this and that

The view around here in the mornings.

Oscar is really not supposed to be on the loveseat as he could conceivably access Skyler's food bowl if he gets up on the top of it.  He has tried.  I had the wool throw folded up atop the couch and he kept pulling it down to cuddle up in it.

Some mornings, this is where you find Skyler parked.  Normally, he is more upright and is the first thing I see when I get up in the morning waiting for the canned food.  He almost always has some dry still left so it is not like he is starving.  More like selective!

And on a sunny day, he is either in the window, atop the microwave or on Oscar's crate.  The other day I stashed the 3rd load of dirty laundry atop the crate and he slept in there overnight!

This is the afternoon view today:

He likes this spot too and it usually means he is waiting for something.  More food??  Oscar leaves him along up there so that works too.

I don't know if you can see it, but Oscar took his carrot "to-go", right by his nose.  I was replenishing my veggie tray and he comes running anytime I'm working in the kitchen, hopeful of a handout.  I gave him his carrot and he immediately went to the backdoor, telling me he wanted out.  I shot this through the door as I knew he would move if I went outside.

Oscar had me cracking up a couple days ago.   It was time to go for last walk of the day.  He gets so excited about that so when I saw "walkies" he ordinarily runs back and forth a few times to see if I really mean it.  Secondly, the silly boy almost always stops at his food bowl to get some crunchies for the road.  THAT day, he grabbed his stuffed frog and absolutely would not leave it in the house!  We went well over halfway on the lap where he finally dropped it as we neared one of his or the neighbor's chihuahaus watering spots.  Good thing I stuffed the toy in my pocket as he didn't even look over where he dropped it on the return.

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Trying to think what else has been going on since I last posted.  Too many Word Chum games??  Yes but that can't be all.  I had JOY Quilt Day meeting last week.  Saturday I went with Jane and Aline to their Block of the Month at the Ashville Quilt shop.  I'm not participating but I needed to get a bit of background fabric for one of my quilt projects.   More on that in a minute.

A week ago, I went with Miss Kathryn to her son's home for supper.  Paul was fixing chicken cordon bleu and we brought some sides to go along with the meal.  A vegetable was suggested so I made some broccoli salad and also some Quick Cheese Bread.  I also made a big pot of soup and Hummingbird Muffins on the same binge cooking day.   Been slacking off on the cooking since too.  We have a couple nights coming up with lows in the teens so I have a feeling I'll be baking something to share with the neighbors.

What an adventure that cheese bread idea was!  I've not made that for some time and discovered that Martha White no longer makes or distributes packets of Bix Mix.  I went to 5 different stores in my search and no luck. No Bix Mix, period as it turns out.  I emailed customer service and ol Martha had been swallowed up by Smuckers.  The product was phased out in 2004-5 I learned in their reply.  Previously, I had made a note in the cookbook that 2 packets measured out to about 2 1/2 cups so had gotten the smallest box of Bisquik that I could find.   BUT I grabbed two packets of Bisquik Garlic Cheese to see if that would work.  I still did the grated cheese called for in the recipe and it turned out quite well.  That is, where it didn't stick in the pan!  They all raved about it.

Since I had half of the brick of cheese left, I made another batch the next day with the regular Bisquik measured from the box.  I think I like other better.  I had found the recipe in an 1995 J. C. Penney's Associates Cookbook,  National edition.  This recipe for Cheddar Cheese Bread from the Betty Crocker page is quite similar.  The Bix Mix one used water instead of milk and 1/2 cup more cheese.   I got smart and did foil tabs that I sprayed with release spray to remove loaf #2.  Worked like a charm.  I had a slice or two with some Sausage Lentil Stew that I finally got around to making after thinking about it for almost two weeks---all leftovers to the freezer.

The anniversary of DJ's passing (Feb. 1st) was not an good day though I reminded myself of just what he meant to me and how lucky I was to have had the time we were given.  Still makes me sad and I miss him as much as I ever did.  If tears cannot fall on that day of all days, then I would like to know when is appropriate.

On to happier topics before I'm in tears again,  I mentioned the trip to the quilt shop yesterday.  I am getting the itch to sew but something for quick gratification, not something I already have started and stalled out on.   Maybe I have mentioned this one before but I really, really want to do the No Bake Jolly Bar pattern and have gotten the fabric to do it in this colorway, "Prairie" by Corey Yoder for Moda Fabrics.   There is a free pdf file for the pattern on the linked blog post.  Other patterns are available and come with the various jolly bars. They tell you what you need to order but not what you might be making, LOL.

Another line of fabric I dearly love is practically anything by Bonnie and Camille,  "Hello Darling" being no exception.  The included pattern for that one is called "Climbing Roses"   ( Here is a link to an image from Quilts by Laurel showing how her version turned out.)  I had hoped that the shop would have white charm packs but alas, no.  However, I came home with a light gray for another project and ordered what I wanted when I got home.  Yes, I could cut the squares from yardage but remember, I said quick gratification.  Cutting would make for more work when I just want to set up the machine and sew when I can grab a half hour even.  Also if I could sneak in the sewing room to cut, I could be sewing instead!   I am beginning to think if I am NOT going to go to sleep till after 2 am that I could shut the door and head in there for a bit at night once Oscar goes to bed.  However, that would cut into Skyler cuddle time.  I consider it and then keep trying to go to sleep and get some rest even if sleep does not come as rapidly as I would want.

I have done some playing in EQ recently.  I have a couple of quilt challenge projects coming up, one that involves charm packs of Moda "Good Karma" and some coordinating yardage.  The block I want to do needed some re-drawing as I didn't like the extra seams where the blocks meet.  I "fixed" it to my liking but it will be awhile before I can share my revisions with you.  Supposed to be kept on the down low.  Hey, sewing around my friends might be the only way I CAN sew.   (I think it is so we can't vote for viewers choice and our friends' quilts.)

Sometimes drawing up a block helps me solidfy in my mind how the block goes together.  That probably is part of being a visual learner and hands-on working better than just looking at the pictures or trying to make sense of the steps. EQ also lets me change the block or strip sizes, fool with settings and borders to get the targeted size.  I figure that as long as I have quilts on my mind there is hope for me yet and I can still legitimately consider myself a quilter.  

The other thing I need to be doing is putting a copy of the pattern or some notes in the project box of just what I wanted to do with the contents.  Several Missouri Star patterns I would like to try:  Lattice, Summer in the Park, Houndstooth, Periwinkle that I told you about in the last post.  Also let us not forget a Disappearing something or other for Guild.  Lots of choices on Missouri Star but I won't do D9P! The latter one is due, a top anyway, by June meeting which really means late May.  (They are going to the comfort quilt committee.)

So tonight is the Super Bowl.  Who you pulling for?  I think the Broncos for me as my sister and her family all live out in Colorado  including this little cutie patootie with his Nana.  He's all decked out in Bronco orange and there is a video of him "cheering" them on during the play-offs. ( Hasn't he come a long way from 20 oz?  Mama said he is 13 lbs now and 10 times his birth weight. Praise be to God for that!)    Downton Abbey is also on tonight so I think I'll be checking on the computer for scores and not be glued to the game.  Rarely do pro football, anyway.

Guess that's about it for this installment.  Thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me for awhile.