I am a retired 44-year veteran of the Real Estate Assessment field. As with real estate assessing and how it applies to real estate taxes, one can make many acquaintances, but not many real friends. It was a great career choice.
It has been nearly 10 years since I reclaimed my home and my real passions within my home. I enjoy it more each day and tip my hat to those who I left behind.
Each day I try to stretch myself with the use of my computer as it relates to this site and using it to print out labels for quilts for trying to incorporate photos into my sewing. Life is so full and I know that I have room for more.
Nothing like some cold drizzle to form ice to slow things down. In the neighborhood where vehicles sit out, there was much scraping of the windshields before they were on the move.
All is quiet here on Stauffer Avenue. Not a creature is moving, not even a patio kitty.
Dennis tried out his recliner for a bit but sleep did not come.
I have been stitching in my bedroom porch.
Nothing new to report.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
Tis the season of the cold. Why fight it. The cold is still a better bet than having to move around a lot of snow and still needing to contend with very cold finger, toes . . . you name it.
With a plastic bag in hand, I went into the studio to pull some things together. Re-grouping #101. First items in the bag was a can of green beans and a can of jellied cranberries that I will put to use to go with the tilapia and boiled potatoes for supper. With the necessities covered in the bag, I added some craft items that I can work on in my bedroom porch. The sun has power and though it may be hit or miss, it is still better than the concrete floor and walls of the studio.
Seeing as how neighbor Jan had given me the wooden trunks, I sent her a photo of the trunk yesterday. I offered to give her the second one back if she had changed her mind. She didn’t want any part of a project such as what would entail from start to finish, with so much work in between.
Oh yes, there could be so much more done if the end game was restoration. My goal was to allow the trunk to be tidied as best I could with what I had to work with. From the first day that Jan had brought
over the trunks in her wheel-barrow, I had ask Kersten if one or the other interested her. I went forward from her reply. There was no time element spoken of. The well worn metal bands will hold the trunk together for quite some time yet. On the end pieces can be 
seen the saw impressions. Perhaps more than one wood was used. The Golden Oak stain was sucked in on some spots and other spots it wanted to run off. It has been stained and then a coating of matte Modpodge to seal the surface. I did check, a glossy surface could be applied over the matte. I used a spray can for the matte seal.
The second trunk can be seen sitting behind the finished one in the photo. Dennis ask when I was going to start that one. Ideally out in the patio porch.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
It was a night of very deep sleep for me. The dreams came and went. I was making coffee for my mom and dad in the farmhouse kitchen with two toddlers under foot, mine, vying for attention. The next reel had me on our patio with a huge amount of little gray kittens clamoring for attention as I was trying to put up a new rain-gauge.
It was definitely a night of deep slumber. Nothing had been eaten before going to bed. I did have a difficult time waking this morning. Dennis got up and did the usual clump, clump and I drifted right back to sleep. Come on . . . at nine in the morning for sure it was time to get the feet on the floor. Oh well.
My day has gone well and uneventful. I totally feel like the retiree that I am.
For now, I have closed down one chapter in the studio. Oh course, it calls for tidy, tidy. If I were not doing the tidy, tidy, there would be cause and pause for concern. What may be lacking in the next chapter is to find a need of something that needs doing. How many people would love to take a look in their job jar and find it barren!
It is time to take the next page in stride of my latest book, check the traffic and soon supper will be needed to be prepared.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
We have a small USA flag, 5 x 8 or so, that is stripped on a steel electric fence post on the corner of the sidewalk out the front door. The wind had been nasty and the flag had gone all the way down the post and was on the ground. This morning after getting dressed, I gingerly went down our front steps with a safety pin in hand to shore up the flag so it could proudly fly freely again. It may have been a quick fix, but I rely on that little flag telling me which way the wind is whipping for the day.
This may sound quite like what an older person partakes of, but it is me. Several nights ago we had precooked brats and sauerkraut. There were two brats and some kraut left. I tucked them in the refrig. The last two mornings I have enjoyed a brat/kraut sandwich for breakfast. Heated in the microwave for a bit and it made for a good start of my day. I may very well do the same if there is pizza left over from the night before. That doesn’t happen often as Dennis doesn’t like pizza. Is it about not wasting food or is it enjoying food that tastes good enough to finish.
This morning, I made Dennis the crab salad that he enjoys. It did make a fairly large batch. It was at a cost of $11.00. The box of Suddenly Salad complete with the Italian seasoning did pair well. I dare say there was a lot more imitation crab than what is found in the fare that is purchased in a deli. That was more as if they had a piece of the crab meat and had drug it through the remaining ingredients. Dennis will enjoy the batch for several noon lunches.
On another good note, we have a second night of the chicken oven meal of last night to enjoy this evening.
There is a wind chime hanging from the evergreen on the northwest corner of the house. It has been entertaining me for days as the wind has had its way with it for days. I do not mind it. Hmm. It makes me think there should be a second one with just a bit of a lower pitch for a full cascade of entertainment.
I spent time in the studio this forenoon and when I came up, the sun was warming and welcoming as I sat and read in the cherry red chair of my bedroom. It may well feel quite different when the sun goes down and the wind continues.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
KNUJ was spot on. They did foretell of a dusting of snow. It was barely enough to cover the drive.
The studio time was spent swapping out the furnace filter as well as cleaning the screen for our dehumidifier. Both showed signs of threads and fuzz that had been airborne. I can always find things that capture my attention in the studio. Before I knew it, several hours had gone by.
The first floor of our home beckoned me. There was a load of laundry to start and then pull together what was needed for an oven meal. A simple chicken, carrot, penne combo held together with a jar of Alfredo sauce.
I know in the very near future I will be making Dennis some crab meat cold salad that he hinted for. Yesterday I bought a box of Suddenly Salad for the fixings that I will add imitation crab meat to. In any deli it goes for 8-10 dollars a pound. Dennis shall have his treat.
When I was at the store yesterday, I did buy a new shaker container of the poultry seasoning. I am sure I will use up the loose ground container, sometime in the future. When I was checking out, the gal commented on the 13 oz jar of Blackberry Jelly that she scanned. It was Bonne Maman brand. Yes, there were more inexpensive choices. This brand is a product of France. I champion this brand. It has been around since the second world war. The founders of this company hid hundreds of thousands of people from slaughter during the Holocaust. Good deeds century old but also wonderful products, and I use it as a treat.
During the strong wind of yesterday and last night, the shrub on the northwest corner of the house did its duty. There have been offerings of trimming it and I always decline.
Our supper just went into the oven and it is also time for some KEYC news over the supper hour.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
Today was a trip to the grocer’s here in town. When Dennis had many medical appointments in Mankato, we would frequent Sam’s Club and would buy quite a few things in bulk for the cistern pantry and Dennis would put gas in the little red pickup. For what we are saving in traveling fuel, I don’t mind shopping here in town. Another aspect is that I can purchase containers of various products in the size that I can easily handle with my hands.
I know Wednesday is senior citizen day at the store for several dollars of savings. I was surprised how many people, my age, my acquaintances were in the store on this Monday. I like never got out of the store.
Dennis’ PT went well. It was rescheduled from 11 this morning to 1:45 this afternoon. The heating pad needs to be brought out front and center so when the muscles want to cramp up in his left leg, he gets it plugged in.
I found something interesting from what Usain Bolt, he ran the 100 yard meter in 9.58 seconds, gave as encouragement to people young and old: Dreams are free goals that have a cost to become reality which are, time, effort, sacrifice and sweat. That can pertain to me at my current status in life as well as anyone else.
The wind was strong when I went out and about, but now it has taken on a frigid cold on top of it. It feels as if it were -6 outside.
It has been a long time since we have had Progresso Chicken Noodle soup, Dennis’ favorite. Seeing as how he enjoyed a frosted cinnamon at Brett’s after PT and before coming home, the soup will serve us well.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
It would feel more like the 50 degree day that we are having if the sun had come out. Far off to the southwest I can see the clearing as the sun is beginning to set.
Today, I finished the exterior of the wooden trunk project. Though the sander had a collection container, it was time to tidy up that portion of the project. I had such an array of stuff on the top of the church tables. Putting everything back where it belonged wore me out a bit. Cleaning the sander with the Filter Queen attachments made short work of it. I cannot believe what a work horse that vacuum can be. The sander with its goodies is back in the box. Today, the city’s postal service delivered the package from Amazon with the additional sandpaper. Who knows when the sander will be called into action, I wanted to make sure we had on hand what would be needed.
Tomorrow, I may be doing more vacuuming in the studio. With the finger-sized attachment that I used on the sander, that attachment did not allow for the dust to be collected. I tried to have the vacuum running in close proximity of where I was sanding . . . with minimal success. Any little bit did help.
This project does beg the question: was this really all necessary? No, of course not. Couldn’t I have been content reading a book and watching traffic go by? It was a matter of challenging myself to see if I could pull it off. So far . . . so good. The internet tells me that I can wipe off what ever wants to be wiped off of the metal bands that are holding the trunk together with WD-40. Next step in the works will be to check out what we have on hand. I do feel a few days off in that regard.
This evening’s supper will be the pre-cooked Johnsonville beef brats with the leftover sauerkraut in the 32 oz. jar in the refrig. I can see myself putting a brat and kraut in between a slice of bread and calling it fare for an indoor picnic.
Dennis has PT in the morning. Me . . . not so much going on. I am sure I will find something to keep me on my toes. Speaking of toes . . . I always wear heavy socks and shoes when in the studio.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
The patio kitties took advantage of this nice weather. Dennis came in at 3:45 and reported Snuggles and Harriet are still out in the yard somewhere. Not to worry, they know when it’s time to come in and where food, water and shelter is.
I have ordered more sandpaper for our Jellas electric sander. No, I don’t think I will need it for my current project. What I found out is that the option of putting on the attachment with the finger-sized specialized sandpaper to get into tight quarters is not to be found online. I used the model number to seek and search. The sandpaper pads and the re-fills are scored. If and when I would use the attachment on the tip of the sander there is a screw to allow the black attachment to be put on. The small finger-sized sandpaper is held on with Velcro much like the full sized sandpaper is. The bottom portion of the scored replacement needs to stay on the sander with the holes matching up for the residue to go into the holding tank. I ordered the sandpaper replacement packages with the idea that when the small amount of the finger-sized sandpaper is gone, I can cut out replacements from the full sized sheets. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
Supper is more of the chicken rueben dish that we had last night. It was well received.
I occasionally have restless leg syndrome when I go to bed, but only in the left leg. It may be a coincidence or . . . an effect of the stroke. When it does happen, the left leg literally jumps. I get up out of bed and sit in my rocker and massage the leg starting at the knee going towards the foot until it subsides.
Years ago, there was an over-the-counter, in pill form, that contained quinine. It worked very well. It is no longer on the market.
With supper already in the works, I spent some time in the studio, dinking around. I have a one-time-left of sanding on the wooden trunk. My sewing machine has been covered since I had it serviced in Bird Island. When the sanding is done, I will get it uncovered for some sewing. The dust collector of the sander works great. As a testament to that, my glasses have not needed to be cleaned due to a sawdust issue and I do have my face right down in it. I did not want or need the sewing machine ready to run just yet.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
I am going to enjoy some warmer temperature as it may be short lived.
I had a busy day on the first floor. Laundry running gave me a chance to get frozen tenderloins out. Yup. Chicken Rueben, hot meal coming up for supper. I like to dice/cube the chicken before it is completely thawed as it cuts so much easier into the pieces I like. The next time I shop, I need to look for Poultry seasoning that is in a shaker container. The container I have is loose powder. All I can do is put some on my palm and swipe it over the chicken with my other hand. Too much in one place is not a good thing. The spices in it are worth the addition.
I finished four small pieces of stitching. It was time to get them into the basement on the padded Quilter’s Square and Block pad that the kids found for me in Goodwill a time back. They average 4″ x 4″. I will pull out interfacing to put on the back and then some patterned backing fabric. I have either the poly fill or the crushed walnut shells to fill the pillows with.
Today I ordered a new brush attachment (about as big a round as my closed fist) for the basement Filter Queen. The brush was the go-to attachment. Now that the vacuum has had a good cleaning, I will be more apt to use it down here in the studio.
Dennis’ job jar, in total, was the back entry floor. I don’t require shoes to come off when anyone comes into our home. Of course there is bound to have stuff come in. I don’t appreciate cigarette ashes mixed with what Mother Nature can drag in. Nope, sitting on the steps of the back entry with his foot holding open the screen door to let in the cold and blow ashes in to have a cigarette before bed, using a soup can as an ash tray . . . no more you ole cowboy. He comes in from the patio porch at eight at night. You could set your watch by it. If he made for almost two months without a cigarette during the hip surgery time, he can make it from 8 pm to 8am without choking off. Yes, I know how to stand my ground, because I am reasonable.
My hope everyone within my reading proximity, gets that last little bit of outside work done while we have no snow or ice to contend with.
With that I will take my leave. ♥
This has been a slow day here on Stauffer Avenue.
The winds that roared yesterday during the day did not take a break all through the night.
I passed on the studio today. A day of contemplation for what is yet to come.
I burrowed myself into some YouTubes on various topics. One was on the size of sewing needles. The conclusion was the larger the number on a packet of needles, the thinner the shaft. Good to know if and when I have beads to sew on something. Hmm. I happen to have some that would fit that bill.
When Jed Clampet did his naught and naughting with his number calculations, I must have caught a bit of that process. We get four real estate notices from the county. Lo and behold, I didn’t naught one correctly. The mail brought news that I had shorted one of the statements up by $43.00. Of course they got a few dollars interest. I wrote out a check and Dennis made quick work of delivering it. I’ll try and do better in 2025.
That was all of the excitement on this home-front for the day.
With that I will take my leave. ♥