Me, Myself and Memories

Recent Updates Page 104 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 1:52 pm on April 28, 2023 Permalink  

  Gray, Wet & Cool 

  Sometime back when we had those few, very few days in the upper 70s, I wondered when I could get a lawn chair out.  That has been the lesser of what has been on my mind since then.  Very little sun and oh so much wind.

  Each year we have had Thrush birds build their nests under the awning on the west side of the house.  Sad.  Not this spring.  A mother Robin has been finding wisps of reeds to ply a nest with.  Hmm.  I would have thought the huge evergreen on the northwest corner of the house would have provided more durability than one skinny metal bracket.

  This morning was a telephone morning.  Sister-in-law Jo called to let me know that a Wendlandt cousin had lost her husband to cancer.  Jo and I did catch up with other news, be it quilting or yard work.  We don’t call each other often . . . but definitely keep in touch.

  With that phone call being had, it reminded me to call my aunt Janet in Brownton.  Janet will be 90 later this year.  She and her twin brother Jerald were the youngest of eight in my dad’s family.  Janet is now the last remaining.  Janet never had a family.  There are several of us nieces that reach out often to her.  Why not.

  Something about today, perhaps just a day that neither Dennis nor I have felt compelled to stay busy.  Funny how that happens once in a while.  It is rare for us but when I listen to those close to our ages, not so much.  We may be the exception to the norm.

  Tomorrow for afternoon coffee, we are going to a friend of Dennis’ in one of the apartment’s common area.  Lyle and Dennis have known each other their entire lives.  Lyle can no longer drive and has very little hearing remaining.  Lyle is happy to have people around him in his apartment home, and . . . smiles a lot.

  We must say goodbye to April this weekend.  For myself, I think time flies.  If I had a lot of days such as today, I know I would feel much differently, as I do enjoy staying busy.  These April showers are obliged to tip their hats off to the  month of May to bring any, and I mean any flowers.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:23 pm on April 27, 2023 Permalink  

  Gloom and Sprinkles 

  It is a day of gloom and sprinkles.  The donuts that Megan and Nicholas used to like had more sprinkles on them than what our windshield had on it.

  Today was a visit at Dennis’ radiologist.  Dr Gio did the three angioplasty surgeries on Dennis’ left leg getting Dennis ready for the amputations of his left foot’s toes.  Can you believe it?  We were told that he would check in with us next year.  He had photos of Dennis’ foot that were taken Monday of this week.  He is very pleased at how Dennis’ last surgery, January 11th, 2023, is healing.  He brought the photos up on the computer screen and Dennis got to see it in full color and up close.  

  Monday was the 24th and today is the 27th.  Three doctors in three days have given us positive affirmations on the rate of healing.  I told Dr. Gio I had read the clinical notes of that January surgery.  Those notes did not give much hope for healing with the notation that an amputation below the knee would give better healing odds.  I never shared that with Dennis.  Each day the dressings were changed here in our living room with care and a pat given for being a good patient.  Yes!  Dennis is beating the odds.

  With that bit of news, I am looking forward for all to continue as it has been going. 

  I am looking forward to snapping on those lights in the studio and checking out what next will make threads and fuzz.  First things first as the laundry basket could use a bit of relief.  Who doesn’t enjoy pulling on clean fresh clothes.  Friday seems to have come quickly this week.  It has been a good week.  See you all tomorrow.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:17 pm on April 26, 2023 Permalink  

  Gloomy 

  No sun but clouds abound.

  Both Dennis and I are having a quiet day.  In thinking, one might be curious as to why this Grammie needs to burn her shoe leather when Dennis and I are in Mankato with a long list of errands and Dennis snoozes.

  Dennis is still waiting for a prescription for a new set of shoes, once the wound is totally closed.  The shoe for certain being the left shoe that needs orthotics.  It needs to be a new set as the right shoe has wear.  With all of the toes having been removed on the left foot, Dennis’ sense of balance is less than good.  Dennis says after being on his feet, after a time, it is as if he is drunk and begins to weave to keep his balance.  I don’t encourage him to do the basement steps for the same reason.  There is no sense of a step off.

  I think Dennis has done remarkable.  He is doing PT twice a week here in our hospital clinic.  Dr. Dan, the wound doctor, uses ultra sound to encourage blood circulation around that bit of a wound yet to heal.  Dan also used silver nitrate to burn the tissue around the wound for that same reason, getting rid of any tissue that is not of the good stuff.  Dennis never complains.  Keeping that area as clean as possible is done by changing the dressing every day.  I do get a reprieve on the days Dan works his magic.

  There is no sloughing off with Dennis.  He has two mowers that have been worked over.  This morning he copied down the model # of the Sears so he could get the new blades purchased.

  In reality, Dennis and I work well together.  I have the mind set, second to none, with less than great lasting mobility.  Dennis has the willingness with help needed in his short term memory.  So be it.  We get things done, at a pace that is our own.  Dennis’ grandsons, AJ and Ryan pitch in to cover our shortcomings, such as the new lawnmower blades being replaced.

  The Stauffer Avenue team is ready for the spring work, when spring decides to turn up.  As I mentioned, today was a quieter day than the last two.  Sweet.

   
• 

  Noreen 1:46 pm on April 25, 2023 Permalink  

  Sound Sleep 

  What happens when I have had a very sound sleep, a bit of a headache accompanies the wakeup time.  There is no doubt that my energy was spent yesterday with the errands that needed to be done.  Today was a repeat of yesterday and I never left the house.

  For us I like shopping at Sam’s Club.  I know the grocery items that we use and I’d rather buy once at Sam’s than making repeated trips up to our grocer’s here in town.  What that means is that one day the isles are combed looking for what is needed.  I go through the checkout lane where I can scan my items and pack them up at my own pace in the bag I want.  Tidy, tidy at the checkout means that there is a reasonable order when they reach our home.  Dennis has had a bit of a snooze and is ready to take the groceries from my cart and load them into the vehicle and they come home with us and then are gotten into the house.  Refrigerated and freezer items are immediately tucked away.  The remainder stays where it was put in the kitchen.  

  The next day the items are put where they belong in our pantry in the basement.  An example: storing eight cans of Progresso soup in the box that came off of the shelf is not my style.  When I want a can of soup, I want to open the cupboard door and pick a can up.  So goes my “second day” of dealing with what was purchased the day before.  It can be quite daunting with trips up and down the basement steps.  The recycling bin is fed a lot of cardboard, and . . . I know where to find a pantry item when I need it or have Dennis bring it up.

  Purchasing in quantity works for us.  As I have mentioned, there are some items left for the trip to Hy-Vee.  I don’t need Oatmeal when it comes in a box of two containers each at five pounds.

  Today Dennis is working on the Sears rider mower.  Oil, filters etc., meant a trip to Fleet Farm.  The blades will be changed the next time a grandson is available.  When we had a ham spread sandwich half for lunch, we both thought we were having a good day that would mean a good night’s rest.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:18 pm on April 24, 2023 Permalink  

  Pooped 

  This Grammie is too pooped to pop.  The trip to the big town completely cleared all lists.

  The very first stop in Mankato was at the hospital with the surgeon’s second in command.  Jody is thrilled how the wound is closing on Dennis’ foot.  The last 3/4″ can’t come soon enough for Dennis and for me as well.  Dressing is changed every day until there is no need of it.

  We then met Dennis’ granddaughter Sadie at her place of work, MVAC – Minnesota Veteran’s Assistance Council.  Sadie serves veterans in the Mankato area as well all of Rochester.  Sadie had commissioned a framed plaque with photos of the day Dennis got to do the honors of pinning her Sergeant Major achievement on her.  Pretty sweet.  That framed item will be right next to the computer where Dennis plays solitaire and does Facebook.

  Best Buy hit a homerun for me.  Three items I had need of.  We now have a charger for the smart television remote and I have the needed USB cord to download pictures from my telephone to the computer.  I did have one USB item for my camera’s photo card to download onto the computer.  I never know where the camera will end up, either main floor or studio.  I now have a unit for both computers and no need to run steps . . . ya, like I could run them.  As of now this minute, this day, all is still in the plastic Best Buy bag.

  A huge bag came out of the Mayo Store.  A thirty day supply of gauze on a roll and 4 x 4 gauze pads.  I would be thrilled if we didn’t need them all.  I also picked up the 90 day prescription of Dennis’ CPAP supplies.  If that bag would hold air, I could use it for a bean bag chair . . . ya, like I could get down to it or finding a crane to get me up out of it.  Oh for the dreamer that I am.

  One stop at Walgreens for a lotion to use on Dennis’ foot where the healing has done well, to keep the skin supple.

  Sam’s Club had a list to be filled.  Can’t beat the price of the clumping cat litter.  A fair amount gets used when the box for the three gets cleaned twice a day.  Its been too cold for the porch kitties to visit their favorite outside spots.

  Some items that Sam’s carries doesn’t make sense for us of such large containers, so . . . off to Hy-Vee for the last of the needs.

  You guessed it!  Once Dennis was through at the hospital, it was Grammie’s shoe leather for the errands.  My treat was the last stop of the day in the big town . . . Culver’s.  A vanilla shake with a single patty burger.  

  Driving home and then into the driveway felt oh so sweet.  A long successful day and one that won’t need repeating for some time.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:06 pm on April 23, 2023 Permalink  

  It Smacks of Cold 

  This Sunday’s air smacks of cold and it is.  The sun is even too ashamed to make a full showing.

  The coffee was hot and aplenty, as the chapters in my latest book were spent.  Sitting in my west bedroom porch, there was even a fair amount of traffic to watch.  Several vehicles making multiple trips.

  Dennis had made the offer to make supper for last night.  Be still my heart.  I didn’t ask any questions.  When he said supper serves, I had my folk and knife in hand.  It was quite tasty.  Instant mashed potatoes with Dinty Moore Stew spooned over the top.  I am sure it met most of our needed food groups.  Some days, putting a meal on the table feels perfunctory.

  Today, I took stock of the refrigerator.  It’s really quite sad.  In fact, it echoed.  I do have a grocery list going as tomorrow we are headed to Mankato for a medical appointment.  The trips for appointments has been maybe . . . one a month. 

  On the list for tomorrow is a trip to Best Buy.  Our Samsung remote uses no batteries.  It is solar fed.  It does have a spot for a USB cable.  I checked to make sure we had not misplaced the cable.  Nope, right in the user pamphlet it states it was not included.  Of the devices we have, none of our USB cables are small enough.  Solar . . . and where has the sun been?  That remote sat under a lamp 24/7 and not juiced up.  Ironically, Dennis to the rescue.  As AJ set up the television for the patio porch, the television set I had in the studio was a Samsung, but not a smart set needed for the tower.  The one Dennis always had had in the porch was a Samsung smart.  Two remotes.  We have now been using one of them in the living room.  You just can’t appreciate enough of those darn batteries that need to be bought.  A remote is a remote is a remote.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:05 pm on April 22, 2023 Permalink  

  Cold and Raw Wind 

  The morning didn’t offer any sunshine.  What the morning brought was Dennis’ grandson, AJ, to pick up his quilt.  It didn’t take him long to unfold the 96″ x 112″ to inspect and take in all the extra blocks I had added when the amount of t-shirts fell short for the project.  I received several hugs as he ferreted his quilt away into his pickup and AJ headed to the patio porch.

  Well done for the studio and this Grammie.

  AJ and Grandpa Dennis spent a good long time visiting in the patio porch.  When I went upstairs for a cup of coffee, AJ was putting up the patio umbrella.  It is cumbersome.  Hefting the umbrella up into the cast iron stand . . . it can become top heavy.  Last we took down the Christmas wreaths on the north side of the garage and today we are trying to coax the sun out by having an umbrella up.  Go figure.

  We least expected that the demolition on the blue barn would begin yesterday, Friday.  This barn is the structure on the tax forfeit lot we purchased late last fall.  A sorry structure that has been failing for years but did attract animals and kids thinking it was fun to play in.  Also a lawsuit waiting to happen.  It seems the fellow doing the job had put us on his schedule early on.  Ryan has the license to do this type of work.  Anyone else offering to take part in this, could have gotten hurt and we could have been on the hook for medical expenses . . . or worse.  One load was taken out yesterday.  Monday will be quite busy.  Dennis had checked and yesterday’s load took out an old refrigerator and such items that a homeless man had amassed while living in a building that had no services.  Where was the the city’s building inspector then?

  The good thing was that there was no asbestos.  The old wood shingles had been covered over with tin.

  The studio is quite in the recovery mode.  Extra fabric has been put away and there is no fuzz or threads about.  That could change in a heartbeat.  

  There are some plants brave enough to poke through.  The Fern Peony is always early.  I have two plants that came from my mom’s garden.  Mom’s Fern Peonies came from my grandmother Laura’s garden.  A sweet plant to hand down.  I did hand two off to Carrie’s garden.  Taking care of my plants as you can never tell who else might start a garden.

  It is time to shut down the lights here in the studio.  Tomorrow is a new day and I might have a new idea to go with it.  But for the rest of this ducky day . . . rest up for a new week.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:06 pm on April 21, 2023 Permalink  

  Betty Crocker 

  The 1962 recipient of the state’s Betty Crocker award received less than favorable comments on the oven meal that was prepared for last night’s supper.  The person that prepared the dish was . . . me!  Myself and Dennis were the two giving the comments. 

  There is a serious revision that needs to take place when or if I do this oven meal again.  First off the Lawry’s Seasoned salt should have been omitted.  Way too salty.  In hindsight the Stove Top Stuffing should have been prepared as the box directed and then spread on the green beans and raw chicken.  Dennis’ suggestion would have been to top the dish with a jar of Alfredo sauce, and then using the handle of a wooden spoon, popped holes in the top allowing Alfredo sauce to penetrate the layers.  Good thought.  The beans are canned in a salty mixture, the stuffing mix has salt in it and Campbells’ soup is loaded with salt.

  As Forest Gump so wisely stated, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

  We will have a second round of last night’s oven dish as neither one of us throws out good food.  Live and learn.

  Today has seen a mixture of mist and snow.

  Dennis has his pickup bed filled with all that is needed to change oil in the rider mower and the Cub Lo-Boy.  It was too wet and raw today for that.  Hopefully the weekend will bring more favorable weather.

  Dennis helped me take the 6′ x 10′ jute carpet and put it going east to west next to the church tables on the south side.  I have found the extra heft of rolling my sewing chair over carpeting during different sewing needs requires a momentum that begins with a motion in the hips and follows through to the back.  The chair does not move on its own.  It proves over time to be hard on a tender back.  Funny story on that bit of carpeting and where it came from.  My brother, Calvin, had bought the jute piece for in front of their television.  Liking to go barefoot, the new jute texture didn’t feel good on tender feet.   

  I have enjoyed that handed off carpet for many years.  Would I ever put more carpeting down in the studio?  No.  Pins have a way of taking flight while I sew and they hide surprisingly easy.  Though I don’t go barefoot in the studio, we do have some that visit and don’t think a thing of slipping off their shoes when they visit me in the studio.  I would hate to have someone find one of those pins that have evaded me. 

  The sun threatens to shine, but I give it a flunking grade.  Maybe tomorrow.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:58 pm on April 20, 2023 Permalink  

  The Last Task 

  Oh my oh my, have we ever had the rain.  The blessing is that the ground around the patio porch has been able to take it.  No flooding, no tornadoes . . . as I said, blessings.

  Yes, the king sized project is now officially a quilt.  There are bits and pieces of leftover fabric I need to put in their place.  Black and orange will not be in my future for some time.  When Dennis came into the studio to see the finished item, we did manage to get the quilt folded, so my church tables look tidy.  I could not resist putting my John Henry onto AJ’s quilt.  It didn’t take but a few minutes to put the embroidery module onto the machine and play around with the fonts that are already loaded on the sewing machine.  The quilt hooped up nicely and I found the perfect spot on one of the bottom corners.  This was indeed the last task on this project.  It just so happens that the block that is adjacent is the only embroidered block not done in manly colors.  The quilt needed a heart on it.  When I texted AJ, he may see us this weekend.  

  As the studio is too cool to make a day of being down here, I gathered up some supplies from the pantry down here and decided on making an oven meal.  That should warm up the entire house.  I don’t carry items up from the basement.  I took what I had gathered and set them on the second step from the bottom.  As I walked up each step, so did my supplies.  It does take me a bit for me and the supplies to reach the kitchen.  But we do make it to the first floor and for me, it is safety first. 

  The oven dish is a layer of diced raw chicken tenders in a Pam sprayed baking dish with a sprinkling of Lawry’s seasoning salt.  One can of drained green beans placed equally.  A package of DRY Stove Top Stuffing sprinkled over the dish making sure the bottom of the package that has all of the seasoned herbs is sprinkled evenly.  A can of cream of chicken soup that I added the last of the cream I had and whipped it together.  That is the topping.  Bake covered.  It will be in at 325 – 350 degrees for an hour, using my thermometer to let it reach 155 – 165 degrees.  Here is my secret . . . if not as moist as what was anticipated after each of us have spooned a helping onto the plate. . . add butter.  You can never go wrong with butter.

  Tomorrow, the last of the week, with no promise of better weather.  We need to suck it up and make the best of it.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:08 pm on April 19, 2023 Permalink  

  And the Thunder Rolled 

  During the night we had flashes of lightning that lit the house up.  Right on target, a few seconds later, the thunder rolled.  It rattled the windows.  According to KNUJ, 4/10ths of an inch of rain.  I think there is more to come as the remainder of the week is uncertain.

  Today, Dennis and I visited the Hallowed Halls of Watonwan with questions on the  Notice of Values that came in yesterday’s mail.  The assessor’s office has totally new staff from when I left almost twenty years ago.  We had questions and we received answers.  Of course . . . no satisfaction.  Jessica is the appraiser that assisted us with our inquires.  Jessica is Norma Wellnitz’s granddaughter.  Norma worked for me for several decades in by-gone times.  Sweet.

  Our trip off of the property was taken care of.  Check that off the list.  

  I continued with stitching binding on the king sized quilt.  Dennis came down to check on me and of course a snapshot was needed.  Amidst all the folds and mass of fabric, I have felt overwhelmed at times, but not really swamped.  There is an end to this project, perhaps not today, but soon.  A tug here and a tug there around the corner the stitching went.  This tugging is a great reminder that quilts of this size will not be tackled again.  I did not add the word “never.”  Realistically, I have plenty to do without looking for additional projects.  I don’t call it work as it is with a joyful heart and soul that each project is tackled.  

  As in the photo, over my right shoulder is where the button tree had found a home for quite some time.  A vacant spot with additional spots to be thus wished for.

  Tomorrow is my target date to send a text to AJ for him to pick up this quilt the next time he finds himself coming in our direction.  AJ just had his 29th birthday, he mans a team that does fiber optics.  AJ has an old soul persona.

  A fellow stopped by today and confirmed that he will be working in our backyard soon, demolishing the old barn that is on the tax forfeit lot we purchased this winter.  Now for the rest of the story.  After the lot is indeed free of all materials that can be labeled as part of a structure, our value on that lot will be reduced considerably for the value of 2024 and taxes paid in 2025 . . . as a vacant lot.  Sweet indeed.

  That is all folks.  Hump day has been chilly and damp.