Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:59 pm on September 20, 2024 Permalink  

  Hello Friday 

  They did say we would have two more days of uncomfortable warm weather.  Don’t you just hate it when they hit it on the nose!

  This morning we had company for most of the morning.  Dennis’ older brother Dick has been gone since the late 80s.  Dennis’ nephews, Mitch and Matt live in Windom and came to spend time with Dennis.  Family reaching out is priceless.  Did they have any relationship with Jeff, no.  Those two boys have stayed close with Dennis and would pop in unexpected, unannounced and the visiting would be hot and heavy.  Priceless.

  This afternoon, Jan from next door came over.  Jan dropped off a set of keys for their garage.  Tomorrow Jan and Randy are leaving on a trip to visit and see what is to see driving east.  Their trips have always been to the west as their Gold Wing group would make plans.  Jan just got a 2024 Ford car.  Whatever the model is, 2024 was the last year for manufacturing it.  No cycle on this trip.  This is Randy’s first trip since retiring from John Deere in December of last year.  He is 70 and John Deere was his first job after high school.  Hmm.

  Dennis is finding that when you slam down on the tailbone it doesn’t feel good for quite some time and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to sit that it doesn’t hurt.  Every afternoon, I talk him in to lying on his bed.  It doesn’t hurt then. 

  I know from a little bit of history with pain, the more you buy into it, the worse it seems.  Relaxing does help.  I also know keeping busy helps . . . but then, what does the on-site witch doctor know. 

  Another thing I know . . . every day comes with possibilities that may never have crossed your mind.  It seems that those that consider their glass always half full have the best chance of a “sneaking occurrence.”  I am sad for those that have adopted the half empty approach to life.  I do feel sad for Dennis.

  I have taken out of the freezer a glass container of the pasta dish that I incorporated the brussel sprouts in to. 

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:07 pm on September 19, 2024 Permalink  

  Cloudy 

  It is a cloudy and moody looking sky.  The rain has slivered off to the south east.

  The yards are showing the dry season.  I believe it was the middle of May that the mowing commenced to being a weekly item.  It seemed to make the summer of 2024 go by quickly.

  I did not keep up with the area north of the patio with what was Hosta plants and what was weeds.  And . . . you know what . . . it didn’t bother me one bit.  My gardening couldn’t continue has it had been and I filed it under, what had been.

  I found contentment and satisfaction in my sewing studio sewing up quilt tops for the church ladies.  At five when I shut down the lights in the studio, I turn to reading and hand stitching.  Keeping our home tidy, managing to put a hot balanced meal on the table for suppers and never allowing the laundry basket to go overflowing allowed me to be tuckered out enough to get a good night’s rest.  I do have nights the jumping nerves in my arm and leg get me up, take one of my prescribed meds, for just such a night.  My left hand would jump and make a tight fist and the left leg would move as if I were taking a step.  I would turn on my small light and read until the eyes were ready to close for the night.  I had been told by my doctor that the nerves that had been impacted by the stroke would feel as if they were trying to reconnect.  It was as if I was getting a trickle charge from electric fencing.  The cardiologist feels that my movement on the left side has stalled with very little improvement to come.  I can and have lived with that.

  There is nothing that I have totally given up.  It may be doing things a bit differently or at a slower rate.  What’s not to like about that.

  The sun is out and the temp is a bit muggy.  Sunday is suppose to be a really nice day.

  I have the list made out for Dennis to give to the fellow at Subway for supper.  A 12″ tuna to split sounds wonderful.

  This has been a quiet day and I believe we are ready for some of those.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:56 pm on September 18, 2024 Permalink  

  So It Is 

  Today is Wednesday the 18th and it seems as if this week has been so very long already.

  Dennis’ son, Jeff, passed away Tuesday at the age of 60 plus 3 days.  No more cancer pain, no more a life that was unique.

  Yesterday at the funeral home, arrangements needed to be made for someone that had . . . not much.  A valid driver’s license and $3.00.

  Today, Jeff’s two sisters cleared out his apartment of, again . . . not much. 

  I am so very thankful that Jeff and his dad, over these last four months,  shared many hours together in the patio porch.  Memories and experiences.

  We all have within ourselves the inheritance of “the old Adam.”  He beckons, he tempts and he never lets up.  How amazing that most cast him aside and use the God-given days to His glory.

  I have taken these last four months and have learned so much about myself watching someone struggle in pain, yet not be able to let go of what brought him to his own demise.  It no longer mattered to Dennis and myself what had been done years ago or yesterday.  Here was family that needed us.  Here was family getting another chance.  None of us ever truly knows what another is fighting through.  Perhaps the words cannot be found to share their challenges.  Judge not that ye may be judged.  I’ve never been able to pick up anyone else’s shoes to see if I can walk in them.  

  Each day my goal is to be the forgiving person that God intends of me to be.  I will let Him take care of the things I cannot understand in others.

  So it is that Dennis and I, here on Stauffer Avenue, want only what God has allowed . . . a giving, loving appreciation of each day.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:46 pm on September 16, 2024 Permalink  

  Tufts 

  As I sat out on the fruit deck this morning with a cup of rich hot coffee, I couldn’t help but notice the tufts of colored leaves far up into the tree tops.  Hmm.  As we are halfway through September it does seem plausible.

  We have a school bus that stops right south of our home in the afternoon right about . . . now.  There is a grandpa that comes from the northwest, about two blocks away.  His wife does day-care.  Every afternoon he meets the school bus to walk four little ones back to his home.  I can’t say that I blame him, the traffic on this thoroughfare is scary fast.  Yes there is a penalty fine if you don’t stop when a school bus has flashing lights, but close calls do happen. 

  Saturday as Tom was putting down Dennis’ new carpet in the patio porch, all doors were open for air exchange.  The little red pickup door opens to Stauffer Avenue.  Tom could not believe the speed that vehicles flew by at with only 40′ to go before the four-way stop.  Everyone is in a hurry.  Me . . . not so much.

  We have used our small crock pot for some good packages of “a meal in one container” of meat, potatoes and a vegetable for the crock pot, either beef or pork from Walmart.  Today I browned two bone-less porkchops, just enough for a sear.  Into the crockpot they went with 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup.  By supper this evening, they will be falling apart with the soup to use as a gravy over potatoes.  Good ole crock pots.  As we don’t grill, it is still a great way to fix a no fuss meal.

  Dennis seems to be doing better in finding a spot to sit upon with his bruised tail-bone.  Tomorrow he turns himself in for some lab work and a visit to a doctor.  Dennis has not been to a medical doctor since the end of February.  Good going.

  The two kitties that had gone AWOL a short time ago are doing better.  Dennis is doing better, and I feel fine.  Life on Stauffer, the best place in town.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:02 pm on September 15, 2024 Permalink  

  I Hear 

  I hear it is rather warm out this afternoon.  I did sit on the front deck earlier in the day with a cup of coffee while my chair was in the shade.

  Dennis with his tender tail-bone has wandered tither, hither and yon trying to find a good spot to sit.  I did talk him into laying on his bed, as he has had several good nights of sleep being able to lay on one side of the body or the other.  He did get several hours of relief.

  I received a text from Megan this morning that included several photos of the kitten she has adopted.  The kitten looks just like Dennis’ Snuggles.  William, Willie, is three and a half months old.  Megan went on to tell me her class-load plus still working as a hostess in a near by restaurant.  The apartment, the college and the job are all in close proximity.  She does drive her car as crossing a busy street or getting off from work after dark does not allow for assumptions. Yes, the fellow from Kentucky is still in the picture.  He is going for law enforcement at some level.  I actually got a photo of the two of them together.  Sweet.  Very hard to believe her 21st birthday is only several months away.

  Seeing as how my phone got warmed up this morning, I decided to call my brother, Calvin, in Iowa.  Dennis was on his bed in close proximity.  I had the phone’s speaker engaged.  After 45 minutes later and Calvin had nothing to re-hash the phone call ended.  Dennis spoke up as he had heard a lot of the conversation.  Dennis said it should be reassuring to me that everything is the same with Calvin as it has always been.  That’s one way to look at it.

  This evening we are having frozen waffles and breakfast sausages.  A meal we have not enjoyed in quite a while.

  I am posting this and then it is on to the cistern closet to bring up the small crockpot for tomorrow’s fare.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:27 pm on September 14, 2024 Permalink  

  Saturday the 14th 

  We seem to have activity on a fairly regular basis.

  Dennis’ daughter, nurse Sandy and Tom, came from Mankato this morning.  Tom got dropped off here and Sandy went on to Jeff’s apartment to check on him.

  It is Jeff’s 60th birthday today.  Sandy brought him a birthday cake.  I had texted him a greeting this morning.

  Dennis and Tom went about clearing out the patio porch as Tom had volunteered after Dennis had asked him to put down the new carpet for Dennis.  We had stored a vehicle for Tom for several years and Dennis didn’t feel bad for asking for help.  I stayed in the house.  I had laid the last carpet when it was a grass green indoor-outdoor, and I remembered it was not measurements to put a jig to.  It’s about 12″ x 16″.  It is down and done.  After it has a chance to stretch itself out and down a bit, we can staple the carpet down to the plywood flooring at the sliding door opening so as to not trip anyone up.  It is three this afternoon and it is down to Dennis and me.  Sweet.

  The humidity is low but the dewpoint makes up for it when any amount of exertion takes place.  I sweat easily, just like my dad.

  I had thought we had had sufficient rain but the lilac leaves are shriveled and brown.  The crab apple tree out the kitchen window has a steady flow of leaves dropping.  Dennis commented how low the lake level was west of town.  The drought monitor that Shawn Cable, the weather man of KEYC implements, is also creeping up.

  Dennis brought in two small onions.  That is a hint that fried onions are going to go with the left-over boiled potatoes from last night.  Equal amount of onions to potatoes.  That works for me also.

  Nothing more to report and that is not a bad thing.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥ 

   
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  Noreen 2:29 pm on September 13, 2024 Permalink  

  In the Foot 

  Yup . . . Grammie shot herself in the foot.  I knew I needed another bag of laundry pods from the basement cistern closet.  Tiny homes have only so much room other than what is needed day-to-day.  I had carried the box downstairs containing the four bags.  It took some doing to get past all the glue that closes the heavy cardboard boxes.  When the last flap of the box let loose, I gave a wtf!  Nice reading of labels Grammie.  I had bought a 15 plus pound box of loose granular laundry soap.  Oh that smarted.  I nicely closed the flaps to get back to the plastic handle and nicely carried it up from the basement cistern room to park it in front of the washing machine in the bathroom.  Dumb-de-dumb-dumb.  This too shall pass.

  The rest of the story from yesterday was not that Dennis was grumpy.  Dennis was hurting.  He had given the corner channel of our house siding another blast of spray for the wasps.  As he was backing up to sit on the bench by the back door, he was not back far enough and he sat down hitting the edge of one of the 2 x 4s on his tail-bone.  The 2 x 4 cracked.  Oh I do know how that hurts and how long it takes to not hurt.  Good thing Grammie’s medical supplies had some Bio-freeze to roll over the bruise. 

  There is a bank of Russian Sage purple flowers under the south window of my bedroom porch.  The bees are loving it.  There is no way I would think of getting in their way.  Let’s hear it for pollinators.

  Another thing that has happened to Grammie here on Stauffer Avenue. . . there is a cancer patient that will reach out to me . . . for nothing more than a kind word of moral support.  How could I not be on the other end of the phone.  Dennis’ son has never done me harm.  In times past and at better times his many skills were appreciated here and also at Kevin’s.  The reactions of our actions is a bitter sweet part of life.  Jeff has commented that I know how to talk to him or respond to him, where as his dad does not.  It’s not that Dennis doesn’t want to talk about what matters to Jeff right now, Dennis doesn’t know how.  Dennis’ entire life he has always thought if he didn’t get involved with problems the problems would go away.  How a man of 87 has lead his entire adult life like that and still ends up with me that plows right in to take care of the good, the bad and the ugly instead of running away, is amazing.

  On a lighter note, I have scrubbed the last of the potatoes to boil for supper.  I know that will appease some of his pain.  Tee Hee.

  Not to make light of anything, I now have two kittens that need some TLC, a hurting grandpa that can’t find a place to sit comfortably and Dennis’ child that is dying and seeks some kindness.

  With that I take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:40 pm on September 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Thursday the 12th 

  Bummer.  Not much to report today.  I spun my wheels in the studio for a bit of time today.

  I had curiosity and that warranted some reading on the world wide web.  It also burns up a whole lot of time.

  Last night as it was getting dark, wonder of wonders.  Harriet wanted in to the patio porch.  Harriet had been gone since a week ago on Tuesday night.  Where was that kitty for 8 nights!  She looked thin and she headed straight for the water dish.  First Snuggles coming home after a missing stretch looking as if something had tried to have scratched the fur across his hips off.  Snuggles is healing but still taking the right hip easy.  Dennis looked Harriet over and she had not been hurt.  The mysteries of the wild life on Stauffer Avenue.  Dennis had kept the light on for them, always hopeful. 

  Hopefully those two will stick close to home.  We had given up that either of them would ever be seen again.  Honey Bunny used to have the wander lust.  She has gotten old enough that home seems quite sweet to her. 

  I remember in the 70s our pet Snoopy liked to wander about in the fields around us.  Snoopy came home one day or it could have been night . . . hurting really badly.  Someone had taken a shot at him.  Fur babies.  The love and attachment to them is fierce, no less than their devotion to us.  When they are hurt, the feeling of helplessness is deep. 

  Dennis admitted today he felt grumpy.  I did hear the Tylenol bottle rattle this afternoon.  It could be a variety of things for him to ponder through.

  Dennis set a can of bean and ham soup out.  That in itself tells me a lot.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:31 pm on September 11, 2024 Permalink  

  Been Awhile 

  It’s been a while since I spent a day in the studio.

  It was on my agenda when I went to bed last night as well as when I got up.

  I was pleased when I came down to the studio and saw Ester’s box waiting for me, showing the colors I had chosen to work with for time to come.  Today I worked on getting the inside of the bottom of the box ready for a fitting.  Circles, circles, got to love them when it comes to sewing. 

  There are plenty of places on this ole time box for splinters.  The inside of the cover is quite rough.  I had some thin foam to face with the fabric.  I did try it out to make sure the cover would close easily before setting everything in place.  Unfortunately I thought I had a large roll of fusible . . . not.  The interior bottom of the box I wanted to have a double layer of foam.  I did luck out for the bottom of the interior.  I had just enough of the double sided fusible foam to cover the top layer that would have fabric.  The fusible top piece I covered with fabric larger than I needed and turned under the raw edge using a lot of straight pins.  I then laid the fabric-covered fusible onto the non-fusible, lining them up.  Using a pressing cloth with the steam iron I put a lot of pressure onto that circle, but not sliding the iron.  Press down, lift up, press down.  I was really nervous when I thought I had applied enough pressure to have the two circles fussed together.  I left it on the ironing board until it was totally cooled off before I began pulling out all the straight pins.  So far so good.

  Tomorrow will be the test.  The interior will need to be fitted for the sidewalls.  I still have 9 inches to complete with cross stitch for the band that goes around the belly of the box.

  I was flying right through this blog posting when someone was at the back door.

  My little ditty in the studio took most of my creative juices for today.

  By the way, Dennis loved the brussel sprout oven dish.  It’s a good thing, as we are having a repeat this evening. 

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:50 pm on September 10, 2024 Permalink  

  Clouds 

  We may well have clouds that have a sprinkle or two in them.

  Dennis did go to the Eagles last night for the liver and onions.  He got home late as there were some good ole boys that got to visiting.  It was a very good thing for Dennis . . . to get out and connect with old friends.  Besides, he said, the liver was good.

  I have taken my blue speckled roaster out of the refrigerator with the brussel sprout oven meal I had prepared for last night’s supper to enjoy this evening.  The flavors have been co-mingling.

  Today I have spent quite a bit of time stitching using the magnifier lamp with my prescription glasses on, listening to YouTube.  It has been the quietist day for me in a long time.  I didn’t look for dust on the floors or look at the laundry basket.  The only local effort I did this morning was set the kitchen garbage bag out for Dennis to put in the Tuesday garbage pick-up bin.

  I have mentioned this before about the local effort thing, but it bares repeating.

  When I worked as the county assessor setting values that real estate taxes were based on, the Minnesota Department of Revenue had performance reviews.  It was my job to follow the real estate sales of each classification of property and set the values at 90% of the market for the next year’s taxes.  My work was called the “local effort” meaning me as the local determinator.  If I didn’t achieve that 90% in each classification, the Minnesota Department of Revenue could mandate a state increase across the board to each parcel whether it warranted it or not.  My performance review could then be passed to the county commissioners, aka: my salary consideration.

  In all my years I never received a state increase in the agricultural, residential or commercial classifications.  Whew! 

  Fast forward . . .  I am remaining the local effort in determining how well I maintain our home.  Hey . . . whatever it takes . . . I am it!

  It is sprinkling here on Stauffer Avenue at 3:45 p.m.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥