Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 2:28 pm on November 8, 2023 Permalink  

  A Flying Enemy 

  As I am down in the studio, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flying enemy, aka: an Asian Beatle or a Box Elder.  Now to find where he landed.  Bugs such as Asian Beatles and Box Elder bugs are not friends of cloth.  They mark fabrics with a nasty stain.

  It has been enjoyable to listen on KNUJ to the Future Farmers of America convention.  Listening to . . . Box Elder just crawled across my computer keyboard . . . got him.  As I was saying . . . listening to the young men and women with their plans and what is available for them is amazing.

  Stitching went well this morning.  Stitch a bit, then get up to press and then to pin, allows movement of up and down and standing in place.  So much easier than staying in one place too long.  The top has been stitched together.  It’s about 50″ x 62″.  I am very much in-like with how this has turned out.  I am planning on doing either one border or two, neither would be very wide.  I have options with two different blues.  I am drawn to putting on a 1.5″ of the darker blue and finishing with 2″ of the lighter blue.  Following that, I want to do a piano border.  I have quite a bit of odds and ends of all of the prints.  The length of each piece would be 3″ and width would be varied from 1.5″ to 3″ in width around the entire perimeter of the quilt top.   To many it would sound tedious.  To me, this is my passion.

  Dennis took a “Happy Birthday” letter to the mail this morning.  My aunt Janet of Brownton will be 90 on the 13th of this month.  Janet is the last of my dad’s siblings.  Janet and Jerald were the youngest of eight.  I am sure a set of twins was quite the surprise. 

  It is early in the afternoon, but I am going to shut down the studio and revert to doing some reading in my bedroom porch, perched on the cherry red chair.  I miss doing some cross stitch.  I have a complete kit coming from Etsy.  Little did I realize it was coming from the UK.  I have been tracking it.  It hit New York last week and is now on its way to Toronto, Canada.  Hmm.  I have heard some amazing stories of how items reach Minnesota from the UK.

  Dennis assures me the flying enemies are not in shortage outside.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:42 pm on November 7, 2023 Permalink  

  Stitching 

  Today is Tuesday and my day was spent in the studio.

  It is always exciting when quilt blocks can be stitched together to make rows.  There are a total of eight rows that will make up this quilt top.  After stitching to make five rows, I called uncle.  The shoulders were beginning to tell me enough was enough.  It is wise to cease and call it quits before the message is so strong, pain ensues.  Dennis did come down to the studio and comment on the variety of colors.  There may be more stitches tomorrow.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:51 pm on November 6, 2023 Permalink  

  New Week 

  A new Monday complete with empty laundry baskets.  Clean clothes is a remarkable attitude booster.

  I know every morning, the sun is coming up either bright or hiding behind clouds.  Each morning I put my feet on the floor and I too can either have a bright outlook or a dark cloudy one.  I generally choose the bright cheerful outlook.

  I know when I post my blogs,  I do not dwell on the less than good “Me.”  There is no point in harboring negative thoughts, words or deeds.  I do not want to waste a God-given day.

  In our lives on Stauffer Avenue I do have the responsibility of seeing after Dennis’ medical appointments and or needs.  I can handle that.  It may seem as if that could be an undo load besides my own needs.  The key is I have found a way to carry that load without it taking away from my own quality of life.

  Speaking of quality.  This afternoon I have the fun of taking quality sewn quilt blocks to begin laying out my quilt blocks for the quilt top I am building.  Trimming up the blocks was a breeze.  My seam allowance was right on . . . making them quality.  Photo may be posted tomorrow.  

  Today, Dennis has undertaken the job of burning a certain jute-backed area rug from our basement.  He is doing this utilizing our fire ring.  It may seem as if a fire pit would be needed, but carefully he is getting the job done.

  The wind has shifted to the northwest with still promising nice weather.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:56 pm on November 5, 2023 Permalink  

  Time to Build 

  With all my scrappiness, it is time to begin building a quilt top.

  There are four different designs blocks to work with.  Blocks 1,2,3 needed sixteen each.  Block four is the end cap for the eight rows and thus is a half block to ensure staggering, to the right on row one and to the left on row two, etc.  

  I have no name for this soon to be quilt.  I saw it on one of the YouTube channels I have subscribed to.  When I reached out to her, she was gracious to send me information in an email.

  This has been a fun project.  When I come down into the studio and glance over at the array of blocks, it makes me smile.  All of the different sizes in each block with all the different prints is a testament of my passion for challenges.  It couldn’t be a testament if there were no tests and this project did test my concentration.

  More work is yet to come as each of the 56 bocks need to be trimmed for a consistent measurement of 8.25″.  That task will be for another day.

  Dennis has been doing his duty at raking up leaves and burning a small bit before raking up more.  Oak and Maple trees in the yard mean lots and lots of leaves that have fluttered and many more to come.

  I am kitchen bound after posting this to my blog.  I have one fairly large pork steak to prepare for supper.  By the time I am done seasoning it to build a great flavor and putting it into my blue speckled roaster to pop into the oven, Dennis won’t know if it is pork or beef.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:21 pm on November 4, 2023 Permalink  

  I Got It 

  Alright . . . I got it, I got it.  Turn the clocks back one hour at bed time.

  The bright sun and mild temps today got everyone in the neighborhood doing yard work.  The tree dump is open and everything, from trunks of cars, trailers being pulled by cars and trucks were heading north with their bounty.

  Dennis has spent the day waxing his little red pickup and our car.  They both look wonderful.  I know doing my wheels was not easy on the cowboy.  An old folding chair snuggled right up to the wheel sure did help the back.

  My goal was my studio after a load of laundry.  I barely had the lights turned on when a Boxelder bug pranced across one of my church tables.  I had a square of toilet paper in hand and had zeroed in on him.  Man, can they move fast when they are pursued.  I got the best of him.

  You know there is trouble when the last cup of coffee is more coffee grounds than liquid.  Hmm.  How did coffee grounds get into the water tank!  Putting the coffee grounds into the filter is just a gnat’s ass away from the water tank.  Dennis takes pride in his routine of making coffee for the next morning.  Starting this evening, the grounds will be put in the filter before the filter is set into the pot.  It was a mess to clean up.  Water tanks on automatic coffee makers do not have a back door to open.  We are all set.  I will get it plugged in and do all the settings.  Coffee will be on at six in the morning just like always.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 2:31 pm on November 3, 2023 Permalink  

  Friday the Third 

  KNUJ tells me it is 49 degrees outside.  The active Boxelder bugs affirmed that.  I have nabbed three of them here in the studio.  Ish!

  Earlier this week Dennis and I recovered from having water come up from the floor drain twice.  Dennis was helping with the mopping of the floor with heavily added Clorox water.  It was my time to sit it out for a few moments, I commented that weaker those than us would have a good reason to think of moving to apartment living.  As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew this event would not deter us from taking care of our forever home. Of course it is daunting and inconvenient.  Lots of things in life are.

  I knew when I had headed for bed last night, I needed the rest.  Since my stroke, when nine o’clock comes in the evening, I begin getting wanky weary.  Dennis could set his watch by me heading for my bed.  Couple that with activity such as yesterday, rest is mandatory.  And . . . with one bathroom visit at 3 a.m., my time to put the feet on the floor the next morning is not before seven to seven thirty.  Rest is the easiest way to keep me on track.  I wish I could nap during the day as my dad could and Dennis can.  When I do check my eyelids for cracks it is the real deal.

  This morning when the studio lights were turned on . . . I was in my element just as much as Dennis is in his garages and his patio porch.

  I had taken a break from stitching to put out this blog posting.  I will go back to pressing what I had stitched until we have the agreed upon supper . . . soup and a half sandwich.

  With that I will take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:38 pm on November 2, 2023 Permalink  

  Hello 

  Hello People,

  This is this Grammie, live from her homogenized studio on Stauffer Avenue.

  Our city employee from the water department stopped by and assured us our lines from the house to the street were not to worry about.

  To test it, I ran two loads of laundry back to back.  Neary a drop in the floor drain.  The floors were dry in the studio before last night’s bedtime.  Dennis put a new filter into my shop vacuum this afternoon and I was good to go.  Every nook, every corner was hit in the studio, which is the entire basement area.  I cleaned the cold air return here in the studio as well as the ceiling vent from the fan running 24/7 to the outside.  Last but not least, the carpeted steps to the first floor.  That shop vac has tremendous suction.  Dennis has one just like it for his patio porch.  Let me tell you, with three porch kitties, that vacuum gets a workout.

  My sewing awaits right where I left it Sunday afternoon.

  Dennis’ agenda this afternoon was to run both vehicles through the car wash.  He remembered that we had prescriptions at our Lewis Drug.  When he brought the prescription bag that held four different ones, the total out of pocket was $1.45.  Sweet.  He commented that there was no shortage of people to visit with while waiting.

  I was mistaken.  I thought our legislature passed a bill to cease daylight saving time, only to hear we turn the clocks back one hour this weekend.  Yuk.

  A new stitching kit is coming off of Esty, complete with needed threads and fabric.  Am I sorry our church ladies are using the floss I donated to them?  No.  This kit takes so little floss and stitching may not be in my wheel-house for a length of time to come.  I miss being in my bedroom’s cherry red chair when I was either stitching or reading.  When cooler winter is actually here, the studio does not stay open when supper time comes.  I need the diversions.

  As much as I am enjoying my fresh studio, sewing will be for tomorrow.  I am going to do a bit of reading before supper.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:52 pm on November 1, 2023 Permalink  

  November 1, 2023 

  A new month that hastens us closer to the end of 2023.

  This morning, I had a call from my cardiologist in Mankato.  Several weeks ago I had what they call a tee-tee scan where by I swallowed a camera.  This scan was closely examined by my cardiologist in Mankato and also sent to the doctor in Rochester that had done the heart surgery in 2021.

  The scan was deemed good.  Nothing appeared to have changed from the surgery in 2021.  In reviewing my charts, Dr. Sharruf was concerned about a second stroke.  My blood panel was all in the normal ranges, plus having had a bit of weight loss.  What will change for me is that I will be taking a higher dose of high blood pressure medication once a day.  It will be 20 mg, rather than 10 mg.  That I can easily do.

  I had posted Monday that we awoke to water in our basement coming from the floor drain.  We had a fellow from the city’s water department come over.  He could see nothing out of the ordinary.  As he was here the water went down in the floor drain.  While Randy was here we flushed toilets, ran lots of faucet water and there was no problem.  Hmm.  I proceeded to begin a clean-up.

  In the late Monday afternoon, I shut off several stand alone fans. 

  Tuesday morning, I went ahead and continued putting things back to normal.  We weren’t home for Tuesday night supper. 

  This morning, Dennis picked up Dwayne and they went for coffee.  I went down to the studio and again we had standing water.  Dennis couldn’t do a thing about it, but I surely could.  I called city hall and had a chat.  I had ran all sorts of water, flushed both toilets several times and the floor drain didn’t even gurgle putting out or adding to what was already on the floor.  I told her which city worker had been over on Monday and she took my phone number.

  I did receive a call a bit later from city hall.  I was assured that there was nothing wrong at our home.  They had indeed found the problem at the site of the city water and sewer end of things.  She insisted that I call the city’s insurance agency.  I fussed a bit, but she insisted.  The water did go down.  Time will tell if we ever find out what was going on.  We couldn’t have been the only household with water coming up the floor drain.

  We are back to having fans running at full tilt.  Again, I have the three totes so air can move under and about.  I am not going to do anymore in the studio, until I know this is the last of it. 

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:52 pm on October 30, 2023 Permalink  

  Good Grief 

  Good grief.  Dennis was going to mulch leaves and I was going to get an early start and work in the studio.

  I was going down on the last step of our basement steps when I could see the reflections of the sewing light fixtures in the standing water on the basement floor.  WTF!  The water had come up from the basement floor drain.  There was still water flooding the drain.  Dennis headed for the city shop’s water department.  It was clear water . . . .thank goodness. 

  The only two things that were saturated that I could handle was the rug by the toilet and one at the base of the steps.  The large Jute backed rug was soaked and I just shook my head.  The two small rugs I rolled up and put them in a pail so I could carry then outside.  Freeze drying right here on Stauffer Avenue.

  Dennis returned with a city worker.  There had been a severe plug in one of the lines they had just taken care of.  And just like that our floor drain had gone down.  Too soon . . . too late.

  All we could do was roll the jute backed rug and ever so slowly drag it up the steps and out to the drive.  This was not our first rodeo with that rug that had been a hand me down from my brother.  There will not be another time.  When it dries out, it will be by the burning ring.

  I turned the dehumidifier down to the low 40s.  My small heater that oscillates was turned on as well as a fan from the patio porch.  The fan on the post venting outside is on.  The three plastic bins were propped up for air to move under them.  It was time for some breakfast coffee.

  It is now mid-afternoon.  Dennis got the leaves mulched and my fans with mega air movement are doing well also.

  We never know what will happen in any given day.  This could have been a whole lot worse.  In fact in the late 90s, we had to evacuate our home for two days as we had three feet of raw sewage in the basement.  Ish.  We got over it and the city rebuilt the lines past our home and under the intersection to the north of us.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥

   
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  Noreen 1:31 pm on October 29, 2023 Permalink  

  A Light Coat 

  We had a light coat and I don’t mean my coat hanging by the back door.

  There is a dusting of snow on the roof tops.  Our concrete around the house and drive is bare.  If the sun could have remained shinning through the clouds, the 35 degrees of this afternoon could have, would have and should have felt warm.

  Dennis continues to stay busy in the garages.  The far back garage is storage for his friend Dewayne’s Farmall tractor plus bucket, son-in-law’s Ford Mustang, grandson  AJ’s Harley, our two lawnmowers plus the Cub tractor.  The Cub is going to the Beckius repair shop north of town in the spring.  Dennis has an agreement with Charlie for the engine repair.  Charlie is kept busy in the winter season with seasonal repairs and the last of the farm equipment that comes in.

  Today, Dennis pulled all the batteries off of the above mentioned items, but not the Sears mower. Dennis will be mulching leaves before too long.  This last dip of temps in the 20s gave the leaves a good chance to flutter and man did they!

  The studio and I have been humming right along.  I have completed 32 of the 8.5″ blocks.  The most complex block was 16 in number, made up of eight pieces in various colors and sizes.  As I tidied up a bit of snippets, I realized I only need to cut 32 of 3.5″ of various colors.  Moving right along at a very causal pace.  I do iron seams as I finish them.  I did smile to myself, as my sister Elvera didn’t practice that in the art of her piecing . . . left to wonder why the end result was not up to par.  Bless her heart.

  Mid afternoon and the studio is being close down in exchange for some reading and catching a YouTube or two.

  Happy new week everyone.  Each day we have two choices: smile and have a cheerful heart or grump and make everyone around us turn grumpy as well.

  With that I take my leave.  ♥