Me, Myself and Memories

Recent Updates Page 93 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 12:24 pm on August 16, 2023 Permalink  

  Early Post 

  It is one in the afternoon and I am on a break that may last for the remainder of the day.  I began painting a bit after eight this morning in my bedroom porch.  You can be assured, I took many mini breaks.

  Dennis did bring in the seven foot fiberglass ladder to use.  It came in very handy.  The way I could reach to paint where walls meet ceiling was to use our handy dandy fold-out metal kitchen stool.  It has three wide steps.  I put on my heavy garden shoes for great stability as I used the top step to reach my target.  The seven foot ladder followed me around the bedroom porch so I could set my quart paint can on one of its rungs.  I also put a light hand on that ladder as I reached the summit.  I love it when we can figure things out for ourselves.  Dennis stayed in the house until he saw I was stable.  I did.  I felt very secure and stable.  He then went out to mow at the blue barn acre.

  I need to finish cleaning up my brush.  I have one drop of paint to clean off of the floor.  Dang!  It is the size of a dime.

  I won’t be painting tomorrow as the stitcher group is getting together for lunch.  A great break.  The area I have left to paint is 5.5′ x 7′ on the north portion of my bedroom porch.  Not a huge area but a whole bunch of bending and reaching, nonetheless.

  I have been talking about painting my bedroom porch for a long time, even pre-stroke days.  My moral to the story: don’t put off what can be can done sooner . . . and with more function of the body. 

  The humidity plus heat is on its way.  Plan accordingly.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:15 pm on August 15, 2023 Permalink  

  It’s a Tuesday 

  It is not going to be a Taco Tuesday here on Stauffer Avenue.

  While I was at the clinic for the Echo-Transthoracic test and the Echo-Cardiogram, Dennis took out chicken titties.  That settles that.  Gotta love a fellow that knows his own mind.

  I will not know much from this morning’s results until my cardiologist in Mankato looks them over.  It was reassuring to see my heart keep its rhythmic beat during the hour-long test, even when I needed to hold my breath for a period of time.  

  Dennis’ eye checkup went well and there was no need for any lens correction.  Sweet.  Check that off his list for six months.

  Dennis decided to fill all the lawnmower containers with gas this afternoon.  That tells me, he has his tomorrow planned out.

  After we had a noon lunch together, I opened the quart paint can.  The east wall of my bedroom porch was emptied of the contents on the shelves as well as Dennis taking the shelves down.  After cutting in the area above the base woodwork, I stood up slowly and took a break with a cup of breakfast coffee.  I am now off the painting clock as I promised Dennis I would only paint what I could reach while standing on the floor . . . and that is where I am at.  We will need to put our heads together for any and all area higher.  I would like to paint the area above the five windows and two doorways to complete that area in total, as the remainder of my bedroom porch requires the bed to be moved away from the north wall and over to the painted south wall.

  Its time to clean my paintbrush for the next time.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:32 pm on August 14, 2023 Permalink  

  A New Week 

  A Monday and all is well with my soul.

  Our trip to Mankato today had us home by 12:30.  Second in command from Dennis’ surgeon, Jody, bid us goodbye today.  We no long need to see Jody in regard to Dennis’ foot.  It has been a 23 month long journey with Jody.  Dennis and I both agreed on the drive back to St. James today, our lives have been enriched for having known Jody.

  Again, we had measurable rain last night after supper and this morning we drove in mist and fog.  Work on the blue barn acre will be put off until we have some drying weather.

  Yesterday afternoon, I tried something I have not done since 2015.  I opened the quart of paint for my bedroom porch.  I had bought a roll of Frog Tape to cover the oak woodwork at the base of the walls.  It remains unopened.  My right hand and arm are in it for the long haul.  Yesterday, I painted under two of the windows on the west wall.  When Dennis came and checked on me, he could not believe I could bend at the waist to do that painting and not get a speck on the oak woodwork.  With a 1.5″ angle brush, it was all about holding the brush at a 45 degree angle along the base woodwork for several inches up the wall.  After that the brushing went well.  Painting the area under those two windows had me saying “uncle.”  That was enough for the day.

  Today after we had a bite of noon lunch getting home from Mankato, I decided to try painting under the two south windows.  Again, I cut in the paint next to the base woodwork first and then painted the area under the two windows.  Again, that was enough bending over at the waist.  I have three more sets of windows to cut paint in above the base woodwork and then paint the area under the windows, before I can paint above the windows.  There is one east wall that will again have to have the paint cut in next to the base woodwork.   This indeed is slow but sure.  It sure is rewarding work.

  Dennis can’t believe I can bend at the waist for that length of time.  Dennis said he would get dizzy and tip over.  The key is to get it done and stand not upright in a hurry.  Dennis has offered to help paint, but other than cleaning my brush after each session, is all the cleanup I plan on doing.  He can’t believe I don’t have paint on my hands.  Too funny.  I will let him stick to . . . other things.

  I canceled my appointment in Mankato for tomorrow for the skin cancer check, as the clinic here in town called as they had a cancelation for tomorrow for an echocardiogram if I would be interested to take that slot rather than the one I had scheduled in September.  Absolutely.  I rescheduled the Mankato appointment for October.  Heart trumps skin right now.  Making two trips to Mankato in two days . . . not really enjoying that.

  Take care and enjoy the fall-feeling days.

   
• 

  Noreen 12:39 pm on August 13, 2023 Permalink  

  A Drippy Day 

  I had not even opened my eyes when I hear drops of rain falling from the front awning.

  We were going to take coffee over to the blue barn acre and pick up a few branches.  That idea went away.  With this now being many wet days over the last seven days, there is no point in putting ruts into the yard.

  Dennis decided to check his eyelids for cracks via his recliner.  I do have a great book going in my bedroom porch.  Swapping off between reading and stitching the day is progressing.

  Medicare and insurance has the last closing appointment tomorrow in Mankato with the surgeon on Dennis’ left foot.  We have seen it through this far . . . one more time.

  We have no errands to run while in the big town, as I will be going to Mankato on my own Tuesday for my annual skin cancer checkup.  Having had one item on my right facial cheek taken off several years ago, I have no problem checking in.  Dennis has his annual eye exam on Tuesday here in town.  Staying on top of those items that can become a huge event that will not be welcomed. 

  It’s hard to believe that soon there will be plans for kids going to begin the 2023-2024 school year.  Time waits for no one.

  Happy new week everyone!

   
• 

  Noreen 1:17 pm on August 12, 2023 Permalink  

  Hello Peeps 

  This blog update is coming today from someone that was too pooped to pop yesterday afternoon.

  My first stop was the library to pick up books from the outside “free” rack.  No worries about keeping track of renewal or returns.  I scored five books that looked of interest to me.  The next stop was our local hardware store.  With curtain sample in hand, I picked out a color of paint for my bedroom porch.  I purchased one quart.  I had already painted the wood grain paneling some twenty years ago.  It’s not a matter of the paint soaking in but rather laying on top.  I will see how well it goes for me.  It may take some time.  If I need more paint, it will be handy for me going a few blocks to purchase more. 

  It was now on to Mankato.  A list of errands in Mankato always means a lot of shoe leather will be burned as well as the tip of my cane becoming quite hot.

  Our front deck has now been in place long enough to consider staining it.  We thought long and hard before making a decision.  Home Depot was our target.  We wanted a full coverage job and not a transparent stain, and the color would be as close to black as possible . . . slate.  Our roof color, the foundation painting, and the shutters are all in that same color pallet.

  In visiting with the clerk, she said it could very well have a sprayer used to put it on with a follow up brush to work it in.  The next stop was Harbor Freight.  For $2.99 a half gallon sprayer may very well do the trick.  Three were purchased.  One for my bug spray.  We had bought one previous that Dennis is using for weed killer.  Very sweet little sprayers.  The secret will be to have the nozzle set correctly for the area being sprayed. 

  It was then on to Sam’s Club, Hy-Vee and finally to the pulmonary doctor to have Dennis’ CPAP prescription renewed.  A very interesting visit as they, on their computers, know how many hours an evening Dennis uses it.  The interesting thing is that last year when they ran a check, Dennis stopped breathing three times an hour, while using the machine.  Very acceptable.  In the recent months, it has been as high as 34 times an hour.  Wow!  In checking, Dennis’ doctor has put in a prescription for a new CPAP machine.  His, that he is using, was new in 2016.  Dennis will be doing an overnight sleep study in September so the new machine can be calibrated for current medical needs.  That’s all I have to say about that.

  Today we had company from Gibbon.  Two fellows, age eight and three, picked up their two t-shirt quilts representing their dad’s time on the Gibbon Fire department.  Sweet.  Cousin, Wayne Opitz, and his wife Jean, came along with Michael and his two sons.  What a great visit.  Good family time.

  We had rain again, four times out of five days, last night.  No storms.  Very thankful.

  It’s a great day even if there may be rain showers coming in the week ahead.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:40 pm on August 11, 2023 Permalink  

  Long Day 

  A long day that included the pulmonary department, I will catch up tomorrow.

   
• 

  Noreen 1:54 pm on August 10, 2023 Permalink  

  No Deed 

  No good deed goes unpunished.  Dennis had done such a good job of taking the sandburs off of his pants last week.  Yesterday when he was mowing the blue barn acre, he took the weed whip along to take out some of the weeds that might harm the mower if he went after them.  You never know what is hiding in and on a lot that has not been tended in a decade.  Once the weeds have been gone through, the mower can take an extra swathe.  The nastiest area is close to the south lot line.

  After a couple of hours, I heard Dennis and the mower pull up to the garage.  I assumed the mower needed gas.  Dennis usually pops in for a glass of water . . . no Dennis.  About the time I was going to look him up in the garage, I looked out the bathroom window to see Dennis pinning his pants up onto the clothesline.  Dennis walked the patio and came on into the house in his Fruit of the Looms.  The mowing had gone great.  The weed whipping was making headways until he realized the inseams of his pant legs were sticking together.  Yup!  Sandburs.  Dennis is so determined to make a difference on that lot, not realizing where the stuff flies when weed whipped off.  No good deed goes unpunished.  He has decided when he is going over to the blue barn lot to weed whip again, those same pants will be tugged on.  All I could do was smile and snicker.  Dennis did clean off his socks of the burs before putting them in the laundry.

  Last night after supper there were a few large rain drops that ended in a flash of rain blowing sideways for quite some time.  When it thundered the whole house shook.

  The saving grace today is that it is sprinkling off and on and Dennis and the porch kitties are watching television in the patio porch.

  With such a driving rain, I knew the window screens had a good wash.  Screens hold so much grime and dirt.  I got two of the eight bedroom porch windows cleaned.  All the cleaning is done from inside . . . sweet.  Dennis helped me do the bathroom window.  I loaded one of my chamois window towels onto the floor Swiffer’s head.  It worked great for Dennis to spray the vinegar window wash onto the bottom window while standing on the ground and drying the window via the Swiffer mop.  I opened the bottom window from the bathroom as far as I could and reached out with my right arm and hand to spray the outside of the top window with the vinegar wash so Dennis could work his magic.  Slick.

  If anyone ever needs to be entertained, sit back and watch the older ones on Stauffer Avenue.  I will say, we are resourceful.

  With some good local effort today we have decided to have pancakes and sausages for supper.

   
• 

  Noreen 1:58 pm on August 9, 2023 Permalink  

  Oh My Gosh! 

  KNUJ is telling me the Nicollet County Fair is beginning!  Did that ever bring back memories.

  When Megan stayed with us when she was a toddler, I would take her to the Nicollet County Fair on the day that was dubbed “Senior Citizen Day.”  We got to do everything the fair offered and . . . it was not over-run with people.  There was not an animal pen that didn’t have Megan hanging over the rail.  When Nicolas came along and he was three . . . to the Nicollet County Fair we continued to go again on “Senior Citizen Day.” 

  My mama and daddy didn’t raise a fool.  Of course I pulled those trips off at the right time in August as I had volunteered it would work out for us to take Megan or both for the week.  If the parents had known about the fair trip, they most likely would have been far too concerned with one Grammie and two little ones in the midst of a lot of strangers.  Bright orange t-shirts right from the dollar store donned by little blonde headed ones.  For those years that the trio went to the fair, we always had a blast.

  Memories . . . sweet.

  Today, I messed around in the studio.  I had a wild hair.  When the sleeper sofa went out the front door of our home and two casual chairs came in, they had been tested by me before I bought them.  I wanted chairs in the house that I didn’t have to dig my way out of, if I needed a break from my wooden rocker.  With these two chairs, I could easily get up and out of them easily.  I have short legs and thus, I came up short, literally, to sit back in the chair to rest my back on the chair’s back.  I had been moving about a large pillow form in the studio for some time.  I now have a pillow to sit back against when I choose to perch in either one of these chairs.  Over time, some of the heft of the pillow will be squashed and not be quite such a billowy pillow.  It really is all about what the folks need that reside here on Stauffer Avenue.

  Oh my gosh!  What can be tackled when the spirit moves me.

   
• 

  Noreen 1:42 pm on August 8, 2023 Permalink  

  So . . . Do Tell! 

  It is official from two sources, one on each end of town, that we got three plus inches of rain in a slow and steady all-day rain.

  The rain is all it took to hear the hum that had not been heard for some time, lawnmowers.  Dennis was right in there with them.  The weeds had continued to grow and they needed to be trimmed back right along with whatever else was green.  Dennis has learned to take two days to get the acreage done as the back and arms sent him a strong message. 

  Today Amazon delivered the last item for my bedroom porch’s reading and stitching corner.  Years back most shops had a clamp-on light fixture that could be angled via springs on the main hub.  My clamp-on unit that was delivered is similar but different.  There is no light fixture at the end, but a clamp to hold my hoop for stitching.  Sweet.  Until it has been used for a time, the clamp is really tight . . . enter stage right . . . Dennis.  My left hand is really going to enjoy not having to hold the hoop.  For the sum of $24.99 it does the job of the expensive wooden standalone hoop holders. 

  For several days this week, Carrie and Megan are in Las Vegas at the largest USA marketing event for 2024’s merchandise.  What a sweet event for them to share.  Later on this month, Kersten will be flying to New York for her endeavor.  My special people do get around.  When Dennis and I talked about it, he was thrilled for them, as he and I couldn’t take it.  

  I did take in some stitching this morning in the studio for my next scrappy quilt.  I realize it. I am admitting to it. I am overanalyzing the scrappiness of it.  Good grief.  It did take my repair man, Dennis, to replace the batteries in the radio for KNUJ to be enjoyed.

  Our oven meal of last night was a hit.  There will be a re-run of it this evening.

  Take care everyone!

   
• 

  Noreen 1:37 pm on August 7, 2023 Permalink  

  OttLite 

  Anyone that is anybody in the world of quilting or stitching has an OttLite.  They can be quite pricey if you want a floor model.  I knew that in time I would like more light coming over my shoulders when I read or stitch in my bedroom porch.  The studio downstairs has plenty of light overhead that is needed for all activities in the stitching world. 

  Dennis listens as well as being around when I am in my bedroom porch.  Son-in-law Jeremy totally re-glued a wooden armchair on Easter Sunday for a second seat in my bedroom porch.  It is Dennis’ perch when he comes a calling and a visit is required for decision making.

  This morning while the Monday morning laundry was in full speed, my very own OttLite was delivered to my bedroom porch.  Slowly Dennis had been cleaning and painting a stand alone light that Kevin and Kersten had found for us.  What use it would have here on Stauffer Avenue had not been identified at that time.   

  My light is very versatile.  It rolls easy and the base is very heavy while not taking up much floor space.  It nestles nicely in the corner.  With little effort it can be pulled down or raised depending on where I need the light.  The light can be zoomed in or out also depending where a halo of light is needed.  Sweet!

  When the word repurposing is bantered about . . . check with Stauffer Avenue’s older resourceful pair.

  Laundry is done as well as an oven dish for supper.  With temps not quite as hot as last week, I am taking a gamble on using the kitchen oven for an hour or so.  The contents of the oven meal also provided for two portions to be put in the freezer for another time.

  Take care everyone.