Teenager

Good morning, my friends. Before I go any farther, please join me in wishing this handsome fellow a very happy 13th birthday. He's a teenager now.

It's hard to remember that he once looked like this:

Even at this young age, his bedroom eyes were already apparent.

He's not as spry as he once was, and he's reached an age in cat years where anything can happen...much like his human slaves. So far, he's doing pretty well. We notice him looking as if he's moving painfully at times, but it never lasts. And who among us doesn't suffer from the old "rheumatiz" every now and then. So, anyway, Happy Birthday, Buddy. Live long and prospurr.

Sadie was kind enough to hunt down a mouse for him. Yes, a mouse...in the house. They promptly lost it behind the china cabinet there. Now they're posted on either side of the cabinet, waiting it out.

Yesterday morning we had grocery shopping to do. There wasn't time for slow-stitching in the morning. When we were home and everything put away, then, and only then, could I take the first stitches on April's block for A Year in the Garden.

After that, I stitched another two long lengths of thread. I stitched within about six inches of the fourth corner. I'll finish this up today. Knowing it'll be finished by this afternoon makes me want to get going on it.

After that, I moved into the sewing room to start the top border for The Story of My Day. This is the border I'm making now.

After yesterday's effort, I'm about 1/3 of the way across.

Sadie was going to help me until she saw this pawsitively terrible mess of scraps. Well. She can't work in a messy space.

Instead, she snoopervised from her little bed. (This is the same bed in Smitty's picture above. It's been used by many a cat.)

So I did as much piecing on the border as made sense.

And then I added two more windmills.

Probably, I won't finish this today, but I'll do as much as I can. 

So there's not a whole lot on today's agenda. I'm toying with the idea of making us a dessert tonight, but I'm not ready to commit. There are a couple of small housekeeping chores, and I'd like to get in a Bow-flex workout. I'll probably be late with my post tomorrow. It's looking like a decent day of weather, and so I'm going to head to the farmer's market with Erik and Mae. Rhubarb has made an appearance at the farmer's market, although there was none at the grocery store yesterday. As I mentioned, we're having our neighbors over for dinner next week, and I'd really like to bake a Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake for dessert. Hopefully, I'll find it at the farmer's market tomorrow. And, hopefully, this forecast will hold. One never knows during spring in the Pacific Northwest.

Okay, so slow-stitching is next, and then I'll get on with the rest of my day. What's going on at your end today?