Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from December, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 4:33 pm on December 24, 2017 Permalink  

  It’s Christmas Eve. A magical night when many parents are working their hardest to complete all the plans that they have put upon themselves to . . . be ready for what they hope will be memorable for their children in the morning. Memories don’t need to have huge price tags on them. Often times they are the most innocent of words and extra long hugs that radiate love. At the age of 73 I am just as excited for my children as when I was in my thirties and forties. Being a Mom never changes, it knows no age, it does mean boundaries. Just a step or two back . . . not too far . . . to let them be the adults that you take such pride in.

  Being a “mom” has always been the greatest and most gratifying reason for being in my life. That’s not to say I have not stumbled a time or two and disappointed them. Each of us has an innate spirit within us to survive what comes to us and at us each day. Was it the best I could do at the time . . . I don’t have an answer to that as I cannot be objective. I do know that after the calendar pages have been flipped, the calendars have been replaced with current ones, I still am a mom to two amazing kids. Yes, they will always be my babies.

  The baby born in the stable, the Christ Child, born just about this time, was born to save the world from all those like me who have a hard time being objective about ourselves. My babies were born to me as the greatest gift that God could present to me. They are my pride and joy. In their lives they may also need to fight with objectivity at times. I will always be their mom and they will always be my babies. How can Christmas come and moms not know why we rejoice in anticipation of being a family at Christmas time.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:37 pm on December 21, 2017 Permalink  

  Today was my first day of driving with blowing snow for the season. When Aunt Lorraine was here in June, she and I cut scrappy quilt blocks to no end. One of the quilts from those scraps I quilted and sent to Orlin’s niece Evy who is raising her three grandchildren. Sometime I will seek a bit more information as to how that transpired. I received a wonderful thank you email and she did post a photo on Facebook of the three little ones under the quilt. Sweet.

  The second quilt that came about from those scrappy blocks turned out to be a king sized quilt top. I knew I had a free quilting job coming from Old Alley Quilt Shop on Sharon’s long arm quilter that I could use on that quilt top. King size is a lot for me to wrangle around even with a great sewing machine and a good setup around the sewing machine. I had taken it to Sherburn the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Sharon called from Old Alley yesterday at closing time to let me know the quilt was done and they were closing today at noon for a long Christmas break. The snow was setting in when I got up this morning and I knew there was more coming and then frigid temps for the time after Christmas. I was home by eleven this forenoon and knew there were no more items to take care of out of our home for Christmas Ho-Ho-Hos.

  Dennis and I have just come in from clearing the driveway. Most likely about three inches of white fluffy snow has arrived. With the two of us and our plastic snow pushers it didn’t take that long. Now for some planning for supper and we can call it a very fine day indeed.

   
• 

  Noreen 6:14 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink  

  Dennis has been helping out this week with some kitchen duties. This evening we went to Jake’s Pizza for supper. That was quite a change of pace for us. The ole cowboy is doing this week up in great stead. As we sat in Jake’s we realized that it had been a long time that we went out and enjoyed pizza in a restaurant. A nice change from take out. The week is slipping by and God willing the weather man will continue the updates of snow and the chance of slipping and falling will be slim to none.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:37 pm on December 18, 2017 Permalink  

  It may be gray out and there may be no snow, but by all accounts our home is cherry, bright and with good tidings of joy. It’s all about the attitude that we fly at and not the altitude. Dennis and I have a great attitude and as we do some elfing before Christmas, all is well and may it also be with you.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:05 pm on December 17, 2017 Permalink  

  This afternoon we were invited to one of Dennis’ trade show buddy’s man cave. Doug farms south of Madelia and has converted the old dairy barn into his workshop and man cave. As Dennis had shared with Doug that his Heston belt buckle collection has outgrown the case we had found for them, Doug had offered to make a second case using Dennis’ previous one as a pattern.  Today was the day we went to pick up the belt buckle cases.

  Cabela’s Sport stores advertise the huge amount of mounted wild animal trophies to enjoy. Half of Doug’s man cave could give Cabela’s a run for their money. Doug and his wife have made several Africa hunting trips and the trophies are fantastic, huge and . . . many. There will be some remodeling going on as a wall of the workshop will need to be blown out to make room for the six additional mounts that are currently at the taxidermy shop.

  We had just the nicest visit with two wonderful people. Doug needs to make plans for his new mounts and Dennis needs to arrange his wall space for the additional belt buckle case. Either situation . . . it’s all relative.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:34 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink  

  I have had a great day. Dennis is fixing eggs and sausages for supper. Sweet.

   
• 

  Noreen 7:17 pm on December 14, 2017 Permalink  

  I remember years ago when the news and latest would come out, my thought was, yup, more to go wrong. We will be making a trip to Bird Island tomorrow morning. This time the sewing machine is going to have a sleep over in Bird Island until every nook and screw has been gone over. Surprisingly, neither Dennis nor I am upset about it. We bought the machine to use and let me tell you it does get a work out. Since Thanksgiving it has put on approximately 800,000 stitches. Is it worth a road trip . . . absolutely. Who else could have more fun in retirement than having a reason to get up in the morning and at the end of the day, having had good clean fun with something tangible to show for it. It beats sitting up at happy hour with a small laundry basket in front of you for all the scratch offs that won nothing. Dennis and I are looking forward to the day as you know dog gone well, Athman’s Restaurant will get a visit from us.

   
• 

  Noreen 6:52 pm on December 13, 2017 Permalink  

  When you think the wind has no more gusto, be prepared. I will take the wind and a few sprinkles any day over snow. Dennis has been manning the main floor of our home today. It seems like it was meant to be a stitching type of day. As I loaded an embroidery design into the sewing machine, I did wince a bit when the stitch count came up 29,614. There is no better reward of time and talents well spent. I wandered back and forth from the ironing board to the Sears machine.

  Mom loved her thread and fuzz. Rain or shine, snow or ice the barn chores always came first. From there she made sure the hen house was well tended for those precious cackleberrys. The last chore before Mom and Dad had breakfast was to wash the milk machine milkers. It was a job that had to be done right after the milking morning and night to make sure all was clean and ready for the next round.

  I can about bet that the last of the rinse drops were hitting the milk room floor from the wash job and Mom had eggs and toast going for her and Dad. To get back to Mom’s fuzz and thread . . . it was her passion and she made no excuses for spending as much time at her sewing and quilting as she could squeeze in. She could have something going in the oven or on a cookie sheet and still get a stitch or two in between time.

  Perhaps My love of fuzz and thread is in my genes or . . . I glean a lot of satisfaction from trying new things and creating something that perhaps no one thought to try. While the wind is howling, I still keep an ear tuned in case Dennis needs something on the main floor. Without notice or fanfare he wanders down and uses the computer in the sewing studio for a card game or two. It doesn’t hurt that he may find a snack of peanuts while he is at it.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:03 pm on December 12, 2017 Permalink  

  A day to take care of business. As Dennis’ and my life has changed so was our medical insurance in line for a change. Oh my oh my, we are staying with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We are changing from Senior Gold to Platinum Blue. We have always had good service. Today a happenstance call in regard to a question on Dennis’ policy as it crosses paths with the Veteran’s Health Care came from a gal named Mary. She assured us Dennis has been approved for the new coverage. As a perk she said she would check my enrollment as well as long as I was on the phone.

  Our insurance agent had dropped the ball. Yes, I was also approved for the enrollment, but . . . he had never cancelled us out of the Senior Gold. We would have had two premiums for each of us until the red tape was unraveled. Getting a total of four premiums most likely would have blown out my Carotid arteries. Mary was so helpful. We needed to fax a letter with both of our signatures and multiple numbers for reference as soon as possible.

  Dennis took the letter to the bank to have them fax it. With the enrollment deadline having just been completed the fax lines were overwhelmed. Dennis came home and I called Mary and she put a note on our insurance I.D. numbers that it would be coming in the snail mail.

  I mention to Dennis so often how I can see older people being misguided by what is required of us. Consumer beware. When I called the insurance fellow, he was astonished as he had faxed that in just recently when he noticed it. NOT. He couldn’t have. It takes individual signatures for it to be taken care of.

  We are having chicken titties for supper knowing we are still on top of our lives for details that need a lot of attention. It’s been a great day.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:26 pm on December 11, 2017 Permalink  

  The howling wind today could be heard in the far corners of the basement, yes, even in the storage closet that was once a cistern. I had to do a “phone consult” today in regard to one of my projects. No point in spending energy, time and products if the right choices are not made.

  Dennis came down into the sewing studio and put his stamp of approval on some fabric choices I had laid out on the church tables. The embroidery unit can let me know when it needs attention while I have actually several projects in the works. Dennis enjoys taking some time to get in a few games of solitaire on the computer we have in the sewing studio, and he can then take a few minutes to swivel his chair and watch the stitching and also enjoy a few peanuts for a snack. We have a full service sewing studio and it is so appreciated and enjoyed. I have said it often, “We have a sweet life here on Stauffer Avenue.”