10/6/12

Prattle

It's been quite a week here at the Three Cats Ranch.  I'm happy to say that the guys were in this morning and removed all the equipment from downstairs.  In other words, the hoards of buzzing wasps have gone away.  I can't say that the sewing room looks any better, but at least it's quieter.



(Special note to Katy:  Do you see George and Gracie on the wall up there next to my thread?)

Next, they'll be back to replace the carpet pad and restretch the carpet.  Once that's finished, they'll be cleaning the carpets.  Actually, I imagine they'll want to finish the reconstruction and painting before they clean the carpet.  I'm hopeful it will happen as quickly as everything else because I really want the mess gone out of the family room.  And, of course, I want my sewing room put back in order.

I wanted to update you on the state of the garden.  They were able to save the rhododendron I love so much, but they had to dig up the azalea and one other shrub that I cared less about.  Both were left lying on the sidewalk, and yesterday, Mike replanted the azalea.  (The roots were completely gone from the other shrub.)


They had to move that big boulder you see in the foreground, and at some point, it will need to be placed somewhere else.  It's kind of sticking out like a sore thumb where it is.  Yesterday when I looked at the azalea, it was looking a little sad.  This morning, however, it had perked up, and I'm thinking it might survive.


My plan is to think about sewing next week.  For the time being, I can leave the sewing machine where it is.  You can't see it in the images above, but it's in a little nook across the room from the closet.  Until they start working downstairs, I can sew where it is.  I'd like to finish up two quilts I have awaiting quilting, and I can do the October free motion quilting challenge.  I skipped the September challenge, but I'm going to do one of the bonus challenges.  So there's plenty for me to work on without needing to organize all my supplies.

In keeping with my D-E Day commitment, I walked with my friend Sue yesterday.  We did our usual walk of the Fanno Creek Trail.  Here's a satellite image of where we walk.  We walk from the top of the image to the bottom and then back again, a distance of about eight miles.  It takes us a little less than two hours.


Sue and I have been walking this trail for years.  We see all sorts of wildlife along the trail.  Yesterday we walked past a tree and there was a red-tailed hawk sitting there big as you please.  Had I been a little taller, I could have reached up and touched him.  I tried to take a picture of him with my phone, but he had the sun behind him and it didn't turn out.  Rats.

After that I came home and made my salsa, and then later on in the day finally finished up the August block for the Promises & Borders BOM.  Of course, it's not ironed.  I can't get to my iron and ironing board.  Sigh.


I'll be linking this block to:

I'm really glad to have this one finished because that means I can move on to the next block for the Love Me, Love My Cat quilt.  These blocks are such fun to work on, and I believe I've developed some sort of special dependency on redwork.  I just love the look of it.  (I just noticed I forgot to draw one of the ears on the cat.)


There was a lot going on last week, and I'm hopeful next week will be quieter.  We're having breakfast with Erik and Mae tomorrow morning.  Would you believe this little person is going to be 33 on Tuesday?


Since everyone has to work on Tuesday, we're celebrating with breakfast out tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to it.

Later on this week I'm seeing my dermatologist for a skin check.  I'm one of those people unlucky enough to be born with very fair skin.  I lost count of the skin cancers I've had long ago.  They've all been the least dangerous kind, but they have to be dealt with nonetheless.  I would have made a very good Southern Belle...like Scarlett O'Hara with her wide-brimmed hats and parasols.  I wouldn't have wanted to own slaves, however, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to live through the Civil War.  There are a lot of historical time periods I wouldn't have wanted to live through.  For example, I'm really glad I wasn't around for the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition.  And I doubt that a woman who converses with cats would have fared well during the Salem Witch Trials.  It's probably just as well I wasn't around for that.

Speaking of talking to cats, here's trouble.


He's waiting for that door to the downstairs to open because he's sure there are mice and other vermin hiding in among all the piles of junk.  If you're a kitten, it's a treasure trove of places to explore.  I'm glad someone is happy about it.

12 comments:

Sand and Sunshine said...

You have been through so much lately! I think you need to have a nice sit on the couch with the darling of your choice - I'd opt for a fuzzy one if I were you.

Anonymous said...

That's too funny, opting for the fuzzy one! Hope the skin check is A-OK. Hope it's not too long before your sewing room is back together.

Quilting Babcia said...

Wow, are we two birds of a feather - I skipped the Sept FMQ challenge, opting to do the two bonus challenges given us so far ... as soon as the 3 remaining Christmas gift quilts are FMQ'd and bindings on. Hope the skin check goes well. Enjoy our glorious fall weekend!

Pieces to Love said...

You have been very busy! And the little 'trouble maker' doesn't look like trouble at all, if I weren't allergic, I would cuddle him.

evelyn said...

Hopefully this is the last of your trials. I think Smitty reminds me of my old cat, she wanted to jump in the briefcases or toolkits of any repairman/service man that entered the house.

Diane Wild said...

Glad to see that everything is getting fixed and sooner rather than later like you first thought. You'll be caught up in no time.

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

It's hard when the stuff we love the most is torn up and inaccessible to us. Hope it's back together soonest. Best of luck with the skin check; Ormond goes three times a year for the same type of preventive medicine. Glad that great technology exists to help with the containment of those little buggers.

LethargicLass said...

Thanks for showing me where the pictures are hanging out (ha!) Hoping you get back to normal soon :)

Kate said...

Looks like progress both inside and out since "The Great Cat Patches Flood of 2012" struck. Hope things continue to progress at an equally quick pace. At least you can sew a bit while repairs are underway. I go nuts if I don't get regular doeses of that soothing humm of a sewing machine's motor.

Lynette said...

Yikes, Barbara!! You've had a nasty time of it lately. I had to go back and read up on what I've missed. So sorry about the pipe issues and all the digging in your really lovely garden. Yay for the rhododendron. :D Love your walking commitment. I've been a power walker for about two years now, and it's done wonders for my body. (and hair, even!) It's taken me a few months to get used to both the altitude change (75 ft to 7219 ft), but I'm finally not wheezing-to-die after just 15 minutes. ;D Love your maps - how'd you make them?

And also - Your stitchery block turned out so nicely. I have a really hard time making a good satin stitch that doesn't pucker up. (Looking at your perfect little heart, there.)

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

Boy time sure does fly. My daughter just turned 39 and my son 43...yikes!

quiltzyx said...

Looks like at least they don't have to replace too much of the drywall. I hope it all goes swiftly for you.
The stitcheries are looking good. I wouldn't have missed the cat's ear if you hadn't mentioned it!

Smitty does look like he's just brimming with the rips & raring to get into whatever he can! I'll be getting some kitty time in soon, watching my friend's cats while they're off to San Francisco for the weekend. :D