Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:18 pm on May 6, 2026 Permalink  

  Might be the Day 

  The skies are gray, the sun won’t come out and the air feels heavy.

  It is mid-afternoon and I am yawning.  Even a few laps on the driveway haven’t helped.  My gosh, you would think I could sit in my new recliner and nap.  Nope.  I am not a daytime napper.

  I looked out the bathroom window and Snuggles is asleep on Dennis’ chest while Dennis is napping.  Good for the both of them.  

  It felt good to clean up a bit in the studio from a job well done.  The sewing machine needed a cleanup of fuzz under the hood.  I still have the old Filter Queen plugged in and it did a right handsome job of helping.  Oil change, grease job and a new needle.  Doing justice to the machine is all important now as Kelly at Creative Stitches in Bird Island is not taking any machines in for work or a tune-up until the crops are in.  He and his dad farm many acres.

  I put out a small bag for the epileptic’s pick up today.  I truly hope they do come by.  Our street is a throughfare after all. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on May 5, 2026 Permalink  

  The Day 

  Today is Tuesday the 5th of May.  The day has gone by quickly.

  I could have, would have stayed in the studio for longer today, but the trickle of water around the tile perimeter of the studio made it feel a bit too chilly.

  I have a project that I could bring to the first floor.  I fight that as one thing after another could dribble up to the first floor.  That would break the rhythm I have for my days.  Just so much time in my morning is spent having coffee and breakfast.  It’s then time to get dressed and do a tidy, tidy on the first floor.  After the “have too” is finished, I give myself permission for the studio time.

  The studio time is  say-la-vees.  If I get lost in thoughts or threads and fuzz . . . it matters not.  Creative time is good for the soul and the mind. 

  I will follow up that our unique oven meal of last night was a success.  It’s always convenient when a bag of ingredients can come out of the freezer to mix with sauce and pasta. Even doing a pork roast in the crockpot can leave it become dry as a pork loin roast doesn’t have any marbled meat.  When we had done the roast for a meal,  I used the kitchen shears and cut up the remaining very small.  The juice from the crockpot that contained the seasonings from the meat and the bed of carrots was perfect to pour over the cut up meat and cut up carrots.  Too much flavor to waste.  The ingredients of the leftover stove top added its kick of flavor.  Two cups of uncooked medium ribbon pasta and a jar of Alfredo . . . mission completion.  

  Dennis said he would be up for that combination any time.  He is the food critic.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on May 4, 2026 Permalink  

  New Week 

  I awoke with a new agenda.  Well . . . some of the old.

  Time was spent on folding and pressing binding for my project.  The binding has now been sewn onto the quilt with tipping it forward for the last go-round on another day.

  When I went to clean my eye glasses this last weekend, the lens fell out.  Good thing the old pair were retrieved for the duration.  What had happened was a screw had fallen out.  Where the screw had been allowed for the frame to have the clearance to put the lens in.

  It was also important for me to visit a friend this afternoon.  Karen and I have been friends since the 80s.  At that time, Karen was the city clerk of Lewisville.  We met over city and county business.  Karen has since been the proprietor of the County Collage, a retail store on Main Street.  Last week it appeared on Facebook that she would be closing her store.  How could I not take time to stop in and wish her well on her next journey.  It was time well spent for me on this Monday.

  A new screw has been inserted in the eyewear.  A clear sealant was put over the screw to avoid another mishap.  Whatever.

  We are having an oven meal.  This is our experimental oven meal.  It consists of the pulled pork, not so much pulled as diced, the leftover diced carrots and the chopped up stove top dressing.  These ingredients were from last week when we did the pork crock pot meal.  The Alfredo sauce is the mixture to combine all.  Dennis put a hefty layer of ground black pepper on the top.  I’ll let you know what the reviews are.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:29 pm on May 3, 2026 Permalink  

  Sunny Sunday 

  A quiet start to a Sunday morning is a good thing.

  We anticipated the afternoon guests.  Dennis’ granddaughter had a fight match in Sioux Falls on Saturday night.  She is in the fighting where it is kick boxing, boxing and wrestling.  Both of Dennis’ daughters went to see the match.  Sandy and Tom from Mankato and Susie and Jerry from Silver Bay.  All would be stopping in on Stauffer on the way home.  Cheyanne lost the match.  Her loss netted her $32,000.00. They all agreed she took quite the beating.

  How that works is that within the week she is checked over by a doctor.  Nothing strenuous for two weeks.  Cheyanne is a physical trainer at Any Time Fitness.  It will be all verbal for the two weeks.  Her next match of the four in her contract is in the state of Washington.

  Amazing what avenues different individuals seek as adults.

  I like my cozy home.

  Pizza was a treat last night for supper.  I enjoyed cold pizza for breakfast.  Waste not want not.  

  The coming week is slated to be a quiet one for us.  Some sewing is on the docket afer I fold and press the lengths of binding.  It may very well not get done in one sprint.

  With that i will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:57 pm on May 2, 2026 Permalink  

  A Balmy Saturday 

  We might actually be having a spring-like day.  All the yellow flowers in our neighborhood tell me the same thing.

  We had a spa morning for haircuts and pedicures.  It sure felt good.  I have usually wore my hair short over the last decades.  This morning, I asked her to thin it out on top as it felt heavy.  Ask . . . and it can be done.  Dennis is always pleased with Maria’s work.  Those two can really chat each other up.  Unfortunately, someone had told tales, false, on her husband that made them loose work hours on this last Thursday as they had to meet with the immigration services in St. Paul.  All was cleared up, but it was a worry for two very nice people.

  A bit of fabric was cut for the binding of my project.  One step closer.

  We are having pizza for supper.  I am thrilled to be having a meat lover’s pizza from Casey’s.  Pizza is not Dennis’ favorites and this is special.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:31 pm on May 1, 2026 Permalink  

  Brr Chilly #2 

  This afternoon standing against the south side of the house in the full sunshine felt warm and toasty. 

  Not so much in my studio.  It phased me not.  I suited up and put in several hours.  Next step . . . trimming off excess batting and backing of the project. 2.5 ” x 300″ for the binding will be cut and that is for another day.

  Dennis had the little red pickup into the shop this afternoon.  Yesterday he smelled anti-freeze in the cab.  A new valve was ordered, it came in this afternoon and all is well.  Good thing it happened here in town as the pickup could have over-heated.

  I am usually not one to use ketchup on my food.  Ketchup is one of Dennis’ major food groups.  What I did find out by accident:  Real Potatoes, found in the refrigerator department of the grocery store in the same cabinet as eggs.  The small cubed potatoes with a bit of southwestern spices, when pan fried taste wonderful with Ketchup.  Not drowned in ketchup.  I put a plop of ketchup on my plate and with my fork, dip a piece of potato in the ketchup and it’s like eating a French fry.  I tried putting the potatoes in the oven uncovered in a foil lined pan and when heated to the 155-160 that also works.  Better yet, no fry pan to clean up.  Home, home on the range . . . where food is always experimented with.  Too funny.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on April 30, 2026 Permalink  

  Brr Chilly 

  It must have been a chilly cool morning as our mail carrier was back to wearing long pants.

  Suiting up as well to stay comfortable and spend time in the studio has been in the cards.  Even with furnace running off and on, there was a chill in the air from water running around the perimeter of the studio going out into the sump pump.  Lots of rain will cause that.

  Today finished the free-motion quilting in the eighteen log cabin quilt blocks.  Another day I will quilt the borders.  Some of my free-motion meandering could have been a bit more polished.  None of my projects are juried.

  Dennis spent the morning over at the acre to watch Ryan and his crew take down the tree that had tipped over.  It was two trees out of one stump.  What remained wasn’t heathy either.  Stump and all has been cleaned up.  It feels good to stay on top of things.

  Prices can be seen being a bit higher in the grocery store.  What felt good was that our next six month premium for our house insurance was the same as the last six month bill.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on April 29, 2026 Permalink  

  Soggy Ground 

  Perhaps it was the 3.5 inches of rain within five days that allowed a tree to topple over on the acre.  We know people.  I called Ryan.  He is the young fellow that worked with us as we cleaned the acre from one corner of it to another.  Ryan will work us into his schedule.  His crew does fantastic work.  Nothing left behind including anything of the the stump and roots that may need to be dug out.

  Nothing lasts forever.  My very first pop-socket had given out.  Having to move it from one phone to another didn’t put a dent in the adhesive.  It just couldn’t pop efficiently anymore.  When I ordered our Magnesium I included ordering a new pop-socket.  The new one has a patriotic design on it.  Works great.

  Our crockpot supper was great last night.  It’s amazing how much meat was on a 2.45 lb. pork loin roast.  It sat on a bed of baby carrots.  We decided to fix a box of stove top dressing for something different to go with it as well as cranberries.  After supper I took our kitchen shears and cut the remaining roast in fairly small chunks adding the juice from the crockpot.  I diced the cooked carrots as well as breaking up the remainder of the dressing.  With a gloved hand I worked the three ingredients together thoroughly.  I split the mixture into two freezer bags for two “sometime meals.”  Sometime there will be two cups of pasta prepared together with Alfredo sauce.  It will be deemed a Stauffer Avenue original oven dish.  We waste not . . . want not.  Why not!  

  Oh yes, Gemini and I have been getting along nicely.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on April 28, 2026 Permalink  

  The Rest of the Story 

  I have been released from PT.  The tightness in my shoulders has subsided to a great degree.  I am using them in stretching and reaching more more than I had previously.

  Dan visited with me as he had all of my medical records to view as we visited.  He noted the arthritis in my back and hips and obviously the arthritis that warranted both shoulder replacements and knees.  He thought it was quite extensive.  He seemed surprised.  I was not.

  I was a hardworking farmer’s daughter.  Dad’s children worked right along side of him without thought.  Being part of a family.  When Orlin and I moved to Texas and had purchased an acre of land, the two of us dug in the septic tank so we could have a bathroom in the little chicken house that we made into a home.  It didn’t need to be under the frost line as in Minnesota but still deep enough to meet code.

  When we went farming it was to a full blown farm with chickens, hogs, young stock and milk cows.  Dad taught Orlin how to milk a cow.  That was too funny.  At that time, Carrie, born in the mid-October was four months old.  The silo on the farm had been filed by the precious owner.  I made a sling, putting Carrie bundled up in it, and her and I crawled the silo steps to use a pickax to chop loose the silage for the cows.  Never gave it a thought or backed off of what was needed. 

  Orlin went to work at 3M in Hutchinson and the farm life continued.  By then it was Carrie and Kevin that went where I did.  I didn’t know it at the time when I we were expecting our third child that Otto Duesterhoeft bought a portion of the farm.  My brother Michael bought the remaining.  I cried.

  I loved that farm.

  I don’t mind the arthritis . . . it actually brings back a lot of wonderful sweet memories.  Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  With that I will take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:21 pm on April 27, 2026 Permalink  

  A Drippy Day 

  Lots of moisture . . . no bad storms.  What a kick-off to the lawn mowing season.

  I turned the thermostat on the furnace up a bit so I could work in the studio for a bit.  That activity lasted until noon and then that was enough.  It’s a good thing there was breakfast coffee left when I came upstairs.  I usually have a bottle of Lipton’s Diet Green Tea open in the studio.  I am not going to fess up how many days that bottle lasts.  It’s a good refreshing taste and I do not need it ice cold.

  The trip to the grocery story was a very good trip.  It’s amazing the great things that can happen while one is strolling up and down the isles.  I did pick up a 2.5 lb. pork shoulder roast for the crock pot plus a bag of carrots to go with it.  I now have five options for meals plus perhaps a night of soup with a half grilled cheese sandwich.  Dennis requested a box of cold cereal.  Sometimes it might just do the trick for him as a snack.  Four of Marie’s pot pies and three other Marie heat and serve meals for Dennis.  When Dennis wants a heat and serve oven meal, I opt for a salad.  It doesn’t matter if a few dishes are dirtied or a lot.  Dennis is in charge of doing the dishes.  There is no free lunch.

  I checked in with Dee.  She works in the bakery.  Her husband is in the memory care unit in Sleepy Eye.  She has just listed their rural home as she will be looking at living in an apartment.  Brenda at the checkout is always ready with a smile.  Her husband got hurt working at Swift Food Processing here in town.  Dan is now confined to a wheelchair.  And then . . . there is James Mitchell.  A Hispanic fellow in his fifties that loves working in the grocery store whether it’s stocking shelves or carry-out.  He and his wife packed up from Texas to be in this community where their family has settled.  A very wonderful fellow.  It does take me quite awhile to get out of the store.

  I did do a stop at Family Dollar.  Kitty litter was needed.  They carry 21 lb. lightweight in plastic jugs.  Much more doable than Sam’s Club’s box which is 40 lbs.

  Amazing how a day can fritter away.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥