Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:37 pm on September 13, 2021 Permalink  

  The Best Spot 

  We all need a good night’s sleep.  For me that has been quite easy of late.  I keep busy during the day and can’t wait to go to bed at nine.

  I know that Dennis has been fighting a sinus issue for quite some time . . . more like several years.  Even if his malfunctioning CPAP machine would be in good working order, he would still be up during the night feeling plugged up and not breathing well.  We are waiting to hear that a new CPAP machine is in stock . . . strike one.  We are waiting for an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor in Mankato . . . strike two.  Dennis refuses to give up the smoking . . . strike three.  I can’t imagine what those poor nostrils of his takes in with each puff.  I was the one that pushed for the ear, nose and throat appointment.  I am weary of hearing about the issue . . . literally.  Let’s just get to the nitty gritty of it.

  I must say Dennis takes on each day full bore.  No weeds grow under Dennis’ feet.  When I think he has run out of projects he finds more to do.  We have been caretakers of brother Michael’s moose for some time.  The moose was gifted to us.  The moose was the product of a rescued high line post on the family farm.  Michael enjoyed working with wood.  As recent as last week, Dennis put out the request of two cans of clear poly spray.  We have treated the moose over a period of years with Thompson’s water repellant.  The treatment does not last.  Dennis decided to try the poly on a small portion of the moose to see if it would dry . . . and it did.

  Yesterday while I was at the Dollar General, I picked up some fall colored items to put into the moose.  This morning when I got up and looked out the bathroom window . . . Michael’s moose had made his debut on the patio.  He looks wonderful.  We have always taken the moose in every winter so I am sure this spa treatment will last for some time. Dennis seems to be finding the best spots for his finished products.

  I put in time each morning in the gardens.  What doesn’t get done by noon, will wait until another day.  The best remedy for those aching butt cheeks of yesterday, was to go out and bend over some more.  Work them and not let them stay tight. 

  So . . . the moral to this story is:  we may not always feel like we are on the top of the world, but we pick ourselves up and stay busy.  Sweet.

   
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  Noreen 2:48 pm on September 12, 2021 Permalink  

  Chain Reaction 

  Hmm.  When I sneeze my butt cheeks hurt.  The rest of the story is quite simple.  I have been working in my gardens.  September 12th, and there are many spots that this is the first time this year they have gotten any attention.  I cannot push or use a hoe.  That pulls like crazy across the chest and up and down the incision from the heart surgery.  I can however bend over.  By the way . . . both are allowed by doctors to the degree that I can tolerate.  Bending over I have been doing and stooping to a light degree works also.  Dennis has helped by watering a small area at a time so the sand burrs and clover pulls easily.  No . . . Dennis does not recognize a weed from a flower.  Better my butt cheeks hurt than his butt getting chewed out.  I fully intend to keeps the gardens I have and enjoying them from spring 2022 going forward.

  If the three patio kitties could cry real tears, that would have been the case yesterday and this morning.  It was time to pull up and thin out the catnip patch.  It had gotten way out of hand this summer.  It survived with very little rain.  That allowed us to see the creeping weeds that needed spray.  Dennis filled a small pump sprayer with a solution of Triaminic with water.  We have had the spray for some time.  A good sized patch is the test plot.  If it shows wilting in a day or two, we can use up the rest of it before buying more . . . or something else.  I did leave enough of the catnip that the kitties can still get their fix.

  My joy in these days of becoming reacquainted with the yard is that I found three small evergreens no more than an inch tall.  I have them staked out with hopes of getting something better to keep track of them.  Dennis couldn’t see what I was talking about, but took my word for it.  On the other end of the bed I found a three inch tall Japanese fern.  This I will also note with an indicator.  Japanese ferns are more desirable than the Ostrich ferns that can be found growing around the foundations of homes. 

  Before going into the house and calling it a day, I did run to the Dollar General for some fruit.  Their prices are more reasonable for fruit than the grocery store and yet the labels are the same as to where they were shipped from.

  When I got home Dennis was busy in the patio porch.  He was rearranging his chairs.  The explanation . . . having the traffic pattern change on his indoor/outdoor carpeting he put down earlier this year.   I wanted to laugh, but not at the expense of my hurting butt cheeks.

  Keeping older folks around . . . they are fun to observe.  What?  Who, . . . us?

   
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  Noreen 4:02 pm on September 11, 2021 Permalink  

  Harvest on Stauffer 

  This Saturday was busy for me right until twelve noon. Always a load of laundry. That gave me a chance to bake a batch of scones.  I do not trust myself to go outside while the oven is on.  I vividly remembering boiling a pot of eggs until the kettle was dry.  I couldn’t figure out what the popping sound was as I weeded a flower bed next to the house.  

  When I came into the house I couldn’t see across the room for black suety clouds.  The popping had been the eggs as they exploded.  Egg yolk dripping from the skylight.  I did learn my lesson to stay indoors until burners and ovens can be turned off.

  I did head for the gardens once the laundry was in the dryer and the scones were done.  I had given myself two hours and then call it quits for outside work.  There are plants that should not be in flower beds . . . more telling . . . clover.  With the soil wettened yesterday, the clover pulled easily.  With one hand on the cane, the bending over was safe.  No sudden standing up straight quickly.

  As I was washing off my hands, neighbor Jan came over with carrots.  Twelve huge and long carrots that were ready to be peeled and blanched.  Jan had helped with yard work this spring and I didn’t have the heart to turn her down.  Nor, could I not take them inside and begin peeling them.  Dennis came in and ran the mandolin that had been my mother’s.  The thinly sliced carrots were ready for blanching and freezing.  The carrots will come in handy for hot dishes this winter.

  I did feel it in my legs and hands as the day wound down.

  Saturday is a huge day on the RFD channel.  Tractor Pete and the tractor auctions.  Dennis gets busy telling me about the great deals on the older tractors.  He gets his suspenders in a twist.  I do nod and I know enough lingo about tractors to add a word or two.

  The day has come to a close here on Stauffer Avenue.  Dennis and I have had a good run on it.  Think of a good experience and . . . smile.

   
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  Noreen 3:53 pm on September 10, 2021 Permalink  

  Home from the Big City 

  There are always more stops and more steps than we plan on when we go to Mankato.  Cat food and cat litter is at a price that can’t be beat at Sam’s Club.  That can also be said for coffee grounds.

  Our local Lewis Drug does not work with Medicare prescriptions.  I was trying it at Mountain Lake Drugs.  The provider that they are hooked to, does not allow for a catheter that works as well for me as it could.  Today, I wanted to check with the well advertised Walmart: satisfaction guaranteed and will ship prescriptions and works with Medicare.  I waited in line to speak to a pharmacist.  All he heard was that I was looking for information in regard to catheters and he started to shake his head without me getting out any additional information.  He suggested I go to the medical supply store on the end of the newly-remodeled Madison East Mall.  Off we went!

  The gal that met me at the door with a smile walked me back to her desk.  With a prescription from my family doctor, I can get just what I have been using for the last so many decades.  Sweet.

  We still had time before Dennis’ pulmonary appointment so off to Menards we went.  All that was needed was two cans of poly clear spray for Dennis’ next project.  Our two stores had colors, but no clear spray.  Of course the paint department at Menards is in the farthest corner of the store.  By that time I think the end of my cane was getting over heated.  I am steady eddy with the cane more so than Dennis’ legs that can buckle in a wink of his brown eyes.

  Yet, one more stop at Hy-Vee.  Our store pleads that many items are not being shipped in. Ya, right.  I stocked up on several kinds of noodles and called that stop complete.

  Our pulmonary visit went well and on Monday we can call the Mayo Store and find out when Dennis’ new CPAP machine can be picked up.  They could tell by their computer print out that he had not been using the malfunctioning one for very many hours each night. Hopefully that will be better in the near future.  Dennis is fortunate that he can sleep in his recliner and catch some cat naps in the rocking chair in the patio porch.  Instances of him not catching his next breath, using the CPAP should not be more than five times an hour.  Dennis’ ticker tape had been showing at 4.5 when the machine was working up to par.

  I really don’t know how much more can be blamed on the covid in regard to stocked shelves or people who work in the stores.  Now it matters not . . . we were both tickled to get back home.

   
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  Noreen 2:24 pm on September 9, 2021 Permalink  

  Up and At’em 

  Yup, I was really up early. No sleeping in.  Ya right.  It was 8:15.  We must have had a busy day yesterday because I beat Dennis by thirty minutes. 

  Dennis had a day of ramrodding some landscape issues.  Fourteen years ago, Dennis’ grandson, Jake, was killed when a school bus t-boned Jake’s pickup on his way home from school.  At the time, the school friends collectively made a memorial garden at their farm place.  In time to come, Jake’s mom died of cancer and son Ken, moved to Arizona.  Dennis and I became caretakers of some items from that garden.  Those items were at the far east edge of the acre in a flower bed.

  As we have already had Kevin till up some flower beds, that far east flower bed that lies in a strip could very likely have grass fill it in.  It was time to bring those cement mementos up next to the patio.

  The cement pheasant wasn’t that difficult to bring up to the patio for a needed spruce up. The 300 lb. deer was another story.  Where would we be without nephew Brett and his concrete crew.  Dennis made a phone call and snagged them as they were coming back into town.  I never knew what a Tommy lifter was on the end gate of a truck.  The truck backed up to the deer and two fellows lifted it a mere six inches high and the deer, on the end gate, was lifted for transport.  We thought they would drive onto the patio.  Not!  Two of the fellows lifted it and carried it across the patio to its resting place, ducking branches, nestled under the lilacs.  Oh for the brute strength of the young.  Our patio area has just been enhanced.  Sweet.

  For the second time in so many days I was on the phone with Mediacom.  Ya sure.  I had the Hp hooked to a new WiFi address and a new password.  When I went to print something yesterday morning it clicked in my head.  We had not hooked the Dell laptop in the studio or the printer to the new WiFi address or password.  No service available.

  I called the same phone number in Florida that I had to get us off the hook of having 12 different units using us fraudulently.  In a heart beat I was transferred to tech support.  Had I used the Mediacom number in the phone book, I would have been put on hold for a long time.  That usually entails going through options up the butt and still not a human to talk to. 

  Lisa Ann was so patient with me.  I had to make a trip or two to the HP on the first floor of our home and then back down to the studio.  I found out more about setting up the printer than what I ever knew what some of those options entailed.  It took Grammie a good hour and I never thought my left hand and arm could hold my telephone for that long.  Whew!

  Both Dennis and I got a lot accomplished yesterday. I have said many times . . . “how can some people our age be bored.”

  Today, we both were busy outside.  I want to take more of an active part in the gardens around the patios.  Lots of clover to pull up . . . not so much as break off as the soil is like concrete.  Dennis got the garden hose out and watered down the area where the worst was of the clover.  I got muddy shoes and muddy hands but a fair amount of area was covered.  It worked slick.  Guess who will be sleeping good again tonight!  You can’t imagine how good it feels to get physically tired.

  Tomorrow we head for a pulmonary appointment in Mankato.

   
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  Noreen 1:07 pm on September 8, 2021 Permalink  

  A Short Day 

  When you first open your eyes and realize it is 9:30 on a sunny day . . . what can I say!  Happy short day.

  I looked out the bathroom window and Dennis was vacuuming his patio porch.  Hmm.  I know since Dennis’ sleep CPAP machine has quit, he is not sleeping the night through.  He was up at five and I got up to use the bathroom, he was heading for his recliner.  I did go right back to sleep and slept through a lot of the morning traffic as well as the garbage truck that stops for us just not so many feet away from the house.

  Friday we head to Mankato to talk to the pulmonary doctor for a new prescription for a new machine for Dennis. Thus the go here, go there will ensue.  We have no choices but to jump through those hoops.  Medicare covers the cost of the machine.  The last one six years ago was a bit over $6,000.  How that is handled is, there is a rental fee charged per month to Medicare until the cost has been covered. 

  It might have been close to noon until I had the first floor of our home tidied, I did get some positive stitching done in the studio.  As I have often thought and said, five steps forward is still a good thing going forward.  Dennis’ take on my “sleeping in,” you must have needed it.  Yup.  As healing continues, I do have a sensation across my chest as if there might have been the flat portion of the shovel end of an aluminum scoop shovel that whacked me a good one.  A bruised feeling with some burning in the deep tissue.  Weird feelings.  I have no idea what is usual and customary after open heart surgery.  Not many acquaintances to compare notes with.  I do know I have more good days and feelings than not.  Sweet life!

   
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  Noreen 2:52 pm on September 7, 2021 Permalink  

  Good Grief 

  Good Grief, what next.  I had noticed last week on a daily basis as I signed in to post on the blog, there was an alert that ran on top of the page that stated an infringement had taken place and Mediacom was the author.  I did not pay any attention and the notice went away.  Ya right.

  Today we get an official letter from Mediacom with much the same info in regard to the infringement.  I immediately looked for a phone number and I called Gulf Breeze, Florida.  Paramount Picture Corporation was filing against us for inappropriate viewing of movies.  WTF!  When it all came down to the nitty gritty, there were twelve systems using our WIFI address causing the problem for the two older ones on Stauffer Avenue.  Again, WTF!  

  The gal on the phone was very helpful.  We now have a new WIFI address with a new password and I have written both items down.  Whew.  Apparently the correction will follow down and Dennis nor I will be charged an enormous fine.  Each infringement called for a $250,000.00 fine.  There would have gone Dennis’ cigarette money.

  After the lengthy phone call, it was time to take in the breeze on the patio.  Is there any wonder where the white hair and wrinkles come from.  I had been having good success in the studio and my next action will be to go down and shut everything off.  The mojo is gone for the day.  Dennis can consider himself lucky as I already had supper planned.

   
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  Noreen 1:53 pm on September 6, 2021 Permalink  

  Labor Day 2021 

  It was a Labor Day indeed.  I knew when I had come back from my morning walk, there was a hint of gas fumes in the air.  Dennis was fueling the rider mower.  Hmm.  There was also the weed whip and the leaf blower on the patio.

  I bit at the hint.  The weed whip was fairly handy to use, as I could set it down in front of me in leu of my cane.  It sure does make a good job of mowing into a grade A job of it.  Tidy, tidy.  We may have gotten some rain last week but it was a dirty job using the gardening tools.

  The leaf blower was a little more of a challenge, so the cane was in the right hand and the blower in the left.  I was dirty, so I went ahead and used up the battery in the blower to retrieve the straight line of the concrete on the front step and some of the driveway’s  It doesn’t take long for the greenery to grow out of bounds.  I will finish the drive the next time we mow.  My arms and hands had had enough.

  How could I not get a good rest sitting on the patio when Snuggles is up and on my lap before my butt cheeks have totally relaxed into the chair seat.  He is quite the schmoozer.  He gets that from Dennis.  I swear to God, Snuggles wrangles around me with the purring.  Dennis does it by pretending to be helpless.  Ya right!

  Dennis used his lawn sweeper for the first time on the entire yard.  Up until we had that good three to four inches of rain, the lawn mower was on sabbatical.  The sweeper really gives the acre that fine groomed appearances.  It did very well picking up the walnuts.  Now that we have an extra set of the nylon brushes for the sweeper, Dennis is apt to use it each time he mows.  It will be a good test of how durable those nylon brushes are.

  It was a great feeling to have enjoyed this Labor Day.  It was a great day for me to have participated in the yard work and feeling none the worse for it.  Finding the right balance while on my feet will be the key for more such yard participation.  In the mean time, keeping that cane handy and not getting too frisky.  I don’t know if I could get myself up if I fell and I really do not want to find out.

   
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  Noreen 1:41 pm on September 5, 2021 Permalink  

  Sunday Pre-Holiday 

  The middle day of the three day Labor Day holiday.  It is a Sunday.

  On my walk today, I walked intervals not using the cane.  What is necessary is using the arms swinging back and fort for smooth momentum. Not a disappointing work out.  

  As Dennis was vacuuming out the patio porch, I pulled up the stalks of the Bleeding Heart plants.  They had dried and were ready to be given some relief.  Several large branches that had seen their better days from on high in the Maple had crashed landed in the backyard.  Denis has them piled ready for the burning ring.  With my mighty rake I pulled together all the small ones that were scattered.  More the merrier for the burning ring.

  Watching where wasps congregate is quite telling.  Dennis did get a fair amount yesterday as evident from their dead bodies on the cement.  Surprisingly there were just as many today in flight.  Dennis investigated the area.  In between the soffit of the building and the back side of the down spout was quite telling.  After Dennis had sprayed the area to get most of them flying out and about, the poking with a stick ensued to dislodge some of the nests.  Perhaps no mosquitos, but there is always something to take their place.

  It was too nice to visit the studio today.

  What I did do was mix up a chocolate malt for us this afternoon.  That container of malt powder has been waiting in the wings of the second shelf in the kitchen cabinets for . . . too long.  Culver’s could do a close second. My heavy glass pitcher on my 1960s vintage avocado green blender still has it.

  I have really been sleeping hard these cooler night.  I don’t shift a lot in my sleep, so getting up and moving and taking a walk loosens the tight back.  I don’t stay in one place for long throughout the day and that is a huge help.

  Tomorrow is Labor Day.  Can’t say I would blame you if you were hard at it, as long as it brings you joy.

   
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  Noreen 3:51 pm on September 4, 2021 Permalink  

  Variety in a Day 

  The day started by a discussion as to what supper would be.  Wow!  I wasn’t even dressed for the day and we need to know what is going to be served for supper!

  Dennis declared he would be making supper and we needed to fill in the blanks as to what would be needed.  I told him I would dice and sauté the onion for him.  Dennis headed for the store as he needed a can of peas and a jar of Alfredo sauce.  The end result is that supper was going to be a tuna, pasta and pea oven dish, complete with the sautéed onions.  We eat onions in most of what is cooked.

  A classmate of Dennis’ was walking by and Dennis invited Janet in for a visit as he was heading to the store.  I enjoyed the visit as Janet and I have been acquaintances.  Our daughters were in school together.

  I don’t get into Dennis’ way when he cooks.  It is because, my advice is the last thing he needs.  I also stay away as he washes up the dishes from his prep.  I had headed out to the patio porch to work my whiles on painting the cement rooster.  I also didn’t need any advice in my project. 

  Dennis and I met up at twelve noon for a bite of lunch.  Each, willing to share how each of our projects had gone.  I know I will be eating good and Dennis knows all he has to do is give the rooster several coats of poly.

  The afternoon air was pleasant for patio sitting.  Neighbor Jan came from the north and the two of us caught up with each other.  Jan works in the school’s library and her vacation days will cease the day after Labor Day.  Dennis joined right in.

  As all three of us were enjoying the afternoon, Dennis noticed quite the group of wasps that were in the process of nesting under the garage roof line.  Black Flag promises a shot up to 20 feet away.  Time will tell how the fast draw of the ole cowboy did to hit the target.

  Our plans for this last holiday of the summer is consistent . . . enjoying our home.  Gotta love it!