Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from November, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 3:43 pm on November 8, 2024 Permalink  

  Sunshine 

  Lots of sunshine on this Friday.  I hear lots of lawnmowers that are mulching leaves and many more doing other yard work and not needing a jacket.

  Dennis is anticipating AJ coming tomorrow from Mankato.  It should be an interesting visit.  Dennis has a brush burner.  Last spring he rigged it up on our little trailer from Fleet Farm.  At that time Dennis and Jeff were going to take care of some weeds on the acre.  I watched as the two got ready.  Jeff pulled the trailer behind his three wheel electric bike and Dennis was on the Sears mower.  Tally-Ho!

  It didn’t take too long and the work crew was back.  That which had been the target to use the brush burner on was too green, it wouldn’t burn.  What did burn was the trail of leaves that led to the homes to the south of us.  Scurry, scurry.

  Dennis has already cleared it with me as to what AJ can burn off.  

  My question: does the brush burner fall under the “No Burning” ban? 

  Today our calendar came in the post.  Oh my gosh!  We have a calendar in large print.  Fantastic.  I already have two appointments on it.  A 2025 calendar containing these last months of 2024 is just what the older ones on Stauffer Avenue needed.

  The studio has been closed down for the day.  I will need to take my sewing machine to Bird Island for a general cleaning.  It’s been 18 months.  I know the thread cutters are in need of replacing.  AJ is coming tomorrow and he can lift and put the machine in the car.  I know when I get to Bird Island, Kelly will meet me at the door.  All I need to do is call Amanda and Kelly and make the appointment.

  I will take care of the sewing machine appointment and also a service visit to New Ulm for an oil change on the car.  I am not a procrastinator.  Those that are always prepared have the assurance that there is something to look forward to, thus giving them this day as a day to kick back and relax.

  Supper is leftovers plus a salad.

  With that I will take my take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 4:01 pm on November 7, 2024 Permalink  

  A Day 

  I had a fairly good rounded day.  Much better than yesterday.

  I have had the sewing machine going in the studio this morning. 

  I brought up some items from the pantry in the basement and proceeded to get a chicken carrot pasta dish ready for supper.  When I use canned chicken meat I also use the Better Than Bullion Roasted Chicken.  That product has a variety of enhanced flavors to add to dishes. 

  This afternoon I spent some time reading as I was waiting for the postal person.  I anticipated a calendar in the mail.  Not today.  Our one day mail service from Fairfax used to be just that.  No more.  Our post office is seeking help for the counter work as well as sorting mail.  I am sure my calendar will be here tomorrow.  All I had had was a tiny multi-month calendar to keep track of appointments.  Not as many businesses here in St. James pass out full sized calendars anymore.  After last weekend, I knew I would have a full sized coming in the mail.

  My hand stitching items are down to the one that uses Grandma Ester Schafer’s silk floss.  The full hank of silk floss is variegated going from a pale blue to a navy blue to the fall colors.  I sure would have liked to know what grandma had acquired it for.  I put the full hank into two braids so I can pull a thread out as I need it.  Dennis looked at the one braid I am using from and doubted if I would use even one of the braids up.  I have three counted cross stitch projects that I will be totally finishing as I spend more time in the studio.

  As much as I would enjoy a retail therapy shopping trip . . . I have enough in my stashes to keep me busy for a balanced life.  Being busy is also my key to contend with arthritic aches and discomfort.

  Time to put the oven dish into the 350 degree oven.

  With that I will take my leave.

   
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  Noreen 3:12 pm on November 1, 2024 Permalink  

  Busy, Busy 

  Last night before I went to bed, I took the bag of Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls out.  They are very good.  Putting the dozen rolls on a cookie sheet that has a sheet of parchment paper just waiting for the right arrangement of the goodies.  Covering the rolls with cling wrap that has one side, the side that touches the rolls,  sprayed with Pam, I went to bed.

  This morning the rolls under the cling wrap were huge and ready to pop in the 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.  The yeast of the rolls under the cling wrap does its job.  The rolls topped with the included bag of frosting, was a great unnecessary treat to start the day.  The kitchen had a great aroma.

  The postman left a package.  Our mail slot allows the mail to come into the house.  The postman lifts the exterior slot, shoves in the mail and the interior slot cover is pushed up and the mail is inside. One problem.  The interior cover for the slot went by the way of  “I’m weary and can no longer do my job regardless how much tape has been used to shore me up.”

  The postman left a package.  It is a sheet of one-sided magnet that is 18 x 12″.  So begins the measure once, measure twice than cut.  Nope!  I do have cardboard laid out with my X-ACTO box.  There will have to be a template so that after the magnet is cut out in total, the magnet will only hit the metal of the slot.  The remaining area will be covered, avoiding the magnet.  This will require a slow, very slow process.

  So . . . as I am running the mail slot job over in my mind, I have decided to get something going under the needle of the sewing machine. 

  Supper is planned.  Potato salad left over from last night and the remaining beef brats with a green lettuce salad.

  The snow of yesterday is almost gone.  The one inch of rain was indeed a good thing.

  Dennis is doing well.  He is getting himself out of the house and then on to the patio porch.  I have been replaced in regard to the livestock chores.  His new HP laptop has been enjoyed to no end in the evenings.  Since the fourth of October, he has had lots of time to maul things over.  His attitude is wonderful.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 12:55 pm on October 25, 2024 Permalink  

  Fluttering 

  The small thunder shower we had last night at supper, really has the leaves fluttering today.

  It is sunny and bright today and the air does smell fresher.  Amazing what rain drops can clean.

  I am not sure what the rest of Dennis’ tribe is doing in regard to Saturday.  Denise and I have a plan. Denise brought one load of Dennis’ possessions from Good Sam’s.  Dennis has the bare minimum left.  Dennis will be discharged between 9-10 tomorrow from Good Sam’s.  Denise will deliver him here to our home.  About two-ish, her and Tom will pick him up and they will go to the Eagles.  After one hour, Denise and Tom will deliver him back home to me.  He will be at the Eagles for the military honor guard.

  Wow.  Wow . Wow.

  I have renewed all of Dennis’ meds and Lewis Drug will deliver them sometime this afternoon to our front door.  No delivery charge.

  Last night I finished a stitch project I have been working on for some time.  I really like how it turned out.  Nothing earth shattering waiting in the wings.  I do want to use up a bit more of the silk thread I have from Grandma Schafer’s.  I have a new book started.  I do have some machine sewing to do next week.

  This evening the quiet of the teeny tiny home on Stauffer Avenue will be experiencing the peace that passes all understanding.  Sweet.

  Time marches on.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:29 pm on October 19, 2024 Permalink  

  A Day 

  I have had a remarkable day.  After months of planning, counting threads, making cross stitch stitches, gluing, pinning, etc., the wooden cylindrical box of the kids’ grandma, Ester Schafer’s box is looking better than a box of splinters to be.  It is not quite done as I have matching buttons to place here, there and perhaps everywhere.  I will work on the buttons maybe this evening.  I will admit, I thought I had bit off more than could be chewed in a month of Sundays.  I had both the material for the hand stitching as well as the woven blue-checked cloth.  I did do the Amazon thing and order the most awesome two-way tape possible to put the top and bottom trim on the box.  Lining the entire box, including the inside of the cover, was a no-brainer.  I can only imagine how old and dried out this little gem was.  So . . . now it has been given a reprieve.  From one grandmother to another . . . we don’t throw anything away.

  It is now a bit after three on this warm sunny afternoon.  After I post this, I have one more of my bedroom windows to wash.  That will be 4 out of the 8 done.  I realized that I didn’t have any Windex in the house.  Out came a bottle that had a Dueber’s label on it.  It is a bottle of no-drip Windex.  I remember Kevin and Kersten using some of this, but maybe not high marks on windows.  After Dennis had washed off the house with hard water . . . what did I have to loose in order to see out.  I added vinegar to top off the bottle.  Actually it was a small bottle of wine vinegar from the refrigerator.  I will need to replace this as Dennis likes adding this to his bean and ham soup.

  With the three-in-the-afternoon sun shining on three of the windows, I think it will pass mustard.  Any streaks will be called “clean streaks” here after.

  I best get busy to get the fourth window of today’s workorder done.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
• 

  Noreen 3:04 pm on October 16, 2024 Permalink  

  Hump Day 

  It’s now official, the month of October is half over.

   I spent a good amount of time with Dennis this morning.  I visited with both of the gals that are doing PT with Dennis.  This coming Saturday will be two weeks that Dennis has had his hip replaced.  He has been at Good Samaritan a week yesterday.  The report is that he is in good spirits and very cooperative.  They have assigned places in the dining room.  The social worker also gave him good reviews.  They wished he wouldn’t get in and out of his room on his own, mainly the bathroom, and he doesn’t use the call light.  I asked them if the call light would be used would someone be in his room in 5-10 minutes?  Hmm . . . no, most likely a half hour.  Well . . . hello!

  I was queried as to what the family has given thought to.  Would we like to see Dennis stay until they thought he was ready to go home or go home when we felt he was ambulatory.  I allowed them to know the family has not discussed that as yet.  I did share my thoughts that recovery in the their own home always makes for a patient of good mind.  When I shared that I had had open heart surgery on a Thursday and was home before dark on Saturday, they both just looked at each other.

  Food for thought.

  Monday Dennis has an eye injection in Mankato.  Upon hearing that they will start working with Dennis on the ease of transport.  Denise said she would take him.  Sweet!  Dennis eyes have really done well.  He even passed his driver’s eye test without his glasses when he went in right after his birthday.  We already had missed the injection on the 7th.  It is important.  I know I can drive.  I know I can handle myself.  I do not want to take a chance of being in charge of myself as well as Dennis.

  Yesterday afternoon and into the evening I worked with the canon camera and the HP.  Thank goodness for YouTube.  Thank goodness . . . I got it!  Whew!  I know Nicholas would have had it fixed in a heart beat.  Sooooo, I can share with you the progress I have made on the cover of Ester Schafer’s wooden circular box.  I have quite a bit of hand sewing to do.  It feels good to have a solution on the raw finish of the counted stitch fabric.  I have my clips holding the bias tape I have made.  If I take a day to ponder it, I may sew the inner ring of the bias tape with my sewing machine.  I will make sure if I do, that I do a practice piece for the right stitch and the length of said stitch.

  With this day having been good, and dusty, I was going to tip in two windows of my bedroom porch tomorrow and give them a wash.  On second thought, a rain shower would really help.  I may wait a day or two.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:33 pm on October 15, 2024 Permalink  

  Dusty Tuesday 

  I don’t ever remember Stauffer Avenue being this dried out and dusty.  Yuk!

  This morning there was white frost everywhere.  Windshields needed more than a quick wipe.  

  Dennis and I visited this morning after breakfast.  His little PT gal mentioned that right now, he has her undivided attention.  I gathered that good workouts twice a day was Dennis’ schedule.  I am hoping that that may mean a good recovery.

  I have been enjoying the salad kits in the produce department of our grocer’s.  My favorite one is the Cesare’s Kit.  Several types of lettuce, a package of grated cheese, very favorable pepper mixture and dressing.  I usually eat my meal for the day in mid afternoon.

  I have hand sewing that I brought up from the studio today.  The wooden box project is now going by the seat of my pants.  I made a length of bias tape out of the same fabric I lined the box in.  I finally had the nerve to cut the stitched top of the box’s cover this morning.  Sitting at the dining room table I am going to hand sew the bias tape to the edge of the stitching.  That step will take me some time as my hands haven’t done much hand stitching in quite a while.  It is the step that will make or break the appearance.  I have cut some quilt batting to put under the stitching to give it some poof when I get that far.  Decisions, decisions.

  After this posting, I am going to work once again on encouraging my canon camera to make nice with the HP.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on October 14, 2024 Permalink  

  Rain? 

  It is cloudy enough that it looks like it could rain.  I checked and there is nothing on the horizon.  I think it is just dust and pollen.

  Today I began putting clothing back in the cabinet that is now in the living room.  Slow going as there may be items that no longer need to take up the space.  No, it’s not going to get done in this one day.

  I did crack open the east slider door in the patio porch as I am not sure if Harriet is in or if she stayed out overnight.  I also did the weekly change out of the litter box container.  Tomorrow is garbage day and away it will go.

  Dennis and I chatted after noon lunch.  Part of the PT is to use the small floor model that assimilates a bicycle.  There is a mock-up of stairs that will also come into play.  We have four steps to get from the outside to the main floor level complete with hand rails.

  I worked for several hours on Esther’s wooden box.  It is getting close to a finish.  I have finished the stitched design to put on the circular cover.  Today I measured once, measured twice and then one more time before I cut into the fabric and begin the finishing.  I will do the cutting tomorrow.  I ironed some woven stabilizer onto the back of the stitching.  Once  I am confident that my pattern is centered, I don’t want any stretching.  I shut down the studio for the day to come up and do some stitching in my bedroom porch.

  I haven’t been in the mood for reading.  I have plenty material to while away some reading time, but . . . just not right now.

  It still is disappointing than the Canon camera doesn’t play nice with the computer.  Grr!

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:37 pm on October 13, 2024 Permalink  

  Hold On 

  Hold onto small children and small animals.  This wind is wicked.  It is not consistent, so the leaves really don’t know where to fall for a final resting spot.

  This late forenoon, AJ and his friend Dan did get the huge cabinet out of Dennis’ bedroom put in the living room.  I would have posted a photo, but . . . all is not well with at “fix.”  I will take my time reloading it in the coming days.

  Dennis’ two potted plants are in the patio porch safe from the killing frost that we all know will be coming sooner or later.

  Denise dropped off Dennis’ laundry.  The word is out that if the facility gets a hold of patient’s clothing, it may never be seen again.

  With this brisk 42-degree-feeling day, I had plans on staying home today.  On Sundays, it seems as if one of the patients get a visitor, they most likely will also get folks to drop in if familiar. Who doesn’t know Dennis!  

  Last night was the first of any stitching I had done all week.  Just as I was going to get ready for bed, I took a good look as to what the hoop held.  I have always known that the word I had just finished stitching had six letters in it.  Hmm.  Mine now had only five.  The only letter that did not need ripping out due to the spacing was the last letter.  Oh Joy!  I did clean up the mess so that the next time I stitched the start of it would feel better.

  I have had an early supper.  I call it a Dagwood sandwich, the comparison to the old Sunday paper funnies.  Two slices of bread using spinach chip dip as the butter.  A slice of cheese. some lettuce topped with oven roasted turkey lunch meat.  It was quite tasty.  Got that bit of the day over and done with.

  Curfew for the three kitties is going well.  Six may still have daylight for a few more days, but if they can’t get their traipsing around between 10 and six, they’re not doing it right.  It is remarkable how much water they go through.

  Another week is knocking at the door.  It seems as time does move faster as I am getting older.  The lesson of not putting things that need doing off, does more often than not drive my days.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:44 pm on October 3, 2024 Permalink  

  First Time 

  This was the first time I had a scammer send me a text thinking I would respond.

  The text supposedly was coming from the USPO.  They had a package with an insufficient address to deliver it.  They would hold it in their warehouse for 48 hours.  I have two contacts that would send me something and there is no doubt neither one would have such a problem.

  Today was a long day in the studio working on Ester Schafer’s wooden box.  Manipulating fabric and double sided tape on a circular item for placement gave me a run for my money.  What to do!  Take a deep breath and walk away for a short time.  My left hand does all it can to help . . . and I will take that help.  I am not as good as I once was, but try, try and try again.

  At three I shut everything down in the studio.  Tomorrow is another day.

  Dennis got his Covid shot today at the VA.

  Dennis is in charge of supper.  It isn’t the first time but it isn’t very often.

  We enjoyed the birthday cake last night.  Dennis had some in his breakfast box this morning and may have it again tomorrow.  His birthday only comes once a year.

  With that I will take my leave. ♥