Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:39 pm on February 4, 2026 Permalink  

  Gray Skies 

  I am not bothered by what the skies are doing.  Past are the decades that mandated how I needed to be aware.

  I clocked into the studio at 9:30 this morning.  KNUJ had an interesting visit from New Ulm’s City librarian.  It doesn’t matter if you want to learn how to play chess or if you want bring your stitching along and visit with those of like interests.  Very informative.

  With the steam iron just a cooking, I got the 194 inches of binding folded, pressed and wound around some stiff cardboard for the six placemats I am putzing with.  I fought with fabric to get the salvage cut off before I went on to cut the sizes I need for the additional placemats.  Nothing pressing.  Perhaps just something prepared to share with someone that happens to stop in for a visit.  What used to be fusible foam and now is not has also been cut.  That about did the rotary cutting arm in.   

  Twelve noon and the remaining morning coffee was enjoyed.  I had had an avocado for breakfast with a slice of buttered toast.  There is nothing like a cookie to have with a cup or two of said coffee.  The cookies had been as hard as a brick.  Yesterday when I had had an apple, I put a wedge of my apple into the cookie jar.  Yup, success!  The cookies were now tender to the point of being enjoyable to nibble on.  Thanks for the tip Lena.  That tip had taken Dennis daughter, Sandy, by surprise. 

  Dennis went to the assisted living unit here in town to visit with his literally, life-long friend, Lyle Grove.  Lyle is several months older than Dennis but has not fared as well.  He is very hard of hearing and nearly blind.  The hearing challenges in that era of time when he was young were not taken to heart for help.  Dennis did a good deed.

  We have decided on the Ego Fluffy Waffles and sausages for supper.  Our four slice toaster does its magic and two waffles each works.  Unfortunately, the waffles come six to the box.  I buy two boxes at a time guaranteeing that sometime down the road there are two additional meals ready for us.

  The book I am reading is The Tin Man, one of the free books from the library.  I can pick up the threads in the story line very easily, so I am not fussy.

  With that I will take my leave.

   
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  Noreen 3:22 pm on February 3, 2026 Permalink  

  Hello 

  It’s a Tuesday and I know that because the garbage truck was here bright and early.

  It has been several weeks since the Bidet was installed in our bathroom, on the toilet.  My oh my.  I wouldn’t know how to get along without it now.  Honesty is the best policy.  Since 2/21 the bathroom trips for me have been somewhat of a challenge.  The right hand wrist is full of arthritis and has little ability to do a 45 degree bend, let alone a bend beyond the 45.  The left hand wrist is my go-to wrist though the stroke says otherwise.  Having to self-cath, and that has been so for . . . I don’t remember what decade that was in, enough of a personal hygiene issue for me in one of my later life chapters. 

  Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  The Bidet has achieved 100% of that for me in regard to what it was engineered for.  No more struggles to achieve me being fresh 24/7.  I am being totally honest.  I am a happier, more content, more self confident person, no matter what hour or what day it is.  Some things get down to the nitty gritty and its only a daughter that can do that for her mom.  Carrie did all of the research on the bidet and the company to order it from and what our bathroom could accommodate.  All I had to do was hit “add to the cart.”  Yes . . . my level of comfort staying in our own home was worth the $999.00 to spend on us.  Dennis can no longer visit his bathroom in the studio.  The ease of us being a one bathroom home speaks volumes.

  So, there it is.  I have laid it all out.  It would be shameful to not be up front with my family.  No secrets . . . no surprises.

  We are in for a spell of nicer days with perhaps a snow shower or two.

  Several hours was spent in the studio.  A little of this and a little of that.  It all makes for a balance feeling in my soul.  We are having left-overs from the oven meal we had on Sunday evening.  The mashed potatoes and the diced meat will be made into patties to brown in a bit of oil in a fry pan.  Waste not, want not.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:54 pm on February 2, 2026 Permalink  

  Vertigo 

  Monday the 2nd of February.  And . . . the vertigo is gone.  The suggestion via the web was to lie down in a darkened room.  We have streetlights shining in my bedroom porch on two sides.  I went to bed at eight with a cloth over the eyes and I stayed on my back.  Fighting the vertigo can cause a nauseous feeling let alone not steady on the feet. That last part was what put me right into bed.  I got up ever so slowly so the crystals in the ears got red carpet treatment.  I do believe I got up too quickly yesterday and everything in the head was justled around.

  I had a good amount of energy this morning.  A load of laundry was started right off the bat.  I spied with my little eyes the fact that the floors needed a tidy, tidy.  Just to let you know, I am thankful for not so many to do.  More thankful that we have no carpeting.  I am not one to complain.  Resilience is my strength.  I am capable of taking care of our home.  Some days the housework isn’t very appealing and I know it will wait for me.  There is one cob-web way above the back door.  If it weren’t for the fact that I get dizzy when I look too far up . . . it is now being called a study in nature.

  Dennis is out and about running errands in his little red pickup.  I had the list written out and it went in his jacket pocket.  There will be a quiz when he returns.

  With that I will take my leave.

   
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  Noreen 3:14 pm on February 1, 2026 Permalink  

  Snow 

  We did get an inch or so of snow.  Very wet.  Even the leaf blower had a hard time blowing it off of the front deck.  And then . . . the sun comes out and makes fast work of what was remaining on the driveway after Randy had scrapped it.  The streets are sloppy to the max.

  Lots of deer and rabbit tracks in the new snow.

  The studio got a day off today.  When I got up this morning, there was a bit of vertigo going on with me.  It’s best to stay on one level.  Not much can be done about vertigo unless it is prolonged and severe.  Mine is not.  There is no getting up quickly for a fast get-away.  It helps to move my head slowly and no quick looking down and then up.  My health is the post holding everything else upright.  My body is not just something I live in, It was given to me to take care of.  Stewardship 101.

  We are waiting for one item to come in the mail before I can do our income tax for 2025.  Tax Act is the program we have used over the years.  That and Turbo Tax are both good with easy to follow programs.  I hear there may be changes.  Time will tell.

  I have an oven meal in for supper with a veggie medley on the side.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on January 31, 2026 Permalink  

  Icicles 

  Small icicles are forming off of the awning on the west side of our home.  The sun has the power to make it seem as if spring were right on our door-steps.  The mention of icicles brings to mind the amount of ice that can quickly build up from the furnace vent on the outside of the home.  Several years ago we had Watson’s bring the vent from the north side of the house to the south.  For two winters thereafter we never needed to pay attention to it.  Not so much this year.  Dennis has repeatedly commented during the sub-zero weather how quickly the ice wants to rise to meet the vent itself.  It was one of the wisest, safest things that we have had done.

  Even the studio was impressed with the sun coming through the south windows and no wind-chill to speak of.  With my project of doing some placemats, I did the worst of it today.  My goal is to do six placemats.  With the two of them as quilted guidelines, I figured out what length in the binding of six of them I would need.  964 inches was the calculation.  I went about cutting the 2.5 width of strips I would need.  This process is the most disgusting.  I cut the strips from the length of the fabric, the warp.  The weft has a slight stretch to it.  When sewing on bindings, the last thing desired is to have it wonky and wavy as the binding is turned over from the backing to the front.  That was the extent of the studio work.  I had put in a new blade into the rotary cutter, but the pressure on the shoulder after staying with it over a period of time needs to be honored.  

  KNUJ is not much fun on a Saturday as it entails the athletes being interviewed from various sports.  The individual announcer asks all the questions and the athlete gives either a “yes” or a “no” for response.  Boring!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 4:05 pm on January 30, 2026 Permalink  

  Snow? 

  An inch or so would be great to cover up the dirt-encrusted snow that is remaining

  For some reason the studio felt cooler to downright feeling cold.  I did have an agenda.  I kept moving.  Yes, the fusible foam did remain fused using the Best Press spray of yesterday.  The sample piece of yesterday was put to the test.  I wanted to see if I quilted the placemat every three inches apart doing a cross-hatch, would the friction cause the two layers to move, null and voiding the fused aspect.  No!  It held tight.  I went on to quilt the top and bottom together of one of the placemats.  I did lay out the second placemat using the same painter’s tape concept for accuracy, but it was just not in the cards.  There is no way the thermostat on the furnace could be high enough to allow the studio to be comfortabe.

  I do feel good that the bundle of foam that I have will be usable by activating the fuse it was meant to have.

  The small pillow filled with crushed walnuts did get hand stitched shut.  Hard to believe that hand stitching with a small sharp needle and a single thread used to come so easily.  Now, the hand stitching that I do is done with a #26 tapestry needle and 2 ply embroidery floss.  That’s ok.  I like what I can do. 

  Yes, there is a covering of snow forecast.  This afternoon was the perfect time to make a trip to the grocery store.  The north wind was raw, but new snow and cold temps was more than I was willing to do.  Having concrete dry and bare under the feet is the ultimate.  A little variety in the kitchen goes a long way taking the edge off of meal preparation.  Besides I was out of apples and avocados.

  After the store we swung around town and we have a 12″ tuna sub on cheese bread for our evening meal.  The dressing of choice is ranch.  Green peppers, onions, lettuce, shredded cheese and olives rounds out the food group.  Sweet.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:53 pm on January 29, 2026 Permalink  

  Let the Sunshine In 

  “OH . . . Let the sunshine in, face it with a grin.  Frowners never win, smilers never loose.”

  So goes this day on Stauffer Avenue.  Enough challenge in my projects to keep me humble.  Two placemats in progress. The two-sided foam that I had used years ago making items for Carrie, Kersten and several others has been tucked away, safe from harm.  I decided to take a few scraps of which I have many and check out how hot the iron would need to be set at if using it.  There was zero cooperation.  I even went online to query the lifespan of said fusibility.  There was the answer.  The surface dissipates.

  Hell’s bells.  With not much to lose, out came more scraps.  I decided to use Best Press.  It is a light starch spray that I had on hand.  One piece of fabric down with a piece of foam down and then the topper of the fabric, much like the sandwich I would be using in making a placemat.  The moisture did activate the fusible to the topper fabric.  I made sure to let it dry.  I then turned it over and did like-wise with bottom fabric and the foam.  It seems as if I have a solution.  I put both objects, soon to be placemats, on the church tables to let them thoroughly dry.  When next I visit the studio, I will see if all stayed stuck together.

  I went on to work with two embroidered designs that will be small pillows.  They will be about 5-6 inches square . . . or smaller.  With stabilizer on the back of the embroidered designs and then sandwiching it to a backing and machine stitching around it, leaving an opening to turn it right-side out. It does make for a good workout with the fingers.  I managed to fill the projects with crushed walnut shells without making a mess . . . like in missing the target and getting them all over the church tables.  I have the openings pined, capturing the crushed walnut shells.  Tomorrow with a fine tipped needle I will hand-sew the opening shut.

  That was about all I could handle today.  The lights went out in the studio.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:22 pm on January 28, 2026 Permalink  

  Quiet 

  What’s not to like about a space that eludes quiet.  Dennis was out to his patio porch with his breakfast box in one hand, his thermos coffee cup stuck in his jacket pocket and the walking cane . . . ever forward!  I didn’t put the radio on in the studio this forenoon.  The quiet spoke to me.  The quiet allowed my thoughts to swirl at will.  You know how it goes, “peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

  As I turned on the lights that hang over the church tables, one glance told me the fabric choices and color-ways I had chosen yesterday were keepers.  Going forward, bright fabrics will be turned into several placemats with snowflake appliques onto the upper right-hand corners.  I went further and pulled out the lightweight foam to sandwich in between tops and bottoms.  Plans are in place . . . for another day.

  I have the latest hand stitched design blocked.  Several layers of the thick cardboard grided multi-folded design mats on the church tables allows for poster pins to hold down the design using the printed measurements for accuracy.  Kersten had found two such tools to add to the original mat that had been found at Good Will.  I have a previously used frame on top of the design to get a feel for it.  The color is a good fit.  The finished design is about an inch lacking on all four sides.  It will stay pinned down while I think through as to what my options might be.  An inch is not going to be the death of using this frame.

  With the extended cold that we have had, there is no grace of previous warm temps on the concrete in the studio of the walls or of the floor.  The cold has wormed its way through and through.  Staying in the studio for several hours at a stretch is all I am doing.  The small ceramic electric heater that I have in the studio does a good job . . . if I stay sitting in front of it or stay standing in front of it. No, several hours is enough to break up my days.  My bedroom porch offers the balance of my interests.  The powerful sun, streaming in from the south windows, doesn’t hurt either.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:10 pm on January 27, 2026 Permalink  

  A Day 

  The sun is bright and our small flag by the front door doesn’t get a break from being whipped by the north wind.

  I was in the studio by 10:30 this forenoon.  Dennis’ cousin Bruce was visiting in the patio porch.

  I have pulled together some fabric for a “maybe” type of project.  As I was in the studio, I would do a quick “look see” to nail down my choices.  A quick glance is all it takes to assure the sewist that the wisest possible choice has been made.  When I come into the studio tomorrow forenoon and see the choice on the church tables . . . that will be the rest of the story. 

  Last year when Sadie had brought over her huge pile of t-shirts for her quilt, I knew I needed to call in the cavalry.  I ordered the Worx Zip Snip electric scissors to hep cut up the shirts.  It has since had a center spot in the studio.  It comes in handy to cut apart or to open products that are sealed in heavy see-through plastic.  Fingers could be lost trying to get that plastic apart.  Cutting down carboard for recycling is a breeze.

  Late yesterday, I decided it was time to pull out a book to while away some time reading.  Both Carrie and Kevin know I cannot hold a book for the enjoyment of reading.  Both of the kids also know I found a solution for myself.  The hard cover “free books” from the retired bin in our library soon get their hard covers taken off.  Yup, the Zip Snip makes fast work of that.  I have a holder to prop up said book and I read one page at a time.  When that one page has been read, both sides, it is torn off and put in the recycling basket under my desk.  A solution for what I can handle.

  There is a new small stitching design on my desk here in the bedroom porch.  It will be done in monotone red.  It will be great to have it next to my laptop, joining my reading material.  Putting in some stitches while I have a YouTube or Hulu streaming in the evenings does a great job of winding me down for bedtime.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:23 pm on January 26, 2026 Permalink  

  Well, Well 

  What do you know!  The wind is from the south.  Our mail slot cover was honoring it by clapping all the way.  It’s still cold out make no mistake about that.

  I had the thrill of taking my stitching down to the studio today.  The pattern called Cirque des Cercles by Ink Circles — Tracy Horner is finished.  The pattern is 247 stitches by 185 stitches.  The stitching is now resting on the church tables.  I have my thumb tacks ready to begin blocking it.  I am in no hurry.  It’s an estimated 80 yards of floss.  Of course having to take out some stitches for mistakes would alter that.  I worked totally with Esther Schafer silk hank of the variegated.  Initially I had cut the hank in half.  There remains quite a bit of the half I was using.  Each length that I used contained six fibers.  I used two fibers over each stitch.

  I checked the cistern closet to see what frames I have that may work with the circle stitching.  The blocking will determine the actual size needed.  I do not want to have to make a purchase or to have it framed.  These stitched projects are to keep me busy and not for posterity.  I guess if I offered to hand-mend socks that have worn holes in them . . . that would surely keep me busy as well.

  I will miss having something in my bedroom porch to keep my hands busy.  I will contemplate that and check out what fabric would be available from the carry-0ver stash that Carrie and I squirreled away many years ago.

  While in the studio, I rummaged around in the flash-drives I have for embroidery.  The quilt top is done, my stitching is done.  It may be time to work with embroidery so as to not forget the steps for a good outcome.  I am thinking of doing some smalls that could be made up and donned in a basket.  The Christmas story pillows in the wicker basket worked great.  Easy to have out and easier yet to store.  Food for thought.

  We have had a good run of hot meals with side dishes.  I have kept a can of Dennis’ favorite chicken noodle soup in hiding.  Tonight may very well be the night.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥