Sleeping arrangements

Someone discarded an Asian fabric star project at Thimbles, so I picked it up. That was at least 3 months ago. 

 Yesterday I got it out, took it apart, flipped a couple of the pieces upside down, added my Sashiko scraps and replaced her inserted pieces with blue ones, stitched it with red perl cotton thread in a running stitch. I thought I would use it for the sides of a bag, but now I am thinking of something else. It will decide for itself what it wants to be. I'll wait.

The livestock and I have settled into a bedtime routine. I bring Joey indoors, and, once he figures he cannot beg me to let him out again, he settles on the bed.

Joey curled up on the bed.

Rosie (a sixteen pound "Maltese" really?) watches my every move. She won't believe it's bedtime until I turn out the light and remove the extra pillows from the bed.

Rose watches, from the back of the loveseat,  for offical bedtime.

 Little Scooter (at 9 pounds still big for a Maltese), is 14 years old. He is a little blind, a little deaf and somewhat vicious when disturbed in his sleep. He has been exiled from the bed, but curls up and sleeps in his own little bed.

Scooter in his little bed, on the floor, where he cannot bite anyone.

 Rocky (same size as Scooter and 9 months younger) is a snuggler and cannot rest until I am close to him.

Rocky watches to see when I will settle down to sleep.

He will crash when he knows I am settling down for the night, but once I am in bed he is right next to my arms. He makes it difficult for me to turn over, but we work it out.

Sweet slumber for little Rocky.

 Kitten is missing. Two nights in a row I have gone from front door to back door calling for her to come in. I finally go to bed worried about her out in the dark night all alone and wondering whether she is safe. Last night I swear I looked all over the house, and could not find her. Two mornings in a row she showed up, from somewhere within the house, ready for her breakfast.

My scarred back yard. Huge white pine is reduced to a stump.

I had some trees removed. Crit (my deceased husband) had contracted the work before he had his stroke, so I went ahead with it. Now I have a scarred backyard. I have planted no flowers this year and the yard has major drainage problems. I am putting off dealing with it until fall. I don't know if I'll ever feel like doing yard work, but at least I can use the heat as an excuse.

Faded, but still fragrant, gardenia blossoms in a birdnest.

I appreciate all of your comments and concern for my welfare. Things are going well. I have contacted all the folks I need to. Now it is just a matter of going to court, completing all the various paperwork and going to the Social Security office. Thank goodness he had an Advance Directive, Power of Attorney and Will. I recommend, if you or your spouse do not have these important documents, get them prepared NOW. Save your loved one the mental agony, on top of all the stress, of having to guess what you want done. As soon as the probate process for my husband it complete, I will do the same for my loved ones.

TV sewing

One thing I love about my job at the technical college is the diversity of students I get to meet and help.  The students who are originally from Africa are so kind, caring and generous.

One of those students gave me a package of this fabric.  It is very different from the cotton I am used to for quilting.  The package contained between 4 and 6 yards.  The fabric feels papery and is very shiny. I could see it would make a wonderful traditional African costume. But what would I do with it?

Yo-yo girlfriend!

(looks so different; doesn't it?)

I like the crispness the fabric gives the yo-yos.  I am putting them together with bright colors of embroidery floss.

Scooter (now 13 years old) likes when I am hand sewing (making yo-yos) in the bedroom.  It is cozy there and he can sleep.

the aftermath

I love getting flowers to decorate when company is coming. (I found the doily at Goodwill for $2.00.)

I am writing this in a calm state of mind (Cesar Millan would be proud). My pups are quiet; my Kitten on the mend.  MIL is on her way to her sister's house after having dinner with my husband and his ex and their children. 

The visit went just fine. I kept meals simple (and here at home though there were NO problems).  Last night we had chicken cordon bleu, twice baked potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower and salad.  I unwrapped the frozen chicken and potatoes, stuck them on aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and into the oven for 45 minutes they went.  I went back to quilting "Nests" and made this boo-boo:

I un-sewed it and used a lint brush to pick up all the little white bits left from pulling out the errant threads.

It worked really well.

On Tuesday I got back the report from my annual physical.  Cholesterol is up, triglycerides are up, sodium up, and so is calcium.  The doctor recommends better diet and increased exercise, so this morning I got up extra early to feed the livestock (3 dogs and Kitten), and, as I left at 7, I told my husband be sure to close the "water closet" door when he locks the dogs up in the master bathroom (so they don't bother his 92 year old mother).  Our oldest dog, Scooter, has an unfortunate habit of going in the water closet and then turning around and closing the door on himself thereby getting trapped.  I rescued him three times Tuesday, while the door installer was here, until I started remembering to close it before I put them in there.  It is traumatic for Scooter because the first time it happened, over a year ago, the lid was up and he was all wet when we found him. His panicked bark is enough to get "mommy" running to help him, but this morning I was at the swimming pool getting some much needed exercise and I depended on hubby to take care of things until I got back.

Here is what I found on the back of the water closet door when I got back:

Bloody scratch marks!  All over the door, blood on the tiles and in the grout, even on the toilet bowl! I was steamed. I hadn't been told my baby had gotten locked in, and to see that he must have been in there quite a while;  it just made me mad. I examined Scooter and could only find one damaged claw, so I think, physically at least, he is okay. 

But things are calm now.  I have the house to myself while they are at dinner. The quilting is all done on "Nests". I used about 10 bobbins of thread, and look at all the safety pins I took out!

Now I can work on binding (Kitten permitting).

Please?

Seriously?

Is one leg up like being given "the finger?"

Or is this the evil eye?