Crocheting by the Pool

What a beautiful summer day! The temperature was just right and there was not a cloud in the sky! I took my crocheting outside and worked on my ripple afghan for awhile. Nothing is more relaxing! The bougainvillea overhead! The water gurgling beside me! A tall, cool drink by my side! I felt as if I was on a tropical island! This is living!













My original bougainvillea did not make it through the winter last year. It succumbed to lack of watering! My fault! So I bought myself a new plant. It is fantastic! Bright pink cascading branches hanging above me! I will have to take this one inside in September and remember to water it regularly!















Yellow pansies and blue ageratum fill this huge pot! There is also some aspargus fern, a yellow flowering maple and a couple of lime-green sweet potato vines.

Mr. Red

Usually nothing happens around here. It's pretty boring. We nap, we eat, we nap, we look out the window, we nap, we lick ourselves, we nap..... Well, you get the picture. So when this red male cat started to come around, it was pretty exciting! Mimi climbs up on the screen in the window when she sees him and then our owner has to help her down. Her claws get stuck! Mimi is a feisty little thing! She doesn't like Mr. Red or any other cat that comes around for that matter. She's always defending our territory! But she is no match for Mr. Red. That's what we call him. We really don't know his real name. Mr. Red has balls!!! No, he isn't really brave or furious or anything. He just has balls. That's because his owners haven't had him neutered! How disgusting is that? And they let him out to wander around the neighbourhood! It isn't right! He marks his territory, scratches around in our backyard and is just plain rude!
Look, he has no shame or pride! He just sits there and licks his private parts, right in front of our back door. It's like he's showing off or something! Meow!! Next time Mimi tries to go for him through the screen, I'll be routing for her. Go Mimi, go! Put that shameless cat in his place!

Boy! I really love writing on this blog! It's so much fun. No one ever cares what I have to say. But now the whole world is listening! Well, maybe not the whole world! Maybe only a handful of people. But think of the possibilities! I could become famous! I may have to write a book!
What's that you say, Mimi? Oh, you think I am getting sort of high on myself! Well I don't see you writing on this blog! Yeah, right! Later! Bye for now! Purrrr! Love, Oscar

Ethan's Construction Compay - WIP

This is my Work In Progress! I have been working on this quilt over the past few days. There is still a lot of quilting to be done on it, but I feel as if I am getting somewhere now! Should have it finished in a few days - I hope. Can't wait to sew the binding on! That's my favourite part of any quilt!

I'm on Top of Things!!

Okay! Okay! Now for my inspirational, philosophical and intellectual views of life! Has anyone got any catnip? Can have cheeseburger please? Cute, eh? I got that from the Meme lolcat website! What? No catnip or cheeseburgers? Okay, I will get on with things then!
Hmmm? You want to know the meaning of life? You are asking me, Oscar, the great philosophical guru? Well, you have come to the right cat! Okay, let me think. I guess I will have to come up with nine of them. Meanings that is. After all, cats have nine lives! Good thing I can count. I can count, can't I?

Number 1 - EATING!
A cat is nothing without food! And don't give me any of that cheap stuff! I want the $40 a bag kind from that gourmet place. Yummy!

Number 2 - NAPPING!
Never miss an opportunity to take a nap! Isn't that right Mimi? Okay! She's napping at the moment!

Number 3 - CHASING!
I know! I know! I look like a fool, chasing those silly things on a piece of string or that stupid laser light. And I see you laugh when I chase my tail! But hey! It's good exercise! You could all take a lesson from me! And anyway, what else am I supposed to chase? I am not allowed to go outside!

Number 4 - INSPECTING!
Every nook and cranny! I need to know where everything is. And when my owner brings something new into the house, it is my duty to check it out! Nothing gets past me! And of course, if she spreads a quilt out somewhere, I am the first to get up on it and check it out. Inspecting is a very serious business! This is what cats do best! No one is as good a judge of a quilt as a cat is! And besides, they are fun to nap on!

Number 5 - WATCHING!
Don't laugh! Watching squirrels and birds is the best thing in life! Who can pass up an opportunity like that? Those little critters are the most delicious, I mean, most fun things to watch! I like to sit where I have a nice overview of everything.

Number 6 - SCRATCHING!
Not myself, dummy! Scratching furniture! Sharpening my claws on chairs and couches. That's what is important! That's life! And don't remind me that some idiot had me de-clawed! It's not important - much! I still like to scratch things. And dig in the dirt of your potted plants. That's pure Ecstasy!

Number 7 - POOPING!
That's the end result of eating! But I'll bet you knew that! I know how eager you are to clean out my litter box each morning. So we both have our pleasures!

Number 8 - BEING CUTE!
I know you love me, unconditionally! But when I practice my cutesy poses, you just melt. Then whatever I have done wrong (according to you) like scratching, chasing, pooping, digging or eating, will seem so insignificant! It is my way of reaching your heart! That's life!

Number 9 - OH, AND DID I MENTION EATING?
Oh, I did! Well feed me already. I can't wait forever! Look at me. I'm wasting away!

And that's Life According to Oscar!

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Oh, Oscar! You moron! You forgot LICKING! Licking oneself, that is! Not the kind of licking you guys do to each other! Yuck! But maybe that is fun for you! Licking is the most important thing that a cat can do! Nothing is more satisfying than spending time in self cleaning and preening! It calms the nerves and soothes the soul. And it keeps us clean! Just try it sometime! Or would you rather be put into a tub of water? Meow! Mimi

Ummmmm.........

You say "Butt-licker" like it's a bad thing!

A Conversation With Mimi

Me - Hey! Mimi! Here kitty, kitty! Come here, my little sweet kitten. I need you. You have to do me a favour!

Mimi - Okay, okay. What's your hurry? Jeez. Can't you see I'm taking a nap! Meow! What do you want now?

Me - I need you to write my blog for me - over the next month or so. I am going to be very busy. I have to finish Ethan's quilt and make a whole other one for Xavier! Too many quilts, so little time!!! Xavier's birthday is on July 26th and I want to make him a quilt and give it to him then. He likes trains and I have the fabric all picked out! Can you help me out?

Mimi - Ho Hum! I doubt it. This is going to seriously cut into my nap time! Meow! Can't you get someone else to do it? Anyway, what's in it for me?

Me - I'll buy you some delicious chicken hearts!

Mimi - Gee whiz! Thanks a lot! You get to make a quilt and I have to write crap on your blog! All for some smelly chicken hearts. Who's getting the deal here? Can I get Oscar to do it?
Here kitty, kitty! Come here you stupid, I mean, smart cat! Do you want to write stuff for our owner's blog?

Oscar - Oh, boy! Do I ever! I can write about what it's like to be a cat! Or how about the things I like to eat? Or stories about that cat who keeps coming over to visit! Oh, I know! I can philosophize about the meaning of life! Oh, the possibilities! How come no one ever asked me to do this before? When can I start? When can I start?

Mimi - Snore! Snore! I can't hear you!

Me - Oh, my god! I think I've created a monster!

A Philosophic Moment

Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don't matter,
and those who matter don't mind.

The Flowers in My Garden

Clematis

Bright, pink blooms! I love this plant!

Columbine (Aquilegia)

I rescued this little plant from a patch of obnoxious weeds and other invasive plants. I am sure it would have died, had I not dug it up and transplanted it into a better place. I think it appreciates my attempts to save it, because now it is rewarding me with a beautiful, large, pink flower!

Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)

Lots of bright, orange-red blooms to brighten up a dark corner! This thing grows like a weed!

Just Napping!

Hi! It's me, Mimi! I am helping my owner with her charity quilts! If I take a nap on them, she won't have to iron them! Meow! Aren't I clever and helpful?

Even More Colour in the Garden!

The Clematis and Oriental Poppies are in bloom. This light pink, almost white poppy was a gift from my daughter for Mother's Day a few years ago. I had always wanted a white oriental poppy. It looks as if the flowers are made of paper! Each year this plant comes back bigger and better than ever. I love it!

Felix Has His Say!

How about just calling me a Handsome Dude?

I'm serious, distinguished, intelligent and good looking. In fact, I'm the cat's meow! Oh, yeah! And I almost forgot! I left you a present just outside your bedroom door! Careful that you don't step in it and slip and hurt yourself. Love, Felix

Oscar get mad

Don't piss me off, ya hear!

I'm not hot and I don't want to be called a 'pussy'!

Oscar

One Hot Pussy!

Meow! What do you expect? It's 32 degrees Celsius in the shade!

Mimi

Another Charity Quilt!

I made this quilt from flannel scraps from my stash. It, like the others I have made for charity, is destined for a women's shelter. I have a few more charity quilts that I am working on at the moment. They are mostly simple patchwork squares and require very little technical expertise. I can practically make them with my eyes closed! Which is especially convenient, since I have been known to sit at my sewing machine at 2:00am when sleep escapes me. Also, even though I would like to be gardening all day, there are times when it is too cold, too hot, too wet or too wild to be outside in the garden. Then I am thankful for my quiet sewing room! Felix, my big, fat, hairy, feline companion, likes to keep me company when I sew. I have to be careful not to roll my chair over his tail as he naps behind me! I hope I will get some more quilts done in the next few weeks, so that I can post them.

More Colour in My Garden!

My poppies are in bloom! Papaver orientale. Their colour only lasts a few short days, but it is magnificent! I also have a patch of perennial Geraniums, or Cranesbill. I don't know what I ever did before I discovered these simple plants! They are so interesting and pretty! And the rhododendron! Fantastic! Next year I will have to divide the hosta that is growing beside it, before it swallows up my Rho, one of my favourite shrubs! And notice the Lamium (Purple Dragon) in front? I just planted that this year. I never thought that Lamium was anything special, but now that I see it in my garden, I love it! The leaves are variegated and the flowers resemble small snapdragons! A small Sweet Cicely plant is growing through it. I think it grew from a seed. How exciting! There are hundreds of seed pods on this year's Sweet Cicely! I could have hundreds of new plants next year! Too bad my garden is so small! There is never enough room. Already I am planning what I will transplant next year! That's the beauty of gardening. It is constantly changing! Nothing stays the same for any length of time. And everything is at the mercy of Mother Nature!

The Flowers in My Garden

Now, since I am officially a gardener - I admitted my weakness in my blog yesterday - I thought that I would show off some photos of my garden. I love herbs. The first photo is Sweet Cicely - Mirrhis odorata! It is absolutely lovely! It has pretty fern-like leaves that smell like licorice when rubbed. The flowers are born in umbel-like clusters, which will later turn to long seeds. I think it is a very interesting plant! My task for this year is to find out what this plant can be used for.

The second one is Solomon's Seal - Polygenetic. I started with a small plant, which I bought at a Scarborough Garden Club's plant sale several years ago. I planted it under my apple tree. I wanted to start a sort of woodland-type garden under there. The Solomon Seal is doing very well! It seems to multiply by two each year. I planted one plant. The next year two came up. The following year four came up. Well you get the idea! I will soon have a million plants in my garden! Solomon's Seal is a good plant for shade! Its little jewel-like flowers sparkle from under the apple tree! I love this plant! It grew beyond my expectations and inspired me to plant more woodland plants! It's like having my own little forest! Because for me, a forest is not just trees, but also the wonderful plants that grow under them! Solomon's Seal remains one of my favourites.

The third photo is of Virginia Buebells - Mertensia virginica. I must have bought this plant last year. I had totally forgotten about it until it started to come up this spring. What a pleasant surprise! The little 'bells' are blue, but start out as reddish-purple buds! Really pretty! They like shade and are part of my woodland garden!