Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 1:21 am on August 5, 2015 Permalink  

  Ugh! 

  After seven months of getting upset every time I sat down to my computer, yesterday I had had enough.  With encouragement from Kevin, I contacted the free Dell support.  Seven months ago, I had a local fellow work on my computer, and what I had asked him to fix, he did.  He fixed more than I was up for.  At the time I ordered my computer from Dell it was my wish to not have the touch pad engaged and that is how it was delivered to Stauffer Ave.  The local “fixer” worked on my computer and left.  The next time I sat down . . . the touch pad was now activated and with the grace of my wondering left thumb: the words, the letters and the cursor would fly at will.  It would take me forever to edit my work to find out just what and where the errors were.  I think the enamel of my teeth has worn a bit during this time from either gritting them or grinding them.

  After spending time on the phone taking good instructions, I was thrilled.  No more wandering text.  I was surprised this morning when I turned on the computer of the things that had changed.  Ugh!  Fess up!  Who monkeyed around during the night?  My blog address was gone, my “just plain” Google was replaced by Google by Ask.  What the heck?  I still may have a problem getting rid of that.  My mouse needed a mouse pad that would have had to have been a foot long.  As I had never been so brave as to get into the mouse’s properties, it took me awhile to realize the length of the pointer needed to be adjusted.

  Is it any wonder, why I was quick to get outside . . . and get away from the computer for a bit?  Dennis was out edging the drive and after many years of blowing mowed grass and leaves off of the drive, we had lost a good six inches of the width of the concrete drive.  Getting the drive done on both sides and doing away with all the extra stuff, we could very much appreciate the temperatures that had gotten into the warm stage.

  A bite of lunch, and Dennis was off to the farmer’s market, returning with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.  We have a routine: Dennis cleans the cucumbers and I slice them and the onions.  The bowl with the contents is filled with cold water and ice cubes and popped into the refrig to crisp them a bit.  It won’t be long, the mayo dressing along with salt and pepper will adorn the cucumbers and be ready for the evening meal.  Priceless.  I did put together a chicken and green bean hot-dish to cover all major food groups.

  There are very few days that Dennis and I do not find something that needs our attention.  I deem that we are good stewards of Stauffer Avenue.

  P.S. It took me so much less time typing this post with the thumb pad disengaged, I have time to do some laundry.  Who knew?

   
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  Noreen 5:29 am on August 4, 2015 Permalink  

  Fleeting Thoughts: 

  Sometimes when I think the joy in my life has been diminished, it only allows me to become more aware of life and the loved ones around me who take me as I am; the joy returns twofold.

   
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  Noreen 4:00 am on August 3, 2015 Permalink  

  Mornings Are The Best 

  

  Here are the first days of August with a fair share of heat and humidity, making these mornings the best. As we sat on the east patio this morning, the breeze brought the wonderful scents of the blooming Phlox to us. We did rouse ourselves long enough to put up a birdhouse that needed a new post. What? Where we decided to put it, it could not be seen from the patio. Out came the the trimmers and the Tiger-Eye Sumac got a trim. Ah, much better.

   
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  Noreen 3:55 am on August 2, 2015 Permalink  

  It Can’t Hurt to Try 

  I have been feeding the gardens about every 8 – 9 days with Miracle Grow.  I have noticed over the last several years that though the perennials do come up, they are lacking the vigorous growth or size that they could be in relationship to how many years I have enjoyed them.  With trees taking moisture and components out of the soil, perhaps the perennials need a boost.  Dennis has made sure I have enough garden hose to reach the far back gardens with the Miracle Grow feeder. The fertilizer hitting the above ground leaves plus nurturing the soil around the plants could help for the 2016 spring.

  I have been doing some reading.  On my next trip to the store I am going to purchase some Epson Salts.  It is recommended to sprinkle sparingly around the base of perennials and shrubs for absorption into the soil for added nutrients.   I am all for trying to keep the plants I have going and growing.  It sure can’t hurt to try.

  Though the day warmed up quite quickly, this forenoon I got the feeding and watering done while Dennis completed the cleaning of the car garage by making nice on his workbench.  When I peeked in I did ask him, “Whose garage is this?”

  After a good week of taking care of things here on Stauffer Avenue, I think we will hit the Home Town Cafe for a bit of supper.  It’s a good thing.

   
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  Noreen 6:20 am on August 1, 2015 Permalink  

  A Full Day! 

  As I was thinking of getting out of bed this morning, I could hear that the handyman was already in the garage working on the overhead door in the garage for Dennis’ pickup.  It is so like us to take for granted that the 26-year-old spring for the door would last forever.   Not!  By 9:30 a.m. the handyman was packing up his tools.  The door is operational for now and Dennis is one happy camper.  It hurt that his little red pickup had to sit out in the driveway for two nights.

  Dennis began cleaning up the floor of the garage, and before we knew it, we were in full swing of cleaning the car garage. Out went the car and in came the vacuum.  The pickup garage, the car garage and the garage porch are all connected via doorways.  We just dribble from one spot to another.  Every cleaning job requires a break now and then and the rocking chairs in the porch are close on hand for just those breaks.  Everyone stores things in the rafters of outbuildings, don’t they? I donned the stepladder and began handing down odds and ends of things, some of which were in the rafters in 1989 when the house was bought.  Dennis and I have added to the stored items, and today was the day to give the rafters a lift. Dennis started the fire ring and the odd, old wood pieces were burned and the recycling bin got its fair share of items.   The dust on high was more like silt than not.  I do have to add that the garage cats also liked the rafters.  Yes, whatever I touched to hand to Dennis was nasty.  My two cane fishing polls will remain in the rafters.  You never know when you run across just the right worms to give you the incentive to wet a cork.

  

  As I was cleaning the back seat of the car, Butter Ball found his way in for what he might have known was his last hurrah. Sorry guys, no more kitty condo in the Lincoln.

  Both Dennis and I washed our hands for noon lunch and decided, as we were filthy, we might as well make it a day of cleaning.  While Dennis washed the pickup, I started to detail my car.  My bad.  In times past, I would leave the car windows partially open and the garage cats didn’t mind checking out the inside of the car on their way down from the rafters.   Once I realized what was going on, I got complacent and one month turned into several.   No more.  This was the limit.  I  went through a lot of duct tape as I worked to extract cat hair of three different colors from the car mats and anything else that was of a fabric construction.  The vacuum would only take so much, but not much can escape the sticky side of duct tape.  I was very thankful the seats are leather.  I will remember all the work it took to clean the car.  The windows will stay up on the car while in the garage.  Yes, Dennis also needed to detail his little red pickup for the self same issue.  Dang pets. They get away with more than our kids did.

  After a full day of grubbing it, showers ran a bit muddy for the first bit.  Today reminded me of the filth when Dad had us kids clean the oats bin before the new crop would be harvested.  To be truthful, getting down right dirty feels good.  We have something worth cleaning and we care enough to tackle it . . . and perhaps learn a lesson or two.  Both vehicles had been washed by six this evening and I am sure that now, at seven, if I go into the garages, I am bound to see kitty prints on the roof of the car – to see if there might be a window cracked just enough for a crawl through.

   
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  Noreen 4:05 am on July 31, 2015 Permalink  

  It’s a good thing we didn’t screw the lid tight on the job jar. Last week at this time we were pretty full of ourselves and what we had taken care of. Today . . . not so much. The overhead door’s spring for Dennis’ pickup garage has taken a dump. The lumberyard did have several sizes of springs to chose from. Of course, the first spring that Dennis was assured would work, did not. That was discovered after a full take down and resurrection.

  The word at the lumberyard was that parts are slim to none and what is available may not be what is exactly needed. This door was installed in 1989 and it does not meet current requirements of safety for overhead doors, thus parts were not reordered. All that being understood, Dennis and the handyman trudged on. After many adjustments and generally two out three attempts to raise the door failing, the boys have agreed to tackle the project tomorrow morning. The handyman insists that no piece of equipment is going to get the best of him. As a FYI, our old garage is not plumb. Who knows what the original handyman had to rig to make a perfectly sized door work in a crooked garage. It may be that when the original spring broke yesterday, and tension was released rapidly, a few other aspects of the original installation may have been compromised.

  I do have the phone number of Overhead Doors located in Mankato on my desktop.

   
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  Noreen 3:03 am on July 30, 2015 Permalink  

  Fleeting Thoughts: 

  

  This pretty much tells the story about the team of Dennis and me here on Stauffer Avenue.

  Twenty years ago today, on a bright Saturday, Carrie and Kevin were witnesses for Dennis and me to get married.  Dennis and I came together to make a home in 1989.  With serious blue eyes looking at me, my Mom had made the comment that she could hate the sin but still love the sinners.  It just may have had a bit to do with our decision.  It was a great decision.

   
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  Noreen 2:28 am on July 29, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Creamed Cucumbers, Dennis ( 40 ), Mom ( 5 )   

  Dennis Knows How to Shop 

  

  Dennis stopped at the Farmer’s Market this afternoon and he knows how to shop for good produce. That ole cowboy picked out wonderful cucumbers and onions. The slicer that was my Mom’s might look the worse for wear, but I can’t imagine slicing cucumbers or raw potatoes with anything else. It really saves on the hands. Cucumbers, onions with dressing is co-mingling in the refrigerator for supper. It would not surprise me if Dennis had a huge portion of the creamed cucumbers with a slice of butter bread and calls it good. Dennis also knows how good the plate of Peanut Butter cookies is that he found at the same vendor. The Platz family from Springfield work hard at multiple locations with fresh produce, canned produce and the all time favorites in the baked goodies. Wait until they come with their chocolate zucchini bundt cake. Dennis is bound to bring one home touting the benefit of eating zucchini. Ya right!

   
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  Noreen 2:15 am on July 28, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Carrie ( 12 ), Dad ( 5 ), Kevin ( 8 ), Mom ( 5 ), quilt   

  Due Diligence 

  Seeing projects through to their ends is, indeed, due diligence.  Off and on during the heat of the summer, I have been working on my scrappy quilt project.  Quilt projects are always a challenge when working with fabric and threads.  Having the vision of the final hurdle needs patience until the due diligence has been done.

  

  I did not need to use the little silver tool to thread the finer sewing needles until I reached my 70th birthday. I never fully appreciated how much easier life could be with these little freebies.

  This week, the hemming of the scrappy quilt is that last hurdle.  Hand hemming is still the most desirable option.  High loft batting, fluffy flannel, scrappy quilt top and the binding makes too many layers under the Model 1802 Sears sewing machine for a quality looking hurdle.  My Mom preferred the blind stitch for hemming.  Double quilt thread in a very sharp needle fills the bill.  Think about it: you are in the bed and tug the quilt up tight to your chin, the hem edge often times feels that tight tug.  The double threaded needle of tough quilt thread sure can’t hurt to keep the binding in place. As it is the blind stitch, I am able to use the white quilt thread I had on hand as it wouldn’t be visible.

  I don’t mind the time it takes for hand hemming.  A project such a this deserves that quality of time.  One of my Dad’s favorite sayings: “You don’t have time to do it right, but you always have time to do it over.”  Wow, what pops into my mind immediately after typing that line is the amount of farrowing crates the kids’ dad built, each time thinking the latest was the greatest.  Both Kevin and I do not mind taking the time in doing projects right the first time.  I can’t speak for Carrie, as her hubby Jeremy drives that engine.  I like due diligence.

  Regardless of how warm and humid it is outside, driving me into the sewing room to begin with, I don’t like sitting at the sewing table for long periods of time.  A tender back makes for moving often.  There is junk mail to check out, putting a new blurb onto my blog, or checking the refrigerator for what is available for suppertime fixings.  Time frames are workable when those of Stauffer Avenue are retired.  Checking the weather forecast, I think Wednesday will be a day for outside work: a lower dew point and temps in the low eighties.

   
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  Noreen 5:54 am on July 27, 2015 Permalink  

  It’s for sure Minnesota. One huge thunder clap during the night and the next thing we knew two inches of rain had fallen. We grabbed a few hours this morning outside before the humidity raised the bar to be very miserable. You know it is hot and humid when Butter Ball and Snuggles are lying on the garage floors as if they have flat-lined: “If you want to get around me . . . you will have to step over me, I’m not moving.” Even curious cats give it up in this weather.