Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2015 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 6:29 am on September 3, 2015 Permalink  

  I am quite proud of my 1999 Lincoln Towncar. I needed to make a visit to Jiffy Lube in Mankato. I have been using their services for several decades and have total trust in them. The general oil change was due, as the last date had been in March and I was just about at 3,000 miles. It was going in for service with no indication that the oil level was low. As per the computer info, it did indicate that the tires could use rotating. The general manager came back in and said that all four tires were showing uniform wear and the rotating could be done the next time. The alignment of the tires on the car is good.

  I was asked to come out to the service bay for a look-see at the serpentine belt. It was not showing severe crackage, but I went ahead and authorized the new belt. I know what can happen when that belt goes by the wayside on the highway. The compression test came back at a 9. That was deemed to be a very good read.

  All in all, I can’t imagine that I would think about a replacement at this time. It gets about 27 miles per gallon and I am not putting on the mileage that I did several years ago. I will admit the newer cars are shiny and might be a bit easier to get in and out of. The book value of this vehicle is . . . not much, but I’m looking to have this beauty around for quite some time to come.

   
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  Noreen 4:12 am on September 2, 2015 Permalink  

  Great visit to the farmers market today. Kun Hung is a fellow from China that has lived here for several decades. He is growing Gingko trees from seed that he has brought from China to his acreage northeast of town. He now has 12,000 trees in various stages with some of the oldest ones at five feet tall. Drummers is a huge nursery/greenhouse in Mankato. Kun Hung and Drummers are working on a “grower to retailer” deal. I hope it works out for Kun Hung as Gingko trees are highly sought after in landscape design, and I know how hard he works on his farm.

  This is Kun Hung’s first year at the farmers market with a huge variety of vegetables. He only uses soybean meal as fertilizer. I have a batch of creamed cucumbers going for supper using his Chinese Cucumbers. They are a bit sweeter than those I have bought from other vendors. The proof will be in our supper.

  We are just so fortunate to have such a great selection of vendors at the farmers market three times a week. Our downtown shaded park is the perfect venue for the sellers and the community people to find a park bench for visiting.

   
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  Noreen 5:33 am on August 31, 2015 Permalink  

  It might be wise to have an extra “Stop” sign on Stauffer Avenue – or on our patio.  Dennis and I are quite the team once we get going.  The weather outside today was quite nice. My one item on the agenda was to scrub off the alley side of the potting shed.  We have had a lot of rain in the recent past. The entertainment of those using the gravel Stauffer Avenue to travel here . . . and there . . . and everywhere, is to hit the pot holes filled with muddy water and see how far up on the potting shed wall it will land. There is no luck about it. Dennis has made sure we have sufficient garden hose to reach wherever it is needed. I was content when Dawn dish washing liquid made the scrubbing of the mud much easier. Dennis, not so much.

  Dennis went on to wash down the garage, the porch and the entire house from the grim of a season of high winds. While he manned the hose, I tided up the flowerbeds closest to the house. My “Happy Birthday, I bought you a brand new silage fork,” came in handy to haul the spent foliage to the fire pit next door.  A few garden art items were hauled to the potting shed and several Fern Peony stands were put in place for the early sprouting plants of next spring.

  The bathroom window is our “go to” window to check out the back yard, and after the house was washed off, the water spots needed to go.

  Dennis and I took quite a few breaks sipping coffee on the patio, as one task led to another.  It has been quite remarkable that with all the rain we have had, there are no mosquitoes.  It makes being outside “Oh, so pleasant.”

  If there were an extra stop sign posted on the patio, we more than likely would ignore it. We do enjoy keeping our home tidy.  Self satisfaction . . . priceless.

   
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  Noreen 5:02 am on August 28, 2015 Permalink  

  Quite the day. Dennis’ pickup has new tires and is road ready for whatever may come. Soon Dennis’ pickup garage will have a new door and a new garage door opener. Remember the Genie brand name for garage door openers? Neither do suppliers of parts. It will be a good feeling to know that as cold weather is not far away, the garage porch may have a bit more protection from the cold with a new insulated door. With three sets of patio doors in the porch, we are realistic. You just can’t beat this great porch to ward off cabin fever when winter seems relentless on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 5:39 am on August 24, 2015 Permalink  

  This is the type of day that finds the windows on either end of the home open with a breeze bringing in wonderful, refreshing air. It may have been the storm yesterday that swept from the northern tip of the state to the south that has brought low dew points.

  Dennis and I did pick up quite a few small branches from the strong wind before it became a welcome breeze. Thankfully, our neighbor, Bob, allows and welcomes us to use his fire pit to take care of branches as they may fall.

  We did make good use of the patio chairs, enjoying the weather, watching Butter Ball and Snuggles chase acorns across the patio as the wind knocked them down from aloft. Yesterday’s road trip was a good trip, but Dennis and I need a bit more training for extended periods of time in a vehicle. We’ve become accustomed to short jaunts to Mankato and errands here in town. Well . . . you can’t visit the people that mean a lot to you, if you are not willing to challenge yourselves.

  We kicked around what sounded good for supper. The end result was that I headed down to the sewing room for a bit and Dennis manned the kitchen and pulled together a great chicken noodle hot dish, complete with mushrooms topped with Panko bread crumbs. I think the reason the hot dish tasted so good was that Dennis was very liberal with the Panko, keeping the Alfredo sauce smothering all the ingredients to perfection.

  It is our goal to clean our pantry to the point of being lean, and then to restock it before winter. It is amazing what can be easily created for a tasty meal on a fall-feeling evening.

   
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  Noreen 5:12 am on August 23, 2015 Permalink  

  We arrived home at six bells this evening just as thunder and rain hit St. James. We made the 400 miles round trip to see my brother, Calvin, and his wife Lois for afternoon coffee. The road trip went well and it was fun catching up with what the Iowans have been up to. The wonderful bounty of patio tomatoes will be enjoyed for several days to come.

   
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  Noreen 5:43 am on August 22, 2015 Permalink  

  Today was a joyful day. This forenoon, I enjoyed having coffee with Lorraine, a previous employee. Coffee and a bite of coffee cake made the visiting in regard to family special. She also had several new quilt projects laid out in her living room to share.

  Today, I received news that the biopsy I had on my right facial cheek was negative. Who would not want to receive news such as that from a biopsy! I did have a cat scan this afternoon that resulted from a routine office call to the clinic. It was in regard to a burning sensation in the area of my sternum. Hey, I read and watch news programs. It’s my job to do the work on getting my butt into my family doctor. What I did do, when I got home, was immediately follow up on instructions of setting up and accessing my medical records with a user name and password. At 6:05, I received an email with the “all clear” news. It is possible that I have stretched tissue, tendons or minor muscles from doing yard work. Nothing to be concerned with; take it easy for a time. What a fantastic way to get quick medical results. I will share that Dr. Eatwell called for the cat scan to be done immediately due to his knowledge and history of such symptoms of cancer. I feel so blessed to have a family doctor who knows I don’t come into the clinic unless I am very concerned, and then goes the extra mile immediately to put me as ease with the best of diagnostic tests possible.

  Anyway, at the time I got home from the clinic and setting up access to the website for the clinic medical records, I was in the process of making a small pot of coffee for the hard working ole cowboy. He had mowed our entire acre on his own. I was totally surprised when the doorbell announced Elaine had arrived and would love sharing some of that fresh coffee. Elaine retired from my office 15 years ago, and I had not seen her since she had moved away shortly thereafter. Coffee and pumpkin bread was enjoyed in the porch with a wonderful breeze blowing through it. Great friends, you treasure them no matter if you see them often or every 15 years.

  Joyful days happen when you least expect the blessings that come from various sources.

   
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  Noreen 6:06 am on August 19, 2015 Permalink  

  This was quite the wet day. A trip out to Super 8 pool for some needed exercise while the rains continued. We had not realized that during the time we were at the pool, the wind had come up and was already down by the time we left for home. We were amazed at all the leaves and branches that were lying along the route home. Tomorrow will be a day to pick up branches and tidy up the patio. Yes, after three inches of rain over the last two days, we do have to have patio doors open and fans running to dry out a few spots of the porch carpet.

   
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  Noreen 3:49 am on August 16, 2015 Permalink  

  We are home from the Curry reunion. Tom and Edith Curry had four children: Dennis will be 79 in October and his sister June is 85. Dick passed away in 1985 and Roger passed away in 2006. Each of the four families represented today wore different colored t-shirts. It was a great crowd with every type of food you could imagine. There was a breeze coming across the lake . . . but it was hot and humid. Dennis is in his recliner and I have finished washing up and putting away the picnic fare.

   
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  Noreen 6:14 am on August 14, 2015 Permalink  

  It is so useful, it is bad. My Mom had a stainless quart and a half copper bottom Revere Ware saucepan. I was thrilled to add it to our kitchen. It is the perfect size for use here on Stauffer Avenue. Unfortunately, the handle is very heavy. With the saucepan having less than a quart of liquid or vegetables . . . it will tip if not handled with care. Dang, I like that saucepan, but it is a challenge. Kevin has shared that table knives with larger handles are easy to wield, but don’t expect them to stay on the edge of a dinner plate. Life is good and little items just keep us on our toes. We are up for whatever it takes to keep things on an even keel.