Me, Myself and Memories

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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.

   
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  Noreen 2:01 pm on June 10, 2023 Permalink  

  Moral Support 

  Thursday, with a bit of elbow grease and lots of moral support, I worked with Dennis to tidy up the patio porch.  It is not 100%, but a dang site better.  Dennis went on to clean the pickup garage on Friday and today the car garage.  Dawn dishwashing liquid to the recue.  When I went out to ask Dennis in for a noon half sandwich, the corners of the car garage were tidy, tidy.  I did notice the recycling bin’s cover didn’t go down all the way.  There is one shelf on the north wall that Dennis said he would need help in deciding what to keep and what not to.

  Never ever will our outside dwellings stay spick and span.  All we can do is give it our best . . . often.

  I noticed this morning, there were no mosquitos outside.  I headed to the area of our picket fence to the north.  Oh my gosh.  We have never had Night Shade plants like there were out there.  Good thing with the rain it pulled up easy.  Wild thin vines that crept around stronger plants.  Those leaves looked like wild morning glories.  Kudzu vines can be seen draped around trees and shrubs, killing them.  I found one of them, also.  All I can think of is that our old lilacs kept this area in dark shade.  Last summer we cut down the old rotting lilacs that had trunks as large as dinner plates.  This year that whole area has full sun.

  Neighbor Jan came out and she worked on her side of the picket fence while I was on our side.  I think we gave each other moral support.  With my clipper I whacked off many, many volunteer trees: Cottonwood, Elm, Oak and Maple.  There was one Elm that I will need to visit with the lopper.  I did rake up a huge pile of the Maple seeds.  They will end up in the burning ring . . . soon.

  When the black flies began biting, I headed for the studio.  As of this posting, both quilt tops, 75″ x 75″ each are done.  I did unfurl the yardage of the backing for this tops onto the church tables.  That will be for another day. 

  When Dennis came in to check on me, he commented how warm it felt in the studio.  Ah ha!  It dawned on me that the dehumidifier needed to have the setting changed.  When we had gotten water in the basement, I had the setting at “44.”  The recommended setting should be about “54.”

  Dennis declared it was shower time and I will follow close behind as it feels like the humidity has done its number on the both of us.

  Catch you tomorrow!

   
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  Noreen 2:10 pm on June 9, 2023 Permalink  

  Good Results 

  All of the blood work of yesterday came back in the normal range.  Sweet!  Our family doctor had left a message for me at the patient portal.  It is handy to communicate without having to make an office call.

  After several loads of laundry it was the kitchen floor that needed more than running a dry Swiffer over it.  It will be great when Dennis has a pair of shoes to wear and the heavy Velcro boot is no more.  There is no way I can ask him to take that boot off when he comes in and out of the house.  We are getting close.  Yesterday the VA turned in the prescription to the Limb Lab in Mankato for Dennis to get an appointment to be fitted for shoes.  The left shoe will have an orthotic in it to make up the area of the foot where there are no toes.  Of course the right shoe will need something added into it so Dennis will have good balance. 

  The studio lights were put on today.  Yippee!  Fabric was cut for the two borders with even some stitching going on.  One step at a time and slow and steady.

  I have an oven meal to pop in at 4:30.  I took out some Jimmy Dean pre-cooked sausage links.  With the sausages diced, some penne pasta, Alfredo sauce . . . into the round blue speckled roaster it went.  There was just a bit of shredded sharp cheese in the refrigerator to top off the meal as it is in the oven.

  The weekend weather should prove to be favorable.  The rain gauge yesterday morning had 1.5 inches.  It was well needed.

  I am off to do a bit more stitching before supper.

   
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  Noreen 2:03 pm on June 8, 2023 Permalink  

  A Mild Day 

  With the temps and humidly mild it was a day for activity.

  Dennis went to the VA for his INR and I went to the clinic for some blood work.  Neither one of us has any results at this time.

  Dennis and I tackled the patio porch today.  A little late for spring cleaning, but then it’s never to late.  Soap and water on the three slider doors.  I manned the shop vac.  Huge difference after several hours.

  I took the Weather Teck mats out of the front seats of our car, and again, soap and water.  While the mats dried, the shop vac did its thing in the car.  Somewhere where the highway fellows were putting down their hot tar crap, I must have driven.  There was ever so slightly a showing of tar on the rocker panels.  Dennis did one side of the car and I did the other.  The last ditty on the car was the bugs on the front of it.

  We have had a wonderful day with much improvement to what we tackled.

  The air outside was really nice today, not saying anything about the amount of black flies.  Guess we can’t have everything.

  Showers are going to feel wonderful this late afternoon.

  Catch you all tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 3:46 pm on June 7, 2023 Permalink  

  Rain in the Afternoon 

  I am hoping the rain that has begun falling at 4:30 will continue for a while.  The backyard has cracks in the soil.

  The luncheon that Dennis and I went to in Mankato was the close of the Chosen Frozen Korean Veterans for this area of the state.  The letter from the home organization laid out all that was needed to be sent to them.  The funds in the treasury were dispersed to three beneficiaries: the VFW post where the meetings have been held for repairs and to the Blue Earth County Library.  Though it was a mere $2,600.00, no money needs to be sent to the home organization.

  We were home shortly after two in the afternoon.  I called a friend, June, to see if she was up for company.  June had lived down the road on Stauffer Avenue until two years ago when she moved into an apartment.  June has never driven so the relationship is a bit one sided.  June had a severe change in her life this spring, when she went to the hospital with COPD.  June walked everywhere, everyday.  This may not have been brought on as suddenly as first suspected.  Today she showed off her portable oxygen bag.  She is on oxygen 24/7.  A whole lot for this 82 year young person to adjust to.

  It was as I was returning home that the skies got dark with a horrendous clap of thunder. 

  I came down into the studio to put up a few items I had purchased at JoAnn Fabric.  Not much needed here in the studio.  When all was said and done with t-shirt quilt blocks, there were two not needed to make the top times two.  I will make those two blocks into pillows for Michel’s two small sons.  Pillow forms: buy one, get the second at 50% off.  Why not.

  It will be interesting when I close down the studio to see if the rain is continuing when I hit the first floor of the house.  I can only hope.

  Tomorrow I will be at the hospital here in town by nine for my metabolic blood panel to be drawn.  Small inconvenience for reassurance.