Monday, Monday

I have been a busy girl today!  But obviously Oscar and Skyler have been anything but, LOL.

This was the view this morning as I ate my oatmeal.  His blanket is clean so earlier he was completely covered up with just his snout sticking out.  Such a cutie!

I woke early to temps of 59 and got my laps in early.  Oscar and I had already did a lap in the lane too.  I wore him out already.

Meanwhile,  that  little booger Skyler climbed up on Oscar's play spot/pad on the couch.  I know why he might do this as it was freshly laundered and Sky loves clean laundry.   Kind of reminds me a video I was looking at yesterday of dogs reacting to the cat stealing their beds on you tube.  I half expected Oscar to come in and grab a corner of his fleecy covered pad with his teeth and drag Skyler off getting a paw thumping on his nose for his troubles!  But no, see picture above.  Sky pulled that again when Oscar went out for a bit while I ran out for some groceries.


So breakfast.  Load and unload the dishwasher.  Shower going with the blow dried, flat ironed straighter look and then had to head into town to one of the local hospitals for my annual mammogram.   Arrive a half hour ahead, they said.  It takes about 15 minutes to get there.  I will say they didn't take long to get me through there once the paperwork was complete.  Next week I am off to the OTHER hospital for another test---oh goodie!

While I was in town I ran by the auto dealership that has GMC cars as our Pontiac G6 has three recall items tended to.  One I have been waiting for them to take care of for a year.   Parts were apparently scarce and I was on a waiting list.  Recently when I got yet another card reminding that I had not done the work to date, I saw there were two more things added to the list.  Their not calling me in for the first thing was partially my fault as I kept forgetting to give them my updated phone number.  The other part, I think I got lost in the cracks or the prior management team dropped the ball.    They are "under new manangement", the signs proclaimed, and the guy I talked to was most helpful.  The work is scheduled-- they'll have the car all day--for next week.  They will run me home and pick me back up if needed and I believe I will use that service rather than pester the neighbors at least for the a.m. run.

I grabbed lunch while I was out and came home to check emails and such, returned a call to my mom and then ran out for groceries after Oscar and I walked in the lane.  Once home the groceries were put up and then I got busy in the kitchen:

• prepped raw veggies for the tray I keep on hand
• set up two plates of Asian chopped salad, one for tonight's meal and one for tomorrow.  I had made some dressing similar to the Wendy's old Mandarin Chicken Salad a few days ago.
• made a half sized batch of Health nut spread for bagels, grated carrots being one of the main ingredients
• while I had the grater out, dealt with some zukes my neighbor had brought over--enough for zucchini bread as the recipe I like from all recipe Mom's Zucchini Bread uses 2 cups.  It is now in the freezer though as it is not a good idea to bake when it is 80's, 90's out and sky high humidity.  Not today so much but boy howdy, last week was horrid.
• She had given me some yellow squash too so I sliced that up with some carrots to stir fry but that plan came to a screeching halt when I discovered that all the yellow onions I had on hand, like a whole unopened bag of them, had gone bad.  Time was when every evening meal I fixed almost took an onion.  Now I barely cook, thanks to the summer heat.  I'll get one tomorrow
• Put some eggs on to hard boil for a quick protein source.  
• I had considered making some tuna mac salad like my mom's but there is no room for a bowl in the fridge.  Having learned to cook for a family of 8 and helping mom, I always make too much but I could always share with the neighbors.  Maybe later in the week.
• And, now I am enjoying an iced coffee.  Senior priced coffee from Jack's that I had chilled, reduced fat milk and sugar free hazelnut syrup from Torani.  Yummo!  DJ always raved about Jack's decaf Royal Cup and even though we had coffee at home, he would split a cup with me though I like coffee better iced.  Not a connoisseur, by any means.  I do love coffee ice cream though and that is sorta what this reminds me of.

I think now I am going to veg out here on the couch and wait for Major Crimes to come on later on TNT.  Finish this post and have supper too.  Of course, I will walk Oscar one more time but that will hopefully happen once the sun gets a bit more below the tree line.  He doesn't always let me do that.  In fact, he is barking at something out in the front yard.

What else?  Saturday afternoon Jane and Hugh invited me to come to Hugh's ham radio operators field day as they were having a cookout.  They were set up so three operators could be using the equipment, rotating in and out.  Buddy helped me make a contact with someone in North Texas before we ate, telling me when to give the club's identifier W3K "whiskey 3 kilo" .  They were having the event in the city park where I walk 6 days out of 7 and some were staying overnight.  The club president and her husband had their camper set up and Eddie, the guy sitting across from me at supper said he had a hammock.  He was eyeing the side poles of the pavilion.  I asked "you mean when I come in to walk tomorrow some of you will be on the radios?" Actually I saw him the next morning eating some breakfast, hammock empty.  We waved, LOL.

Word came over Facebook that DJ's grandson Josh and his long time girlfriend Lauren are now engaged.  Both graduated from SIU-Edwardsvile this spring.  Josh has more school ahead though as he is going on for his masters.  Meanwhile his parents just recently celebrated their 25th anniversary and are going to realize a long held dream and move down to the Fort Myers, FL area this week.  So many things DJ is missing out on.  I'm happy for all of them and I know how proud he would be of his family.

I got stung by something on the right side of my head.  Saturday after he mowed, Robert had asked me if I had any weed killer on hand to spray around the chain link fence, hopefully to avoid weed whacking so near it.  I did but the pump did not seem to be working so I asked him if he could take a look at it and see if he could get it to work.  He did and even sprayed the area himself and gave the thing back to me to put up.  As we were standing on the carport that whatever bug it was swooped into my hair and got sort of tangled up in hair and my hair clip.  Stinging and burning ensued immediately and even tagged my thumb a bit trying to get it out of there and off of me.   I'm guessing a wasp since they are always trying to build a nest in the carport but it sort of felt round and firm like one of those bees I see out there.  Between the fire ant bite on my big toe and the wasp bite from cutting volunteers out of the gardenia is it any wonder I prefer staying IN the house??   Basically I was done for the day---the pain pills and Benadryl combo made me drowsy and icing my head for 20 minutes each hour for a couple hours meant forget about sewing with Norma and Cher. Thankfully today it is just a little tender right where the bite is/was.

On Saturday I did get some sewing done though--those pillowcases.  The fabric for this was stuff I had gotten in Pigeon Forge as possibles for Lily's quilt.  It is from a 5-1 yard packet of coordinated fabrics sold to make a twin sized quilt.  This is Vintage Vibe by Faye Burgos for Marcus Brothers.   The green does not show up too well in this photo.   I always have to watch a you-tube video to review how to make these as the written directions I have just confuses me.   I like the one from Vanessa from Crafty Gemini.   It still took me longer to get it done than it should have as I am a presser from way back.  One thing I did to try to keep the accent band together was glue baste and heat set.  This one came out really well with that!

The 2nd one took about 35 minutes and that is the purported time the handout said you whip one up.  The body of the pillowcase was a coordinate to the gray paisley above.  The aqua was leftover from Lily's quilt and I think from Hobby Lobby.  The cuff was a piece in my stash from who knows who.   I'm a thread or two off on the accent piece but not too noticeable.  You know how critical we are of our own work!

And I'm giving this one away.  I made this one sometime back from a kit from a quilt shop that I got somewhere.  In a sew-in bag, I think.  It has never been used so the cute fabrics will surely work for one of the girls at Big Oak Ranch.  The accent piece on this is off by a good 3/8 of an inch.  That's why I was experimenting to with good old Elmer to see if I could get a better outcome.

As far as the D4P Norma was having a hard time remembering on her first few blocks so I told her I was sticking a note right in my cutting area to remind me, LOL.  I only got as far as seaming three of the blocks to squeeze out three more 6 1/2 inch squares from leftover from a previous blue project and I have 2/3rds of one block done and a couple halves of the giant 4 patches.  I had to get my pjs on and lay down.

I moved the sewing table back into the sewing room though.  I banged the heck out of my right knee trying to climb over the dog gate in such cramped quarters in the kitchen doorway.  Also Skyler would not get out from under the table and then Oscar would try to climb under their as well---a little crowded under the feet, thanks to the critters.  Mostly though it was sort of a pain to have to run back and forth over the dog gate to press and keep my thread eating kitty at bay.  I'll try to squeeze in an hour or two tomorrow afternoon once the sun goes to the front of the house and Oscar won't bake in the back yard.   Maybe I'll have a block or two to share next post.

And so it goes---

checking in

I noticed a huge spike (like 500 people???)  in page views for some reason. Maybe some friends and/or family members are checking in to see if I have updated the blog. Or looking for the photos from yesterday's quilt meeting. (Lois had 5 quilts to turn in and 2 to pin---and they are beauties!) The reason doesn't matter, I'm just speculating, LOL.

There were only 4 of us at the meeting yesterday for various reasons.  It being so close to the Memorial Day weekend, I have in the past cancelled the meeting but we still had a good time together and left for lunch back in town since the three of us going live in the mid and northern end of the county.  Wouldn't you know we ran into Bev coming out of Wendy's and she had left a few minutes earlier than we had!  Terri joined us when Jane was able to get her on the cell.

Bev had been busy making yo-yo's while I was cutting diamond sections from the strip sets I had sewn last meeting.  Jane and Lois teamed up at the pinning table.  Below is one of the tops---Lois got her diamond quilt done while I'm still piddling around with strip sets, LOL.    This is "Maddie Bea's Quilt", designed by Phyllis Anderson using her Sweet 'N Sassy templates and featured in her book Diamond Quilts.  Love it in the fall tones.   Lois said she was not happy with the bias edges that resulted in the left and right hand sides cutting it as written.  I told her we should be able to figure out how to make a template that is on straight of grain.  She told me in essence "to go for it", LOL.  It will be awhile before I personally need it but I know she'll make another of these from our conversation.

Lois asked me if I had brought my camera when she came in as she had quilts to turn in.  I had but had almost forgotten it in my rush to get out the door.  I had not packed up the night before as the stuff I thought I might cut was still sitting on the kitchen table while the camera was elsewhere in the house.

 Knowing I would ask, this time she had a note attached to this quilt.   Funny!  The outside blocks are "Pinwheel Fancy" by Bonnie Hunter while the inside section are "Triangle Tango" by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company fame and featured in "Block" magazine.   There is a video tutorial for that but she calls it Falling Triangles and it uses layer cakes.  I'll have to see about doing it with charm packs for  special little lady in MY life.

This is a Bargello quilt and I am fairly sure it uses the Billie Lauder pattern as I have one similar to it playing off the butterfly fabric with a black background.

The picture does NOT do this one justice.  Emily's Wedding Quilt from Fons and Porter.  The quilt has taken the fancy of more than one area quilter and was first spotted at a retreat some went to in Attalla.

This is Anita Grossman Solomon Arrowhead. How about that monkey border fabric?  Too cute.  BTW, the pattern is still available for download.   I know a couple of online friends got into making these after I mentioned and linked to this a few months back, LOL.  Gene combined his with an Old Italian block alternating and it can be seen HERE with some of his amazing quilting.

This is Lois' version of Pioneer Sampler designed by Eleanor Burns.  The dogwood print is lovely but that yellow piece with the pink really pulls the whole quilt together.  Well done, Lois!

There you have it for today's quilt show, LOL.

`````````````````````````
Today I have mainly done errands and walked.  I am continuing to walk 6 days out of 7 and usually 7 laps for 1.96 miles.  Then I come home and walk Oscar who is waiting (outside) for his breakfast but then so am I, come to think of it.    I am still more or less "thinking" about sewing but not actually getting to it.  Read quite a bit over the weekend doing the "Advocate Series" by Teresa Burrell.  4 books had been free on Book Bub or OHFB but I started the 5th one last night.  That's how they get you hooked, I guess but still good that the others were free.  Not complaining.

Around the neighborhood, they finally mowed the yard across the lane but they did not clean up any of the brush on this side of the fence in the easement.  If anything, they added to the sticks and branches as they got the lawn tractor stuck on the combination of sloping yard and tree "droppings".  Robert kind of mows what he can even though it is their yard.  The painting crew is still busy working almost daily though.  I still think they are going to flip this house but we'll see.

Next door, had a tree removal crew in but they basically just cut away all the volunteer trees and took down the tree that had split and landed on their fencing.  Good riddance for that thing as it still could have taken down our lines again had it fell the opposite direction.  The tree I thought they wanted down to put up the carport still remains UP.   Hmmm.

The house across the main road is still for sale.  Kids are done with school as graduation was this past Thursday.   Robert and Glynda are into gardening this summer so I see them out watering the various plantings a good bit.    We have had rain in the forecast every day since Sunday and clear up to next Monday but it has not really been anything much measurable at my house.

The only thing I see flowering in my yard is the angel trumpet lilies under the Rose of Sharon bush.  There are day lilies in that mess too but I don't see them yet.  Gardenias should be coming out sometime but that thing might still be recovering from the severe cutting back I did last year.  I have also managed to just about kill the house plant that DJ had nutured for 30 plus years.  Not even sure what it is but a common house plant that hangs down.  It was a plant that his son had gotten when he was in the hospital in the early 80's, DJ said.  We'll see if it manages to bounce back or if I should not be trusted with any growing thing besides my critters, that is.  The aloe vera plant survives in spite of me.

Guess that is it for this installment.  Hope you all had a safe holiday weekend.

cats vs dogs

You know, I should really consider changing the name of my blog.  I am tending two cats and now a dog, after all.  I'll be honest and say that I am more a cat person than a dog person.  I like dogs, not as much as cats but I have welcomed Oscar into my home and will do my best to take good care of him.  We are still getting to know each other.  The two in combination crack me up.  

Skyler is so nosy to the point of risk sneaking up on Oscar in the open crate last night to see what he was gnawing on (a small rawhide bone).  I had gotten the baby gate to keep Oscar out of the living room but what I had not counted on was Skyler going around or over it.  Twice last night I stopped him from getting any closer to the dog.  The third?  I did not see him in time and Oscar finally did, barked and chased him out of the room.  BUT did that stop him?  NO, he did not learn his lesson---at all.  

Oscar meanwhile does not want to go OUT necessarily.  I can stand and hold the back door open and he won't budge.  However, if I get the leash and maybe his food bowl, he will go out the car port side happily.  He has piddled on the floor a couple of times even after walking and being out in the backyard for hours.  Those sad eyes when he is scolded.  "did you do that?"  and he looks like he has been whipped or something.

This morning at 6 when Skyler insisted for over a half an hour that I get up and feed him.  Oscar is buried so far under his towel cover that it looks like he is not even in there.  He did not budge through feeding the cat, my fixing and eating breakfast either.  Not until I went to open the gate did he even stir.  Food and a walk and he is back outside for most of the day.

At the same time, Skyler wants to run and play, wrapping himself completely around his scratching pole and digging in with those back legs.

If I were the one trying to sleep, I think I would want to be more like Oscar and drop like a rock and stay asleep till at least 7.  BUT you know who wouldn't hear of that!

When Oscar and I started out for the walk, Mamacita spotted us and I had to stop and feed her too.  It was a little early and I had not spotted her on my earlier outside trips.  She is getting a little bolder now and has twice walked into the house when I was trying to get back in the door for her food and holding Skyler back.  She has even been in the beauty shop when I went across the lane to get my hair cut earlier in the week!  Still no sign of the baby kittens, born on April 12 so they would not be weaned at 3 weeks.  I don't really mind as long as she and Skyler don't get in a hissing, fighting fit.  He just wanted to sniff and she just wants to get back outside to eat, LOL as that was why she came running when she saw me, after all.

I have had a dog before, back when I was in nursing school with my 4 housemates.  I forget just where she came from but we named her Abner---we watched a lot of Bewitched re-runs back in the early 70's and you remember how nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz used to call her husband "Abner, Abner".  Then came summer break between between junior and senior year and one of us had to take her.  My folks said she could come home with me but she had to be outside.  My brother Steve built her a dog house.  Then graduation came----could not have a dog and my family got custody.  I think my sister Janet was her favorite, after me.

We thought she was some sort of terrier but she really was no bigger than Oscar is.  These were taken when she came down to visit for the day with one of the kids.  The three younger kids would take turns coming to spend the day with me and we would fix whatever food they wanted, go out the mall on the bus, to the park or a movie or whatever.  I have pictures of Janet and I making fondue that were probably taken along with these pictures of Abner.  Phil was thrilled to make tacos as it was not something we had at home at that time.  It was not all that long after this that Diane lived with me for a time while she was attending the same school of nursing.  I loved this little apartment though I did not like the guy who later became the landlord.

This was back in 75 so the fabrics are really dated, LOL.  In the upper left, that was the flowered spread that I had used throughout nursing school in the dorm and house we shared but continued to use until I got a full sized bed. the same one I have today.   I still have and use the granny square afghan as my mom made it for me. I don't have a clue where the other one ended up that I have my head on watching TV with the dog.    In the lower right picture the dog is looking at Vernon the parakeet.  Birds were okay, I guess or I had one anyway for a short time anyway.

A little trip down memory lane, LOL.  In the here and now, since I was up plenty early as I said I have already been busy with the critters, breakfast detail and such.  I also swept up the grass clippings from the car port to try to cut down on the stuff I track in. (Robert mowed on Thursday Then I swept up the kitchen and laundry room, dusted in the living room and vacuumed the entire house.  I sat down to write this post just to cool down a bit!  The dishwasher has been run but needs to be unloaded/reloaded and a basket full of laundry awaits.  I'll save the bathroom cleanup for another day. 

 No sewing---maybe I will feel like it today?  What I need to work on has not changed but I do know now when my assigned day will be for the picnic hop so I have a little leeway but still, it would not be good to procrastinate too long when I have other things to work on too.  If I can only find some energy to get my rear end off this chair.

I hope you are having as lovely a day as we are here---got to love the low humidity and cooler mornings though I hear 80's are coming back in a day or two.   I like it how it is right now!