Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from October, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Noreen 1:34 pm on October 9, 2017 Permalink  

  By golly some days just seem to roll on by without a thought as to staying in the present . . . well that may not be the norm, but it does happen to me. It is very true that with Stauffer Avenue being a great retreat for two old retired folks, the days of the week and the times of the day do not have the same importance as in times gone by. We don’t make light of family or appointments. What I can’t shut off is what is almost as if a silent alarm goes off in my head and I know I need to stay focused, sometimes too much so. Who does it really matter too that the house and property has a bit that needs doing?

  I had an aunt named Corrine. She was what was referred to as an old maid until she found “her Allen” in her early 60s and they made a home together while he was employed at Bongard’s Creamery near Norwood, MN.

  Corrine always worked out as a hired gal on farms, taking care of the homes, canning, cleaning and baking. Everyone knew she was a fuss budget. Everyone also knew that she never went without a job as her reputation preceded her. Whoever had her in their employment, everything was tip top and spotless.

  My home has never been spotless. Having normal children will soon break you of any idealistic ideas of that. Living on a farm had allowed for any and all types of dirt and or dust. Living with an ole cowboy has its challenges as well as with four footed creatures that love our patio porch. But . . . I must admit I have quite a bit of Aunt Corrine in me. I can fuss, I can fume, I can wish for a slatted floor in the entry of our house, complete with a tray that can be pulled out and emptied. But at the end of the day, we start over and collect new dirt. Old dirt does not stick around.

  In times past, having carpet in a home was just the “cat’s meow.” I learned in my later years, it is the last thing I want in our home. Give me a Swiffer, wet or dry, and I can reasonably stay on top of anything that lands on the floor. I had at sometime back shared a photo of two-year-old Megan sitting under one of our kitchen stools and eating a snack. Kevin picked up on it and commented that I hadn’t lost my touch . . . eating off of my floor was still doable.

  Most days I go with the flow, I do vent verbally at times, most times it just becomes second nature to put the head down and do what is needed and the home remains fairly clean . . . and, peaceful.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:36 pm on October 7, 2017 Permalink  

  The rains have gone and the sun was welcomed. It makes everything a bit better, even if we were not aware of how gray we felt.

  Saturday evenings have become my favorite for television. BBC on our channel 2 or 13 has some wonderful weekly shows. Some “feel good,” some mystery and of course the Antiques Road Show. 45 to 50 minutes of good viewing with zero commercials, filling in the remainder minutes to the full hour with some older British Antiques Roadshow clips. I was weary of shows being interrupted every eight minutes for commercials. Two commercials during one break wouldn’t be bad, but I have counted as high as eight different products squeezed in. Of those eight, some don’t get to run totally through and they are whacked into the next. I don’t do television during the day, but after supper and after I have helped Dennis with dishes . . . I am off the clock.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:29 pm on October 6, 2017 Permalink  

  Just as in days so long ago, I had made some shelves in my basement using good tidy bricks with a board across and perhaps another stack of bricks for the second shelf. I had gotten modern and used 12 inch patio blocks for the first tier and then bricks for the second. Hey, it worked. When Orlin and I lived in Texas it was “shabby scheek.” Today my Fleet and Farm wagon came out in the rain and loaded bricks from the basement.

  Guess who noticed the back door was propped? Out of nowhere Snuggles was fast enough that I just saw the tip of his tail as he beat feet up the entry steps. I decided to stay on the task and worry about him later. Worse case scenario, Snuggles would jump up on Dennis while he was napping in his recliner and give him a nudge. I got the wagon loaded and pulled into the potting shed for unloading and then went to find our fine feline.

  Snuggles is an amazing cat that was left in a cardboard box next to the Waste Management bin during some very cold temps. If we had not been late putting out our garbage, Snuggles would have frozen to death. The veterinarian thought he was about six week old. Now that he is two, this summer his passion has been catching squirrels, baby bunnies and some rather large bunnies. Neighbor Jan was an eye witness to him stalking a squirrel and catching it. Once the deed is done he leaves the deceased and is satisfied.

  I never have a camera when one is warranted. The day Snuggles took a bunny for a walk was hilarious. He found the bunny and pounced. Rabbits and bunnies have a horrible scream. In a short time, he let the bunny go and trotted right along behind it . . . and then pounced. This went on for a very long time. Trot and pounce, trot and pounce. Talk about hunting for the sport of it. It has kept Dennis and I busy being on the lookout for the deceased critters. Every once in awhile we don’t know that he had been busy until the wind is from the right direction.

  After coming in from the potting shed, I did find him in the basement . . . checking everything out. When I patted my knee he came to me and let me pick him and up and up the steps we went. He has all of his claws and yet knowing he was going to be evicted, the claws didn’t come out. I am quite sure, now that he has had several visits into the inner sanctum, we will need to watch what is awaiting beside the outside door as we come and go.

   
• 

  Noreen 3:50 pm on October 5, 2017 Permalink  

  Deemed a Good Day 

  

  Out with cardboard shoe boxes for thread storage. These larger cones of thread have been a gift from a cherished friend. Surfing Amazon . . . amazing what can be found. No more reaching for a cone of thread and knocking many to the floor. Love it!

  

  

  I had the back door propped open to take out some extra shelving and such from the basement. Snuggles didn’t miss a beat to sneak into the house. He would have stayed on Dennis’ lap purring his heart out if left on his own. He goes from the merciless squirrel and rabbit killer to a cat that still needs some one-on-one loving.

   
• 

  Noreen 6:17 pm on October 4, 2017 Permalink  

  Time to Deal With All Things Dear to Me 

  Yesterday and today I have received parcels via UPS and the USPS,  containers that will be evident in my soon-to-be sewing studio.  Everything is shaping up in the basement since the window project. The best thing was when I looked out this early afternoon and the Epileptic had picked up our huge stash that we had left on the curb. The second best was having the garbage man come today. Our bin was overflowing. Oh, if he only knew I had several bags tucked back in the basement, ready to put in as soon as the bin was empty.

  The basement project has been exhausting, exhilarating and sentimental all at the same time. I chose wisely on the items I let go of. In the last several years I have run across a television show of individuals that had called for help to reduce the amount that was in their homes, thus not allowing full utility and easy of access. The object was to select the size of containers that the home could easily accommodate for collections, hobbies, items to be used in the operations of the home. Then came the time to either toss, recycle or put in the “keepers” bin of the most useful. I found that exercise to be of a huge help.

  When I was growing up, Mom always was on the lookout for things for us kids to play with or use. It was usual that when someone in the family was going to put up another layer of wallpaper in a new exciting pattern, there were always scraps of paper in order to make the floral patterns look seamless. Mom came home with scraps of those wallpapers that we could then use the backside of for our own drawings, art and even practicing math. Bits of leftover fabrics from Mom sewing our clothing was put in a basket to use for quilts. Even when clothing was worn, believe me there was always a part that was still quite vibrant to add to the quilting basket. I grew up happily being able to “waste not, want not.”

  And . . . here I am some 70 years later having to deal with that which is needed and what could and more importantly should be parted with. I can say that I am on the downhill slide to having dealt with every aspect of my hobbies. The fabric sorting is well under way. I can do this and I will enjoy my sewing studio oh so much more. Yes, I do cherish families of my friends that no longer sew or the stashes of those who have passed. More importantly I need to hang on to what I want to work with and keep “me” in my projects.

   
• 

  Noreen 4:54 pm on October 3, 2017 Permalink  

  I wouldn’t mind if time slowed down a bit, but it just keeps going forward. The slow pace of my life is cherished. That may just be the key to my quandary. I have slowed up and I don’t quite get as much done each day as just a few short years ago. Ahh . . . I get it. I’m retired.

   
• 

  Noreen 2:33 pm on October 2, 2017 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis ( 40 )   

  The Tables are Turned 

  

  Literally . . . the tables in the basement have been turned. Total access for the coming sewing studio season. Nothing is yet where the final resting place will be. All the shelves have been cleared and washed down and placement is now at random. I remember several Christmases ago we gave Carrie and Kevin music boxes and I had purchased containers at Hobby Lobby that totally folded down when not in use. On ebay, with free shipping, I have containers in two sizes coming. At that time I will be getting down to business for placement of items. The tables are a perfect place to let it all hang out as the new containers find their contents. I know I said yesterday nothing would be out in the open. Silly ole me. The south wall will be a place for special glass items and items that I will enjoy looking at and won’t mind dusting. Where my red chair is located, that will be where my sewing machine will be. At this time I have decided to use the church tables, thus having an area to attach the embroidery unit when I want to use it. There will be several small tables that perhaps won’t have to be herded around near the sewing machine. Paring down! The new sewing studio is getting closer. By the way, the basement effort is closing down early as I want to make Dennis’ favorite supper for his birthday. Happy Birthday Dennis!

   
• 

  Noreen 3:59 pm on September 30, 2017 Permalink  

  It felt like . . . I needed to put on long pants this morning for my walk. It was brisk. I still got a fairly good sweat on by the time I got home. The cooling off period put me in the car and I headed up town. I felt I needed some library books for the times that I had not known enough to stop moving and running steps up and down, down and up.  Our bank has decided that lobby hours are no longer needed on Saturdays. It has been a long time since I have used the drive-up facility.

  Supper is in the oven and our cistern closet is done . . . kaput, finished. I put my Epileptic boxes on my Fleet and Farm wagon ready to pull it to the curb bright and early on Wednesday, and I haven’t even tackled the remaining basement areas. I’ll need to round up several more boxes. There is plenty of notice via signs on the boxes that contain glass. This morning I wondered how many other people feel the need to shove things up above the floor joists in their basements. Yuk! Head down, pull it down and deal with it and some dust. Actually Dennis has to decide how to deal as it was items that he had tucked up there.

  Once I have the last bite of supper . . . I am off the clock. Tomorrow is another day.  Each evening I tell myself I am that much closer to digging out my beloved sewing machine. I am sure it is having separation anxiety.

   
• 

  Noreen 5:58 pm on September 28, 2017 Permalink  

  The grass is so lush for this time of year. Dennis mowed with the rider on the entire yard. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if this was the last, but with rain . . . who knows? Today I needed 8 fairly small hooks from which to hang small circular curtain rods for the new basement windows. I had lace curtains that were brought out of retirement for such a project as this. Light can filter through while providing privacy. After all, our basement windows on the south are a mere 15′ from Stauffer Avenue.

  Of course, small town retailers . . . six hooks of the same size and I had to settle on the last two having a much larger shank. Putting the screws up above my head was a real challenge. Once I got them going, I used a screw driver hooked into the curve of the hook to use as the force needed to twist them in. The yard looks good, no one can look into our basement windows, and we deem it a good day. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

   
• 

  Noreen 6:24 pm on September 27, 2017 Permalink  

  Usually Dennis is the one that is waiting for me at shopping areas and doing a lot of people watching. Today was my turn. Very, very interesting. His medical appointments took quite a bit of time so I feel I got my share of taking in the people as they came and went.

  When we got home, I spent a bit of time sitting in an office chair in the basement. I surely can’t call it a sewing studio until I log in quite a few hours to make heads or tales with it. It will give me an opportunity for some soul searching. What do I have an emotional attachment to . . . oh my gosh, I am in for a long stretch of eeny, meeny, miny, moe.