Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from January, 2019 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 5:08 pm on January 22, 2019 Permalink  

  Dennis had a chance to meet with a… 

  Dennis had a chance to meet with a lot of his classmates and long time friends at McDonald’s for coffee.  I always encourage him to go and enjoy.  It’s quite outside of my world of opportunity, but people that graduated high school together, and still remain in the same community and are of the age of 82 . . . I say priceless. 

  Left on my own I knew I needed fresh air and some exercise.  Heart, body and soul came together for me.  It seemed milder outside today than the last several days.  The little flag on the corner of the front steps indicated the breeze was from the southeast.  A light coating of snow had fallen overnight.  With my lightweight leaf blower, it was fun to blow off the patios.  Hmm.  It worked so well, so why not dig out another extension cord and try the back door area.

  I was almost giddy when I realized that the air from the leaf blower when held close to the concrete, peeled off the hard, older crusted snow like potato chips.  Away I went.  About fifty feet of the ninety feet of driveway cleared off.  My level of comfort was good but the electrical cords were hard to manage as their flexibility was hampered by the cold by quite a bit.  

  As I mentioned the fresh air and exercise served me well.  I was then content to come inside to fix a hot bowl of the ole Quaker Oatmeal.

  Later on some time was spent in the sewing studio to hem my quilt.  There were not any long time spans at one time as my arms could feel that the swinging of the leaf blower had made an impact.  Nothing hurt . . . they were just a bit limp.

  I had a great day, feel good and celebrated by getting to the library to check out a few books.  The air is to switch to the northwest with gusting winds.  It will be interesting to see if the leaf blower will be called into duty tomorrow . . . or maybe the snow pusher will be a better option.

   
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  Noreen 6:18 pm on January 21, 2019 Permalink  

  Crazy 8 Quilt 

  

  The Crazy 8 Quilt is out of the shopping bag. The reason it is called Crazy 8 is that each 8″ block is made out of five different fabrics. I chose to put four of those 8″ blocks together to make a 16″ block. The five pieces of the 8″ block can be put together just as many ways that you can think of. I chose to have the focus on pinwheels. The quilt top has multiple pinwheels in it depending how the eye travels. I wanted the dark blue pinwheel to be the eye candy. The picket fence border was a great challenge. The binding prep is underway. It sounds like we have another cold day tomorrow to spend time stitching the day away. This has been a fun project and it is MINE. All other quilts I have used have been using scrappy fabrics. These five fabrics were a joy to find in three different quilt shops.

   
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  Noreen 6:41 pm on January 19, 2019 Permalink  

  Considering that I stayed in bed until 9:30… 

  Considering that I stayed in bed until 9:30 this morning, I had a very good day of activity.  Randy blew out our driveway quite early thing morning.  It seems we had about 10 inches of snow.  

  With coffee laced with a bit of sugar and heavy whipping cream, I was ready to get suited up and tidy up the yard.  Randy does several passes up and down the driveway.  It takes out the bulk that would have us totally overwhelmed.  Dennis manned our walk-behind blower and I had a pusher and a shovel.  In time we had the bins for garbage and recycling dug out, the doorway cleared on Stauffer Ave. for Dennis’s pickup, and the front landing – complete with a walkway for the mail carrier to travel from Stauffer Ave. through our yard.  It was not without several breaks in the patio porch.  I didn’t even want to know how cold it was outside.

  Once we had caught a second wind we cleared the east and west patio around the patio porch.  I have no idea what is up with that.  Once the nickel gets shoved in the slot it buys more time than what most oldies our age are even aware of.

  As I was cleaning off the landing and step in front of the house, the FedEx truck stopped.  A young fellow hopped out.  “You are going to need this once you are done moving snow.”  It was the tea I had ordered.  My doctor had told me how beneficial Turmeric was for arthritis.  I do use it in the shake and bake for doing chicken, but there is only so much that is needed.  I found a website, and as of today, I have a variety of six boxes of tea bags all containing Turmeric. 

  We shut off the snowblower about 1:30 and tucked the shovel and pusher away.  After I got in and could feel my nose, I did get the tea kettle going.  The flavor I tried was Turmeric Three Roots.  It was Turmeric, Ginger and Licorice.  It said to steep it for 8-10 minutes.  The aroma was fantastic.  I have tried tea before . . . not impressed.  The taste of this tea is wonderful.  I filled my cup three times and even with the last cup of hot water, there was a great flavor.  I am going to give this a good try as I am not in like with meds to solve problems.

  Both of us could feel the activity.  I made the call on supper.  A big bowl of Oatmeal with side dressings of cinnamon and brown sugar.  I opted for some cream over mine.  Dennis had milk. It was very satisfying. 

  Tonight we will either sleep like the dead or will not be able to settle down for being overly weary.  It doesn’t matter one way or another.  It may be another 9:30 morning for us tomorrow.

   
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  Noreen 5:14 pm on January 14, 2019 Permalink  

  Today I road shotgun to Bird Island with… 

  Today I road shotgun to Bird Island with Dennis’ nephew, Brett.  Brett had a break down with his Husqvarna sewing machine.  It is the one on his long arm quilter.  Without realizing it he jammed the bobbin in askew.  It was a good trip for road surface.  Amanda and Kelly are great in the Bernina Shop.  Kelly did get it to the point that the needle would go up and down without breaking, but only while he turned the flywheel by hand.  Brett had grabbed the wrong electrical foot pedal.  Bummer.  I checked with Brett late this afternoon.  It was working but was making a different noise than he remembered, though the machine has been broken down for several weeks.  I did encourage him to perhaps seek out a Husqvarna dealer as Amanda and Kelly are a Bernina repair shop and this machine is quite unique.  

  It drove home the fact that I am so thrilled that no matter what I have for problems, I have the real deal when it comes to the licensed Bernina repair place to go.  

  We made a quick stop in Fairfax so Brett could meet Kevin.  Kevin has sought concrete advice via Brett through me and Brett sunk the I beam into our yard for Kevin to secure our garage via Kevin’s instructions. It was time each could put a face to the fellow.

  It’s been a gray misty type of day, but it sure beats ice and snow.  I know how to come in from the wet, but always question myself as to whether I will make it in from walking on the ice and snow.

   
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  Noreen 5:30 pm on January 11, 2019 Permalink  

  Friday and I wonder where the week went… 

  Friday and I wonder where the week went.  We have been busy.  Dennis continued to wok on the oak tree stump on the patio.  A few more holes were drilled in the hopes of a freeze that will help rot the stump quicker.  

  I had to admit, this is just the same type of putz work Dad would do on a fairly warm winter day.  Dennis is much like a Raymond Wendlandt in many aspects.  No matter what is going on in the house or in the yard, meal time brings Dennis to the house.  It’s time!  We have been given various types of coffee that are flavored.  “How much of that batch is left?  I really enjoy Folgers.”  Dad would include in his sentences a few extra four letter words.  I do caution Dennis at times, depending on the company that we are in to watch the language.

  I am fortunate in the cooking departments.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  A meat dish with potatoes and a vegetable and all is well.  Dennis has gone beyond Raymond in regard to kitchen duties.  Dennis has his favorite hotdishes that he likes to put together.  They are indeed hardy.  Raymond would do a fried egg sandwich if he was left on his own.  Doing dishes?  Raymond didn’t do them.  Dennis would prefer I stay out of his way in that chore. 

  My ole cowboy is quite content here on Stauffer Avenue.  He likes it here . . . I like him here.  It is quite the sweet life for the both of us.    

  On a different note: I am looking forward to getting this HP to the Geek squad as it is becoming apparent that there are quite a few keys that don’t like being struck.

   
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  Noreen 5:00 pm on January 9, 2019 Permalink  

  A blistering cold wind that whipped all night… 

  A blistering cold wind that whipped all night.  This morning, I actually looked out the west house porch window to see if the wind chimes had been taken down onto the ground as I heard nothing of them.  A quiet morning on Stauffer Avenue.  

  Neither Dennis nor I had any want of going anywhere in the cold.  That was punctuated when Dennis went out into the patio porch and not one of the four cats was wanting to go out.  Oh yes, when Dennis cracked the east slider door to see if they wanted out, there were several that would have enjoyed taking in the cold air with their butts on the patio porch carpet.  Not going to happen when the furnace was a huffing and a puffing its heart out. 

  It never fails.  When I got to the point of organizing the sewing studio, I may have pitched something that today I looked high and low for.  I know I can make tassels for a table runner I am working on with embroidery floss.  Goodness knows I have plenty of it from the Fairfax kids.  I knew in a certain pink box there had been some rayon floss that never worked worth a darn for hand embroidery.  Maybe, just maybe, I had given it a nod and kept it to live another day in the sewing studio.  I sure got my exercise.  Finally, I spy with my little eye, the pink box.  I flipped it open . . . and it was empty.  I had indeed sifted and sorted it right out of my stashes.  So much for that. 

  The table runner will indeed sport tassels on each of the pointed ends with embroidery floss.  Nephew Brett had asked at one time where I got tassels to match my table runner projects.  It had never occurred to him that floss that doesn’t often get used anymore in my world of embroidery, still has a viable use.   

  By the way, I got a text from Brett this afternoon, his tee-shirt quilt top, all 68″ by 88″ is done and he is ready to get it on his longarm unit.  Good for him.  As much as he would not take it anywhere to have it finished, I, on the other hand, am thankful for the Old Alley Quilt Shop that will finish my quilt on their longarm and charge me $.01 per square inch.  My arms and wrists no longer feel good nor have the  ability to wrangle that much fabric under the needle.

   
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  Noreen 5:21 pm on January 8, 2019 Permalink  

  The day is closing with the most beautiful… 

  The day is closing with the most beautiful sunset I could imagine.  As I am winding down I can’t help but notice how hard the windchimes are at it in the evergreen 0ff the northwest corner of the house.  Projected wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph makes me so thankful that Kevin was here on Saturday and used the huge I beam and cable to help secure our vintage garage.

  Nephew Brett was over today with a bag full of quilt.  What to do about finishing a tee-shirt quilt that he had run out of fabric to finish it.  It didn’t take long for the two of us to work it through.  Brett had not been over to the sewing studio since late summer.  Brett settled into the rocking chair as we visited and I went back to an embroidery that I was doing.  

  After a time Brett was asking about the automatic needle threader on the sewing machine.  I invited him over to take a shot at it.  The machine he had purchased off of Craigslist last year supposedly had such an aid on it but Brett had never figured it out.  It didn’t take long the mystic of getting that needle threaded was conquered.  After each color of the design was finished, I turned the machine over to Brett to thread the needle.  It soon became apparent that the needle needed to be changed.  The thunk, thunk sound gave it away.  I laid the needle down and Brett had it changed in a heartbeat.  

  Sometime over the 20,000 stitches of this particular design, I was sitting off to the far left and Brett was right there in the front of all the action.  All I needed to do was hand him the next color and it was handled.  The machine was threaded each time with successful needle threading and Brett’s nose was just a nose length away from the needle watching the stitching. 

  Brett bought a longarm unit last year and has been doing tee-shirt quilts during the winter breaks of his concrete work for family and friends.  I believe after today he knows that there is enjoyment to be had after the tee-shirts.

  It was a good afternoon of visiting with a fellow quilter.

   
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  Noreen 5:25 pm on January 5, 2019 Permalink  

  Welcomed Company 

  It’s not often that company comes for a late New Year’s celebration with a van loaded with tools.  What tools, you might ask?  In the van was a welder, an air compressor and enough clankidy, clank metal tools to start a hardware store.  Who was it?  It was Keven!

  In the spring of 2018, when Kevin and Kersten were over, Kevin sized up the garage.  It was in need of help.  It was listing to the south.  As the summer went on Kevin had a steel beam ready for our area to be used to the north of the patio.  Who doesn’t need a steel beam tucked in among the Lilacs!  Biding our time for the crete fellow to come, dig the hole and concrete in the beam we were progressing to save the garage.

  Today with equipment and tools in hand, the garage now has a cable inserted into the north side of the garage, much like me wearing a pierced earing, with the cable attached to the steel beam.  There is no way it will be able to correct the listing of the garage, but we are hopeful that when the strong north winds blow the garage will have that feeling of extra support.

  By no means is the garage project done.  When the weather is a bit warmer, there will be more piercings done.  One additional cable will be needed.  That cable will run from the outside of the south side of the garage, through the garage, out the north side of the garage and then be attached to our steel beam.  We can’t very well have one cable in the middle without some support about 10′ farther to the west end of the garage.  It would be much as if I was determined to pull my belt very right to make my middle look good only to have what was displaced tell “the rest of the story.”

  With the work progressing just as Kevin had estimated, we still had time to break bread together and do some visiting.  What a great day.

   
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  Noreen 5:05 pm on January 4, 2019 Permalink  

  “How great Thou art!” For this sunshine filled day, it was a day to give thanks. How did we honor this type of day? Dennis and I hung out quilts on the clotheslines. While the slightest of breezes worked their magic out on the clotheslines, the beds were stripped and the laundry was in high cotton.

  The thermostat was given a well deserved break as we cracked open windows on all sides of our forever home.

  It is now the end of the day. The beds have been dressed with fresh bedding. It may have been a wonderful God-given day, but it would not have been warm enough to be able to dry the flannel bedding on the clotheslines. Go GE washer and dryer! When Dennis came in from the patio porch about three, the windows were closed. As the sun moves to the west the change in degrees is soon felt.

  We are going into the evening hours, showered and ready to enjoy some Swedish meatballs and pasta for supper. The week went fast.

  I didn’t spend any amount of time in the sewing studio today. I was content with my fabric purchases of yesterday. When I took the velvet yardage out of the Hobby Lobby bag this afternoon and casually tossed the existing Santa hat onto it . . . it was as close of a match in color as possible. I knew the Santa Project was going to be work out well in time to come. Yup, Friday night and I am content.

   
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  Noreen 6:03 pm on January 3, 2019 Permalink  

  Grammie is pooped! A bit later in this month Dennis will be going with his nephew on a road trip. Lots of prep work is required. I am the detail person for all aspects. Dennis says he then will know it’s been done correctly. Yup. He knows how to butter the Grammie up.

  The first situation is his prescriptions. The computer at the pharmacy does not allow for refills prior to the previous amount being just about empty. We worked with the doctor and Dennis is set for being out on the road for month. A road trip to Mankato was next in the schedule of today.

  What was needed next was a pedicure. On the road to Mankato we went in full sunshine. For Dennis’ benefit into February as well as mine this was warranted. Oh my gosh, my feet feel so wonderful. Dennis also agreed with his feeling of wellbeing. In times past I must have dropped a hitch to some piece of farm equipment on my left foot. The toenails on the right foot are usual and customary. Not so much on the left foot. The toenails on the left foot have a habit of growing wonky. Leave the toes to a professional that can get the angle of the fidangle done correctly.

  As long as we were in “The Big Town” and Dennis was at the wheel to drop me off wherever I needed to be, we pursued checking on fabrics that I will need for the “Santa Project.” Between stopping at JoAnn’s Fabric and then Hobby Lobby and then back to JoAnn’s, I am set. I am not saying this will be a wham, bam, thank you project. This will need lots of time for it all to lie on my sewing tables while I look at it and sip coffee. No deadlines . . . well . . . Thanksgiving of 2019 would hit the mark quite closely.

  We are home and it feels good. Talk about contentment. The fact that it hit 40 degrees for a time today, was the temp that took the last of the ice off of the edges of our driveway.

  The real icing, so to speak, on the Dennis’ day was that Hobby Lobby carries his favorite Zachary Old Fashioned Vanilla Crème Drops. How could the chauffeur not get a treat over and above the few times he got to check his eyelids for cracks. The best naps can happen when the sun shines though a vehicle window.