Road Trips ...

In the last two weeks I've fortunate in that I have gone on two very enjoyable road trips. The first was to Michigan on a home brewed shop hop. Although leaving home @ 7 am (NOT my idea of fun) we drove to the border and proceeded to shop 'til we dropped! ... I thoroughly enjoyed the drive, the company and the new quilt shops we visited. My friend, who did the driving (thank you thank you thank you) purchased a GPS .... tada ..... we did not get lost - not once! Marvelous gadget! One thing I must say, I was a wee bit shocked at the lack of customers in the quilt shops in Michigan - so the evening news is right about their depressed economy. Besides the price of gas - it's still a bargain for us since our dollar is more or less on par with theirs and their fabric prices are definitely lower!!! So a U S shop hop is worth it!
My second road trip was to the semi-annual outdoor semi-local antique show. I started going to way back when I was collecting vintage quilts. My collection now is well into two figures - more than my shelving capacity, and the prices of vintage textiles has shot through the roof! None-the-less it was a gorgeous day outside and wonderful to be out and about with friends doings what I enjoy - shopping!


TTFN

Winner

Yes folks - we have a winner!!! Not the first prize I was hoping for - but still a winner! This piece is for the challenge in two of my guilds. The appliqued fish around the outside and in the very center are fussy cut from a piece of Laurel Burch fabric, the challenge from my first guild, and the fish theme is meant to represent Blue Hawaii since the theme from my second guild's challenge is anything Elvis!

It was meant to be a real Hawaiian quilt, but I have to admit that I cheated somewhat, and it's not all made out of one fabric ... none-the-less it is pretty much all a mirror image of itself. What you can't see in the pic is the amount of beading that I put on this. I also wanted to do something with tulle and angelina fibre, and a lot more echo quilting - but simply did not have enough time!!! (who does). As it is I did hand applique, hand bead and hand quilt, but the quilting pattern was circles - to represent bubbles in the ocean!

My other "win" this week was with BMO, or more specifically with a particular male employee who did not understand the word NO and got a much needed lesson. I made a formal complaint which I am happy to say was taken seriously and handled well by the local area manager. It's not that I'm vindicative, but as I explained to the area manager - I'm old enough now to not accept passively when I am disrespected or mistreated. So, for all you ladies out there, and that includes my mother, who think "Oh, just let it go" WRONG. If you let it go then the next woman gets dumped on, and the next and the next... etc.

TTFN

Quiltus Interruptus

Well I'm deep into panic mode ... I'm sure I'll never get the stupid thing done. Why do I think I can work full time, go to quilt shows on the weekend, visit family and friends, do my spring cleaning and still complete a dual challenge for the two quilt guilds I'm in ??? Am I superwoman ??? No - just crazy or overly ambitious!

Well, it could be that I was truly inspired - yeah, that's right, inspired! Aha! The one guild's challenge is anything to do with Elvis. Hmm, ok, I'm a wee bit young to have experienced Elvis, but I do remember my aunt taking me to see the movie Blue Hawaii .
Now the other quild used a fat quarter of Laurel Burch's Ocean Songs fabric. So, I decided to make a wall hanging using the Hawaiian quilting technique, with lots of fish - some of them blue of course - and fussy cut some of the Laurel Burch fabric around the outer edge. Well , so far so good.

I do a search on Amazon and find just the perfect Hawaiian quilt book. It appeals to me for multiple reasons, one being that the proceeds go towards the Hawaiian Humane Society, the other being the lovely cat pictures ... (No, there will be no cat in my wall hanging!) So, I order the book through my local University bookstore and it arrives just before Xmas - wohoo! Again, so far so good. I get started doing the applique in the New Year and dutifully work away stitching this thing together.
Then - I get the brilliant idea that I have to do a whole lot of beading, and voila - it's now one week before the challenge is due and YIKES - I'm still quilting it! OMG I'll never get the stupid thing done!!! And I wanted to do a whole bunch of echo quilting around the outside, and a scalloped border - WHO AM I KIDDING?
Now, if only I could get the cat to stop nagging me to "play with me mommy - play with me" or "please mommy, let me sleep on your lap" I might - just might get the quilting done - of course it will be covered in cat hair - but it may just get done!

Wish me luck ladies ~~~

Adhesive Capsulitis - aka - Frozen Shoulder!

While I love Iris SweetiePie dearly, its ALL HER FAULT! While hanging a door into the laundry room, to keep Iris out of the laundry room, I fell off a small 2 step ladder and wrecked my shoulder. OUCH! One of those injuries where you lay on the floor breathless 'cause you can't even scream or cry. Well, that was before Christmas. Its now almost 4 months later, several hundreds of $$ later and I can kinda, just barely move my shoulder.
You always hear about these silly middle aged women (who me????) who experience silly middle aged injuries as a result of a silly middle aged fall. No - can't ever happen to me! Oh yeah?
It's oh so much fun (sarcasm intended) 'cause its one of those invisible injuries people can't see. If only I'd fallen and broken something - I would have had a lovely cast to boast about, and even better I could have stayed home from work! Arg!!!
As it is I have one left arm which only functions at half mast. The physiotherapists keep asking me if I'm in a lot of pain - well, no not really, but this dull unrelenting throbbing ache is really getting on my nerves, and the lack of mobility keeps startling me ever time I reach out for something and miss the mark... Then there's the lack of sleep ... can't sleep on that side you see, well, that's just doing wonders for my sunny dispostion - ha! And they say it could take up to a year to fully recover. AND I DO EXPECT to FULLY RECOVER!

Taxes ! Arg !

Taxes - taxes - taxes. Have I told you that I'm math phobic? There must be a specific cognitive disability for those afflicted with the curse of numbers having no meaning . The larger the number the more meaningless it becomes, especially when the number is related to space, size or money! Oh, I can tell you that 5,000 is larger than 500, but it might as well be 5 mill or 5 gajillion. Comparisons I can make, but relating to big numbers is impossible. Perhaps that's why I'm a pointless person rather than a pointed person (quilt talk).

Anyway, its tax time and once again this year I challenge myself to do my own taxes. Many many, many years ago a sympathetic friend taught me the tricks of using the calculator. I simply do not understand the math of why I press .05 X some number in order to get a percentage, but that doesn't matter. What matters is I can still get thru the complicated mess of doing my own taxes, and come within $40 of being correct (that's my personal wiggle room). This year I used an online website to check my math for me ..... and I was within ----- Ta Tata Da ----- $21.04. Not bad eh? I'm happy - so off it goes to the man so I can get my $$ back!
Yeah!

Iris (facsimile pic'd above - darn I really need to get me a digital camera!) is a tap drinking, tub sitting, sink sleeping, kneady (no, that's not a typo - I mean she kneads, her new cat bed, my lap, etc), scrunchy catching/retrieving ball of fur. Although she seems to have adjusted very well to her new home, and purrs now even when I'm giving her twice daily food supplement/medication, she still hides under the bed whenever there is company in the house. Any other person in the house sends her into paroxysms of neurotic fear and sends her scurrying under the bed. This one has me flummoxed. I'm really not sure how to help her overcome this timidity. Any ideas out there???? feel free to comment.

TTFN

I Hate Winter!

Ok, it's official, I reallllllly hate winter. How is it that I always - yup, I mean always - manage to get scheduled for the weekend shift just when a super storm decides to hit?
As if digging your way out the door to the car, digging the car out, cleaning the car off then getting stuck in the parking lot isn't enough, having to actually come into work to just sit and wait and wait and wait for something to do - 'cause everybody else in the world is more sane than you and stayed home in this snow storm - DUH!

On top of all that I already have an injured shoulder. So now, lets include the added stress of shovelling snow for 2-3 days to the already "frozen shoulder" syndrome and what do you have - one miserable hunk of not happy.

But guess who is happy - you guessed it - Iris! Mommy bought some off white fleece fabric, with the best of intentions of recovering the pillow in the cat bed so Iris will not smell/sense Sada (previous now deceased cat). Well, I brought the bed downstairs and placed it next to my chair. Then threw the fabric over it and everytime Iris tried to sit with me I placed her in the cat bed for one whole evening. The next day I placed some of her favourite toys in to the bed, and lo and behold - she likes it, she really really likes it! We have a winner here folks! As usual the pic above is what I'd like Iris to have, and the pic below depicts what she's getting

"Iris and me"

It would be so lovely to have a real cameo of me and Iris ... as it is we shall have to do with this virtual cameo. Iris's transition from her former home, where she was no doubt well loved but not the centre of attention, to my home where she has all the attention, seems to be accomplished. Her former owner has contacted me for reassurance, but has still not coughed up any veterinary records .... I guess we have different ideas of pet owner responsibility.

Iris is now well adjusted to her new home, literally rolling over with glee in welcoming me home each evening and letting me rub her tummy, playing catch (in mid air) as well as fetch, allowing me to give her medication orally twice per day, and "spitting" at my toes when I tease her from under the covers - this makes me LOL! As the picture depicts - she has landed in a good spot and is now living the life of Riley!

TTFN

Himalayan or Ragdoll? That is the question ....

To all my friends and readers at sea ... no, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but have been laid low by this nasty Flu bug that's been going around this winter. In my case it immediately turned into pneumonia, leaving me weak and feverish and miserable for the past three weeks.

The good news is I'm on the mend and feeling semi normal again, except for the pain in my shoulder. Did I tell you I wrecked my rotator cuff just before Christmas attempting to hang a door into the laundry room so Sweetie Pie (Iris is her real name) would not be able to "explore" in the nether regions down there! As I was falling off the step ladder I did wonder why I had attempted to do such a silly thing all by myself... So now its expensive physio for me, while Sweetie Pie sleeps obliviously upstairs in warmth and comfort!

Oh yes, I must also tell youse (sic) all about the "dangers" of person to person adoption. I did suspect there was definitely something lacking in their story when they appeared with the cat and no breeder records to confirm she was, as they claimed, a Ragdoll. I now strongly suspect, based on her personality more than anything else, that she is in fact a Himalayan and not a Ragdoll. That's ok - she's still a beauty!
I did also strongly suspect there was definitely something else lacking in their story when they appeared with the cat and no veterinary records. Iris has now been for her first, expensive, vet checkup. She has a broken molar, needs her teeth cleaned (bad breath and all), and an eye infection which may be Chlamydia or maybe Herpes. Once the eye infection is cleared up (keep your fingers crossed that we are able to clear it up, she will then have her teeth cleaned and all her shots, as I suspect she has not had any!!!

Never mind. I'm an adult and made the conscious choice to adopt this cat as part of my family, so it's now my responsibility. This past weekend a friend and I attended a local vintage sale in the mall, where I was tempted into purchasing a coffee pot for my good china. Why I'm not sure as I don't drink coffee ..... but I liked it! So add that to my expenses for this month and I'll stop wondering why I'm always broke! Ha!

Took a day off work mid month for a so-called all day quilt workshop. Now I have 1/2 a quilt top on my design wall. It was supposed to be completely random lights and darks, but I chose to plan the randomness. I must admit it looks lovely but is much smaller than I had anticipated - so now must become creative with some borders. I was wonderfully surprised at our last guild meeting when one of my sister quilters gave me 9 BMO patterns which make up Maggie Walker's Cats in the Garden quilt! I'm thrilled to bits as I have always wanted to make this quilt. So many quilts and definitely NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!

TTFN, and don't hold your breath - but someday you'll actually see my version of the cats quilt!

Lost and Found!!!!!

Yahoo - It's a great day! I found my ring (not an actual picture but a good likeness). I've had this ring since before I was married (early 70's) and, although it didn't cost much to begin with and probably wouldn't be expensive to replace, how can one replace a memory! I searched EVERYWHERE, re-searched and searched again. I have the tendancy to wear this ring in the winter as it matches the browns in my winter wardrobe... but it sits too high for me to wear with my 3 pairs of winter Thinsulate gloves ... so I take it off and put the ring in a pocket.
Well, I was convinced I had finally used up this ring's ninth life and it was gone forever! But no - YAHOO, it's been found!

Today is a great day.
TTFN

Saga of the Ragdoll - Continues

Well, the new beastie and I have made it through the Holiday season and are well into January. It seems I have a leaping, trap drinking plant eater! By that I mean she apparently likes, as many cats do, to drink from the tap. Luckily for her I have a minimum of 2 fawcetts which like to drip incessantly! (not good for the environment but good for her). This explains why I keep finding the bath mat in the tub and why I found CutiePie in the bathroom sink all curled up and as cute as a button.
As for the leaping, that's connected to her newest game - leaping over the footboard of my vintage white iron bed and over the pine blanket box to chase after the scrunchy ball I've thrown for her. As a matter of fact she has/is developing the habit of retrieval, about 40-45% of the time, which is pretty good for a cat I've had for less than 3 months! January is such a blah month and my personal schedule is too jam packed so that I frequently find myself tucking into bed way too early (around 9 or 9:30). This is giving SweetiePie the incorrect impression that I/she/We live in the bedroom. Hopefully by Spring time I will have her trained well enough that we can both go outside on the patio for a bit each evening. But of course she will have to respond to her proper name (Iris) which means I will have to make a more concerted effort to use her new name consistently!
As for the plant eating (see pic) I shall have to get to the store and buy some cat grass pronto before she eats me out of house and home! Not fair as I'm am making a concerted effort to ensure she has loads and loads of food and treats (part of her re-training program), aka spoiling her!

Anyho,
TTFN

SweetiePie

Here's a pic of this year's Christmas door decoration. I used buttons for the eyes and was pleased with the results!

Update on the new "baby", who remains unnamed, but is starting to answer to "Sweetie" or "SweetiePie", either of which might very well become her name! Well, we've had our ups and downs .... we've had 2 arguments. The first was my fault and resulted in numerous injuries to both our pride and my arms. I grabbed her from behind in an attempt to stop her from going into the black hole under the stairs. She doesn't like being grabbed from behind. The second argument was slightly less dramatic, I was attempting to clean her back end after a incompleted trip to the litter box. She doesn't like having the hair on her hind end pulled/cleaned.
None-the-less we are making progress. She has learned to play fetch with the scrunchy ball, and does amazing leaps off the bed chasing after it. She has also learned to sleep in until "mommy" gets up .... well sorta. I am making a concerted effort to pick her up and hold her and give her lots of hugs and kisses twice a day so she gets used to being held and kissed and receive lots of affection.
TTFN

Saga of the Ragdoll, part Trois

This morning my new "baby" actually stayed downstairs and watched me leave for work. She is beginning to get the idea that she can be on either floor of the house and doesn't have to live under the bed when I'm not home. YEAH! Although, since this particular breed likes to be "near" people and has the tendency to follow you from room to room, we may never get over this hiding thing in toto.

Maybe it's me that has to change and not the cat. She certainly isn't living up to her breed's reputation for being uber affectionate and docile - as she has attempted to bite me several times - usually during grooming a matted section of her coat. I have also witnessed cat temper, re vigorous tail wagging (a sign of displeasure/annoyance) and she absolutely will not be held. Although, she did sleep in my lap for almost a full hour last night. Hmmm, maybe she's a schizoid cat. More attention, love and bribery with yummies are in order.
TTFN

I Love Wednesdays!

I used to dislike Wednesdays intensely ... My day would start at 7 am, quilting at 9-12, work from 1-10 and not get home until 10:30. It was just too long and gruelling. Now, well my day still starts at 7 am, and quilting is only an occasional Wednesday, but work is only until 6 pm - which means I can get home have dinner and still be awake in time to watch DEADWOOD! Yeah!

OMG - I am so totally hooked ... I have never been this hooked on a television series before - no, wait, I lie, there was Upstairs/Downstairs or Antiques Roadshow (British, American or Canadian), or ... no, with any of those I wasn't so crazy as to go online and read the episodes before and after the actual viewing. I didn't watch the first, second and third viewing - staying up all night to do so, then wait months for the reruns. I AM totally hooked - what a goof! Could be worse.

TTFN

Saga of the Ragdoll part Deux

Well, we've made progress! "Willow" (don't worry this name will change - soon) has come out of hiding. I was able to coax her out from under my living room chair for about an hour on Sat. evening. Sunday was even better as she came out from hiding twice, ate some food and even came when I called her. The real progress is she has let me groom her, always a good sign, and slept - well sort of slept, on my bed with me.
I have discovered that she is a jumper, likes to be up high on the furniture, doesn't like to be held but does like to be petted, and doesn't actually meow, she peeps like a bird.
The search for a more appropriate name continues. I'm toying with: Sari, Iris, Shadow and Sparrow. Sparrow might be the most appropriate as she is a tiny wee thing, 1/4 the size of Sada, and peeps like a bird! Anyway, whatever her name is peeped at me several times in the night, she will learn that when the lights are out and "mommy's" in bed its time to sleep!
TTFN

Saga of the Ragdoll

Ok, against my better judgement and and in another fit of soft heartedness I have once again become the victim of a rescue cat. Yes - I say victim, because once again I have opened my home to an animal who would otherwise be homeless, even though I promised myself to take a vacation from pet ownership! Yes, I do miss Sada (previous cat) terribly, or rather I miss her companionship. On the other hand I was very much enjoying not cleaning litter, not sweeping the floor 3 times per day, not cleaning up fur balls, being able to go where I like, when I like without worry, etc.
I was lured back into cativity by the prospect of owning a ragdoll, a lovely docile breed. The pic above is a facsimile as currently the "baby" has gone to ground and is hiding somewhere in my house in abject terror. OH NO! One reason the previous owners surrendered the cat was that the poor thing was terrorized living in their multi-animal home; a classic case of humans putting their emotional needs/wants above the animal's welfare. The previous owners arrived with no breeder's papers, no veterinary records, a small tub of food and the cat's "nest". I'm sure they "loved" the cat, but love should not be confused with appropriate stewardship., having said that I recognise that life circumstances do change. They then proceeded to sit in my living room for the next 2 1/2 hours and divulge way too much personal family information before breaking into tears as they left.

So, my hope is that this timid sweetie will not be too terribly traumatized by the change in home environment, can confidently overcome the residue scent of Sada, and come out of hiding to live a happier more peaceful existence in my quieter home as my companion.

I'll keep you posted ....

TTFN

TaDa! My first Sun Bonnet Sue! I've been quilting for nearly 30 years - can you believe I finally made one. I know I know - there are a lot of anti Sun Bonnet Sue people out there, and I'm not necessarily a fan, but this was a commissioned piece for a little girl's first birthday. I'm sure she will enjoy it.
ttfn

The Kindness of Friends

Last week my animal companion of 16 years, Sada, passed away. Of course this was sad, yet not unexpected. Sada was epileptic and I had been warned that her anti-seizure medication might shorten her life. It has left me out-of-sorts and at odds. No one to greet me at the door, no one to fuss over, no one to feed, no one to purr on my lap, to kiss or to hug. At the same time there is a tinge of relieve, I no longer need to race home to ensure she gets her medication within x hours, no longer have to clean up after, no longer have to watch her seizures, no litterbox, etc. She was a BIG cat and a BIG presence in my life, and will be missed.

I want to thank all my friends and family who were so kind and sensitive in sending me cards of condolence - yes, people do grieve for their pets. I especially want to thank my namesake, for sending this fab pic of me and Sada, and my tall friend who gave me a guardian angel cat pin in memory of Sada. The kindness of friends warms my heart. Thank you.

TTFN

Critical Assessment versus Just Entertainment

Quote of the day on my personalized Google page is:

"Only fools are positive" by - Moe Howard

Love it love it love it.... agrees with one of my new mantras -The power of Pessimism

Had an interesting discussion with a friend this past weekend, and once again I was surprised by the attitude - " I watch movies/read books just for the entertainment" I don't know why this surprises me. Personally, I have always analyzed what I am reading or viewing or hearing, ever since I was a child I was taught to question/reason/assess - to learn from each and every experience. Of course it is perfectly reasonable and understandable that some/many people just want to be entertained, and I admit that there are times when I actually enjoy mindless entertainment - mainly in front of the boob tube. In fact I know many many people who "just want to be entertained". Escapism is a reality!
None-the-less, for myself I still enjoy analyzing movies or plays or books with a critical eye so as to get the most from the experience.

A critic is - one who discerns, criticism is the act of judgement or informed interpretation. To quote Natalia Poncela, "criticism acts as a mediator between cultural products, principally between material culture and its viewers. Criticism interprets, transcribes, translates and verbalizes everything that is pre-verbal, perceptive, or symbolic, turning it into something pronounceable and meaningful." I think perhaps some people mistakenly think all criticism is hostile or putting a negative spin on something, but it's not! For me there is nothing wrong with viewing with a critical eye. For me criticism interprets and illuminates and opens the overall experience. It can be as small as saying "that was a great movie", or as deep as discussing the camera angles chosen by the director. For me the enjoyment comes with critical appraisal. To paraphrase Moe: "Only fools view without critique"

So, during this year's summer vacation I did some "antiquing" and after much fun and a plethora of wonderful shops I discovered just the thing I was NOT looking for! The above pic is not my own, but a reasonable facsimile of the actual church pew I purchased for my front hall. Of course, I actually started out on my shopping foray to obtain a digital camera, and if I hadn't gone directly into the first antique store I saw, I might actually have purchased a digital camera ... which, of course was the new acquitisiton I need, versus the acquisition I want. There's that shopping psychology catch 22 again!

The small pew I purchased is made of pine while the pictured pew is of oak .... not that I'm a wood snob or anything, but I musy say that I prefer pine! I am thoroughly happy and feel this exquisite addition pleasantly compliments the rest of my collection of antiques and collectibles.

Now back to the budgeting - so that maybe - just maybe - on my next shopping spree I will actually get that digital camera!

TTFN