Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:14 pm on February 28, 2024 Permalink  

  A Wonderful Day 

  We can’t have a wonderful day without a story.

  In 2018, Dennis was prescribed Methadone for Neuropathy.  It is nerve damage in the feet and hands from extreme cold conditions.  When Dennis was in Korea, which has the same weather as Minnesota, many times his and many around them had frost bite on the feet and hands.  

  It was assured that the halogenic compounds were removed.  It brought relief.  Dennis saw a doctor frequently and nothing was ever made of the 10mg twice a day nor was it questioned.

  We had a shift in doctors at our St. James Mayo Clinic.  New primaries needed to be assigned.  It came to the attention that Dennis needed to visit a doctor at the Mankato Pain Clinic for a review of the Methadone.  Methadone is a powerful opioid.  It was made off that on the new refill that Dennis’ primary in St. James would send to Lewis Drug on the 23rd, would have a decrease in dose and slowly wean Dennis off of Methadone .

  Dennis went to Lewis before five on the 23rd and nothing had come through.  Dennis went to Lewis Drug on Saturday at three and there was nothing.  On came the weekend.  Dennis’ last dose had been on the morning of the 23rd with the next would have been that evening for supper.

  I called Mankato on Monday morning and they sent an urgent response to St. James clinic.  All Monday . . . nothing.  I began looking at Dennis without him noticing for withdrawal.  His pain was getting enough that I gave him 1000mg of Tylenol extra strength.  I had enough experience with surgical pain, that I knew it could help.  I called the St. James clinic and they were looking into it.  All day Tuesday . . . nothing.  The clinic would give me a call.  I gave more Tylenol and it helped Dennis’ pain.  This morning, Wednesday,  I got a call from the St. James clinic that a prescription had been faxed to Lewis Drug.  Oh my God.  Not one bit of an explanation.

  I called the pain clinic in Mankato.  I needed to know how to work with this prescription of Methadone as Dennis had not had any Methadone since Friday.  A pain doctor was put on.  They read the charts and knew what had been going on.  They went through the detox/withdrawal symptoms with me.  Dennis cleared all the warning signs.  Amazingly, Dennis had weaned himself from Methadone.   They said it wasn’t their prescribed method by any means.  Going cold-turkey can be dangerous.  The pain clinic took care of cancelling the Methadone prescription.

  The next thing I needed from them was what to do with the Neuropathy pain Dennis was having.  For now, Tylenol Extra Strength, up to 3,000 mg per 24 hours.  Dennis had commented that within 20 minutes, the pain was better and that was at 1,000 mg.

  Wonders of wonders.  Yes, a wonderful day.  Dennis was relieved, I was relieved.  Dennis said he would take it slow and not do the 3,000 mg if not needed.  Staying ahead of pain is important and Dennis will now be in charge of that.  This Doc Piddy, the quack, is off the clock.

  I will admit, being in charge of drugs for my patient can wear me down.

  With that I take my leave.

   
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  Noreen 3:48 pm on February 27, 2024 Permalink  

  A Quiet Spot 

  This late afternoon I am in my quiet spot also known as the studio.

  My goal for today has been met.  That being, vacuuming the attic floor.  Our steps up to the attic are steep.  There may be a four by four area in the middle of the attic where I can stand up straight.  Our home has a hip roof line so of course, so goes the ceiling lines in the attic.

  As with many, I had collected more items than I could possibly have room to display them. 

  As I worked in the attic, Dennis was at the base of the steps taking things as I discarded them.  At the time that we had kitchen and bath flooring put down, the excess pieces . . . up in the attic they went.  Over a period of twenty years the edges of those pieces of flooring curled.  It was perfect to catch a foot on when you were already doubled over under the ceiling lines.  I was surprised how the vinyl flooring had yellowed with no exposure to light or to use.  It is no more.

  There is now, nothing on the flooring but what happens to be shiplap pine.

  Quite a few years ago we had been given a rather huge cedar chest which found a home with Kersten and Kevin.  Carrie is still using Grandma Schafer’s cedar chest.  Megan is coming to see us on her spring collage break.  I am going to take her up into the attic to see if some time, she would like to have it.  If so, I am already feeling sorry for her dad and Nicholas.  The attic steps are steep and the refrigerator that blocks a portion of the attic doorway, needs to come out into the larger kitchen area to remove said chest.  So goes tiny homes.

  I will say that my cleaning up of dead wasps went well with the shop vac.  Dennis had prepared Home Base insect spray in one of the gallon pump-up sprayer from Harbor Freight.  Checking the window out, I could see where there may have been an area of insects to get through.  I sprayed the interior west wall area and around the window.  I had planed on opening the window to spray the frame but with wind gust of 30 mph, I would have ended up getting it whipped back at me.

  I did take photos of items I have no attachment to and sent them off to someone that may take them.  Sooner or later, it will need to be dealt with.  I do know some families that needed to tidy up mom’s house and a dumpster was used.  That actually happened twenty feet south of us.

  Of today’s quest, I will say my knees are the most weary from crouching in the attic.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on February 26, 2024 Permalink  

  Sunny for Today 

  64 degrees is hard to beat . . . soon to change.

  Yesterday when I tackled the apple box and lightened the load in the attic, the very first thing that down-right shocked me was all of the dead wasps on the floor near the west wall.  I could not believe it.  I didn’t spend a lot of time as I didn’t want them on the bottom of my shoes and then drag the bodies down the steps.   I got the small shop vac up in the attic for tomorrow’s work.  The steps are steep and Dennis will give advise from below.  The window has a screen on it and fits into the frame very tightly.  Tomorrow is soon enough to work on this mystery.  There is a first time for everything.

  We have some bug spray to put into a small pump sprayer so that will be my exit strategy to open the window and spray around and into the frame.

  I do have a project in the hoop that will be ready to go for the sewing machine complete with the spools of colored thread that will be needed.  I am definitely into my book that I have started.  The counted cross stitch is going slowly with many color changes.  I did pick up a neat tip off of one of the YouTube videos.  When a needle is especially difficult to get threaded, turn it around and try from the other side.  Needles are stamped out in manufacturing and one side may have a slight burr that is not easily detected.  Dang, if it didn’t work better.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on February 25, 2024 Permalink  

  It’s a Happy Sunday 

  As cloudy as it is, I have a good amount of zip today.  I think it was the peanut butter toast I had for breakfast.

  After I had taken apart a 1950s photo album, there was a box in the attic that was niggling me.  It was the size of the box that apples used to come to the grocer’s.  It was plump full.  It was half full of crochet patterns.  Some from Grandma Schafer and just as many of mine.  The other half of the box was full of counted cross stitch patterns.  That box was heavy.

  I pulled it over to the attic stairwell.  I took out multiple stacks and put them on the steps.  As I backed down the steps, I kept moving the stacks down, one step at a time.  Mission accomplished.

  I touched each pamphlet, each folder and each book.  I have a stack of counted cross stitch to look through.  The crochet patterns are in the recycling bin.  I tried as late as this last Christmas to crochet.  Optimally the left hand is the tension control while the right hand has the crochet hook.  I loved crocheting, but . . . that was then, this is now.

  I have patience and wisdom.  My life today is not an accident.  I didn’t stay in the darkness of the stroke.  The light I have each day refused to surrender.  That ditty is from a quote of John Mark Green.

  This afternoon when looking out the kitchen window, I saw Jan, our neighbor, working with her four year old in their drive with an old pedal tractor.  That took me back to the times Megan and Nicholas would be with Dennis and me.  Oh for the love of memories.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on February 24, 2024 Permalink  

  The Wind 

  When the wind is from the south, it makes our exterior mail flopper flop.

  Today was haircuts and pedicures.  What a great feeling.

  It is such a great feeling of being pampered, I feel lazy for the rest of this Saturday afternoon.

  I dare not try and read as I know my head would nod.

  The choice for me is to do some counted cross stitching.  With needing to count how many stitches with which color of thread, I think I can get through the afternoon.

  But . . . 

  With that I need to take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:34 pm on February 23, 2024 Permalink  

  A Trip 

  Today was a trip back in time.  

  When I was in 8th grade, my sister Elvera gave me a photo album for a Christmas gift.  It was at a time when she worked as an oppari for a family in the metro.  The cover had my name on it in gold letters.  Talk about special.

  This album had not seen daylight in decades and it was also very fragile.  Within the covers were items from school events, most notable report cards from first grade through 1962, the year I graduated.  With a cup of coffee, I did rifle through them one by one.  I was an average student.  In my junior year a “D” was given in one of the quarters for Algebra.  In my senior year a red “F” found its way into one of the quarters for Chemistry.  I noted that my dad signed that quarter.

  I had a report card for Winthrop’s schools.  My parents then purchased their first farm that took us to Renville County, rural district #34 through 7th grade.  The farm was in the Hutchinson school district.  The physical school district’s lines were re-drawn due to the census and the family farm was now in the Stewart school district.  The last three years I attended in Stewart.

  In the album was um-teen ribbons from the McLeod County Fair via 4-H.  My oh my.

  My graduating class was 58 in number and I am quite sure we traded photos for every one of us.  Those photos were to be held forever with scotch tape.  For each page I touched the photos fell off.

  So . . . so far I have not decided about the photos.  I did letter in Pep Club, I may save that along with the front and back covers.  That may all change.  Lightening the load was my plan as I walked an arm load out to the recycling bin.  There needs to be some decisions made with the remaining contents of the storage where the album was.  That will require input from my two children in time to come.

  I just now looked out the window to the northwest and the skies look as if they could open up with rain.  At 37 degrees, I guess snow might be in the mix.  Hmm.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:29 pm on February 22, 2024 Permalink  

  On a Roll 

  There are days that I can feel the arthritis knocking wherever it can find a viable joint in my body.  The only solution is to keep on rolling and moving until the aches don’t stand a chance of winning.

  The studio stitching went great this forenoon.  33,000 stitches without a single glitch.  A project is underway.  I do know that a trip to Hobby Lobby is going to allow me to finish it.  It is rare that I didn’t have what was needed.

  The wind chimes in the evergreen at the northwest corner of the house is tinkling just enough to make the day come off as possibly a spring day.  A pleasant sound compared to when the breeze is actually a 35 mph force that makes all things not tied down move to the next street over.

  The afternoon’s event was peeling the remainder of some potatoes before a sprout was detected.  For my taste buds, nothing beats the enjoyment of a boiled potato with a meal.  It harkens many memories of a family of six around a round oak kitchen table. 

  Cousin Mark called last night with a quilting dilemma.  For a fellow just shy of sixty, he enjoys his threads and fuzz.  Nothing so serious that it couldn’t be remedied with a photo and some texting back and forth.  It was fun catching up with him.

  Chicken, boiled potatoes and cranberries for a wonderful supper.  What is not to like!

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:45 pm on February 21, 2024 Permalink  

  Hump Day 

  It is a Wednesday and all is well with my soul.  Could not be a better day.  

  My sewing machine is oiled, cleaned with a new needle.  My embroidery hoop is loaded.  The reason it is not stitching right now is that when I went to sign onto my Bernina Tool Box software, I typed in the password in error three times.  I am now in a time-out for an hour.  Oh what a difference when a lower case letter is entered and it should be the upper case.  The time-out allows for some tidy, tidy.

  Dennis came in to get some cleaning supplies.  Look out patio porch kitties!  Even on the mild days this winter not one of the three ventured out.  They know where they have it made.

  I could be doing our 2023 income tax.  I just don’t feel like it right now.  The mood needs to be just right.  Tax Act has been sending emails.  I have all the info I need.  What’s new . . . Minnesota usually needs money sent in.  Ugh!

  We have hit on a good schedule for our suppers.  A heavier meal on every-other five o’clock day with a soup every-other five o’clock day.  Even on the heavier meals, they are not very heavy.  Neither of us have appetites like in days of old.  Let’s face it . . . we don’t do much on the average day.

  When we went to the birthday party Sunday in Mankato, there was a couple there that are the parents of the fellow that Sadie is seeing right now.  I could have sworn I was in the presence of OT.  If people like to travel, the need to share each experience is not needed.  Talk about an afternoon Dennis and I could have happily missed.  It was a wonder that the six year old got to hear the birthday song.  Oh well.  We can’t all be alike and enjoy our homes.

  My time-out has expired and I am on to threads and fuzz.

  With that I take my leave

   
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  Noreen 2:49 pm on February 20, 2024 Permalink  

  Let the Sunshine In 

  Let the sunshine in and face it with a grin.

  Every morning I have a choice and I choose to grin and say, “Good Morning.”  If I am lucky I get a wave.  I’ll take it.

  This morning the latest framed stitched design found a spot on the living room wall with the two previous ones.  Again, the small brass hangers with a fine needle nail going in at an angle worked great.  Actually, there was a previous hole in the paneling.  Just a short tap to make sure all would be well.

  There is a new book started in my bedroom porch.  Also there is a new stitched item started.  This new project has a new challenge.  It is not a single color for stitching.  It is a kit using 54 colors.  Before making a donation of the floss, I had taken out one of each color.  There is eight yards of floss on each skein.  When doing a project with multiple colors, each color may not take more than a dozen or two stitches.  I have not done color swapping in stitching for decades.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  It will take me some time and I am fine with that.

  Contentment is my game and I have found it within our little home on Stauffer Avenue.

  Dennis does not make it for very many days and he needs to get the little red pickup out to see what is going on around the town.

  The city crews are cutting and trimming trees.  The sound of the shredder can be heard.  Many small projects have been done around town with this open winter.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:34 pm on February 19, 2024 Permalink  

  Studio Day 

  It may not be a full day in the studio, but it really feels good to do . . . something creative.

  Reusing a frame from the cistern closet brings certain challenges.  The matt boards that have been stored right along with the frames, there is not one the right size.  The X-Acto tool comes in handy to get it cut to the correct size.  The hanger on the back side of the frame was missing.  Out came the needle nose plier.  Those brads that come with the hangers are really tiny.  Putting the plier in the left hand and clamping it tight with the tiny brad worked well.

  Trial and error quite a few times comes to the conclusion that the error in the stitching came about when the very first stitch was put in.  The design was begun too far to the right, thus not allowing enough fabric when it came time to put it in a frame.  Hmm.

  You cannot fail if you do not try.  You can succeed if you do not have your heart set on only plan “A.”  Perhaps the eye need not travel to the most conspicuous challenges of the project.  Scrounging into an old jewelry container, the pin I chose to add is quite appropriate for the stitching.  It picks up the scant gold in the frame quite nicely.

  I have checked on Dennis and he is napping out in the patio porch.  With the sun at 44 degrees the patio door will be soaking up nice cozy warmth.  The kitty whose ears are poking out from Dennis’ jacket has it made.  Of the three, this one happened to win the ticket.

  I have one embroidery project in mind.  When I post this for today, I will be seeking the correct fabric.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥