Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:31 pm on January 11, 2026 Permalink  

  The Eleventh 

  The days do keep ticking right along.

  Today I picked up my stitching.  It had been laying fallow for this the fifth day.  I didn’t need a my threads comingling with a facial tissue.  I could see quite clearly where the holes were on my eighteen stitches per inch fabric were.  A cup of hot coffee nearby.  I was off to the races.

  After stitching for several hours, I looked and there was a mistake I had put in last week.  I had to pick out my several current stitching hours as nothing was going to jibe going forward.  When I have found a mistake, I work picking out to that point.  To keep stitches from raveling out that are good, I use a pin dot of Aleene’s Tacky Glue on the back.  It dries quickly.  It can’t be denoted from the right side.

  My hand stitching keeps me motivated for other activities in my home.  I don’t nap during the day.  I am apt to put the stitching down and do some housework and then return to it. 

  When Dennis got his new recliner, I did throw around the idea of looking for a new soft chair for myself.  My Teak wooden rocker is currently my chair to watch news from.  It’s my chair to sit in when visiting with company that has dropped in.  I would be hard pressed to catch a nap while sitting in it.  To this point in time, I don’t want a chair to nap in.  I am saving that option for a time in my life that I want to sleep my days away.  I want to stay busy.  I want to stay productive.  To Dennis’ credit, his recliner time may be in the forenoon of a day and then it’s done for the day.  He likes staying busy in his garage and the patio porch.

  As soon as this head cold has totally been gotten over, and I mean totally, I have plans for the studio.  As long as there are plans, I will be staying busy and content in the studio allowing for balanced days.  I am not rushing the studio plans as this set-back is one I do not want to repeat for quite some time.  It has taken the starch out of me and has made me very humble.  How could I have let this happen to me!

  With that I will take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:00 pm on January 10, 2026 Permalink  

  Saturday the 10th 

  Well hello people.

  It’s amazing what four days of doing no more than holding yourself upright up, and three good nights of rest can do for a cold.

  No sneezing!  It is said when you sneeze your heart does not beat.  I was beginning t0 get concerned about that.  No coughing.  A feeling of being pulled backwards through a keyhole . . . that I have.  I can see clearly . . . also a good sign of gunk being absent.

  This morning, I did don a face mask as there was no way I was going to miss out on our monthly haircut and pedicure date with Maria.  I sure didn’t want to pass along anything to her.  It felt good to feel human after her spa treatment.  After pushing a few buttons for laundry, I felt as I had done enough for today.  Dennis put himself in charge of swapping out the load from washer to dryer.

  Without much effort, we are going to have a good hot supper of chicken titties, instant mashed potatoes, carrots and cranberries.  That for sure beats pickled herring.

  Lo key for the remainder of the weekend.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:28 pm on January 9, 2026 Permalink  

  Reporting 

  It is Friday.  I am reporting in like the trooper I am.  My temp is 96.7, nothing alarming.

  I slept for ten hours last night with no coughing.

  This morning, the sneezing resumed once my breathing resumed normally after the hibernation.  I checked.  The excessive sneezing is to help rid irritants from the nasal cavities.  I must have been hoarding them.  Using my prescription eye drops has helped with that gunk. 

  I am taking Tylenol every six hours.

  I had been saving herring cutlets in the refrigerator for just such a noon lunch as today.  The vinegar felt good in the throat.

  Joy, joy, joy.  We got a bill in the mail from the Watson Boys for the installation of the bidet.  Dennis had me write out a check immediately for the sum total of $85.00.  Both of us had estimated something more in the several hundreds.

  See there . . . I take that as a sign that there is light under my my irritated nose.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:05 pm on January 8, 2026 Permalink  

  Not Sure 

  I either have a dose of a head cold or a sinus situation.  I am not sure.  My eyes feel yucky.  

  There is not much of a chance to see for stitching or for reading.  

  I will admit it.  I have taken for granted all the days that I felt good and could do good.  Being ground down is for the birds.  I don’t even care if the dirty clothes basket has erupted.  It would be funny if not kind of sad and pathetic . . .  Dennis is sure he is under the weather as well.  Ya, right!

  Well there is nothing t0o be gained by not having anything positive to share on this gray dismal day.  I am sure all of the above said dribble will pass in time.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:02 pm on January 7, 2026 Permalink  

  It is Official 

  It is now official that I am under the weather.  The thick throat is no longer prevalent.  The entire event is taking part in what is called a “head cold.”  Runny eyes, runny nose . . . lots of tissues to catch what wants to run out of the nose.

  What a bummer.  I can’t even recall when this has happened to me last.  I can tell you that everyone of the so-called loving family members that were in and out of here over the last five days were all hacking and coughing up disgusting stuff waiting for a petri-dish to be offered on the buffet in which to grow a culture from it.  I am so naughty.

  I will get over this.  There will be no studio fun and games until I am over it.

  The company that we bought the bidet toilet seat from had emailed me requesting that I contact them via email once it was installed.  I was more than happy to do that on Monday.  They took any type of feed-back that I could offer, which I did and it was positive.  They ask one question back and that was whether our water was heavy with minerals and I sent back that we had a water conditioner, thus soft water.  On that we should enjoy the toilet lid for 6-7 years without a problem.  Good to know.

  On that note, I think a bowl of hot soup is in order for supper.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:09 pm on January 6, 2026 Permalink  

  The Hush 

  Shh!  A hush has fallen on the home at Stauffer Avenue.  At eleven this forenoon, all visiting family members of Dennis’ have left . . . like in gone to their own homes.

  After these last five days, it has definitely been confirmed that I am a hermit, an introvert, aka: also known as spoiled.  We don’t know how other people live.  We now know that other people don’t respect how we live: when its bedtime, when it’s getting up time to greet a new day, or a normal meal time for those they are visiting.  Even poor Harriet has not come down from the garage rafters until each day she was sure it was just her, Snuggles and Dennis.  They say that too long of a stay, family can start to smell like fish.  Hey, I tried.  I didn’t shower for three days and none of them left.  Just kidding.

  At noon I was at our Mayo Clinic here in town for my annual Echocardiogram.  The readings of today will be read and turned over to my cardiac doctor for my visit next Thursday, the 14th in Mankato at the heart center.  The scans take a long time.  One and a half hours on a slab doing just what was told to you in regard to positions for good readings and photos.  If the scans were good, I may not have to swallow the camera for a better look-see.  If I need to, I will do so.

  The sun has come out this afternoon and it is a welcomed site.  Never mind if it’s hit or miss, I’ll take it.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:24 pm on January 5, 2026 Permalink  

  Family Visiting 

  Family members from the Silver Bay area decided to make a long weekend of the birthday bash of the 3rd at the VFW.

  Dennis’ daughter Susie and her family came over mid Sunday afternoon.  Needless to say the three great- grand daughters wanted to hang out with Snuggles in the patio porch.  Much chit chat.  About six, Susie corralled the group, a sister-in-law was calling the group over as her supper for them was ready.  To have a long weekend with no threat of bad weather or roads when traveling 5-6 hours from home is indeed a blessing.

  This morning, I awoke with hardly any voice.  No coughing, just a sore throat.  The hot coffee really felt good going down.

  My plans were to head for the grocery store.  I was out of apples and avocadoes.  Yesterday I was cleaned out of cookies.  The girls did not care if they were store bought.  Today, I did buy two dozen from Super-Fair to put in the cookie container.  Well . . . actually it is the Tupperware lettuce keeper.  It does do a good job with the cookies.  The cookies from Super-Fair are good.  Their bakery out shines the Schmidt Bakery here in town.  I had barely gotten them in the container when the Arizona son stopped in and had the cover off taking some to the patio porch to visit with Dennis.  I have some of Carrie’s frozen cookie dough rounds left in the freezer, but they are good to have and savor the flavor, rather than having some bodies swallow without chewing.  When I know all visitors have gone back to their homes, I will then do some of Carrie’s.

  I am staying out of the studio for now.  With temperatures fluctuating from extreme cold to temps in the thirties, the furnace doesn’t keep consistent temperatures for the studio.  I can keep busy right here on the first floor of our home.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:07 pm on January 4, 2026 Permalink  

  Hello Sunshine! 

  Even if the 33 degrees feels like nine above the sunshine looks good.  The south wind is causing the mail slot’s cover to flap in the strong winds.

  Dennis came home from the birthday party bash at the VFW last night by nine thirty.  He continued talking here as we sat at the dining room table until bed time.  He had a chance to catch up with so many people he knew as he nursed his can of Coke.  I was thrilled for him.

  Through so many times of being in this winter’s weird weather going unscathed, I have managed to pick up a cold that has affected my voice.  I know, I know, you all are so happy for Dennis.  Naughty, naughty.

  I did not mind one bit using up my raspy voice visiting with Sharon Skolberg this afternoon.  She is the one . . . the only one . . . going back to rural school days and rural 4-H Club days to give each other well wishes for 2026 and beyond.  There has been a lot of water over the dam throughout the decades.

  Orlin and I farmed a mile south of Ted and Sharon in the 60s.  I would, on occasion, watch daughter Gayle when Sharon worked at 3M in Hutchinson.  Sharon and I both agreed we do not live in the past but the memories of those past years are mighty sweet.  Let’s hear it for Boon Lake Township!

  Dennis’ son is here from Arizona for a few days.  Dennis’ little red pickup won’t be telling any tails as to where it and Kenny have been since Thursday.  Nephew Brett will be taking Kenny to the Sioux Falls airport on Tuesday.  This afternoon, Dennis and Kenny are in the patio porch, no doubt re-capping events from the birthday party of last night.  There is no way the party closed down by 9:30.

  Before I started my blog, I looked out the window onto the front deck, only to see a package from Amazon.  Sure enough.  It was the two bottles of Magnesium caplets I had ordered yesterday while Dennis was gone.  I would have burned a lot of shoe-leather getting into or shopping in either the Wal-greens or Sam’s Club in Mankato.  Dennis and I both take them.  A very economical over the counter supplement with great benefits.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:06 pm on January 3, 2026 Permalink  

  Saturday the 3rd of January 

  As I am watching traffic, Dennis is getting ready to go to a birthday party.

  I must have stayed in the studio too long yesterday.  I have a bit of a thick feeling throat and the nose is needing attention.

  This forenoon we had some work done in the bathroom by the Watson boys.  There comes a time when I do a reality check.  My left arm has not much strength.  My hands and wrists on both arms are tender.  This fall, it was wise for me to no longer walk up and down on Stauffer like I used to.  Using two canes for stability, the reaction to that action began indicating two hands that felt the pressure with each step.  Using my hands to keep mobility is different than putting pressure on the hands and wrists.  I don’t even want to go there when and if things went badly.

  It’s all about doing things as wisely as possible.  Our bathroom was tricked out by Kevin some years ago.  Huge up-grade.  Several years ago we had Watsons take out the bathtub and install a walk-in shower.  I had visited with Brandon Watson about an up-grade to the toilet.  He said . . .  we were to buy what we needed and wanted and they would do the install.  We had the goods found on the internet, we ordered it, postage free and it was at our door step in two days.

  Life is all about staying in-tune with your body.  The body changes but reality doesn’t.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:07 pm on January 2, 2026 Permalink  

  A Good Completion 

  Our days always have events.  Today my event was that I had a good completion in the studio.  Dennis had asked Carrie for a favor for Christmas.  Dennis was backing the purchase of clothing for me via Carrie.  Carrie had to seek and find a store in the metro that had what Dennis requested.  She did great.  Dennis did good. 

  My completion today was shortening of the sleeves.  I think it could be stated that shorter arms than the USA standards of clothing can be inherited.  Yup . . . that would be me.  I took my time in looking over the situation.  The jacket is fully lined.  Measure once, measure twice and put the scissors down.  Shut the lights off in the studio.  This morning, I was ready for action.  I had thought about this in my waking hours long enough.  The Christmas clothing that Dennis bought for me is now on a hanger ready to be worn.  Whew.

  When I am in a very intense process, I have to continually tell myself to relax my shoulders.  If I don’t, they are going to damn well hurt far beyond the time that I am working on the progress.  Oh my, let me tell you, Dennis is so proud.  He had been asking me how things were going every time I headed to the studio.   Well . . . the first such out-pouring from Dennis in over 2o years . . . this was huge!  Bless his heart.

  Dennis’ son from Arizona is here for several days.  There will be a lot of Curry’s goings-on over the entire weekend.  I am going to keep my head down and agree with everyone.  Part of it all, is that grandson Ryan has a surprise 40th birthday party that has been planned for him.  I kind of didn’t get what the big deal about being 40 was all about.  Just one big drinking party from New Years rolling right into the weekend.  I didn’t loose anything in the VFW, so I am keeping our home front open for anyone needing a break.

  With that will take my leave.  ♥