Travellers Quilt

I am taking an internet class course with Dijanne Cevaal from Australia called Travellers Blankets. I have been admiring her work on a blog for years. I like the idea of sewing as a journey. Most likely I will journey part of the way and get a diversion like the parting of the Red Sea and abandon my trip. I need some motivation. I will try and post what I do.

The first part is dying the fabric and getting it ready for the trip. I am going to use bleach sprayed on with a water bottle. You lay down leaves to make a pattern. I try so hard to use only what I have on hand, but of course I have no batting. I am not going to buy dyes either. I think I want to use brights-as usual-and do nature motifs. I will have to throw in some furry creatures, because cat hair will be there anyway. I am making my quilt smaller than hers as well.

http://origidij.blogspot.com

I am afraid my quilting days are almost over. My blogging days as well, I can't make things turn out well anymore. All the brain tumors are not helping and chemo has stretched me thin (not literally though). I cannot buy anything new!! Boring, boring, boring.

I have been knitting a scarf. Ellen taught me how to cast-on again and I watched a video on the pattern. It twists so you can't see the mistakes as easily. I love the yarn. I had bought it at "Sheep and Wool" several years ago. I may finish it for this season, I have been sitting at many soccer practices.

i took a fun class with Cheryl Sleboda from Muppin.Com.  I made a Christmas tree  and star with the intent to embellish and enjoy during the holiday season. It was a fun class. I also got to hang out with Cheryl for a day. She gave a light-up kit to Ned. He was so excited, but we haven't made it yet. I got an extra in case one of the other Wild Ones wants to make something.

Pet Stories

My friend has a dog that arrived from a rescue. They gave her a name and that is all they know of her. Every now and then when they are having a conversation and say a word she goes crazy. My friends are always trying to guess her real name that way. Is your name Green Bean? Is your name Island? Is your name Curtain Rod? She will lie back down and act like nothing has happened.

Two weeks ago I adopted Rain. She originally came to the vet with the name Rice. Both names have no story I can determine. It is bothering me she has no story. I know it has a dark and scary part, I don't like dark and scary. I found another evidence of it last night. I feel sick with sadness I am part of the problem, my sister got her a new collar. Rain has started that Labrador "mad licking" thing they do. I have been trying to Nancy Drew my way through the problem. I took off the new collar and discovered a massive, disgusting sore. Two weeks of additional collar rubbing must have been hurting like hades. It is gross, it don't do gross very well. I am taking her to the vet on Monday. I hope with the pain of the sore healing she will stop licking. She is licking raw spots on her legs, it is making me feel terrible. She has seemed so much better and now I am not sure.

I think her story includes an owner which house trained her and used a leash for walks. But she doesn't beg, come in the kitchen for treats, play with toys, want to be on the furniture or couch, do stairs. I don't think she was part of a family. I have had my other pets since they were puppies or kittens. They have their distinct personalities, but also our family collective is imprinted on them. They follow the sun from room to room, know the sound of ice cream being taken from the freezer, avoid the back room with the furnace, recognize the bus by time and sound. You say "bone or ball" and Hoover brings you one. Hoover answers to "Hoo-Hoo", because it was what Ian called him as a baby. Minnow acts like a spoiled baby and rules the house. Minnow is in the middle of all the high-jinx. Juno is the "Charcoal Ninja" and lurks around.

I hope Rain had these things and she only forgot them in her "dark time". I hope we can give her all these happy memories in the time she is with us. I want to us tell the "Rain" stories - GOOD and bad. Although I will pass on the bad memory of Riley eating a Fisher Price football man and being blocked up for days.

Rain and the Grody Sore

Meaning of Life

I recently heard a professor talking on NPR about what life would mean if everything became automated. Some scientists believe that people will become their true person when all is removed from their life that can be done by robot or computer. The woman I heard was arguing that we are made up of the activities we do, choose to do and have to do. I have been pondering this quite a bit. The neighbor "boy" (who is now 21) and I were discussing this and what makes life "better". I think we are made up/defined by our activities. Here are some of my own small personal personality developments and developers.

1. Learning to ride my bike down hill very fast led to a crazy crash into the neighbors fence. I have never been interested in speed since.

2. Standing in front of a case of 31 flavors of ice cream has led to a life conviction that almost all will turn out to be good.

3. I sorted Walla Walla sweet onions for a summer job in high school, this really made me want to go to college. Realizing the greatest job in the plant was to be the person closing the 10lb bags made me want it more. That and making 3.35$ an hour.

4. Vacuuming is a stress release for me. I don't really do heavy cleaning, but miles of vacuuming has worked off a lot of anger.

5. Making beds, boring meals, scooping cat litter, folding clothes, sitting on freezing sidelines, matching socks, etc. is a labor of LOVE and means more than hearing words. The labor of love is love.

6. Sorting mail, balancing checkbooks, emptying the dishwasher, raking and sweeping etc.help with my patience - something I am short of.

I think doing the things you don't really want to do, helps define the things you really want to do. I also like to think that all these interactions is what helps maintain society. If every person only had to do what they wanted to do it would really be a selfish world. It would be as if living with a 3 year old forever.

Tiny Terror

I am not sure what has happened to my "kitten", in her head she has become a fierce jungle cat.  Her prey is ALWAYS Hoover, the 85 lb wonder wienie.  He now lives in Ian's room.  Ian moved to the top bunk, so Hoover could have the bottom one. Minnow lurks around the house waiting for Hoover to amble on by and then she whacks him repeatedly in the face.  She got him going up the stairs, three times before he got to the top.  He stood their like a dummy while she right-hooked him again.  Hoover was shaking so hard his teeth were chattering.  You can't yell, because he thinks you are yelling at him.  I am not reaching in to grab a crazy cat.  My solution may be to buy a holster and carry a spray bottle around.  I could spray her every time she goes psycho.  It might make me feel better. It is a good thing she is so cute.  For months I blamed her more sinister-looking brother for causing all the mayhem, but then I caught her red-pawed. The situation is sad, because unless I sit in Ian's room I don't get to hang out with the dog.

Nothing

When people ask me "what are you up to" or "what's going on in your life" I always reply "nothing" or "I can't think of anything exciting."  Well, I decided to make the change and recognize I do have interesting tidbits to share.

Sunday I went to a talk given by Jay McCarroll.  He was the winner of season 1 "Project Runway".  He was funny, quirky, incredibly honest and therefore somewhat self-destructive.  I have been pondering the oddness of the crowd.  He had groupies.  People were sycophantically laughing at everything he said.  I was laughing also, but not with the same manic fervor.  One woman asked him if he had a retirement fund and health insurance.  Another annoying woman asked to take pictures of all his stuff to put on Instagram.

My weird claim to fame is now I have met two "Project Runway" winners.  I met Christian Ciriano at a breast cancer function.  He was a teeny, tiny turd of a human being.

Thing 2 is covered with little round bruises.  Turns out he and his friend were shooting each other with the air-soft rifles.  I am going to add this was not done on my watch. 

Thing 3 regaled me with his latest song entitled "The Golden Sausage."  It was not racy, but I can't get an image of Freddie Mercury out of my head. 

My 50 state book challenge is complete, except for half of New Mexico.  I read fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poems, classics and trash.  I had more good reads than bad reads, Missouri stands out as particularly lame.  The hardest state to find a book about was South Dakota.  I really tried to have no re-reads, but had three.  Alaska and Alabama were on purpose and Montana was accidental.  Next year will be challenge free.

Juno and Minnow have brought me a present every day this week.  Minnow was responsible for mouse parts all over the back patio I am pretty sure.  Juno doesn't seem to be into dismemberment.  I appreciate the decreased rodent population and their love, but gross!