Remy, Royal Mail, A Gift, and a Block

A very awwwww photo of Remy with some of his favorite toys just because he is so darn cute and don't you just love those little toes???!!?? 

I was so very lucky to win a fun blog giveaway from Katy at I am a Ginger Monkey and this wonderful little bundle of mod fab goodness was sent all the way from England via Royal Mail.  I LOVE getting mail, especially fun mail, and Royal Mail with a gold sticker well that is even more better. Katy has a really cool, fun blog and she also is one of the designers/writers for the Fat Quarterly e-zine.  I signed up for a subscription and have a quilt all planned for these fat quarters--an out-of-my-box bright and solids mod quilt for when winter doldrums hit. 

    

I was so touched when I received a package from a sweet blog reader in south Georgia who sent me the most lovely note of encouragement and these gorgeous Civil War fabrics.  Quilters are the most generous thoughtful people ever. A proper thank you is coming and here's a public thank you too!

And to answer the big question, did I get to sew today?  Yes I did! After sleeping in for eternity and then I had to hem four pairs of pants (hemming is not sewing! I hate hemming pants!!!) And then I got to sew this one block LOL!

Don't look to close because it's rather wonky with 50-11 set-in seams but here is another Civil War block of the week block. This was a difficult block but it's staying the way it is because I'm not revisiting it.

Well it's back to work for everyone in the U.S tomorrow. Lots of rain and colder weather is headed towards Atlanta, which means it is going to be really hard to get out of bed in the morning.

Briefly Stopping By

Hello!  I am briefly visiting blogland before heading back to Starbucks this evening.  Seventh day in a row for me.  Making lots and lots of holiday drinks. Have you seen the fun Starbucks holiday website?  It reminds me of the Google doodles for different holidays.  And those of you with smartphones can download an app and enjoy some techy holiday fun while waiting for your favorite drink.

Not much is going on here.  Thanksgiving day was the usual insanity with people stopping in on the way to dinner, people stopping in on the way home from dinner, people escaping their relatives, and people hanging out until we had to please ask them to leave so we could clean up and go home.

Through the magic of the Internets and Skype, I got to visit with my family for awhile.  Mackenzie was very excited to see her Aunt Gretchen and the new kitty Remy.

Yesterday, I avoided all the Black Friday madness and lounged at home with a book and black and tabby cats.   Then more Starbucks. Today is more of the same.

Tomorrow--finally a day off--and I'm hoping to dust off the Bernina and get some sewing time in.  Can't remember how long it has been; it's been THAT long.  I need to get some CW blocks of the week done and sashed and maybe start on the new Bonnie Hunter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends.

I have so much to be thankful for this year--mainly just getting through this rough year.

I am so thankful for my family, my cats, my friends, and all my readers in blogland that have been so supportive and wonderful.

I am thankful for having a house and two jobs when many in America have none.

I am thankful that every night in the dark, quiet minutes driving home from Starbucks that I am am sad and shed tears for the loss of my beloved Morpheus cat because we were both so lucky to find each other and have 17 years of unconditional love.

I am thankful that I cried all night last night and am crying now because I miss my grandfather because he was such a great person and loved his family so much.

I am also thankful that my serious health scare biopsy & bloodwork this past week turned out negative and my new (fourth) doctor seems committed to helping resolve my health problems.

Today's Special: Cutemous Kitty

Paging Dr. Gregory House

Well not much sewing going on here.  I hope to get back to it this weekend.  

Please feel free to stop reading now because I really just want to vent.

Really, I'll understand.

Have a great day/evening & I'll get back to sewing or cute cats in the next post. Promise.

Oh and Remy is wonderful, made himself right at home, and loves life here.   We love him right back. Thank you for asking. You can stop reading now.  Thanks.



OK you were warned......

I hesitated to mention this ongoing, annoying, mysterious health issue I've had but thought what-the-hey, all you long-time readers have followed me through the rest of the Series of Unfortunate Events this year (yes, for all you Lemony Snicket fans I am considering changing my last name to Baudelaire).  Also, I didn't want anyone to think that my six (6!!!!!!!!!) months of bad luck had suddenly gone away.

Let me start out by saying, I have had bad luck with medical professionals in the past so I have a wary, distrust of the medical profession since childhood (except for Dr. House because he is brutally honest, makes no bones about not caring about the patient--only the puzzle of the disease, and usually figures out what is wrong with the patient in a hour. I like that.)

Since late July, I have had a weird allergic reaction to something. I have been to a dermatologist, my G.P. (twice), and a specialist in allergy & immunology.  I have been given various strengths of corticosteroids both orally, lotions, creams, and the last time a shot and each time the reaction comes back worse.  I have stopped using all my usual makeup, face stuff, shampoo, conditioner, soap, cleaning products, etc. and have rewashed everything in my house with dye/fragrance-free laundry soap (which I use anyway).

It has been extremely frustrating  because I look like an  EXTRA FROM THE WALKING DEAD!!!!! (that's a zombie apocalypse show that takes place in Atlanta for those of you who aren't up on your zombie pop culture)

Or a CHIPMUNK WITH MANGE (by-the-way Chipmunks with Mange would be a great name for a band please give me 20% of proceeds if you use this name thx.).   With a horrible non-itchy red rash everywhere and peeling dry flaky skin.

For the first few months, I got by in public OK but since the beginning of this month with not being able to use makeup (hello) and it getting worse, I have been a recluse and missed days of day-job and days at Starbucks, which is not good. I have also been very depressed and frequently despaired about this whole situation (and everything else that has happened this year...)

Skip next paragraph if you want  I digress into dangerous territory....

WARNING:  rant within a rant digression here:  [Because I now have really crappy health insurance from the state because not only do we not get performance or cost-of-living raises anymore (going on 10 years now), we also get really crappy health insurance--thank you past and now present governors.  And this has cost more money than I care to add up and yes I have to work two jobs to help pay for my crappy health care--which is going up in cost next year, and down in benefits]

DIGRESSION OVER

Today, I went the allergy/immunology specialist person who was dismayed that this hasn't gone away and said he didn't have any other ideas except for mega-doses of prednisone (again) and referred me back to the same dermatologist.  Sigh.

I am BESIDE myself with this.  A friend gave me a referral to another dermatologist that is supposed to be very good.  So I hope to get an appointment and get a &^%$#@%$^&** MIRACLE.

I really want Dr. House to be real-life doctor, although I think Hugh Laurie is pretty hot and wouldn't really want him to see me looking like a bloody zombie or chipmunk with mange so that is a quandary.  Oh he probably wouldn't be an in-network doctor anyway. Foo!

That is all. And now back to our regularly schedule cute cats & quilting.  

Please welcome

The newest member of my family--Remy, a 2 month old little male kitty. He was adopted from the Atlanta Humane Society on Saturday and is having lots of fun playing with all the cat toys. Gomez, Edgar, & Stella are getting used to him OK.

Veterans Day 2011

Remembering and thanking all the men and women, past and present, who served our country.

Civil War Block of the Week: Catching Up

 I was surprised to find out I was six (6!!) weeks behind on Barbara Brackman's Civil War Block of the Week.  Last weekend, I (mostly) caught up.

Port and Starboard

Union

Right Hand of Friendship

H is for Hospital

Order Number Eleven 

I also finished another Hocuspocusville block when I was in Michigan last month.  This is block #7. I only have 2 1/2 blocks left to stitch. 

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Fall 2011

It's time for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival again.  I am so happy that Amy started this fun and inspiring tradition.   

 I decided to pick my Eventide quilt  that I finished in April for the festival for a number of reasons:
1.  I haven't finished many quilts or quilt tops this year (it's been a rough year on too many fronts to revisit)
2.  I absolutely ADORE this quilt pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company
3.  I absolutely ADORE the fabric by Fig Tree Quilts and am so happy to have found a super wonderful project for it.  This is an older line called Fig & Plum and I was hoarding it for just the right project.
4.  This was an online quilt along hosted by Thelma of Cupcakes 'n Daisies.  Thelma is an extremely talented quilter, wonderful blogger, and just all around fabulous person.  If you haven't visited her blog, go take a look and be prepared to be in awe.  Make sure you are sitting down when you see her Red and White Tribute Quilt because you will be blown away.  I'm hoping Thelma will host another quilt along at some point because it really was a ton of fun.
5.  Did I mention that this has been a rough year?  April and the Eventide Quilt Along was the last time before the rest of this year spiraled into chaos.  Let's just hope for a boring rest of the year and a better 2012.
6.  I really just love this quilt and need to get it to the long-arm quilter before the weather gets much colder. 




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