Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 5:43 am on June 26, 2015 Permalink  

  I firmly believe that relationships, of any type, either grow or they die.

  Today was a day to nurture, encourage and empathize with two very special people who I have had in my life for decades. The three of us got acquainted through our work as assessors. Doreen hails from Nicollet County, Judy from Brown County and I, from Watonwan County.

  The three of us, respectively within our own families, have shared births, deaths, divorce, medical issues, hobbies and heartaches. No one has been immune to life. It is a great time to catch up on our families, find out what has happened since we last were together, and find out what the near future has in store for our schedules.

  Lunch served here in the porch on Stauffer was nothing fancy, but it filled the bill. Obviously, when guests are coming to break bread in the porch, there are certain preparations that must be done. Butter Ball and Snuggles can’t figure out why the screen doors are closed and they are on the outside looking in. Cushions are vacuumed and pet pillows are tucked into a tote for human enjoyment of the facilities today. Oh no, how could this be? The prep time is minimum to enjoy the company to the maximum.

  As my guests departed, our intentions were voiced to get together oftener. Our intentions are pure, but we also acknowledged that life spins us in directions on a day-to-day basis that adheres to no set plan.

  The day ended, not with goodbyes, but “See you again, real soon.”

   
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  Noreen 12:20 am on June 25, 2015 Permalink  

  A Gathering 

  I am posting early today, as we have places to go and people to see.  Once a year, Dennis’ fellow Korean Veterans host a banquet with their annual meeting in Mankato.  The chapter that Dennis belongs to is called the Frozen Chosen and they meet monthly for noon lunch with a short business meeting.  There is a variety of ages of men and women who attend: Dennis went to Korea when he was 18.  The summer events in the area that have parades, more than welcome their float that these fellows have put together to honor the time they spent in Korea fighting the good fight.

  The sad part of recalling the years that our fellows served in Korea, it has never been called the Korean War.  It has always been referred to as a “Police Action.” The powers that be have been little shysters – then as well as now.

  

  Memories and remains of Korea. A time that
  often is forgotten in day-to-day life, but has contributed
  to the fellow who these belong to.

  Dennis recalls how time spent on the 39th parallel and with Minnesota on the 49th, the weather was not that much different.   In other words, they froze for months on end.  Dennis recalls his shoes were often soaked through for days on end.  If there were any chance to gain an extra pair of socks, it was never passed by.

  When Dennis realized that this group of fellows got together only 45 miles away, it opened a door to make, or in some cases reunite, friends. How wonderful to get out of the small town comfort zone and broaden horizons.  It isn’t all chit chat about the time served.  Finding out how others have spent their lives after serving their country is a good thing.

  We are heading to Mankato for a night of fellowship for the boys who had to grow up fast to be the men who came home to find jobs and grow their own families.  Life is good.  Often, as Dennis and I sit and enjoy our coffee, there comes a memory that Dennis shares. It isn’t always a sad or a bad one.  These fellows who served together became a family.

   
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  Noreen 4:14 am on June 24, 2015 Permalink  

  Fleeting Thoughts: 

  I cannot imagine living without frequent contact with family.  It feeds my soul.

   
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  Noreen 3:34 am on June 23, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine ( 7 )   

  A Good Day After the Storms 

  At 5:30 this morning we were awoke with phones going off in regard to severe weather approaching our area.  After two inches of rain and horrific winds, we are thankful there was no damage to our home.  Our front lawn looks as if we are about to have an Easter egg hunt, substituting pine cones for eggs.  Tomorrow after things dry up a bit, we will be raking many, many tree tips left from the high winds.  Dennis noticed many pickup loads of branches: huge, large and small going to the tree dump north of town.  Yes, we are very thankful our cleanup will just involve some arm power and raking.

  By the late forenoon the sun was peaking out in time for my Aunt Lorraine to arrive for lunch.  Lorraine is visiting her three Minnesota children from Arizona.  We have the best time when she visits.  She and Dennis poke fun at each other and the conversation never lags.

  I couldn’t help but notice the box that she carried in.  We had “Lorraine Show and Tell” as you can’t believe.  There were projects that she has underway, that would boggle even the best of quilters.  One of them entailed an older lady’s unfinished quilt pieces, which were given to her in the hope that it could become a finished project.  The basis for the entire project began with squares that were two inches square and then cut in half.  The fabric was from the depression era. All of the work that had been completed thus far was done by hand stitches that were so precise, I spent more time looking at the back of the work than the front.  The seam allowance was a steady 1/8 of an inch.  True to form, Lorraine is finishing the project, doing all the stitching by hand.  What a marvel.

  Needless to say, the afternoon went quickly.  Lorraine is 83 and she did tell us that she doesn’t plan her Minnesota trips too far in advance as surprise health issues can pop up.

  What started as a day with a very strong storm, a day with lots of wonderful chit chat and hugs from an aunt who can’t possibly weigh more than 100 lbs. soaking wet, will now become sweet memories.

   
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  Noreen 8:31 am on June 22, 2015 Permalink  

  This was a day that was spent outside. The acre has been manicured, trimmed and looking very sharp as Dennis put new blades on the rider mower. I spent time with spray on various areas as the ants are taking way too much of our turf. Whether it is the mowing of the grass or the spraying of the ant hills . . . it will need a repeat many times this summer.

   
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  Noreen 5:47 am on June 21, 2015 Permalink  

  A very uneventful day. 8/10 of an inch of rain in the early morning hours set the tone for the day as the alert for the thunderstorm came on our phones at 4:38 a.m. Two cellphones with different ring tones and our land line phone all going off at the same time. You can just visualize the two of us snapping to in a nano-second. Phone calls when it is still, what we consider the night, tends to make us think immediately of a family emergency.

   
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  Noreen 6:42 am on June 20, 2015 Permalink  

  Do you need a good laugh? I suggest that you hang around senior citizens, aka: old people. Dennis and I do work hard on our yard, and it has been a long time since we have put anything back into the soil where the gardens are. We had a good supply of the granular Miracle Grow, and then another quantity was given to us. I went to Fleet and Farm and purchased a water hose-type feeder. Of course, it came with the container full of the granular Miracle Grow. We each read the instructions. Upon hooking up the hose to the feeder, we gave it a try. Immediately, both of us noticed how hard it was to keep the trigger pulled all the way back for good water distribution. Dennis took a turn and then I noticed he was motioning me to come to where he was. He pointed to the yellow button on top of the feeder. Pushed forward, there was no need to hold the trigger down manually. Hello!

  The instructions said that a noticeably blue charged water would be distributed. We noticed nothing. I even got a white coffee cup and Dennis put some of the feeder water into it. The water in the white cup was clear. Had the product been in the store for such a long time that the Miracle Grow had totally hardened? After a good amount of time and water into the project, we started over. I shut off the water at the house and Dennis took the feeder off of the hose and screwed open the container. Hmm . . . there was a clear plastic seal on the top of the container.

  The next two batches of application went off without a hitch.

  If you need to have a good laugh, followed by rolling of the eyes and ending with the work “Seriously” . . . find some old farts and let the tears roll as you laugh your hinny off.

   
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  Noreen 4:29 am on June 19, 2015 Permalink  

  Photo By Dennis 

  

  Using a camera is not something Dennis has done often, but I do think his photos have merit. Practice is easier with the digital camera option of taking many shots and deleting those that are not to his liking. In years past, we had put pots of Purple Fountain Grass on either side of the bridge. I think the lawn grass needing tending on a weekly basis and plant purchasing was put on hold. Next year the plants will be brought up for discussion. We seem to have our hands full taking care of what has come up on its own.

   
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  Noreen 5:48 am on June 18, 2015 Permalink  

  It’s Shaping Up 

  

  The plants are slowly filling in the gardens. I didn’t purchase any additional perennials this year. It was either sink or swim.

   
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  Noreen 5:39 am on June 17, 2015 Permalink  

  It is about time for slowing up a bit for the day. For some reason, I was awake at 5:30 this morning. Well, I know the reason; I slept through the night and a bathroom visit was needed. I shocked Dennis when I toddled out to the porch with coffee in hand. It’s not uncommon for Dennis to be up early for the exact same reason that I was up, but after a bit the recliner gets a visit and he may nap for several hours.

  I stayed out in the porch and drained several more cups of coffee. I decided I would go into the sewing room and clock in. The intent is to use up a bag of scraps that have been accumulating for several decades. This certain bag of scraps are all about 1.5″ to 2″ in width and various lengths. I don’t have the heart to throw away leftovers from the refrigerator or scraps of fabric. Most likely it comes from times when either one was in short supply.

  The end result will be many, many 9″ blocks with multiple strips of fabric sewed side by side to make up the block. It is a pattern called “String Quilt.” There is no rhyme or reason to the choice of colors that will lay next to each other. There had to be many other quilters that could not bear to throw scraps away in order for there to be multiple images of “String Quilt” when I Googled it.

  During the day, I wandered from the sewing room to the dining room every hour or so. With taking many breaks during the day, I was amazed how much I did accomplish both in the sewing room and also at the dining room table where I am working on hemming a quilt. Did the amount of progress make a believer out of me to get up at 5:30 again tomorrow morning? I wouldn’t bet on it.