Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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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 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 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.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:27 pm on September 9, 2024 Permalink  

  Not Unusual 

  It’s not unusual for me to be busy enough during a day to wear myself out.

  Yesterday, totally doing my bedding did it for me.  I think the next home I have, I would like to be able to walk around the bed, hence dressing the bed would be easier.  Hmm.  I think I will continue with the gymnastics here on Stauffer as that home may well be in a health care facility.  A good challenge has never hurt me in the least.

  Dennis made supper for us last night.  He pan fried potato patties from the left-over instant potatoes of the night before last.  The left-over roast beef was heated in the microwave.  Apple sauce was a side dish.  Dennis also did the dishes so I could get my second wind and be able to hand stitch before bedtime.  It was all very much appreciated.

  I did sleep until 8:30 this morning.

  My agenda today was to put together an oven dish using the left-over rotisserie chicken meat.  There was a box of frozen brussel sprouts in butter sauce.  I microwaved them until they were fully cooked, then chopped them up and put them with the butter sauce over the chopped chicken meat that was in the round blue-speckled roaster awaiting the cooked pasta to be finished.  One jar of Alfredo sauce plus a bit of heavy cream added to the roaster to fold over and over coating all the ingredients.

  There is a possibility that this oven meal may be put in the refrigerator until tomorrow’s supper.  The Eagles Club is serving liver and onions complete with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn as a side.  Dennis loves liver and onions.  I encouraged him to go solo.  The Eagles is always packed on a night like this.  I know myself well enough that all the commotion and noise can throw me off of my game with a crutch in one hand and managing a plate in the other to go through a food line.  The tables and chairs are very close together making my stability to sit down and then get up without help difficult.  Cutting the liver may also be my challenge.  Here at home if I am far enough back from the table top I can manage the motion of cutting my meat.  Knowing myself as well as I do, I will pass on this evening.  I told Dennis to let me know what he has decided by four this afternoon.

  The UPS fellow just delivered my catheters.  All is well.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:31 pm on September 7, 2024 Permalink  

  Oh What a Day 

  This Saturday has been busting at the seams.

  Once a month we have a spa day just a few blocks to the west of our home.  We so appreciate Maria.  Pedicures bring with them healthy feet.  Maria pays just as much attention to Dennis’ left foot as the right foot that has its five toes.  Decades back I dropped a heavy item on my left foot and the toenails will not let me forget that.  Those nails grow differently then the nails on the right foot.  Gnarly little devils.  The haircuts that follow do not disappoint either. 

  The two hours with Maria are full of wonderful chit chat.  I remembered that they settled in Glencoe when they came from the west coast.  Their last crop that they harvested were Vidalia onions before coming to Minnesota.  I reminisced with her about the Green Giant plant.  They had never worked in a cannery before.  She remembered about the huskers when I told her several of us farm wives car pooled for extra money during the corn pack and the huskers is what I worked at.  She said that it was the hardest thing to work, with all the noise and the conveyer belts when they were used to being outside.  The Tony Downs plant is what brought them to St. James.

  Well, well.  Snuggles came home this morning.  It looks like a large animal bit him right over the hips.  The blood has dried and he went to the water dish and then to his basket.  If Harriet followed Snuggles into the thicket I wondered how Harriet fared as she is not home as yet.  Life on the wild side on Stauffer.

  After the spa date we went on to the grocer’s.  As we drove into the drive, Dennis commented about a package on the front deck that my three month supply of catheters didn’t take long to come.

  Lorde, Lorde.  There were some text messages that ensued to unravel the delivery of what will be an assist with my stitching.  I wasn’t going to open it right away, but . . . I did.  Dennis sat back and took all of the commotion in.  All parts are together.  It could either be floor model or table clamped.  The floor aspect was the choice after a bit of grunt work.  Tomorrow will be the testing day.  I already have a covering for the lamp . . .  the cat is out of the bag.  It is a lighted magnifying lamp.  I have heard of fires starting due to sunlight shining on magnifiers and it is and will be used by the south windows of my bedroom porch.

  Grammie is always appreciative with the unexpected.  The issue was that Kevin, after reading my blog, ordered this lamp at 6:45 Friday night and it was on our deck this Saturday noon.  Amazing that eBay and Amazon are joined at the hip.  There are a lot of amazing thoughts about this lamp.  Sweet.

  At the grocer’s I bought a bag of onions and several packages of real cheese.  Nichols, I got the message.  I also bought a rotisserie chicken.  Supper this evening will be chicken and potatoes with frozen corn.  Sometime in the next days, I will make a pasta oven meal using some or all of the chicken that is left.  There was a lot of meat as I was boning out the chicken.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:56 pm on September 6, 2024 Permalink  

  What a Day 

  What a glorious day it is.  Definitely feels like fall.

  I have the screen down on the front door, bringing in the freshness. 

  There is not a lot of activity from the two older ones on Stauffer Avenue.  Dennis caught a forenoon nap.  I had a load of laundry going, while I sipped breakfast coffee, reading a few chapters.

  I did make some progress on the round wooden box today.  I ruminated about fabric to use inside of the box.  I was determined I would find the correct match no matter how many times I went through the stashes.  I finally hit on a fabric that kept pace with and spoke to the age of the box.  I also decided to put a band of the same fabric on the rim of the cover and also on the rim of the bottom of the box.  I cut short lengths of the fabric, pressed them and temporarily added each.  The fabric trim on the rim of the bottom will need to be narrower that the trim on the cover.  It will be a timely endeavor to cut, fold and press and then decided how to permanently attach said bands.  No do-overs will be allowed.  I temporarily attached the counted cross stitch band on the belly of the box to get a feel for the fabric choice . . . sweet!

  I like where it is all headed.  The lights were turned off.  The next time I come down to the studio and turn the lights on, I want to see the full impact of what will be.  Silly ole Grammie.  There may be snowflakes before mission completion.  Tee Hee!

  I brought up from the pantry a can of roast beef.  I will thicken it with corn starch.  There were plenty of potatoes left over from last night to make fried potatoes this evening.  I’ll let Dennis decided on the veggies.

  It is pretty different in the patio porch.  Snuggles was taken a back during the extreme hot days.  A very heavy cat with a super thick coat just couldn’t cool down.  Dennis brushed and brushed to help him out.  Earlier this week, Tuesday, Dennis said Snuggles walked slowly into the far back yard and kept on going into the thicket.  Not thinking anything of it, that night neither Snuggles or Harriet came home and not since.  It is not unusual for cats to wander off if they are ill.  Maybe Harriet followed her best bud to keep him company.  The oldest cat, Honey Bunny, has been bawling when Dennis goes out to the patio porch.  As I said, its pretty different in the patio porch.  All of the kittens were feral.  We took them in, got their shots, fixed them and gave them a great home.  Time will tell.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥