Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:33 pm on October 14, 2022 Permalink  

  Friday the 14th 

  It is truly a fall feeling day.

  I know both of my kids have had quite the week.

  It began last weekend when Kevin and Kersten traveled to Wisconsin to pick up a waste oil burning furnace to add to their wood burning furnace for the huge shop.  Dennis could relate to that as several shops here in town do the very same thing.  As late as yesterday, Kevin had concrete poured into his shop area for the expansion of adding a second hoist.  Working smarter rather than harder.

  Every Thursday morning, I catch Carrie’s live Facebook 30 minutes where she features new inventory that has come into her shop in Edina.  Her Main Street Boutique is a busy shop due to her and the wonderful location is a strip mall.  What she would most like to feature is a new employee.  Like everywhere else, people are not wanting a job.  I know Carrie would enjoy a partial day when Nicholas needs someone to run him to and from school.    

  My week in comparison . . . well, there can’t be a true comparison.  Considering all that I am . . . yes, my week has also been quite eventful.  As late as this forenoon, I have an oven meal ready to pop into the oven.  I have found that Dennis and I do well with an oven meal that has the variety of vegetables and protein.  I stand a better chance of getting vegetables in Dennis when they are in an oven meal than vegetables prepared on top of the kitchen range.  If an oven meal is not desirable, he can take his little red pickup up town.  Nah!  He will stir the oven meal around on his plate until one or two non-desirables are on the lip of the plate.  So be it.

  I did work in the studio working an embroidery design that is now a pin-up poster.  Yes, it took a bit of time, but I happened to have that.  It’s not about the rarity of this, but more to the fact of Megan getting something in the mail.  

  I don’t think we are going to get much in the way of warm temps beyond the high 40s or low 50s.  I have been listening to KNUJ and the farm forum.  It is interesting when they include young men and women that farm right beside their parents.  

  Today past our home, it was a race between cement trucks and grain trucks.  The harvest must be dwindling down.

  Enjoy the weekend days.  There should always be time for relaxing a few minutes and doing a mental rewind of the week we have had.  Thanks be to God for what we have accomplished in good health.

   
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  Noreen 1:54 pm on October 13, 2022 Permalink  

  Wind Blown 

  From the time I got up this morning, the wind chimes in the evergreen northwest of my bedroom were clanging.  I was up at four.  Seeing as we needed to be on the road by seven for an appointment. I got the coffee pot going and clicked on the early morning news.  I knew eventually the noise would roust Dennis gradually. That works so much better than being shaken awake.

  Hmm.  The sun was just breaking the cloudy horizon.  I had forgotten how the workforce could make such heavy, fast moving traffic. 

  We got to the appointment in plenty of time.  My ole cowboy doesn’t believe in being late.  Dennis could have sat in his little red pickup for a long time and watched the cranes that were at work putting three more floors onto the existing hospital.  I get that.  My dad would have been the very same way.  The intrigue of it all.

  A good report was had.  Progress is ongoing with the wound.  November 17th we make a trip back to Dr. Madsen’s second in command.  Check and balances warding off possibility of infection. 

  We stopped for some groceries.  I didn’t have much of a list.  I could hardly believe that where we stopped did not have soda crackers or Progresso Chicken Noodle soup.  Nope. The reply was that there has been a shortage of some items, listing them as being back ordered.

  Coming home, the wind from the north could be felt on the little red pickup.  The most important thing is that we are home safe and sound.  From my perspective, the day is shot.

  It’s a good thing the farmers hauling in their grain are making the most of the entire day.  There is only one farmer hauling in their harvest via a tractor and two grain wagons.  The remainder are 18 wheelers with huge grain trailers.  Changing times.

   
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  Noreen 1:47 pm on October 12, 2022 Permalink  

  Winds and a Chill 

  The winds have switched and now the leaves are blowing from the north.  When I looked out the east bathroom window . . . there was Snuggles in a pile of leaves.  I watched to see what had his interest.  Last week when I weed whipped the Hosta, I took a fair amount of catnip out as well.  In the pile of leaves, there was some catnip being pulled by Snuggles.  He was determined to save some of his favorite snack before the wind took it all away.

  The lights are on in the studio.  I have a project under the needle.  I had to take a break as I got a call from my brother in Decorah, Iowa.  I shut down the stitching.  I knew this could be a long one.  I did “due diligence.”  I realize he has no family in the area and both of his sons are not near.  After an hour, and when I had hung up, I put the phone on the charger.

  I started up the stitching and then sat back watching the needle and reflecting on the phone conversation.  My brother focuses on what was.  Ya, there are a lot of things I used to be able to do.  There are many more things I can no longer do.  His cup is half empty, mine is half full.  I can’t sell my brother on my thinking.  If it was ever possible, that ship sailed decades ago. 

  So . . . my thoughts and days are filled with the things I can still do.  Oh my gosh!  I have even found out ways to do things that are not the usual and customary.  Over these last several years I have realized this little tidbit:  the hurrier I go, the behinder I get.  My solution . . . I have no reason to hurry.  I have no quota for each day, not like it was eighteen years ago.  If I do hurry I may either drop what I was holding, or I might hurt myself.

  When Megan worked at the Mustard Seed Nursery during high school, Megan would take home the plants that were destined for the garbage bin and bring them back to health and greenery.  Her bedroom had a full window view for them which to heal.  It was a marvel as to how many were in her bedroom.  Megan had heard that plants bring good indoor air. 

  Come to think of it, Megan never had as much as the sniffles.  When Megan was taken to college in August, there were quite a few favorite plants that made the trip with her.  Her roommate in the college dorm shares the love of plants.  Today, I found an embroidery design using some fabric that looks like suede that I want to make into a poster for her.  It will be about 8″ x 11″. I think getting something in the mail from Grammie and the sewing studio that she spent a fair amount of time in, will bring a chuckle and a smile.  When I send it to her, I will include a Command Clip.

  It matters not how long it takes me to find what I think is the perfect project.  It is very self-satisfying.

   
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  Noreen 2:48 pm on October 11, 2022 Permalink  

  Blast of Summer 

  It may be one of our last days in the 80 degrees.  I am ready for whatever comes.

  Today I finally got to turn on all the lights in the studio.  Work comes before play.  Dennis and I agreed we have had a successful fall of taking care of the acre.  The potting shed doors have been secured.  Yes . . . we checked to make sure all three porch kitties have been accounted for.  It is not surprising that one may had snuck in to check all the corners.  The way the wind is blowing from the south, it may take a few leaves with it.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I had the embroidery module on the sewing machine.  I had finished the Long Time Ago scrappy quilt and then jumped into the purple log cabin quilt top.  This last week I had a post from the Bernina sponsored embroidery site: OESD.  The design tripped my trigger and before long I had snagged it and also had it loaded on a USB stick.  Picking through my stashes, I found a fabric that could do justice to the design.  The finished design is 8″ across and 7″ in height.  I put it on a large enough piece of fabric that it would work to make up a pillow.  Time will tell.  It felt good to change the thread colors out, sit back and watch the stitching.  Sitting back and sitting still was a welcomed change.  When Dennis came in for a fresh cup of coffee, he thought my sitting still for a change was great.  I encouraged him to follow suit.  We are, after all, retired.

  Neither Dennis nor I are up for eating out often, shooting darts or bowling.  We don’t feel that we need to be joined at the hip with other couples.  We tend to be homebody hermits and it suits us just fine.

  Tomorrow Dennis has an appointment in regard to a recall for his airbags in the little red pickup and I am sure his friend Dwayne will ride shotgun.  My home has been tidied as of yesterday and as of this morning, the laundry has been caught up.  I may well have a second day in the studio.  Sweet.

   
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  Noreen 1:44 pm on October 10, 2022 Permalink  

  Mightier than the Sword 

  Dennis with his vacuum is mightier than any sword.  I can only imagine how many Asian Beatles, Box Elder Bugs and black flies he has captured in his shop vac.  How do I escape them?  I prefer doing in the early cool morning hours what needs to be done before they are active.  They just creep me out when I feel one crawling on me.

  What started for me this morning, was to have Dennis shake the kitchen and entry rugs for me and I would give the floors a Swiffer treatment.  Not!  I am not a neat freak.  I do not have dirt phobias.  When the dribbled orange juice all but waves to me from the floor in front of the kitchen counter . . . it is time to act.  Our factory finish flooring has been through the test of times.  The flooring needs a bit more TLC than it did twenty years ago.  The Mr. Clean Erasers do a great job.  It may also mean getting down and personal.  Not this Grammie.  I plop a damp eraser under the bare Swiffer mop and work some magic.  I have also been known to use a nylon scrubby under the bare Swiffer mop with a bit of the Mr. Clean kitchen spray to fight the grime.  It is very evident where the high traffic areas are in the kitchen.  Let’s face it, as small as our kitchen is . . . it could be the entire floor.  No back was going to be harmed during this task.

  For as long as it may or may not last, the kitchen has been tidied.  I don’t expect myself or Dennis to take off shoes coming from outside.  I feel we deserve to use our home as we see fit.

  Dennis gave me a ride to our city library after we had herring, cheese and crackers for our noon lunch.  The city has some streets so tore up, the allies are the best mode of transformation.  Long term parking is not an option, so it is best if the driver of said little red pickup is ready if it needs to be moved for equipment.

  The studio didn’t get much time after my cleaning.  It was important for me to rest the wearies.  The wearies could be anywhere from the neck down to . . . wherever.

  I do have a piece of fabric cut and pressed for an embroidery design.  On the church tables the spools of thread are lined up like troopers that the design calls for.  Before supper I hope to have a new needle in the sewing machine along with an oil and lube job.  I am sure I will find a few balls of thread and fuzz under the hood.  I am getting closer to beginning a project.

  The oven meal of last night will put on a repeat performance for this evening with cranberries on the side.

   
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  Noreen 2:42 pm on October 9, 2022 Permalink  

  Sunday and No Resting 

  When the spirit moves one, it may very well be Sunday . . . just no resting.

  There were a few odds and ends that needed to be tucked into the potting shed.  Once I had had my walk down Stauffer Avenue, I was ready to help.  We don’t leave much out in the yard.  Nothing is sadder than having something bite the dirt after blowing snow, heavy tree branches falling . . . you never know where.  Tidy it up and when the spring of 2023 appears, we can then decide if and where our treasures will be put.  The chainsaw Eagle always is put into the potting shed sitting on concrete pavers.  We have had a spring flood that did indeed flood the potting shed.

  It was warm enough today that we took care of the garden hoses.  Letting them get soft and pliable in the sun and then wound on the reel, getting the last of the trapped water out . . . good deed done.

  Of course then the reel of hoses needed to be put in the car garage.  We never put that in the potting shed.  We keep that close and sheltered.  Who knows when it would be needed in the dead of winter.  What ensued was moving a few items out of the way.  The car was backed out of the garage.  The final event was the leaf bower attacking everything that needed to leave the garage that would and could be moved with air.  

  I could not believe it!  Dennis was satisfied that we had gotten the tick list of his done.  As I mentioned, when the spirit moves us, we get it done with no would have, no could have, no should have.

  I felt Dennis needed a break.  I toddled into the house.  We now have an oven meal ready to pop into the oven for later on.

  Monday will soon be upon us and as luck would have it, it is a quiet week for us.  On Thursday we do have an appointment with the wound doctor for Dennis’ left foot.  I think she is going to be very pleased in the healing that has been taking place.  We still do every other day with fresh dressing.  It is paying off.  The bummer . . . I will miss our stitchers luncheon.  The wound care comes first.  It has been one year this week that we have been doing all that has been prescribed.  We are oh so close, and that does beat being oh so close in a game of horseshoes.

  I sure do have a project sitting in my studio.  Maybe tomorrow is the day for fuzz and threads to return.

   
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  Noreen 1:24 pm on October 8, 2022 Permalink  

  Nippy Morning 

  Due to a nippy morning, I had to hunt up some gloves.  I headed down Stauffer Avenue.  Generally walking against the sun is a challenge.  This morning, I welcomed the warmth that I felt.

  Dennis did check and we do have some days in the 70s still to come.  That is what I will target to put the last patio items in the potting shed.

  Our noon snack was crackers and Herring.  We had not had any for some time and it was tasty.

  This afternoon, I spent time on the laptop in the studio.  Seek and you shall find.  I found several exercises for the L-5 and L-6 for my lumbar spine.  Walking is always a plus, but a bit more is needed.  The doctor’s note on the x-rays of last week indicated that the degenerative situation has progressed to some degree since the last checkup for the spine in 2004.  The good news, no surgery is indicated as well as no injections for nerve blocks.  What I am experiencing is normal wear and tear that can be managed with medications of several types and to keep on moving, moving, moving.  It might be better on some days than others.  What is key for me is that I have several interests to continue for a balanced day . . . like getting my library books returned on the due date of October 10th.

  What was a bit more fun to look at, were several sites for machine embroidery.  My intent is to put the embroidery module on before I begin another pieced quilt top.  A little variety in the studio keeps everything fresh.

  This evening we are cleaning out the refrig of a bit of this and a bit of that and calling it supper.  If we did have a pet to help with leftovers . . . they would get pretty darn hungry.  Waste not, want not.  Dennis talked about an oven meal to make on Sunday.  I am all for that.

  The sun is bright this afternoon and does warm coming through the south windows.

   
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  Noreen 1:55 pm on October 7, 2022 Permalink  

  Feeling the Chilly 

  This morning, no one could help but feel the chilly air.  I do believe tomorrow morning is going to be chillier yet.

  I did turn the furnace on and set the thermostat at 60 degrees.  Just enough to take the chill off.  Lena used to open the oven door on mornings such as this and set the oven at 250 degrees to take the chill off.  Same difference.

  Dennis headed to Madelia Ford this morning with his letter in hand.  There was a recall on the air bags for his little red pickup.  Dennis needed to make an appointment for October 12th.

  My time was spent in the studio.  There now is quilt binding cut, folded and ironed for a time when the purple quilt has been quilted.  There was also some much needed organization that was on the docket.  When organization is done correctly, I do not need to get rid of any more items than I already have.  It’s all about the eye appeal.  Standing on the bottom basement step, first impressions tell the rest of the story.  Yes . . . I think I could also sell ice cubes to the Eskimos. 

  When Dennis came home, I hitched a ride with him to the grocery store.  My one big ticket item was a dozen of eggs . . . $4.69.  Wow.  I can understand why there are quite a few small cities pondering ordinances to allow chickens in the backyards.

  Supper is going to be some Hormel Beef Tips in gravy and instant mashed potatoes.  I still have some brussel sprouts to adorn my fare.  Dennis will brighten up his plate with a piece of strawberry jam bread.  To each his own.

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on October 6, 2022 Permalink  

  As Was Forecast 

  It was a chill this morning that has carried through the day . . . just as forecast.

  The brisk wind was coming from the northwest.  Several times today as I looked out, there would be a plastic grocer’s bag taking flight.  I had to look twice as it seemed as if a string had been attached moving it much like a kite.

  Golden colored leaves have been tumbling.  They dance along the street as if determined to follow the painted center line.   

  One main goal today was to give the bathroom window one lick and a promise after Dennis had washed the house siding off with soap on Tuesday.  It was not a priority to get the hard water spots off.  I do enjoy cracking that window on warm days for fresh air.  The priority was getting the screen back on.  Right now there is quite the variety that would love to fly into an open window.

  Sunday at a birthday party, there were pulled pork sandwiches served.  Toppings were on an individual’s taste.  The one I enjoyed was made by half ketchup, half western dressing with a small amount of creamed horseradish.  Many times I have tried a pulled pork sandwich and it was as if the pieces of pork were huge and stringy.  Because there were small children, the pork had been finely chopped.  I got that!  It settled into the bun neatly, ready for a topping.  Never too old to learn a trick or two.

  We have two potted plants that have graced our patios for . . . a really long time.  Today Dennis is making room in the patio porch to take them in.  Would have . . . could have . . . should have, does come into play when you least expect it.

  The last of the weekdays is upon us tomorrow.  We are thrilled to have quiet days ahead.  My hope is that you allow for some quieter moments as well to be worked into your schedule.  The forecast is calling for mild dry temps.  Kick back a bit.

   
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  Noreen 2:32 pm on October 5, 2022 Permalink  

  Silent Night 

  We had a very silent night last night that had started in the late afternoon.

  Verizon, CenturyLink and Mediacom were all knocked out due to a cable being dug up or cut through.  I went to bed at the usual time of nine and Dennis said just as he was going to turn in at eleven, all was back up to normal.

  I didn’t really mind the silent night as I was punchy by nine, very ready to go to bed.  With a new reel of thread and two batteries to use in the weed whip, the Hosta and the plants next to the house . . . are no more.  Some of the Hosta stems were like small tree trunks.  Several Hosta were five feet across.  I started at one edge and kept chewing.  My pant legs and garden shoes were covered in green silage of the task.  When the Hosta are not cut back, it is a tangled mess in the spring.  If the weather permits, I will take out the Hosta on the east end of the acre.

  Dennis and I had noon lunch yesterday and when he heard the chilly forecast, that sent his wheels turning.  No, the bathroom window cleaning from the outside was put on hold.  What happened was 100′ of garden hose came out along with the soap container.  The house was washed off for the very last time this 2022 year.  The muddy water ran down the house siding like I couldn’t believe.  We live on a concrete street but also have gravel Stauffer Avenue on the south.  Dennis uses the cheapest laundry soap the dollar store has and then it is rinse, rinse, rinse.  Dennis ran the soap detail and I helped with the rinse.  Holding onto the garden hose for a length of time, I am glad we did the tag team.  The area around the house smelled really good, like many loads of laundry.

  I had made a commitment to go with Dennis to his Korean luncheon in Mankato today.  I slept until 8:30 and then a hustle was needed.  I am glad I went.  There are five of us wives that meet and greet while the fellows have their meeting.  It has been a good experience for me to meet gals from out of our area.  We stopped for a few groceries afterward and there was no way I was going to admit how stiff I was getting in and out of the vehicle.

  There may well be some nice warm days coming, but buttoning up the yard with cold fingers is no fun. The work is done and behind us.  I have many opportunities to tip windows in to wash them.  The dirt has already been washed off of the screen as of yesterday, so that is one less step to do.  If the screens don’t get cleaned, the first smallest of a rain shower, will have the windows wearing their grime.