time sharing a cup of coffee with Dennis . . . priceless.

   
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  Noreen 1:20 pm on May 26, 2023 Permalink  

  Dust Bunnies 

  Today, I could hear the dust bunnies snickering at me.  We have had windows open when the winds were brisk, our front door with no storm door on has been open and I think the winds blew in what a good dust bunny is made of.  Loading up some Swiffers took care of the laminate flooring as well as the vinyl on the east end of the house and the west end of the house.  Our washer and dryer in the bathroom does add to the lint in the house.  Dennis needs to wear a Velcro boot on his left foot and I do not make him take it off and on as his day progresses.  So an investment of a few Swiffers takes on the dust bunnies.  Mission completion.

  When I had shopped for groceries yesterday, I bought some English cucumbers.  This forenoon I thin sliced an onion, thin sliced some cukes and mixed all with mayo and a bit of cream.  They are co-mingling with a hefty amount of black pepper in the refrig for supper.  I had two chicken tenderloins to take out of the freezer.  Dennis always makes instant potatoes for four people.  Of course there are leftovers.  Putting those potatoes on good china, aka: a paper plate with a damp paper towel over them, they reheat perfectly.  Supper is in the bag.

  A load of laundry got done in between time.

  My visit to the studio this afternoon was all about cleaning and oiling the sewing machine.  After doing more than 2,300′ of orange trim on the 32 blocks of t-shirts, there was orange fuzz everywhere including the rotary cutter blades that needed cleaning.  With a new 80/12 needle in the sewing machine, the work in the studio may continue tomorrow.  As I had mentioned, our long holiday weekend is low key . . . all ours.

  This afternoon, I still have some time to perch upon my cheery red reading chair and take in some of the south breeze coming in.  We will be starting to make new dust bunnies.

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on May 25, 2023 Permalink  

  A Nice Day 

  Today we needed to travel to Mankato to the ophthalmologist for Dennis’ eye injection for macular.  Dennis generally goes to our eye clinic here in St James and the specialist comes here.  So trip to the main clinic once in awhile doesn’t hurt.

  When we were about to leave the clinic, Dennis looked down and shucky darn, the little red pickup was in need of an oil change.  The last one was done the end of September of 2022.  We headed right over to Jiffy Lube.  Got that done in a hurry.  They check everything over as per what the check list is for the amount of mileage.  Other than the usual, the coolant needed to be topped.

  Driving home, it was amazing to see the green sheen when looking over the fields.  It doesn’t take long for the young corn shoots to make a visual impact.

  We are home in good stead.

  Yesterday afternoon, our special order storm door for the west entry of the house was delivered from the Truman Lumber Yard.  Manager, Vaughn, lives here in town and brought it along with him.  We may get it installed this weekend, depending what carpenter Bryan has on his schedule. 

  We do need to keep in mind that people do make plans for this Memorial Day weekend.  By the way . . . ours is pretty much like any weekend . . . low key.

  We had a meal at Perkins today, so supper for today has been had.  I had the 55 Plus potato pancakes.  My dad’s all time favorite.  Perkins does them well with just the right amount of minced green onion.

   
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  Noreen 1:43 pm on May 24, 2023 Permalink  

  Warmer Day 

  We had one item on the agenda today . . . getting haircuts at Curry Comb.

  I dialed the number and an operator came on and said I would be transferred to “Straight Talk.”  WTF!  When I heard that I hung up.  My phone was not working.  No matter who I called it was the same “Straight Talk” nonsense.  I used Dennis’ phone and we went on to get the shag removed from each of us.

  When we got home, I used the computer and got on Tracfone’s site.  Once all my information was in I was made aware that my service extended to 11/25.  Service did not equate to air time.  I dug through my info and sure enough, last year at this time, I had spent $199.00 plus tax for unlimited talk and text.  I have no idea what the service date refers to.  I processed my order and tried to call Dennis and it went straight through.  We are good to go.

  Though it does feel warm, having had a haircut sure feels good.  

  No matter how much trouble and strife, each day we learn to work through what dares to cross our threshold. 

  Tomorrow is another day for being the best I can be.

   
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  Noreen 1:19 pm on May 23, 2023 Permalink  

  Enough 

  I was up early today.  I slept soundly from nine last night until seven this morning when I heard the coffee pot going off.  

  I checked my usual items on the HP in the living room while enjoying the coffee.  It really tasted as good as it smelled this morning.  My second cup of coffee I had while sitting on our front deck.  It is enjoyable watching traffic and watching birds in the huge evergreen right off of the deck.  Enjoyable until I heard in no uncertain terms that mama Robin was not happy.  On both ends of the awning, Robins have made a nest.  I teased her for a bit longer before I gave her space.

  It was very apparent that the dewpoint was low this morning.  The grass in the front yard was not glistening with dew.  I put on my garden shoes and headed outside.  Dennis was at his PT appointment but had left the weed trimmer with a charged battery in the patio porch.  The agreement was he would mow and I would trim.  It looks so much nicer when there isn’t a halo of tall grass around everything that a rider mower can’t get to.  I only trim on our original acre as now we do have an additional barn acre.  By the time I have used the battery up, the trimming is done and I can feel that I have used up the energy I had for this task.  Dennis would be mowing that area after the PT appointment.

  Cleaning off grass clippings from my pants, I made sure to break off some catnip before heading to the house.  Snuggles was right there rolling in it.  Several spots for several cats.

  It may well get to the 83 degrees that KNUJ was forecasting.  I intended to spend time in the studio.  When Dan at PT takes care of Dennis’ foot with new dressings, I do not have to do it in the same day.  The oven dish that I had taken out of the freezer for last night’s supper will have a repeat performance for this evening.  The remains of the day I pretty much had to myself.

  It was smooth sailing today making and sewing trim onto the remaining t-shirt blocks.  When the last block was trimmed, the sewing machine and lights were shut off.  I still need to poodle through the thoughts about orange sashing versus black sashing.  The next visit to the studio will be cleaning and oiling the sewing machine, complete with a new needle.  By that time, I will have made a decision.  For today . . . enough is enough.

  My cheery red reading chair is beckoning me.  The front deck might be a good spot for reading but I cannot hold a book with my arms and hands.  I have a great stand sitting on a table in my bedroom porch that is perfect.  All I need to do is turn the pages.  Mission completion.

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on May 22, 2023 Permalink  

  Here Comes Monday 

  Traffic past the house is indicative that a working Monday is underway.  The school buses will soon be out of the fray.

  Of course the grass was way too wet for mowing this morning.  After Dennis had a coffee guest in the patio porch he decided to check his eyelids for cracks in his recliner.

  This afternoon the Cub Lo-Boy was fired up.  I walked to the backyard as Dennis was mowing.  The new blades are doing a great job.  The front yard is done with the Sears rider set at a higher height than anywhere else.  It eliminates scalping next to the drive.  

  I took an oven dish out of the freezer for our evening meal before I visited the studio. 

  I put several colors, black and orange, out on the table top that now has 16 blocks laying out.  I think the bright orange for sashing that is also in the quarter inch trims, is too bright. A two or three inch strip in the orange to sew the blocks together takes away from the continuity as the eye moves from t-shirt block to t-shirt block.  The orange and black is laid out.  As I work in the studio and catch a glimpse of the two from time to time, in the end I will know what will be best.  Food for thought.

  In the mean time, in between time, the trim is being made into bias tape strips and then sewn on the 16″ blocks.  

  After doing six blocks, the lights went out in the studio.  I want to do a bit of weed whipping tomorrow.  There are always a few places that a rider mower cannot get to.  Taking the battery weed whip makes the mowing look complete.

  Going out to the front deck, the town is alive with the sound of mowers.  Time will tell how many of our yards Dennis will do today.

   
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  Noreen 1:42 pm on May 21, 2023 Permalink  

  Successful Sunday 

  There are some days that feel just right!  Today was one of them.  It was my usual tidy, tidy on the first floor.

  With a cup of coffee, I sat on our new front deck.  We had opted for a wide top board, just for a morning such as this, when I had that cup of coffee.  After receiving a cherry red reading chair, the black non-functioning retired reading chair was put out onto the deck.  The awning on the house is the perfect extension for shelter of said retired chair if and when rain comes.  That has already been tested.

  I kept an eye on temperatures.  When it got doable, I was going to try out my dandelion poker that Dennis fixed for me.  It’s amazing what a sturdy nail wedged between the metal poker and the wooden handle will do.  The east end of the acre still had Hosta coming up.  Within that batch were some beauties of yellow.  The fixed poker and I headed east.  With all the rain we have had, every single one was poked and flung.  None had as yet gone to seed.  We spray the grass with weed killer, but no so much where there are sweet plants. 

  While I headed east, the second string of this team, Dennis, headed for the studio.  I had completed 16 t-shirt blocks, complete with the quarter inch trim.  Those 16 blocks will make up one of the twin sized quilts.  Dennis’ job is to arrange them before the orange sashing and black corner stones are sewn on.  I have always put Dennis in charge of this next step in t-shirt projects, as well as color choices in other sewing items.  It gives Dennis a vested interest into what happens in the studio.  I never stick around when he is making his decisions.  The end results were . . . that I achieved my goal of clearing out unwanted dandelions, giving myself a good physical workout outside, and the blocks have been decided on the first of the two twin sized quilts.  Headways have been made.  All the lights for sewing were turned off for the day.

  There had been one chair on the new front deck . . . now there are two.  Dennis had retrieved an old metal folding chair from the garage.  It has been cleaned and is sporting a new coat of black paint.  Sitting out front on evenings . . . sweet.

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on May 20, 2023 Permalink  

  Check That Off 

  Today we had another item to check off of our “to do” list.

  My hand signals were good enough to help Dennis hook up the implement trailer to the little red pickup.  We had gotten a call that the 1968 Cub Lo-Boy was ready to come home with three brand new blades on the mower.  Charles told Dennis he greased everything that needed it once it was up on the hoist.  Charlie can no longer work in his shop due to a severe back injury that occurred when he was working for the county.  Charlie was servicing a pump on a county ditch when the area around the pump caved in on him.  Charlie has good workers in his shop and oversees everything.

  Dennis came home and unloaded his tractor.  It went right into the back garage, the trailer was parked and all was right with the world.

  After Dennis had left for Charlie’s this morning, I walked back home across the acre.  The heavy rains did a great job of dissolving all the deer pop from the winter.  Hmm.  There were tiny little biting bugs.  Not surprising.  I do have some sweet little yellow flowers to take care of on the east Hosta garden that wants to make a showing.  So be it.  Just not today.

  I had a good handle on getting some 16″ blocks tricked out with the quarter inch trim.  As I whiled away a few hours, it was great reflecting on how far we came this last week getting the basement back in good stead.

  We are having a scramble egg, sausage and toast supper.  Sweet!

   
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  Noreen 2:57 pm on May 19, 2023 Permalink  

  A Bit Chilly 

  I would say 46 is a bit chilly over the night hours.  It sure did sleep well.

  I must share my experience in the Old Alley Quilt Shop last Saturday.  I was at the shop by ten to purchase what I needed for these two t-shirt quilts.

  When I walked in there was a gal trying to decide on colors of a certain type of yardage.  It didn’t take me long to realize she would be making several projects for family members.  There were quite a few bolts of fabric on the cutting table.  This gal then took pictures of the fabric and called a family member for the family member to give her thoughts on the colors.  More bolts were added to the cutting table.  The family member called and shared with another family member while the shopper leaned on the cutting table.  Hmm.  I knew where my two bolts of fabric were located and I left them as I knew they would be very heavy.

  The door bell tinkled.  Another customer.  And then another costumer.  By the time the shopper had decided on what she needed, she then asked the cutting clerk about cutting her choices into six inch strips.  The cutting clerk declined.  Dah!  By this time it was 11:45 and there were four of us waiting in line.  I had found a sturdy table to lean against during this hour and forty five minutes.  I was weary but was determined to see this through.  My yardage was cut and I then told the clerk what I need fore batting times two.  I stayed at the till, paid my bill and made my way to the door.  The clerk was kind enough to carry my bags to the car for me, while apologizing for the long wait.  I really felt for her as the customers waiting needed her.

  When I got home and Dennis carried my bags in, I was glad to be home.  With the water issues of last weekend, it wasn’t until Thursday of this week that I unpacked the bags.  The yardage was right on, the quilt batting was not.  The clerk had packed up two packages of 100% quilting cotton, not the polyester I had ask for.  Not to worry.  I had my receipt.

  This afternoon, Dennis and I took a road trip back to Old Alley.  Dennis was curious about farm fields to the south and was happy to drive me.  I now have exactly what I need in the studio.  Ironically, I received a $7.49 refund as the cotton batting is more expensive than the poly.  I like the poly batting as it does not shrink and my quilts may very well be washed and dried.

  So this is how Stauffer Avenue is closing down this work week, a bit chilly but doable.

   
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  Noreen 12:42 pm on May 18, 2023 Permalink  

  Drippy Day 

  I knew a drippy day was coming.  I put my garden shoes on and went after the sweet yellow blooms that were in my Hosta beds.  Of course when Hunny Bunny and Harriet saw me amongst the plants, they needed to check things out as well.  When I finished one area, before moving on, I made sure to break off some of the cat nip plants.  That was all the invite the kitties needed.  They each tied one on.  The first trip fantastic of the year. 

  The photo is of the Star of David flowers that volunteer each spring.  When the greenery comes up, it looks like a sea of chives.  Each sprout puts out a sweet little white flower.  After the blooms are spent, all the greenery dies off.  They spread like crazy from the seeds of the blooms.   I have worked hard at digging them up where I don’t want them . . . forget it.  Ironically when dug, there is what looks like a little onion set, thus they look like chives when they first come up. 

  Two winters ago, Dennis had gotten a bale of road ditch hay to put under the Maple for the deer to nibble on.  Last spring, there were spears of long grasses that had had the seeds carry over.  This morning, I took out a huge patch of cocklebur young plants.  Dennis was right on, weed seeds can lay dormant for a long time.   The heavy rains had sent a lot of clusters of the Maple seeds to the dirt.  I raked up some as they can root so fast and easily to show a group of little trees.  Each day I will do a bit outside. 

  This drippy day is the best day to re-introduce myself into the studio.  All the lights were turned on and the threads and fuzz were beckoning me.  I did finish embroidering the last design times two.  It was time to get to the next step.  That step would be adding a quarter inch of trim to the 16″ square blocks.  I had done this with AJ’s quilt and it really brightened up the t-shirts.  It took me a while to remember how wide each strip had to be cut to be feed into the bias tape maker.  The next thing was to set the zig zag stitch to sew the four strips onto each of the 32 blocks.  All systems were a go for trying my plan out.  Yup, I’ve got it.  Perfectly cut 1/2 inch orange strips.  When they have become bias tape strips they are sewn around each block, two inches from the edge.  This photo is one of the blocks I created to fill out what would be needed.  I love my Bernina Tool Box software.

  It felt good to get back in the groove of the studio.