I am a retired 44-year veteran of the Real Estate Assessment field. As with real estate assessing and how it applies to real estate taxes, one can make many acquaintances, but not many real friends. It was a great career choice.
It has been nearly 10 years since I reclaimed my home and my real passions within my home. I enjoy it more each day and tip my hat to those who I left behind.
Each day I try to stretch myself with the use of my computer as it relates to this site and using it to print out labels for quilts for trying to incorporate photos into my sewing. Life is so full and I know that I have room for more.
With Summer blossoming, out came the straw hat for my morning walks. The brim may still need some tweaking but it saved from the heat and glare from the bright sun. If . . . and I do say “If” . . . I would get up earlier than eight, it would be a bit cooler, but oh how I love to snooze after I begin hearing the morning’s traffic.
After a very warm walk, I gladly headed for my sewing studio in the basement. Using a blanket stitch, the t-shirt portions are being sewn onto the gray backing with red thread. Of the 65 blocks, I have 20 remaining that will wait for another day. It is time to head to Subway to pick up some lazy Sunday supper. It’s a good thing.
We are home from a day on the road for a graduation reception for great nephew Justin. The reception was in a picnic shelter adjacent to a lake. The heat that had been touted didn’t seem to bother anyone with the breeze that was enjoyed. A great day but there is no place like home. If I had not kicked my shoes off as soon as I hit the entry of the house, I would have tapped my shoes just as Dorothy did from the Wizard of Oz. “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
They weren’t kidding when they said it was going to be a warm day. This morning, trying to walk in a fair amount of shade, I headed down one of the side streets that is lined with many trees. The problem being the traffic with many detours around and about is horrific. Not all lots have sidewalks. Those that have sidewalks may not have them in good repair. Getting the toe of my walking shoe caught on an unexpected tip of a sidewalk block could cause me much recovery time and pain. I’ll get this figured out. There may be a need for me getting out my handy dandy straw hat and wearing a long sleeve shirt to protect from the sun as I do my walk on the county road. That route is so peaceful and enjoyable. Not so much having to stop at all the intersections of the streets here in town.
These knit items are so characteristic of what little boys wear: colorful and wild.
Having more than one basket full of eggs is something I can advise for any retired person. Too hot outside? Down to the sewing studio I can go. The amount of items needed for this project is 67. Today I finished putting stabilizer onto those 67 items. The time has come to cut fabric that will have these toddler t-shirt squares sewn onto. First things first. The sewing machine needed a grease job and oil change job after finishing the peachy colored quilts. Talk about fuzz that was caught every which way under the stitch plate. That is a testament of the quality of fabric that I used in those four quilts. Oh, the quilts will last. My goodness if the feed sack quilts that Mom made are still around, these too will last. The fabrics purchased in big box stores are printed on a “grunge base” that is less quality and so therefore less expensive than what is sold in a “Quilt Shop.” You never have to worry about pre-washing fabric that is purchased in a quilt shop. The colors will not bleed. Walmart and JoAnn’s . . . it’s a gamble if you don’t rewash . . . and who doesn’t need to wash a quilted project now and again. Bottom line, you get what you pay for.
Back to Oliver’s quilt: Dennis is going to be on call to help cut the fabric for the base of the t-shirts and he is so appreciated. My hands and arms can’t thank him enough. All in all it’s time to call it a day and get those Beans and Weenies ready for supper.
Summer sure did pop out today. I chose a different walking route this morning, one that offered shade periodically. The usual county road’s asphalt reflecting more sun and heat than I thought was wise.
I came across the area of the community gardens. One lone fellow was putting in tomato plants. I couldn’t resist wandering over to him. I introduced myself and he to me. Wonder of wonder. His grandfather had a boiler’s license and worked in the Hector, Minnesota, school taking care of utility duties during the same time that Carrie and Kevin’s grandmother, Esther, was the head cook.
Glad to have made it home in the warmer temperatures, I headed for our shaded patio to enjoy the cup of coffee I had put there before heading out for my daily constitution. It matters not that by the I time I get home from the walk, the coffee is tepid. I sat back, enjoying the coffee, but not nearly as much as letting my mind wander back to the “Esther Days.”
As a mother-in-law, I learned so much from her in regard to raising a family, keeping a home, gardening until you thought you’d have to crawl into the house, crocheting every chance you could find and being a bit of a tough nut to crack. My trip down memory lane lasted a lot longer than my cup of coffee. It was time well spent.
I have had very successful ka-noodling, aka: brain teasers. Some of Oliver’s treasures for his quilt were larger than others. Out came the graph paper. 8″ blocks will surround the larger 10″ blocks. It did hurt to cut up such beautiful clothes for this project. Dennis and I both commented how both of our kids were raised with hand-me-downs and they kept getting handed down until they were mere dust rags. That was then and this is now . . . a work in progress. Ironing stabilizer onto 57 items to then be cut to the correct sized block will be the next step. Slow going. You can bet that as the days progress, I will be taking advantage of a fairly long patio coffee break each morning after my walk. The walks will allow for me to continue ka-noodling as the challenges in this project arise.
We were primed to have coffee on the patio this morning and realized we had to dry off chairs first. Sometime during the night there had been a sprinkle or two. As I was having my first cup of coffee and getting my walking shoes on, I could tell Dennis’ mind was far, far away. I headed out for my walk and left Dennis to his thoughts.
As I was stepping it off on the county road I could not help but think that if Dad were still with us, I think he would literally be with us. There is so much heavy equipment buzzing around the town and the perimeter with the huge utility upgrade, Dad would find a tree stump that was handy and sit and take it all in. Digging down 20 feet to install new sewer line, water lines and re-routing gas lines has brought in an entire village of workers operating just the type of equipment for someone like Dad to be enthralled by. That doesn’t even take in the site that is next to my morning walk. All that has been taken out of the trenches of the street work has been piled high and now is being ground up for re-purposing for the post-installation. Oh for the mindset of those creating all of this machinery to make it work.
As I was rounding the bend returning from my walk, I could see where Dennis’ thoughts had been. Far, far away to the back of the acre to get his riding lawnmower going. That sneaky fellow. The remaining yard work ensued with me pushing my mower and Dennis continuing with the rider mower. Ya, I am now showered and very tuckered out. What a great feeling to sit back and enjoy our home. Jokingly, Dennis commented if we lived in an apartment complex we wouldn’t have to put in all the local effort to keep things tidy. We looked at each other and knew deep down, no matter how tuckered we get there is no other place for us but on Stauffer Avenue.
I can take a lot when it comes to weather and temperatures. Today . . . it is raining this late afternoon and it would not surprise me if there were ice crystals included.
Thank goodness I have multiple tasks that I can turn to on days such as these. I hightailed it down to the sewing studio. Last week Dennis’ granddaughter sent along a huge tub of her son Oliver’s toddler clothing from age one to three years old. She is wanting a quilt made up of the memories that so many of the items evoke. First thing was to nail down with Amy as to what colors were to be predominant and the size she was anticipating. When I hefted the tub of clothing I was not surprised when she said it would be nice to have a double bed sized quilt.
At the end of this day, I do have the grid drawn out on paper and know that I will need 64 eight inch blocks for this quilt top for it to be 84″ x 84.” Keeping in mind the small size of many of these knit items, it is quite a stretch – I should say, quite the shrink, from working with knit shirts from my friend Burke this winter when he brought over his Vikings t-shirts. Sixteen blocks made the 84″ x 84″ for Burke.
There is no time frame on this project. Amy is having a little girl in October and I know right now her focus is elsewhere. When this weather straightens out, my focus will split between yard work and sewing studio work.
Working on some mail-ordered shirts for myself, I readily put to use some great finds that Kersten and Kevin found for me. Brand new in the wrappers these sewing aids were the perfect helpers to help re-size sleeves. I have no idea if the Weaver Pres-Kloth Company is still in business. I learned to use these items when I was in Home Economics in high school during the late 1950s. Somethings just cannot be improved upon.
This was another great day. Being outside with no bugs is just the best. Soon the out of town visitors will be going home that came to attend Dennis’ children’s mother’s memorial. It so shows how spoiled we are with our own schedules here on Stauffer. I am not ashamed to admit that. Isn’t that what getting to our ages is all about . . . I think so.