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.

The Thaw

I made a pot of Bob's Red Mill Black Bean Soup.

Probably the best soup I have ever made.

And when I finally got out of the house to go to work on Friday, I hit Hobby Lobby on the way home for DMC floss.  I saw these cute little rugs at half price and bought the three they had left.  They are perfect for wiping footsies/pawsies when coming indoors from the snowy, now wet, patio

Rosie (registered name Georgia's Cherokee Rosebud), who needs to see the groomer, likes them.

And so does Rocky (registered name? sheesh I forget, but it ends with MacGuyver)

This little guy sits up all the time. When you reach out to pet him, he falls over backwards for a tummy rub.

So freaking adorable.

Scooter is sleeping, so I didn't bother him.  Kitten too.

All of us are cozy and warm waiting for the snow to go and the rain to come.

Seriously, we are going to follow the snow with rain.

I am not liking that.

So I won't think about it.

Until tomorrow.

First Nikon photos

My husband has a hard time buying me gifts, so I help him out. I have been wanting a really boss camera since I was about 15, so, when hubby was on the verge of committing to buying me a Nikon 3100, but only if I shopped for it with him, I took matters into my own hands.  I went into  Atlanta (thank you Garmin), to Showcase Camera, and purchased myself a Nikon 7000.  It was a pretty embarrassing experience.  I seemed to be the only non-professional photographer in the place.  The questions unnerved me: "What photo processing system do you use?"  And the advice: "You can use two SD cards to control quality." What? Yep, overbought a little, but I am so worth it (the Koala sewing cabinet will have to wait).

This is my first photo. I was sitting in my bedroom reading the quick-start brochure, and this was handy. 

Rocky was close too.

And Kitten, of course.

The next day I ventured to the sewing room.

I think I am going to have fun with this "little" toy.

I have already signed up for a class at the Showcase school; I have a feeling I may be spending a good bit of time there in the new year, so now I am a little paranoid that my computer is going to give out.  I replaced the monitor two weeks ago, and I HATED the new monitor's "stretched out" pictures, but I found a way to get the display squared up.

On a wholly random note; I used to practice Eagle Combat Jujitsu under Gary Brown and the Midori Yama Budokai system.  It was a million years ago (1994).  I am the blonde brown-belt female next to the guy in the red gi.  Our instructor, Gary Brown, is in the blue.

I am gonna go put up my Christmas tree.

Peace and good photos to all!