Me, Myself and Memories

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  Noreen 4:39 pm on August 8, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  Old Feels New 

  

  Dennis mowed the back 40 today for the first time with his old tractor that feels like a new toy. The 60″ deck made for quick work. Later on we took the two wheel trailer to the tree dump and got rid of all evidence of the wind storm that did a number on the Maple tree as well as the remains of the wild woman next door when Jan used her electric chainsaw on the Lilac. We are tidied up and beans and wieners seems to be the ideal supper. When the heat and humidity spike, fixing food takes on dim appeal. A bit of ice cream with strawberries later on will round out a great day.

   
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  Noreen 5:15 pm on July 20, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  Lots to Smile About 

  Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my abilities.  I fell in love with a quilt pattern that led to finding wonderful flannel fabrics in a quilt shop in Bird Island.  Hmm.  The snow was flying in January and it seemed like the perfect project.  Dennis is never satisfied with the heft of blankets.  I was sure this would fill the bill.  It is surprising how much weight the threads add to the quilt top.  I chose a flannel for the backing and a poly batting.  I had to wait until July for Sharon to long arm the quilt.  I got it home this week and then I bit myself in the butt.  I don’t like to have UFOs, unfinished objects, in my sewing studio.  Today threatened rain off and on and I went in the sewing studio to work on cutting, ironing and sewing on binding.  Let’s get this done!  It is supper and I am calling it a day.  I have  a lot to smile about as there is one step left to finish this winter project and that is sewing down the binding on the right side of the quilt.  In a perfect world the binding should be sewn on by hand . . . meaning lots of tiny stitches each pulled through one at a time.  My hands can no longer do the hand sewing, thus it is under the needle of the sewing machine.  There is no way I could sleep under anything this heavy.  Dennis will no doubt sneak the polar fleece blanket either under this quilt or over it.  I don’t mind.  I made it for Dennis and how he chooses to use it is up to him.  I am smiling as I am so close to putting this mound of flannel to bed . . .  literally.  I will be smiling right up to bedtime.

   
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  Noreen 4:24 pm on April 13, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  This is the type of spring that you would want to slap on the back so it could hack up and out what is bothering it. It has become secondary when I think of the weekend coming.

  Speaking of hacking up and out what seems to be stuck, I need to put out an update on my ole cowboy. Dennis is a smoker and I was as sure as I can be, his smoking was causing all the phloem that he needed to get rid of. It has been about 10 days of having the “So Clean 2” unit hooked up to sanitize his CPAP gasket, mask, hose and the humidifier tank. Wouldn’t you know it . . . very little need for the hacking episodes. It is almost slim to none. Over the nine years, I have helped to do the cleaning of the components of the CPAP, complete with using bleach in the cleaning water and rinsing, rinsing, rinsing.

  This process of oxidized oxygen and pressure that is then driven through from the face gasket right through into the humidifier water tank to date is getting a plus from me.

  Of all the medical assists that we have and had invested in for Dennis, this seems to be well worth the money. Dang! I was sure it was the cigarettes and here all along it was just nasty old bacteria hiding in all the crevices.

   
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  Noreen 2:46 pm on March 25, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis, Randy   

  As I took my usual full glass of water upon rising, there on the Crab Apple tree branch just inches from the kitchen window a huge red breasted robin, perched on a snow covered branch, seemed to be looking right back at me. Hump. We both seemed to agree we would tough it out until spring weather would be upon us.

  Dennis and I seem to have a peace that has fallen on our little home. We toughed out months of Dennis having one small stroke after another and he is now recovering with the hope of many hours enjoying his mowing of our acre. My challenge, though quite trite, I made it through the winter without once falling as I took control of the driveway the best I could . . . with Randy and his John Deere rescuing me twice as deep wet snow was more than I could push.

  I made it through the dark winter months without putting on any winter weight. I am starting spring while enjoying the weight loss of lass summer and fall. My feet do remember my walking route, though not quite yet to the distance I managed right after the Thanksgiving of 2017. I am still a work in progress. Dennis is also a work in progress. We have a good attitude this spring. After all . . . it is the attitude in life that serves us well rather than the altitude that we fly at.

   
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  Noreen 4:20 pm on March 21, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis, Lorraine ( 6 ), Mark   

  As gray days go, it’s not all bad. I had several things to try out with the embroidery unit. It’s one thing to have designs to stitch out, it’s trial and error as to what stabilizer needs to be used with different types of fabric. A few trial samples to keep for myself and nothing goes to waste.

  I won’t be doing any quilt piecing for awhile. No one is wanting nor waiting for a quilt so I will continue with embroidery and an occasional mending. My aunt Lorraine in Arizona has sold her long arm and it will be picked up from her home the day after Easter. As per our telephone conversation last night she needs to get two quilts long armed each day to take care of the stash of unfinished quilts. Have I mentioned her love of quilts? When her son Mark spent time with her last year at Thanksgiving he helped her organize her stash of finished quilts. It was over 300 and he organized them by size and color in various totes. Since that time she has been piecing to beat the band and now needs to make use of that long arm before she will be looking at doing them as I do . . . under the needle one stitch at a time.

  Dennis said I could sew, quilt and embroider to my hearts content a long as I find homes for the items for others to enjoy and use. I thought it was a very fair outlook and I totally agreed with Dennis. Smart old cowboy.

   
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  Noreen 5:43 pm on March 20, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  Seriously . . . all I wanted to do was vacuum the patio porch. How the heck did Dennis get the old Tabitha cat accustomed to being vacuumed. What a racket of noise. I finally gave in and sure enough she would stretch out from side to side. Good grief. I did find two ping pong balls that needed to rescued from patio door tracks. As soon as I pitched them across the room, Harriet was right there ready for a soccer match. Snuggles overslept and was trapped up in the rafters above Dennis’ pickup. Dennis had pulled out with a tub of rugs earlier. If Snuggles had slept through the garage door opening and the start of the pickup, I didn’t feel sorry for her. I could feel her beady little eyes watching every move I made trying to make me feel sorry for her. Not! Honey Bunny does not like the vacuum cleaner and when I cracked a patio door she beat feet east and I watched as she went into the vacant garage in the next lot.

  When Dennis came back we needed to give a few rugs several minutes in our home dryer and they were ready to go into service in the patio porch. The rugs do save on the carpeting that we put down two years ago. Helping Dennis, was me telling him that as much as I enjoy using the sewing studio when it is tidy, he and his livestock deserved the same.

  Today Complete Basements of Mankato came for the 15 month check on the sump pump. The 100% warranty of having a dry basement is contingent on a check up every 15 months. Without the tile the seepage would come into the basement on all four sides. Nothing that would work for the usage that I now have. David called me over to look over his shoulder as he took the cover off. With his flashlight I could see what he was seeing. There was some oil slick on top of the water. The 2008 motor of the sump pump was beginning to leak oil. Dennis knew immediately that it was not a good thing. With a new motor on the sump pump installed we are assured that the sewing studio will continue to be in good stead.

  So, here we are. Content on Stauffer Avenue as two fat sassy cats. Dennis is feeling well and feels physically stronger each day. The kitchen represents the biggest job of spring cleaning and that is done. Dennis has a fresh and tidy porch that now compliments his new Samsung television. As I am in the sewing studio and I hear the water as it trickles along the tile that runs along the perimeter into the sump pump, I am content to know all is well. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

   
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  Noreen 5:44 pm on March 19, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  Turn around is fair play. Dennis’ help was very much appreciated with the deep cleaning of the kitchen. Tomorrow Dennis has plans to head out to the local laundromat with the patio porch rugs. It’s been a long winter and we are going to tag team on spring cleaning the patio porch. While Dennis is gone, the shop vac and I will be going non stop. These last several days the cats have been wandering a bit farther outside when Dennis has left a patio door cracked, checking out where they can get to without walking in snow. If the weather forecast is correct they may decide to stay indoors one or two more days. One to three inches of snow doesn’t play out for the first day of spring but how long could it possibly last.

  It feels great to have Dennis picking up speed after his surgery. I have been in his shoes in the past and the body needs to sluff off all the anesthesia that a serious surgery requires. The fact that he had to be awake to answer questions during the carotid surgery tells me the mix of drugs to take care of blood flow, pain of the surgery and still allow the brain and the mouth to work was quite the cocktail. It’s spring and we are going to enjoy it no matter what the weather is.

   
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  Noreen 4:22 pm on March 13, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis, Lena ( 6 )   

  Each day I feel energized with signs of spring. I would have liked to have hung out the bedding this morning after taking it out of the washing machine. It is not to be until a whole bunch of snow has melted. I realize how much snert there is on the windows when the sun shines on them. I just go to a different portion of the house where the windows still bring in sunlight but not directly and enjoy the view of the snow shrinking and melting.  The key is to keep the eyes up high enough to avoid seeing the slush and muck.

  Though our home is small it is still amazing how much it takes to do one room at a time or one wall at a time to qualify what Lena would have referred to as “spring house cleaning.” Never have I had many “good dishes” – meaning fancy dishes. High utility and minimal would define our home. Shelving in our kitchen allows for quick access to what we use often. The north wall of our kitchen has yet to be tackled. It is the wall of the kitchen sink and the cabinets that do take up the entire wall. I have an idea that when Dennis and I do tackle the highest of the shelves within the cabinets there is going to be big time sifting and sorting. I can’t reach those shelves without a step stool. I don’t use what is up on those shelves even when we have guests for a meal. The Epileptic organization will be coming through St. James on the 22nd of March collecting gently used clothing and household items. This has to be more of a coincidence.

  Dennis has been helping each day and we are calling it physical therapy after his carotid surgeries. The span between the right side surgery and the left side surgery did not allow Dennis to feel stable enough or strong enough to build stamina. The months before we knew he needed surgery were less than kind to Dennis. This spring, slowly but surely we have our objective . . . stamina and strength building in small doses but continual doses. The older folks on Stauffer Avenue can do this!

   
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  Noreen 4:32 pm on March 12, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  Anyone With a Paddle? 

  

  We feel like we are up a creek without a paddle on Stauffer Avenue. It will be some time before my walks will take me down this route. On the bright side, Dennis does not have any doctor appointments for six weeks. We met with the surgeon today and then with our local health care facility. It was interesting to learn from the surgeon’s assistant that though Dr. Buhs has done over 300 of the carotid surgeries, never both on a patient as old as Dennis. With Dennis’ 82nd birthday this year, it speaks to the strength of his heart and lungs. Yes, dang it, the doctors after Dennis having a lung x-ray usually comment on how good his lungs are. Needless to say that does nothing to challenge him to quit. Anyway . . . it has been a great day.

   
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  Noreen 6:21 pm on March 9, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Dennis   

  How many crumbs can a crumb catcher in a toaster hold? A whole bunch. There are times my eyesight becomes quite keen as to what is or what has accumulated within the home. I did take a swipe at a few items today. Dennis is stable enough to have made two medical appointments here is St. James, solo. Yes . . . we are making great strides, and for that I can be patient with the stall that spring has taken. It’s either this or better.