Time to Get Motivated!

This weekend I missed going out to the York Folk Art Sale - still wasn't feeling too good - problem is I spend all night up coughing and fall asleep around 4:00 a.m. and then can't get up - so I knew when the alarm rang at 6:00  I would never make it out there in time to meet up with the girls!   So I decided to go to a local juried Craft Show - I went over around noon.  Maybe it's me, but not too much knocked my socks off.  I like the juried shows but honestly I think every other stand was jewelry - Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against jewelry - I love looking at it - and my Mother and SIL both made some really nice stuff - but one after another! There was a rug hooker there who had some nice rugs and some penny rug items.  My favorite of course was the "Seamstress of Blackstone" (link to her blog on the side). She does the extreme prim and I always come away with something of hers.  I bought a Mama and baby bunny - will probably post a pic when I finally dig out my Spring/Easter items.   Also bought some homemade note cards (of a cat of course! LOL)   After there I went "antiquing" - found a few items that I think I have to have - but just can't justify spending that kind of money right now so will have to wait on those items!    Love poking thru shops and can't wait for the yard sale/flea market season to start - that's when you can sometimes find better priced items.

On the Miles front - I can't get any pictures of him - he thinks I'm the devil - He gets antibiodics twice a day and I have to  "sneak attack" him.  Thank goodness it's liquid that I can squirt in his mouth otherwise there is no way I could get a pill in him!  He seems to be okay - still barfing up several lungs I swear but he is eating more and may even have put on a few ounces - poor guy is only six pounds.   I just don't know what else to do for him exact give him all the love and hugs I can (and when he lets me! LOL) and keep an eye on him.

It's been absolutely beautiful around here the last few days - today even hit 60 degrees!   Seems when the weather gets nicer - just puts everyone in a better mood!  Went out today to do errands and even the cashiers were in good moods!

Also, my cats get more playful or should I say mischievious! 

Here is my "brat" Riley - notice behind him is a pic of a basket and plastic containers - these are all full of floss - the plastic containers hold my floss which are by number and wound on cardboard cards - Notice the top one is "askew" - he opened it and pulled out a card of floss and is tossing it around the room like its a mouse - funny thing is - it's "mouse colored" LOL 

Oh wait did I call him a brat?  Later in the day I walked into the spare bedroom and saw this -

and then I lifted the comforter -

What an angel - Did I really call him a brat?  Hahaha - he really is a good boy most of the time and he makes me laugh on a daily basis which is a quality I absolutely adore in my pets and love in people!

Here's Jonesy soaking up the sunbeams! Notice how big he's getting!  He will be a year old end of this month and Riley will be four a few days before that!  (Nope they aren't spoiled - cat beds placed by the window for maxium sunbeamage!)

I really need to start hooking and seriously get some items done - The store where I sell some of my rugs is having their grand opening in a little over a week and it coincides with Village holding their Spring Fling so need to send over some more items.  Also I was contacted by a woman that bought one of my rugs at a Folk Art Sale i participated in and she works for a museum and would like to purchase some of my rugs to sell in the museum shop - kinda overwhelming for me so hoping I can come up with some she will like!   

Hopefully, I will have some "hooked" items to show you in a few days! 

Wishing everyone a wonderful week! Keep laughing..

Back From the Vet

Well I told my Mom and Dad that I was healthy for my age - but no - they didn't believe me and I had to suffer all sorts of trauma and indignities this afternoon.  They took me to see that awful man Dr. W.  They like him - I don't! 

Without going into too much detail as I was totally stressed out over it all and wish to put it behind me, Dr. W. says I'm extremely healthy for my age - my bloodwork checks out, I do not have diabetes, I do not have a thyroid problem,  my heart is really healthy,  my lungs are good - I do have a gum infection however and will have to suffer thru my parents pushing antibiodics in a syringe in my mouth for 10 days, I just hope Jonesy and Riley don't watch and laugh.   The Doc says there is no physical reason for the other problems that I do not want to talk about,  but Mom and Dad have to watch me anyway for any other changes.  Geez - no privacy whatsoever - at my age this is mortifying!

Now if you will excuse me, I really need a nap - it's been a long trauma-filled day.

Miles

Back to the Vet

What a week.  Saturday I had the makings of a bad headache and sinus pressure below my eye.  I never really had sinus problems and it didn't seem like a cold - well now it's Thursday and it's a full blown cold - I've gotten really good at coughing and I have a deep from my toes cough every since I was young - so sometimes I sound worse than I am!   Being sick makes me ill-tempered! I just want to be left alone and get over it!  Of course that never happens - you still have to go on with life!  Anyway - not feeling as bad as I did but it's still hanging on - one of the reasons I didn't go out to Grant Street today - I really wanted to but didn't want to subject anyone to my "hacking" and of course it's a long drive.   I did manage to get another good night sleep last night (thanks to Nyquil).  I slept straight thru from about 1:00 a.m. until 11:00 - I couldn't believe when I woke up and it was that late - I hate sleeping in that late - my day is all off kilter now.

Now to the vet part.  I was sitting on the couch waiting for my water to boil for tea this morning and Riley and Jonesy were in the room playing together and Miles walked in and jumped on the couch and then jumped behind me and started going thru the pass-thru to the kitchen - I yelled "Miles, No" - he knows he's not supposed to do that and he then proceeded to walk across the back of the couch - jump on the table, stick his butt out and started peeing all over the wall and down the floor!  I was shocked. Well I cleaned up the mess - and remember I can't smell right now (a blessing I suppose) and realized the quilt on the back of the other couch was damp - yep cat pee - and then the cushion on the rocker was soaked - yep cat pee! Well I was beside myself - threw the cushion out - the quilt will be washed in vinegar and water and soaked and i went about cleaning everything up - Found a recipe on the internet to get cat pee smell out of carpets and beds (reviews swear by it) - figured it would work on the couch too so will be trying that .  Spent most of the afternoon cleaning and disinfecting and going around searching the house!  And thank goodness the sun was out - I put the wooden rocker outside to "bake" and air out in the sun.  Would have drug the couch out there if i could do it myself! LOL

Something is obviously wrong - we were dealing with the issue of the constant vomiting and the weird water drinking, but now this - so tomorrow he's going to the Vets for more tests.  When you read on the internet it can scare you to death with all the things that could be wrong.  I know he's older but the last series of tests came back he was okay and his heart is very healthy.  It's just scary and we can't have him peeing all over with Riley being a dominant male he'll start going over top of it to "mark his territory" - I won't be able to handle that!  Let's just hope it's something fixable!

Okay enough bellyaching and complaining on my end! 

Earlier this week I was shocked ot find the three of them on the spare bed all curled up in the old comforter - Miles usually growls when one of them is near but I saw this and ran for my camera - Hmmm, are they trying to tell me I keep the house too cold?

Here's Riley making a silly face (he was actually in the middle of a yawn) - He was napping while I was hooking -

And speaking of hooking - A friend wanted me to make a rooster rug for a friend of hers.  So I saw a freebie doodle on Bird in Hand Primivites site and decided to make that rooster - Here's my version  - Not 100% happy with it and couldn't put my finger on it - tried to make it look old - Well anyway - it's in my friends hands now:

So that's my week so far.  Will try to stay smiling and positive even with paper towels in one hand and tissues in another!  Have a great day!

New York Trip

Well I better start thinking of planning my annual trip to New York and thought I would ask for some input as it's coming up quicking (Weekend of 3/20)

This year will be the sixth year attending this ABC Daytime Broadway Cares event.   It's a great event and for a great cause.  It's the actors and actresses from ABC Daytime (All My Children/One  LIfe to Live/General Hospital/The View) and they sing and dance and do skits.  You sometimes don't realize just how talented some of these actors are.   Often some stars from an ongoing Broadway show will perform also.  

Anyway - we usually attend this event and then a Broadway play.  We fill the days with lots of shopping and sightseeing.  I'm looking for some ideas for this year.

Any ideas?  Great places to eat?  A Great place to stay? Shop? Events? Anything off the beaten path?  A great play to see?  On or Off Broadway you could recommend? 

My friend and I have both done the normal sightseeing type things (Statue of Liberty, Museums, Empire State Building, etc.)  so not looking for the "norm"!

Last year we took the Sex and the City Bus tour, a previous year we went looking for Laura Fishers Antiques and Quilts (she has lots of antique hooked rugs and both us being rug hookers loved this), American Folk Art  Museum, andI can't even remember everything.

It's a big city with lots to do but love to have a some ideas.

Hoping everyone is having a great weekend - The sun is finally out here - earlier it was doing that "white thing" again!

More Snow Days

Well the "cold paw" lasted until later that night.  Riley curled up with me and everything was good from then on. 

It snowed all day on Thursday and all the way into early afternoon today - never stopped!  My husband's work was actually closed - a rare event  for them - I'm telling you the wind was howling last night with the snow whipping all over the place - Not even pretty if you ask me!

Well the weather kept me in the house and I have barely left my rug hooking room in the last two days.  I got a lot accomplished - I made four hooked "redware" eggs.  I just made these little mats and whipped the edge with hand dyed yarn. 

I also made four feather trees - yes they do look like feather dusters right now but will wait a day to open them.   Two of them were an order so I have the bases all stained and ready to go too.

So bascially that's all I did yesterday and today.   Tomorrow I'm planning on starting a "rooster" rug - It's for a friend who wants to give it as a gift.   After that - who knows!  Lots of ideas - just have to get them down on linen!

While I was doing all this hooking, clipping, wrapping, glueing, whipping and whatnot with the trees and the mats I had plenty of help 

Yep that would be Riley supervising the egg mat.

"Hello - H-e-l-l-o - Put down the hook, step away from  the rug - and give me a chin rub! "

"Hey, get that bonehead away from the TV- I'm trying to watch Lost here!"

"You make a better door than a window"

"Oh the heck wtih it - I'll just take a nap"

"Hey get that camera outta here - we are taking a bath here"

Like I said - I had a lot of help with these two!

The mail lady brought me another package today - My birthday this month certainly keeps going and going!  My friend Patijane on AAPG sent me a birthday box!  My goodness did she spoil me - she sent a large bundle of really wonderful wools - can't wait to use it, some aloe socks (another friend sent me a pair at Christmas and I love how soft they are), some lotion - smells good!, a primitive wax rabbit, a snowman dish towel, and  a cool  piece of and old quilt!  Thank you Patijane - I just love everything!

Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

Getting the "Cold Paw"

I went away for a few days and got home this afternoon.  As expected, I've been getting the "cold paw" from my little buddy Riley - he is just too funny - he will not let me hug him, pet him and he will look away everytime I catch his eye.  Now Miles and Jonesy are a different story, they both came running when I came in the door and wanted a hug and atttention! 

Nope, won't look at her...

I don't see you...

I will however enjoy these treats - I'm not stupid you know...

My husband thinks he's funny, he called to see if I got home safely and asked if Riley was ignoring me!  He knows he does this (oh and by the way, Riley doesn't do this to him!).  He said this morning Riley was asking for the ice pack to really get that cold paw!  Ha-ha!  

I expect this to last until tomorrow morning - Riley will follow me around (at a distance of course) and watch me when I'm not looking.   Hopefully he'll give me his version of a kiss in the morning (he curls up under my chin and puts his paw on my cheek and gives me a little kiss  most mornings while purring away).

It was a relaxing time away - couldn't go for my long walks on the boardwalk as the weather was pretty crappy but did plenty of indoor walking.  Also spent some time just sitting and stitching.  I used to be an avid cross stitcher years ago but problems with my hands and all with all the nerve damage in my hands has kept me away from it.  Thank goodness for rug hooking - it is something that doesn't compress the nerves and allows me to do something creative.  I still want to stitch though seeing so many creative pieces on the blogs and of course ones i have gotten as gifts.  So I thought I would give it a try again.

I'm able to hold the needle for maybe 10 minutes at a time so it's very slow going but I'm determined.  I slather up with my arnica gel (a natural pain reliever that helps with the swelling of my hands)

and this is what I completed in the last three days...

Still a ways to go, and years ago I would have had this done plus five more,  but I can't tell you how happy I felt just relaxing and stitching - it was always a "calming" activity for me back in the days when I was never without a needle and some threads...  My husband was forever finding needles and picking thread snippets off my kitties at that time Sid and Nicky. It's been over 15 years since I stitched - I couldn't even hold a needle long enough to sew on a button 5 years ago so I'm happy that I was able to get this much done.

 D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N!

Earlier Jonesy was "yelling" - found him in the window sill - probably saying "where's the sunbeams!"  Hate to tell him that there is more of that s-word stuff in the forcast for tonite! Yuk! (Oh and notice how big my "baby" is getting!)

Hoping everyone is having a great week!

The Treasures of Friendship

Everything is still white out there but a few days this week the sun has been shining and slowly the mountains of white stuff are getting smaller - Not fast enough for my taste - Earlier this week we had almost another inch of the stuff but thank goodness it didn't last.

I have been totally spoiled this year for my birthday - Tuesday, the mailman knocked and handed me two packages both from two of my friends on AAPG!  Wow!

Ginger is one talented lady - for my birthday she sent me some gorgeous green and red wool (one can never have too much wool can one!), and she made this wonderful little fabric covered box and needle punched a kitty on top - Absolutely the primest of prim and I just love it - So my style.   I don't know how Ginger gets done all she does - she makes one masterpiece after another and has a cute grandson Sloan she often takes care of!  Thank you so much!

The other package was from Jo, another creative and busy lady who is always stitching, sewing, hooking on top of being a Grandmother to her dear Olivia!  Where do these ladies find the time.  This pic isn't the best but I'll try to explain - Jo made me a "worm sorter" "worm keep", "worm roll" - whatever you want to call it! LOL - She used some awesome pink paisley fabric  and added a pocket for my hook and also  a twill tape with a tape measure imprinted.  You put in your "worms" for a project you are working on and roll it up - She included a cute snowman button and a sharpie along with some wool and worms!  Oh yea and a cedar chip to keep those pesky moths away!    I just love it - Thanks so much Jo!

Wednesday I spent the day in the kitchen baking some lemon cakes.  If you like lemon and like to bake you may want to try this recipe.  It's a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, just google it or go to the Food Network and you should find it online.  It's not one of my "easy/smeasy" recipes but it's worth the trouble.   I made four of them and gave them all away.  A friend of mine had a birthday on the 13th so I gave her one, I gave my parents one, and took two of them with me on Thursday to Grant Street.  I'm thinking the ladies enjoyed it as there was some tusseling over who was allowed to eat the cake but then again, maybe they were only trying to be gracious hosts!  LOL!

Thursday the forecast said "NO SNOW" so I decided to make the trip out to Grant Street.   I had a bag full of small items to whip so I had my work cut out for me!   Kathy and I met up for lunch first at TGIF and she treated me to a delicious lunch - Thank you Kathy!

Then it was on to Grant Street for a day of fun. It wasn't as full as the last time I was there but it was still nice and relaxed - I got to work and actually by the end of the evening got all my little rugs whipped!  Not my favorite part but it makes it easier when you are out with friends -

Now Kathy will tell me these are not really completed yet - I still have not done the labels!  Hope to get to that part next week.

There were people coming in and out during the day and I mostly forgot to take out my camera -

Here's Genny and Barb - Genny was making this for her daughter

The pic I took of Nancy's finished rug didn't come out too well - probably because I was pushing Kathy out of the way so I could get a pictures! Anyway I'm sure it will be on Kathy's blog - Nancy finished the edge with a blue ticking - looked wonderful on that rug - as everyone knows - I love ticking!

I think Linda has a sour lemon taste in her mouth here - Maybe she was actually feeding Beau and Louie the cake!

Well Kathy actually sat down long enough to pull a few loops - I can't show the pic of her and her rug but it's coming along great  and she's doing a wonderful job.  Kathy does however question herself.  This was a sight I saw a lot yesterday...

She would "Step away from the rug" and ponder...  and ponder.... and ponder.... and ponder... and ponder...

And then...inspiration would overcome her - snap..

I left "early" that night at 10:30 as I had to be up and out of the house for hair cut appointment this morning  Oh and thanks ladies for your help in picking a new "do" - Got the winter blues and needed to make a change - and I did - new style and new color.

After I got my hair done this morning decided to drive over to the Cinnamon Stick.  Judy blogged that she had the new magazine "The Simple Life" which I wanted to check out.  Ended up buying more than just the magazine of course!  I got a cool narrow shelf - I think Judy's tag said it was made from a carpenter's box???   Will post a pic once i hang it .  I also bought a bread board for the purpose of covering my sink with it.  I think I mentioned before we are having problems with my oldest cat Miles drinking everything in site he can (and he has been tested up and down and inside and out and nothing wrong) We even caught him licking condensation off the windows - Sometimes I have a pan soaking in the sink with dishsoap and he'll still go after it!  Just don't know what to do - not sure if this is what makes him sick several times a day on a daily basis or what - Anyway - love the old breadboard!  Just wish I had a cool faucet on the sink but I don't!  Judy graciously said I could return the board if it didn't fit the sink but it is still a cool old piece of wood and fits perfectly.

After my little shopping spree I met up with a friend for a late lunch and came home to a wonderful box of goodies from a friend of mine, Sharon.  Sharon is extremely talented lady.  Whatever she puts her hand too is great!  So much talent in those tall limbs!  Oh Sharon you certainly spoiled me!

Sharon sent me a HUGE pattern on linen (28" x 41") - I think I will save the design to show you until I hook it! But it's a gorgeous pattern and will tell you there is a cat on it!   She also sent me a gas card (since she thinks I travel so much - Who? Me?) Wow so generous and so welcome!  If all that wasn't over the top, inside the box was also a heart shaped candy dish and a huge bag of M & M's!  Mmmm good!  And if that wasn't enough she also sent me some ball jar lids for the pin cushions (or maybe to replace the ones I took off around the house to use on the pin cushions! LOL) and some snowman note pads.  Oh Sharon you went totally overboard - thank you so much - I just love everything!

So that was my week!  Thanks so much my friends for brightening up my week and I don't mean the gifts - i mean all of you that offer your gifts of friendship in person and out there in blogland!  It really means a lot!  Stay warm and cozy out there!