Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from July, 2023 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:52 pm on July 4, 2023 Permalink  

  4th of July 

  Hello!  This is my son’s double nickel birth date.  My how time has flown.  I have wonderful memories that could fill volumes.  Kevin shares my abilities to recall memories, perhaps even better than I can.  A sweet trait.

  Our town is really quiet today.  Hard telling what the twilight hours will bring for firecrackers. 

  Dennis and I sat on the front deck this forenoon with coffee cups in hand.  I will say, since this deck has been put on the house in April, Dennis has been more about sharing his memories than ever before.  It’s a good thing.

  A quiet day for us means light eating.  I have a very good batch of a cold tuna spread going for sandwiches.  Dennis cares more for a tuna spread than a ham spread.

  We had a light sprinkle of rain this forenoon.  It evaporated on the concrete immediately.

  Tomorrow will feel like a Monday on a Wednesday.  I will take it as it comes as I know you will.

   
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  Noreen 1:42 pm on June 25, 2023 Permalink  

  A Sunday on Stauffer 

  A content day on Stauffer.  Dennis found his recliner for a forenoon nap.  He had talked himself out yesterday with many of his classmates.  The golf club’s restaurant scored three different class reunions.  Talk about noise.  It became lip reading 101.  Towards the end, getting outside was the best place to visit.

  I did wake during the night to hear thunder and see lightning.  The rain didn’t amount to a hill of beans.

  I took the day to bounce from stitching to reading and back to stitching.  In between, I sat on the front deck and watched traffic.  The sandwiched quilt is coming along nicely with the stitching.  The task of using weights to keep the fabric evenly placed is the challenge.  When the bobbin needed to be refilled, I took the time to clean out fuzz from under the needle plate and put in a new needle.

  We are having pork roast commercials for supper.  The refrig has kept everything chilled, ready for this evening.

  Our coming week is quiet, keeping us right here on Stauffer Avenue.  I have not looked online to see the weather forecast. 

  Catch everyone tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 1:18 pm on June 23, 2023 Permalink  

  Alerts for Air Quality 

  Alerts can be given for the air quality, but life does go on for many in their respective jobs.  This July weather in June . . . sucks.

  I usually have KNUJ radio on in the studio.  When I heard a commercial from Chuck Spaeth, I dug my phone out.  It had rang a bell.  I had the oil changed not too long ago and I recalled the cheat sheet that I was given when I left.  Today, I was acting on that one item.  I had googled the “drivetrain” and it took in a whole bunch of stuff.  When I spoke to Nick at the service desk, he looked up our car.  Nick told me he would call back with an estimate.  Hmm.  Sure enough, Nick called back.  It is the power steering pump that has multiple leaks.  The estimate of $780.00 will be covered under my warranty.  The part needs to be ordered.  When Nick calls, I will set up an appointment and get it taken care of.

  Dennis has been checking his eyelids for cracks today.  That was one of Raymond’s favorite sayings.  Yesterday’s heat was tough on the ole cowboy, but dang-nabbit that mowing was going to get done.

  With a good supply of safety pins, I am slowly working away pinning the sandwiched quilt for stability for a time when I do the free motion stitching.

  We have agreed on chopped roast pork sandwiches with Mayo for supper.

  Tomorrow we are to be at the golf supper club at 11:30 a.m. for Dennis’ 69th class reunion.  The all school reunions are held during the Railroad Days celebration week.  We were tickled that it is over the noon hour and not in the evening.  Everyone orders off the menu.  Another good thing. 

  Take care my peeps over the weekend.  There is a chance of rain, but no promises.

   
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  Noreen 2:17 pm on June 22, 2023 Permalink  

  Not a Nice Day 

  For me it was not a nice day and I didn’t even have to do much outside.  Dennis decided to mow and I wanted to help by picking up the downspout around the perimeter of our home.  We have PVC pipes as down spouts.  I couldn’t stand them upright but I did get them off to the side on concrete.

  Dennis finished mowing shortly after twelve noon.  Oh my gosh, I watched from afar.  The dust just rolled.  The rain dances are deemed a failure.  Even if we get rain this weekend, the grass will continue to struggle as the weeds do not.  All I could do was give moral support.

  Yesterday I had picked up a 6.5 lb. shoulder pork roast that I cut in half when we got home.  One half went into the freezer with the other half being put in a gallon sized zip bag. I marinated it overnight with teriyaki sauce.  I flipped the bag over every time I came near the refrigerator.  This morning the roast and the remaining contents of the bag went into our small crockpot with the low setting.  I must say this mid afternoon it has a good aroma.  Giving Dennis ample time to rest and shower, we will have a later supper than usual.  I have a bag of seasoned diced precooked potatoes to go with the roast.  Cranberries will top it all off.

  Having kept an ear out on Dennis and the mower, I headed to the studio this forenoon.  My goal was to get the second quilt top sandwiched.  My weights came in handy to keep everything held down and squared.  I did do some pinning as well.  Having done the first quilt in the same fashion, I now know, I need not do quite as many safety pins on each of the sixteen blocks as I had done prior.

  My prayer and wish for everyone is to take the afternoon heat carefully.  The highest temp often comes in the late afternoon.  Nothing is as important than our wellbeing.  Rest and hydration so the morrow can be taken on.

   
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  Noreen 1:54 pm on June 17, 2023 Permalink  

  Early to Rise 

  Early to bed and early to rise.  That was me this morning.  I always go to bed at nine, but most days I am still in bed at 7:30.  Six this morning, the birds in the evergreen right outside my bedroom were exceptionally loud.  So be it . . . I got up.  I punched the coffee maker and decided to sit on our front deck whilst the brewing commenced.  Nothing like a cup of rich Folger’s coffee. 

  My dad never drank anything but Folger’s.  At some point, flavored coffee might find its way into the farm house via a gift of well meaning people.  Nope, Raymond would rather drink Folger’s instant coffee than the flavored.

  I had my studio time planned out for today by the time I had turned off all the studio lights yesterday.  It is now mid afternoon and my objectives have been met.  Once I had the rotary cutter ready to go on some orange material for the binding, it was just as easy to cut enough material for the binding of both quilts.  Stitching lengths together was next.  Keeping yards of 2.5″ fabric cut tidy is difficult.  It was a wise choice to go ahead and press it in half and then wind the lengths using a hard covered medium of some sort.  That was the extent of today’s stitching.

  Our plans for the rest of the weekend are on the quiet side.  As early as I was out on our front deck, I could see many were zipping by with campers and boats.  Bless their hearts.  Neither one of those options would trip my trigger.

  I see that Dennis has company in the patio porch.  I will be retiring to my cheery red chair and a good book.  Dennis took out two hamburger patties for supper with leftover beans. Supper is planned.

  Everyone have a great Father’s day.

   
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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 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 1:31 pm on June 5, 2023 Permalink  

  Not Much 

  Not much exciting today.

  The first item on the agenda was to visit across the picket fence with Jan.  She was outside watering her two potted tomato plants.  They have blossoms, a good indication.  Jan and Randy had back door steps put in last week with much the same design as our front steps and deck was done, in a mini version.  I have mentioned that Jan retired last week from the school district after a long career.  Jan didn’t win the battle with the steps.  She wanted room for her lawn chair so she would be up from the ground and maybe staying clear from bugs.  I gave her moral support and told her,  “I understand.”

  I dreamt last night about my long time friend, Sharon Skolberg.  She had come over to check out our new sofa.  She approved and we shared some chocolates.  Sweet.

  Dennis came in and headed for a dry shirt and a good cool face cloth.  I think it may have been heat related.  When I checked on him, he was in his recliner.  The perfect spot for him.

  It is mid afternoon and after I post this, all lights will be off in the studio.  I am making satisfactorily headway on quilt blocks.  It helps to do things that make me stand for awhile, sit for awhile and best of all . . . ponder the situation.

  I must add a bit.  Sunday, the 1966 highchair came back home to me.  I had lent it to Dennis’ daughter for her grandchildren that they no longer need.  This 1966 highchair has a terrific history.  Carrie was tied into it with a white dishtowel so she wouldn’t slide out the bottom.  That technique worked on Kevin as well.  The highchair had quite a rest in our attic and then was brought down for Megan and Nicholas.  The cute baby print covering on the back and seat was replaced with a nondescript orange.  The tray and footrest are complete on the chair.  This sweet memorabilia will stay in my studio.  Just looking at it makes my heart sing.  

  I think this evening’s meal will be a light one.  I had scored a great hard head of lettuce with which I have enjoyed a good salad the last three evenings, Dennis not so much.  I fixed him fried egg sandwiches.

  Stay healthy until this heat gives in.  Not much fun and is no laughing matter to overdo with heat exhaustion.