Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:22 pm on March 9, 2024 Permalink  

  One Stop 

  Oh my gosh.  I didn’t get out of bed until 9:30 this morning.  The week had been busy for me.  If I set my mind to tackle a task, I won’t quit until it is finished.  Of course my tasks take me longer than in days of old.  Who cares!  When the task has been completed, I feel like a puddle.  A very happy and satisfied puddle at that. 

  Today was one-stop shopping at Menards in Mankato.

  I do intend to do the laminate flooring in Dennis’ bedroom . . . sometime.  Starting that at sometime doesn’t pay if the bottle of floor juice has little left in it.  A second bottle was purchased today.  I also had a list of felt protectors to pick up for various furniture feet.  I also found some commercial weight felt, adhesive backed, 1″ wide webbing for my teak rocking chair. 

  I had never really looked around in Menards.  Hmm.  Complete with milk and frozen pizza.

   A short trip but a successful one.

  Dennis did comment that when we went to the store here in town, to pick up the small bottles of pop.  I added that it would be enjoyable to have a flavor or two as well.  He didn’t think we should overdo in the refrigerator.  Hey, it’s plugged in, there is room . . . why not allow a bit of a treat.  I could see the light bulb go off.

  Today is quiet in town.  The train whistle seems extra loud as the northwest wind carries to us.

  I have re-heated some breakfast coffee and am now heading to my cherry red chair in my bedroom porch.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:51 pm on March 8, 2024 Permalink  

  Friday the 8th 

  True to my word of yesterday, I am having a quiet day.

  Last night, Dennis made this weary Grammie supper.  Oh, sweet.  Cheeseburgers and tator tots piping hot from the Eagles Club several blocks up the street.  It was truly enjoyed.  There were just enough tots left on my plate that I could make a smiley face that greeted me this morning.  I may have popped one or two in my mouth on the way to the coffee pot.  Potatoes are a good source of protein in various concoctions.

  Has anyone around here ever found fossils?  I have found several.  They are embedded in my floor finish of the laminate flooring job.  I had used some old wash cloths that were way past their prime.  Each day, the Swiffer mop, had one clamped into place.  Yesterday’s choice of cloths left some strands of thread as I was applying the update.  Oh well.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  We gained a whole bunch by hopefully prolonging the life of our laminate flooring.

  Nothing lasts forever and we do live in every nook and cranny of this home on Stauffer Avenue.

  The freezer gave up a freezer Zip Lock bag of several servings of chili for our supper.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on March 7, 2024 Permalink  

  Happy Thursday 

  Yes . . . I am sure that today is Thursday the 7th of March.  Sometimes I need a bit of correction when I get lost.

  Today was the fourth day of working on the living room flooring.  It is satisfying and so it is well with my soul.

  When a task is started, it does turn out to be more complicated than at first thought.  Neither one of us were turned away from our beds for a night.  It took a bit of planning much like a farmer needs to plot out portions of his farm.

  I believe I will be content for a day or two to watch traffic go by as I perch upon my cherry red chair.  No one was injured in this latest task.

  On my next shopping list will be protectors for the legs of our refractory oak table.  It is a heavy one, as evident of the protectors that hit the garbage can.  Why not protect flooring when it is easily done.   A while back Kevin made sure I could move the kitchen range with by putting felt pads under the skids.  Even the heavy two-tiered oak cabinet that we use as a television stand has felt pads under it.  Hmm.  No, I did not move it out before applying my juice onto the floor.  What I did was push it back as far as I could against the corner walls.  When the floor is dry, I will pull it out a bit and no discrepancy will be seen.  It’s a Grammie thing. 

  I admit to you this task of the floor has tuckered me out.  But . . . if you repeat that, I will deny it.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:17 pm on March 6, 2024 Permalink  

  Happy Wednesday 

  The week has gone by quite quickly.

  I will have one more day for refurbishing our laminate flooring.  It is an area of 3′ x 6′.  My jug of goodies stated it would do 600 square feet.  As each day has dried, I have given the heavy traffic patterns another covering.  It is working out well considering how fearful I was to start.  New things, new experiences bring fear of the unknown.  Once the first area was done and it dried . . . I was on board.

  I do not watch television after supper once I have had the Mankato news followed by a half hour of world wide news.  I enjoy being in my cherry red chair as dusk turns to night.  I can either read or stitch.  The stitching is counted cross stitch.  When the ole cowboy visits and sits in the guest chair, the stitching is gently folded up.  I can’t count and carry on any type of conversation, even if it is a brief comment to add to Dennis’ story.  I remember Kevin telling me that when Sophie was around, she needed her one on one with him.  Dennis needs his one on one also.   

  Last evening around six, I looked out the window to the south.  The Hispanic couple was outside and for all practical purposes, it looked like they were working up an area for a garden.  The wife had a pick-ax and she was throwing that hard enough, I could see the dirt flying.  Him . . . not so much.  Spring seems to have sprung.  The old wives tale is that potatoes should be planted on Good Friday for a hardy crop.  Even that deadline is several weeks away.

  We are going to be content with soup for supper.  That means I still have some rocking chair time left before the heat gets turned on under the soup.  I am currently in my studio.  To get to my rocking chair, I will need to go out the back door and use the front door to get into my bedroom porch.  Soon the discombobulation of the living room will be over.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:32 pm on March 5, 2024 Permalink  

  FYI 

  For your information, the oven meal of last night was a winner.  The chopped up steamed broccoli was a great pairing with the chicken.  So much better than corn or mixed vegetables ever were.  Dennis commented the alfalfa was good.

  Today I worked on the living room floor.  Traffic patterns were in need of TLC.  The remainder of the floor was in need of some spills of various kinds.  First the vac, then the wet mop and finally the stuff that makes the laminate look good.  By supper the floor can be walked on.

  Tomorrow, the area on the west part of the living room will need the TLC.  Sometime last fall, I decided a rug under my teak rocker was going away permanently.  It could bunch up as I rocked and it for sure caught lint and such while not being easy to shake outside.  I didn’t notice scratches on the laminate.  It was more like a wax finish that was rubbed.  I will buff out the floor area before I apply the liquid rejuvenator.

  Is this the start of spring cleaning for Grammie?  No . . . it’s just that what the eye sees, cannot be ignored.  Tiny homes need tending just like any other place.  Only, the larger the home, one’s eye gets weary of looking.  We no longer expect anyone to take off shoes when they visit as we surely do not.  A little bit of tidy tidy at a time, sure does beat having to clear out the entire house once it’s gotten away from me.  That can happen if I find myself down the rabbit hole of stitching, stitching, stitching . . . either in my bedroom porch or in the studio.

  As I worked myself out of the house today with the flooring, I had left the front door open so I could get into my bedroom porch and the west part of the living room.  As I walked back and forth the boxelder bugs on the southwest corner of the house amongst the dirt were horrible.  We hardly had a break from those nasties since the fall of 2023.

  With my back and butt cheeks being weary, I am so happy we will have a repeat of Dennis’ alfalfa pasta dish.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:06 pm on March 4, 2024 Permalink  

  Tandem 

  This morning Dennis and I worked in tandem to get an oven meal ready for supper.  Canned white chicken meat lacks a hardy flavor.  I steamed some broccoli to add to the pasta and Alfredo sauce.  The bright green color did wonders for the dish.  There is also a container in the freezer as the amount that was concocted would have given us way too many repeats.

  I had been meaning to try some of the laminate floor care that we got at Menards.  I did the worst first.  Where the computer stand is rolled back and forth was my first concern.  It looks refurbished in color and shine.  It dried within 45 minutes, but will allow no use until supper.  Each day I will vacuum, damp mop, let dry and then do another area.  So far, it is looking good.

  Marsha from across the street came over for a visit.  Actually, Marsha’s son lives across the street in Marsha’s home.  Marsha lives in LaSalle.  It was a great chat.  Marsha takes care of grandchildren and has little to no time for too much dilly dattle.

  The air feels as if it has rain in it.  Damp clouds. 

  This winter, as strange as it has been, is frightening to see what is happening in California with all the snow.  I believe home’s roof tops are in fear of collapse.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:35 pm on March 3, 2024 Permalink  

  A Decision 

  Today I acted upon a decision I have been bouncing around for a week.

  I had received in the mail an invitation to a baby shower coming up in April.  It was for my nephew’s son and his wife, having a baby boy in June.  I called the individual, the phone number was on the invite, that had sent the invite and I declined my attendance.  I know that information will find its way to where it needs to go.  Being at the Hutchinson fairgrounds by 10:30 in the morning is a stretch for me.

  No one from Larry’s family had ever inquired how I was doing after having had a stroke.  If Larry’s wife had ever kept any of the meet and greets over the last two years that had always been a “thank you but it won’t work for me,” she would have been able to draw her own conclusions.

  My mobility is good.  Yes, I’m able to drive, but not by leaving home a little after eight in the morning for a two hour event.

  Larry’s son Alex and his wife were very gracious via a phone conversation when they received the quilt I had made for them.  I will personally contact Alex and his wife prior to the shower date.

  I feel better at not having put that off.

  With these strong winds, I don’t know what to make of the ditty that says March will go out like a lion if it comes in like a lamb.  The temps can be taken as a lamb thing, but the strong winds are nasty like the roar of a lion.  Day by day we will eventually find out what March does have up its sleeve. 

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 4:15 pm on March 2, 2024 Permalink  

  Quickest 

  That was the quickest memorial Dennis and I have ever attended.

  We were to be at the Eagles Club at three this afternoon for Dennis’ son in-law’s memorial.  All that Dennis and I did was to make sure we had face-time with family and we came home.  There were people standing outside waiting to get in.  Dennis’ daughter Sandy was kind enough to bring the pickup to the front door of the Eagles as we had to park two blocks away.  

  Tim had played sports here in school.  Tim’s parents are gone, but he has three sisters and their families here in town.

  We were happy that so many of Tim Paulson’s friends and family came to offer support for Susie and her family.  We may catch up with some of family tomorrow if they have stayed in town.

  As we were leaving, Sandy told us of some news that I hope has a happy ending.  Nephew Brett went on vacation from the long concrete season to Arizona where one of his cousins live.  Doug and Brett were going to burn up the golf courses.  Brett and his family are on their way to Arizona as Brett went flat out on the ground.  Nothing else was known as yet.  Hmm.  Good prayers going up.

  We never know . . . we are not to know what each hour can bring.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:30 pm on March 1, 2024 Permalink  

  Bricks 

  Bricks are needed in our pants today.  With a huge awning the width of our home on the west side, winds such as we are having causes concern.

  By the time it was my bedtime last night, I had my floor-lamp assembled complete with a LED bulb.  Many times, I would enjoy looking through a publication after supper.  Now . . . I can.  The lamp shade was a length of vinyl-backed white fabric.  The two metal rings, top and bottom, had hooks on them that coincided with the eyelets on the lamp shade, making contact all around with the fabric as it was now looking like a lamp-shade.  Each end closed the gap with a strip of Velcro.  My $89.00 lamp was 50% off.  Lots of reading and rocking in my future.

  Tomorrow will be a busy day.  Lots of Dennis’ family will be in town.  Dennis’ daughter and her husband moved to Silver Bay, Minnesota, when the taconite ore had its own railroad.  After that decline, they now had three children and made Silver Bay their home.  Susie’s husband was from St. James and passed away several weeks ago.  Tomorrow is a memorial service.  Many, many now needing to make the six hour drive.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 4:03 pm on February 29, 2024 Permalink  

  Fun Trip 

  Today was not about medical appointments.  I had a short list for Hobby Lobby in Mankato.  If you want something, needing something it must be in that huge store.

  Dennis had a chance for people watching as they came and went from the store.

  We did stop in at Sam’s Club.  Giant muffins that are $4.99 for six.  Dennis is partial to the banana nut.  We put them one at a time in sandwich-size zip lock bags.  In the freezer they go.  Each evening, Dennis puts one bag in his breakfast box with a plastic fork, several Oreo cookies, and in the morning, a huge thermos coffee cup with coffee.  He is happy and so am I.  I don’t care for the muffins.  If all else I will have a piece of peanut butter toast.  So be it.

  I had stitched for the kids, a likeness of their dog, Kluge.  A new grand pup in their home has arrived. I have an Eevee stitched out.  I changed out the profile, so that the pups will be facing each other in their frames.  50% off on frames in Hobby Lobby, so the pups will have matching frames.  How fun.

  We are having chili from the freezer for supper.  I can’t remember when we have eaten a meal when in Mankato.  We are content coming home for supper.  I would be up to venturing into a restaurant other than Perkins or Culver’s, Dennis not so much.  He likes eating with me here on Stauffer Avenue.  I like it also.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥