Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 6:32 pm on August 14, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  Today we voted in the primary. It was the first thing on our list this morning. Dennis dropped me off and he was off to the parts store for some brushes for the generator on his Cub Cadet. The tractor has been a good project for Dennis, beside the fact that the back portion of the acre doesn’t take him long at all and it is done.

  I headed for Windom with my cousin’s quilt top. Christine had a few minutes to visit with me. Christine works at a drug store that fills prescriptions for over 30 different health care facilities in the area. Christine was appreciative so she could take the quilt top and make plans for it to be quilted sometime in the future. It ended up to be a bit of a story as to how this quilt top got wonkie. Christine didn’t sew the quilt top together. Aunt Lorraine who has Macular Degeneration had her hand in this. It doesn’t matter as the project is back with Christine. The family does worry as to what will happen when Lorraine’s eyesight continues to deteriorate as there is no cure for the Macular eye disease. All the more reason for me to continue taking care of myself as much as possible.

  The skies have threatened all afternoon, but I am afraid the rain has dissipated before it hits the ground. All is good here on Stauffer Avenue. So many blessings abound here in our home. Priceless.

   
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  Noreen 6:02 pm on August 13, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  There are mornings that block out the rushing of traffic past our home. This morning was one of those great awakenings at 8:45. I had been in a wonderful dream of some times past. When I opened my eyes looking out the window to the east I was entertained with a flutter of Black Walnut leaves. The leaves that had turned yellow and gold fell like a vail. I stayed still for some time to let the dream fade. What a great way to start the day.

  Dennis had received a letter from Ford that his little red pickup had a recall on the air bags. After several cups of coffee in the patio porch we headed to Sleepy Eye to get the skinny from the dealership there. We will be receiving a call with an appointment time when they are able to replace the air bags. Dennis asked me to ride with him. His plan was to keep me out of the sewing room a bit longer as he knew I was feeling some strain in my shoulders and hands. Bless his heart.

  This late afternoon I gave Thomas a call that he could come and pick up his daughter’s quilt. Check! Call that project done and out! I will be taking some time to tidy up the sewing studio, complete with the Swiffer on the concrete floor. I do take time to hit the multiple waste baskets with thread and fuzz, but to no avail, some sneak by. I have no plans to hit another project head on. I need a bit of time to reflect on what would be fun to work with. In other words I am going to do a “needs analysis.”

  Dennis just reminded me that I have a quilt top to deliver into the owner’s hands. When Aunt Lorraine was here several weeks ago, her and I spent a lot of time tearing apart a quilt top for her daughter that had refused to lie flat. Once we had the issues taken care of Lorraine decided to leave the quilt top with me rather than her taking it with her to Arizona, only having to mail it back to Minnesota. Lorraine’s daughter works in Windom about 26 miles from here. I believe I will surprise her at her place of work and put that quilt top where it needs to be. I am leery of having someone else’s project in our home. There are less than good things that can happen and I would never be able to make it right. We will see what tomorrow brings.

   
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  Noreen 3:58 pm on August 3, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  Today is for pause, reflection and regrouping after we have had company for the greater portion of the week. This morning I looked around and . . . yup, I need to get some order back in Stauffer Avenue.

  When Aunt Lorraine travels she pretty much brings quite a bit of luggage with her. The nesting process begins complete with her own sewing machine. We had a quilt top that was in need of help for her daughter: Christmas 6″ blocks to cut and trim and several other projects in various stages of completion. As she moved in we adjusted our space to allow her to get comfortable. Mind you, when we took her to the motel each evening about nine, her nest in our home remained as she had a second nest at the motel to work at before she went to bed and prior to us picking her up in the morning. She doesn’t require much sleep and is usually up by five a.m. I understand this.

  When the kid’s grandma Esther Schafer went anywhere, her crocheting went with her. Various plastic containers that once held ice cream had projects complete with the correct crochet hook that was needed and always within a hand’s reach. You couldn’t have one without the other. Esther and Aunt Lorraine could be kindred spirits.

  Aunt Lorraine is totally deaf in her right ear and has challenges with the hearing aid in her left ear. She misses a lot of what is going on around her. This, I believe, is where the “all encompassing” sewing and quilting comes in. It’s her own world. Well, by golly . . . Dennis and I invaded her world and had a great time with her. I am a bit hoarse today and am steering clear of the sewing studio to allow for some perspective to return for what I had been working on last week.

  I have no doubt that when we left Aunt Lorraine at her son Mark’s home, she had her sewing machine set up at his home before we got back to our home. Priceless.

   
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  Noreen 7:01 am on August 2, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  It is early on this Thursday. I am enjoying my second cup of coffee before our day begins. The lights in the sewing studio will not be put on today. Aunt Lorraine is out at the Super 8 and no doubt stitching up a storm as she never travels without a sewing machine. After Dennis and I have a bit more alone time we will be picking up Lorraine and getting her checked out of the motel. Then . . . it’s on to Mankato where Lorraine has a shopping list. It will be a visit to a quilt shop, JoAnn’s Fabric store and Mills Fleet Farm. Lorraine noted the feed sack dish towels I have been stitching on for Christmas gifts for Dennis’ daughters and granddaughters. Lorraine will be taking some of those wonderful towels from Mills Fleet Farm.

  Somewhere along the line this morning, we will be having lunch and Lorraine made sure we knew lunch would be on her.

  Lorraine’s son Mark’s home is our destination by late afternoon near Hastings. I did ask Lorraine when she will be departing Minnesota and heading back to Arizona. Her airline ticket is for August 25th. I do applaud her for being on the Minnesota visiting trail for five weeks. Lorraine lives with her daughter Carol as the sole relative in Arizona. Lorraine does have a lot of family contacts in Minnesota. Each year it does tug at her heart if moving back to Minnesota would be a good thing for her. I believe in her heart she knows that it would be too much of a transition and it soothes her heart by making plans for next year’s visit.

   
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  Noreen 3:28 pm on August 1, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  Second full day of sewing studio work with Aunt Lorraine. I haven’t put in full days such as these since I retired nine years ago. Dennis wants me to find out what she is “taking” as she is 88 years young.

   
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  Noreen 6:04 pm on July 31, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  Aunt Lorraine 

  

  Aunt Lorraine came with an agenda, Her daughter Chris had bit off more than she could stitch. Today Lorraine and I picked out tons of stitches in order to make the quilt top want to lay down and play nice, We didn’t quite get it done today . . . tomorrow is a new day and our fingers will have gotten some life back into them.

   
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  Noreen 3:34 am on June 23, 2015 Permalink
  Tags: Aunt Lorraine   

  A Good Day After the Storms 

  At 5:30 this morning we were awoke with phones going off in regard to severe weather approaching our area.  After two inches of rain and horrific winds, we are thankful there was no damage to our home.  Our front lawn looks as if we are about to have an Easter egg hunt, substituting pine cones for eggs.  Tomorrow after things dry up a bit, we will be raking many, many tree tips left from the high winds.  Dennis noticed many pickup loads of branches: huge, large and small going to the tree dump north of town.  Yes, we are very thankful our cleanup will just involve some arm power and raking.

  By the late forenoon the sun was peaking out in time for my Aunt Lorraine to arrive for lunch.  Lorraine is visiting her three Minnesota children from Arizona.  We have the best time when she visits.  She and Dennis poke fun at each other and the conversation never lags.

  I couldn’t help but notice the box that she carried in.  We had “Lorraine Show and Tell” as you can’t believe.  There were projects that she has underway, that would boggle even the best of quilters.  One of them entailed an older lady’s unfinished quilt pieces, which were given to her in the hope that it could become a finished project.  The basis for the entire project began with squares that were two inches square and then cut in half.  The fabric was from the depression era. All of the work that had been completed thus far was done by hand stitches that were so precise, I spent more time looking at the back of the work than the front.  The seam allowance was a steady 1/8 of an inch.  True to form, Lorraine is finishing the project, doing all the stitching by hand.  What a marvel.

  Needless to say, the afternoon went quickly.  Lorraine is 83 and she did tell us that she doesn’t plan her Minnesota trips too far in advance as surprise health issues can pop up.

  What started as a day with a very strong storm, a day with lots of wonderful chit chat and hugs from an aunt who can’t possibly weigh more than 100 lbs. soaking wet, will now become sweet memories.