Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:12 pm on March 11, 2023 Permalink  

  A Better Day 

  It is still having snow/sleet outside.  The good thing it is melting as it falls keeping the driveway clear.

  I am having a better day than yesterday.  Nothing I tried yesterday was in synch.  Yesterday was best left to read and watch traffic. 

  I thought I would be using twin needles in my machine to add an orange border to each block.  Of the two needles that I had on hand; one was too wide to stitch the quarter inch strip and the other left too much of the strip unsewn.  If my quarter inch strip was not perfectly folded, a raw edge could sneak out.  

  I had made a sample of the quarter inch orange strip and decided on a zig zag stitch that would sew from one side to the next, insuring all was covered.  Dennis agreed with the choice.

  I am spending way too much fussy time on this t-shirt quilt top.  But . . . I have nothing else on my plate and I am doing it up with the same “quality control” that is usual for me and makes me happy.

  As the rotary cutter and I got together this afternoon, it is a task for patience.  Dennis offered to cut strips but I declined his offer.  Though Dennis had helped and done a wonderful job of cutting 2.5″ inch strips for the three log cabin quilt tops.  Pulling the fabric through the bias tape maker . . . it needs to be spot on cut at a half inch.  I have been busy cutting and need to share a photo tomorrow of my new tool in progress.  I have enough strips cut for eleven of the thirty quilt blocks.  I have decided on all cutting and ironed strips ready for being sewn down before I begin sewing.  You never know if Grammie has a change of heart. 

  Dennis is slowly cutting back on the amount of shell corn he is feeding every night.  In yonder groves, there are spots that have areas either blown free of snow cover or thawed patches.  The deer need to develop a need to begin scavenging on their own.

  Speaking of scavenging, I have no idea what supper will be.  It has been gray and raw out.  I think a steaming bowl of oatmeal and top dressed with cinnamon, brown sugar and milk would hit the spot.

  It is time to turn off my electric heater and all the lights.  Better days are full of positive thoughts, deeds and prayers.

   
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  Noreen 2:02 pm on March 10, 2023 Permalink  

  Nothing 

  Today is March 10th.  I having nothing to report.  It is gray and cloudy with the promise of snow off and on over the weekend.  Perhaps I will have news tomorrow.  Catch you then.

   
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  Noreen 2:29 pm on March 9, 2023 Permalink  

  Snow? 

  Today, on this Thursday, I was expecting snow.  A lot of snow.  What we do have is intermittent wet stuff that has no idea what a snowflake should or would look like.  I am not disappointed in the least.  It may still amount to several inches of snow before the weekend.

  The Swiffer and I did corral fuzz, threads and such on the main floor this morning.  Forced air furnaces have a way of disseminating it evenly throughout . . . no corner is left without.

  This forenoon Dennis announced he was going to run away from home.  Dennis packed up his baggie of quarters, took eight Tide pods and rounded up the carpet rag rugs that we had been using over the winter months.  As they become soiled, there is a special laundry basket in the garage to collect them.  The rugs and all the kitty basket blankets were destined for the laundromat.  Dennis knows better than to go when the weekend is close.  Carpet rag rugs could be the death of our stackable washer/dryer.  While the snow hasn’t yet hit us, Dennis took his pails up to the elevator for shell corn.  It’s easier to maneuver with non accumulating and annoying wet stuff than multiple inches of snow.

  The last container of our vegetable beef soup from the freezer is thawing for supper.  It might be paired with a grill cheese sandwich.  Usually with soup a half sandwich each does the trick.

  I did have the KEYC television news on at noon.  Redwood falls was the closest to us that had a school announcement on.  That would be one hour north of us.

  The official spring date is getting closer.  It’s hard to believe that we set our clocks one hour ahead this weekend.  Hmm.

   
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  Noreen 3:08 pm on March 8, 2023 Permalink  

  Yippee 

  Sweet emails were opened this morning.  The Minnesota Electronic Return and the Federal Electronic Return were both accepted.  I printed off both of the submission IDs that I will put with the printed returns.  Whew!  Check that off the list of items to keep track of.

  The first round of weather came this morning with very light, but wet snow.  Dennis bundled me into the little red pickup and we headed out for several errands here in town.  Returning back home knowing this is the best place for these two older ones.

  I thought I would be keeping the studio dark until my Amazon order came with the set of four bias tape makers would come on Friday.  I did read off and on, also watching some traffic.  Here I am, in the studio with my electric heater blowing nice warm air across my legs.  It’s amazing how warm 65 degrees can feel when the basement studio is in transition from frigid winter to a wanna be spring.

  I have Dennis in the living room with the HP fired up for him.  Dennis wanted to have some reading material on a certain topic.  His granddaughter Sadie had called him at noon.  She had just found out that she has made the status of the Army Sergeant Major.  It is quite the accomplishment for this 37-year-old single mother of two.  Dennis knew she had taken on the riggers of this status and reading more about what it entails on our computer is a good idea for grandpa.  Sadie is the only family member of Dennis’ that decided on a military career.  Dennis and Sadie speak the same military  language and the two are great buds.  Sadie is good for grandpa.

  There are now three kits of fabric, all cut at 2.5″ wide for a double bed size, that I have cut up from my stashes, ready to work up log cabin quilt tops.  The three cover blue, green and burgundy.  As I have mentioned before, there are no family members in need of a finished quilt right now.  I enjoy sewing and in time if no family member comes forth, I will donate the quilt tops to the church ladies to finish them.  They know of families that have needs after a home fire or if a health situation has caused strife.

  It is three in the afternoon.  In times long gone, I could well be on the phone chatting with my mom and dad as three was their coffee time.  All I needed was a cup of coffee to join in.  After my folks were gone, my sister, Elvera, and I chatted over the phone many times at three.  Hmm.  No more chatting at three.

  Supper is leftovers from last night.

  KNUJ is on top of the snow info that may be coming our way.  Unfortunately, the weather forecasts have been right on.  Stay safe, and for us older ones on Stauffer, you can find us at home or on the end of a phone conversation if we are needed.

   
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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.