Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 1:58 pm on June 11, 2022 Permalink  

  A Free Day 

  My free day is just about to come to a close.  I decided to help Dennis with the patio porch.  Much like a junk drawer, items are included that need to be dealt with.  A bit is sorted, some is tossed and some is returned to where it needs to be.

  As Dennis and I worked side by side, Dennis allowed me to know that he would like my trips to see friend Judy cooled for a while.  Dennis felt I came home too upset and that I paid too high of a price emotionally to put myself through it for a time to come.  It is so difficult to see a life long friend live in such horrible conditions.  The friend of Judy’s that was also their cleaning lady had quit some weeks ago.  That was very evident throughout the home.  If Judy did have her sight she would be appalled.  Judy has four grown children, adult grandchildren and an able bodied husband.  I do intend to step back.  Enabling can come in many forms.  I will feel guilty making excuses when Judy calls and would like to be taken out for lunch.  I’ll get over it and perhaps in time, the family will get things figured out on their own.  I can and will invest my energies right here on Stauffer Avenue with Dennis and friends here on the home front. 

  There must have been enough rain to make puddles on Stauffer Avenue.  It has become a frequent happen stance.

  The patio porch got a lick and a promise and I did have time to work on some prep work for the next blocks of my ongoing project.  Even getting a little bit done is better than nothing.  It all counts for local effort.

  Supper is going to be two brat patties done on top of the kitchen range and potato salad.  A mini picnic right at the dining room table.

  Tomorrow we are looking forward to traveling to the metro for Megan’s graduation party.

   
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  Noreen 4:30 pm on June 10, 2022 Permalink  

  Summer is Upon Us 

  Summer has waited long enough . . . it is upon us.

  Today I took my friend Judy to Perkins for lunch.  Judy is totally blind.  It was a two-fold trip.  I needed to have her Bernina, cleaned and oiled, back into her home.  I did not need to have that responsibility in our home.  Her daughter and granddaughter now have a functioning machine.

  Judy’s husband was in bed while I wrangled the laundry cart next to my car to put the sewing machine into.  It was a bit of a challenge to get the laundry basket parked in the grass next to the drive, so it wouldn’t roll down the steep incline of the drive.  It is so true.  No good deed goes unpunished.  No, there are no health issues with Judy’s husband other than being a jerk.  It will be some time before I feel like going to Mankato solo or letting anyone know I am.

  I have put out several of the bottles from Kersten for gnats.  It does work and it smells nice as well.  The next time I am out I will see what it will do for biting flies and mosquitos as well.

  Tomorrow is my free day.  The yard work is done, the gardening is now up to each plant to give it its best to get the roots snuggled into the moist dirt and fertilizer it was plunked into.  Hmm, even the laundry basket has little in it.

  Both Dennis and I had late noon lunches, so it might be a dish of ice cream for later on.

   
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  Noreen 1:21 pm on June 9, 2022 Permalink  

  Oh What a Day 

  A balmy 77 degrees.  I was out finishing my Hosta work.  I had a lot of company.  Black biting flies, mosquitoes and gnats.  How fortunate for this company to spur me on to finish my project.

  Is a gardener ever finished?  I think not.  For this year, it has been 150% over last year’s work.  There have been 10 plants that have been given a new home, up close and personnel next to the potting shed and patios.  As much rain as we have had, my shoes did not pick up mud today.  A message that transplanting season is over.

  Dennis mowed the area of our original lot and I got it trimmed.  What a satisfying feeling to have a tidy yard.  Dennis had mowed the east part of the acre yesterday after attending a funeral.  A stroke of luck, we had purchased a trimmer, aka: The Works, that had an easy swapping out of thread when the spool is empty.  We are set for a few days over the weekend.

  I did go to the studio to check out the next block to stitch.  Sixty two three part blocks, called the Flying Geese.  Quilters know it well but that is not saying it is a breeze to whip out.  Time and patience . . . I have a lot of both.

  Tomorrow I had planned on taking friend Judy’s cleaned Bernina back to her for her daughter’s use.  I got a call last night that she would like to go out for lunch first.  How could I refuse a blind person that needs to get out of a less than friendly home.  I said we would go to Perkins.  Drinks are delivered to the table and bathrooms are a few steps away.  Judy had wanted to go to Panera last time and we did.  Unbeknown to me the drinks were self serve and All the way to the back as well as the restrooms.  With one hand at a time managing my cane, I got the drinks.  Getting her past a flood of people that were standing in line to pick up their food at a serving window for access for her to the bathroom . . . I was exhausted.  Judy had a heavy walker that one could turn around and sit on, that was a beast to get in and out of the back portion of my car.

  Here we are at the afternoon of Thursday.  I have the sewing machine in the car as well as an aluminum fold up walker for Judy.  Live and learn.  Who knew how to take a blind person out for an outing!

   Second time should be easier.   I need to use my voice and let her know verbally what I can manage.

  Happy Thursday everyone.  The next time I go out, it will be to put my shovel and spade in the potting shed.  Enough of the dirt work!

   
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  Noreen 1:30 pm on June 8, 2022 Permalink  

  Flash Back 

  Today we were on our way to Windom for a family funeral taking the four lane of #69.  I was watching traffic whiz by us.

  A blue Ford passed us by.  It was a rich royal blue.  Either I have not been paying attention to vehicles, or this hue of blue is not prevalent.  My grandpa Christ had a Ford of this shade of blue.  My grandmother, Laura, could hard roll grandpa’s name like no one.  It didn’t come across as “Christ.”

  At a time when Kevin was very small, on a Sunday afternoon, this royal blue Ford sedan came up the circle drive.  It was my grandparents, Laura and Christ.  It was beautiful out and we sat under the shade trees to visit.  Grandpa Christ pulled Kevin out of the stroller and plopped him on a knee.  Grandpa proceeded to bounce him on that knee for some time and then eventually Kevin leaned his back into grandpa’s chest and seemed content.  That was the last time Grandpa Christ visited our home.  After Christ passed from cancer, grandma Laura would come and stay with my folks for several days on end.  We only lived several miles away and enjoyed seeing and visiting her.

  Oh the memories that can be evoked by a royal blue Ford vehicle passing us by on #69.

  With some of the afternoon left, I am thinking of heading outside to see how things are after a long spell of rain showers over these last days.

   
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  Noreen 12:51 pm on June 7, 2022 Permalink  

  Who Knew? 

  Who knew we would get rain over the early morning hours that has lasted well past noon.

  Today was haircut day at the Curry Comb.  When the calendar fills up with medical appointments, the hair is the last considered.  The blessing is the appointments are not for me.  Niece Brenda does a great job of the cuts.

  We had a few groceries to pick up at Super Fair so I could whip up an oven meal for this evening.  I had the leftover brisket and carrots from the crockpot meal of Sunday night.  My plan was a beef stroganoff with carrots and pasta.  I decided on whipping some sour cream into the hot pasta plus some alfredo sauce.  I don’t think carrots are called for with stroganoff, but they sure had a great flavor to not include them.

  Tomorrow we have a funeral in Windom.  Dennis’ sister-in-law has passed away at age 88.  Dennis is now the lone ranger of his family.

  With the kitchen sink having been cleared of dishes to do and a load of laundry done, I am going to head outside and see how my Hosta transplants are doing with this cool dampness.  Perhaps one more . . . just one more plant may be salvaged from the east portion of the acre.  I do spy a perfect spot for it and it does have leaf patterns that are appealing.  Time will tell for Thursday as the growth with lots of rain will indeed determine how large a hole to dig.  Dennis’ daughter of Mankato has talked and talked about doing a Hosta dig for her yard.  If she does get over here, I hope she has plenty of large containers to take them home in.  

  With the early afternoon left and no need to do more than turn on the oven for supper, the studio may even get the lights turned on for a bit.

   
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  Noreen 2:48 pm on June 6, 2022 Permalink  

  Slowly 

  A few more stitches out by Jody at the Mankato Clinic.  All is progressing well.  

  I know I heard it raining over the night . . . could not tell how much.  As we traveled to Mankato, there were tell-tale signs in the fields.

  When the appointment with a doctor is 12:45, Dennis estimated it would be two before we would return to the car.  He was off by several minutes.

  The day is shot as nothing new feels like its wanting to be started by the time we got home.  Tomorrow is another day.  With the rain that we had, it feels a bit sticky out.

  I will share that yesterday when I was digging my holes for Hosta transplants, a hummingbird was within eighteen inches from my face.  He didn’t seem to be in any hurry.  I stood still and he fluttered in place.  After a time he continued visiting the Columbine blooms that were in the near area.  He all but seemed to disappear in them.  Very special visitor.

   
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  Noreen 1:15 pm on June 5, 2022 Permalink  

  Sunday of Heavy Air 

  A sprinkle here, a sprinkle there.  The air is heavy.  It’s a good thing the birds do not mind it.

  I was determined that the garden shoes would have to do what was needed to get the job done.  Two holes were dug with fertilizer granules added.  After the second hole was dug, I sized it up and realized it could have been better situated in the scheme of things.  Too bad.  A hole dug is a hole that will be plugged with a plant.  In time to come, the plants will fill in and no one but me will know the difference.  I headed out to the east and and after a time and two trips, I had plants for each hole.  This is perfect transplanting weather.

  Whatever plants remain on the east line of our acre has been offered to whomever may need some fillers.  

  I made use of the water faucet on the south side of the house by taking off my garden shoes and cleaning them from toe to heel.  It didn’t bother me to rinse off my bare feet, the bottom of my cane and tip toe into the back entry.

  When I came in, the brisket in the crockpot gave me a great welcome.  I put carrots in the bottom.  I had an onion but chose to leave it on the counter and use some meat rub I had on the pantry shelf.  No potatoes were added.  Though they get tender, they take on an unappetizing dark color.  We had a few potatoes left in a five pound bag and there are now enough peeled with most likely enough for some American fries at another meal time.

  I had all of this done by twelve noon and headed to the studio.  It now feels oh so good to be done with the third and final half square triangle block.  I will call this my pinkish mode using four different print scraps with a peach colored plain.  Sometime soon, I will turn the page of the directions and see what is next.  I have a black and white copy of the finished project, and what a great feeling to put an “X” through each block as I finish it.

  This is deemed as a good day.  I dwell on what I can do and not what I can’t.  Actually, with thought and a plan the “can’t” becomes insignificant.

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on June 4, 2022 Permalink  

  Saturday the 4th 

  We had rain that started during the night and it carried over into the forenoon.

  I was bummed as I had had plans to be outside.  With coffee cup in hand I headed to the studio to work on half square triangles.  I didn’t even need a radio on for company.  Dennis came down long enough to decide what kind of progressive soup we would have for supper.

  The quiet of the studio ensued.

  Soon there was a hello coming down the steps of the studio that continued into hellos that filled the studio . . . plus.  It was Dennis’ daughter and her family from Silver Bay that came for a grad’s party on the Dennis’ son-in-law’s family.  In short order we had eleven people over for a visit.  By that time the rain had stopped and the patio was the gathering spot.  What a busy three hours was had before the group left for the graduation party.  Surprise visits can be the best reward.  For us to see the four great grands that range from 14 t0 7 1/2 from the north country is special.  Josie made sure she got the half in.

  What started as a damp dreary day has turned out to be sunny in many aspects.

   
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  Noreen 1:15 pm on June 3, 2022 Permalink  

  Busy Hands 

  Busy hands keep me out of mischief.  Last week it was time to wash the duet cover of my feather comforter.  The comforter was put into the duet and now it was time for the next step in storage over the warmer months.  Yesterday the answer came in the mail.  It was a Hefty seal and store bag that uses the vacuum to minimize the area needed for storage when the excess air is removed.

  This morning, I got the comforter in the bag.  Pressing and sealing the strip was another story.  There is a yellow strip and a red strip to press together.  I didn’t get it done in one swoop.  The left hand needed to hold onto what was pressed together correctly, while the right hand needed to make progress.  When both stripes indicate orange all is good.  That is as far as that project went today.  Tomorrow, I will double check the closure and then get the vacuum out.  One small thing at a time.

  It was too nice to stay in the house any longer.  I headed to the east line of the acre with cane, spade and pink plastic scoop shovel in hand.  I did get the intended Hosta dug up.  It was so easy to put the Hosta in the scoop of the shovel and pull it home.  It was also large enough that it broke in two.  The remaining of my holes got plugged.  It is perfect weather for this kind of transplanting. 

  Dennis got the hand pump sprayer out and checked out the gaskets and such.  It is now loaded, ready for a time when the wind is just a breeze.  Roundup to the rescue on green little plants that are a nuisance.  They can’t be pulled up as their root is no larger than a strand of thread and immediately break off to come back with multiple plants the next time.  We have two old fashioned bushel baskets to put over the plants that will need to be protected.  The plan is set for perhaps tomorrow morning when the air is quiet.   

  It has been a busy day with local effort attained.  The hands are happy and tomorrow is another day.

   
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  Noreen 4:30 pm on June 2, 2022 Permalink  

  Breezy Sunny Day 

  Here I thought we were off the hook for a Dennis doctor appointment for the week.  Good thing I keep a calendar on the dining room table.

  The foot is looking great after two weeks time.  Several of the stitches were removed, but we go back next week again.

  The week seems to have been really short. 

  Tomorrow may be a more news-worthy day.  Catch you then!