Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:03 pm on March 22, 2018 Permalink  

  This morning Dennis carried a box to the end of the driveway for the Epileptic Society drive. I followed behind in my pink bathrobe with a plastic bag. Heck, I was already out and about, I took advantage of the firm frozen ground and headed out to the east lot line to see how the winter had treated it. I have a lot of branches to pick up. Me in my pink bathrobe walking our yard would not astonish anyone living on Stauffer Avenue. It’s just that type of neighborhood. I wasn’t alone. Following right behind me, step for step was Snuggles and Honey Bunny. Even in times past when there wasn’t a cat in site, I wouldn’t have to look. I knew they had sprung out of nowhere and were following. Very good garden buddies. We looked, we sniffed, we touched and then headed back to the patio porch. Though the top ground was frozen enough to walk on, it swished with each step telling me that there was no shortage of moisture. I thought the cats might stay outside as the morning was quite mild, but no, we all ended back in the patio porch where Dennis was enjoying coffee. I stayed for a bit and then decided I had better get dressed for the day.

  We had always had a small USA flag right outside the west house porch. The seamed side had a placket that was then stripped over a steel electric fence post. We always knew which way the wind was blowing. The harsh winter winds shredded it. This afternoon a brand new flag adorns that corner of the front sidewalk. As I was walking back into the house I noticed the Fairfax Tulips are already four inches tall in the flower bed right beneath the west porch windows. That piqued my interest enough that I checked out the east side of the house. Yup, several more Fairfax Tulips as well as the Fern Peony. It made me wonder how tall my cousin’s plant will be this spring. I shared a Fern Peony with her when there was a very small tuber that had a lot of promise. She has sent me a photo each spring to share its growth. Priceless. I also mean that literally: the nurseries don’t bat an eye putting a price tag of $40.00 for the same sized little tuber I gave her and what it could sprout. My original plant came from Great Grandma and Great Grandpa’s farm in Penn Township. That is priceless.

   
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  Noreen 4:20 pm on March 21, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 ), Lorraine ( 6 ), Mark   

  As gray days go, it’s not all bad. I had several things to try out with the embroidery unit. It’s one thing to have designs to stitch out, it’s trial and error as to what stabilizer needs to be used with different types of fabric. A few trial samples to keep for myself and nothing goes to waste.

  I won’t be doing any quilt piecing for awhile. No one is wanting nor waiting for a quilt so I will continue with embroidery and an occasional mending. My aunt Lorraine in Arizona has sold her long arm and it will be picked up from her home the day after Easter. As per our telephone conversation last night she needs to get two quilts long armed each day to take care of the stash of unfinished quilts. Have I mentioned her love of quilts? When her son Mark spent time with her last year at Thanksgiving he helped her organize her stash of finished quilts. It was over 300 and he organized them by size and color in various totes. Since that time she has been piecing to beat the band and now needs to make use of that long arm before she will be looking at doing them as I do . . . under the needle one stitch at a time.

  Dennis said I could sew, quilt and embroider to my hearts content a long as I find homes for the items for others to enjoy and use. I thought it was a very fair outlook and I totally agreed with Dennis. Smart old cowboy.

   
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  Noreen 5:43 pm on March 20, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 )   

  Seriously . . . all I wanted to do was vacuum the patio porch. How the heck did Dennis get the old Tabitha cat accustomed to being vacuumed. What a racket of noise. I finally gave in and sure enough she would stretch out from side to side. Good grief. I did find two ping pong balls that needed to rescued from patio door tracks. As soon as I pitched them across the room, Harriet was right there ready for a soccer match. Snuggles overslept and was trapped up in the rafters above Dennis’ pickup. Dennis had pulled out with a tub of rugs earlier. If Snuggles had slept through the garage door opening and the start of the pickup, I didn’t feel sorry for her. I could feel her beady little eyes watching every move I made trying to make me feel sorry for her. Not! Honey Bunny does not like the vacuum cleaner and when I cracked a patio door she beat feet east and I watched as she went into the vacant garage in the next lot.

  When Dennis came back we needed to give a few rugs several minutes in our home dryer and they were ready to go into service in the patio porch. The rugs do save on the carpeting that we put down two years ago. Helping Dennis, was me telling him that as much as I enjoy using the sewing studio when it is tidy, he and his livestock deserved the same.

  Today Complete Basements of Mankato came for the 15 month check on the sump pump. The 100% warranty of having a dry basement is contingent on a check up every 15 months. Without the tile the seepage would come into the basement on all four sides. Nothing that would work for the usage that I now have. David called me over to look over his shoulder as he took the cover off. With his flashlight I could see what he was seeing. There was some oil slick on top of the water. The 2008 motor of the sump pump was beginning to leak oil. Dennis knew immediately that it was not a good thing. With a new motor on the sump pump installed we are assured that the sewing studio will continue to be in good stead.

  So, here we are. Content on Stauffer Avenue as two fat sassy cats. Dennis is feeling well and feels physically stronger each day. The kitchen represents the biggest job of spring cleaning and that is done. Dennis has a fresh and tidy porch that now compliments his new Samsung television. As I am in the sewing studio and I hear the water as it trickles along the tile that runs along the perimeter into the sump pump, I am content to know all is well. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

   
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  Noreen 5:44 pm on March 19, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 )   

  Turn around is fair play. Dennis’ help was very much appreciated with the deep cleaning of the kitchen. Tomorrow Dennis has plans to head out to the local laundromat with the patio porch rugs. It’s been a long winter and we are going to tag team on spring cleaning the patio porch. While Dennis is gone, the shop vac and I will be going non stop. These last several days the cats have been wandering a bit farther outside when Dennis has left a patio door cracked, checking out where they can get to without walking in snow. If the weather forecast is correct they may decide to stay indoors one or two more days. One to three inches of snow doesn’t play out for the first day of spring but how long could it possibly last.

  It feels great to have Dennis picking up speed after his surgery. I have been in his shoes in the past and the body needs to sluff off all the anesthesia that a serious surgery requires. The fact that he had to be awake to answer questions during the carotid surgery tells me the mix of drugs to take care of blood flow, pain of the surgery and still allow the brain and the mouth to work was quite the cocktail. It’s spring and we are going to enjoy it no matter what the weather is.

   
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  Noreen 3:03 pm on March 18, 2018 Permalink  

  It has to get worse before it gets better. So very much dirt came with the high winds this winter. As the snow melts off of the edge of our concrete driveway it is grit and muck. Today we celebrated one of Lena’a favorite chores. Out came a pail and a broom and the cement by the back door got a wosh and a swosh . . . several times over. That area creates a whirl wind whether it be leaves, evergreen needles or just plain old farm dirt. Mom always believed it didn’t pay to clean the back entry if you didn’t follow up and get the area right outside the door cleaned up before it followed feet right back into the house. Smart gal she was.

   
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  Noreen 4:24 pm on March 17, 2018 Permalink  

  Hanging Out 

  

  Considering that I was quite far away and needed to zoom in, this has been Snuggles’ favorite hang out in the afternoons. Much like the fellow in the neighboring rocking chair, hanging out in a rocking chair seems to be the best of choices until some of this snow disappears. Today was my first serious walk of 2018. I felt stepping off one mile was sufficient for the first walk until the hips, legs and feet realize that this will be the normal going forward. I do believe that using the snow pusher over the winter was a huge help in the walking today. Last year on March 18, 2017, I put in two blocks and thought I wouldn’t make it home . . . I was winded and hurt from hip to hip and everything south of them. It’s going to be a good spring.

   
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  Noreen 3:48 pm on March 16, 2018 Permalink  

  A Good Save 

  

  For the first years our “forever home” sported Fur Plywood kitchen cabinets. Fur wood grains have a lot of gray and very dull grains within. My brother Michael lent us his sanders and we set about taking off the years of old varnish. White paint and new door and drawer pulls have refreshed the original cabinets. The bottom two drawers on the left are lined in tin as they were the sugar and flour bins. A bit of wood trim over the window with a Nickel finish faucet for the sink has brought Dennis and I years of satisfaction of keeping the original cabinets. Yes, the drawers are super heavy as they were made out of various types of hardwood. As of today, this wall of our kitchen has been homogenized in total. Making due with what was there originally has served us well. Our home is about 100 years old and was moved in to St. James from Rosendale Township in the 1950s. It’s ours and we love it.

   
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  Noreen 4:08 pm on March 15, 2018 Permalink  

  Sitting down at four in the afternoon for a kitchen cabinet cleaning break didn’t sound like a bad idea. “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” has always been one of my favorite television shows. Entertaining as well as challenging to see if I can puzzle through some of the answers. It may be financially rewarding to the contestants. Today, I have no idea if anyone got any questions answered correctly as I must have nodded off before the first questioned was answered.

  I can report that the top portion of our cabinets have been emptied, washed, some of the chips have been painted and they are restocked. When Dennis took out the kitchen waste bin I caught the look of surprise when he realized how heavy it was. Smart ole cowboy . . . he didn’t ask any questions.

  When the snow is finally gone and the yard is dry, it will feel good being outside with the majority of the indoor work having been done. If only it would last. Forced air heat units, first floor clothes driers and moving people in the home, do demand attention more than once a year. Thank you Lord that my “forever home” is not large and I am migrating to living a minimalistic lifestyle . . . well . . . the first floor of our home may qualify for that status. Nuff said.

   
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  Noreen 4:30 pm on March 14, 2018 Permalink  

  Dennis had been enjoying the Sioux Falls trade show since 1988. Each February he would set up his goodies for a three day weekend. This year he turned the reigns of his tables over to a very good friend. Each year upon renting those trade show tables there would be a coffee cup sitting on the tables when Dennis got there to set up. Well . . . today all of those coffee cups were pulled out of the top of the kitchen cabinets and with Dennis’ help we got them washed up. Kitchen cooking steam rising to heights that can easily be ignored over time. Not today. Kevin has taught me to let go of things that I do not have an emotional attachment to. As Dennis washed each cup and I dried each cup, there were memories of good times. The cups will remain in our home for another day of sifting and sorting . . . just not in the kitchen cabinets. They are clean and stored in several storage containers in the storage closet in the basement. If we ever need to serve coffee to a huge crowd . . . we may dig them out. Right now Dennis has a Thermo coffee cup that keeps his coffee hot for six or more hours that he is very fond of and can carry around, aka: sippy cup for adults.

  I am not guilt free when it came to those cabinets. As I said yesterday I don’t have sets of special china, silverware or such. I do have some water glasses that I have an emotional attachment. It is an assortment of Noritake water glasses that give me a cozy feeling of MINE! It may take both of my hands to hold them to drink out of but . . . MINE!

  There is one more day of cleaning in regard to the kitchen cabinets. How many recipe books do I actually use . . . not many. My Betty Crocker cookbook that my sister Elvera gave me in 1962 and Mom’s church cookbook are my favorites. With the Internet it is so easy to look up something on the spur of the minute. Then . . . there are some spices that need to be reviewed. Needless to say it will be an interesting day and thankfully no step stool needed. I have had enough doing the uping and downing of the kitchen step stool to last me for some time.

   
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  Noreen 4:22 pm on March 13, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 ), Lena ( 6 )   

  Each day I feel energized with signs of spring. I would have liked to have hung out the bedding this morning after taking it out of the washing machine. It is not to be until a whole bunch of snow has melted. I realize how much snert there is on the windows when the sun shines on them. I just go to a different portion of the house where the windows still bring in sunlight but not directly and enjoy the view of the snow shrinking and melting.  The key is to keep the eyes up high enough to avoid seeing the slush and muck.

  Though our home is small it is still amazing how much it takes to do one room at a time or one wall at a time to qualify what Lena would have referred to as “spring house cleaning.” Never have I had many “good dishes” – meaning fancy dishes. High utility and minimal would define our home. Shelving in our kitchen allows for quick access to what we use often. The north wall of our kitchen has yet to be tackled. It is the wall of the kitchen sink and the cabinets that do take up the entire wall. I have an idea that when Dennis and I do tackle the highest of the shelves within the cabinets there is going to be big time sifting and sorting. I can’t reach those shelves without a step stool. I don’t use what is up on those shelves even when we have guests for a meal. The Epileptic organization will be coming through St. James on the 22nd of March collecting gently used clothing and household items. This has to be more of a coincidence.

  Dennis has been helping each day and we are calling it physical therapy after his carotid surgeries. The span between the right side surgery and the left side surgery did not allow Dennis to feel stable enough or strong enough to build stamina. The months before we knew he needed surgery were less than kind to Dennis. This spring, slowly but surely we have our objective . . . stamina and strength building in small doses but continual doses. The older folks on Stauffer Avenue can do this!