Cats I Have Known and Loved - Feline Friday Special Edition

Sarah from Sarah did it posted a wonderful entry about the cats that have made her life better   She invited others to do the same.   So here I go.

I have always been a cat lover.  I had a very large tabby cat named Puss when I was growing up.  Sorry, I have no photos of him.  I don't think I even owned a camera at that time.  But I loved him just the same.

When my kids were young we got a white cat from a friend's litter.  My daughter named her Snowflake.  We just called her Flakey.  She was a terrific cat.  Unfortunately she passed away when she was only 13.  It was very traumatic.

We decided to get another cat and Rascal came into our lives.

Rascal

We got her at an animal shelter.  It was love at first sight for my DD.  It took us a long time to name her.  She could be very naughty at times, so we called her Rascal.  Rascal gave birth to three kittens before we could get her spayed.  She lived to a ripe old age of 18.

And that's how Tobicat and Daisy Mae came into our lives.  They were two of Rascal's kittens.  The third kitten went to live with my sister.

Tobicat

Daisy Mae

These kittens were a wonderful addition to our household.  They were well-behaved and comical.  Tobicat had some major health issues.  He was an outdoor cat.  When he got sick the vet feared that he had been poisoned.  We think he drank antifreeze from the driveway.  His kidneys were destroyed, but we kept him alive for many years by injecting him with a saline solution under his skin.  He lived to be 17 years old.  

Daisy Mae was a quiet, gentle cat.  When she was only a couple of months old, the neighbour's dog chased her to the top of the telephone pole in front of our house.  She jumped down and miraculously didn't injure herself.  Perhaps cats do have nine lives.   She lived to be 19 years old.

The next kitten we got was Mimi.

Mimi

My mother found her on the road in cottage country and brought her to us. She was so tiny when we got her.  She fit in the palm of my hand.   Eventhough I loved all our cats, Mimi became my favourite.  I used to have her contribute to my blog posts.  She was a very smart cat.

While Rascal, Tobicat, Daisy Mae and Mimi were still alive my son begged me to adopt a couple of cats who were going to be put down.  The couple who owned them didn't want them anry longer.  They had been kept in a closet and had never even been given names.  What could I do?  So I took them in and named them Felix and Oscar - the odd couple.

Felix and Oscar

And odd they were.  And frightened.  Felix hid in the basement for several months, coming out only to use the litter box or get some food or a drink of water.   But as he got over his fear he began to stay by my side every minute of the day.  He slept on my bed at night.

Felix

We never found out how old they were.  But they had been neutered and (ouch) declawed.  They were also the biggest cats I had ever seen.

But they all got along nicely.  Little Mimi and her big brothers.  After all the trouble with Tobicat and his kidneys I decided any cats we had from then on would have to be indoor cats.

Looking and longing to go outside.

Oscar had a seizure one very hot summer's day and passed away.   We missed him terribly. He was such a funny cat.

Oscar

For a short time my DD adopted a couple of white cats from the animal shelter .  They lived with us until she moved into her own home.  Their names are Patty and Shroeder.  Patty is a white cat with blue eyes.  And as is often the case, that combination  produces a cat who is deaf.  Patty still lives with her.  Here is a photo of little William when he was very young with Patty next to him.

William and Patty

Shroeder proved to be too much work for DD.  He kept wanting to go outside.  And he didn't like William too much either.  So my son took him to live at his house.  Shroeder was very happy about that.

Shroeder

We have had other cats who lived with us from time to time. Some when their owners were away or ill.  I loved them all.  I am grateful for all the felines who have graced my life.  They make everything okay.  Now I only have Felix.  And he is getting old.  I may have to adopt a little calico from the cat rescue place.  That would make my life complete.

I am linking to Sarah did it.

I Finished My UFO for May, but is it Mimi's Quilt?

I don't think I have ever finished a UFO so early in the month. I guess Mimi was sort of encouraging me to get it done. She can be very persuasive you know! This quilt was supposed to be for a friend and co-worker who was having a baby. I started it in 2004, but my friend ran into some maternity problems and decided to go home and stay with her Mom. I think her Mom lived in Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland. To make a long story short no one at my school knew where she was or when she would return. I put the unfinished top away so that I could finish it when she came back, but she never did. And she left no forwarding address, so there it sat in my UFO bin, for years. But now it is done! Yippee!
I'm not sure if it should become Mimi's quilt now that it is finished, although many of you thought that she should have it. She was very flattered by all the attention she received! And she really does love it!
But Felix likes it too. Only he prefers to sleep under things.


And then there is Oscar. He is happy in the cat bed I crocheted for him. I know he would love to sleep on the quilt too, but when Mimi claims something for her own, no one else will be able to get near it. Ever!

Sometimes It's Good Just to Walk Away for Awhile

The weather has been fantastic the past few days. We have actually had highs of 15C with completely blue skies! I even went out this afternoon and did some gardening. Well, not real gardening. I just cut down some of last year's Black-Eyed Susans. I had left them for the seed pods. The chickadees love those things. But now all that dead growth is competing with my crocuses. I was only able to spend about an hour out there before I couldn't stand up any more. It's not easy to garden from a wheelchair, but if I spend a few minutes at a time I think I will be able to make the garden look really nice this year.

I have also spent a lot of time driving my scooter to the mall. This weather has made me feel free!! The only thing that has suffered is my quilting. I am still working on the 'Rubber Duckie' quilt. It was supposed to measure 40" X 40", but I decided I wanted it to be a bit longer, so I made two more rows of duckies. But then it seemed to long, so I only used one of the rows to complete the top. I wanted to sandwich and quilt it yesterday, but when I checked my backing fabric, I realized that it was only 40inch wide. Since when are they making this stuff so narrow? I thought I would have lots, but the top is 40 inches wide, the backing didn't fit. Then I spread the batting out and discovered that I didn't have enough of that either. I pieced a small piece into one corner and I think it will be okay. Then I thought about the binding. I didn't have a piece of fabric large enough to cut the binding from, so I cut up a lot of strips from the fabric I used in the top and sewed it together. By then I was tired and didn't want to think about the backing that needed to be sewn. I just left everything in a big pile on my cutting table and walked away.

But sometimes that's the best thing to do. Just walk away for awhile until inspiration strikes once more. When I got up this morning, Oscar was sleeping soundly on the pile on my cutting table. He seemed kind of miffed that I woke him up to take this photo.

Hey Oscar, what did you do with the head of that duckie?

Oscar had obviously given his complete approval to the Rubber Duckie quilt. I was once again inspired! So I set to work on piecing the backing. I used the five blocks that were left over from the front of the quilt. I pieced them the long way and sewed them into the backing. Now it is big enough! Thanks Oscar, for believing in me!

Mimi decided to give it her nod of approval too.

How can I go wrong with all these furry little helpers?

I've Been AWOL

Hi Everybody!

I think I'm back - for good this time. Had a toothache all week! I went to the dentist last week Monday, and told him that I was experiencing pain when I ate hot or cold foods. So he fixed a filling that had fallen out. He told me that he had to drill really close to the nerve and I might have to have root canal. Oh, no! The dreaded RC word! By the time the freezing had gone out of my jaw the tooth was hurting. It continued to hurt all week long. I tried to manage it with pain killers and oil of cloves etc., but nothing worked. In the end the tooth that had pained me when I ate hot or cold foods, was hurting me all the time! So I called the dentist yesterday and he sent me to a root canal specialist - need I say more? Now I have a hole in my tooth, an abscess that has to drain and I am still in pain! Also, I am not supposed to chew anything on that side of my mouth because food will get into the hole and prevent the abscess from draining. Am I making you sick yet? I have to wait two weeks until he can finish the rest of the root canal. At least he gave me a prescription for Percocet!

We not only had to deal with my toothache, but also with an ailing Oscar as well. We took him to the emergency animal clinic early on Sunday morning. I feared that he had a bladder infection and maybe some crystals as well. It turned out that it was only an infection - no crystals. After a bill of $365.00, we took him home with medications - which he refused to take. But there is more than one way to treat a cat! The way to Oscar's heart is through his stomach, so I bought him his favourite, most expensive food and I am crushing the pills and adding them to his dinner. He has faithfully taken each tablet with a smile!

I also finished his cat bed. I found a pattern on the internet, but did not use it. Instead, I made up my own pattern. I used some awful Red Heart yarn that was in my stash. Right now Oscar is too suspicious of me and he would have nothing to do with the bed. But Felix loved it! Mimi did too, but Felix wouldn't let her near it. When I first put it down on the ground they all sat around it as if it was a giant feeding dish! Wish I had my camera ready at that moment!

Not much quilting has gone on around here, but I did finish the Block Party block for this week. It is called, "Odds and Ends 2". It was quick and easy. And I really like it. The pattern was written for an 8inch block. I made that one in batiks. Then I upsized it to a 12inch block and made that in red, since I have Valentine's Day on my mind......

And here is a shot of Mimi in the bed with Oscar looking on. I am sure she is trying to tell him that it is safe to go in it. Aren't you girl?

"Meow! No way! I want this thing all to myself! Meow!"

Party Time

This week's Party block is called 'Cross in a Cross'. It's an 8-inch block. Although it had lots of bias pieces and seams, it was an easy block to construct. Mimi likes it!

"Don't you Mimi?"

"Meow! Ya sure? But, shhhhhh! Be quiet! Don't move! We are having a party of our own. A birdwatching party!"

The backyard was infiltrated with Slate-coloured Juncos. There were hundreds of them, eating the seeds of the 'Black-eyed Susans' and 'Echinacea'. So I joined in the party and watched the fun along with my fur babies.

Is This Winter Rain?

Rain

This rain is winter rain.

It spits and sprays like an angry cat,

As it lands lightly on the empty playground.

This rain is winter rain.

Cold and clinging to the thin fabrics,

Each droplet shining dully and roughly.

This rain is winter rain.

It drifts almost gracefully down through its own fog,

Taunting the shivering trees below, and above.

This rain is winter rain.

Even the birds flinch fearfully and cringe.

As they fly through this endless grey curtain.

This rain is winter rain.

Dripping from everywhere, clouding everything,

A cruel, stinging scream in every drop.

This rain is winter rain......

- Abby Wall

Today is a dark, dreary day, full of wetness and boredom. I couldn't work on any of my projects. They just weren't calling to me. So I slept late and spent the rest of the morning reading. I did make this week's Party block though. It's a 10inch block called 'Game Cocks'. Sorry! That was not my idea! Of course I have no other iideas so I guress that's what it will be called. I was even too uninspired lazy to pick out fabrics and just used the ones that were near my machine. It turned out not too bad, I guess, but the weather has left me cold.

Oscar and Felix are watching the rain too.

And Mimi, well, you know Mimi. She doesn't care what it is doing outside as long as she has some quilt block to sit on.

Today is day 30 of Blogtoberfest! Only one more day to go!

Tinkering and Puttering

I have been retired for exactly 5 years this month. A lot of people ask me what I do to keep busy - especially people who are really scared of retirement. I really don't know what to tell them. So I spent a few days last week really analyzing what I did all day long. And I have reached a conclusion. Are you ready for this?

I Tinker and I Putter.

I sew a little - okay, I guess I'll admit it - a lot! This is the quilt that is in my machine at the moment. The pattern is a disappearing nine patch. It will be donated to Quilts from the Heart. I'll show you a photo of it when I am totally done.

I knit a little and maybe crochet a square or two. I also have my plants, which keep me more than busy. The whole solarium is full right now. It is getting cold outside, so all my tropical plants need to come indoors. It's a big job! This afternoon I am going to transplant these succulents known as Echeveria . They were outside all summer and now I have to take them in. The have a lot of dead leaves and need to be cut and re-rooted. And there are a lot of other plants which need some TLC before they come inside too.

And then there is the computer. Oh, but don't get me started on that! That darn computer keeps me hopping. What did people do before computers? Oh yeah, right! Housework. Glad I don't know what that is.

I blog and I take photos and I read and I cook the occasional meal. I even bake sometimes - but not often. I have a lot of other hobbies too. I do stained glass when I can get downstairs into my workshop. I used to do woodworking and folk art, but not lately. Funny thing, I was saving those hobbies for my retirement. Guess I should start doing them again. I also love to be outside in my garden. And of course there are my furry babies who need to be petted and brushed and fed and cuddled.

So there you have it. My retirement- Tinkering and Puttering!

Also known as 'being a slave to your hobbies!'

Inspiration and a Block

My poppies are in bloom right now. I love this orangy-red colour. This is really not a good picture. The sun was shining directly onto the poppies, but it was dark and shady behind them. But I still love them!

When I saw this week's Block Party block, I didn't know what to do with it. It didn't turn me on and I couldn't decide on the fabric. As the week has gone on, I have been looking out at my poppies and finally I realized that my block for this week had to be made in reds - in honour of my poppies! So this is what I came up with. I didn't have that orangy-red colour, but this is close enough.

This is week 24's block. It's called, 1930's Square. Kind of a boring name for such a pretty block. And yes! Now that I have it made up, it is turning me on. Or maybe it's those Oriental Poppies.....mmmmm......like opium, the colour is intoxicating! Here is another happy poppy shot!

And a photo especially for Karendianne of Leehaven fame! It's Mimi guarding my fabrics!

"You're doing a good job, Mimi! Thanks. You don't mind if I put this photo on my blog, do you?"

"Meow! For Karen I will do anything! I love her blog and her menagerie! Hi Kanga, Duke, Sagan, Katie and Kismet! Meow to you all! Hope I didn't forget anyone."

Words to Live By?

I don't really have anything to show you. Not much quilting has been going on around here. But the good news is that my sewing machine is fixed. They called me this morning. I can pick it up tonight. I hope it works! I have a lot of catching up to do. Just for the time being, here are some words of wisdom that came in my mailbox this morning and some that were volunteered by the furry family members.

1. Aspire to be Barbie. The bitch has everything.

2. If the shoe fits, buy them in every colour.

3. Take life with a pinch of salt, a wedge of lime and a shot of tequila.

4. Felix say: "Stop and smell the flowers or tomatoes, as the case may be."

5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days.)

6. When life gets you down, just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.

7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality.

8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's okay. They know me there.

9. Oscar says: "Take lots of naps!"

10. Don't get your knickers in a knot - it solves nothing and makes you walk funny.

11. Mimi says: "Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself."

11. When life gives you lemons - turn it into lemonade. Then mix it with vodka.

12. Remember where ever there is a good looking, sweet, single or married man, there is some woman who is tired of his bullshit!

13. Keep your chin up. Only the first 40 years of parenthood are the hardest.

14. If it has 'tires' or 'testicles' it's gonna give you trouble.

15. By the time a woman realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter who thinks she's wrong.

16. Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they are there.

17. Oscar says: "Always say your prayers."

18. And last but not least, always take time to remember yesterday, dream about tomorrow, but live for today!

Twelve Inch Cat Blocks

Some people were asking me how my blocks look together. That's a good question. I know that for this week's Block Party block I used very different colours than I usually do. Until this morning I hadn't put the blocks out to see how they would go together. So here they are.

Sorry about the kitty butts! Oscar has his square on the quilt and Felix is aiming his fat butt right at the camera! They really can't help themselves. As soon as I put the blocks down, my little furry quilt police come over and check out to see if I have done a good job!

Here are the block without furry butts on them. The blocks are not laid out in any special way. I just put them down randomly. Maybe if I rearrange them they will look better. There are still about 30 weeks left in the Block Party and I am sure there will be more 12 inch blocks.

Mimi was on the quilt too, but she took off as soon as she saw the camera. She is not cooperating with my photo shoots lately! So here is a photo I took while she was sleeping. My cats' version of bunk beds! Look at Felix's fat belly. He is a huge cat. More like a bulldog, but that's a whole other story!

Taming My Stash!

I think it is time to tidy up the fabrics in my scrap bins! To say "in' my scrap bins is perhaps not exactly correct. The fabric has found its way out of the bins. It is all over the place - on the floor, on my sewing table, on the ironing board and on my machine! My workspace is shrinking. It is time to clean up!

Mimi is going to help me, aren't you my sweet kitten?

"Meow! No way man! I found myself a nice ray of sunshine and I plan to spend the rest of the day napping here!"

Okay, Mimi. I know without an opposable thumb you, well don't take this personally, but you can't do much picking out of fabric and sewing it together. So I'll let you sleep. That's what you do best anyway!

I'll get Felix to help me.

"Oh, boy! Yeah! I want to help. I love this stuff. It's so colourful and soft. I can roll on it for you! What are you making? Is it a quilt for me? Meow!"


Sorry Felix. It is going to be for DD. She wants a 'picnic' quilt. That means it is going to be put down on the ground. It will be walked on, sat on and eaten on. Not exactly uses that I think of when I think of a quilt! But if it will use up a lot of my scraps, I'm willing to make the sacrifice! She wants it sometime in June. Hmmmmm. That doesn't give me much time.

And speaking of scraps and picnics...... The Friday Party block is called "Flyfoot". That could be had at a picnic, I guess. You can go to it via the icon on my sidebar. The pattern calls for 16 half square triangles. And wonder of wonders, I found a whole bunch of half square triangle blocks in my scrap bin! They were left over from the train quilt I made for my nephew a couple of years ago. I think I only have to make a couple more. This is great!

I think I will work on this Block Party block. Or maybe I'll go out for awhile. It seems so nice and it's not raining today. Gosh, I'm good at procrastinating. The stash clean up can wait for tomorrow!

A Cat Quilt

Hi Folks!

If you have come to my blog to view my favourite quilt for the Bloggers Quilt Festival - Welcome! Please scroll down to Friday's post.

If you have just come to look around - Welcome also! I have a small quilt to show you. I finished it a few weeks ago, but I couldn't post about it because it was a present for my uncle who lives in Holland. Since he has now received it, I can show it. It is just a small quilt, made especially for his special cat! I used a lot of cat prints and some colourful fabrics to make it interesting.

Oscar loves the quilt. Don't you my boy?

"Meow! Yeah! KEWL! Can I keep it?"

"No, sorry Oscar. This one is not for you."

"Ah, please. Pretty please with sardines on it? I just want to nap on it. I won't hurt it. Ahhh, this feels so good!"

I know it is difficult for your little cat brain to understand this Oscar, but not all the quilts I make are for you. This one is for Whitey. Here is a photo of Whitey on his new quilt. My uncle put it on a table in front of a window, where Whitey likes to sit. I think he likes it! My goodness! Now that I look at the photo of Whitey I realize he looks a lot like you Oscar! You guys could be brothers!

I also made a couple of place mats for my uncle so that he wouldn't feel left out.

Aftermath of a Sleepless Night

I couldn't sleep last night. The pain in my legs was the worst it's been in a long time! I took 4 percocet tablets and still the pain wouldn't go away and all I did was toss and turn in my bed. So I decided to get up and rummage through my scrap bin. Doesn't everyone do that when they can't sleep? Anyways, I found enough fabric to make another Chimneys and Cornerstones block.



The colours kind of stunned me when I looked at it the block this morning! But I guess that's what happens when you take painkillers and sew in the middle of the night!

I now have a total of 8 12-inch blocks. I did not have a colour theme in mind when I started to do the 12-inch blocks. My only criterion was to use fabrics from my scrap bin. I don't know how I will put them all into one quilt. I will wait until I have a few more. Maybe I'll make two or three quilts!

Oh Jeez! Will you guys get off my blocks! And get that tongue back into your mouth! Sorry about that folks! Just a little gay moment in our household. Okay! Enough! Get off my blocks! Now!


Ah, that's better.