Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:31 pm on December 12, 2025 Permalink  

  Past Winters 

  In past winters when we had a bit of cold and snow . . . all the time, it was a regular thing to tramp through the cold and snow to get to the north side of the house to knock down the ice that would build up from the vent as the furnace ran . . . a lot.  If too high of an ice build up, it can shut the furnace down.

  The Watson boys thought we were crazy when we asked them to re-route the vent.  They warned that having it vent to the south might build up dangerous ice on the drive.  We ask them to take on the project and that we had been duly warned.

  This is the kind of winter that I am very thankful we did the re-routing of the vent.  We have the awareness and are mindful.

  Another good decision was having the garage get some TLC this summer.  The old crooked service door did not have a latch.  Strong winds would come up leaving the door ajar and thus the garage furnace ran and ran.  Part of the garage project included a straight door with a lock and key closure.  The winds have been horrific for months.

  I am a firm believer in taking care of our homestead.  Doing items that are needed may cost as they present themselves but is cheaper in the long run.  A dribble on the budget now and then is easier than a total overhaul when so many things have gone to shit.  One of many of the lessons I learned and observed from my dad, Raymond. 

  I sure do miss Raymond and Lena.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:39 pm on December 11, 2025 Permalink  

  Cause and Effect 

  On gray days, it is imperative that I maintain a balanced day.  Things could go wonky if I stagnate.  After my morning rituals, I clock into the studio.  I remember when the news on KNUJ will be aired, and I enjoy getting the latest.  Surprisingly their local news takes in a wide sweep.

  The cause that is taking place in the studio is not for anyone else’s benefit but my own.  I take no donations.  The opposite is the most true.  Remaining creative and interested enough to work through fabric stashes . . . that is the objective.

  The effect that the studio has on me is the ultimate.  While in the studio I feel relaxed.  Contentment is at its peak.  I may do some sewing, or I may take a break and refresh my memory as to what a particular drawer is sheltering.  Right now there is a seven color quilt top in the works.  It may take me some time as I believe in pressing seams as they are sewn.  That allows me to get up from the sewing machine chair, walk to the other side of the studio to trim the seam, walk over to the other side of the church tables to iron the seam and then resume sewing.  I remember when Elvera began working with quilting.  She would get a quilt top done without having had the iron plugged in.

  Quilting is a lot like computer work: garbage in . . . garbage out.  That’s all I have to say about that.

  The studio is lit up like a Christmas tree.  It may be gray out, it may be snowing . . . I don’t pay any attention.  

  The evenings are my stitching time.  There also, I have lights abound in my bedroom porch.  “All the better to see you my pretty.”  I have no idea where that popped out from.  Actually, keeping older people around does bring some amusement.  In the evenings, Dennis enjoys his television cop shows, all the while either playing solitaire or on Facebook.  I can easily find a movie on Hulu while stitching.

  Yes . . . it’s a wonderful life.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:43 pm on December 10, 2025 Permalink  

  Needles 

  Admittedly, needles get away from me from time to time.  Seek and they will be found.  Anyone working with fuzz and threads knows the sentiment.

  This season, there is no way I can keep track of the evergreen needles.  Front door, back door and all across the floors.  The winds have been so horrific, I look closely to see if there are indeed some bare branches.

  Since 1987, I have guarded against all things less than good from being tracked into our home.  This season I am calling “Uncle.”

  Dennis has specialty shoes that he faithfully wears.  They are not easily taken off and put back on during the day.  So we have evergreen needles stuck to the shoes as Dennis comes in the back door . . . so be it.  If a bit of snow comes along in with them . . . so be it.

  I am the one usually manning the front door, either for the mail or for clearing the front deck. The huge evergreen tree has boughs of its branches hanging over the deck railing.  The deck is covered with its needles.  My shoes also like to bring in some extras.

  If that’s the worst case of what is needed for cleanup, I think we will manage just fine.  It’s our home and indeed a home that can and has handled almost anything in 38 years.  Even visitors can and do leave their shoes on . . . why not!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:49 pm on December 9, 2025 Permalink  

  A Mess 

  The streets are a wet mess as the temps are in the thirties.

  Messes are not just on wet street and walkways.  There had been something amiss in one of our refrigerator’s crisper drawers.  It was not good.  It may have been in progress for sometime going by the labels of products that had been in the drawer.  They now were in a state of encapsulated gunk that resembled a clear-coat of some kind.  Mirror mirror on the wall.

  We were in need of groceries as the cupboards were creaking they were so bare.  Admittedly, we do that often to allow us to use what had and has been bought in the past.  An example would be our supper from last night.  A can of white chicken meat.  I made sure to wipe the top of the can as it had been on the shelf in the pantry for quite some time.  An onion that was about to sprout a new beginning was next.  The pay-back for letting it sit idle for so long was that I needed to take off my glasses while shredding it.  The tears were severe, I had to stop and rinse my eyes in the bathroom.  The last ingredient was a paltry amount of shredded Swiss cheese.  Mayo to the recue to combine said items.  The plastic container was popped into the refrigerator until it was time for supper.

  With my grocery list in hand I was getting ready to shop at our Super-Fair grocery store.

  There is an adage: seek and you will find, ask and it shall be given.  I honed in on the last of that adage.  I asked Dennis to take care of the yucky crisper drawer while I was gone.  Sweet.  I wouldn’t be around to tell him how to do it.   

  A win, win.  The drawer was clean enough to put the new produce in it and we had a variety of groceries back in the house.

  You have to love when a plan comes together.  The chicken salad was great for supper.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 5:44 pm on December 8, 2025 Permalink  

  Oh the Lessons 

  I had a doctor’s appointment this morning at 8:45.  New fallen snow again.  Not severe.  I went out to take the car to the clinic.  No go.  A message said “No Key Fob”  Hmm.  It took me a heartbeat to think that perhaps the battery in the key fob needed replacing.  I was headed back into the house to retrieve a second key fob.  Dennis told me he would take me to the clinic.  He would drop me off and I would give him a call when I was done.  Worked great.

  My appointment went well.  My primary is from New Jersey.  Her first Minnesota Winter.  I really like her.  She asks questions in regard to everyday living situations.  I really like and appreciate her.

  We now have new batteries in both of our key fobs.

  It sounds as if snow is going to be prevalent this week, even perhaps rain.

  I did get some studio time in today.

  We are going to keep the new leaf blower in the house with the battery charger, so we can keep the front deck cleared off as well as blowing our way out of the back door.  Whatever works. 

  With that I will take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 3:41 pm on December 7, 2025 Permalink  

  Brr! 

  It indeed chucked up some cold temperatures.

  Bless Randy’s heart, he was clearing snow really early this morning.  Jan had texted me that they were headed to a family gathering and our drive would be clear if we needed to go anywhere.  I don’t think so!

  When I noticed snowflakes in Saturday’s afternoon, I went into action.  We had a bag of solar softener pellets in the garage.  With an empty coffee can I could use, I sprinkled salt pellets on the path from the garage’s service door to within five feet of the back door.  For those last five feet I used salt out of our softener’s brine tank.  It’s very fine granules covered the area better. 

  This morning, I bundled up.  With our pink plastic shovel, the snow willingly gave up and was pushed into the drive’s area.  The entire path had very little of the new snow stuck to it.  After I warmed up, I used the softener salt to lightly sprinkle the entire path.  I knew that when the sun came around the gable of the garage, the path would be entirely safe.

  Safe . . . I knew I couldn’t keep Dennis out of his patio porch for a second day.  Saturday he was stiff and sore in places he didn’t know he had.  Ironically, Friday he had been to the VA doctor and came home with great reports.  I have no idea where the fall stemmed from in the early morning hours of Saturday.

  Dennis had barely made it into his chair in the patio porch and Snuggles was on his lap and Harriet was beside the chair getting her back rubbed.

  We are back to whatever normal is.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:36 pm on December 6, 2025 Permalink  

  Saturday the 6th of December 

  It is in the mid afternoon of the 6th of December and I have been up for just about twelve hours.  I got up for a bathroom visit during the night about 3:30.  As I was just going back to a deep sleep, I heard Dennis rousing.  I did drift off when I heard commotion.  Dennis had gotten up to use the bathroom, but he had fallen in his bedroom on the way back.  I don’t know how long he had been trying to get up on his own.  He never called out.  Good grief.

  The light over the kitchen sink stays on 24/7.  The fall was not from a darkened home, as that light shines right into his bedroom.  After several tries of getting up, I dialed 911.  I explained the situation . . . I needed several strong people to get Dennis back up on his feet, the back door would be unlocked with a light on.

  I did get the door unlocked and waited.  We live one block east and then one block south of the ambulance barn.  The first to arrive was the police.  Standard when 911 is called.  At the time of the day to get people that are on call to answer the 911 call, it didn’t take long.  Dennis may have thought otherwise. 

  Dennis was given a good check-over as he sat on the chair in his bedroom by the three EMTs that were with him.  His blood pressure was 120/58.  Each time they checked it began its path to a normal reading.  As the house was being emptied of visitors, the coffee pot programed for 6 am was going off.

  Dennis was weak from the experience and he got tucked into his recliner with his polar fleece blanket.  At noon I woke him to do a check for myself.  Headache?  Hurt anywhere?  I had noticed from the onset that his left facial cheek was bruised and his nose was very red.  A very late breakfast at the table to keep him up for a while.  Yes, the walker was being used to steady himself.

  Each time he has moved about the house, his legs have begun taking stronger steps.

  Dennis is quarantined to the house for the remainder of the day and the night.  I went out and did the livestock chores assuring Snuggles and Harriet grandpa would be back in the morning.  Sorry, no cigarette breaks until then.  I assured him the time would pass and it was not permanent, like it would have been if he had taken the joy ride with the EMTs.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:34 pm on December 5, 2025 Permalink  

  Flaking 

  It’s been flaking off and on since early morning.  Those self same flakes added up to allow an accumulation on parked cars and our front deck.

  Dennis went off to keep an 8:45 appointment at the VA clinic here in town.  After several cups of coffee I headed to the studio.  For me it is as if I am punching in with a time-card.  It keeps me moving and staying engaged in a balanced day.  It’s not an automatic thing.  I work at staying in the present while still having something tangible to show for my God-given day.

  Yes, I do like the configuration of having a flat surface to the left of me while sewing.  Yesterday’s plan is working.  It also keeps me from sitting at the sewing machine for too long.  I need to get up to go to the ironing board, walk around the church tables to trim the newly pressed seams.  It really is all about staying on my feet as much as possible to keep strength in my legs, hips, back . . . the whole aging package.  Even doing the uping and downing of the steps to get to the studio for enjoyment is a good thing.  Another plus . . . there is nothing better than keeping up with news than on the KNUJ radio station. 

  Dennis was home by noon and he gave me the ditty on his VA appointment.  We will be receiving the results of his lab work via the mail.  He is on their calendar for an appointment next year.  If something changes, he can give them a call.

  I didn’t ask for any input on last night’s supper options.  When I had supper done, Dennis came to the table to see what he would be getting.  What was for supper, was a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal with a generous addition of flax meal.  The table held cinnamon, milk and brown sugar.  The flax meal adds a great flavor to the otherwise bland oatmeal.   

  Sometimes, surprises for a meal works out great.  I got positives reviews. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:31 pm on December 4, 2025 Permalink  

  Possibilities 

  Without fail, I would wager that each day we are given presents us with possibilities.  Hmm.  Why didn’t I think of that before today.

  I have been nestled into my studio for decades.  In so doing, there have been wood projects, doing a Santa autopsy, too many quilts to count and millions and millions of stitches on the sewing machine I have been using.  Everything always seemed to hum along just fine.

  This forenoon as I was going to begin piecing a quilt top together that I would end up donating. . . nothing seemed logical.  I had no working surface to the left of my sewing machine that was elbow height.  The two church tables suffice in the planning and the bringing of stashes to the forefront and doing finishing work of the embroidered items.  They are also ten inches higher than the sewing needle in the machine.  Perfect height to save the back when standing over them when cutting fabric.

  For several minutes I was content finishing my coffee that I had brought down with me to the studio.  Swiveling around on my sewing chair, I spied a heavy duty card table that was stored behind the furnace.  So . . . did I jump right up and pull it out from behind?  No!  That card table had been behind the furnace before I had put up the shelving for additional storage.  I needed to get organized.  Stored items on the shelves were put on the church tables.  The three shelves, items from Menards, made out of some composite and lots of glue were heavier that I remembered.  The metal brackets needed a hammer to jar them loose.  At last the card table could be slid out.

  The old Filter Queen vac was put to use to capture a few unwanted webs.  I keep the vac plugged in 24/7 for just such spur of the moment of moving items.

  I could not believe how heavy that card table was.  After it was dusted, the four legs snapped right up for service.  I did not put off replacing the shelving unit and that which was stored on the shelves.  I don’t look the other way, generally what needs to be done . . . gets done. 

  Mission completion.  Who could think of trying this new configuration out!  I was pooped.  KNUJ was shut off, all the lights went out and the thrill of having a work surface to the left of my elbow will be experienced . . . perhaps tomorrow.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:22 pm on December 3, 2025 Permalink  

  Mighty North Wind 

  The north wind is encouraging snow being swept off of roof tops and making small drifts of snow across drives and sidewalks.

  I see it all happening and that is as much as it is bothering me.  I enjoyed two cups of coffee before heading down into the studio.  Today I succeeded in putting what was started decades ago, a 2025 fruition.  My mom, Lena, loved her threads and fuzz.  That is most likely where I shared that love then and right into today.  I don’t know what mom’s intent was as she stitched together layer upon layer of prairie points.  Prairie point: a square of fabric folded several times ending with a self-contained point.  Often mom would use them to edge her quilts with the intent that grubby little hands would put wear and tear on the points and not the quilt edge.  These three items held many hand stitched stitches to hold the points in place making for a quilter’s design.

  

  I knew I had some silicone fabric much like what is used on ironing board’s surfaces.  With my protractor to achieve the correct sizes, the plan was shaping up quite nicely.  Into my stashes of trimmings I went to see about finishing them.

  

  There are now three hot pads for dissemination when Carrie and Megan visit.  I intend to keep one for myself.  Using the double fold bias tape needs a steady hand to keep the two layers consistent.  Mission completion.

  In between time, there are a dozen frozen cinnamon rolls thawing for later in the day baking.  We usually purchase a 6 lb. bag of chicken tenderloins.  Today was the day to open that purchase up and make meal sized zip-lock bag offerings.  So much easier than struggling with the large frozen bag each time chicken is on the menu.

  It’s been a good day on Stauffer Avenue.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥