Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 1:01 pm on June 20, 2023 Permalink  

  Red Letter Day 

  Can you hear the band playing?  This is a red letter day that we have been waiting for since October of 2021.  This morning at the wound doctor here in St. James, Dan Kern has declared Dennis’ left foot is totally healed.  Oh my gosh!  When Dennis came home he joined me on the front deck for a cup of coffee.  He was grinning from ear to ear.

  As luck would have it, tomorrow we have an appointment at the Limb Lab in Mankato for Dennis to work through the process of new shoes with the orthotics to make up the difference in the size and dimension of the left foot.  All Dan said was to put a cushioned band aid onto the area to prevent any type of rubbing until his new shoes arrive.  Believe me, I will have it cushioned.  When Dennis put on the pair of shoes that he had gotten prior to the last surgery of January 11th of this year at the Limb Lab, the right shoe looks worn out and the left shoe had closet dust on it.

  We will still need to meet with the surgeon’s second in command, Jody, as well as Dr. Renne, the wound doctor in Mankato, that was spear heading the work with Dan here in St. James. 

  Dennis said our picnic basket of wound care supplies that has been sitting on the little green metal chair in a place of prominence in our living room can be retired.  Wonderful!

  I cannot say enough about the wonderful care Dennis has had through this lengthy process.  I cannot say enough about Dennis and his great attitude through this.

  There is nothing more that can be said about the events of this day.

   
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  Noreen 2:52 pm on June 19, 2023 Permalink  

  A Monday with Heat 

  Somewhere, sometime, some people received rain over the weekend.  Us . . . not so much.

  Nothing on the schedule today.  I started laundry and Dennis hit a patch of sandburs north of the front deck with Roundup.  Lesson was learned.  Purchasing a container of Roundup that is meant to be mixed with water is so much better than the type of container that is ready to use via pumping and then spraying.  You can pump the sucker until your arm feels like it will fall off only to end up with a small piddle rather than an arc of spray.

  Dennis was in at noon as the heat and humidity was doing a number on him. 

  I hit the studio at noon and kept the needle going up and down.  Successfully, the first of the two t-shirt quilts is done.  All in all, there was nothing that caused a glitch in the process.  I never stayed at it for long periods of time in the studio and managed to get a book read as well as some YouTube videos.  I will be taking time to clean and oil the sewing machine.  It goes without saying that a new needle will be put in.

  What is sweet is that the second top has already been pieced and sewn together.  The two lengths of the backing has already been sewn together and the binding is also sewn together and pressed ready for that step in the future.  I will do some vacuuming before any more sewing.  If I keep the area tidied, it’s more fun to begin a new project.  It’s kind of like a repair shop, having all the tools in place to start a new job.

  Last night after showers I cleaned and dressed Dennis’ left foot.  From this nurse’s vantage point, the small wound has healed over.  Dennis put on some loose house slippers rather than the heavy boot.  He said it felt strange on his hips to be able to walk more evenly than he has in ever such a long time.  Tomorrow at PT, wound doctor Dan will have the last say.  If Dan has to do some cleaning of the wound to make sure it has healed from the inside to the outside surface, he may suggest that clean dressing needs to go on to the foot every day as well as Dennis continuing to wear the boot.  We are so close, I will do as Dan prescribes.  

  I think our supper is going to be a light one.  Last night after a soup and half sandwich meal, I fixed us an ice cream cone that we enjoyed on the front deck.  Sweet indeed.

   
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  Noreen 3:33 pm on June 18, 2023 Permalink  

  Mixed Weather 

  It sure looked like rain this forenoon, complete with very heavy purple clouds.  Here we are at four and the sun could blind you.  No raindrops whatsoever.

  It was a very busy day for the ole cowboy.  It was a very good thing he had had his phone on the charger overnight.  Dennis’ daughter and granddaughter drove out from Mankato and spent the greater portion of the day here on Stauffer Avenue.  All is well.

  This is a shorty post.  Sometimes you cannot improve upon what has taken place in real time.  

  See you all tomorrow!

   
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  Noreen 1:54 pm on June 17, 2023 Permalink  

  Early to Rise 

  Early to bed and early to rise.  That was me this morning.  I always go to bed at nine, but most days I am still in bed at 7:30.  Six this morning, the birds in the evergreen right outside my bedroom were exceptionally loud.  So be it . . . I got up.  I punched the coffee maker and decided to sit on our front deck whilst the brewing commenced.  Nothing like a cup of rich Folger’s coffee. 

  My dad never drank anything but Folger’s.  At some point, flavored coffee might find its way into the farm house via a gift of well meaning people.  Nope, Raymond would rather drink Folger’s instant coffee than the flavored.

  I had my studio time planned out for today by the time I had turned off all the studio lights yesterday.  It is now mid afternoon and my objectives have been met.  Once I had the rotary cutter ready to go on some orange material for the binding, it was just as easy to cut enough material for the binding of both quilts.  Stitching lengths together was next.  Keeping yards of 2.5″ fabric cut tidy is difficult.  It was a wise choice to go ahead and press it in half and then wind the lengths using a hard covered medium of some sort.  That was the extent of today’s stitching.

  Our plans for the rest of the weekend are on the quiet side.  As early as I was out on our front deck, I could see many were zipping by with campers and boats.  Bless their hearts.  Neither one of those options would trip my trigger.

  I see that Dennis has company in the patio porch.  I will be retiring to my cheery red chair and a good book.  Dennis took out two hamburger patties for supper with leftover beans. Supper is planned.

  Everyone have a great Father’s day.

   
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  Noreen 1:42 pm on June 16, 2023 Permalink  

  Month of June 

  Today we are beginning the last half of June.  Time marches on and slows down for no one.  It wouldn’t hurt anyone of us to take a pause once in awhile.

  My pause is right here in the studio.  I have a computer to the left of my sewing machine.  Finding several YouTube sites that share my interests allows me to do some networking in the comfort of my studio.  Having a history with those I watch and comment on is not necessary.  We can begin anew.

  When I think of some of those in my family that are gone . . . so is that precious history I shared with just them.  After my loved ones were gone, all that I could accomplish was making new history going forward.  Oh yes . . . there are always special ones that can can do the “Remember when?”

  Today is Friday afternoon and I have finished taking a pause . . . for now.  This pause included a snack of several crackers with Avocado spread.  The perfect food considering other options.  Last week I offered a loaded cracker to Dennis when he was visiting the studio.  He was gracious but there will never be a repeat.

  The sewing machine has been shut down.  The t-shirt project of 75″ x 75″ has now been quilted by this Grammie.  There is no rhyme or reason to my meandering of the stitching.  The quest to sandwich backing, batting and top has been met.  I did take the time to trim the extra batting and backing off and then do a straight stitch all the way around to assist when the binding will be sewn on.

  Tomorrow the binding will be cut of the same fabric as the backing.  About 312 inches will be needed.  The 2.5″ strip is ironed in half.  That 1.25″ is sewn first to the back of the quilt and then turned to the front and stitched down.  Some do that last step in reverse, sewing to the front and then to the back. 

  It has been decided by the majority of two that supper is beans and beef Johnsonville’s brats.  That is going to allow me to publish this posting and take my next pause.  That pause will find me in my cherry red chair reading.

   
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  Noreen 2:49 pm on June 15, 2023 Permalink  

  Foul Air 

  Starting early it was as if there was a fog in the air.  Nope.  Bad air from the Canadian fires.  Dennis and I went for groceries up town at noon and to the southwest it was not good.  After we had run errands, I washed out my eyes as they burned.

  I didn’t have to convince myself to stay in the studio for the remainder of the day.  KNUJ radio is featuring the clay tile shooting teams in Alex.  Minnesota has the largest numbers of competitors in the USA.  How great for young men and women to learn the art of using guns safely.

  I called my brother’s wife this morning to wish her a happy birthday.  No more in the 60s.  I will most likely never forget her birth date as this is the date in June that I had open heart surgery two years ago.  My how time can fly.

  When I have had people ask me how I am doing when I am out and about, I can always say, “I am doing well.”  I speak the truth.  My days are full, my nights bring me rest.  My ole cowboy tests my patience at times, as I am sure I do his as well.  We do quite well together.

  The wasps have put out a bumper crop this year.  It keeps Dennis busy being on the lookout.  Their favorite spot for starting nests is under the awning over our back door.  A whooper of one followed me into the house this noon.  When I saw him on the bathroom window, I shut the door and I didn’t give up until I could give him a drink in the toilet.

  As I was stitching today, I realized how few of my cousins have kept in contact.  If rumors are true and Facebook is going to be putting a fee in place for an account on said site, I will most likely loose contact with even more. I think when Michael Opitz reached out to me for these two t-shirt quilts, I felt really great that he would want me to do it.  His grandmother was my father’s sister.  Why not do it!  What else have I to while away my days.  I could always sew quilt tops and donate them to the church for mission work.  Sometimes mission work starts in your own family.

  Dennis is getting chicken titties for supper.  He really likes the concoction I use to shake them up in a bag. Chicken tenderloins don’t take long to fry and with very little Olive oil.  And, oh my gosh . . . we have vanilla ice cream as per our visit to the store.  This is the first pail in ever so long.  Yum!

  If we could get some rain, it would help clear the foul air.  No such luck.

   
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  Noreen 2:05 pm on June 14, 2023 Permalink  

  My Day 

  A Wednesday that was deemed my day, my time.  That was after two loads of laundry.  I don’t mind as I never know where the ole cowboy will motor off to in the little red pickup and I want him in clean clothes.  There have been several fellows out and about where Dennis has been.  When he comments about dirt and grease, I know he has the message loud and clear.

  Today has been going well in the studio.  The key to my machine quilting is that the heft needs to be placed as such so there is as little drag as possible to the machine’s bed.  That means whatever I can get near the sewing machine to assist works.  The attachment that is used needs to have the feed dogs down.  It is my hand motion that moves the quilt under the needle that allows for the progression of stitches.  That attachment also allows for even stitches.  If I were doing it totally solo, I know there would be some very long stitches as well as cramped ones.  Again it is the neoprene weights that help my hands and arms to move things along.

  The heavy sweatshirt that I cut up needed some patience to get the needle up and over the stitching of the factory lettering.  Some t-shirts are so soft, they would be happy bunching with too much stretch.  What really was never meant to be under a needle while stitching is the rubberized fronts on many of the t-shirts.  We do what we can.  I did notice one thing about the shape-flex I used on the back of these t-shirts.  It could have been a bit heavier.  Had I used the heavy backing that I did for AJ’s t-shirt quilt, I would not have been able to quilt it, Old Alley would have been on speed-dial.  Live and learn.  A few blocks each day and the hare, aka: Grammie, will win the race

  I won’t be doing anymore stitching today.  I am going to load the bobbin and clean out the fuzz under the needle plate.  It is amazing what can collect.

  If I had not made the great egg salad that I had for last night’ supper, the other option, via Dennis, was Subway.  I think that will work for tonight.

   
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  Noreen 1:51 pm on June 13, 2023 Permalink  

  All is Well 

  The sun is out and the temps are getting into the 80s.  I sure did enjoy these last cool days.

  My housewife jobs this morning included very little.  I folded some laundry and put eggs on to boil.  A batch of egg salad with quite a bit of minced Vedalia onion to be folded in with the mayo.

  Dennis had a forenoon nap that took him right up to twelve noon today.  Dennis was then off to mow some yards.  Yesterday Dennis only mowed our original yard.  He kept the basket catcher on and I couldn’t believe how the power of the mower swept up every little bit from our late winter into our early spring.  When he asked me to use the leaf blower to blow him off, it was dirty dusty.  I knew this afternoon he would be getting our far east lot mowed as well as the blue barn acre.  It will be a good run for his new used Snapper.

  With KNUJ radio one, I finished pinning the quilt top.  I decided to use black thread on the top and an orange on the backing.  I am not the best at free motion quilting and the black thread over the dark t-shirts would do a bit of camouflaging.  Everything is set up for me to stitch tomorrow.  It will not be a long stint of stitching.  Wrangling the sandwiched 75” x 75″ project will take patience and some arm wrestling.  I didn’t feel that Old Alley was needed for the quilting.  If I manage two or three blocks a day, it will suffice.

  Dennis just pulled up to fuel his mower, so I will check in with him.

  Tomorrow is hump day and I hope you all enjoy whatever the day brings.

   
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  Noreen 3:07 pm on June 12, 2023 Permalink  

  Quite the Day 

  The older ones on Stauffer Avenue are having quite the day.

  It’s not unusual for Dennis to pick up Dwayne for coffee.  It is unusual when the fellows came back home several hours later to pick up the implement trailer.   Dennis’ 2007 Sears rider is in the shop for repairs.  Dennis had been looking at new mowers, but the sticker shock had him pursuing the repairs on the Sears mower.  Dennis and Dwayne had looked over all the items they possibly could on a zero turn Snapper mower in Madelia.  I think the Snapper will serve Dennis well.  If the Sears is repairable at a reasonable price, it will come in handy mowing around the house.

  I have been in the studio with my quilt top and safety pins.  I won’t get the top totally pinned today.  All is going so well. I don’t want to overdue with the hands and pinning.  I have had pins contributed for the cause.  The more the merrier.  When a package from Amazon came last year with pins.  These pins may have been dubbed “Diaper Pins,” but the ease of using them to go into multiple layers and then removing them is outstanding. 

  I believe supper will be late this evening.  I can’t blame Dennis for trying out his Snapper.

   
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  Noreen 1:40 pm on June 11, 2023 Permalink  

  Great Sunday 

  It was a very cool morning, and . . . I loved it.  An oatmeal and flax meal hot breakfast and I was out the door.  There was that Elm tree that needed the lopper treatment.  After some of our older Lilacs were cut down last summer, there is no shortage of young plants coming off of those stumps.  Yes, we would enjoy that privacy between neighbors again as these young plants grow.  We do not need as many as what shot out of the ground.  With my clipper this morning, I decided to cut off those that were intruding into the Hosta area.  I know if I continue to whack and stack some of them, they will decide to die back. 

  While I was doing gardening, Dennis had a pail of Dawn dishwashing liquid in his trusty pail.  The tracks of the three slider doors were caked with dirt from the winter.  A bit of elbow grease did wonders.  The garden hose was strung out, the doors were closed and the tracks were flushed out.  We both couldn’t figure out where all the clatter was coming from.  Snuggles was off chasing a squirrel up the oak tree in the neighbor’s yard.  There was bark flying from his claws.  He was a good thirty feet up in the tree.  I think he surprised himself.  No squirrel was caught.  After a time he decided to back himself down.  

  By 10:30 I had accomplished what I set out to do in the gardens.  The studio was my next stop.  Dennis came down with his cup of coffee this afternoon to see how things were progressing.  Of course I had KNUJ radio on.

  It is now 2:30 this afternoon and the two backings for these two quilts have been cut and sewn together.  The quilt tops are 75″ x 75″ and the backings are 84″ x 85″.  Sewing two lengths of 44″ wide, less the salvage, is making up the backings.  The last thing I did was open up one of the packages of batting.  It has been unfolded and taking air on the church tables after having been crunched into a plastic bag.  

  Perhaps tomorrow I will tackle securing one of the backings on the church tables with an arsenal of thumbtacks and strapping tape.  It needs to be as taut as I can make it.

  The lights are going to be turned off in the studio and I might take a cup of cold coffee and join Dennis on the front deck.  It is a wonderful cool day.