Four on the Road

Nope, still not my quilt but it is the quilt my mom made that I referred to in my previous post: Four on the Road . She said that the reason I couldn't find that picture in my files was she had not quite finished it. I knew I had seen the top but I had forgotten it was so big. I believe that she chose this for her small group pass around block where she would provide some of the fabric and ask others to make a couple blocks and add their own fabrics to the mix.

It is hard to see where the blocks actually are in the quilt so I drew one up in EQ to show it all by itself. I remember telling her that it was a neat block but had so many, many pieces in it. LOL, I guess it still does but when you think in terms of leaders and enders, it all adds up into something wonderful eventually.

Okay, almost on the dot DJ is giving me the usual "Are you going go to be ready by 8?" (10 minutes notice---I could set a clock by him---grrr) Time to walk and today that means walking in circles like a hamster in a cage. You would think I would learn not to start doing any posting or emailing at this time of morning. I'll be back on later but first where are my shoes??

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I'm back. The cloud cover stayed in place until we got home. It always helps not to have the sun blazing down while we walk. Judy L was saying in a her last post about how much she hates summer. Boy, can I indentify with that statement. I definitely did not move South for the summers---hot and humid I could get in IL! Still we had a couple of cooler days and nights earlier in the week. I could wait till 2 to have to turn on the a/c and could open the window at night. Now, with the puppy barking, I am not so sure that will be an option even if it was okay weatherwise.

A couple of comment replies---Pippi is probaby about 11 years old, Vera. A senior citizen in cat years, I am guessing. I have had her since February of 97 and they estimated her age to be about 2 at the Humane Society. She has tortoiseshell markings so it should probably be no surprise that she had two orange and white kitties. All three were found in a trailer court in McLean County, IL. Turns out one of the daughters of a co-worker got one her babies, I found out later.

Anyway, I had to have her predecessor Tyson Tubbs (brain tumor--couldn't walk) put to sleep a few days prior. I was devastated and could not stop crying. At the time I was working on a skilled long term care unit and one of my patient's daughters was quite active in the Humane Society so Joan suggested that they had mature cats that I could pick from. Too early in the year for kittens at that point. Well, Pippi more or less, picked me. She hissed away all the other cats approaching us, then pawed on my leg and I picked her up for some cuddles. DJ commented that "you will not get that cat away from her now" Her eye was weeping and her flanks were bare from overlicking (flea allergies) but she was mine! She is NOT an outdoor cat, nor does she want to go outside. Never have to worry about blocking the door to keep her from making a run for it though I would not deliberately hold it open to test out that theory, LOL.

Lately she has been doing something the past week that she had totally stopped doing for months--almost every night carrying me a little rubber shoe shaped thing that we stick in the edge of her scratchy box . This rubber thing came with a pair of Reeboks and I stuck a little chain ring through it. She treats it probably like a thing of prey--like a bird or mouse offering--so it is accompanied by a great deal of meowing. I find it laying in the hallway, in the sewing room and one time in the bed with me. Good thing it was just a rubber thing at that point! She has her manic, kittenish moments--tearing up the hall at breakneck speed for whatever reason but mostly she is pretty mellow befitting her years.

Judy asked about the round robin I have to start working on like, three days ago. This round is supposed to be 4 inch finished, squares and/or rectangles. I am going to keep it really simple and try to add a lighter color to all the black at the center but not "shock" it with more white etc. Here is the link to what I am working with this round http://catsnqlts2.blogspot.com/2006/05/two-two-two-posts-in-one.html

I thought about garden maze, picket fences but those should be white, lots of white. Since it is sooooo late, it is going to be four patches to form a checkboard all around it. I would try nine patches but the row would finish wider--not that a half inch more would really deter me. After all, some have not followed the rules and put acrylic paint on someone's---yep, I saw it the other day. Not a rumor, it is a fact.

Finn wondered just where in the state of Alabama I am located. Kinda northeast and central a little north of I-20. It is about 65 miles to Birmingham and about 90 to Atlanta. The highest elevation in AL Mount Cheeha is about 30 miles or so away. It has the beginnings of the Pinhoti Trail which eventually links with the famed AppalachianTrail that goes from GA to Maine. Oh, about 6 hours drive to the Gulf Coast--Orange Beach, Gulf Shores.

Shelina laughingly suggested that I stop showing any quilts till she could catch up. Oh, I don't know if I can do that especially when I can show stuff that my mom has made that might pertain to the topic (hey, why do you think she has my old digital camera? Now she can share her quilts and not have to wait for the roll to be developed and show me!) She is not ready to join the blogging fun yet. Then I have the ones that my quilt group is making too. I'll never run out at this rate, LOL. Guess we both have to keep on plugging, Shelina.

I have probably yakked on enough for one day especially about cats but hey, that is what my blog is--quilts AND cats or Pippi, specifically. Till next time-----lchj