Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from July, 2016 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 2:29 am on July 31, 2016 Permalink  

  A very quiet day on Stauffer Avenue today. I did motor up to the library for a book return and also to pick up several books. I like to have a book in the living room and also one going in my sewing studio.

  When I was at the library, I took notice of a little girl in a sun dress that was with her dad. The two of them were busy picking out an arm load of storybooks. From that part of the library they wandered over to the children’s movie selections. It warmed my heart to see how engaged they were with each other. I have no doubt there is going to be a lot of one on one for them this weekend.

   
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  Noreen 3:23 am on July 30, 2016 Permalink  

  What Is It . . . 

  What is it about me that my days are filled with various projects in various places?  The truth of the matter is that arthritis prevents me from staying at one task for too long.  The “too long” could be several hours or 15 minutes.  I know my body and I sure do know the telltale signs when it is time for me to change my posture.  At earlier times, I could sit and read for hours, sit at the sewing machine all day, or be bent over the quilt frame for hours on end.  No more.  Ya, just got to keep moving so the joints within your body are in fairly constant motion . . . within reason.

  At some point in time with physical work, my joints had been irritated and the bone had been worn away.  The irritation continued and the situation ended as being chronic, meaning it is here to stay.  The cartilage protecting some of my joints had been worn away.  Though I now have new shoulders and new knees, arthritis loves it when one body position is maintained for an extended period of time and all the nerves, tendons and muscles just settle in for a snuggle and allow for atrophied muscles that can gradually make you a prisoner in your own body.  That is not going to happen anytime soon.

  

  In between time, and in the meantime, I have this nine patch that I put into a block that is 6″ x 6″ for the next greatest scrappy quilt. It may be some time before it is completed, but hey, it’s on my schedule. Those darn scraps just keep coming.

  So . . . the answer for me is to have a book to read in the living room, crafting going on in the south half of my sewing studio, the sewing machine is in the north portion and in the middle is the cutting table.  Having a computer in my sewing room as well as one in our living room allows me to roam at will.  The porch with great rocking chairs is a good place to read until I find my head nodding. The water fountain in the Koi pond can put you to sleep. Our acre of mowing and gardens to tend allow for me to have choices within my day.  With me moving to multiple corners of my world, multiple tasks are completed, but just not done to completion in one session.

  I am not complaining nor bragging.  I know that sitting and vegetating could be a prescription for a very small world. The arthritis has made me somewhat being viewed as having attention deficit disorder.  The diagnosis could be a whole lot worse.  I know I can’t stay in one place for very long so the tendency to be on the lookout for other areas in our home that may need some attention is likely.  I can take the “eye rolling” when I see it in friends and family.  Being on the move for me is how and why I feel really physically good.  I see no reason to single handedly support either the chiropractor of the physical therapist . . . but it is reassuring to know they are there if I have been naughty.
   
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  Noreen 5:48 am on July 28, 2016 Permalink  

  A great finale to a warm but satisfying day. We took a road trip north to the mega city of Fairfax. Visiting the kids is always something to look forward to. Today we met my brother Michael and his wife, JoAnn at the Casey’s store in Fairfax. Dennis and I came away with a huge amount of cucumbers and some onions from their garden. Mike’s were on their way to play nine holes of golf at Fort Ridgely.

  After checking in with Kersten and Kevin we headed south for home. Dennis and I visited the entire way home taking in the fields that look like award winning crops and some fields that could use the cork pulled to allow the water to go down.

  Here comes the finale: Dennis was treated to liver and onions, complete with mashed potatoes, for supper. We had supper a bit later than usual, but I must admit, it was a good fare. Me . . . can you believe it . . . me, I did the dishes and the cook stove cleanup. Dennis had the night off.

  Tomorrow Mike’s cucumbers will be made into refrigerator pickles. I have dug out all the spices and the cucumbers are crisping up in the refrigerator. Out came my Mom’s favored recipe for this batch of pickles.

  Tomorrow, I can guarantee the aroma of vinegar cooking in our kitchen will clean out those sinuses once and for all.

   
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  Noreen 4:55 am on July 26, 2016 Permalink  

  Just two days shy of a month that we went grocery shopping. We decided to make it a road date to Mankato. Sam’s Club was our choice. Buying in bulk is our preference to fill the pantry. I have comparison shopped on the price of one can of soup compared to a carton that has eight cans, etc.

  A time back I got wiser and knew if I filled my cart with all the bar codes showing, I would not have to unpack the grocery cart at the check out. I think the clerk appreciates it as much as i do. I know how much work is awaiting me at home to get the goodies tucked away. Touching each item one less time . . . it’s a good thing.

  Perhaps being a bit of a fanatic, I don’t like leaving that eight can carton in tack for the pantry. Let’s just get the cans out of the cardboard and onto the shelf already. It is a lot of work shopping for a whole month, but mini trips to the grocery store is a real nuisance.

  Dennis is very successful in making hotdishes with healthy ingredients, and I want to make his pantry shopping as enjoyable as possible. A two cup measuring cup in hand and taking that much out of the Rubbermaid container of pasta and trailing along the shelves for supplies and he is on his way for a fantastic fare for supper.

  Tomorrow, the large bag of frozen English peas will be put into smaller bags that then go into a larger freezer bag for ease per recipe. The bag of Vadalia onions will be chopped and put in small bags within a freezer bag for just the right amount per Dennis’ recipe.

  One of Dennis’ successful toppings for the hotdishes is crushed Cheezits. Sometimes it’s Panko bread crumbs that seal in the goodies of the dish.

  I have not given up my duties in the kitchen. I am allowing Dennis to experiment with foods that he enjoys eating. On my cooking days we prefer more chicken than beef or pork. Dennis loves the way I make chicken breasts, aka: chicken titties.

  A usual, our road dates to Mankato allow for us to eat out and our favorite place is Perkins. The menu is huge and the menu of the $4.00 to $8.00 meals seems to go over well as they are good values and good food.

  After dealing with groceries for most of the day, I think I will have some of the cold breakfast coffee that is left for supper.

   
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  Noreen 3:45 am on July 25, 2016 Permalink  

  We had to seize the day and get the acre mowed. The grass was long and it did not want to dry. Earlier there had been a breeze, and for the most part, the biting bugs didn’t bother. Dennis headed for the backyards while the push mower with the bagger attached and I did the area around the house and the front yard. There were mowers humming all around town. It was the nicest day in quite a few as far as temps and humidity.

  Dennis looked as if he had moss growing on him by the time he was done mowing. Using a strap he kept the shield up as to allow the grass to fly as far as possible from the mower deck. Yup, it did. Up and away and back on Dennis. The cut grass did windrow to some degree. Hopefully a brisk wind will take some of it farther down the way after it has a chance to dry. It’s been a very active year for the mowers.

  We stirred up a cold spam and pasta salad for supper. This will take the last crust out of Dennis’ beloved bread wrapper. Boo Hoo.

   
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  Noreen 4:36 am on July 24, 2016 Permalink  

  I can thank Dennis for the wonderful leftovers we will be having for supper. He makes a mean hotdish and the concoction is a two-for . . . enough for two evenings. We have been really cleaning out our corners in regard to groceries, both in the pantry and the refrigerator. We had one of our two large grocery stores close and I am not too pleased to have to change our shopping habits. Personalities should not be the deciding factor, but I like being greeted with a smile or perhaps, “Thanks for shopping with us.” I’ll get over it. It does make making meals a fun challenge as to what we can put together. I can guarantee you we are not going hungry. It will be interesting when the two crusts in Dennis’ bread bag are gone. For Dennis, what is a hotdish without a piece of buttered bread. Hopefully today is the last of the brutal heat and humidity. The rain showers this morning didn’t help.

   
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  Noreen 2:42 am on July 23, 2016 Permalink  

  These extremely uncomfortable days, I am very thankful for a home that can be kept comfortable with air conditioning. What makes it even more comfortable is having creative hobbies within my sewing studio to take my energies.  If the weather outside would be such that the gardens could take some of my time, I would be plodding around in mud-laden shoes. The soil in the gardens is like walking on a sponge until your shoe breaks through. Dennis has commented that the grass looks as if it has given up on standing upright. Wouldn’t you know it . . . there are rain and thunder showers in the forecast. The least of ours, the cats, can be found stretched out with their tummies on the cool-feeling concrete in the garage. They have been going through a lot of water . . . some for drinking and some for splashing their feet into. Everybody seems to know what makes them feel the best.

   
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  Noreen 3:47 am on July 16, 2016 Permalink  

  As this Friday comes to a close, the Stauffer Team is pooped. Dennis and I often comment to each other how some people who happen to be homeowners are bored? We have done well putting in a new floor in the porch to get it higher and out of harms way, aka: seeping moisture due to heavy rainfalls. Today was the rest of the project. Taking our time, Dennis and I dug a trench along the entire length of the patio east to west to allow rain and water run off to run to the east beyond the patio and porch. In times past Dennis and brother Roger put in three drain pipes along the patio that went down about eight feet. It was piping that was perforated with a solid cap on top of it just below the surface of the soil. The hole around the pipe was filled in with small rock. No doubt this has helped, but with the rainfall of six inches within several days coming in a matter of several hours each time, it is a lot of rain. It has to go somewhere, so why not flood the patio? This trench had been dug years prior, but like anything else over time it had filled in.

  My sister Elvera called during the project to let me know that she will start radiation on Monday the 18th of July for cancer treatment. After a good visit of each of us sharing what the day held she did have one last thing to offer: “As long as you have a trench that is six to eight inches deep, why not put in some tulip bulbs.” At that offering I told her I had better get back to helping Dennis. Families, just too precious not to love.

   
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  Noreen 2:08 am on July 14, 2016 Permalink  

  Golly gee, more rain? At eight all the phones started ringing with the automated weather warnings. I was awake and aware that there was thunder in the distance. Dennis beat feet it out to close the patio doors of the porch and I knew it was a good time for me to get my feet on the floor and take in what was going on. The winds were horrific driving the rain to an extreme.

  The end result was another three inches of rain. From what we could tell by a quick glance through the windows, we had no branches . . . or trees down in our yard. The city crew came and pushed a tree out of the street just to the south of us. From the newscasts, the west portion of St. James got the brunt of the damage.

  Highway #4 already had a detour and now there were power poles on the streets making for an even more difficult detour.

  Oh my gosh. This is the third rain of the three inch mark in the last weeks. Oh how thankful we are that we put the new floor into the porch. Yes, the concrete under it is damp, but we can enjoy the porch. All fans, ceiling and floor are running and the garage doors are open to allow for great ventilation.

  Dennis and I are thankful for a safe home after several storms that have brought damage to others here in town. Let’s hear it for tile around the basement to keep the sewing studio dry!

   
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  Noreen 2:38 am on July 9, 2016 Permalink  

  There is no such look on anyone’s face as when the ignition switch of a vehicle is turned and there is . . . nothing. My ole cowboy could not believe it. After charging the battery up enough to start it, a trip to the parts store was in line.

  Oh my gosh! His 2005 little red pickup had the original battery in it. Just when we thought there was noting that was as good as it was in “the good old days.”

  When all was said and done, Dennis had a one dollar bill left out of $120.00. He did put in the same quality of battery that had been in the truck. Going on the side of cheap was not in the cards today for Dennis.

  This type of experience allows one to still believe in quality.