Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:13 pm on June 3, 2025 Permalink  

  A Great Rain 

  Today I am sharing something that I have a difficult time doing . . . resting.  Resting for the sheer joy of it.  I have always achieved a busy schedule once my feet hit the floor.  Almost to the point that if I didn’t have something visible, it didn’t count.

  I am caught between two people that I loved dearly.  My grandmother Laura always stressed that if God gave a day there should be something to show so as to not have wasted it.  Though wheelchair bound she wore herself out each day being all that she was able to do.  My dad, Raymond, always took time out for a moment of rest mid-day.  Whether beside the shade of a tractor tire out in the field, or on the floor of any home or building he happened to be in.  Dad laid down and napped.  He didn’t need a wrist watch.  He knew when the day needed to be resumed.

  I did hear what Mike at PT told me on my last session.  Wear and tear over the years of our activity cannot have all the discomfort alleviated by his hands, by medications or steroid shots.  Life.  Mike gave me two exercises to do daily, perhaps multiple times during the day to help me stay on track.  I could not believe it.  Two!  That was it?  Yup Grammie . . . listen to what the body is telling me.  I am not doing steroid shots with short-lived relief.  I will do the Tramadol medication.  I am doing the exercises.  I may still be able to do all that I have a passion for and what brings me joy.  I need to learn the art of resting.  Umph!

  Some repetitive motion is needed on a daily basis . . . but not to excess.  I have always prided myself to continue learning new things with my sewing and even housework.  So . . . this afternoon while in my bedroom porch doing some repetitive work in stitching with bouts of watching traffic.  I believe Dennis has nailed this resting thing.  I am going to give it a daily try as well.  I will keep you up to date.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:38 pm on June 2, 2025 Permalink  

  On Line 

  It is four thirty and we have had no internet for most of the day.

  I spent quite a bit of time taking care of my sewing machine in the studio.  Lots of fuzz under the hood.  I made sure to clean the cutter blades.  Having a sewing machine that cuts my thread saves on my right wrist.  Also the needle threader is another perk that saves on the right wrist.  Oil has been added and of course a new size 12 needle.

  Dennis unpacked the electric scissors this afternoon.  It is charging the battery as I type.  Dennis has a blade in it.  Tomorrow we may take the scissor on a test run of one of Sadie’s tee-shirts.  Dennis is in it, to win it.  With him cutting off the sleeves and cutting right across under the neck band and maybe up the sides, that would help a lot.  That would leave me to figure out the dimensions of the design to save per shirt.

  I will check out Amazon as I know I will need a bolt of iron-on stabilizer per tee-shirt front, allowing it to be handled as if the tee-shirt is woven.

  It is warm closing in on hot this afternoon.  When I did a load of dark clothes, I threw in a pair of slip-on shoes from the studio.  I had not worn them for some time, so getting them cleaned up was a good call.  I put them out on the front deck this mid afternoon for drying.

  It is going to be chicken titties, pan fried, plus some steamer veggies for supper. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 12:58 pm on June 1, 2025 Permalink  

  Shh! 

  Shh . . . it’s quiet in the neighborhood.  Well, if you discount the fact that birds have put the alarm out that Snuggles is at the water pond of the sump pump.  They can really make a racket thinking that their nests are in danger.  Interestingly is that as Snuggles retreats to the patio porch, the birds will swoop down after him to make sure he feels their distain.

  Today the studio remains in darkness.  I had vowed that as the last of the 14,000 stitches were complete, Grammie was taking a hiatus.  This purple quilt’s components had languished long enough.  Some of them had been moved from one spot to another over a time frame of ten years.  Duplicate embroidered blocks that for one reason or another had not made the cut from the time I made a quilt for Megan.

  

  Whether crocheted trim, orphaned pieced quilt blocks or embroidered blocks . . . they will by-pass the circular file, aka: wastebaskets if they are in a completed project.  The batting of said finished quilt was various pieces of quilt batting that had been taped together to allow for this 52″ x 72″ quilt.  The tape is a specific product for such a use. 

  Megan’s embroidered William pillow and this quilt project are giving the faithful sewing machine a well deserved break.  I have had not one problem as one stitch after another fulfilled the end results.  All that remains when I do return to the studio is to give the sewing machine an oil change along with checking for loose fuzz.  The new needle goes without saying.  New needles are very reasonable for a good finish.

  After a barrage of Curry company since before Memorial Day, Dennis got to nap in his recliner today.  A well deserved nap.  I, on the other-hand have remained in my robe for the day catching up with some of my favorites floss tubes.  Younger would be in sweats for the day. 

  The merry month of May is over.  June will be one day at a time for us older ones on Stauffer Avenue.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:28 pm on May 31, 2025 Permalink  

  It is Going to Be 

  After another several minutes and a few more stitches, the purple quilt will be finished.  Dennis came down to visit in the studio this afternoon.

  I have put in a fairly long day today in the studio.  Once there is calibration on the chosen design, it doesn’t make sense to work at it for a time, shut things down and begin again tomorrow.  When all is going well, finish it up.

  I will have photos for tomorrow’s post.

  Dennis’ son Kenny stopped in this afternoon while Dennis was here with me in the studio.  I am being forthright.  Being a trucker for most of his life, he really doesn’t have a personality with which to carry on a conversation as his awareness of more than trucking is nil, and he is not the least bit interested in advancing beyond that.  Dennis is so much more and I appreciate and respect that.

  I very much appreciate the fact that Dennis’ daughter, Denise, is putting him up for his visit.  Cable television, a recliner and being fed fills the bill.

  This is short, but I need to close down the studio.  The air is chilly down here.  And . . . this is a finish.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:08 pm on May 30, 2025 Permalink  

  Summer 

  Summer is coming this weekend.  I have enjoyed the cooler temps.

  Today is the first day of the cotton seeds flying from the Cottonwood tree to the northwest of us.  It can play havoc on air filters when lawnmowers are running just sucking them up.  The one tree that did show us some grace was the huge Maple.  The tree seeds that spin in the air like small airplanes were slim to none.

  The studio felt cool this forenoon.  Enough so that I wore a sweater.  The sump pump continues to run intervals.  That announces the fact that cold ground water is running on three sides of the studio via the tiling.

  When I work on the purple quilt, I can see daylight at the end of the tunnel.  What I can also feel is the action of the binding that is needed to finish off the raw edges.  Sewing the yards of binding on one side of the perimeter of the quilt is step one in a two-step process.  Step two is taking that binding and bringing it over to stitch it to the top of the quilt, meaning my right hand needs to grip that half inch of binding fabric to cover the edge of the quilt to feed it under the needle for the last hurrah.  I let those two steps to be done in just as many days, showing some mercy to the ole body.

  For another day in the studio, the eight blocks that are eight inches by ten inches need to have some stitching to ward off the batting bunching up.  I sized up the process for possibilities.  I do believe I need to think on this.  Most likely the solution will come to me as I lay in bed this evening before dozing off.  In the mean time, the lights went dark and the radio was turned off.

  I put a pork steak into the little blue speckled roaster for the oven to be ready for our supper.  A bit of bold and spicy marinade on the top will seal in the flavors.  The pork to fix for meals today is not the pork for meals that I grew up with.  It is now by far leaner and more flavorful.  Instant potatoes and green beans will round out the fare . . . plus whatever else we come up with.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:08 pm on May 29, 2025 Permalink  

  Today the 29th 

  Today my post will be a photo collage of what I deem a successful stitching operation via the sewing machine.  Finding a design that would work, was hunt and peck.  I was not up for the colors as down-loaded.  The design called for eight thread changes during the 56,000 plus stitches.  The thread changes were up to me to allow this stitched out finish to resemble Megan’s cat, William.  I set the stitching at 85% of the downloaded design to make sure my choice of stabilizer could handle the density.  Lots of decisions.  The end result allowed for a pillow finish.  All was measured, measured and one time more.  I opted for a less dense name to be stitched.  Stripping off the colors was something I had never tried before from what the Bernina Tool Box allowed.

  

  

  

  With that I will take my leave.♥

   
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  Noreen 2:37 pm on May 28, 2025 Permalink  

  Gray Skies 

  I knew when I got up this morning the streets were wet.  It didn’t take long and I was in the studio.

  I have two projects that are on my radar to finish before I tackle the mountain of tee-shirts that Sadie brought over for a quilt.  Today in the post, an electric scissor was delivered from Amazon.  The brand name is Workx.  Their products have good reviews.  I had ordered extra blades at the same time.  Even a rotary cutter can play havoc on hands and shoulders.  The case that it came in was unzipped but I took nothing out as I am not ready for that task.

  Yesterday at supper time, Dennis’ son, Kenny, drove up.  He had retired from the over-the-road in Arizona and came to Minnesota to drive grain from northern Minnesota to the ship yards in St. Paul and take fertilizer back.  It was a setup from a fellow that was a snowbird where Kenny lived.

  No more backing up to a load and hitting the buttons to dolly up a load or unload it.  This was in and out of the cab. climbing the ladder of the load to secure tarps, etc, etc.  I did not respond when he said he couldn’t take that much physical work.  His shoulders hurt, his legs and feet are swollen.  Hello.  At 325 lbs, his idea of working for $300 a day in cash for one load each day . . . isn’t working out so good.  Living in a truck and showering at Kwik Trips for nothing if you are filling fuel.  I have no idea where he is hanging his hat while here or for how long.  Hmm.  I may not see much of Dennis as now there are two smokers in the patio porch.  I will take it slow and gracious, but my meal plans are for two and the bathroom is for my personal use.  Kenny has a sister, cousin, nephew all living here in town.  Spread the wha-wha-wha.

  I have a new stitch in process.  The five patterns are fairly small and they were labeled as a Congress of Eagles.  They are intended to be stitched monotone.  I will use red floss and blue floss, deciding which design to use either color.

  Stitching does enhance my resilience.  It shifts my focus away from small and annoying stressors.  I can totally zone out.  It brings back a neutral mood and helps my brain to feel safe and in control.  If anyone can make an “x” on fabric, they are stitchers.  The floss tubers on YouTube sit and chat into their telephone cameras sharing what their’s has held.  It is no different than me plunking out my blog.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on May 27, 2025 Permalink  

  Oh Happy Day 

  Through the rain sprinkles, I am having a happy day.  Why not!

  I didn’t even mind going through the grocery store as the refrigerator was threatening to disconnect its own light if something wasn’t put in it.

  I went to visit a friend, Dee, this afternoon.  There wasn’t much I could do but spend some quiet time with her.  Her husband has been in Memory Care in Onamia for five weeks now.  It’s too far for frequent visits.  There was no opening anywhere closer.  He calls her every evening and asks her when she will pick him up from work, as he is ready to come home.

  In 1973, or there abouts, Ester Schafer, the kid’s grandmother needed a hospital stay.  From there she needed to spend time in the Buffalo Lake Nursing Home.  They call them Care Centers now.  It was only four miles to go and see her and we did it everyday.  Sometimes with Carrie and Kevin, sometimes I would go alone when the kids were in school.  Each and every time Ester would ask me to please take her home with me.  Just thinking of that now, makes me feel sad.  I really feel horrible for Dee.

  With groceries unpacked, we have warded off a wellness visit.

  After some sadness, I am finishing out this day with a cup of coffee.  Dennis kept it hot for me.  Most of all I will retire this evening, knowing for what was in my ability . . . I had a happy day.  I had a very happy day.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on May 26, 2025 Permalink  

  Perfectly Clear 

  If Dennis is going to continue carrying a wallet, he is going to need the type of wallet that big dudes carry.  The ones with the log chains attached to the wallet and the pants of said carrier.

  This morning, very early there was a knock on the back door.  When I went to answer the door, there stood a Hispanic of about 35 and in his hand was Dennis wallet.  I asked him where he had found it.  He replied on the Hammond Highway.  That is the street that our acre runs along.  I gave him a $20 reward.  Everything in the wallet was in tact.  Dennis was asleep in his rocking chair in the patio porch.

  I had to immediately contact the two grandchildren that I had requested metal detectors from.  I let his daughter know as she and her husband Tom had helped look for it yesterday.  Come to fine out, Dennis had used the Sear’s mower to mow along the curb next to the Hammond.  Yup.  Out popped the wallet.

  What a lesson learned for the ole cowboy.  

  I tell you, keeping up with what each day asks can be a caution and can suck the energy right out of me.  I did work a bit in the dirt under the huge Maple.  Nothing serious, just getting at some young cocklebur plants that were easily taken out.  Many years ago, Dennis had gotten a bale of wild hay from one of his farmer friends in the hope to provide feed for the deer that would frequent the backyard.  He had plopped the bale up on the dirt under the Maple tree.  Ya all know that those weed seeds can lay dormant for up to seven years.  I think I might be on the sixth year of taking some out.  By the way . . . deer do not much like alfalfa or road ditch hay.  They prefer grains, Hosta plants and plants that may have been purchased in a greenhouse.  My neighbor Jan tells me that.

  So . . .  my day is winding down with some cold breakfast coffee and some stitching.  Dennis is back to the patio porch for another nap, feeling very grateful for not having to replace the ID cards in his wallet.  I feel grateful that that task did not fall on me to do.

  I will remind and make perfectly clear that the wallet does not go out in the pants if yard work needs to be done.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:45 pm on May 25, 2025 Permalink  

  A Spring Sunday 

  By all accounts, it is a beautiful spring Sunday.

  I had no plans and I had asked Dennis if he wanted to do something before he headed out to the patio porch with his coffee cup and breakfast box.  Nope.

  All that changed when I realized he and his little red pickup were in the backyard by the garage that houses the lawn mowers.  I heard the Sear’s mower and knew Dennis was trying out the new blades that had been put on it.  Son-in-law Tom came and he used our zero turn to mow our acre.  All seemed well.  Until . . . Dennis came in the house and asked to take some Tylenol.  He announced that he hade lost his wallet.  It had slipped and or fallen out of his jacket.

  It was still a beautiful spring Sunday, but . . . it’s not ending up peaceful.  Dennis knew where he had been with the mower.  Both Tom and Dennis went over the area.  Even Denise came and she and her dad took the pickup to go over the area.

  This afternoon granddaughter Sadie and Colter stopped in and both of them walked the area.  It could not have gotten run over by a mower as there would have been evidence of something that had been shredded. 

  This will be interesting.  Dennis never carried more than what a pack of cigarettes cost.  It is the ID cards that will take time to replace.

  Note: if the police check out a flashing light in the dark of the backyard, it may be Dennis continuing to look.  Time will tell.  

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥