I am a retired 44-year veteran of the Real Estate Assessment field. As with real estate assessing and how it applies to real estate taxes, one can make many acquaintances, but not many real friends. It was a great career choice.
It has been nearly 10 years since I reclaimed my home and my real passions within my home. I enjoy it more each day and tip my hat to those who I left behind.
Each day I try to stretch myself with the use of my computer as it relates to this site and using it to print out labels for quilts for trying to incorporate photos into my sewing. Life is so full and I know that I have room for more.
A gray day and far from the type of day I would connect to laundry day. A clear sky and a bit of a breeze for all the laundry billow as it dries. In the real world, the pile of snow that is between me and the clothes line puts a damper on line drying.
Dennis gets his dream supper this evening: liver and onions. You can bet I will crack a window shortly after supper has taken place.
I admit it . . . I did it. Yesterday afternoon, I looked out the bathroom window and our very old alley cat was sitting by the patio doors of the porch patiently awaiting the food bowl to be put out. Megan named her Tabatha when Megan was about two. Megan is now twelve. Tabatha was the first stray that we would put food out for.
This past fall to ward off the unwanted stray cats, the food bowl was not set out all day. We noticed that when Tabatha came she would patiently wait for us to notice her. From the time we would leave the back door of the house until we set the bowl out in front of her she would meow non-stop. We could even give her a pet or rub her back and she would just begin eating. I will add that I had tracked Tabatha as far as a half city block away from her hiding spot under an old building.
Since Tabatha, we have added five stray cats that have been taken in, had fixed and kept up with their shots. Tabatha was a cat that came and went when her tummy would growl.
Yesterday the temperatures never made it above freezing. I admit it . . . I did it. Yesterday, when I noticed Tabatha waiting next to the patio door, I opened the porch door and as I slid the food bowl out to her, I backed up, back into the porch with the food bowl and she followed me in. Dennis had often commented about this cat and her strong soul that never gave up on us as she would wait for food. So, what is one more in the porch? Dennis was sure when he went out she would be howling to get out, but she found a spot within a cardboard box where the rest of the cats have been playing in and she has thus far claimed squatter’s rights to it. I know she has always taken her time eating, perhaps there are some teeth missing. Come rain or shine, hot or cold she would be seen taking her time trudging across the huge expanse of the backyard. Well, for now, she can save some of her energy and just keep that cardboard box as a safety net under her feet which would have been very, very cold making it back to that empty building.
Time will tell, but I can tell you that Dennis and I have a lot of empathy for all of God’s creatures, great and small. Cold weather means warm hearts are about.
There is no denying it, it is winter out and I do not need a thermometer to tell me so. Walking to the garage porch, my footsteps crunch and that is with very little snow underfoot. It is perhaps the composite soles of my shoes that are making the noise as they are in the process of freezing.
God willing all that need to be out, play it safe and leave heroism to those who are less wise. On that note, I think a cup of hot coco sounds good.
Today with the sun shining, Dennis and I headed south. No, not far enough south to get beyond the chilly winds. The location was Fairmont, about 40 miles from home. We decided to try out the Hy-Vee grocery store and then have a January 2016 celebratory meal at the Perkins restaurant in Fairmont. We have been staying quite close to Stauffer Avenue since the holidays.
Dennis was a rural milk hauler, some 55 years ago. His route to pick up the cans of milk from farmers was along the same township and county roads that we took today. Fun to reminisce about the names that were in place on farms then, and those that have taken up the farms since then.
If not for memories, we would be very small individuals. As Dennis has often commented about the changes that he has seen in his lifetime, and that there are so many more coming down the pike each day.
Several additional pots of coffee per day since Sunday. Word was received that Dennis’s daughter would be coming to St. James this next weekend to visit her mom in New Ulm. I immediately thought how wonderful to have the quilt tops ready to send with Sue and she could hand deliver them to her daughter, Erin in Finland, which is a hour north of Duluth.
The most difficult of the three was the first. Getting my head around what my objective was considering how many pieces of baby clothing per girl I had, and then working with my stashes, took a bit of thinking power.
Erin wanted me to put my name on it as “Great Grandma Noreen 2016,” being the one who put them together. I threw back to her an additional Idea. Why not incorporate all the names of the great grandmas? My embroidery machine worked quite hard for the better portion of Monday, as there were six names, times the three quilt tops. There were two great grandpas that had remarried, thus the six. The last quilt top was in progress to work the names into the sashes. I put in additional patches into the two tops that were done.
I really feel that I have honored Dennis’ granddaughter’s request as best as I could. The keepsakes were important to Erin to have them done. How could I not give it 110%? One of Erin’s grandmas has passed away and the other is in an Alzheimer unit in New Ulm. Those who can, should.
I did quite a bit of embroidery this afternoon working on Josie’s quilt. Once the machine was set it gave me a chance to hike it up to the kitchen and get supper started in between the blocks that needed embroidering. This particular block gave me 10 minutes. It is amazing what you can get done in 10 minutes.
Today definitely feels like winter. How blessed that it took until the second week into January rather than enduring this since Thanksgiving. With 15 minutes more of daylight as the days are getting longer, I would say it is all doable. I can imagine with the wind that is blowing, but it’s the highways that may be a bit tricky. Dennis and I have no need to be out and about in this cold. Let’s hear it for hermits.
I just finished vacuuming the basement sewing studio. Bella’s quilt top is finished and is joining Ava’s on the shelves. There will be a bit of a lull before I empty the next plastic Shopko bag of Josies’ baby clothes. Sewing knit clothes together is right up there with mending jeans. I know that after a day, the project will draw me downstairs, much like a moth to a flame.
We have had sweet, fine snow falling all day. Dennis and I did have the drive cleared off once, but I do believe I will hit it again after supper. It is so nice to have a clear driveway of snow and ice and once this arctic air hits this weekend, there won’t be another chance as nice as today with these mild temperatures.
I will add that Dennis’ supper last night was second to none. Just a sliver of ice cream on his baked squash desert was a home run. Tonight is my turn to cook supper and I have pork chops slowly frying. My lettuce salad is ready to go and there is sautéed celery and onions to add to the Stove Top Dressing. I like to add a bit of extra flavors.
The sewing studio is closed down for the day. Inch by inch, the project is coming together. It is down to adding sash and trimming, trimming, trimming. I know I am a bit overly concerned about corners meeting corners right on, but that is just how I like it.
Dennis told me he was going to be working in the kitchen today and gave me the day to pool my thoughts and my quilt blocks in the sewing studio. What a guy. I think I am really coming out way ahead as he ended up putting together a great turkey vegetable noodle hotdish. As a side dish there is a pan of baked squash dessert. All I will need to do for supper is make a lettuce salad to round things out. I do so appreciate my major elf.
The tan sashing will pull all the blocks together. The pink block was Dennis’ thought. I was short a block so he suggested taking the back of one of the sleepers and put a design on it and call it good – which I did.
The work on Bella’s quilt top is chugging right along. I now have enough blocks made to add to the background sashing. I think what made the day go well for me may be the extra treat I had this morning. Yesterday when we were in Sam’s Club I could not resist purchasing a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread they were featuring. Their newer products are right by the front door when you walk in. When I took a slice out this morning I could not believe how chock-full of raisins in that one slice. I could hardly wait for the toaster to pop that sucker up. It was yummy. I do keep special breads in the freezer and take out a slice when the need arises. It is actually safer for me that way. Out of sight, out of mind. Not to worry, Dennis hates raisins. That goes back to the Korea days and what they were given to eat. For Dennis, raisins fall in the same “yuk” as fruit cocktail.
Lot of thawing out today with gray skies. With all the fluorescent lights I have in the sewing studio, there is no chance of me suffering from SAD: seasonal affective disorder.
Whew! A day in the big town can wear me out. I must say the customer service at Best Buy was terrific. I know some people have had less than good luck, but come on. These people can dig into anything, and perhaps the answer given is not appreciated, but I sure don’t plan on boning up on the nuts and bolts of computers when there is a service such as Best Buy available. I was in and out in just a short time. I did pick up a wireless mouse for my new computer as there are some days that fingers need some time off to deal with the arthritis.
It was quite nice to fatten up the larder in the basement storage. Dennis and I are quite spoiled by having enough of a supply of what we use on a regular basis, that running to the store often is not needed.
Dennis had a great meeting with his fellows at the Korean Veterans meeting and lunch. His charter group is named the Frozen Chosin. There was a huge land mark in Korea that the fellows fought for and secured. Chosin was the name of the landmark.
It is time for a bit of crocheting to keep my fingers and wrists in the best condition possible.