Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 3:33 pm on September 5, 2024 Permalink  

  Hi Thursday 

  A great sunny day with temps just as nice.

  As I watch YouTubes, I do learn a bit.  I have picked up that there are table lamps that also have an option of a magnifier that can be pulled over.  I do not like the price tag.  I really like my light that neighbor Jan gave me after Randy’s mom passed away.  I can pull it to where I need it and it takes up no table space at all.  What I was ready to pay for from Amazon was a purchase of $16.98.  I have used this purchase repeatedly and like it just as much as I did the first time.  It came with a case of five different magnifier lenses that I can pop on.  It does have a light with two different settings.  I can recharge the light.  These glasses are very comfortable and the nose pieces are adjustable.  My prescription lenses are not worn in conjunction with the magnifier glasses. I don’t need the magnifier for all my stitching.  It just comes in so darn handy when I want to stitch with Ester’s silk threads on the bell pull I am working on.  Sweet.

  Sometimes the best purchase is the one, that in this case, was used successfully by a stitcher that is also resourceful with prices.

  We are having chicken tenderloins with boiled potatoes and green beans.  Both Dennis and I like green beans. 

  Hard to believe that September is in full swing as school buses from various schools are bringing kids for sports after the school hours.

  Dennis checked our car today in regard to the oil and cleaned the battery posts.  I still have 2,0oo out of the 3,000 miles that the sticker shows.  But . . . there is an idiot prompt that we should change the oil.  I think the idiot prompt went by the fact that it was August of 2023 that I had the oil changed.  Can the car keep track via the calendar?  Inquiring minds need to know.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:14 pm on September 4, 2024 Permalink  

  Peace 

  Peace and comfort today for us.  Dang those trips to the big town can really wear us out.

  After Menards and Sam’s yesterday, I had some items on my list for Hy-Vee but I was tuckered.  Those items I know I can get in our local grocer’s paying a bit more, but so be it.

  I could not believe when I looked at my phone this morning it was 9:15 . . . for sure time to get out of bed to start this Wednesday.  Truth to be told, I often don’t act like a retiree.  Around our home it is I spy and I do and look for a bit more.  The more need not be much but it keeps the home tidy.

  Dennis’ agenda was at the courthouse this afternoon.  Our car was due for new tabs and his driver’s license needed to be renewed.  When he came home he mentioned he felt sorry for the gals behind the counter.  Those that don’t speak English or not well can really make it frustrating.

  Dennis then went on to Radio Shack to have multiple sets of keys made for his son, Jeff’s, apartment.  When Sandy comes back from Mankato, one set will be hers.  God willing our set will remain on the hook here in the house.

  Slowly but surely I am charting on graph paper something I want to put down in counted cross stitch.  It may be a counting to the right and then counting down and then time to scratch that and start over.  I am making headway.  After all, where do I have to be going in a hurry.

  This evening we are having tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  We have not had that combo in a long time.  There will be ketchup on the table, but none for me.  I have no idea where that ritual started.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:30 pm on September 2, 2024 Permalink  

  Labor Day 

  For all you laborers that faced job jars today . . . take heart.  Tomorrow will be just a plain day with the usual.

  Dennis’ daughter, Sandy, came today from Mankato.  Her main goal was to check in and on her brother Jeff.  I give her so much credit.  His other three siblings have already written him off.  In their defense, Jeff was not a nice person to them over the years.  That may be true also for his dad, but Jeff is Dennis’ child and I respect Dennis . . . he loves his child.  Much to be learned from my ole cowboy.  Innate love for family regardless of what was.  We can be here for Jeff for the most part of taking him for prescriptions.  Sandy being a nurse can bring to the table her awareness and her skills.

  Our oven dish of last night was a hit.  I could not believe it.  It took a sprinkle of table salt to make the ingredients come into their own for the taste.  A re-run for supper this evening.  With the laundry basket empty and a supper guaranteed Dennis took an extra nap and I read a bit, stitched a bit and watched a YouTube. 

  Tomorrow we are heading out to the big town.  It’s been three and a half weeks and my kitchen could use a bit of a boost.  I have a list going.  Our meals are not huge but a balanced plate of food before us is desirable.  I will say that using Amazon, the need to run from store to store looking for what we may need is pretty sweet.

  Dennis’ Snuggles is not as peppy since the heat had set him back.  Dennis checked him over to see if he had a wound of any type and there was none.  Time will tell.

  I hope during the week, there is something each day to bring a smile and thankfulness.  

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:25 pm on September 1, 2024 Permalink  

  Happy Sunday 

  What a great string of days for the last holiday that school kids will enjoy before the start of winter.

  After we had had a great day yesterday in pollen and dust . . . we left the clothes basket overflowing after showers last night.  Our clothes are not grimy dirty, but need freshening nonetheless.

  With the mild temps out today, I decided to put together an oven meal.  When we had had temps in the high nineties, the last thing we needed was to heat up the house with an oven meal. I had started out last night before I went to bed by taking out a pound of ground beef from the freezer.  This afternoon, our little round blue speckled roaster got a good spraying of Pam and then it was set aside.  Two cups of Penne pasta right out of the box was set to be boiled until tender.  Using the same kettle after the boiled tender penne was drained and then tossed into the roaster, onto the next step.  I have always had a small jar of chopped garlic in the refrigerator.  I used the saucepan with a bit of oil to brown the garlic.  The pound of ground beef was then added to the saucepan.  Dennis manned the saucepan, breaking up the ground beef.

  A jar of Claussen’s refrigerated sauerkraut took some doing to get it open.  The sound of the pop and the aroma of the kraut caught the senses.  Dennis stirred at the stove and I forked in half of the large jar of kraut into the roaster with the penne.  In the roaster the browned ground beef went.  Dennis folded the three ingredients together, while I washed up the dishes I had used.  The last step was for Dennis to fold a jar of Alfredo over the mixture in the roaster.  It only takes a small amount of milk to swirl around the empty jar to get the very last of the goodness out.  Using our pepper grinder, a covering of pepper goes to the top of it all.

  The kraut will be in the refrig for the next oven meal.  I am quite sure it will be the chicken Reuben dish.

  Dennis just popped the roaster into the 350 degree oven.  It is a bit after four and supper should be ready at five to enjoy.

  I appreciate the strength of Dennis’ arms for stirring and folding ingredients together.

  Whatever plans have been hatched out for tomorrow’s Labor Day . . . enjoy.  I know we will be right here on Stauffer Avenue.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:35 pm on August 29, 2024 Permalink  

  Thunder Rolls 

  I believe the rain will not miss us this afternoon.

  Dennis just got back from getting both vehicles washed and tucked into the clean garages.  Mission Completion.

  Often I add at the end of a thought “Mission Completion.”

  When Megan was tiny there were videos that were called Little Einstein’s.  The videos were in cassettes but also on Channel 2 of the same team of children taking tasks and finding solutions.  Very child friendly videos.  As they celebrated their solution of making the world a better place, they all chanted together . . . “Mission Completion.”  I still have one of the videos in the living room cabinet.  For the first years of Nicholas and Megan when they stayed with us, it was the mantra of our home.  Sweet.  I would take those days back in a heartbeat.

  Both Dennis and I had decided today, this Thursday, would be a laid-back day.  Dennis had given his legs and his back a good work out on both garages.  Lets just say I could feel the early start of the fall cleaning to the point that I had not hand stitched as yet this week.  Neither one of us passes up on keeping our home tidy, tidy.  The Subway that we enjoyed last night for supper did not disappoint.

  Campbell’s extra tall can of Bean and Ham soup is second to none.  It is also hard to find.  I nabbed the only two cans in our local grocer’s last week.  This evening, it is buttered toast and bean and ham soup for supper.

  It is 3:30 and the street lights have come on as the rain is pelleting the windows.

  Friday was going to be a mowing day.  Time will tell what the morrow brings.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 4:03 pm on August 28, 2024 Permalink  

  A Full Day 

  Both Dennis and I had our day planned out.

  Dennis was going to remove everything in the car garage to first blow it out and then wash the floor, complete with bubbles.

  My plan was to take our small vacuum and start at the west end of the house.  The west porch on our home is my make-shift bedroom, home office, reading and stitching room.  It is also our front door.  It fills all of those items perfectly.  The flooring in it is inlaid vinyl.  Meaning the pattern on the surface goes all the way through the product.

  I have a 4″ platform for my bed that has the only carpet on it in the entire home.  4″ may not seem like a lot of assist.  I have my right arm and leg to get me into bed.  I’ll take all the help I can get.   Without letting me know what he was doing, Kevin had it in place when I came home from the hospital, myself now knowing how a stroke can effect going from point “A” to point “B”.  I have tried getting into bed without it.  Our bedding is very high and I don’t feel safe without it.  Slipping off the edge of the bed would not be a good thing.

  I continued with my cleaning and Dennis continued with the garage cleaning.

  At three Dennis thought it would be a good thing to have a dish of ice cream.  I agreed.  After the ice cream break I helped Dennis get everything back in place in the car garage.  I will say that we do not have much extra in the garage.

  We were worried about Snuggles in the last several days.  Monday night, Dennis had to pick him up from the lawn where he had lain all day.  I could see him from the bathroom window.  Dennis carried him into the patio porch and put him down on the floor.  Snuggles is a huge heavy cat.  Dennis, from what he could surmise, Snuggles remained there all of yesterday.  He has such heavy fur and we think the heat got the best of him.  There was plenty of fresh water, but he could have cared less.  This forenoon, Snuggles got up and drank.  He could very well have gotten up during the night and we would have had no notice.  This afternoon Snuggles did go outside.  Kids!

  We are having Subway for supper. 

  With that I take my leave. ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:06 pm on August 20, 2024 Permalink  

  Talk of Rain Showers 

  It is 3:45 and soon the lights will go out in the studio.  I came down at one.  The sewing on the quilt top is finished for today.  Total measurement is 52″ x 76″.  I have material and plans to get it to the 60″ x 80″ prescribed size, perhaps another day.

  I had a 45 minute break here in the studio while I answered a phone call.  It was from my brother-in-law, Orville.  Orville calls to reminisce every so often.

  Mostly the call was about finances.  The city of Stewart is planning street repair in his neck of the woods.  Yup, corner lots and lineal footage counts up quick as well as the footage of a rental house he has.

  Orville had a hip replacement that got infected and he now knows about hospital costs and nursing home costs when the days in those facilities exceeds what Medicare and insurance will cover.   

  I know how to commiserate with the best of them.

  There is talk of rain sometime before I go to bed.

  I have supper started in the oven.  I put said dish in the oven at three at 325 degrees for a five supper, give or take a few minutes.  Pork today is not like the pork of yester-years.  It is a very lean product.  I have a pork steak in the oven with a sauce over it, otherwise it will bake dry.  When I started the oven, I parked green beans, jellied cranberries and Stovetop stuffing on the kitchen counter.  I have heard rattling from the kitchen so it sounds like all of the above was acceptable.

  In between sewing sessions, I continue organizing my shelves in the studio.  I had ordered collapsible containers from Amazon.  They are 12″ x 16″.  So far I have collapsed three containers.  As I continue to sew quilt tops to donate, I am looking forward to lessening the stash.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:52 pm on August 17, 2024 Permalink  

  Four Legged Friends 

  Our porch kitties are for sure the four-legged friends that are our sweet spots.  Hark, there is some competition in the backyard.

  The last several weeks we have had two young fawns hanging out enjoying munching on clover.  When we first noticed them, they still had their white spots.  Yesterday, they were showing mostly their rich tan color.  When Dennis came in at eight last night, he said they were bedded down under the Hackberry tree.

  And what, would you ask, are the porch kitties making of all of this!  The sliding screen of the east patio door is barely wide enough for all three of them sitting on their haunches keeping watch.  All they want to do is watch from their safe spot.  Amazing.

  Sleep came easy for me last night.  At 8:30 this morning, I had to fight to keep my eyes open.  Once the feet hit the floor, I was running an agenda through my mind.  As I enjoy the first cup of coffee, I do check everything over on my HP, including the weather for the day as well as banking information and obituaries.

  As Dennis was heading to the Dollar General to buy several gallons of distilled water for his CPAP machine, I headed into the studio.  The 24 quilt blocks were waiting on the church tables.  My goal was to sew half of them together . . . four per row and three rows sewn together.  At a bit after three, all lights were turned off in the studio with my goal having been met.

  Our supper is going to be a smorgasbord of items from last night’s supper tied together with scrambled eggs.  It will meet all of the major food groups.

  Nothing news worthy to report.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:12 pm on August 16, 2024 Permalink  

  Spitting Rain Showers 

  Very unusual temps for mid August.  I will gladly take the cooler side of a month that could be blistering.

  I had a very busy morning on the main floor of our home.  Dennis’ bedding was stripped off for a usual freshening in the laundry.  

  I had chosen a six pound bag of frozen chicken tenderloins at Sam’s Club last week.  I was planning on chicken, instant potatoes and green beans for supper this evening.  While I had the six ponds on the kitchen counter to take several tenderloins out, I decided to get the quart freezer zip-lock bags out and do the reasonable thing.  We now have meal-sized tenderloins in individual bags in the freezer.  So much easier to grab an individual bag than wrestle the huge bag each time we decide on chicken for supper.  Mission completion.

  I don’t know what Dennis was up to in the garage, but by twelve noon, his bedding was back where it needed to be . . . on the bed.

  It is three in the afternoon and the lights have been turned off in the studio.  I got done what I wanted to.  I have the blue log cabin’s binding sewn, folded in half, pressed and wound on a piece of carboard, ready to hand off to the church in time to come.  The four log cabin tops with their bindings will be the last of how I go forward sewing quilt tops.  In the future they will measure the 60″ x 80″ as desired with no bindings needed.  Sweet.  The pinwheel will be the first of the new prescribed size.

  Me and my cross stitch.  It is so relaxing, even if stitches need to be counted for a design that will match the directions.  Hmm.  I was coming around the width of the fabric to do the flowers and I was one stitch off for them to attach to the stem.  It was time to realize the original stem was dying and time to graft on fresh growth.  Perfect solution.  There is always a way to correct a situation when it comes to tiny squares that require an “x” to be put in it.

  The skies to the east are purple, filled with rain, and the sun wants to shine.

  I have achieved much local effort today and am going to take some time before supper to put a few stitches into those flowers that have a waiting stem.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:01 pm on August 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Tidy Monday 

  Of course a Monday means the laundry basket takes several hits.  It’s what I do when I do it.

  The hamstring feels much better today after me and the tennis ball went round and round yesterday.  I plan on doing that again as soon as I feel a twitch.

  If I were still in the mindset of hanging laundry out, I would.  Just no longer taking chances of me and a basket getting from point A to point B.  Drying indoors, point B, still makes the laundry smell clean, just not that fresh air clean.

  I put in several hours in the studio today.  Nothing rushing.  Stitch a bit, get up and press a bit.  Even KNUJ had no breaking news.

  Dennis’ son Jeff came over this afternoon asking for a long sleeve shirt.  His arms are showing water blisters and he is quite self-conscious of them.  Our skin is made up of our body fluids.  I pulled out a shirt for him.  Jeff didn’t stay long.

  Dennis’ oven meal was very tasty last night.  Tasty enough there will be a repeat performance for this evening.

  I have several loads of laundry to fold after Dennis got them from point B.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥