Me, Myself and Memories

Recent Updates Page 173 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 3:24 pm on May 17, 2021 Permalink  

  A Trade in Duties 

  We knew that the acre was going to be a once a week mowing for the first portion of spring.  That week really goes fast.  I traded pushing the front yard and around the house with Dennis.  If he would use the rider in total, I would do all the trimming with The Works trimmer.  It takes Dennis several hours of mowing the entire area with coffee cup and cigarettes’ on board.  Even with many breaks, pushing and bagging can take the starch out of me.  

  The trimmer is light weight.  I could trim around one tree or two trees and then stop and watch  the clouds before continuing.  The trimmer was comparable to my cane.  Extra stability can never be under valued.  The end result was a great looking yard for us to sit on the patio to enjoy. 

  I was feeling like I had had enough for the day.  Dennis went on to wash off the north and east side of the house.  Again with the cheap Family Dollar laundry soap and the wonderful bubbles that smelled like lavender.  Cloudy days work best for wash jobs of buildings.  The glaring sun can dry the wash cycle too quickly before the rinses can take off all the soap residue.  Dennis has this down pat.

  Super is oven pasta leftovers with a side of apple crisp.  The clouds have hung around all day with the look that they might hold rain . . . not.  We could use a slow, all-day rain.  Even the birds have no water to bathe in as the sump pump drain is dry . . . dry to the bone.

  Don’t forget to say your prayers tonight as a good day of local effort does make the eyelids heavy in short order.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:59 pm on May 16, 2021 Permalink  

  Too Nice 

  Today was too nice of a day to stay indoors.  While Dennis was still asleep this morning, I took a cup of coffee and sat in the early sun on the east patio.  Peaceful does not even begin to describe it.  The morning doves gave quite the serenade.  Looking to the far east of the acre, the Hackberry tree was alive with squirrels.  Early morning church bells could be heard at various intervals.

  There wasn’t a heavy agenda for us today.  There is always a load of laundry to start.  Push several buttons and it’s a go.  Oh so different than the wringer washing machine that Lena had.  A bar of lye soap along with Duz laundry powder as a length of hose filled the wash tub.  By the way, for a time, there was a dish inside each box with the hope of accumulating somewhat of a matched set.  A set of twin rinse tubs were on a rack that allowed the swivel of the wringer on the washing machine to go from wash tub to first rinse to second rinse.  Sorting of the clothes was paramount.  First batch was the delicates.  From there each batch progressed down to the work jeans and last were the rag rugs.  With a huge wash day, Lena would take out some of the machine’s water and add fresh as the loads took its toll on the color of the water.  Not like the laundry of today, where fresh water from a faucet treats each sorted load.  Aren’t we spoiled.

  We have been limping along with our suppers since the leftovers from Mother’s Day have been used up.  Tonight there is an Alfredo chicken pasta dish for our oven meal.  Yum.  We spent just enough time in the house to swap out the laundry and put the oven meal together.  I worked on raking out the dirt in what was the Koi pond and Dennis is giving some of our lawn chairs a fresh coat of paint.  I need to search the internet as we will be putting in one or two miniature shrubs into the new dirt.

  Always busy here on Stauffer.  It makes for a sweet life being stewards of more than either one of us could ever have anticipated.  Thanks be to God.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:02 pm on May 15, 2021 Permalink  

  A True Spring Day 

  75 degrees is quite telling that spring is here.

  Dennis and I made a short trip to Fairfax to see the building that Kevin and Kersten have purchased for Kevin’s repair shop.  I can tell you that it is huge with plenty of room for repairs of multiple types.  Amazing items from days of old ready to continue being viable. Hats off to our small town businesses.

  As we drove to and from, there was no farming going on in the fields.  Hard to believe that such a wacky spring has allowed for the field work to be done with corn seen in the rows.

  Not much brewing on our home front this weekend.  It does feel good to enjoy a sit on the patio and take in a breeze and watch the traffic.  I did get the sewing studio’s floor vacuumed.  Yup, I am getting closer to getting a project going.  Its easier to sink my teeth in when all has been made ready and tidy.  

  Enjoy what the Lord has made available to us in time, energy and opportunity . . . it is priceless.

   
• 

  Noreen 1:07 pm on May 14, 2021 Permalink  

  Bubbles Everywhere 

  Dennis found the cheapest laundry soap possible in the Family Dollar store.  A container filled with soap and attached to the garden hose puts Mr. Clean to shame.  Stauffer Avenue is gravel.  Not much more is needed to be said.  We have, as of this morning, wonderful lavender smelling bubbles all around the garage, the patio porch and the potting shed.  Talk about spring cleaning.  As the water and soap combination hits the siding, rivulets of muddy water are running.  With a switch of a lever the rinse ensues.  I marvel at Dennis’ strong arms to keep at it.  His legs mandate the breaks.

  As I was in and out, I realized how few lilac blooms we have this year.  It isn’t just our yard.  On either side of us, the blooms are scarce.  Earlier in the year, we had unseasonably warm weather followed by freezing cold and snow.  Mother Nature has a way of putting her foot down.  The perennials are slowly looking as if they will participate in this spring.  Some are just inches tall while some are beating their core stems to reach tall.

  With the challenges that our earlier months gave us, we are on board having our home and yard up to snuff.  How wonderful is that!  Our calendar had been super full with my PT appointments, both of our dental appointments and Dennis’ two cataract surgeries.  Next week . . . there is nothing on the calendar.  Sweet!  We are going to enjoy this while it lasts.  

  Good grief May is half over.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:50 pm on May 13, 2021 Permalink  

  First Solo Trip 

  Today was my first solo trip out of St. James to run errands.  I gave it a lot of thought.  I have been driving myself to the clinic, Pt and grocery store.  All mere blocks from our home.

  Today, armed with cell phone, cane and determination, I headed for New Ulm which is 43 miles north.  Our car needed an oil change and check over.  We will be making trips to Rochester and the car needed to be road ready.  I had several items I wanted to check out at Walmart.

  I left early as the plan was to hit Walmart first.  I was well rested, and having had breakfast, there were many steps to be taken.  With purchases made, I sat back and rested when I hit Spaeth’s garage for the car to be serviced.  Watching old shows on MeTV was relaxing.

  I stopped at HY-Vee for groceries on the south edge of New Ulm before heading for home.

  I got home at one this afternoon and had been gone from home for four hours.  My solo errand trip went well.  Dennis met me as I parked the car in the garage and did a visual once-over.  All was good . . . me and the car.

  This is my real world.  I know there will not be trips such as this one multiple times during the coming weeks, but I now know I am up for them when they come.  Sitting on the patio chatting with Dennis this afternoon was self-fulfilling knowing I had a very normal day.  I most likely will be visiting my favorite chair after supper with feet propped up feeling a bit weary but very content and happy.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:39 pm on May 12, 2021 Permalink  

  Feeling Fit 

  
  It may have been brisk this morning, but out came my walking shoes.  I took the longest walk in some time.  I texted my friend June to make sure she was home.  Me and the cane took off.  June lives on the end of Stauffer Avenue.  It gave me the opportunity to arrive at June’s to take a respite before heading back home.  It felt great to do the walk and it felt just as great to get back home and soak up some of the morning sun sitting on the east patio.

  When I got back, Dennis was in the potting shed.  Dennis announced that he would be in charge of putting out some garden art.  I smiled and gave him the thumbs up.  We cleared out a lot from the potting shed last year.  That allowed for an old bushel basket to be viewed.  Oh my gosh!  Years ago Elvera and I had been at the Arts in the park in Hutchinson.  We both came home with ceramic mushrooms that were attached to the narrowest of PVC piping.  The colorful ceramics are attached via a spring to the PVC.  With the slightest of a breeze, the mushroom tops dance and wobble.  Dennis did a great job of decorating. 

  This has been my first photo to insert into a post since February.  I may have missed a step or two.  Practice makes . . . better.

  We are going to enjoy a Subway Tuna for supper.  After having gone through leftovers, it sounded like a great treat.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:32 pm on May 11, 2021 Permalink  

  Red Letter Days 

  Today all the sewing studio lights went on, illuminating every corner.  The next step was to put on my battery operated radio tuned in to New Ulm’s KNUJ.

  A decision was made in regard to Dennis’ Levi jeans . . . styles 509 and 505.  The 509s are going back via UPS this afternoon.  The pre-frayed jeans are being mailed back. Dennis needs the waist measurement but not the full fit in the legs.  I set about getting Dennis to model so I would know how much to shorten the 30″ factory length.

  It was slow going in the sewing studio.  Measure twice, cut once.  This would be my first project since the middle of February.  After the fingers on the left hand had gotten its fair amount of pin pricks for being slow to the gate, we did make headway.  Dennis will no longer look like Little Abner with a rolled up cuff on each leg.  For the life of me, new jeans are so stiff and heavy even after being washed for the first time.

  The lights went out at noon in the sewing studio . . . jeans shortened and hemmed . . . me being exhausted.  I am not ready for any marathon in the sewing studio.  It was time for a sit-down to catch my breath for the PT later in the afternoon.  The morning brought a red letter.

  All three of the therapists that have worked on me came in and checked on my stamina and motion during the hour and a half.  I passed, and I got to put my pretend tassel on the other side of my head.  There is no shortage of work that I need to continue at home.  I had two weights of clay to work with for my left hand exercises, yellow and pink.  I came home with a tub of blue clay.  It’s more like the rubber in a bungee cord that does not take the pressure of my good thumb to make an imprint.  The afternoon rounded out as a total red letter day.

  So goes life on Stauffer Avenue . . . sweet!

   
• 

  Noreen 2:10 pm on May 10, 2021 Permalink  

  A Great Day 

  The sun is out full blast and it helps take the chill out of the air.

  Dennis is mowing the remaining acre out east.  My task was to put away crockpots and such from yesterday’s family gathering.  It was an easy meal complete with disposable plates and silverware. 

  With summer weight clothing, I had a smack in the face in regard to doing buttons on shirts.  Time to hit the home PT exercises for some nimble fingers on the left hand.  It is the willingness of the middle finger on the left hand to work with the forefinger and thumb for that smooth movement.  Try It!  I had never actually studied the art of buttons and buttonholes before.  I have two weights of clay to work with while I sit down after supper.  Let’s get with it.

  Weariness does set in, but that is to be expected and I don’t sell it short.  Yesterday Carrie and Kevin set the plans for the three of us making the trip to go to Saint Mary’s in Rochester later this month for a surgery consult.  Hmm.  The 25th of May seemed so far away in February.  It is getting real.  Breath.

  Dennis was done mowing by noon.  Dennis and his friend Dwayne are having a coffee gab session this afternoon in the patio porch.  That is healthy for both of them.  I took time for a sit in my favorite chair.  Maybe the eyes did close for a short time.

  Thank goodness for leftovers for supper.  I love it.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:21 pm on May 9, 2021 Permalink  

  Quite the Day 

  Quite the day and it happened to be Mother’s Day.

  Carrie’s and Kevin’s came with the want and will to tackle some jobs for us.  How sweet as I am sure there was plenty waiting for them at their own homes.  Some things, Dennis and I get complacent about until fresh eyes take it in.  My closet is now organized and a door that wouldn’t work on the patio porch is now functional.  Thanks be to family.

  This afternoon the town was alive with the sound of lawnmowers.  Though the weather has been cool, the grass is not on hold.  Yesterday, Dennis’ son-in-law came and mowed lawn around our home and the front yard so it would look good for Mother’s Day.  All of the fertilizer and various types of grass seed we have put on it, really has given a lush lawn with nary a yellow bloom.  Dennis will tackle the rest of the acre tomorrow.

  We have leftovers from our noon meal . . . I like that a lot . . . so does Dennis.

  So . . . what’s not to be thankful for when a family can get together and enjoy memories, laughter and giggles and lots of local effort.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:55 pm on May 8, 2021 Permalink  

  Ode to Lena 

  My mom, Lena, is always with me.  She’s the whisper of the leaves as I am outside, she’s the smell of certain foods I remember, the flowers I try to grow.  Mom is the cool hand on my brow when I am not feeling so good.  She is the breath in the air on a cold winter day.  She is the sound of the rain that I fall asleep to.  Mom is Christmas mornings.  She is the place I came from, my first home.  Mom lives in my laughter.  Mom is the map I follow with every step I take.  Mom was my first friend, even my first enemy, but nothing can separate me from her.  Not in time, even in death.

  Huge shoes to fill as I travel in my life.