Tuesday check-in

I got Oscar a new little dog bed for the couch yesterday morning. Plainly he did not get what was going on----

He thought you sat outside.  What?  You mean you don't?!  This a smaller version of the one out in his dog house so I thought he would know what to do.  It's pillow-y.

Then he thought you chew on it like he does his stuffed frog.  I couldn't take it back as I cut the "don't remove tag" and hang tag off alfready.  Maybe Skyler would want it in the back part of the house?

I put it on the floor and he started hauling it back with him to the couch---again like his frog

Eventually he figured out that he was supposed to sit in it at least accompanied by Mr. Froggie and the tug of war sock.  By afternoon, he was napping in there and Skyler had dibs on the laundry basket and some sweaters fresh from the dryer.

By nightfall, he had it all figured out.   Now he has a towel to hid under on top of him.  Snug as a bug.  He is back in there now as I start this post.

We are back to more seasonable weather.  There is a good supply of sunshine but it has been fairly breezy and then some outright wind gusts.  I thought I was suitably dressed when I walked late morning yesterday but that idea only lasted about 3/4 of the way through the first lap---cold heading north!  Not sure where we topped out at for a high but there was frost and 28 degrees overnight.  It looks like a repeat of yesterday so far.  I'm going to wait till about 11 and go do my laps.  Oscar is not itching to go do "walkies" and did not mess around doing his business first thing.

Sunday afternoon we had a little warm up and Oscar indicated he needed out.  About 20 minutes later I went to call him back in and couldn't spot him initially.  He was in full hound dog sniffing mode all around the kitchen tip out and at one point was pawing at a finishing board---which was loose and hanging down, nail intact!!  Anything could and probably did crawl up in there though I see no evidence in the house---yet.  I went over to talk to Robert to see if he could repair it for me for pay.  I needed some trim board applied as well to finish off the job.  We had talked about that last summer and even measured off the sections but it didn't get done.  The two jobs sort of dovetail.   He said he would be over mid morning Monday and would pick up the needed boards, caulk, etc at Lowe's.  Later that afternoon he asked if I had any house paint to prepare the boards before mounting.  I did, thanks to DJ, and sent it back with him.   Yesterday he jacked up the board, secured it and applied the trim board. Then he brought the mower back to cut the back yard weed patch.  It doesn't take much to have Oscar belly high in vegetation.  LOL, he kept going around the house a few rounds so that whacked down the wild onion, dandelion shoots and the dry nettle.  Some of that stuff pulls up easily and I have done so around the stepping stones on the side of the house near the gate and the fencing several times.  Not sure what it is but it is everywhere!

Saturday I went to the Ashville House Quilt Shop with Jane and Aline.  They are participating in the 2nd session of the BOM 2016.  Other of our quilting friends go to the morning session.  I think they said there are 80 participants so they do have to divide up in groups the workroom will hold.  They had 25% off pre-cuts and I picked up a couple jelly rolls of Moda Bella Solid Parchment color that should go nicely with the Block Party fabric and one of the quilts in Strip Your Stash.  I love her Pixie Stix quilt though they are calling it "Rangoon"  in Quilty magazine Jan/Feb 2013 and it is sold as a digital pattern on shopfonsandporter.   I don't want a dark background though and I think the parchment will work.   The Block Party color plate is in the previous post.

I DID get a iittle sewing done on New Year's Day though it did not go well.  I mis-cut and really just had a simple math error/not looking at the directions closely enough problem.  I was just going to try one block that day but I've cut 6 strips of background 6 1/2 inches instead of 4 1/2.  I can re-cut but still won't be able to get the needed 2 1/2 inch squares from the cut.  Oh well.  Rusty quilting skills!!    Same thing sort of happened with the print bits.  Some of the fabric I had extra bits, another I just had to sub out a different strip.

This is Square Dance from Gudrun Erla's book Strip Your Stash, the book cover quilt where she shows them tilted.  The blocks finish 14 inches as I have it laid out so 6 blocks with 4 inch sashing and borders would be right in target range for a Wrap Them in Love donation quilt.  Some of this is pieced but I just need to join the block components.

Oscar was being as good as gold napping in the living room while I slipped away into the sewing room for a bit.  Skyler, on the other hand, was not.  He would not get away from the iron but then he is always hopping up on the cutting/pressing table.  He would not get away from the rotary cutter when I was trying to correct my cutting errors on more fabric.  He would not get off my chair when I got up.  He stopped short of jumping up on the sewing table but was about it.  I gave up.  Obviously, my boy wanted some attention and thought since I was away from that dog, he might be my sole focus.  Can't blame a boy for trying!

One of the Belles brought us these trays as that is how she stores her blocks and projects in progress.  I think they are from dialysis packs??  Her husband is an MD and can get them for her.  Works well as you stick another on top and I've got a hair band to hold the two together.  Keeps the stuff in place and the cat out of it----in theory.   Good for transporting as I think I'm taking my machine to the Tuesday afternoon group near here.

New Year's Eve/New Year's Day passed fairly quietly.  I ended up not watching the DVD's I had set aside but listening to music instead.  Mostly Celtic Thunder.   Sunday was all things "Downton Abbey"  I put the set on PBS about 2 pm and kept it there, LOL.  They were repeating a couple of the New Year's Eve programming.   Of course, we also had the neighborhood fireworks which didn't make Oscar any too happy.   I'm not all that crazy about it either.   At least they didn't keep it up till after 1:30 like they did on 4th of July.

BUT my family received some very good news on New Year's Day!  I saw this picture on Facebook.  My first reaction was " Wait!  That looks like home".  My sister had not had a chance to call me yet and my parents had been sworn to secrecy since it was not a "done deal" till it was.  Might have been yesterday instead of Friday, etc.   Anyway--- Wyatt was finally released from NICU and is home with his mama and daddy, Amber and Greg.  Praise Be to God for his blessings to this little one! 176 days since he was born, at 24 wks gestation and 20 oz. in weight.  Micro-preemie.  He is now a bit over 12 lbs and I think 10 weeks past his original due date of late October.  The doctors and staff felt he could continue his development at home.  THX to all of you who have kept him in your thoughts and prayers.  There are still some challenges but he has come so far already.

Trying to think if there is anything else I was going to say.  Maybe not, LOL.  Guess I better track down my walking shoes and get a handle on what it is really like outside.  Walk Oscar is a start.  THX for stopping by and hope you have a good day in whatever you chose to do--------