A good day for yard work was had here on Stauffer Avenue. Dennis on the rider in the east portion of the acre and I had the bagger on the push mower for the front of the yard and around the house. It was rich, lush greenery. Dennis commented that the mower left tire prints in the sparse areas as rain has not been shy as of late. That is all I needed to hear. Out came the bags of various types of grass seed and the spreader. That area will be allowed to have a pass on any mowing for the remainder of the season. We hope some of it sprouts for next year’s yard work. All is good and it will be better after we are cleaned up, with full stomachs and feet up for the day. Gotta love a day such as this.
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Noreen
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Noreen
Today the convertible came out for a road date. We had no plans. We headed west and turned on various tar roads whether south, west or north. It was interesting to go past the Jefferson Petrocliffs and see all the kids bopping in the grasses and following the paths. Long about mid-afternoon we found ourselves at Hardees in Sleep Eye. For me a cup of coffee and cookies, for Dennis a chocolate shake. Off and on today we noticed the tar surfaces were wet from recent showers. We never rode in rain. When we got home Dennis reported .3 inches in the gauge.
Nothing tops off the day like tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Dishes are now done and it is patio sitting time. The evenings have been great. Other than an occasional black fly bite I have been very lucky. But man oh man, can those fly bites itch.
Tomorrow is lawn mowing and trimming day of the acre. The grass is so lush it reminds me of spring. It’s a good thing.
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Noreen
We had no plans for today. Every hour or so there would be showers of rain. The phone rang and now several hours later, I am totally “chatted out.” Nephew Jason is an over-the-road hauler. He had a layover in Glencoe and decided to come for a visit. His layover allowed his wife Trish from Decorah, Iowa, and companion Scott to pick Jason up in Glencoe and head out for Stauffer Avenue. A great afternoon of catching up. Jason was quite certain it had been 20 years since he had last visited here. A wonderful surprise and perhaps not another long lapse in time before he visits again.
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Noreen
Chilly air makes for a very happy day of getting my walk done and not feeling like my underwear is stuck tight. I know, I know sweating is a self cooling blessing . . . but my system usually goes overboard. You know it’s chilly when Snuggles makes a bee line for my lap as I sit on the patio. He curls up into the tightest ball ever and most likely would stay for hours on end if my legs wouldn’t need to stretch before they fall asleep.
All the four legged ones, and perhaps Dennis, are a bit thrown off their game as I took over the patio porch yesterday with suds, cleaners and the scrub brush. Half of the well trafficked carpet is now in the process of drying. While I was busy Dennis took off to the the laundromat with rugs and the kitty blankets from their baskets. You would have thought the four of them had been put up for adoption. Yes, it would have been ideal to have rented a rug shampoo unit . . . it they even do such a thing anymore. This worked out slick.
After lunch, we began doing some dirt work on the north side of the house in preparation for the window job coming up in September. With an acre there were holes that Dennis wanted to fill in with the dirt that is being removed. No, I have no idea what the end result will be in managing the slop of soil, but having started is key. A bit yesterday and perhaps a bit tomorrow, it will get done.
Today has been a quieter day. I had an embroidery project to work on and Dennis has mozzarella stuffed chicken meatballs nestled in Classico four cheese tomato sauce with pasta. It’s a good day and a good thing. Martha Stewart would agree.
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Noreen
What a fantastic day. As I was coming back from my walk this morning the air was great and the various birds seemed to be happy about the mild temps and low dew point. The sounds of the birds, cars, trucks and semis along the county road are all usual and customary.
I had to really listen closely as a sound coming up from the rear was not usual and for sure not customary. I soon realized it was the sound of many pounding feet. School teams were out and about getting ready for their track team endurance runs. Good manners and respect are alive and well. Streams of runners, boys and girls, all took a bit of a bend around me bidding me a “Good morning.” As I watched them all run by me I couldn’t help but wonder at all those strong legs and wonder if when they reached my age with the miles of wear and tear they would still feel like tearing up the tar. I wanted to shout out “Cherish your knees!”
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Noreen
The Results are In
This is an x-ray of a normal right wrist. The hand sits balanced on the wrist. All the cushion in between the bones is in place and there is a rhyme and reason to the placement of the bones.
This is my right wrist. I went for a second opinion today. The doctor was excellent in his explanation. The wrist is much like the cone of an ice cream cone. The joints and finger of the hand are like the ice cream that sits on the cone. My ice cream has slid off . . . way off. Nothing more can be done other than perhaps taking an Alieve Gel Cap when the wrist pain is at its worse. If the pain were the first thing that would awake me in the morning and continue so during the day, day after day, a cortisone shot could be given. In all honesty the pain is not severe. It is humbling to need to use two hands to hold my beloved coffee and several other special ways to do things. The specialist thought it was great that I have been training myself to work on the ambidexterity. His advice was to continue doing all that I have been doing and being smart in finding new ways of doing everything that I enjoy. His parting words were to the effect that when I am ready to be a compliant old lady I should come and see him and he would fuse the wrist. Hell . . . I hope his is retired by that time.
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Noreen
A very quiet relaxing day on Stauffer today. A batch of egg salad and a bowl of creamed cucumbers . . . what else could we ask for.
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Noreen
The team on Stauffer is alive and well . . . if not a bit grubby and weary. Today Dennis was in charge of 100% of the mowing of the acre and I was the handy dandy trimmer of all things not able to be reached with the rider mower. During the first battery on the trimmer, all was well. When I swapped out batteries I took a look at the Bridal Wreath Bush. I should never have looked. Black Night Shade vines were everywhere . . . like a huge amount. I began trimming back the bush. By the time I was done the stumps of the bush are maybe 12″ high. Just perfect for next spring’s new growth. Dennis took a break from mowing and he hooked onto the two-wheel trailer. Off to the landfill we went with our load. After a short pickup ride, the trailer was back in the garage, Dennis went back to mowing and I continued trimming the remaining portion of the acre.
It is now suppertime and when we get the energy to get showered up, the patio time this evening is going to be sweet. The acre looks marvelous. Somewhere in there we will pull something together for supper. It is such a great feeling to work together for a common goal . . . a wonderful spot here on Stauffer Avenue. It does puzzle Dennis when some of his acquaintances remark how bored they are.
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Noreen
A bit of chit chat and planning while sitting on the patio enjoying coffee. We have the plans in place and the project is ordered for our new basement windows. It is now time to think on getting some landscaping done on the north side of the home where two of the new windows face. It is unfortunate that the air conditioner is outside the northwest window. It is what it is and the window fellow said they have faced worse challenges. The northwest window is sitting on ground level . . . and I mean “right on.”
With the latest news that our favorite lumberyard is closing and getting ready for an auction, and I believe all their locations in this southern part of Minnesota, we mauled it over. We made a trip to Lowe’s today.
In the history of Stauffer Avenue I think Dennis and I made history. We have done four, let me repeat, four road trips within one week. I think the little red pickup must be on some awfully high octane fuel and wants to go, go, go. Hmm, that being said, I should check Dennis’ prescriptions. Perhaps it is him and not the little red pickup that has gotten the “go.”
I digress. We measured once, we measured twice and we now have on hand what we will need for the landscaping project on the north side of the house. In particular, we have the window well foundation item and also the clear vinyl cover for it. Neither of these can be installed until after the window is in, but we are prepared. Some dirt work is in our plans. Moving dirt back from the foundation and making it all pretty. We’ve got this.
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Noreen
Just a good day here on Stauffer Avenue. I surfed the web for additional information for and on embroidery designs. Asking a few questions as to what would be possible, etc. Gotta love what is called “live chat.” I had been babysitting neighbor Jan’s potted flowers. They survived the visit to Stauffer and are now back where they belong.
The cool weather is much appreciated . . . if the dew point would behave itself towards the afternoon hours. Fore told is fore warned . . . there is a pending road trip scheduled for tomorrow. A bit of landscaping needs to be done prior to the new basement windows being installed. Mankato, be prepared for the little red pickup to be heading your way. By the way, we did get an inch of rain yesterday. It was hard to believe that Redwood Falls received 8.02. Too much too fast.