Sad news and Happy news

Janet has been quietly and patiently trying to get me back to blogging so I’m going to give it another shot. I focused on a single hexie project for most of the last year (not making for great pictures) but this summer I started switching hexie projects every month and last month I returned to some machine sewing as well. Now I just need to get back in to picture taking.

We’ll start with the sad news…

After a short illness, my beloved Zorro died on 8/1/22, barely 2 months short of his 9^th Gotcha Day. I didn’t have the heart to announce it anywhere online right away and then felt it would just be weird to do it later on. It was the first time in 30+ years that I didn’t have a cat in the house and it was incredibly lonely for the longest time. I’ve never picked a cat, always adopting strays, so I had a lot of time to think about what kind of cats I would seek when the time was right…

Luckily I didn’t have to wait long because here’s the happy news!

Hi! My name is Mouse and I’m a 3 year old white & silver tabby, long legged model of mancat. Check out my big ears and don’t miss the scar over my right eye showing that I’m a tough street cat with a big heart.

My Gotcha Day was 9/13/22 but I showed up on Momma’s porch at the end of August. Someday I’ll tell you how she crawled across the grass to try to pet me for the first time.

My hobbies include being quiet as a mouse, always holding Momma’s paw with my own, playing greeting committee to all that come to our house, sleeping on Momma’s lap, bird watching, chasing/wrestling my little sissy and making lotsa biscuits!

I’m no longer afraid of … the kitchen ceiling fan!

Hi! My name is Holly and I’m a 5 month old polydactyl dilute tabico with dichroic eyes!

My Gotcha Day is 9/20/22 and I’m the second calico that Momma has rescued from behind the liquor store next to her office. Someday I’ll tell you how hard I tried not to be rescued cuz people are scary.

My hobbies include playing with toys in the tub, chasing a mysterious red light, sounding like a herd of elephants while I run at full speed, looking out all the windows and chasing/wrestling my brother. I run my own business called the Calico Dusting Service while I get behind and under every appliance or piece of furniture.

I’m no longer afraid of … Momma!

Happy Feline Friday from Mouse & Holly!!

Feline Friday - 7/9/21

 These are what Momma calls my bedroom eyes:

I like to hold her arm while she scritches my cheek...she stays longer this way.
Wink!

Feline Friday - 6/25/21

There's nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap in my favorite nursery tray! 

Yipp - right here next to the recycling bin!

Ahhhh ... that was a good stretch!

Enough Already, Momma!! Enough with the pictures!!

Feline Friday - 6/18/21

I have the best kicker toy collection east of the Mississippi and west of the Genesee!!

You would never guess this started as a neat line of shoes by the door =^..^=

Feline Friday - 5/28/21

I've taken on a side hustle! I suppose it's the least I can do for eating the neighbor cat's food.

I'm now inspecting the neighbor's flower gardens, especially the blackberry bushes!!!! 

Momma says I have to tell you the following as a full disclosure kind of thing:

• This picture was taken a month ago. Not only are the plants all much bigger but please don't confuse it with today's weather which is rain and 38F. Yes, a "blue day" at the end of May! Brrrrr.
• I like to rub my face against anything that's mine and I often come home with short lacerations to my nose. Momma thinks it might be from rubbing against the spiky berry bushes. I ain't admitting to nothing!

Happy Memorial Day!!

Feline Friday - 5/21/21

Momma promised (again!) to catch up on her temperature hexies this weekend and post them next week. Instead she has been working on this test pattern for a friend. What you are seeing is actually two blocks tessellated and filled out on the sides. It looks way more complicated than it really is, it just took Momma a while to finally settled on a design.

As you can see it's on "my" dolly bed but I don't plan to sleep there any time soon.

Instead, I'll be outside working on my summer tan!!! We have been in the high 80's this week - what else is such a fine feline supposed to be doing?

Feline Friday - 5/14/21

Did you know my luxurious, silky, furs are really brown? Especially in the sun?

It shows up better IRL - internet pictures don't do it justice at all.

Same goes for my eyes - much more stunning in real life!

Feline Friday - 4/23/21

Umm ... yes ... I do know it's snowing. And it's cooold.

But this is my favorite hiding spot in my favorite tiger lilies and I cannot leave them here to suffer alone in the cold and snow.

Feline Friday - 4/16/21

Hey Momma -

When do you think it's gonna stop raining so that we you can rake up the leaves again and polish my throne Adirondack chair?

The throne chair is a much better vantage to watch over my 'hood and work on my summer tan at the same time!

Love, Z

=^..^=

Feline Friday - 4/9/21

 Hi!!

Bye!!

Feline Friday - 4/2/21

THIS, @specialkitty, is the paw of disapproval!

Your sturdy packaging is deterring me from getting extra snacks while Momma sleeps all night.

And trust me, I tried to get through both sides of this package!

Feline Friday - 3/26/21

 Hey Momma - I can wear my new camouflage suit in the house, right?

I made sure to really roll around in the leaves to grind little bits in to my long furs. The bigger leaves are what they call icing on the cake =^..^=

Feline Friday - 3/19/21

Did you know that it's pretty easy to teach an old cat lady new tricks??!!

If I can do it, then you can do it too!

Apparently, Momma has been watching Instagram videos of cats and dogs using  recordable buttons to "talk" or tell their Momma's what they want. For instance, what toy to play with or the need for food/water or that they need to go outside.

In the past, when I wanted to go outside, I rang the bell that lives by the door. I recently started ringing the bell to get more treats. Momma is already off the couch so it's not a bother for her to divert to the treat drawer in the quilt lab instead.

Now when I ring the bell, Momma pushes the green button, which says "outside" and she opens the door. If I want a treat she pushes the orange button which says "treats".

My Momma is sooooo smart!! =^..^=

I wonder what other buttons I can teach her to press??

Feline Friday - 3/12/21

Uncle Tommy has taken up making maple syrup!!

He's tapped trees at his house, GrandPoppa's house and 2 trees at my house for a total of 10 taps.

Every morning and evening Momma and I trek out to our trees to see how much sap there is. It's a easier trek now that the snow has melted. Then Momma tells Uncle Tommy how much there is and Auntie Kristie picks it up after work. 

Uncle Tommy boils sap (up to 10 gallons a day) from when he gets home from work until he goes to bed. We've seen pictures of the maple syrup but I haven't gotten a taste yet. Momma says the sap wasn't that sweet so I don't know why everyone is so excited about the syrup...it's certainly a lot of work!

Monday Catchall - 3/8/21

I thought I would share a couple of the projects I've been working on recently...

For my birthday gift to myself, I joined the Smitten BOM with Pink Door Fabrics. Each month for a year we get enough Tula fabric to fussy cut 3 or 4 of these large hexagons. I didn't bring the size with me but I'm going to guess the final quilt will be couch size. I have less than half to go on the fourth hexagon for Month 1. Month 2 should ship this week.  Other goodies in the BOM include a project bag, an acrylic Smitten key chain and monthly glue pen refills. I skipped the monthly Aurifil thread add-on as I don't color match my threads. The BOM also has a great Facebook page with video tutorials. I highly recommend Pink Door for BOMs. 

 

I joined #100days100hexies2021 challenge on Instagram where I am @sarahdidit17. Each week has a theme, usually pretty open to interpretation, which is good 'cuz I don't have a lot of small things to fussy cut for the 1" hexies I chose to use as I can use them for my ZiggZagg project.

The first week was Sewers Choice and I chose fabrics to tell a little about myself. Each daily hexie was photographed on a relevant background so I hope you'll pop over to IG to see the original photos.

1. My obsession: hexies
2. Zorro!!
3. I'm Irish
4. I'm an EMT
5. Chocolate
6. I'm a homebody
7. I live in Western NY

This week's theme is treasures. I've got a few ideas but not enough for the week. I was able to fussy cut about half of what I'll need for the entire challenge so now I can spend some extra time finding the harder themes...

Feline Friday - 3/5/21

When it's too cold outside and I'm tired of being naughty, I like to survey my domain from GreatGrandMomma's card table. 

I guess I'm still being naughty as I shouldn't be on GGM's table but Momma cleared off the end of the table so that means I *can* sit here, right? How else can I spy on the neighbors out the window? 

Momma doesn't want me to brag but I thought I would give you a little tour of some of her stuff in my domain:

• Conch shell on GGM's table is from St Martin in the Caribbean
• In case you don't know what a game table is, the top opens up and rotates for a larger surface. Inside there is storage space for decks of  cards, etc. There are still games and papers in the table from GGM!
• On the wall are 2 framed cat quotes, a terracotta sun GrandMomma got in Arizona and some creepy wood spirit with actual Moose hair that Momma got in the Adirondacks
• The ratty couch arm is all my doing. I like to think I'm an ar-tiste!
• Momma got the green lanterns hanging in the windows in Cairo, Egypt
• Rocking chair was Momma's childhood chair. The other chair came from an op shop. I like to sit on them both, I'm just not very good at rocking.
• 3 legged step stool came from a family friend - 3 legged stools are ridiculous.
• Copper bucket full (!) of my favorite bells/balls is from the same family friend. 
• The plants are mostly violets along with a turtle plant and a pilea. The table was put out for the dumpster by a neighbor when Momma lived in Miami.
• And most important - there is a floor vent to heat my belly furs!

Do you like domain tours? Momma has more stuff I can show you...

Feline Friday - 2/26/21

For Christmas GrandPoppa got me a floppy fish, whom Momma and I named Frederico. Fred for short.

He's the best fish a kitten could ever ask for - I could play with him all day. Sadly he got lacerated and Momma had to take him in for surgery. 

The surgery was a success but he's no longer floppy. We are hoping he can go in for another surgery this weekend but even if this surgery fails, I will still love him and remember the days when he could flop.

Feline Friday - 2/19/21

I put myself in Kitty Jail by flipping the laundry basket off the bin it lives on top of.

I've now done did it three times =^..^=

I'm not telling why I've put myself into jail but it does make Momma laugh!!

Feline Friday - 2/12/21

 Momma?

Will you be my Valentine?!!

Of course Zorro - Momma loves you with all her heart!!!

Feline Friday - 2/5/21

There's a storm a'coming and then it's supposed to get pretty cold for the next week... 
I'm pretty sure tucked under a quilt and watching the sunrise is the best place to be.

Only snacks could make this whole situation better. Think I can get delivery service?