Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:43 pm on October 25, 2020 Permalink  

  A Currier & Ives Sunday 

  There has been snow falling since 3:30 this morning when I got up to use the bathroom.  Our concrete surfaces are managing to melt the snow as it comes down.  When our trees release some of the snow that has gotten too heavy on the branches, it falls to the concrete patio resembling someone that has had a paintball gun.  A glob here and a glob there.  Again, the ground is totally covered.  By the supper hour yesterday, I was amazed how much of the yard was bare of snow.  

  I just came in from having an afternoon break with Dennis in the patio porch.  All three cats have their favorite chairs to lay on.  It helps that Dennis has a pillow on which they can each curl up on.  The Koi pond does have very light ice on the far edges.  The pump is keeping the majority of the water open.  If all goes well Wednesday we will be taking the Koi to their new home. 

  One thing had been neglected as we prepared for the changing seasons.  We had not taken the garden hoses in from the faucets on two sides of the house.  The hoses are now in the garages to thaw.  Hmm.  Something so obvious we had not seen it. 

  I have a project prepared in the sewing studio.  Fabric has been cut, stabilizer has been cut and then I shut off the lights and came upstairs.  I know my body well enough that I am better off not staying at one thing for too long whether it is standing, sitting in one chair too long or sitting in front of the sewing machine.  Moving!  It’s the key for an arthritic body.

  How could I not have an arthritic body.  I never took notice of what I was doing with my body when I was in my 20s and beyond.  Heck Ya . . . I can do it.  I sure did!  Well . . . I am still doing what I need to and like to do with perhaps a bit of a twist as to how I achieve the end results.  I have cautioned Carrie and Kevin when it comes to repetitive motions that can harm the joints, bones and the whole ball of wax . . . been there and done that.  Here I am today not letting the arthritis get anymore control of me than I can help.  Work smarter, not harder.

   
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  Noreen 3:19 pm on October 24, 2020 Permalink  

  Healing Sleep 

  The adage that in sleep you can heal your body.  If that has any truth to it, the fact that I slept for ten hours last night, my body has been refreshed.  There was no city traffic noise that I responded to.  It wasn’t until Dennis came in the house from enjoying his patio porch morning coffee that I stirred.  Hmm.  It surely can make for a shortened day.

  It is a gray, cool day today.  It is a very quiet day today.  Dennis went to help his friend Dwayne and from there he was heading to Windom, 26 miles down the highway, to a gun show.  I barely had time to greet him, make sure he had a face mask with and left with a bottle of protein Boost to drink along his way.

  I toddled around starting the laundry with bedding and took time to enjoy a cup of coffee sitting in our west house porch and watched traffic go by.  Every once in awhile, doing the quiet rested route is just what the doctor ordered.  I do have a ham string on my right hip that likes to buck a bit.  Here we are in the last of the afternoon and . . . all feels pretty good.  

  I have not had a radio or a television on today, so I have no idea if we are going to get the snow that was forecast.  Ignorance can be bliss.  I am going to enjoy that bliss for as long as I can into the early evening hours.  When Dennis gets home, there is going to be a lot of chattering as he fills me in on his day.  Priceless!

   
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  Noreen 4:09 pm on October 23, 2020 Permalink  

  An Incoming Text 

  At eight this Friday morning my phone let me know I had an incoming text.  I rolled over in bed and picked up my phone which rests on the edge of my mattress.  I squinted and saw it was from Carrie.  She was letting me know she was leaving Chaska and heading for St. James.

  Well hells bells, I had better get up and greet the world.  During this covid time there has been a backup at their courthouse in the metro.  Carrie was coming to St. James to get her Real I.D today.  O.K. a two hour drive and a wait time at the courthouse with the paperwork, I had plenty of time before she hit Stauffer Avenue.

  Carrie was at our backdoor at 10:15 this morning.  She had called ahead and had her paperwork up to snuff.  It took her seven minutes at our courthouse here in St. James.  That speaks volumes as to the small amount of volume we have here for the staff at the courthouse to process.  Interestingly enough, Carrie commented that no staff at the courthouse had face masks on.  Hmm. Good for the goose but not for the gander.  

  We had a great window of visiting as she needed to leave St. James at two to be back to pick up Nicholas from school.  As it was, Carrie’s job at Hobby Lobby has her filling out her 40 hours with working on Saturday this week.   As I said we chatted through lunch which was sandwiches on raisin cinnamon bread.  Dennis had white bread.  Hello! Of course Dennis had white bread as he feels anything other is just not bread.  Gotta love that fellow.

  I had a Christmas wall hanging that I would have sent home with Carrie during the holidays but she has no bare walls in her kitchen.  Kitchen cabinets all around.  Carrie took a look at my kitchen wall as we come up the steps from the back door.  I now have Command Strip hooks in place ready for the wall hanging to put up after Thanksgiving.  A second set of eyes never hurts.

  We have practically no snow on the ground.  It doesn’t take many points in the 30s, even with no sun, to sink down that snow where it belongs.  Dennis remarked how much the nitrogen the snow held and how it would help our front yard.  Thumbs up on that.

  We may have a repeat of snow over the weekend, but I peeked and there are several 40s in the future.  AH-HA, we will have a few fall days yet.  Never say never.

   
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  Noreen 3:59 pm on October 22, 2020 Permalink  

  Thursday 

  When I awoke this morning, it was to the sound of rumbling thunder that continued much like when my stomach is growling.  My eyes were not yet open when I heard the rain start.  When I had come totally to I couldn’t believe how dark it was outside for eight in the morning.  When the skies did lighten there was a yellow look.  Hmm.

  It was not until later in this day that the radio said the yellow was from the Colorado fires being right in line with the winds heading for Minnesota and freezing on the ice crystals in the sky.  What next.

  Dennis’ nephew’s concrete business is taking a bit of a break until it dries out a bit for what they have on the docket.  Brett did happen to bring over a baby quilt that he has been working on.  His request was for me to embroider the baby’s name and birth date on the quilt top.  How could I say no when it takes just a bit of time. We visited while the machine hummed.  I am pretty sure Brett is close to getting a new sewing machine.  He is independent enough that he would enjoy doing his projects from start to finish on his own.  Brett asked a lot of questions and my advice was to make sure when he did buy a unit, there would be one or two people that had the same units when it came to finding out the solution when there was a glitch. 

  This afternoon, Dennis was chauffeur as I needed errands done. A stop at the drug store, at the eye doctor for my eye vitamins, and the grocery store . . .  should keep us supplied for some time.  His pickup has been parked outside as the Cub Lo Boy is awaiting a repair part.  Dennis felt as long as his truck was wet, the car could stay in the garage. 

  It sounds as if we are in ducky weather right into November.  Not much we can do about it but suck it up and work around the puddles.  I am thankful that though we had some work for our handyman, none of it is detrimental to our safety within the property.  I am so sure we are going to have nice temps yet.  It’s a bummer when we are in God’s waiting room.  No peeking.

   
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  Noreen 3:11 pm on October 21, 2020 Permalink  

  A Post-Snow Day 

  There is a lot of snow remaining as hard as it has been trying to melt down and shrink.  Our surfaces that are concrete are bare as there was warmth coming up from the bottom.

  I am on a quest that is quite humbling.  I intend to measure and label each piece of fabric that is in my stashes.  There is nothing more disappointing than being hot on a pattern and nothing is labeled as to how large each piece is.  

  Why is it humbling?  There is quite a bit to go through.  Let’s be clear, I did my share of shopping when Grandma’s Quilt Emporium decided years ago to close their doors. The owner got bored with it and was not willing to allow anyone to purchase it as a going business.  If she wasn’t going to own it . . . no one else was either.  It was high end fabric and when some of us customers were contacted that we could shop for a $1.00 a yard . . . Dennis was all for it.

  Since that time, I have sewn out of that stash non-stop.  What has come my way since, is the loss of friends from illnesses.  Their families had no interest in thread and fuzz.  It has been the loss of Sue, Phyllis, Lorraine, and Rita.  How fortunate I am to have good health and be able to sew, giving homage to friends.  As I sew I do know where each piece of fabric came from.  It’s easy to pull memories from each.

  I have shared more yards of fabric than I could count.  Dennis’ nephew decided several years ago to dip his toe into quilting.  When Brett calls for help and “What do you have in the color of ______?”  I willingly give him choices.

  Slow but sure, I will have a handle on this organization.  Oh yes, there still remains a need to visit a quilt shop for backings of new quilt tops.  Even a twin size quilt top needs approximately five yards.

  It is forecast that the weather will be ducky right through Sunday.  Hunker down and make the best of time.  We will never have this particular day replayed.  I like making my mark on each and every day that my Lord has given me.

   
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  Noreen 3:34 pm on October 20, 2020 Permalink  

  So Much White 

  I was anticipating a light dusting of snow today. I think five inches could be a scooper if it were not so wet as some of it wants to melt that is closer to the ground.

  My first floor tasks included making some egg salad that Dennis said he had a hankering for.  I will say several of those eggs were not cooperating.  Holding a boiled egg under water for peeling does help.

  On a wintering day that presented itself today, I am thankful I can pull from activities that were honed decades in the past.  When Orlin and I were farming in Boon Lake Township, winter presented itself on just such a day as today.  With two small children it was possible that days indoors could well last until Easter. I am trusting that we will still have some fall days ahead.  Today I did head for the quiet of the sewing studio, taking my best memories with me for company.

  In those day of old, indoors with Carrie and Kevin meant I needed to be on my “A” game.  Carrie at the age of four, needed to emulate whatever I was doing.  Then, as now, thread and fuzz were my companions and I would be well supplied for what resources would be needed for the winter days that would follow.  I do recall that at one point,  I took a white dish towel and made dots to denote various items on the towel. The towel would then be put in a small hoop.  The entire towel was full.  With a huge plastic needle and floss, Carrie could go from dot to dot to fill in the outline.  Ya . . . I was the forerunner of the dot to dot color books with which someone made a million dollars.  Wouldn’t ya know!

  Kevin, navigating as a two year old, didn’t need structured activity.  A cardboard box with some toys, the bottom portion of the gas kitchen range that housed pots and pans, or waste baskets that needed emptying and sorting.  All was fair game.  Luckily Kevin could make the basement steps safely.  All that was required of me was to follow up whether it was up or down to see what could be rescued.  Snoopy, the family dog, had his rug in the back entry and that was always a favorite stop for Kevin.  Looking back, naps were always my favorite part of the day for those two wee ones. 

  Today may set the tone for some days to come.  I am prepared today much as I was in the mid 60s.  I like to stay busy and I like to have something to show for my days.  As I can easily become distracted in my sewing studio, the day may go quickly with quite not so much to show for it.  I am content. 

  I did check on Dennis often today in the patio porch.  He was content having the three cats off and on his lap while he had the Rural Farm channel on.  As long as I can see him as I look out the bathroom window and I can see the steam billowing from the chimney of the patio porch’s furnace . . . it’s a good thing. I took afternoon coffee break items out to enjoy with him at three.  I am secure in how my winter will be. Time will tell about Dennis’ days . . . taking one day at a time.

   
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  Noreen 2:47 pm on October 19, 2020 Permalink  

  Tools of the Trade 

  What would the world be like without YouTube videos!  I have learned much from them and I know there is more to come. 

  I have learned on my Bernina sewing machine that when the machine comes to a halt and the screen has an image of the bobbin on it . . . it is the upper thread that is causing the problem.  When the machine stops and there is an image of the top of the machine . . . it is a bobbin issue.  

  Watching a YouTube yesterday in regard to Bernina machines, an older fellow commented that the machine likes to have the thread from the spool feeding into the machine being taut.  No lagging and sagging thread from those two points.  Hmm. Today when I was going to begin sewing, all I got was the image of the bobbin time after time.  I have been using a multi spool carrier and I would turn that until it was just the right drag for the thread going into the machine.  Like all electrical devices, you can’t get away from a bit of vibration.  It would always stay in the direction I had pointed it to.  I dug into my tool box and out came a sock for the thread spool much like what I had seen on the video.

  Dennis was down in the basement as I was getting everything harnessed.  I knew I was having some problem, so why not do a grease job and an oil change before starting.  Needles are very cheap and I had just completed working on the quilt binding.  Going through batting and a total of six layers of fabric, I am sure the needle could use a change out as well.

  I started the embroidery design and voila, no more images of the dang bobbin showing up.  I have had this wonder machine for almost five years and I am still learning.  I acknowledge that I don’t know it all.  I am wise enough seeking out those that have traveled through hell and high water before me, sharing their wisdom with instructional videos on YouTube.  Priceless.  There couldn’t be a manual printed thick enough to cover all that hands-on can teach us via viewing and listening.

   
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  Noreen 3:11 pm on October 18, 2020 Permalink  

  A Lena Sunday 

  Today I was set to sew on the actual binding to the Folk Art Quilt.  I had tried out several seam widths yesterday.  There is no end of trying and learning when it comes to sewing.  I am always up to a challenge.

  Many of my friends sew the binding on the right side of the quilt, turn it over and then finish it by hand hemming it to the back of the quilt.  It’s not because I can no longer do the hand . . . of much of anything, I feel the hand hemming does not hold up to use.  When mom, Lena, was in the nursing home in Buffalo Lake, Elvera wanted Mom to have a really nice quilt on her twin bed.  She always had wonderful quilts on her beds wherever she and dad had lived.  It was many a time that Elvera brought needle and thread along to the nursing home when she came to visit.  The tugging of the quilt or perhaps the fact that the quilt was laundered so often, the hand stitched hem needed repair. 

  When I hand off a quilt, I intend for it to used.  The stitching of the binding with the sewing machine is very durable.  Tug away!  Today I hemmed the quilt with the prepared binding in place sewn to the back of the quilt first.  My goal was to have the appearance that it was one time under the needle to attach the binding to the quilt, front and back.  With consistent seam allowance, front and back, I would say “Mission Completion.”  Stopping and starting the stitching to allow for the free flow of the quilt as it needs to feed under the needle . . . still a bit of a challenge.  Each time I stop sewing to make sure the heft of the quilt is not pulling at the needle, it allows for a bit of unevenness in the goal of a very straight line showing on the top of the quilt.  Not to worry, there will always be a next time to hone my skills.

  It felt like a Lena Sunday, as the only radio station that would come in on my vintage portable was KNUJ-AM out of New Ulm.  Lena would have that station on all Sunday afternoon as she sat at the kitchen table darning socks.  Dad would catch a nap on a Sunday . . . Mom darned his socks on a Sunday.  I did get the quilt hemmed, but at three in the afternoon, I was polkaed out, and the radio got turned off.  Oh the bliss of total quiet in the house.  

  As it gets colder out, that “total quiet” is hard to come by.  My sewing studio surrounds the forced air furnace in the basement.  I have always thought that our furnace is way too noisy.  Tough tittie.  The Watson boys say it is what it is.  Small space and the furnace is running at what it was intended to do.  Suck it up!

  Have a great, cool weekend.  This is my favorite time of the year.  I hope it lasts until Thanksgiving.

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on October 17, 2020 Permalink  

  A Mixed Bag of Weather 

  The sun was out for a bit and now I see rain drops on the window.  Ish!

  Dennis, my invincible cowboy, came down with a cold Friday night.  It could well be sinuses. Either way it’s not good news.  It could also be the stress of the eye injection on Friday that had his resistance at a vulnerable place.  The best thing is to not hover over him, while still being at his beck and call.

  I wrangled an acorn squash until it gave up and let me get it cut into two fairly equal parts.  There is nothing that smells as good in the oven.  I spent my day tending the bedding in the laundry, readying a bit in the west porch and rounding it out by some time in the sewing studio.  The sewing studio spit out some sample stitching as I am anticipating sewing the binding on the Folk Art quilt.  I have done bindings for what seems forever.  I wanted to nail down the width sewing the binding on the back of the quilt first, flipping it over to the front and stitching with the hope that in the end result, it looks as if one stitching hit both front and back equally.  Practice, practice.

  There isn’t a lot to show for the dreary day.  Not all days can be an ace in the hole.  The fact that my patient is content and I have a portion of our supper in the oven . . . filling the home with a great aroma . . . I am calling it good.

  Take care.  Take time for what makes you feel good and know that life is sweet.  It sure beats the alternative.

   
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  Noreen 2:54 pm on October 16, 2020 Permalink  

  A Friday 

  It’s a Friday and I feel good about today.  It is getting easier for me to let go of what I know I can no longer do in regard to some of the work left to do outside.  I know Dennis has a good fellow coming to help out and it is now out of my hands and off of my mind.  

  It has not been easy on me with the covid lockdown.  Each month I thought that would be the last of it.  Not so.  It’s been o.k. getting to the grocery store, drug store and post-office with a mask on everywhere I go.  Yes, I have driven over to Old Alley Quilt Shop three times.  I have not dallied about or mingled to any extent while in the store.  Zip, zip and I am on my way home. 

  I have needed to be careful as I don’t know how vulnerable Dennis is in regard to his immune system.  I would never forgive myself if I brought something home for him to endure.  With that being said, I am also thinking of myself in regard to the care I would need to give.  How far would it ware me down?  I have had experience when we went through the times before it was known that the carotids were bringing Dennis down to brink. It is not me being selfish, it is reality. It’s hard work mentally, emotionally and physically being a caregiver.  Thank the Lord, those days are behind us.  Dennis has been doing great and I am thankful for it every day.  But let’s be clear, I am up for it when and if it is needed.

  In the past we would whip over to Mankato in a heartbeat, just to be getting out of town and being somewhere else.  Since March that has been a no, no.  I had been getting out to be with fellow stitchers and meeting for lunch at Baker’s Square. That has been a no, no.   My car has been getting great gas mileage.

  Today with my spirits having been lifted, I immersed myself into the sewing studio.  The embroidery module is going full bore and I spent some time working with my model 1840 Sears Kenmore machine.  I am doing some prep work on the quilted quilt with the Kenmore prior to the binding process of a quilt.  Oh my gosh.  I had forgotten the wear and tear on my right wrist of putting the presser foot up and down.  The angle required to get the job done makes it feel like it takes a ton of pressure to get the job done.  Getting the needle threaded . . . hum.  I have gotten so spoiled with the Bernina doing both of those functions automatically.  I still like the fact that I have the Kenmore as a backup.  It’s my old bud.

  Dennis had his second injection today for the wet macular degeneration.  It can’t feel very comfortable in regard to these next several days.  He says it feels like he has an entire gravel pit in his eye.  The eye patch does keep out the tendency to put a finger to the eye. 

  We are on to the weekend and feeling very thankful and blessed here on Stauffer Avenue.  It is the best place in town.