Post #58 - Kitten cuteness

We've been trying to play with the kittens as much as possible so they will be ready to re-home soon.  It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. 

There are two yellow/orange kittens, both males; one brown/grey tabby, a female; and two black tabbies, both females.

The cast of characters:

Orange tabby #1, AKA Mr. Personality.  "I ain't afraid of nuthin'."

 Brown tabby female, AKA Pretty Princess.  "I'm kind of a big deal."

Black female #1, who apparently doesn't like her picture taken

 Orange tabby #2, Mr. Scaredy Pants.  "I only come outside to eat and watch the others play."

 Black female #2 on the left.  "I'm afraid of my own shadow."

 The two males. #1 is on the right. He's fuzzier and has a rounder face. There is an "M" above his eyes.  #2 is on the left. His face is thinner. He always looks worried.

 Mr. Personality is always dashing up and down the driveway exploring.

 Until he wants a belly rub.

 "Rub my belly!"

 Black female #1 will play with a stick while in her comfort zone.

 "I said rub my belly!"

Oh, I just can't get enough of these little guys.

More pictures to come.

Post #57 - catching up Part 2

During my hiatus from the blog, I've been doing other things besides visiting the land of the swaying palm trees and pretending to be a beach bum.  Not very many exciting things, but things all the same. 

I finished embroidering the States map and sewed up a pillow.  Kate asked if I was going to put a zipper in it. The thought had never occurred to me, mainly because I had put a zipper in only one of her homemade dresses so I'm not exactly a zipper pro.  But I liked the idea, so I did it. And I'm tickled pink that it turned out perfect.  

Mainly because I'm a perfectionist. 

But I digress.  

The main body of the pillow is green because it will go in the camper and the camper décor is green and neutrals. I put a bright green border around it because reasons.

I planted flowers.

I missed embroidering, so I stitched this ducky.

We got a load of firewood so we can enjoy campfires this summer.

I planted a garden.

 Actually, this picture shows the day I looked out the back door and saw a man and a backhoe in the backyard. He said we had a gas leak. 

I went fishing.

I went camping and stitched up another ducky.

And then we had Vacation Bible School at our church. Kate was the music teacher and I taught a class for preteens. Seven children were saved during VBS this year.  Praise the Lord!  A couple of VBS kids showed up in my Sunday School class. Even though Sunday School isn't as exciting as VBS, I hope they keep coming back.

Post #56 - catching up Part 1, the lotsa picture edition

So...it's been a little while since I've shared with you guys.  Since we last blogged together, I went on vacation to see my sister at Hilton Head.  We had a great time. It's always great to see her now that we aren't still living at home and sharing a room together.

 Hubs and I went to the beach,

 where I discovered that I hadn't put the memory card back into my good camera.

 But it's all good because, as it turns out, my phone takes pictures, too.

 We saw lots of these little jellyfish on the shore line.

And lots of horseshoe crab...

 ...and their parts. 
I sent this leg picture to my sister and told her we'd found lunch and would be eating out. :-)

We went back later that evening with my good camera, it's memory card and my sister and saw this dog enjoying the beach.

 I'd forgotten to change the settings on my good camera and the colors were off, so I won't be sharing any more of those pics.

My sister snapped this picture as we left.

Back at my sister's we, of course, looked for alligators in the little ponds behind and beside her house. We found them.

 But I've shared pics of them before, so we won't go there again.

We went shopping at the outlets and swimming in the pool. We took a walk one morning and hubs took a bike ride another day. But mostly we relaxed.

Even though it's a long ride to get there, I always enjoy the scenery along the way.

 I mean, REALLY, what's not to love?

I've seen your pictures of the flat lands, my friends. While they have a beauty of their own, this gal loves the mountains.

Post #55 getting a lil dirty

Ok, so, as I went to put down what post number this was I looked at the last post, it said 53, no problem. But our blogger home page says we have 54 posts......hmmm......problem. In any case this is post #55 :D

So, I was off for two days straight this week. How did I spent this valuable time? I worked on a cross stitch project. but since the friend I'm making this for doesn't know what it is or even that I'm making them something I won't show the whole thing. But I will say I'm happy for the change in color.

 

Couldn't do much else, it rained the whole time I was off.
But I will say this about all the rain, the worms love it.....

 

Not to much else going on this week though. Hoping to get out fishing this weekend,
maybe Friday night or Saturday morning.

Until the next big story. :)

Post #53 - All gave some; some gave all

The American Veteran Traveling Tribute & The Traveling Wall (AVTT) 

is in town this weekend.  Some of the streets are lined with flags.  

It is beautiful.

Thank you to all our Veterans and their families.

Post #52 - Throw Back Thursday

It was a mid-November day in 2003 when I walked outside to check the mail and noticed something wasn't right with the secondary utility pole that borders our property beside the driveway.  

It was leaning over my car.

So I moved my car and called someone.  The pole would totter back and forth between upright and leaning. I hoped that when they arrived that it would be leaning so I didn't look like a froot loop for calling them. 

It was. 

Then it moved back as he approached it.

That's when things really started happening. 

If I remember right, it only took about half an hour for that first truck to get here. Which is mighty quick.

 They unhooked the lines and removed the old pole.

Meanwhile there were several trucks lined up down the street waiting their turn in our driveway. One to dig the new hole, one with the new pole, and a bucket truck to hook up the lines again.

 

All the kids were fascinated by the process. 

This little guy was especially interested in the big trucks lined up out front.

When they backed into the driveway, they were right outside our dining room window. And they never shut off those diesel engines.  

It got pretty fume-y inside the house.

 

Since our electric was off, I had to use the flash on all the inside pictures because it was beginning to get dark.  

And since the electric was off, I didn't have to cook supper. I took a break from picture taking to pick up supper at one of the businesses in town.

Because I was using the flash inside it was still on when I stepped outside to snap the last two pictures. I bet they really appreciated that.  
Or maybe not.

Anyway, they worked until dark to dig the new hole, set the new pole and attach the lines.

And then we had electric again.

And we were mighty appreciative. 

The end.

Post #51 - crafting

I'm working on a new craft project. 

It's an embroidery project. 

I got the idea from a crafting blog. 

It's very simple...just find a map of the United States, trace it onto fabric, stitch.

You know me better than that....of course I added more steps.

Once I decided how big I wanted the finished product to be, I made sure I had a hoop to accommodate it. I did. So I cut some fabric an inch bigger than the hoop height and width. I chose unbleached muslin because I like the looks of the brown flecks in the off-white material. 

I cut some light weight interfacing an inch smaller than the fabric and ironed it onto the back of the fabric. Muslin isn't a thick fabric choice, so I beefed it up with the interfacing. Easy peasy.

Then I taped the map in a sunny window.  I chose one of the maps from my computer that my kids have used for school work. I'm sentimental that way.  

 

But then I decided I probably should have marked the center of the map so I could match it with the center of the fabric. So I had to un-tape one side, fold it over and crease, put it back, then fold the map upwards and crease that direction. Center located and marked with a pen.

Next I marked the center of the fabric and taped it over top of the map, matching the centers...and began tracing the states with a fabric marking pen that will wash away when I'm finished.

I used a ruler to mark many of the western states. 

There aren't many straight lines on the eastern side.

I noticed that the edges were already beginning to fray so I got out the handy-dandy sewing machine and stitched all the way around the edge.

Then I hooped the fabric and began stitching....beginning with my home state (the heart of it all) of course. I couldn't wait to use the new variegated embroidery floss I bought this weekend. This skein has colors of red. If you look close, you will see the left and right edges of Ohio are dark red and the center is red. I love it. 

Next I want to get those pesky little New England states out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of the project.

Once it's finished, I will use this as the front panel of a throw pillow for the camper. I can't wait!