Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 6:52 pm on December 13, 2017 Permalink  

  When you think the wind has no more gusto, be prepared. I will take the wind and a few sprinkles any day over snow. Dennis has been manning the main floor of our home today. It seems like it was meant to be a stitching type of day. As I loaded an embroidery design into the sewing machine, I did wince a bit when the stitch count came up 29,614. There is no better reward of time and talents well spent. I wandered back and forth from the ironing board to the Sears machine.

  Mom loved her thread and fuzz. Rain or shine, snow or ice the barn chores always came first. From there she made sure the hen house was well tended for those precious cackleberrys. The last chore before Mom and Dad had breakfast was to wash the milk machine milkers. It was a job that had to be done right after the milking morning and night to make sure all was clean and ready for the next round.

  I can about bet that the last of the rinse drops were hitting the milk room floor from the wash job and Mom had eggs and toast going for her and Dad. To get back to Mom’s fuzz and thread . . . it was her passion and she made no excuses for spending as much time at her sewing and quilting as she could squeeze in. She could have something going in the oven or on a cookie sheet and still get a stitch or two in between time.

  Perhaps My love of fuzz and thread is in my genes or . . . I glean a lot of satisfaction from trying new things and creating something that perhaps no one thought to try. While the wind is howling, I still keep an ear tuned in case Dennis needs something on the main floor. Without notice or fanfare he wanders down and uses the computer in the sewing studio for a card game or two. It doesn’t hurt that he may find a snack of peanuts while he is at it.

   
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  Noreen 5:03 pm on December 12, 2017 Permalink  

  A day to take care of business. As Dennis’ and my life has changed so was our medical insurance in line for a change. Oh my oh my, we are staying with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We are changing from Senior Gold to Platinum Blue. We have always had good service. Today a happenstance call in regard to a question on Dennis’ policy as it crosses paths with the Veteran’s Health Care came from a gal named Mary. She assured us Dennis has been approved for the new coverage. As a perk she said she would check my enrollment as well as long as I was on the phone.

  Our insurance agent had dropped the ball. Yes, I was also approved for the enrollment, but . . . he had never cancelled us out of the Senior Gold. We would have had two premiums for each of us until the red tape was unraveled. Getting a total of four premiums most likely would have blown out my Carotid arteries. Mary was so helpful. We needed to fax a letter with both of our signatures and multiple numbers for reference as soon as possible.

  Dennis took the letter to the bank to have them fax it. With the enrollment deadline having just been completed the fax lines were overwhelmed. Dennis came home and I called Mary and she put a note on our insurance I.D. numbers that it would be coming in the snail mail.

  I mention to Dennis so often how I can see older people being misguided by what is required of us. Consumer beware. When I called the insurance fellow, he was astonished as he had faxed that in just recently when he noticed it. NOT. He couldn’t have. It takes individual signatures for it to be taken care of.

  We are having chicken titties for supper knowing we are still on top of our lives for details that need a lot of attention. It’s been a great day.

   
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  Noreen 5:26 pm on December 11, 2017 Permalink  

  The howling wind today could be heard in the far corners of the basement, yes, even in the storage closet that was once a cistern. I had to do a “phone consult” today in regard to one of my projects. No point in spending energy, time and products if the right choices are not made.

  Dennis came down into the sewing studio and put his stamp of approval on some fabric choices I had laid out on the church tables. The embroidery unit can let me know when it needs attention while I have actually several projects in the works. Dennis enjoys taking some time to get in a few games of solitaire on the computer we have in the sewing studio, and he can then take a few minutes to swivel his chair and watch the stitching and also enjoy a few peanuts for a snack. We have a full service sewing studio and it is so appreciated and enjoyed. I have said it often, “We have a sweet life here on Stauffer Avenue.”

   
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  Noreen 5:09 pm on December 10, 2017 Permalink  

  Good Day on Stauffer 

  

  Lots going on in the sewing studio. The embroidery unit running and to the far right with my Sears is where I have been doing straight stitching. I feel so fortunate that at the end of the day my mind is weary as well as my body. I couldn’t even guess how many trips around my sewing tables I make in a day. It’s like a modern day “Ring Around The Rosey.”

   
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  Noreen 6:06 pm on December 9, 2017 Permalink  

  A gray day that had snow flurries. At one time when I looked out the tiny floating snowflakes looked just like the little feather tufts that leak out of Dennis’ winter nylon jacket that has channels of feathers.

  I had a great day of stitching. It can’t always go perfect though. Dennis was in place to see what a thread mess can be made when a sewing machine bucks. It was my fault in not threading it correctly. Several attempts, only one thing to be done is to take it slow and take it apart to the point of the problem. The problem was a piece of thread the size of an eye lash that had gotten wedged under a spring. Five o’clock the sewing studio shuts down. It is never a problem wondering what to do tomorrow. I like it that way.

  Life is good and there are blessings abound.

   
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  Noreen 3:22 pm on December 8, 2017 Permalink  

  Ever Faithful 

  

  In 1968 I spent one entire township assessing check of $200 on a Sears Model 1820 sewing machine. The first huge project on it was when Sharon Skolberg asked me to make kitchen curtains for her using several of the decorative cams, no less on lightweight fabric that would allow the daytime light to brighten her kitchen. Forty-nine years later it still has a focal place in my sewing studio. The embroidery unit can stitch away and I am able to do some stitching on the Sears machine. Truly a great investment. If the Bernina holds up half as well, it will be wonderful.

   
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  Noreen 6:01 pm on December 7, 2017 Permalink  

  Sometimes it takes that last ditch thought to get to the bottom of a problem. Nephew Brett got his sewing machine tuned up by my people in Bird Island. They pin pointed the problem and had put down a solution for him to follow up on. When my cell phone rang and I saw it was Brett . . . I cringed. The free motion foot they had put on to replace the bent one was of a plastic Mylar type until Brett would go online to order the specific foot needed from the Husqvarna Viking site which was of hard metal.

  The interim foot had lasted for only several hours and it was in pieces. “Have you gone online and gotten the order in place for the appropriate foot?” “No . . . not yet.” All I could tell him was to dig the original foot out of the garbage and take a needle nose plier to it until the needle would pass through the center of it and not force the needle to hit the face plate. By the way . . . that was one of the problems as to why Brett was breaking needles.

  A call later, the needles were still breaking. As I looked at my own machine doing an embroidery design, it dawned on me. I finally ask him how fast he ran the machine. “Wide open.” I was amazed. I asked him how much the machine vibrated running at full speed. You can imagine the response. What made this fellow who has expensive machines for cutting concrete and steel to think that a sewing machine needed to also have some reasonable speed control.

  The last phone call . . . “It’s running like a champ.” Why I had never asked about the setting of the speed is beyond me. Never assume. You know how that ends up. “Did you put your order in for the new foot? That metal tweaked with a plier may be weakened and cause some problems if used for many hours.” “No, not yet.”

  I now have a slight headache. Gotta love those who do try something that is out of their wheelhouse.

   
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  Noreen 5:14 pm on December 6, 2017 Permalink  

  Yesterday Dennis took me to Bird Island for my sewing machine. Today I rode shot-gun as Dennis had an appointment in Mankato. I think it is about time these two ole-timers stay off the highways and enjoy this snuggly home on Stauffer.

  Both of the individuals that had their sewing machines serviced via our trip to Bird Island were ever so happy to have had it taken care of. It was a good job of elfing by Dennis and me.

  When Brett picked up his machine it was time for a great one on one to refresh his memory of “Quilting 101.” The concrete business is closed down and now he has a chance to get back to his enjoyment of all things fuzz and threads.

  It is snowing as I type this post. The chances of any thaw anytime soon is slim to none. Dennis and I are so content here on Stauffer with not a want in the world. Our errands have been taken care of and it is “honker down time.” Good grief! My sewing machine hasn’t been turned on for four days. Our motto has always been “Take care of business and then play.”

   
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  Noreen 6:33 pm on December 5, 2017 Permalink  

  We really have a reason to take it easy this evening. WE elfed! Dennis did a great job manning the 120 miles on roads that were less than good as we traveled to Bird Island with sewing machines. The best part is that all three of the machines were serviced and we were able to bring them all back to St. James with us. My machine was under warranty . . . no charge. Brett and Jody have bills for their service work under my Friends and Family Benefits. The next time their machines need servicing they need to bring them in on their own and pay the usual and customary price.

  Dennis went straight to his recliner when we got home as I knew he needed to stretch out and let his body recover from being held tense quite a bit of the time.

  We had a chance to swing in and say “Hi” in Fairfax. A special part of any trip that takes us north. I know we will sleep good tonight as we felt our home was going to take flight last night as the winds were extreme.

   
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  Noreen 2:36 pm on December 4, 2017 Permalink  

  Look Mom! A walk with no hood, no gloves and a light summer jacket. It may well be the last good day for a safe walk.

  I took the advice that was found on the YouTube for the sewing machine problem . . . Zilch. By the time I went to bed, I had an email from the good folks in Bird Island and we have an appointment at 9:30 Tuesday morning for a service of the Error Message 1010. December 1st a new download of the most current firmware was forwarded to all the Bernina dealers. It’s a good thing we get all bases covered at one time. I will need to set the alarm. By all indications we may have some winter on the roads tomorrow and Dennis doesn’t take any chances in driving faster than the roads allow.

  The sewing machine is loaded in the pickup . . . and it has company back there. Brett is sending along his Vikings sewing machine for a going over. He bought it on Craig’s List. Most likely ten years old but it has “issues.” He fought with it all last winter and now that his concrete business is giving him some quiet time, the last thing he needs is machine problems. Then there is a Brothers Disney Model sewing and embroidery machine to fill in the trio in the pickup. Jody bought her machine on eBay and can’t get anything but a mess under the bobbin area. We are making the trip and why not help out some people who want to enjoy their passions and machines and not get burned out before they get a good start.

  I did let “My People” know we were coming with a load of machines. Dennis and I will spend however long it takes in Bird Island for the machines to be gone over and repaired. Waiting seems a better call than making a second trip in several days. It could be a long day but I know Dennis does take great naps in his pickup. I have cell phone numbers for Jody and Brett in case there is major, major repair problems. Dennis and I are doing a bit of elfing for the season.