Well that is done! I don’t know why I put off doing our income taxes. I already know when we receive the info the end of January the dice have been cast. We use the “Tax Act” and it is the friendliest canned software that is out there. We have no deductions to list, no charity has gotten rich from us and dang it there are no kids that are waiting to be dependents of ours. Plug in the numbers and it is much like watching a roulette wheel as it spits out what the federal people want and what the state people want. In actuality . . . we are fortunate to have something to pay taxes on.
Updates from March, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Noreen
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Noreen
Sunny skies have turned cloudy. This morning while at the kitchen sink, a flock . . . I think that would be the right term . . . of over a dozen red breasted Robins making short work of whatever berries were left on the ornamental tree. Talk about plumb proud birds. They were so busy pecking off the treats. Some of the branches are very close to the window and I do believe I made eye contact with one. It was a great way to begin the day. They must have had an appointment as they didn’t stick around Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
Oh for Pete’s sake. We did get snow. We did get dumped on to the tune of nine plus inches. The sun is definitely in our favor for this late season snowfall. Wherever I had pushed snow off of the concrete, the concrete is now bare. Our driveway won’t be quite that fortunate as the pile of snow on the south side will be thawing and there is nowhere for it to go but puddle on the concrete. During the next few nights, there will be some freeze drying.
An interesting event to watch out of our northwest house window. A small hawk has found it quite advantageous to sit next to the area of the yard where the sump pump spews forth water that has collected in the tile that encompasses the perimeter of our basement. Last week I thought that perhaps his foot had gotten caught in the grate that is over the opening of the tile. Not so. If his luck continues as I have witnessed, he will continue feasting on the unexpected birds that have enjoyed open water all winter. It is the circle of life. It reminds me that if one is patient enough, things come your way.
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Noreen
Just as I had suspected, it was 8:45 before there were eyes open here on Stauffer Avenue. It will take us a bit to adjust to the time change. We have no reason to be setting alarms and I doubt that we would be missing anything if we do sleep a bit later. Sure enough the snow has arrived. As Dennis was pushing a path to the garage porch after supper it seems like the 5 to 6 inches of snow was right on target. Our city has reached out via automated phone calls that there is to be no parking on any street until the city crew has had a chance to clear the streets . . . or they will be towed and or ticketed. I am sure for some it is not as easy as it sounds to tuck a vehicle anywhere but on the street. On to a new week and all that it may hold.
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Noreen
A bit of cooler weather and the furnace warmth feels good. After having coffee guests this forenoon, Dennis and I decided to take a road trip to Mankato. These small “road dates” are always enjoyed. Dennis had a few items to check into. As happy as we are to return to Stauffer Avenue after one afternoon away, this speaks volumes as to why we don’t do much in regard to far away travels. Life is very special here on Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
A Phone Call
A phone call today at three in the afternoon would have been oh so nice. There are things I think of that I need to ask Elvera in regard to “do you remember . . . do you still have the recipe.” I am sitting in my sewing studio having just finished a fairly large project. Threads and snips of fabric need to be tidied up for the next project, whatever that may be.
While I am sitting at my computer desk I have a 180 degree view of our basement and that that is how much of our basement area the sewing studio encompasses. I was fair. We still needed the rest of the area for the furnace, softener, 1/2 bath, etc. When I have a first time visitor here in the studio I hide a smirk as I can see their glances going up and down and to the right and to the left. Yup, there is a lot down here and I know just where everything is when I need it or I am asked if I have such and such to share.
When I look over the top of my laptop, I see the one and only thing that I have from Elvera. I am sure it was from a Target or Gordmans store. It is a 4″ x 6″ standalone plaque with the saying “I smile because you’re my sister and I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it.” It has her signature smilie face and her own signature. I know she enjoyed receiving my latest when I would crank out something specifically for her, either crafting, crocheting, needlepoint, greeting cards or quilting as evident of the placement in her home. When I would go to Stewart and actually sit across from her for coffee there would be a show and tell of what she had been sewing and quilting. Today it just struck me . . . HUH! I had best take care of that plaque.
Elvera did give me our Grandma Laura Wendlandt’s rocker. My Mom and Dad had been the recipient of it years ago. Dennis and I enjoyed putting life into it. It needed springs, putty and love. Now it is a very favorite rocker of mine to read in.
Grandm
a Laura was really short and thus the rocker is low, but by golly I can do it. I am quite sure by the looks of the rockers that are from different wood it was customized to just her size. For me, myself and I . . . there is much sentiment within me and I have room for more. The treasures that I have from family members gone get peeked at, unfolded, admired and then lovingly they get to remain safe. I have many of them labeled just in case they go to a new home someday.
Today, right now, I need to get in gear and wrestle up some supper. Thank goodness for leftovers that can be given a re-make, just like Laura’s rocking chair. In the freezer there is some pork roast that was chunked right along with some of the roast’s dripping. It is going to become meat and gravy over instant mashed potatoes with a vegetable on the side and some raw sliced English cucumbers. It’ll work.
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Noreen
After the storms of yesterday, we have sun and wind. No damage here. There are several of the Fairfax Tulips peeking out of the soil under the south windows. As I checked out the yard I also saw some of the pink Fern Peony spikes just breaking through the dirt on the east side of the house. I so hope they just slow down in case winter deals us some harsh cold temps. What a ride this winter has been and I am thankful Dennis and I have come through it with nary a ruffle.
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Noreen
The sixth of March and the thunder and lightening is putting on quite the visual and sound show. Some rain falling but it promises to possibly bring storms. At four p.m. it is now hailing with downpours. Wow! What a theatre of seasons.
As I thought would happen, I ran out of steam today. The refrigerator and kitchen range shine like brand new . . . now I just want to look at them for a day or so . . . so much so I have a pork shoulder butt roast in the crock pot. I picked up a book and made pretty good headway in it until my head nodded. Book down on my lap and sitting straight up in my reading chair, I managed a quickie nap.
I did go down into the sewing studio and tuck away supplies from the last huge project. A new blade in my rotary cutter and I will be set for anything that happens next. Cutting t-shirts for quilts is really hard on the blades and at $10.00 a blade I do add that to the cost of quilts . . . when it is a customer order.
My wish for all is that we are up for whatever is coming our way and to realize that the Lord does not forsake us but there is due for being of the Old Adam. My best advice: save the best and leave the rest.
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Noreen
Sunday – Sunday
A warm gray day with plenty of wind brings about a late morning nap for Dennis. We did decide to take a road trip south and see what there was to see. When we got to Fairmont we realized that the city has had a fair amount of growth next to the freeway. I did put out a fair amount of shoe leather when we stopped at the Walmart on the south edge of Fairmont. English cucumbers on one end of the store and throat lozenges on the opposite end.
When we got home I had a pretty good amount of energy going and the kitchen range was in my sights. Kevin had given us a cleaning product “Fresh Start” a time back and it has been one “go to” cleaning product. The bottom of the kitchen sink cabinet is uncluttered. That attests to the effectiveness of this product. As the late afternoon stop at Perkins is serving as our hot meal for the day, I am continuing with the project as the supper hour is here. Taking the top off of a kitchen range, one almost looks with squinted eyes as you have no idea what has all been boiled over, spilled over or just drifted beyond the shroud of the burner. I have now moved on to having the oven door laying over the kitchen sink with Fresh Start putting a layer of goodness down to begin soaking through the greasy fumes of the last several months of roasting and baking. I had always had the bottom tray of the oven covered with tin foil. Well, when you run out of foil and there happened to be a pie that boiled over, the soiled tin foil came out and now it also needs to be cleaned.
What helps is that Dennis is always ready to help with the heft of the heavier items, removing and returning them. With daylight lasting a bit longer, I no longer feel like closing down by five or six in the evening. Oh, my, gosh! Think what I can accomplish after next weekend when we are in daylight saving time. Dennis, hang onto your suspenders!
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Noreen
Today called for a trip to the Shopko Hometown store. I was in the market for a new Swiffer. The Swiffer I have will be moved down into the sewing studio as the smooth painted floor is a snap to keep free of angling, dangling fuzz and thread. Multiple wastebaskets just don’t seem to be in the right spot when a thread needs to be nipped. I bought our first Swiffer when Megan just learned to walk. It took only once for her to see me using it and she declared war in any and all rooms that didn’t mess her up when the handle was more than her arms could wrangle. Carrie and Jeremy took Megan along to a home and garden show. At a particular booth, Megan spied a Swiffer and then there was no stopping this wee moving machine.
Bringing home my new toy put me in a place much like when my Dad got a new addition to his woodworking shop or when Kevin got a new attachment for his multifunctional Dremel woodworking tool. Let’s try this out! I had not realized how warped the pad on the old Swiffer mop had gotten. The pad on the new Swiffer hits the floor 100%. How it all transferred from cleaning the floors to the refrigerator . . . I have no idea. It may be that I had to really get down on eye level of a shelf that a container of cottage cheese was resting. I can tell you Dennis missed his chance of putting a full sized keg of root beer in the cavity of a totally emptied refrigerator. As it were, every shelf and drawer can be removed for cleaning. I caught Dennis in a “local effort” mode. He washed shelving and drawers, I dried and as luck would have it, we got all the hardware back into the refrigerator. It was actually a good time to adjust some of the placement of the shelving depending on the height of some of the items.
All in all, this Saturday is just what my Mom Lena would have ordered . . . seek out and get rid of the old dirt and crud and make room for new dirt and crud that is coming our way in the next week.
