Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:28 pm on October 29, 2018 Permalink  

  How many leaves can 100 year old Maple and Oak trees drop after hard frosts? Enough to keep Dennis and me busy for five hours. I had raked some yesterday. Today Dennis was on board with the Sears riding mower to mulch. We have twenty feet of Hostas under the lilacs that are under said Maple and Oak trees. Those packed leaves needed to be raked out and over the back patio into the path of Dennis and his mower. We got it done. Whatever there may be for leaves that have a thing about hanging onto mom’s limbs, they have our permission to fall at will.

  We were dirty so we felt we might as well take care of the Koi. They are now in the horse tank in the car garage with the bubbler going. It is amazing how difficult they are to net. All of the filters and pumps have been washed in Dawn dishwashing liquid and are drying before being stored for the winter. Dennis is now taking it easy in his rocking chair in the patio porch watching the sump pump empty the Koi pond onto the backyard.

  I am currently busy screwing up chili. It’s bad enough that 2lbs of 85% ground beef was $8.14, without my hand putting in too much salt. We now have chunks of raw potato floating with the hope of absorbing some of the salt. I have bought packages of chili seasoning to add to ground beef. Within those packages is white rice which is also a good component to soak up salt. We will have some unique chili for supper. I can also tell you that it will be eaten as there is no way this will be thrown out. Dennis is a good sport. In days of old a very strong dose of salt water was given to stave off worms within the frontier children.

  There is never a dull moment here on Stauffer Avenue and we wouldn’t want it any other way. When I am very weary I either sleep deeply or I can’t get to sleep. It doesn’t matter as I am hoping for a slow quiet day tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 4:09 pm on October 28, 2018 Permalink  

  It’s “Hang on to your bloomers Day.” The north wind means business just not enough to take away the good feelings of sunshine.

  I have been keeping an eye out on our backyard that has been tilled and seeded. Today was the day to go and take a peek. It did surprise me how deep the Oak and Maple leaves were on the new area. There definitely was a layer that was quite sodden. That layer if left till spring always reminds me of the manure that was in the calf pens of our barn. Layer by layer it had built up. That did bring to mind about snow mold in the spring of the year. As I ventured onto the area, the soil was soft but not sinking soft. As I brushed away the layers of leaves, just as had been predicted, there were fine needle like green sprouts springing forth. There will be some level of success next spring.

  With a wide rake I did swipe off a heavy layer of wet leaves. A bit of fresh air surely couldn’t hurt. As I looked up I knew that there would be a fresh layer of leaves yet to come from the Oak and Maple trees. The north wind took the leaves to an older established portion of the backyard that Dennis will be able to mulch with the mowers.

  With Dennis being gone this weekend there was one small perk. Grammie got to eat her meals how she wanted to and when. Priceless. Structure is generally attained at Stauffer Avenue on a regular basis. This weekend was mine . . . all mine. I favor a sliced sandwich meat container that comes in a trifecta . . . turkey, ham and roast beef. I felt it was quite a bit of sandwich cold cuts so I had shared some of it. This weekend my main meals were cold turkey, lettuce and mayo sandwiches on rye bread. Yum, yum.

  About sunset the ole cowboy will be returning home and most likely his voice will be hoarse from the non stop talking. I also know that he may very well be wore out as this is the first trade show he has taken in since the recovery of the carotid surgeries. Prior to those surgeries he would not have stood a chance of leaving home for the weekend. Dennis has a medical appointment at nine in the morning and I will be sure to set his alarm for that. Nothing promotes deep long sleep than being between your own flannel sheets. Life on Stauffer . . . can’t be beat.

   
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  Noreen 5:08 pm on October 27, 2018 Permalink  

  Yesterday late in the afternoon I did go and get my flue shot. I will admit today I feel a bit like the helium balloon that is less full of air as it should be. With the thick fog this morning it was a will of wits to get going for the day. With Dennis being gone I am getting the tasks completed with the livestock: a pond of Koi that needs leaves scooped off of the surface of the water and a herd of four cats.

  I did wander into the sewing studio. Yesterday at the Dollar General I bought several three ring binders. Today was a good day to get printed stitching tutorials organized.

  Dennis called this evening from the trade show in Mitchell. All is well with him and I assured him I was following through on this end. If the sun shines tomorrow all will fall back into the normal pace for me.

   
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  Noreen 5:27 pm on October 26, 2018 Permalink  

  Yesterday afternoon as I was walking in the door, Dennis almost didn’t let me get my jacket off. He had a letter in his hand and his look was serious. It was from Minnesota Revenue. Yup . . . those letters are usually serious. We were being notified that we had not filed a 2015 Minnesota Income Tax return. Ya right! As someone, while I had been working, could have had their Minnesota Assessor’s License revoke for such a non-action, there is no way I would allow such a misstep as this to happen to Dennis and me. I assured Dennis I would get on it in the morning.

  This morning I helped Dennis get packed up for a gun show at Mitchell, South Dakota. After the exhaust fumes had left the driveway, I headed for the paper trail of our tax returns. With the 2015 tax info on the dining room table, I went online to see what my options were. I settled on several telephone numbers. It was a good thing I had plenty of breakfast coffee left as I was on hold for some time.

  I answered quite a few questions before we got to the nitty-gritty. There was an exact time dollar amount showing up in our records that is pending with no tax return attached to it. I also had a printed out copy of a computer generated “Pay MN Tax” receipt of the amount needed. It had the last four numbers of the credit card on it as well as the date, March 21, 2016, which would have been the date I electronically filled our returns. Monday morning I will mail copies of all of our info and see what shakes out. In between time, in the mean time, I called our credit card and got a rep on the phone. Our credit card has switched from a Visa to a MasterCard since that time. For the whopping amount of $5.00 I will receive a copy of the credit card statement for that time frame. Time will tell what shakes out. If in fact the amount was charged on the credit card at that time, it will work to our benefit if they want to add on a late charge.

  Ya know . . . I wonder how some of our fellow senior citizens work through issues such as these. As luck would have it, 40 plus years of working with records and numbers has taught me to take fairly good care of our business. What would have been perfect is if I had saved in a folder the emails that are sent out after electronically filling that stated something to the effect that “Your Minnesota Tax Return for 2015 has been successfully been accepted.” You can be sure that next year I will have it nailed down. Ironically it takes about three years before situations that happened in the world of income tax in 2015 to hit the fan. I did not know that. I will also make sure to keep better notes on the copies of future income tax returns. Will I be hearing from the federal . . . I am not going to sweat it. Time will tell.

   
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  Noreen 5:32 pm on October 25, 2018 Permalink  

  Today I left the comfort of Stauffer Avenue and tripped over to Mankato to meet with a group of gals that have similar interests to mine . . . sewing and stitching. A fun group to share ideas, hopes, failures and current projects that are under the needle.

  On the way home I stopped in Madelia as I had heard that a quilt shop had opened in what had been the Dystee’s Gas Station. The hospital acquired a new doctor from out of state and Mrs. Doctor has always wanted to have a quilt shop. What an endeavor to take on. There have been several quilt shops that have closed in the area and there is one in Bird Island that is for sale. I wished Susan much success and assured her when I had used up a bit more of my stashes I would return.

  As I left Madelia, the rain began and I was thankful that the grass seed would get some of the real deal and not just from the end of my garden hose. Checking in with Dennis when I returned home, he had checked off all the items he had had on his list. He was able to take his Cub Lo-boy and mulch a lot of the leaves before the rain had begun. A good day all around.

   
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  Noreen 4:48 pm on October 24, 2018 Permalink  

  Today felt like a day much like the farming days. Fall is here and it was time to check the canning cellar to see what is ready for the winter season and what is needed to fill some empty spots. No . . . my canning days are long over. I do enjoy having grocery items in the cabinets of the cistern closet. Running to the grocery store every several days . . . I am not cut from that cloth. Dennis totally agrees with having enough on hand to make a good meal.

  In time we will be filling in the empty spots of items we use all the time. We are not fussy eaters. It does not take a lot of prep time for a meal here on Stauffer Avenue.

  The item that we don’t have on board is a freezer. What we have above the refrigerator seems to serve us well. Chicken seems to be Dennis’ favorite. I have a freezer baggie full of Bisquick that has flavorings of turmeric, cinnamon, salt, pepper and a smidge of Cyanine pepper. Shaking the chicken tenders in the mix and giving them a few turns in a fry pan seems to be Dennis’ go to meal. I have tried fixing them in the oven and he was not in like with that technique.

  As Megan and I had visited the Odin Craft Mill while she was here, there is a bit more of the specialty items on the kitchen counter. No doubt Carrie’s kitchen counter resembles Stauffer Avenue’s as Megan took a few items home to share with Nicholas and her mom and dad. Not necessarily healthy but definitely a treat for the taste buds. I do think about doing baking . . . and then I don’t do it. Perhaps wintery days may spur that desire. We will take a step back to decide.

   
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  Noreen 4:28 pm on October 23, 2018 Permalink  

  A Bright Sunny Day 

  A bright sunny day and we are at a good place.  Nice enough to hang out some laundry on the clotheslines to get that wonderful aroma in the house as it will need a bit of inside temperatures to finish drying.  

  Dennis’ little red pickup got washed . . . right in our driveway.  I feared he would get cold and chilled but he was cautious.  There was only one problem.  He lost the end of the vacuum hose mid way through cleaning the inside.  It was just about a meltdown . . . until he noticed that the floor mat in the backseat looked a bit waunkie.  A good spot for the hidden object.

  As much as I have experimented with my Bernina sewing machine, there is always more to learn.  I have the best Bernina dealer in Minnesota right in downtown Bird Island.  Amanda emailed me two workbooks that go beyond what the original manual held for information in regard to embroidering.  Once downloaded, I did decide to print out all the portions that pertain to my model which is 770QE.  It will be easier for me to thumb through printed material than opening the file on the computer.  What fantastic customer service.  I usually see Amanda twice a year for machine servicing; spring and fall.  I have an appointment on November 2nd for her husband Kelly to service the machine.  I know I will need new blades on the automatic cutters.  Once the roads are icy and snow covered, I am not apt to make the 62 mile trip if I can avoid it.

  For all the wind that we have had, our Northern Golden Oak has been hanging on to as many of its leaves as possible.  It is the only burst of color in our neighborhood.  When we planted the tree sixteen years ago, many didn’t think it would do well in this part of southern Minnesota.  I can only imagine it must be at least 25′ to 30′.  All I know is that when I stand close to it and try to look up to the top, I all but topple over.  

  Time for supper and pulling together a grocery list.  Tomorrow is a road trip date to Mankato.  

   
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  Noreen 4:54 pm on October 22, 2018 Permalink  

  Monday, Monday! A boost in temps with the sun so why oh why do I ache from toe to head! It was a good thing Dennis was willing to settle for a fried egg sandwich for noon and a skillet of leftovers for supper. Well . . . it may be that the ole Grammie is just not as agile and spry as I believe I am as I hustled through a fantastic weekend with Megan. Even when Megan first became a chatting toddler and play was to take place on the floor . . . “Come on Grammie, you can do it!” Sure enough I did then and sure enough I did keep up with her this weekend. Aches? Wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Dennis was off for coffee with the 80 plus gang this afternoon at one of the apartment complexes. It’s good for him to mix it up as often as possible with those who he has known for his entire adult life He does mention that the gang does keep on getting smaller. Tuesdays there is a group that gets together at McDonald’s. Dennis is on the move. Priceless.

   
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  Noreen 5:18 pm on October 21, 2018 Permalink  

  The Calm 

  Here it is Sunday evening and you can actually hear yourself think.  The winds have ceased.  The wind has been howling for the last four days.  Sometimes during the nights I would wake up just enough to remind myself it was not the wind of a snow blizzard. 

  MEA is over and Megan is on her way home.  Carrie came this last afternoon and picked up “the goods.”  Megan achieved to completion all of her projects.  It was so satisfying to see her take off and nail all aspects from start to finish.  I believe the only thing I actually did was to fill the steam iron.  “Hands off Grammie.”

  

  Our 14 year old granddaughter Megan with her two finished pillows stuffed to the gills and a cat quilt. A great finish for a weekend get away for her. Priceless!

  Yesterday noon Megan and I did take time out to have lunch at the Encore Café here in St. James.  Who has time to make a meal when we are in the throes of sewing! The cafe is connected to the store called Collage.  Megan was impressed by the selection the store had for a small town business.  We took our time as Grandpa Dennis had gone to Mankato for the Veterans Stand Down at the Verizon Center that his granddaughter Sadie was in charge of.  Each of us had agendas.

  The schedule was completed today with an 8 mile trip to Odin for the Odin Craft Mill.  It is a two weekend event held twice a year.  As we pulled into the town, Megan kept asking where the Main Street was.  We were on it and all that was on it was empty buildings of a time long gone.  I literally saw Megan’s mouth drop when we pulled up to the old feed mill.  That is all we could see from the street side.  I am sure she thought this would be a snooze session.  Once inside I began visiting with some acquaintances and Megan drifted off to check things out.  I did not catch a glimpse of her for the next hour.  The old feed mill is now attached to a two story dairy barn that has been moved in from the country.  That barn is attached to a two story Montgomery Ward mail order catalog house that has been moved in from the country.  It was a lot to take in as there are vendors there from a five state area.  

  When Megan and I caught up with each other we looked, we touched, we chatted about what there was to behold.  In the end, Megan found a candle to purchase.  We did come home with eatables.  A few treats for Megan to share with her family is never a bad idea.  Grandpa Dennis scored with several flavors of fudge candy.  I am looking forward to enjoying the bag of Kettle Corn during the week.

  Dennis and I so enjoyed having Megan choose to spend the weekend with us.  Those times have gotten too far and in between.  There are now violin lessons and skating lessens that need to be worked into her school classes and events.  We will take whatever we can.  Yup, tonight when I have a bowl of popcorn in my favorite chair, there will be a calm in the home from the lack of activity.  Not to worry I have had many memories added for me to enjoy for a long time to come.

   
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  Noreen 5:38 pm on October 20, 2018 Permalink  

  Megan at the Helm 

  

  We had a huge day. Megan is a quick study on the sewing machine. She was loading bobbins, threading the needle and swapping out presser feet. We finally called the day at five. I think at one point the fuzz and threads did do a number on us and we needed to laugh and giggle until we couldn’t. We have part of tomorrow left and I do believe we will get Megan’s projects finished up.