Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 3:01 pm on August 12, 2024 Permalink  

  Tidy Monday 

  Of course a Monday means the laundry basket takes several hits.  It’s what I do when I do it.

  The hamstring feels much better today after me and the tennis ball went round and round yesterday.  I plan on doing that again as soon as I feel a twitch.

  If I were still in the mindset of hanging laundry out, I would.  Just no longer taking chances of me and a basket getting from point A to point B.  Drying indoors, point B, still makes the laundry smell clean, just not that fresh air clean.

  I put in several hours in the studio today.  Nothing rushing.  Stitch a bit, get up and press a bit.  Even KNUJ had no breaking news.

  Dennis’ son Jeff came over this afternoon asking for a long sleeve shirt.  His arms are showing water blisters and he is quite self-conscious of them.  Our skin is made up of our body fluids.  I pulled out a shirt for him.  Jeff didn’t stay long.

  Dennis’ oven meal was very tasty last night.  Tasty enough there will be a repeat performance for this evening.

  I have several loads of laundry to fold after Dennis got them from point B.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:01 pm on August 11, 2024 Permalink  

  Sunday the 11th 

  The littlest things.  I stood at the kitchen sink after getting out of bed to run a huge glass of water.  I believe in hydrating my body after a night of rest.  It wakes my organs to begin a new day.  I have been doing that ritual for decades.  The water comes before coffee.

  As I looked out the window to the northeast, the squirrels were having a heyday in the yards and in the trees.

  Dennis was already in the patio porch as I looked out the bathroom window to the east.  It’s my thing to check out, via windows, what the day may hold.

  With a coffee cup of the rich black coffee, I returned to my bedroom porch to check out to the south and west what was going on.  I didn’t perch on my cherry red chair until I had a tennis ball on the seat of my chair to perch upon.  I awoke with a tight hamstring on the left side.  Gosh, I hate that when it happens.  The tennis ball puts pressure on the right spot to eventually allow the nerves to relax, hopefully giving relief.  Another trick that helps is backing up to the corner of our wooden dining room table, find the tight spot by putting pressure on it and roll over and over on it.  That will bring a tear or two.

  It had been a long time since the hamstring bucked.  I noticed a bit of it yesterday as the pedicure chair was teasing the hamstring.  No teasing this morning.  Buy the way, the spa date was worth every hamstring twitch.

  Dennis has chosen to make an oven meal.  He asks questions and I answer them and stay out of the kitchen.  It is a real treat.  Eating out is not our favorite thing to do.  Even after the recent trips to Mankato, we ran the errands and came home.  I would say that about every week or so we do Subway.  The ingredients are fresh and I can ask for more veggies on my half of the 12″ tuna.

  I have a sneaky suspicion that when Dr. Pinke has me come in for the yearly exam, my lenses will need to be adjusted to the stronger.  Each year in these last three they have tested okay.  I can tell by my reading and stitching.  So be it.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:00 pm on August 10, 2024 Permalink  

  Cloudy 

  Today is cloudy and cool and nobody cares.  Everybody is just enjoying it.

  Today was spa day for the ole cowboy and me.  A trip up the street by five blocks and the spa event began.  Nothing, at least for me, feels better than some TLC for my feet.  Dennis never begs off of the spa day because . . . he enjoys it as much as I do.  Haircuts follow the the spa day.  Going for one-month intervals is as long as either one of us can take.  The toe nails catch in the socks and the hair becomes fly-away.  We never leave Maria’s shop without a card for the next month.  It was shocking to see the September date.  We will be there.

  When we got home a bit after noon, Dennis’ grandson and his pickup were parked in the drive waiting.  He had phoned his grandpa about the visit.  AJ knew we would be home shortly.  It is always a good visit for the grandpa.  AJ works for a cyber-optics company with under-ground cable.  He is not married, owns his own home in North Mankato and loves his dog Rowdy.

  For myself, I feel that I had a great week.  When I parked the zero-turn yesterday in the back garage after mowing, our work on Wednesday really gave the garage the look that someone cared.  We do need to pick up more floor-dry of the white consistency.  We left our oldest floor broom in the garage so we can work the floor-dry in and then get it shoveled up.

  Thursday’s shopping has allowed our pantry to be stocked for the items we consistently use and may not have to shop for them again for three months.  We bought a new tote to be used as a litter box for the three patio kitties.  Over time plastic surfaces pick up scents.  Did Dennis pitch the old one?  No.  It has Dawn dishwashing liquid in it and he thought he may use it in the potting shed for dry storage after a good scrubbing.  I encouraged him, if he did, to not use the cover for some time.

  When we were done at the spa date, we did take a whip in and around the blue barn acre, aka: getting to look like a park.  Very self-satisfying speaking of pride in ownership.

  While Dennis and AJ are solving the world’s problems I am comfortable in my bedroom porch listening to a YouTube while poking in a stitch or two.  AJ’s parent live several blocks east of us.  Pretty darn special that we were his first stop when he got into town.  Just saying.

  Supper is the left-over soup from last night with Dennis and I having a half of a grilled cheese sandwich.  

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:38 pm on August 9, 2024 Permalink  

  More Please 

  More days such as this . . . please.

  I knew yesterday as I was tucking groceries where they needed to go that today, Friday, was already planned.

  Today was mowing day!  The air and yards were dry as humidity and the dewpoint were low.  Mowing began at 10:30.  I have moved on up in the world, as George Jefferson said.  I am now able to start the zero-turn mower in the proper sequence and begin without any further instruction.  I walked into the house at 1:30.  Mission completion.  Dennis is helping out a person new to the neighborhood and mowing her lot as well.  When 93 year old Edna lived in that home, Dennis always took care of her yard.  I am sure at some time a mower will be on the new owner’s tick list.

  Before Dennis had rang the mowing bell, I had a few items I wanted tidied up in the studio.  One fabric that ravels easily needed to be put under the surger.  One of my patterns that I work off of in my bedroom porch needed to be copied.  I often use a highlighter to keep track of where I am in my stitching and a throwaway copy comes in handy.  I also had some blocks on the quilt top I am working on that needed pressing.  

  It is always more enjoyable to return to the studio if everything is up to snuff.

  When I came in from mowing, I nabbed the last of the breakfast coffee and tuned in to a YouTube.

  I brought out of the basement pantry a bag of Shore Lunch Chicken Noodle Soup.  The contents are dehydrated.  The contents are wide egg noodles, carrots, celery and herbs.  Six cups of water brought to a boil.  Contents of the bag are added and the kettle is simmered.  I will then add a 12.5 oz can of white chicken meat that I will use a dinner fork to break apart and shred.  It does make for a hearty soup.  Good thing crackers were brought home yesterday.  I generally don’t do crackers.  Dennis uses enough that there is no broth to sip at the end.  I am a sipper.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:52 pm on August 8, 2024 Permalink  

  Home Sweet Home 

  We were only away from home for 3.5 hours but it seems oh so much longer.

  Today was grocery shopping.  Purposely the pantry has been taking hit after hit to make sure the supplies in the corners were being used.

  We both slept in as yesterday’s garage cleaning wore us out.  We didn’t leave home until noon.

  As of this morning, we were down to one slice of bread and nothing more for Dennis’ breakfast box.

  After a trip to the big town getting the list checked twice . . . it will feel great once I have all the groceries tucked where they need to be.  The freezer got a 5lb. bag of skinless chicken tenderloins and two boxes of Jimmy Dean precooked sausage patties.  They come as a twin pack with four patties in each pack.  I get them out of the box and cut the twin packs apart.  Four sausage patties, two each, is all we need for a meal.  I don’t need a cardboard boxes in the freezer.

  Dennis enjoys orange juice with his meals.  I can get two 54oz jugs for the price of one here in town.  They come two to a cellophane pack.  I cut them apart before they go into the refrigerator.  I like things ready to go when the need arises. 

  I admit, a day of getting items carted up and into the car and into the house wears both of us out.  Once I had what needed to be refrigerated and kept frozen, the rest may wait until tomorrow.   It will all get done when I get to it.

  On our way home, Dennis got a call from his son Jeff.  The injectable morphine refill:  our Lewis Drug did not have on hand.  We got home, got the groceries in the house, and now Dennis is in his little red pickup and has picked up Jeff and they are on their way to Mountain Lake to the White Drug to pick up the morphine.  Dennis will be glad to get home and park the vehicle in the garage for the day.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 3:24 pm on August 7, 2024 Permalink  

  Spits of Rain Showers 

  Rain showers not amounting to anything.  It didn’t slow us up today.

  The back garage needed cleaning . . . big time.  Dennis’ daughter Sandy had stored her friend’s car in the garage.  When he came to pick up the car in early spring, he barely had enough transmission fluid in it to make it three blocks up the street to a garage.  Where was the car’s fluid?  On our garage floor.  Not a thought was offered that he would clean it up.  Today . . . let’s hear it for floor dry!

  For five years Dennis’ friend Dwayne stored his tractor in our back garage.  During those years, the tractor was taken out to repair a tire.  But . . . not before the fluid had drained out of the tire.  Dwayne would comment on coming over to clean up the floor, but never ever acted on that need.  The task of that cleanup was started today but will wait for completion for another day.  We work not for hours on end.  We take things easy so as to not make it feel like work and drudge.

  Today was a start in the cleaning.  Not rushing into anything.

  Dennis is in the patio porch watching some late afternoon crime shows enjoying a can of orange crush.  I am in my bedroom porch with the last of the breakfast coffee.

  No studio work for me today.  There may well be little to no hand stitching today.

  Dennis and I have had a great day.  As luck would have it, the mosquitoes did not bother us in the garage.  Yippee!

  We have decided on waffles and Jimmy Dean precooked sausage patties for a quick supper.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:22 pm on August 6, 2024 Permalink  

  After the Storm 

  This morning with the sun and cooler temperatures it was hard to believe there had been so many warnings out.  Our skies to the northwest didn’t look friendly at supper time.  We did not get any amount of rain and no winds whatsoever.  We were blessed.  

  With KNUJ on in the studio the rain totals were all over the map.

  It was interesting listening to the interviews with the KNUJ moderators for the first day of Farm Feast.  Hard to believe so much machinery and inventory is hauled out to the site for just three days.  Even closing the gates at four every afternoon seems counter productive for businesses to hawk their wares.

  Dennis has had success with his vegetation weed killer and went back to the acre this afternoon to spray another area.  The good thing is that Dennis knows when to take a break.  If he forgets, most likely his legs will threaten to buckle underneath him.  Just as I no longer answer his phone when he forgets to carry it, I no longer keep tabs on his whereabouts when he is out and about on our property.  There could be a correlation between the two.

  I have been thinking about Esther Schafer’s full hank of silk floss.  I have a stash of cross stitch fabric that may have been Carrie’s or mine or perhaps both of ours.  The curiosity got the best of me and I had to take a look-see as to how it would work up.  It handles in the needle beautifully.  No twisting or knotting up.  In the stash was several yards of banding.  Not all designs work on an area of 2.25″ in width.  I got out the gridded paper and struck out to see what I could see.  No, I do not have a full yard in length charted.  I am taking it slow.  It is interesting to see how a length of floss that is variegated looks on fabric.  I am not able to stay with it long as the fabric is slubbed.  I am working two strands over two stitches on this 25-count fabric.  Poking around and through the unevenness makes for a good challenge.  I am always up for a good one.

  Dennis reported he got one of the Harbor Freight sprayers emptied and then let the mosquitoes reign.

  I have taken out of the freezer an oven meal for supper.  Do I remember what concoction it is?  No.  A mystery meal is to be had.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:57 pm on August 5, 2024 Permalink  

  Happy 

  I am happy Dennis is home from Mankato from Jeff’s one-day procedure.

  Just as Dennis came home, it began to rain.  The sun had not shone all day but now the sun is shining through the rain.

  As I was in the studio, I texted friend Linda to firm up with her about the quilt tops I want to work up for the church ladies.  I am on the correct path.  Their group does not meet until after school starts. 

  After I had put in my allotted time, I came up to my bedroom porch to sit upon my cherry red chair and pick up the hand stitching.  I have been working on the stitching for Esther’s wooden box.  The stitching is going according to plan.  That’s always a good thing.  I have been kicking around what color of fabric I want to make the liner with.  I will use some of what I have in my stashes.

  Looking out to the south as I work on this blog, I couldn’t help but notice that some of the neighbor’s sunflower plants are taller than the roof line of their one story porch.  No blooms on them as yet.  The smaller plants are showing blooms.

  I am the consistent one that lives on Stauffer Avenue.  I keep a balanced life for myself each day.  With the enjoyment of helping Dennis mow our acreage, I thought I would also take care of some of the extra foliage among the Hosta.  Nope.  Once the mosquitoes notice a rustling of the vegetation, they are on me like . . . immediately . . . after my face and ears.  My stamina and balance doesn’t allow for long durations without a cane, so I don’t resort to the oily bug spray that needs to be washed off for the short time of use.  So be it.

  I did take note on KNUJ, the fellow that Kevin bought his first train set from and I believe also Rachel the goat had passed away at age 87, still living on his farm site at Buffalo Lake.

  Nothing exciting to report and that in itself is a good thing.

  Supper is grilled cheese sandwiches with chili.   

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:28 pm on August 4, 2024 Permalink  

  Shh!! 

  Shh! It’s really a quiet day in the neighborhood.

  We both slept in until eight.  That has become my normal.

  Dennis and the porch kitties are hunkered down in the patio porch watching real life crime shows.  I went to the studio about 10:30 and tuned in the Spirit Lake AM radio.  As I listen and stitch, I am very patient with the stitching process.  That was evident when I was cutting some blocks apart and mistook a block that was looking good for a seam allowance and cut right through it.  Shucky darn.  I pulled out some residual fabric and started the block over. 

  As it was, I pulled the plug on the studio while my shoulders, arms and hands were doing well at 1:30.  I have a new book started.  There are always new YouTubes to catch.  While I listen to them, I can even plug in a few cross stitch stitches.

  It has been a really long time since we have had Progressive Chicken Noodle Soup and a half sandwich type supper.  Neither one of us has done squat today.  The vanilla ice cream hasn’t even been tapped since it came into the house a week ago.  It may very well be later on this evening.

  Dennis has to have his son Jeff to the Mankato hospital by eleven tomorrow morning for a one-day surgery to have a self maintenance drain to be put in.  It may well be a day that Dennis can catch a nap in his little red pickup while he waits.  Dennis does not go into the building for the appointment.

  The sky is gray and heavy with possible showers coming from the west.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:37 pm on August 3, 2024 Permalink  

  Grateful 

  Today I am so grateful I passed on a long trek to the home of the twine ball.  It was the Riebe cousin get together.  It is held in the city hall of Darwin that is airconditioned.  I just didn’t feel it.  Dennis said as late as last night that he would take me . . . Nope. 

  My age has nothing to do with it.  My general health has nothing to do with it.  More time is spent on the hot highways than in attendance.  I know I would come home with with the loud conversations echoing in my head as there are no acoustics in the building. I would be wiped out into tomorrow.  It’s all about choices.  The highways go both ways.

  I was content in sleeping until eight not having to worry about a food item to take along in this heat.  My ritual is to sit on the edge of my bed for a good ten minutes before I venture further.  A great way to start each and every day.  

  The breakfast coffee was rich and hot.  The buttons on the washing machine were punched and I was totally dressed by ten.

  Dennis’ plan was to visit with our tree trimmer.  He and I have decided to finish up the clearing of the blue barn acre.  The south lot line going east to west has about 12′ to 15′ of volunteer small trees and some larger trees that gave it up and fell over.  What a great feeling that would be to get it done.  Ryan has been with us since the first load of crap was hauled away from the site.

  My plan was my studio.  There was stitching laid out.  There was some progress that needed pressing.  It all boiled down to contentment for this Grammie.  The Spirit Lake radio station had great country western tunes.  When Dennis came home he had news from Ryan that maybe in several weeks he would be by with his crew and equipment.  Dennis had also stopped at Fleet Farm and bought several small bags of potting soil.  The two large patio plants were repotted last Saturday.  We have had two inches of pounding rain since and naturally the soil in each pot has settled making room for more to top off the pots. 

  Yes . . . a grateful day.

  Supper is going to be Subway.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥