Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from October, 2015 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 3:24 am on October 28, 2015 Permalink  

  We got home from our Arizona trip the second week in October. Confessions are good: I have been using my laptop since then without any type of virus protection. At one of the motels along the way, the laptop hiccuped. Before using my computer with their access, there was a warning that my information may be shared as it was connected on an open network. Yup. I needed to restore it to a previous time and my Kaspersky virus protection went by the wayside.

  I have meant to take care of this for the last several weeks. Each day as I spent time on the laptop, it felt like the naughty devil was sitting on my shoulder, just waiting for me to strike a computer key that would blow it up and me with it. Yesterday I dug out my receipt from Best Buy. I had the activation code from that receipt. It was not the big deal I thought it would be. The big deal would have been if son, Kevin, found out I was using my laptop with virtually a wide open portal stating; “Viruses, ya all come,” I would feel a definite pain as I extracted his boot from my bottom. Right now, Kevin may be in the process of trying to resurrect a computer from his uncle who is always in a fix as he opens every forward or junk piece of mail he receives. It has become a bit of family humor that he has made the rounds of the Geek Squads in various locations. He obviously did not have any protection. Be careful what you offer to do for others, as others have no idea that you have a life of your own.

  Upon getting the program loaded from Kaspersky, I did a complete scan of my laptop. It took just a bit over three hours. The end result was a very heartfelt feeling of thanks. Nothing suspicious or harmful had been picked up on the last leg of our trip or the time since here at home.

  I don’t know much about computers. The work at the courthouse was primarily canned software and not much work on the open web. I do feel like a weight has been lifted. Having a need for help is one thing. Having a need for help due to obvious negligence . . . it does not fly.

  Today the key strokes seem to fly across the keyboard. All is well on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 3:32 am on October 27, 2015 Permalink  

  Modernization 

  

  The City of St. James is burying wires. Electrical and Mediacom will now be connected to our Stauffer Avenue home via . . . under the concrete driveway and a replaced block of our sidewalk. Modernization is in full swing. The plus to this project is, after Stauffer Avenue had been dug up for the entire length, it was finished with crushed asphalt. This is wonderful after fighting the dust of the graveled Avenue all these years. A true testament was the inch and a half of rain over the weekend. After any other rain fall, the amount of mud splashed onto our garage and potting shed would have been huge. This time . . . not so much.  Our land line phones are out of commission for a time, as the phone lines were buried IN the concrete.

   
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  Noreen 5:04 am on October 26, 2015 Permalink  

  Leaves Are Not the Only Things That Fall 

  A day when I couldn’t stay in the house.  When the sun is bright, there needed to be serious checks on the last items to take care of.  Our three-tier planter gives us months of color.  Though the flowers were still willing, I knew that the pots needed to be emptied.  After I broke off the begonias, the good potting soil was spread on the Fern Peony plants.  There was still a lot of good nutrients to add for the the next spring.  With the leaves of the huge Maple and Oak tree covering the yard, it was hard to tell where the plants were.  It was also hard to see where my feet needed to be.  With a pot of dirt in one hand, I did a three point landing in the garden.  It’s a good thing the wind wasn’t blowing, the leaves would have covered me up. I definitely would not make good compost.  My first check was to make sure the titanium shoulders and knees were in working order. They were in good shape.  After getting up and brushing myself off, I can tell you that thereafter, I was very cautious.

  Larry and Fuzzy were busy checking out every mound of potting dirt that I spread.  The two little cats are barely a hand full but they don’t miss a beat.  If by chance, there were leaves that had been blown into a mound, all that was visible were the tips of their tails as they were checking out what may have been at the bottom of the mound of leaves.  The entertainment value that they bring is priceless.  The rustling of the leaves was not entirely made by the cats.  The squirrels are trying to get every Black Walnut possible before the snow begins falling for the season.  It amazes me that they can find them under the leaves.  I doubt they will be going hungry this winter.  Don’t worry, if by chance they need an extra snack, they will be snatching Meow Mix that Dennis will have out for the cats that find their way onto our patio.

  

  The red fruit on the Ornamental Crab Apple tree will be picked clean by the birds as the winter months go on. It is amazing how many birds do well during the cold months.

  We did leave several chairs out on the patio and I made very good use of one of them.  With the empty flower pots tucked into the potting shed, I had done all that I had intended to do outside.  Sitting on the patio in the sun, I enjoyed watching some of the birds that were taking advantage of the fruit that was on the Ornamental Crab Apple tree.  This afternoon does close another season of gardening here on Stauffer Avenue.   Each spring I look at the bleak yard and wonder if the gardens are worth all the work.  I got up from the lawn chair to head in for a cup of hot coffee, and realized that the feeling I had in the hip that had hit the dirt first was bound to leave a black and blue mark.  If I don’t begin being a bit more careful, I won’t have that choice in the springs that are yet to be.

   
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  Noreen 6:55 am on October 25, 2015 Permalink  

  It turned out to be a great sunny day. I had been negligent in watering the perennial gardens and the younger trees. After yesterday and last night, Mother Nature came through. One and a half inch of a good slow rain has taken care of my negligence.

  The weight of the rain on the golden leaves of the Maple and Oak trees made for a steady flourish of leaves during the brisk breeze this morning.

  My greatest accomplishment for the day was getting the largest of the squash that I have purchased at the farmers market cut open and cleaned for it to be baked out. I have enough to freeze a two-cup portion, take a container to the neighbor and to make a pie tomorrow. Dennis can’t tell the difference between a pumpkin pie and a squash pie. For my skills, a pumpkin is a bit much to cut, clean and bake out.

  Our neighbor, Randy, was kind enough to fix and reattach one of the mirrors on the Honda cycle for Dennis. Randy did take it out for a road test. He will be visiting with Dennis about a few items that need to be tweaked.

  It may be cool in these late days of October, but for those last repairs or fix-its, the cool days are for sure a gift. They are talking about snow showers by Wednesday. Maybe if I switch television channels I get can a better forecast.

  Gutter Helmet will be coming to trick out the garage and the porch before too long to ensure that Dennis will no longer be needing to get on the stepladder to take care of the leaves, twigs and Black Walnut wisps. We were assured that the cooler temps do not deter the installers and all the gutters will be cleaned at that time before the installation. This is one of the wisest decisions we have made this year . . . as well as the two new insulated garage doors, the new west house door, the painting of the Onduline garage roof and the new ridge cap on the back garage. Yes, indeed, we are good stewards on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 5:24 am on October 24, 2015 Permalink  

  Late fall is the season of trade shows for the gun collectors to gather. Tales of trades, good buys and good sales abound. I have learned a long time ago not to let facial expressions or body language squelch a sale for my ole cowboy. Go get ’em Dennis.

   
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  Noreen 3:07 am on October 23, 2015 Permalink  

  Can’t pass up a trip to the Odin Craft Mill in the city of Odin – population 48, as per the hand painted city limit sign. I picked up Lorraine and away we went with the intention of eventually having lunch there as well. The community club does the lunch and that is a large part as to how this little village continues to look sharp and be appealing.

  The craft mill is literally a fertilizer mill that had seen better days until a certain someone saw it with fresh eyes and new enthusiasm. It took a lot of cleaning and fore thought. In times past a house could be ordered from the Montgomery Ward mail order catalog. Low and behold, a home such as that was relocated from a vacant farm and attached to the mill. A time after that, a barn was also saved from demolition and added onto the project. Both the house and the barn offer two floors of goodies. Twice a year, for three continuous four-day weekends, vendors from five different states bring their wares. Literally from soup mixes to dried nuts and everything in between can be found.

  Lorraine and I checked over all the quilted items from quality of stitches to the choice of colors. We both decided that what each of us does is comparable to what was offered for sale. Our friends and family who receive our items as gifts would literally have ticket shock at those types of ticket prices. We do, we sew and we give from the heart and not by the investment needed to offer loved ones the finished items.

  It is a wonderful coincidence that friend Lorraine from St. James is 85 years young and a fantastic quilter and aunt Lorraine from Arizona at the age of 84 years young is also a fantastic quilter. How could I possibly not continue to step up my game in regard to my stitching? By the way, I did get a cell phone call yesterday that my Kenmore will be laid up a bit longer as a portion of the bobbin winder needed parts that had to be sent for. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

  Lorraine and I did have a great lunch, complete with coffee. Being a Thursday, there were not the crowds that a weekend would bring. We did not feel guilty taking our time with a second cup and some chit chat.

  Down to the business of what was bought. Sitting in the area of the sports memorabilia was a beautiful gulf bag. I bought two of what was inside the bag: golf clubs with the heads removed and in place of the heads were prongs that had been welded on for wiener roasts. Dennis and I had just talked about needing more than twigs for Megan and Nicholas’ next visit. These were of long, strong medal and the handles had very nice padded hand grips. Where else but a craft show would one find something that useful? Now we just need to remember where we store them until the next visit. Those two items were the only items I purchased. After returning to St. James I did recall a few items that needed to have a second thought about them. I may return sometime within the next three days as I know we have two great grand babies who will be having their first birthdays before the first of the year. I try to set a limit of $10 on the great grands. No, there is no storage of the bounty from remaining family members.

  A great day was finished off by stopping at the farmer market. As luck would have it, there were a few really nice cucumbers. Yup, we are having boiled potatoes with creamed cucumbers for supper . . . and that is all folks. For us, that makes a complete meal. Older people are quite funny.

   
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  Noreen 3:06 am on October 22, 2015 Permalink  

  The Beauty of Fall 

  

  The Tiger Eye Sumac is a beauty of the fall season. I barely caught this photo, as the wind is doing its number after we have had a light frost.

   
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  Noreen 4:46 am on October 21, 2015 Permalink  

  Dennis and I had a great road trip on this fall day. Yes, the sun was out, yes, the temperatures were agreeable, no, visibility was not good. No matter what direction we looked; harvest combines, stock choppers, corn stock bailers, gravel roads, all making rolls of dust. Dennis ran the little red pickup through the car wash before we left St. James and now as we pulled into our drive, there was no difference from earlier in the day.

  Our first stop was in Fairfax. No way, can we drive through Fairfax, or be within miles of Fairfax, can we not stop for friendly, loving hugs.

  Ever onward north, to Bird Island for the sewing machine repair shop. We were greeted as return customers. Karen and her husband also sell Bernina sewing machines. They were ready for a new machine sale right on the spot. I did take a brochure. It is a full color brochure, no less. I do know that Bernina has been a one family owned business from their inception and they are workhorse machines in the sewing and quilting line. I will try not to ware the ink off of the printed pages as I thumb through it, over and over and over. It may be a possibility, but not right now.

  The best visit ever was with my brother Michael and his wife JoAnn, who live on the family home farm, north of Stewart. Lots of laughs and reminiscing. How could coffee not be enjoyed when served with fresh apple crisp?

  We did make a quick top in Sleepy Eye for a potty break and to give me a chance to wash out my eyes. The dust in the air really did a number on my eyes. While we were at it, a bit of business was given to the Dairy Queen.

  We will make a return visit to Bird Island to retrieve my Kenmore sewing machine in time to come. It was brand new in 1968 and it has not missed a beat through all these decades. That machine will not go by the wayside easily or for a few infractions of utility. We are in it together until the last sewing machine needle is broken due to misaligned gears.

   
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  Noreen 5:52 am on October 20, 2015 Permalink  

  Just as I know when it’s time to go to the clinic for aches or pains, I know when my model 1802 Kenmore sewing machine, that was new in 1968, needs to have some tuning up. It is sporting its third motor, but the problem is in the little rubber wheel under the housing that is responsible for assisting the winding of the bobbin. A trip north to the fair city of Bird Island and all will be well. I look at circulars containing new sewing machines and I check them out whenever I go into a quilt shop that sells sewing machines. I just can’t quite bring myself to replace what I have, as it serves me so well . . . for now. What would be the upside to a new machine? Well, I could quilt small items rather than taking them to a long arm provider. Also, the new machines have an easier aspect of getting the bobbin and its holder in place, and many of them thread the needle automatically. The new machines have the ability to do some computerized embroidery as well. I will be cautious when the time comes to make a purchase. The long time Brothers sewing machines that are touted to be the cats meow have plastic nylon gears, and we all know what happens to that after a lot of wear and tear. I don’t believe there would be a need for motor replacements on them. I know that my Kenmore is totally metal where it counts.

  This is the first electric sewing machine I have owned since the Singer treadle sewing machine. That sewing machine is still in the family. Just in case, I have a new leather belt for the treadle to attach to the head if the machine is ever brought back into service.

  I am not by any means scratching my head for something to keep my arthritic fingers nimble. Quite a few years ago an afghan was my current challenge using a beautiful soft, washable green wool.

  This last weekend I was bestowed a plastic bag with the same green afghan peeking out. The afghan had been within reach of a puppy that was thought to be taking a nap. The puppy was actually using the afghan as a chew toy. Time will tell if I can repair it. Truth to be told, I have not as of yet even looked at the project.

  Crocheted projects can be repaired once the trail of the yarn is figured out. Matching yarn colors is always a challenge. I am letting the bag with the afghan sit right where the owner left it for several days, for no other reason than to deal with the next wave of creative juices when they begin to flow. For now, I will be up a creek with no paddle, aka: my sewing machine is not in the house and it is too early to begin making Christmas cards.

  This challenge, as with many others when dealing with crocheting, I thank my Lord for what my mother-in-law, Esther Schafer, had taught me. Those who have gone before us were true treasures as each of them had their specialty. Priceless.

   
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  Noreen 6:14 am on October 19, 2015 Permalink  

  The day was windy but the sunshine was great for the kids playing outside. Up the ladder into the Maple tree and down the ladder. The kids made a game as only two children with vivid imaginations can. Surprise, surprise, when Snuggles was beside the kids up in the tree. That was the only cat that would let the kids drag it around much like a rag doll. I did check on the porch just a bit ago and Snuggles was out like a light on one of the cushions.

  When Jeremy and Carrie came to pick up the kids and it was time to go, the kids were not thrilled to leave. It is always best to call it when there is more wanted.

  Sunday evening and the last of the weekend play items are tucked away until the net time Megan and Nicholas come to St. James. Nicholas assured his dad that another visit could come during winter break from school.

  Tomorrow morning I plan on sleeping in a bit. I admit, I am not used to putting my coffee on hold in the morning to tackle French toast or pancakes first thing. Megan and Nicholas always ate a good breakfast and they put thumbs up on the bacon that was also on the plate. Good old Nicholas: “I suppose there is quite a bit of grease in our breakfast, but it sure is a treat.” He doesn’t miss a thing. A little old man in a seven year old.

  Yes, Dennis and I both agree. This was a fantastic weekend for both the grandkids and, for sure, us.