Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:46 pm on July 19, 2026 Permalink  

  The 19th of July 2026 

  This is the last day of our county fair.  Surprisingly we did hear some fireworks go off last night at ten.

  The studio was visited this morning while I had Grace Lutheran church services on from Gaylord.  All went according to plan.  The next time I visit there are numerous spools of embroidery thread to put back in numerical order.   

  We had a plastic bag of garden goodies left on our front steps.  Cucumbers have been peeled, salted and dressed with mayo as an offering for supper.  The remaining cukes have bee washed and added to one of the refrigerator crispers.  Three huge tomatoes will be set aside to finish putting the blush on them.  We are passing on the little elongated purple peppers. 

  I checked on Aunt Janet from Brownton last night.  She has been staying close to home in the hot weather.  Two nieces take care of grocery errands and mowing of her yard.    The city librarian swaps out books for her as her favorite authors are known.

  Not much else to share today.  Being in our home is the best.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:10 pm on July 18, 2026 Permalink  

  Let’s Hear It 

  Let’s hear it for the little flag on our front sidewalk that didn’t forget how to catch a breeze from the north!

  A break from the Minnesota heat would be great for this weekend and many days after that.

  Our favorite weatherman from KEYC, Shawn Cable, has begun taking the tour of many county fairs in southern Minnesota.  I will say the only thing I miss from the county fair is the little bag of greasy sugar laden mini-donuts.

  It was pretty great to see the parade of farm tractors that started at the fairgrounds this morning and made the jaunt down our street, to the main drag and then back to the fairgrounds.  Every make and color imaginable.  Not surprisingly most of the drivers were of Dennis’ vintage.

  I am going to fix Maria Callender’s Chicken with Mushroom pot pies for supper.  Last night we had deveined and peeled sauteed shrimp in a butter sauce.  Variety from the kitchen.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:00 pm on July 17, 2026 Permalink  

  County Fair Time 

  I really feel for the kids that are participating in our county fair this weekend.  It seems to be very early in the season of such things.  I don’t believe that garden produce is in the stages of exhibiting.

  I did catch on Facebook that there are numerous food trucks in attendance.

  We have opted out of this summer.  In due time the temps will allow for us to resume usual and customary routines.  Right now I can’t think of what that may have been.

  For this hazy Friday, we are making sure not to cause anyone concern.  Being in our home seems to be the best place I can think of.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:16 pm on July 16, 2026 Permalink  

  Choose the Time 

  We decided to go to the grocery store last night after seven.  Dennis drove, so he could keep the car running with the A/C while I filled the list.  We were only gone from home for a bit after half an hour.

  I knew that I had a meet and greet this morning and leaving the shopping go for after would have been too much for too long in the weather.  It all worked out great.  I was back home by eleven and thankful for it.

  Dennis chooses his time for spending being in the patio porch with the kitties or being on the main floor of our home.

  Our chicken salad sandwiches were great for our evening’s meal yesterday.  Dennis thought it was so great we are calling for a repeat performance this evening.  It had been a rather large batch considering that just as much of diced onions matched the diced chicken.

  I was in my bedroom porch when I noticed the FedEx truck come to a screeching halt a bit a go.  It is a concrete street but the dust just rolled from the tires.  The same spry young fellow that picked up a Mayo box from our deck on Tuesday was delivering the goods from Mayo today.  I opened the door and he nicely set the parcel on the floor for me.  I carried it right to the back door so I could open it without stirring the layer of dust from the box any more than I had to.  My fingerprints were evident where I had held it.  Yuck!

  All is well here on Stauffer Avenue.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on July 15, 2026 Permalink  

  Out of the Depths 

  Out of the depths of the freezer came the base ingredient of this evening’s supper.  When we are in Mankato, I will be sure to pick up one of their broasted chickens at Sam’s Club for $4.98.  They are what us old time chicken raisers would call heavies.  Breed for the amount of meat they can put on compared to leghorns which is quick raising and very lightweight.  We always raised two batches.  One batch for pan frying and one batch for roasting in the oven.

  The Sam’s chicken will give us one meal of Dennis’ favorite white meat and the remaining I debone immediately and store in freezer weight bags to pop into the freezer.  This forenoon the bag had not been out of the freezer for very long before I took the chef’s knife and did the tip to end chopping for minimal sized bites of the chicken meat.  The chopping always works slick if the product is still semi frozen when the steel comes down on it.  An onion is always present in our kitchen.  Be it tuna or chicken there will be finely chopped onions with it.  

  Dennis had the privilege of using our new pepper mill for the first time since it was delivered on Monday.  It is the same model as the one that gave up on us.  Pepper is another ingredient that is used by us often.  I have learned from Chef Ransby that a bit of salt is needed to bring the flavors to its peak.

  Cold chicken salad sandwiches or chicken salad on the plate is what is being served here on Stauffer Avenue this evening.  The other fixings in the freezer needed a hot oven . . . that’s not in the cards when it feels like 100 degrees outside.  I think our air conditioner would pick right up on that and start wheezing. 

  That’s it folks!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:19 pm on July 14, 2026 Permalink  

  Good For Me 

  I am not a procrastinator and it really paid off today.  24 hours ago I was working with the Mayo Store to bring the correct supplies to our home for Dennis’ CPAP.  The gal said that in 2-3 days Fed-X would pick up what needed to be returned.  I put the box on our front deck this morning and a few minutes ago, a very spry young fellow came up to our deck with a label that he stuck on the box and away he and returns goods went. 

  In several days I hope the correct goods are delivered.  This getting into a vehicle and driving to Mankato for every little bit is so not going down.  Working with service people can and does work to our benefit especially on hot days where the last thing you and your vehicle should be is out on a very hot road surface.

  Orlin would marvel that his brother Elroy would pack up his family and drive from Wilmer to Boon Lake with only the air in his tires to get them from there to here safely as tread on the tires was rare.  Oh for the many memories of Elroy and his words of wisdom.  He was always doing fix-it work on their home.  Whatever needed replacing, the worn out stuff he buried in the backyard so as to not pay to have it removed.  Can you just image the deep hole needed to be dug to bury a ceramic toilet or the old style televisions?  Elroy had his way of marking territory so as to not uncover a previous dig.  The Schafer boys, each with their own quirks.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:04 pm on July 13, 2026 Permalink  

  Life on Stauffer 

  During the less than nice weather on Stauffer, life is moving in the “turtle” mode.  That is for everyone but Snuggles.  Is there a season on little red squirrels?  Third day in a row that he wants to share his prize with Dennis in the patio porch.  Good thing he is hunting in the cooler morning hours, so Dennis can watch to make sure that what he is sharing is totally flat lined.  What a horror that would be to have one of them come out of their coma and Snuggles would give chase in the garages.

  The wrong items were mailed out from the Mayo Store last Friday.  What to do but continue with the “hold” for 47 minutes.  We need to have the in error items in a box labeled “Mayo Store” and Fed-X will pick it up off of our front deck with the next two to three days.  In the meantime, the correct items are being sent out as of today.  Caregiver 101 in place.

  We did have Spring Touch do an application on the lot and perimeter of the buildings several weeks ago.  I sent them an email last night allowing them to know that we have had a reduction of ant activity in the house with the exception of the bathroom.  Previously, no matter where in the house, one very large black ant would appear, almost like scouting the place out.  Watching them they have not targeted anything, they are wandering aimlessly, much like Moses in the wilderness.  I received a response and there is and was a notification that more than one application would be done.  In years past, we lost a lot of good grass in the far backyard due to ants.  Several years ago when Ryan cut down one of our brittle lilacs he took a break until something could be sprayed as the ants were so prevalent.

  Our foundation has had foam sprayed from the interior.  Our bathroom has had the vapor barrier put in place from top to bottom.  If there is a will, there is a way.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:08 pm on July 12, 2026 Permalink  

  Hello on a Sunday 

  It’s unusual that Dennis is joining me on the first floor of our home rather than he being in the patio porch.  I rather like it as I hear music coming from a reel that he opens on his laptop.  Yes, it’s nasty humid warm outside.  Even Harriet and Snuggles are laying flat on the concrete next to the car.

  I found a YouTube from a gal in Melvern, Australia.  She is a Luddite skilled artisan yarn stitcher.  The Luddites protested the rise of mechanize factory’s machine weavers, prone to hire for little pay in the early 1900s.  The YouTube episodes of this gal feature everything from dying wool, spinning it and making various knitted and crocheted items. 

  These episodes run one after another so I can enjoy doing my stitching project though not consistently as a break is needed for a cup of coffee or just watching traffic.  Dennis occasionally occupies the guest chair in my bedroom porch where I am perched on my cherry red chair.  

  A lazy July Sunday for both of us.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:10 pm on July 11, 2026 Permalink  

  Funky Feeling Day 

  The morning felt good outside.  As the day went on . . . not so good feeling.

  This morning we had the July appointment with Maria.  We were in need as the last appointment had been May 30.  Dennis’ eyebrows had grown together and were bending down much like a trailing house plant’s.

  I feel that I am a better person having Maria in my life.  For the three hours that she pampers our feet and gives wonderful haircuts, the visiting covers so many topics . . . with a positive attitude.  Coming from the heritage of picking vegetables and her family traveling from state to state as the vegetables were ready to harvest, she kept her vision.  With a message of hope from a family member here in St. James,  she packed up what her car would hold and came to Minnesota with five young children under the age of ten.

  Maria took work in our nursing home in the laundry while completing what it took to get her nurse’s LPN license.  Her next quest was jumping through the hoops for her cosmetology license.  The nursing home job by nights and driving to Windom for daytime work part time in a shop doing haircuts.

  Maria bought that shop in 2010, working in the nursing home when the call came out that they needed a shift filled at night.

  In 2020 First Avenue Styles here in St. James came up for sale.   She bought the business, while the shop was rented from the bakery next to it. 

  Maria works Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Windom and St. James on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  Her husband does carpenter work.  They have five homes that they have bought as rentals after fixing them up.  Her last child graduated from high school this year.  Maria shared with Dennis that she has an account for “X” number of dollars for each of those five homes for when the roofs need new shingles. 

  Maria always knew she would assimilate and she has done it well.   Maria is young enough to be my daughter with plans for the future that makes me a believer.  Dennis and I marvel at her attitude and determination.  A good person to have in one’s life.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   

   
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  Noreen 2:25 pm on July 10, 2026 Permalink  

  Stitching and Listening 

  At 9:00 I was headed to the studio.  KNUJ was coming in loud and clear.  The embroidery pattern had been selected and the spools of the threads were standing in the order that they were needed.  I have mentioned before that I use the Isacord thread from Germany for embroidery.  One brand is all I need.  The patterns that I choose are from OESD.  Loading the pattern, the LED screen on the machine allows me to know how many stitches in total and how many stitches in each thread color.  The screen also shows me the number assigned to each spool.  It’s a good check to make sure your project is on track.

  All was going well.  A full bobbin was started.  The last 100 stitches and the bobbin was empty.  My machine uses the larger bobbin and as of today I now know that each bobbin is good for 5,400 stitches.  When the bobbin is empty its good to take notice of the number of stitches remaining.  When a new bobbin was loaded, I backed up the design plus a few more stitches so the machine would take off where the design was interrupted.

  The machine never disappoints.  I belong to a Facebook group of the 770 Berninia.  I read through the questions as well as the responses.  You can never tell when a situation is being questioned that the response will shed some light.  There is no such thing as having all the answers.

  Dennis had topped a carton of strawberries for me.  It was my turn to dice them, sprinkle some sugar on them and then Dennis would take over and use the pastry cutter to mash them to release the juices.  We happen to have brownies remaining for dessert tonight.

  Not going anywhere for this weekend and we are not entertaining either.  With the humidity and warmth, staying put for these two vulnerable people is a very good thing. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥