Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 1:31 pm on August 6, 2023 Permalink  

  Sunday the 6th 

  I am writing this blog from the location of the million dollar rain.  It is not a gully wash.  It is not a run off rain.  Slow and steady, soaking in slow and steady.  It didn’t begin until this morning.  It was so slow, it took awhile for the rain to fall through the tree canopies.

  There are not enough words for me to share with you how much we enjoyed the family gathering of the Riebe clan.  We wished those that had had previous plans could have been in two places at one time.  Lots of laughter, reminiscing and plenty of food.  Knowing that we will see each other again next year, about the same time in August, same location . . . feels good.  The small town of Darwin had a fantastic city hall for our event. 

  Of course there is always a shortage of second cousins bringing their grandchildren.  Little kids help make a gathering fun.  That pretty much tells the tail of the importance of family gatherings and family history by those of us in our seventies and eighties.  Oops, there was one first cousin in his sixties, standing tall and proud as he had just retired.

  Dennis and I traveled safe.  Home did feel awfully good.

  I slept straight through the night and needed to get a move on when the clock said it was eight.  I will admit that a day out of my comfort zone can still tucker me out.  

  I noted that there were some photos on Facebook.  This evening, I will go through them with Dennis to help him connect who to whom.  I think he does quite well in the group.

  May this rain have been and is wide spread.  This next week may see a reprieve of the heat . . . I hope, I hope not.

  By the way . . . when Dennis came in for afternoon coffee, he handed over a pair of pants for the laundry.  Every last cotton-picking sandbur had been plucked off of his blue barn acre pants.  Wow!

   
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  Noreen 1:38 pm on August 4, 2023 Permalink  

  Not Nice 

  It does not feel nice out.  The dewpoint and humidity are very high and neck and neck.

  Tomorrow we leave home at nine in the morning heading north.  My mom’s family, Riebe, are very good at getting together once a year.  Surprisingly, many of the families have stayed close to the Litchfield, Darwin and Dassel area.  We are getting together at the city hall of Darwin, home of the giant twine ball.

  Dennis and I talked over what we should bring for the pot luck noon meal.  It is too far to have a hot dish prepared and stay hot for the trip.  The same could be said about a cold dish.  We decided on three dozen frosted cupcakes.  I did post that on the Riebe Facebook site earlier this week.

  I have remembered the weed that Dennis got onto his clothes earlier this week.  The weed got on and stuck on.  The sandbur is a nasty weed.  The t-shirt has been plucked clean.  As I type, Dennis is working on his pants while in the patio porch watching his favorite television shows.  Bless his heart.  It may mean doing this clean-up job in shifts.

  My hoop for stitching came in the post.  Someone made a fortune using the same PVC tubing as there are so many other uses.  The four sides push together.  Having had a 6″ x 6″ and now an 11″ x 11″, a variety of sizes can be made depending on what you need as parts are interchangeable.  It does work well.  With a push the partial circular add-on clamps the fabric.  The work area is nice and taut.  It takes a bit to get the straight push-on edges used often enough for them to be somewhat relaxed so you don’t loose your fingernails getting them off. 

  Take care my special people as cooler weather is said to be coming. Know that Dennis and I will travel safely.  My next post will be Sunday, the 6th of August.

   
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  Noreen 1:09 pm on August 3, 2023 Permalink  

  Slipping? 

  This morning I realized I had forgotten a day on the calendar yesterday.  Hmm.  Am I slipping?  No . . . I think I am finally healing from having the days, weeks, months, years riding on my mind 24/7.  I need to explain.

  In the last days of February, 2021 my old farm girl lifestyle was turned over . . . ass over teakettle.  A stroke.  Not the worst that anyone had ever endured.  Enough of a stroke that caused me to work each day to be able to settle in with my children, my home and Dennis.  Same day-to-day items to deal with, just perhaps in a different way.  I remember the thumb on my left hand catching on everything.  If it could spill, it would.  If it could hit the floor bouncing it would.  I was indeed a work in progress.

  I did work hard each day, as I knew in a few months, June would bring open heart surgery.  Hello!  My mama and daddy didn’t raise any sissies.  June came and went.  By the time fall brought leaves tumbling to the ground, I was getting the old oomph back.  Me . . . Raymond and Lena’s kid could take in the sweet life, though still healing, that had been given via God and great surgeons.

  In early October our little home awoke to life-altering amazement.  Wait!  What!  Dennis was in trouble with his health.  His left foot indicated osteomyelitis, an infection.  Nothing that had happened to him recently.  He remembered how painful it was when the bitter cold in Korea allowed his feet to again have feeling.  Dennis needed surgery, but with covid, there were no options right off the bat.  With the threat of gangrene spreading, the saga of the toes removal began, one toe at a time, one metatarsal at a time.

  From the first day realizing that Dennis was in trouble, my phone never quite ringing with appointments.  I had a calendar with me 24/7.  Surgical and doctor appointments could begin at six in a given morning with us not getting home until the late day.  Road conditions were not important.  Dennis was never kept overnight in a hospital.  The instruction after surgeries was to keep the incision clean and dry.  Invariably, the dressing would be soaked through by the time we got home.  My picnic basket was always prepared with all that was needed.  I never gave dressing the wound a thought.  It was every day from the October event in 2021 until July of 2023.  Check, check, check . . . keep it clean, keep it dry to make sure all was as it should be.

  It is such a relief to not have the phone ringing constantly.  The ire I would feel when it rang I am sure spiked the blood pressure.  No longer making contacts with medical personnel when appointments were double booked.  It is true.  Now, the calendar on the dining room table can be seen with fresh folded laundry on top of it.  Sweet.

  There are now days when I do sit back and do much of nothing.  I no longer feel the need to be busy all the time so as to not fall short of the medical needs.  I am not slipping.  I am healing, allowing myself some “Me” time.  The surgeons and I knew that if the left foot would not heal 100% by July, proving that there was not enough blood supply from Dennis’ peripheral artery disease, Dennis’ leg would be coming off right below the knee.  For Dennis, it was ignorance can be bliss. 

  Yup.  I may forget a date on the calendar sometimes, but I do remember that there is a date in this August’s lineup that Kersten is excited about.  Special and sweet.

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on August 2, 2023 Permalink  

  A Day that Goes Well 

  The older ones on Stauffer are each having a good day.

  With two half gallon sprayers mixed to do battle with the burdock, he was off.

  I stayed behind and spent time in the studio.  I have been away from stitching for some time.  As I was looking at stashes in conjunction with graph paper, I got a phone call from Gibbon.  On the 12th of this month, two t-shirt quilts will be leaving the studio.  Sweet.  I continued on with what will be a scrappy quilt of every color under imaginable.  All the cotton prints will be petite floral.  Once it is on paper, that is half the battle of making the 8″ finished blocks.  No seams to match in the way that I will lay them down.  I do know that it will be 7 blocks across and 8 blocks down with three different configured blocks to make up the top.  By using a half block on the left of the first row and then using the half block on the right of the second row, staggering down the 8 rows, that will illuminate seams that need lining up.  With my blocks being designed, I also will know how much of each piece of fabric to cut.  Not much waste is going to be had.

  I did snap a photo of my stitching.  Keeping the pamphlet close by for encouragement. I am pleased with the progress.  Yes, it is wrinkled.  As I work, the area under the needle is stretched taunt in a hoop.  Steam pressing is way too far in the future to worry about.  I am waiting for Amazon to deliver a new hoop to me.  The one I had been using was a 6″ x 6″ and needed to be held in my left hand as the right hand worked the needle in and out.  Though the left hand does not operate well, I could tell the pull all the way up to my left shoulder.  The one that is coming is 11″ x 11″.  I will be able to rest the top of it on my book rack and the bottom will sit on my lap, leaving the left hand be at rest.  It takes awhile to get everything on board for the best process.

  Dennis now has a pair of pants dedicated to the blue barn acre work.  Without realizing it, he had brushed against the weed that has little stickers that embed themselves into the fabric.  Dennis tried the shop vacuum and the 3M lint roller.  I will wash them by themselves and we have held the dedication ceremony.

  Dennis and I have each had a productive day with all things going well . . . keeping it reasonable.

   
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  Noreen 2:24 pm on August 1, 2023 Permalink  

  Tuesday the 1st 

  Hello August 1st.  Where did you come from?  The pages of the calendar seem to have a breeze that continually flips them at a fairly high rate of speed.

  This morning we checked with each other as to if all parts were moving, albeit a bit slowly.  From bending over and over and over, I could feel a bit of tightness in the ham strings from yesterday’s events.  It still felt good.  No yard work today.

  I have been known to eat cold pizza for breakfast.  I can now add the remnants of a Subway’s tuna sandwich.  I am not a fussy eater.  Bring on the leftovers.  Dennis not so much.  So be it.

  On one of my scribble pads are the notes comprised of a possible scrappy quilt.  I have thought long and hard for a sewing machine project.  I have the idea.  I have the sizes of the fabrics, 8 pieces needed within the block.  It would be a 52″ x 64″ top.  The next item would be going down into the studio to check the stashes as this would be a no-purchase necessary project.

  In the meantime, I have finished one of my books and am working on my hand stitching.  After today, I may have a photo to share.  By no means close to a finish, more like a work in progress.  I am not easily put off by timely projects.

  So . . . I am off to the studio.  It has been a long time since the lights were on.

  Hump day is in the sights, may you all look forward to it.

   
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  Noreen 1:47 pm on July 31, 2023 Permalink  

  Well, Well 

  Well, well.  The two older ones on Stauffer still have it.  Dennis and I worked side by side on the blue barn acre over the noon.  It was amazing how much we achieved by picking up small sticks and branches and added that to the huge pile Brett had made with the skid loader.

  What will be interesting in time is seeing all the Kudzu vines that will be turning brown.  I and our lopper sniped off countless vines that were rooted at the base of trees.  Many of the vines that have already turned brown since we began working on the lot will need to be pulled out of the trees with the help of the little red pickup.  I think securing the end of vines, with I am not sure what at this time, and having them pulled out of the trees will make a huge impact.  Some of the vines are as round as a quarter with a spindly root going into the ground no larger than a piece of twine.

  So that was our two hour exercise for this Monday.  No one was was injured by this.  It felt good to work side by side in the shade under the canopy of huge trees.

  I am enjoying the last of the breakfast coffee and will soon settle into my bedroom porch, perched on my cherry red chair, reading a bit.  I will admit my hands are weary and there will be no hand stitching this afternoon.

  We have agreed on a Subway supper.  Sweet!

   
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  Noreen 1:34 pm on July 30, 2023 Permalink  

  Sunday Surprise 

  This was full gear into a quiet Sunday.

  When I got a phone call from my cousin Mark this early morning, it was a total surprise.  Mark lives near Canon Falls and had been on a campout at Jackson to see friends of a time that his family had lived there.

  When Mark arrived with friend Tamie in tow on a three-wheel Harley, it felt like this would be a pit stop on their way home.  At the time of the call, Mark’s were just going to leave the Windom hospital where the fellow that was biking with them was waiting to be air lifted to a Sioux Falls facility.  A deer had ran out causing an accident to the friend and his bike.

  Needless to say, the pair coming to stop in, needed some breathing room before making the rest of the trip home.

  I am thrilled that neither of my kids were biker enthusiasts.  Things can happen so quickly with so little protection.  

  At two, Mark and Tamie had gotten their second wind to continue onto their way home.  I cannot imagine the adrenalin that had kicked in.  Hugs for safe travels.

  So our Sunday has been anything but ordinary. 

  Today has been a great day for patio sitting.  Just as Mark’s were leaving, the black flies had found us.  Ish!

  My ole cowboy and I are thankful that we enjoy the peacefulness that settles in after the dust of excitement took a right out of our drive.

   
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  Noreen 1:49 pm on July 29, 2023 Permalink  

  Good Morning 

  It was a good morning for coffee on the front deck . . . might have even felt a bit cool.

  Out came both walking sticks and I headed east on Stauffer Avenue for a walk.  It felt great.  As I was coming back home, I did feel that the dewpoint was rising.

  I helped Dennis fill two small half gallon sprayers with roundup.  Last Sunday he and I had been at the blue barn acre with the same recipe.  When he came home today, he commented the next batch was going to be used on some burdock.  When he mentioned the huge leaves that looked like rhubarb, I knew right off the bat what needed to be taken care.  Slow but sure, progress is being made on the acre.

  There is no urgent news to report.  I am very accustomed to blocking numbers from various states.  Hmm.  I had never had one of those calls come from Iowa.  On a whim, I answered it.  Lo and behold it was my brother from Decorah.  He had a new phone number.  It was one of the shortest calls I can ever remember getting from him.  No news on his front, just called to see how we were doing.  Short and sweet . . . nice.

  Tomorrow is to be be better than today.  Relish it!  Rest yourselves.

   
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  Noreen 1:42 pm on July 28, 2023 Permalink  

  Light Show 

  When  a bathroom call got me up at two, there was quite the light show in the northwest.  Hopefully someone, somewhere got a rain shower or two out of all the lightning that was seen.

  The quiet has settled in here on Stauffer for me.  Dennis is up and he and Dwayne were at McDonald’s this forenoon.  I did hear him get up a little after six.  Me?  I drifted back into slumber until eight.

  Reading and stitching is keeping me going.  The sewing machine is getting some well deserved time off.

  For a time, there was talk that Facebook would be implementing a fee.  Nope.  The same mindless posts that I know were flooded in on my site by me “liking” something.  The same goes for emails.

  I do enjoy the YouTube subscriptions I signed on to.  A bit of air time and I am content.  For the most part the house is totally quiet during the day.  Dennis has two televisions in the patio porch until the outside air doesn’t have a breeze, then he is in with the remote in hand.  Even these days the kitties have been stretched out on the bare concrete floor of the garage. 

  May the weekend treat you well and may the temps take a bit of a dip.

   
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  Noreen 1:33 pm on July 27, 2023 Permalink  

  The Summer of No Rain 

  It has been unusually dry this the summer of 2023, that coupled with bouts of high temperatures.

  What does this retired couple do on a hot day?  Dennis and I drove several blocks from home for pedicures.  This is such a better plan than driving to Mankato.  Patronizing one of our small town businesses feels good.  Like many small towns, there are far too many vacant store fronts.

  It can come with personal irks.  Such as me telling Dennis after he is already in his little red pickup that the cap he was wearing needed to be swapped out for a clean one.  How dare I?  Yup.

  The pork roast in the crock pot is filling the kitchen with wonderful aromas.  The roast, even after this evening’s supper will give me options in the coming days.

  As I was reading this afternoon in my bedroom porch, perched upon my cherry red chair, there were farm vehicles going by that indicated somewhere there was a cutting of hay that needed a side rake followed by a baler.  I can easily remember hot days on the family farm in Boon Lake Township.  No one dared to comment on the heat.  We just got it done.  Us kids switched off as to who would be stacking bails five high on the hay rack behind the baler, and who was stacking bails up in the haybarn.  It was share, share, share alike.  No fatalities then, but perhaps issues in our later years.  God bless titanium implants.

  Even the front deck smelled of heat this morning and for sure . . . no sounds of lawnmowers at any time today.  The grass crunches under foot.

  Be kind to yourselves and give ample rest.