Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:17 pm on March 7, 2023 Permalink  

  Sitting on a Fence 

  Spending the greater part of today sitting on a fence.  I am not sure what side of the fence I will tumble from in regard to giving pause moving forward with the t-shirt quilt top.  

  There is no timeline.  I am one that would rather take it slow and do it right the first time rather than having to do anything over.

  YouTube is a wealth of choices and ideas.  As I look over the thirty blocks to work with, I see too much gray.  Granted, the blocks that I embroidered, each was done in a bright color.  They were embroidered on grunge gray fabric.  It was not a solid gray, but grayish nonetheless.  Very few of the t-shirts had bright colors on them.

  Once I give a project of mine away, there is no longer a claim.  I do enjoy the feeling of self-satisfaction during the process.

  I have a set of tools coming from Amazon that allows me to make bias tape from strips of fabric.  For a whopping $7.99 I will have a selection of four different sizes working with fabric strips.  As the strip is fed into this gismo it folds the fabric onto itself.  As the fabric is pulled through a hot steam iron presses and there is the very same product as a package of Wright’s bias tape.  The fabric need not be cut on the bias.  I played around with some orange fabric today.  AJ indicated gray and orange as favorites.  The photo is a “what if.”  The end product can vary depending on how wide the fabric is cut and which little tool is used.  I am thinking that I would make my strips narrow enough that I could put a double needle into the sewing machine, sewing with two spools of orange and sew both sides of the strip at the same time.  I checked my needles and I have two sizes.  I think the wider of stitching would be 1/4″ apart.  I need to play around with that.  The border around all thirty blocks would add some zest.

  Dennis looked at my sample and commented that orange doesn’t go with red.  Now we have a color guru!  The key is consistency that draws the eye from one block to the next.

  My Amazon order will be here Friday or Saturday.  I have a few days to kick back and of course some tidy time on the first floor can always be a good thing.

  There is a pork steak in the little blue speckled roaster allowing the house to smell like there may be a meal in the works.  Dennis is going to make instant mashed potatoes and we still have some cucumbers left.

  By the time the weekend rolls around, my hinny should be able to get off of the fence.

  Winter seems to be on the horizon . . . one more time.  Please, everyone, play it safe.

   
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  Noreen 3:22 pm on March 6, 2023 Permalink  

  Gray 

  How gray can a day get!  We had a sloppy snow fall yesterday.  The wind chimes in the evergreen are chiming and agreeing with me that this grayness needs to leave.  The snow has already melted off of the concrete drive.  When I look over at Stauffer Avenue, it is going to be a long time before I can go for my walks.  The pot holes have had more pot holds.  Some cars feel the need for speed flying from one hole to another.  I would think that would be hard on the tire alignment.

  This morning was my time to log on to the computer and get our 2022 income tax done.  I did the e-file on both the federal and the state.  The federal return was free and the state’s return was $39.99.  I will get an email once each agency has accepted my return.  So much for one more year of paying taxes on our social security income.  Each year it is brought up by the powers that “B”.  Nothing ever comes of it.

  The Monday’s wash is done and with the income tax returns printed and filed . . . I have had a good day.  

  What is left of this day, I plan on doing some leisure, pleasure reading.  Dennis said he would cover supper.  Sweet.

  Tomorrow the studio lights may come on.  I am still contemplating on the process of pulling thirty blocks together for a quilt top.  I have no urgency.  Once a game plan is put in place, there is no turning back.  It becomes the real deal.

  May the week bring all that is anticipated by each of you.  Come on . . . the whole week in the 30s, there is bound to be at least one sunny day.

   
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  Noreen 3:21 pm on March 5, 2023 Permalink  

  Problems 

  As I am tuned in to KNUJ, they are having problems with dead air.  No one escapes situations in the usual and customary days.

  Yesterday as I was plugging away with stitching a newly filled bobbin was having issues.  Every seven or eight stitches a message came onto the screen telling me that my bobbin was empty.  Grr!  Dennis had come into the studio and he thought pressing the right button every eight stitches or so would put this bobbin in question.  I thought the problem might be deeper.

  The sewing machine came to a stand still.  Upper thread removed.  Bobbin and bobbin case removed.  Everything under the hood was checked for thread and fuzz that shouldn’t be there.  I oiled where oil needed to go.  A new needle was put in.  We started the machine and the same message popped up.  Not a good sign.  I filled a fresh bobbin.  We stitched the entire rest of the afternoon with no glitches.

  Today I am in the process of embroidering the last block that was needed to fill in what was needed on AJ’s t-shirt quilt top.  Many filled bobbins later and not a single error message.  Dennis took a good look at the bobbin to see if there was a scratch on the casing.  Next thing Dennis asked was if bobbins could warp.  It is a plastic bobbin with one side having a magnetic finish as there is only one way to put it in the bobbin case housing.  Hmm.  I have singled this bobbin out so as to not reach for it.  It will be put to the test when I do some straight stitching and not embroidering.  I do have quite a few bobbins to fill as I need them.

  All and all, the day has gone smoothly.  Before I continue with this quilt top I am going to do our income taxes.  Perhaps jumping from one challenge to the next. 

  I am not anticipating any problems.

   
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  Noreen 2:13 pm on March 4, 2023 Permalink  

  Intermittent Sun 

  Can you imagine if the sun were to stay out full time!

  I can share with you that our oven meal from last night was good.  The chopped peperoni slices added a bit of zing to the chicken pasta dish.  It was a large enough dish that there is a container in the freezer for another time.  As it is, a repeat for this evening will be supper.

  We enjoy creamed cucumbers any time of the year.  I added a bag of English cucumbers the last time I was in the grocer’s.  They were on the small order and would make a perfect pairing with the oven meal.  Can’t have creamed cucumbers without a goodly amount of thinly sliced onions and lots of ground pepper.  I peeled and Dennis sliced.  Popped them into the refrig for tonight’s supper.

  First order of business was mending Dennis’ everyday jacket.  There was a tear just above the wrist area.  The wrist had elastic in it.  It was quite a struggle to get it wrangled onto the free arm of the sewing machine.  Once there I could only go foreword and back.  I am sure the patch will hold.  Then . . . the feather jacket was bound for the washing machine.  I didn’t dare wash it before patching as it would have been awful to loose a bunch of feathers.  The jacket is ever so light weight but very warm.  It did take me using the plunger to get the jacket soaked up in the washing machine.  By this evening, the jacket will be ready to wear.

  Today I decided to text grandson AJ in regard to his t-shirt quilt.  He has a king sized bed.  I needed 30 blocks at 16″ each, plus some sashing around the blocks to get it king size.  His shirts only gave me 19 t-shirt quilt blocks.  I wanted to clear it with him before I improvised by adding embroidered blocks.  Come to find out, he had some choice Harley t-shirt to wear when riding his bike and what I had were the shirts he was retiring.  Too funny!  I defiantly got the go ahead to improvise at will.

  At the time I bought my Bernina, I also bought a program that allowed me to create original designs.  The program is loaded on the HP that Kevin and Kersten bought me a few years ago.  I need to inquire if I can also have it loaded on the computer inn the studio as well or if it is one license for one computer.  It would save me going up and down the steps as I work on a design.  I believe I have it loaded on a flash drive ready for the sewing machine, but then I double check by plugging it into the sewing machine.  This morning I worked on putting “AJ” in an enlarged format for the 16″ quilt block.  As you enlarge the design it also adds stitches, keeping it appearing correctly.  It worked out great.

  The sun is out and it is streaming into the south studio windows.  It will make the 34 degrees feel as such.

   
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  Noreen 3:50 pm on March 3, 2023 Permalink  

  Good Tidings 

  This morning just felt like it was going to be a great day.

  I was in the kitchen putting together some of the items needed for Dennis when he would put the finishing touches on our oven meal.  We are having a chicken peperoni with white corn and pasta for supper using Alfredo sauce.  We had a package of peperoni in the refrig for some time.  It was time to get creative.

  Dennis turned himself in at the wound doctor at 9:15 here in town.  I was keeping my fingers crossed for a good report.  I chose not to go with as Dennis needs to be in control with his health . . . sometimes.

  I took coffee and headed to the studio, turning on KNUJ on my way down the steps.  It is a crap shoot as to where the best reception is for the AM station.

  Barely had the lights been turned on when nephew Brett stopped in with a quilt question.  There is a shortage of question answer people about in regard to those types of questions.  We had not visited for some time.  Before Brett left I had him take down several quilts that had been hung up in the studio.  Dennis had just gotten home from the clinic and Brett went out to the patio porch to visit with him before heading out for home.

  Dennis came down into the studio with the word from Dan the wound doctor.  Dan gave Dennis a lot of positive feedback on the progress of the January 11th surgery.  We will continue changing the dressing every day.  I am totally on board for the best results possible.  Dennis was walking on cloud nine, though only on his heel of the left foot.

  My embroidery stitching is going well.  Having choices always is a plus in things going smoothly.  At this time, AJ’s project is the only thing on my plate here in the studio.  Sweet.

  Bring on more days with sunshine!

   
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  Noreen 4:45 pm on March 2, 2023 Permalink  

  Feels Raw Outside 

  Gray skies and no sun . . . Brr.

  What a week we have had and there are still a few days left.

  This morning Dennis was at the VA at nine to have a blood draw.  Medication is decided on that blood draw that is done monthly.  It’s a good thing.

  At ten we were scheduled for a pedicure and a half here in St. James.  By the way . . . Dennis’ right foot was the half.  Taking care of feet is so important.  In times past there was a concern about where he had pedicures.  I listened and I feel very confident going locally once a month.

  I am taking on a new challenge.  I have known Ann for a number of years while we both worked for Watonwan County.  Ann in human services and me in the courthouse proper.  Ann has always commented and shown an interest in quilting.  This afternoon Ann came over and we began at step one.  She may decide after working through a table runner that this is not her cup of tea.  Time will tell.  I have the time to help someone.  I am donating the fabric.  There is no point in Ann purchasing materials and tools until she knows where this path will take her.  She got her time with the rotary cutter and her fabrics are cut.  When schedules work out, step two and beyond.

  Right now there is so much dangerous ice.  It may have thawed enough for a slight covering of liquid, but underneath . . . watch out.   Watch out especially when getting out of a vehicle next to a curb.  The ice is thick.  Dennis has been crawling up the curbs when I have needed to get out of the little red pickup next to the curb.  Sweet ole cowboy.

  Tomorrow Dennis checks in at our local clinic for a wound check.  Dan is a licensed wound care individual and as I dress his foot every day I feel comfortable having it checked by Dan once a week.  It also does cut down our trips to Mankato for the same check up.

  Wow.  Haircuts and pedicure in one week . . . feeling very tidied up.  The sink is empty of dishes and the laundry basket has just enough in it to count as seed.  Friday will be my day to work in the studio on the t-shirt project.

  It is soup and sandwiches for supper.  I see Dennis has supplies on the kitchen counter for an oven dish going into Friday.  Sounds like a great plan.

   
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  Noreen 2:45 pm on March 1, 2023 Permalink  

  Got it Done 

  Hmm.  Last night when I went to bed, the concrete drive was covered in new fallen snow.  If that was the one inch forecast, the fresh rabbit footprints looked as if they had sunk in deeper than one inch.  I thought about slick roadways for our trip to Mankato in the morning.

  This morning we awoke to temps in the mid thirties.  Nothing slick going on anywhere.  We left home by 8:30 so as to run several errands before Dennis’ Korean Luncheon at the VFW on Madison Avenue.

  Sam’s Club still remains short on cat and dog food.  Strange indeed.  Meow Mix is what the kitties are accustomed to and cats do not like changes.  I am sure our Fleet Farm carries it as well.  Sam’s 38 lb. bags are a good price point.

  Dennis next took me to JoAnn’s Fabrics.  Last Saturday when Dennis took me to Old Alley Quilt Shop, I had a sample to match to.  I needed two companion pieces in a watermelon print color.  There was nothing.  The owner, Val, knows her inventory and . . . nope.  In the clearance section of JoAnn’s, I found two fabrics sitting side by side that were just what I was seeking.  I won’t be working with that fabric until the t-shirt quilt top is done.  It is best to strike while the iron is hot.

  We got to the VFW as other veterans were arriving.  Dennis has been attending these one-a-month gatherings for quite a few years.  At that time there were 25 to 30 Korean veterans attending from the area.  Since I have been going with Dennis, the head table, aka: size of a church table, could well seat four to six more to fill the table.  Our Korean vets are in the mid 80s into the 90s with health issues perhaps from the time of their serving.  April 5th will be the last luncheon for the Mankato chapter of the Frozen Chosin Korean Veterans.  The Chosin was a distinct river area in Korea.  It is sad that the flags will be retired in April, but it is a smack of retaliatory.  Those that served then are becoming less and less, but not less appreciated.

  When we returned to St. James, Dennis dropped off his five gallon pails at the elevator for them to be filled with shell corn.  He can pick them up tomorrow.  Dennis feeds quite a few mouths with his corn.  It is a good thing the neighbors to the north also put out feed.

  As we had a good noon lunch we decided to split a chocolate muffin with a dish of ice cream.  By the way, the muffin is large.

  Mild days indeed are coming.  As we drove there are bits of black soil poking through the snow that we thought would never diminish.

   
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  Noreen 2:07 pm on February 28, 2023 Permalink  

  Busy Day 

  It happens when you least expect it.  It was fine yesterday and this morning . . . haircuts are needed.  I called the Curry Comb and Brenda could get us in at 9:30.  We were there with bells on.  The only challenge was getting this Grammie close enough to the bare concrete of the curb so as to not hit the gutter full of ice.  It’s the story everywhere.  Ice everywhere.  The blessing is our concrete drive is free of ice.

  We dropped off the utility bill in the drop box, a check for $15.00 for the VA Pharmacy was put in the mail and we were back home.  Sweet.

  Dennis came down into the studio as I am in for a busy day.  Dennis cut some shape-flex for me to iron on fabric blocks.  If I am short of t-shirts to cut up for AJ’s quilts, I am filling in with with embordered blocks.  Dennis thinks this will really brighten up the entire project.  There is a site called Urban Threads that has a myriad of designs.  You pick the category and then begin looking.  For a twenty something and a Harley fellow, there are many designs.  This Grammie knows AJ likes his beer and there is no reason his quilt can’t have some colorful life to it.  Some photos will be following in future posts. 

  The bummer of busy days is that the thumb on my right hand has done the usual winter cracking.  Grr.  I have some wonderful Vaseline covered gauze to put on during the night.  Put on enough band aids and it will stay in place.  Vaseline is greasy and the wound covering has to come off for the busy days of handling fabric.  Oh well.  In time, it will heal.

  Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will be attending Dennis’ Korean luncheon in Mankato for noon lunch.  They are talking about an inch of light snow. 

  Happy Tuesday everyone!

   
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  Noreen 3:30 pm on February 27, 2023 Permalink  

  A Typical Monday 

  A typical Monday means lots of bubbles in the washing machine.  I enjoy doing the laundry.  I can see lots of progress as the piles of clean folded clothes grows on the dining room table.

  While the laundry is going, it gives me a chance to do something with the kitchen floor.  With Dennis needing to wear his Velcro boot, it’s amazing of all the little bits of grit that come into the house.  You’ve got it!  There are two rugs for him to scuff the boot before entering too far into the kitchen.  Hey . . . the foot is healing.  Praise God!  Tidy, tidy is a small price to pay.

  By twelve noon Dennis was home from taking his friend Dwayne for coffee at McDonald’s.  The fellows have coffee and an egg McMuffin and drive around town to see what is new since last week.  Dwayne no longer drives and he thanks Dennis over and over for the time they spend together.  Other than Dennis he gets as far as their apartment and the Catholic church.

  This afternoon I needed to reacquaint myself with the embroidery module on the sewing machine.  It has been awhile.  Right off the bat, check the oil and put in a new needle.  An order from Amazon has kept me sharp in stitching.

  Supper is a bag of chili out of the freezer.  The freezer options are fantastic.  

  The rain we had overnight did shrink the snow some.  Just so it stays warm enough for several days and not have it turn to ice.  There is plenty of that under the snow.

  This is me signing off as the embroidery is busy at work.  It pays to keep an eye on things.

   
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  Noreen 3:34 pm on February 26, 2023 Permalink  

  Only in Minnesota 

  Only in Minnesota can the temps go from 2 degrees above to 36 degrees in a matter of hours.

  I did miss out on a lot of sun streaming into my bedroom porch this afternoon.  No reading for me today.  Today the t-shirt blocks were all cut down to 16″ square.  That is all but a few that I need to bulk up to 16″ square.  That is what happens when you need to make it up as you go to make a quilt top.

  Dennis came down to help with the layout of the blocks.  As with t-shirts, there are few real colorful ones.  That will be up to me when I use corner stones at the junction of the blocks when they are joined by the 3″ fabric strips, aka; sashing.  We do have the layout nailed down.  The blocks will be five wide by six tall. 

  There is also a situation where I will need to embroidery something on five blocks as the same fabric as the backing to fill in where I am short of Harley t-shirts.  There are no more t-shirts to squeeze out of AJ. It sure does make things interesting.  Now comes the creative portion of this project.  Cutting up the t-shirts was a slam dunk.  What Dennis and I are in total agreement to, is that this project will be long armed at Old Alley.  She has a computerized unit and can make it do whatever design she plugs into it.

  On a no-mind topic.  I think supper will be soup and sandwich.

  A new week that also brings in a new month.  I sure hope the new one is kind to us.  We have not been alone in this unpredictable winter.  From all corners of the country, there has been weather issues.  I am so thankful family has been safe . . . maybe not always happy, but . . . safe.