Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:26 pm on April 28, 2025 Permalink  

  Possible Weather 

  There may be possible weather issues for us later on.  With the wind gusts we are having, it wouldn’t surprise me.

  I spent the morning in the studio.  First thing was to fill my plastic shopping bag with different goodies that are in our pantry that needed to get to the first floor today.  I don’t trust myself with hands holding items.  Slip my hand through the holes in the top of the bag and I feel safe.

  

  I sized up the next step in my purple quilt.  I knew I wanted to put the walking foot onto the sewing machine.  There is a scissor-like prong, seen in the photo, that needs to fit over the same shaft as where the screw is for inserting a needle.  When sewing, it allows additional grab bars on the bottom of the walking foot to help feed the fabric through under the needle with every stitch that is made.  There is also the grid guide that can be inserted into the back of the walking foot.  If one line of stitches has been made on the quilt, the guide can be either pushed in or out to follow that line. By staying on the previous made stitches it allows for even spacing without markings being made on the quilt.

  It may seem like a lot of fuss.  No, it is being able to sew more efficiently with perhaps a better outcome.  Just as a refresher, I plugged in a YouTube on Bernina’s site on the walking foot.  I may not use all of the functions frequently, so why not take the time to check it out.

  Once I had done an oil check, a new needle, I closed down the shop.  Several hours gave me the confidence for the next time I visit.  The first stitching will be done by stitching in the ditch on the two borders.  That will allow many pins to be removed securing the sandwiching.  It may be difficult to see on the photo, but there is a metal guide on the right hand side of the walking foot.  This is ahead of the needle.  When that guide stays on the seams where the borders have been sewn, the needle comes down right into that seam, making my thread almost invisible. That is why it’s called stitching in the ditch. 

  We may or not be in for rain.  Time will tell.  I know looking out my bedroom south window, Dennis is checking his little red pickup’s oil level just as a trusty trucker would. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:28 pm on April 27, 2025 Permalink  

  A Sunday 

  Yes, I would call this a day of rest for those at Stauffer Avenue.

  Much was accomplished yesterday.  I started out the cool morning on Saturday with a gallon size pump sprayer with weed killer in it.  The sprayer was half full as I was using up what had been left in it from last fall.  It still seemed plenty heavy to carry while also using my cane.  Several postings back I had visited about Dennis and I taking out last year’s Russian Sage.  On Friday when I fixed the small flag off of the front deck, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  The Russian Sage are in a raised bed next to the south side of my bedroom porch.  We had put pavers in years ago to give give our small home some dimension.  It worked.  What I had not counted on was that this year, for the first time, there were little Russian Sage plants coming out in between where the pavers met.  So many, so many looking way too healthy.  Not only there, but in the cracks of the cement sidewalk off of the front deck.

  Dennis told me the spray would take several days to show itself working.  Believe me, I will be keeping an eye out.  Nothing like giving them a second treatment if needed.  Many had told me how unusual it was to see Russian Sage come back year after year.  I must have gotten a hardy variety when I purchased these three plants from Drummer’s in Mankato.  This will be the fifth year of them in this spot.

  That is how our Saturday had begun.  From there it had just kept rolling.

  After a slow Sunday morning, Dennis chauffeured me about town.  We needed kitty litter from the Family Dollar Store.  From there it was to the Dollar General for the hard candy called Lemon Heads.  In Dollar General they are $1.00 for a five ounce bag.  In the grocery store they are $1.89 for five ounces in a box.  Go figure.

  The grocery store was our last stop.  Dennis needed distilled water for his CPAP machine.  The store has great carry-out fellows, so I bought three gallons for what will last for three weeks. I had not shopped since the week before the Easter weekend.  The groceries are unpacked and the day of errands is over.

  Dennis called Charlie and Dennis can go out to Charlie’s to unload the Cub tomorrow after five.  Good news.  The little red pickup with the loaded trailer has been in our drive since yesterday.  Dennis had hoped that the rain that was forecast for last night would have been a bit more forceful.  Not.  When we got home from errands, Dennis rinsed off the tractor and mower deck from the winter’s dust of being in the back garage as well as leaves caught on the mower deck from using it last fall.

  This next week is a quiet one.  I could not get any PT appointments for this next week and Mike thought it would be a good test run to see if he and I are making good head-ways.  I will continue with my exercises each and every day.  Appointments are on the calendar for the two weeks following.

  The coffee shop in the grocer’s had biscuit and gravy for one of their breakfast specials.  I brought home a boxed meal for supper.  It is one of Dennis’ favorites.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on April 26, 2025 Permalink  

  A Busy Day 

  It was a disappointment when Dennis’ daughter Sandy didn’t make it over for Easter.

  Today worked out for Sandy and her and Tom. They really got a lot done for us older ones on Stauffer Avenue.

  Tom brought his chainsaw and now all the dead lilacs have been cut down and piled out of the way to dry.  Lilac wood is hard and will take a while to dry even if for all practical purposes they were beyond putting out a blossom.  Dennis’ propane torch was used to take out the dried plume grass from last year.  The plume grass grows and spreads like quack-grass.  I don’t mind it as it is a pretty ground cover and puts out seeds that the birds enjoy during the fall days.

  Dennis had grass seed that Tom spread in an area of the acre where there had been nothing of any good just a few short years ago.

  Dennis now also has the Cub-Lo-Boy loaded on the implement trailer.  That will be going out to Beckious.  Charlie is along highway #4 north from St. James and always has various items for sale as well as his repair shop.  This is a perfect time for the Cub with the belly-mount mower to have a for-sale sign on it.  Dennis will call Charlie to find out when Charlie will be home to get the Cub unloaded.

  Yes this has been a good day.  Many items marked off of the to-do list.

  From here Sandy and Tom were headed to Darfur as their fire department is having a Smelt feed at six. 

  We will be having something good for supper.  As long as it is hot, Dennis will be content.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 11:00 am on April 25, 2025 Permalink  

  Friday the 25th 

  After it raining off and on for 24 hours the skies are trying to lighten.  Nothing like rain to bring out the dandelions.  Some are as huge as dinner plates complete with a blossom.

  After being out for less than two weeks our small USA flag has slipped down the steel rod that I placed it on.  That was my first item to tackle.  A whole lot of respect was required.  Mission completion.

  

  With the washing machine’s buttons pushed I headed to the studio.  My goal was to complete placing safety pins into the sandwiched project.  I am contemplating the next step.  The purple blocks are begging for a special embroidered design to be stitched on them, and I haven’t yet decided what design and what color thread.  The blocks that already have been embroidered with a colorful design will be quilted in a way to not take away from what there is already in place.  The safety pins are as if they are sentinels awaiting.  The embroidered blocks are done on a snow white background, disappointed in them showing up yellowed under the LED lights.  Anyway . . . I have a lot to think on before rushing into anything.  I already have achieved one goal with this project, which was to do something with these seven embroidered blocks rather than toss them into storage.  I am now at a point of no return.

  I do like this size of a quilt project as it fits well on the two church tables.  Food for thought if someone or something arises in the future.

  PT is at 2:30 this afternoon.  I am prepared . . . like in having done what I had on my agenda and then taking the aftermath as it plays out.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥ 

   
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  Noreen 2:09 pm on April 24, 2025 Permalink  

  Rain 

  It must have begun raining in the early hours as there were puddles already when my feet hit the floor.

  It is now mid-afternoon and rain drops are still making whirlpools in the now enlarged puddles.

  No walking on Stauffer Avenue for me today.  I spent three hours on my feet in the studio.  Half of that time stepping it off around the church tables and half standing still in-place bent over the church tables.

  My miniature train case holds all the safety pins of various sizes.  The only ones I was after today were the plastic encased heads of the large ones.  In actuality, those pins could well be called diaper pins as they cannot for safety reasons, spring open to injure.  They are easy on my hands and fingers to penetrate the layers of the quilt and close them.  Just as easily I can get them open when they have done their job.  All these years of pinning quilts into their sandwiches: tops, batting and backing, had I never given them a thought.  I was taken a-back when I got the package from Amazon via the Fairfax team.

  No, I did not get the entire quilt pinned.  I do have a solid 12″ around the perimeter pinned, every six inches or less, so I can take out the thumb tacks that were holding everything in place.  That will allow me to move the quilt from side to side or length to length to get to the middle for the pinning, saving my back from reaching too far for comfort.  After all . . . comfort feels good.  Using my hand weights positioned to make a small rectangle of quilt area, will keep too much sliding at bay as I keep pinning.  My objective is in view for another day.  That objective being that the quilting process under the needle can take place with everything tidy, tidy.  Fussy is as fussy does.

  Looking out my bedroom porch windows, the birds are having a hay-day plucking worms and bugs out of the sodden grass.

  We had canned beef, instant potatoes and cauliflower for supper last night.  There was enough of leftovers for me to make two TV-type dinners for us for this evening.  I love it when a plan comes together.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:11 pm on April 23, 2025 Permalink  

  Wednesday the 23rd 

  I am working on keeping a schedule for myself during the day.  

  My morning routine has found me getting up bit earlier.  7:15 does make a difference rather than 8:oo.  The coffee goes well with checking the usual sites on the HP.  The bank site has become a usual and Dennis even comments that that is a good thing.  Without fail 9:15 is when Mayo rings in as a reminder of upcoming appointments.  They do it two weeks out of the appointment and then a week out.  I have gotten used to having my phone in my pocket.  

  My walk will be every morning after the prescribed exercise I have been given.  Even after just two mornings, I can feel it . . . in a good way.  Yesterday on my walk is when I found out that our neighbors, Chuck and Bonny’s house will be put up for sale.  A story and a half full to the brim.  They always spend the winter with their daughter in Tennessee and fly home after Easter.  Chuck started having problems that caused them to fly home sooner and when their son met the plane, Chuck was hospitalized, Bonny stayed with the son at his home.  Yesterday I visited with their children as they were packing up their parent’s home.  They will be living in Mankato in a one bedroom apartment in an assisted living unit.  Bonny had a lot of glass collections.  They had to pair down as to what a 10′ x 10′ storage unit would hold.  Hmm.  The unexpected can happen anytime.

  I spent time in the studio.  My purple quilt is ready to be pinned into the sandwiched project.  Kersten had found two of the foldable carboard grided 36″ x 72″ assists.  That cardboard allows thumb tacks to hold down the stretched sandwich of the three layers.  Tomorrow I will get out my pins that Kevin had found with the heavy duty plastic heads making the pinning process easier on the hands.  One step at a time.

  Last night as I was in my bedroom porch stitching after supper, I could not believe the wild turkeys flying and then roosting for the night in a tree across the way.  This morning, as the temps began to rise, one by one they left the tree branches.  It will be interesting to see if they return to their roost this evening.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:22 pm on April 22, 2025 Permalink  

  A Tuesday 

  Well, well.  Yesterday got away from me.

  Pt was at 2:30 in the afternoon.  I got home after four as I needed to run an errand.  Dennis needed a bit of help.  Nothing serious.  Dennis was planning on making a trip to the Cottonwood County landfill on Tuesday.  I needed to hold up the top part of the end-gate with my cane.  That has had an issue with it staying up on its own.  Sometimes it will stay and sure enough about the time Dennis would want to load something into the pickup bed it could and would come down and hit him on the head.  We had two office chairs that had also lost the umph in the hydraulic seals.  Those two chairs, plus a plastic patio table and a fiberglass snow shovel that was cracked needed to be out of the garage.

  Dennis had called his friend Dwayne and the two of them were going to be headed down the highway to the west.  No doubt Dennis would have coffee for the both of them and then have breakfast . . . somewhere.  

  When all was said and done, I needed some me time with ice packs on my right hip.  Mike’s elbow had left a feeling of me being branded for as much as the searing discomfort had been felt.

  By the time we rustled up our supper . . . I had had enough of a day.

  Today is a new day.  I am doing my blog during this forenoon waiting for it to warm up a bit.  A walk is what my body needs . . . right down Stauffer Avenue.  Mike has been doing his part and I need to do mine.  Using both canes and stretching out the legs for a decent full length in a stride.  As Stauffer Avenue has had a fresh layer of crushed asphalt on it, I adjusted one of Dennis canes so it would match mine in height to use for the walking, keeping one of my canes clean on the bottom for indoor use.

  When Carrie and I were visiting Saturday, she commented that she is at the same age I was when I had my knees replaced.  Wow!  Talk about bringing Grammie up to real time.  I know at that time, I mentioned I was doing it for Megan so I could keep up with her.  That day, Megan was sitting in her little plastic table top cubby.  Yes, Megan is now 21 and is an adult.  That also had to sink in.

  As I take my walk, I will have lots to think on and yes, the phone will be in my pocket.

  With that I will take my leave and get back to a daily post.  ♥  Noticing that I have lost internet for now and will publish later on.

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on April 20, 2025 Permalink  

  Easter and Rain 

  It was a good thing Saturday was a nice spring day.  Today the rain showers may very well have sent some egg hunts to the indoors.

  I slept soundly after having company yesterday.  I slept so well that when I got us this morning for a bathroom call, I went back to bed.  I did decide at 10:45 to put the feet on the floor to take part in the day.  That was rare for me, but it was what I apparently needed.

  Yesterday when Megan and Jarrod were outside checking out the huge Maple tree, Snuggles was outside as well checking them out.  When we have strangers in the patio porch, Harriet hides up in the garage’s rafters.  She didn’t go out.  Snuggles didn’t come home last night and we are now in the late afternoon with still no Snuggles.  Dennis reported that Harriet sits by the open door and cries.  Hmm.  Snuggles has stayed away overnight before.  Time will tell.

  We are having leftovers for supper.  Sweet.

  I haven’t stitched today or read, just taking what was left of the day off.  Tomorrow is a new week and all will be back to normal.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:05 pm on April 19, 2025 Permalink  

  A Saturday 

  A Saturday afternoon and the house is quiet.  Carrie and her family came for an early Easter.  It was wonderful.  Nicholas seems to have grown several more inches in height.  Colleges have ben visited for Nick’s 2026 graduation year.  Megan brought Jarrod to meet us.  Jarrod and Megan have been in college together for several years.  Megan will be through with her college in May.  Carrie’s store keeps her busy.  Jeremy is checking out different employment options.  The world keeps on spinning.

  Our plans for a hot meal came off without a hitch.  I can see leftovers for us.  Who doesn’t like leftovers!

  Megan asked to get out the step ladder as she needed one more time up in the huge Maple tree in our yard.  Jarrod joined her.  Oh for the memories that Dennis and I have.  Sweet.

  Our Easter Sunday is going to be quiet.  Dennis’ son Ken, having come to Minnesota for the summer, plans on stopping in.  He has retired from driving for Heartland and is going to help someone out hauling grain from Northern Minnesota to the Shakopee terminals and return with a load of fertilizer to the northern Minnesota area.

  It got quite nice out today.  No winds to speak of.  The morning doves are cooing.  It is a sound that has always brought comforting feelings to me.

  I am out in my bedroom porch with not much in plans, just reflecting on today, the yesterdays and what will come in the tomorrows.

  For now, I think I will thread a needle and do a bit of stab and poke stitching.  Dennis seems content at his computer playing solitaire.  This afternoon is the peace that passes all understanding.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:00 pm on April 18, 2025 Permalink  

  Good Friday 

  It is a great day for this Good Friday.

  This was a great day for a 12:15 PT appointment.  Does the level of discomfort after PT shed light on the one giving the discomfort?  Mike is doing a good job.  I had my afternoon arranged ahead of time, so I could take it a bit easy. 

  I made sure to call Aunt Janet in Brownton this afternoon to wish her a Happy Easter.  My cousin Dan is having church services in the Penn church tomorrow evening.  Janet is looking forward to seeing many that she has not seen since the Christmas service he had.  A minister from Winthrop is more than happy to do the services.  I think it is wonderful.

  We had rain in the late afternoon yesterday.  It continued to thunder and lightning up to the time I went to bed.  At the six news, we will find out just how much rain we got.  I know Iowa in the Spirit Lake area had a tornado.  Dennis’ grandson Adam could contact his family here in St. James today with a cell phone as there is no electricity in the town as yet.

  Let’s hear it for Subway for supper.  I gave Dennis a choice of Oatmeal or Subway.  Subway won out hands down.

  From my bedroom porch and a cup of coffee, I am doing some stitching and watching of traffic.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥