Minnie

I lost Minnie today. She was 13 years and 7 months as that is as close to what the vet figured out her age when she came into the auction house all those years ago.
She slept under my left arm every night and would 'chirp' instead of meow everytime I entered the bedroom. I will fill you in on more about my beloved Minnie later.
Since I was with a heavy heart last night knowing what I had to do this morning, I just held her as much as I could without hurting her as much of the night as she would let me. She was in a lot of pain.
So will write more later.

Back

Well, I'm back after the virus left me without the laptop for nearly 2 weeks. DH had a notebook that I jury-rigged and had to use ethernet cable for, but it was a distinct pain and sooooo slow.

Now have to figure out which stitching sites I was following. Everything was wiped off the desktop with the exception of my photos. He put them in a folder on the desktop for me so I have them.

Glad to be back.

Have a very sick 13 yr old cat and am so torn and saddened. May not be on for a bit.

Huggs, to all.

Cait

Thanks

Meari,
Thank you for your kind words on Dovey.
I still expect her to come into the bathroom in the morning and meow her 'Good Morning, Mommy'.
It is lonesome without her and her siblings and I are still in blue.
Thanks again,
Cait

The measure of love....

It is a measure of love to know how we are missed.
All last night they were walking around the house and calling to her.
Their agitation and confusion was palpable.
It didn't stop with last night. This morning they were doing the same.
Dovey's sisters don't understand where she is.
I brought her back in the house after I took her home from the vet's clinic.
I laid her down on the floor for them. Both sniffed and walked away.
But they wouldn't or couldn't accept that Dovey was gone.
Their missing her equates to the love they had for this little, grey being.
That my talking to them and petting them had some effect, don't tell me that her siblings aren't mourning the loss of their sister.
I can see her grave markers out under the Haraldson apple tree from my eastern facing windows, and I also grieve.
Talking softly to Cinders and Cuddles helps them, just slightly, but they still call for her.
To those that insist that animals are just that, without thought and feeling, and haven't seen this phenomenon of their grieving for Dovey, well, I don't think I ever want to meet these people. I would just appreciate that they never come into my life for me to feel sorry for their lack of knowledge and compassion.
Little Dovey, Thank You for gracing my life for the last decade plus. For teaching me to appreciate all of God's gifts to us.
Your life was a great joy to me.
I grieve for you also.

Dovey

Today was a hard day for me.
For the last week I have been trying to get one of my little cats to eat. She wouldn't and couldn't.
Today the hard decision was made to let Dovey go.
She wouldn't eat anything and all she wanted to do was drink.
She was so weak, I didn't have much choice.
Dovey was the best mouser, the best I ever had. Dovey would hear a mouse in this 96 year old house and she sat there in the kitchen until she got it.
She was a small dove-grey cat, only 11-12 years old.
Dovey was a feisty one, and if you invaded her space, most likely you were told by her to back away. It was only in the last few years that she tolerated you to pet her. Never on her head, but from the shoulders on back you could touch and stroke her body down to the end of her tail.
And she was a talker! If you were in the kitchen having a meal, or anywhere she saw you, she would just let loose with one of her outlandishly loud meows. You could literally hold a conversation with her. Dovey would 'say something', you would answer and she would respond.
Dovey wasn't one of the most cuddly cats, and I regret not being able to sit with her in my lap to pet and cuddle with her.
This last week was hard for both of us, and her sister, Cinders, never left her side. When Dovey went to drink, Cinders was with her.
She asked for so little, but gave so much even though she did it on her terms.
I will miss you little girl, wait for me when it is my time to cross our rainbow bridge...............

Been a while..

Well, it has been a while. Lost our furnace about a month ago, and I sure do wish it would warm up a bit. Good thing is that they aren't delivering any more fuel oil, bad thing is that the cold floors are getting to me. The atomic clock receptor outside says that it is 39* and it is 67* inside the bedroom. Guess I need to bake something

Common courtesy

Have you come out of a store or warehouse facility and had to lift that 42 pounds of litter up into your car or truck? Or that very heavy, bulky, unwieldly case of bottled water?
I did the other day.
Now getting it into the cart isn't as bad, as you are usually dropping it into the cart as opposed to lifting it up out of the high walled/sided cart into the vehicle.
Imagine my surprise while at the Coon Rapids, MN, Costco this past week and I heard a shout from the cart corral asking me if I wanted help to get the litter into my truck.
I turned around and here was a young man, Sam by name, and he was asking ME the question. At first instinct I thought no. Then as instantly as that thought came to mind, I turned to him and said that I would love some help.
Sam easily hefted both into the truck cab and I told him I could take care of the rest. And Thank You! He gave me a look that said that he was more than willing to finish the rest, but acquiesced nobly and went back to his work.
While getting into the truck after all was said and done, I dug out the cell phone and dialed Free411 to get the phone number of that particular Costco.
I called and mentioned what just had happened to me. I told the lady that answered that Sam was a great help to a 5'2.5" 68-year old woman. She was so surprised and asked me if I wanted to talk to his manager. I said that I definitely would and did so. He mentioned that the young man was standing right in front of him and I repeated that I was so grateful for that bit of common courtesy and to please Thank him again.
Sam, you will go far in your career, simply because your work ethic has allowed you to see beyond corralling carts. Your parents raised you very well. I am pleased to have been part of your life, you certainly lifted my day to the best quality for that particular incident.
Thank You.

Angel food cakes

When I was a youngster, I would ask my Mom to make angel food cakes for special occasions. Angel food cakes with berries, whether those were fresh or not, didn't matter. It was the cake, pure and simple. Now don't get me wrong, I love a chocolate cake or white cake with lemon filling along with the best of them, but the angel food cake had a special appeal for this kid.
When the cake was resting on that pop bottle, I called for dibs on the pan. Now my next youngest sibling didn't have a clue. Dee was all for the cake, berries and whipped cream. I, on the other hand couldn't wait for the pan, and I wasn't about to share that secret.
All this is brought back by today's program on PBS"s 'Cook's Country', the sister program of 'America's Test Kitchen'.
Now these two programs are the best thing to watch and learn by if you want to know the reasons why your food/meal comes out, or not, the way you want it to. Really an important method of schooling for all of us that have leanings to being called a 'foodie'. They also publish a magazine that solve all sorts of really terrific and important cooking issues, solved and perfected. Their equipment corner is a marvelous way to find equipment that will work in your kitchen, and not fall apart with usage, the best of the best. Look for it and see if you aren't intrigued by it and will buy it. A good read for any cook or budding culinary scientist.
Today's program, you guessed it, the seven rules to make a perfect angel food cake.
All said and done, for me, it is still about the dibs on the ooey, gooey remnants in the pan. The one I got dibs on. I don't know what it was and is about that part of the cake, but the cake runs a close second to the absolute delight to a child to get that part left on the pan.
Really!
Next time you make an angel food cake, snitch a bit of my childhood and sample that ooey, gooey remnant left in the pan. I still like it even when you buy an angel food from the store. Sometimes you will get lucky and that remnant left on the carton bottom is there.
You might just agree with me and bring back a wonderful memory of childhood....or create your own good memory for your adulthood.

All in a day's work

While in the Twin Cities the other day, I saw the cutest thing.
A lady was out jogging with her fairly large dog along side her on its leash.
What made it so memorable was that the dog had a water bottle in its mouth, and carrying it very proudly with its head up. AND there was water in the bottle. Now I am not sure if the bottle was for the dog or the lady jogger. Unfortunately, I was in a stream of traffic so that I wasn't able to pull over and ask.
The sight of the two of them out for a wonderful days jog made my day. It wasn't much, and I am not rubber-necking as I drive, I was stopped at a light and that's when the observance took place. I see so many things when I am out and about. It just takes a bit of time to absorb the world around you. Keep your eye on the traffic, mind you, but when you have the time, watch the Good Lord's world around you. You might be surprised at what you see and can learn.

Carolyn NC

Hi Carolyn,
I just looked around the page and saw the 'comments' on the tab under title on the compose page. I can view your comments there.
Daughter and husband were over yesterday to deliver some of her fabulous bean soup and I showed her the prayer shawl. That may have been a mistake. She commented on how well it would go with all her colors and that more importantly, she is always so cold now since her Rouen-Wye (?) surgery when she sits and watches tv.
I hadn't thought of giving it to her, as I was looking at it as a comfort for me. I knit it as I do my devotions, and every stitch is wrapped in an Apostle's Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, St. Bridget's twelve year devotions from Our Lord, St. Bridget's Seven Sorrows from Mary, my Universal Living Rosary decade, and the daily devotions interspersed within all of these.
I mentioned it to Hubby, and he chuckled. His solution, give it to her and knit yourself another! O.k., I guess he had better consider how long it takes me to knit. I started it at my Dad's side knowing how long it takes me to do anything, as well as wanting to do something while sitting with him, So, I guess I had better put off that bib, burp and change pad for Dottie's baby. Which is OK, I really wasn't into doing that anyway. That was another of husband's suggestions.
Maybe I will remember to talk over these suggestions with hubby before he has me committed, like doing Pooh for her sister's baby. If you have ever done Pooh Patterns, you will know why I am sparse-haired on the head. Comes from pulling out hair while doing a Pooh pattern with all those white spaces. And I am a pretty darned good stitcher!!!!
Oh well, time to get ready for Dad's Memorial service.
Thanks for the comments, and hopefully I will enable them sometime to show to all.
Huggs everyone.

The first day of fall

Today is our Anniversary. 
We were married 32 years ago (in 1978) on a bright, beautiful, sunshine-y day.  I made my dress and bought dresses for our two daughters in shades of pink.  Our son disappeared for the entire ceremony and never did find out where he went.  He did show up for the food, however, he was twelve and always hungry.
Today as I woke up, my DH wished me a Happy Anniversary, grabbed his watch, phone, wallet and a couple of waters from the fridge and headed down to the cities to see what treasures he could find today. 
I have a memorial to go to for my Dad at the residence chapel where he had lived for the last year, this afternoon. 
Somehow it seems rather fitting. 
It is raining today, and I will not complain about the rain.  It makes me want to just sit and stitch or knit.  Both are constructive and calming.
To say that I need it is an understatement. 
But life goes on and so will I.
Happy Anniversary dear Husband. 

Comments

Well, I think I screwed up.
Carolyn, you have graciously posted twice now, and I can't read them.  Somehow I have figured out how to disable something without knowing.  I published an answer to your invisible post, and that didn't come up either.  May have to take this out of RSS feed.  That is the only thing I know I deliberately did.  Will see. 
Am slowly re-joining the human race, and have forgone the cross stitching for a bit in choosing to knit myself a prayer/comfort shawl in Homespun yarn.  It is easy, just knit, knit, knit.  No purling required, and my concentration level is so out of whack and continuing with counted cross stitch while riding in hubby's little truck, that it is not an activity that works.  There is more 'jounce to the bounce' in his little Colorado than is conducive to counted cross stitch needles and I can handle at this point.
Hopefully I can figure out how the comment form works and who knows, I may have to shut down the computer and restart to get it to work.  But not right now.  Have to get some food in the body.

new color backgrond

In case you are wondering, I signed up for an RSS feed and yellow print doesn't show up well, sigh.  So will opt for a lighter background so I can either leave it black or dk green. Took me forever to figure out where I accidently stumbled on it last week. Hmmph! Got to get more computer savvy here!

Missed the monarch's flight

Well, saw hundreds and hundreds of Monarch butterflies landing in the trees last night before the cool temp didn't allow them to fly anymore.  Set the alarm for 8:30 in hopes of hearing them fly off this morning.  8:30 was too late.  Once the sun started hitting those tree tops this morning and warming up their tiny bodies, they were off.  By the time I got out there with the binoculars, there was only one I could see on the tree top and two others flying around.  When I looked back, the one on the tree was also gone and flying around. 
I wished all of them a safe journey to Mexico. 
This hasn't happened for several years now, and wasn't sure we were still on the flyway for them.  I think I just missed the night gathering by being in the house and didn't see them each year they came. 
I still remember when they all started flying away that morning after they warmed up that first time.  It was the softest swishing sound you ever heard.....like angel's wings. 
I so wanted to hear it again, but wasn't able to.  At least I got to wish the few remaining to take off, a safe trip.  'God speed ye' little ones.  Safe journey.

Back to normal

Ok, I went back and fixed all the screwed up posts.  So all the 'complaining' I did (keeping in mind how crappy I am feeling) can be taken with a grain of salt at this point. Got my MOJO back and it's working!
Oh if life were that simple......

I think I figured out this thingee....

Well, let's see if this works. It seems that the compose button lets me get back to what I want and love on my site.  That edit HTML crapola is just that. Why would anyone ever choose that?  What purpose does it serve?
OK, I am not a computer geek and have tons of things to learn.  But at least I have my preferred font back and I will be able to get the color I want back. I see that there are a few new settings on the task bar, but I am only going to choose those I know!!!!!
Not feeling the best today, think it may be a bad mouse (in not-cat owners vernacular, I think I may have eaten something not good and it is rolling around and out in the gut....'nuf said). But just in case, am not going in to see if I can get Dad to eat. 
With that said, perhaps I should stop making words here, I seem to be getting a bit 'T.M.I.'
Hope everyone is having a good day and is experiencing what we are not....sun, cooler weather out of the upper 90's and beyond.

new blog style

OK. It is official. Someone messed up my blog settings. It may have beeen me, but the jury is out on that one yet. I can't get the beautiful golden color to publish the words anymore, just a pale, icky yellow. I do hate the HTML and would never choose it. I can't choose the font any more, and I love trebuchet font. My apologies.

FLOSS BOXES

Well it started when I was packing the carry-on for the plane and was pulling the floss for the Danish Country Christmas.
Instead of being filled numerically, from box one to box two etc., I was literally checking 6 floss boxes with floss in numerical order, and each box was in order but having different floss colors in each, and having to check each box over and over to see if the color wanted was in any of them as I went down the list of floss.
I got frustrated.
Now mind you, when the tree came down on the bedroom and kitchen, Hubby put all my stitching and floss in one area of the living room, or maybe it was put in the barn, so I could find it. Anyway, all my DMC floss, and I had all the colors, are not found yet, admittedly, I am slow. So I start with new floss whenever I get a new pattern.
But I had 5 or 6 boxes of new floss to go through to see if I had all the floss for the two patterns.
So when we got home, the plan was to combine all the floss from the various boxes and put them in numerical order to flow from box one to eventually now to box three.
I finished this morning after working on it off and on for the last three days.
What a feeling of accomplishment! And what a timesaver it will be!
For those of you that don't stitch, it is like trying to find your new toothbrush in your linen closet, in one or the other places you place new toothbrushes in the linen closet drawers.
Or, like trying to find that spatula for cleaning out that bowl of potato salad and having to go through all of your kitchen drawers. Frustration level------inordinately high.
So the job on Monday's 'ToDo' list is finally done and back in the bookcase ready to be used when needed again. I even have two extra boxes to expand now. Although I just thought of something, I didn't leave room for the Danish Country Christmas floss and the new floss I bought for the Gnomes to be put back into the three boxes! LOL
Good thing I have an extra, empty box. 'Tis a tedious job to move 6 skeins of floss into the next compartment. Guess I am not done yet.
Isn't there a saying of "The best laid plans of mice and men...."?
Will take the Scarlett O'Hara of Tara approach...."I'll think of that, tomorrow..."

Vegas

Well, I did the annual trek to Vegas. Why I go in the summer is beyond me. I know, there is a screw loose in the thinking department.

But I did make my annual trip to Stitcher's Paradise and spent some to help keep a LNS store going.

I got three patterns from Imaginating. The first is "We Thank Thee Lord" which is a beautiful sampler type with a marvelous basket of fall fruits and vegetables. It is #1298 if you want to look it up. (www.imaginating.com)

The second is "Halloween Delusion" #SG-43. I got it because I thought it was part of the 'Kelly's Cats' series. It looks like it, but after careful scrutiny, didn't see any mention of her at all, as this was designed by Holly Gordon and Judy VonStein.

The third was "Tricky Treat Cats" #SG-23, designed by Holly Gordon. Of the two cat offerings, hubby liked Halloween Delusion best. It was also the one stitched and framed next to the register counter and caught my eye.

The fourth pattern is one I saw on Mary Salvi's blog and fell in love with, and is called "Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings". Of course, having pumpkins on the top kind of cinched the favor, and I am going to have to contact Mary to get particulars from her. I agree with her and will do it in DMC, as that is what I have most available, not to mention the cost. It calls for 60 colors, and sorry, I will keep the silks called for, for for a smaller project at $6.00/skein. I can hardly wait to start this one, and will have to figure out if I can do some type of rotation to get all the projects worked on and still keep going on all that I want to stitch. Maybe that is the secret to keeping things fresh and not stagnating on a project. Yes?

Let me know how all of you do it with multiple projects going.

I brought out only one leaflet and floss with me so I could start on Jeremiah Junction's Danish Country Christmas, leaflet # JL117, 1991. I picked it up during an early spring garage saling venture for 50 cents. I liked the sampler aspect of the two pieces, and it had two gnomes! While in Vegas, I bought 18ct Aida to work on it. I had fabric, but wasn't comfortable with the shortage on the width, I was one inch short. (I know, a bit 'anal retentive' here). However, in buying the piece of fabric for $22.00, not only did I get both patterns pieces cut, but I have a large hunk leftover to do other things with. WooHoo!

I did spend .70/ per skein for DMC, but it only came to $12.00, and I really wanted to get both pieces started, and didn't have the floss for the Gnomes. I had all the floss for the skating winter sampler though.

All in all, Hubby let me stay in the hotel room and stitch for two days before I was required to help pack. I was in heaven. It is a good thing we only eat twice a day there, it left me more time in the middle to start things.

Well, that is the report on my stitching for now.

Would love to hear your comments if you have time.

Stitchings I have actually done

This is just a small floral motif I did on a towel. A bit small for the towel, but I guess I could call it 'delicate and feminine' instead.

This little ornament is one of my favourites. I can just hear him laughing with glee as he is scooting down that slope on that saucer sled. It was a small DMC chartpak bought at least 18 years ago.

A strawberry fingertip towel that was a super easy pattern to stitch and a bright cheery spot in the bathroom towel bar.

Probably one of my favourites. Verse reads: "Take one can of biscuits. Twock on edge of counter. Bake in a 400* oven. Serve in a fancy basket."

Well that is about all for tonight. Still have devotions to do so I can watch Poker After Dark!