What I've learned Lately.

1. Things are just things.
My sister was here for a mere 48 hours. In that time I helped her unpack, cried, laughed, stressed, and cared for her.

2. Love isn't always enough.
That wasn't enough to keep her here.

3. Children know things, somehow they see things we can't.
The entire time my sister was here, my daughter ran around the house crying that my sister would leave. Refusing to even nap in fear that her aunt would not be here when she awoke.

4. While all ages that our children go through are scary, having a child turn into themselves when trying to cope is more painful than your own pain. My own shock, pain, anger, sadness and other feelings I can't even put a word to, over my sister leaving my home without telling me, is nothing compared to the anguish I feel that my daughter's tears are gone now, and I don't know what that means.

5. Having a hot temper in a child can be a good thing. My daughter is quick to anger but also quick to forgive. I now know that it's good for her to express herself in these ways. Her anger is a visible sign that I can see, feel, and relate to. Inward feelings that lack expression are much harder to do anything about.

Sunny

Forgive me all, for not telling you sooner. Sunny is safely home. The evening his disappeared I combed our property more times than I can count. Yet it was the 3 am awaking that lead me to him.

I awoke and looked out the window. Without glasses or contacts, I was certain the cat I was seeing over the road was my precious Sunny. Hastily I put on my shoes and rushed outside. It turns out that was not my dear boy. As that cat ran as soon as it saw me coming.

I called for him, and it wasn't long before I cried openly on my back porch at 3 am. He is my dear precious boy whom I love very deeply, more and more everyday it seems.

That is how my husband found me 15 minutes or so later. Not knowing how to make things better for me he headed inside for a flashlight. I stayed outside and called for Sunny.

Then I heard it. One single jingle of his collar. I moved toward the sound hardly daring to hope. Just as I slowed down I heard that single sound again. This happened three times before I spotted Sunny at the edge of the road. Scooping him up I told him over and over how much I love him. I don't care how much he understood, I had to say it.

He cries now. In that odd low Maine Coon voice of his. Up to 12 times a day crying for no reason that we could fathom. He's down to only a couple of times a day now, but it still tears my heart a bit each time.

We are much more careful about the doors now and I suggest you do the same. Keeping your dear furred babies safe and sound.

Done

The Purple Carpenter's Square quilt is all one. I finished it up this afternoon. I'm planning on leaving the quilt turned on point on top of the bed, and will be dying the curtains to match tomorrow. Currently they are a funky pink, having been formerly Sage that was bleached in the Florida sun. Sunny our Maine Coon Cat snuck out of the house while we were preparing the front bedroom for my sister, where she will stay for a little while once she's discharged from the hospital. Can you tell, I'm a bit of a mess? At least making the binding for the quilt and putting it on gave me some distraction.

We have combed the entire neighborhood for my dear boy. We think he might be under the house but there is no seeing under there and there is an awful thunderstorm is brewing. I fear he'll end up spending the night outside. Hopefully he will be okay and we will find him soon.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend.

Happy to Sew

I couldn't resist, I know you've seen photos of Jessica at the sewing machine before, but she's still at it. No sewing yet, luckily.

They can pin baste can you?

These are my girls. Kitty is the Calico and Tiny is Grey and Peach, they are both rescues, but that's a story for another day. While I would prefer they keep their critiques and their paws to the side, they couldn't resist this super soft quilt. I've been out of basting spray for a little while now, and while I'd love to have more... Shoot, I'd love a bottomless bank for my quilty desires.

I went ahead and took the plunge as you can see I've pin basted the purple Carpenter's Wheel Quilt, I'm in the process of machine quilting it at the 55" square size. Since I first started the Carpenter's Wheel I knew I wanted to quilt it along the parallelograms, so that's what I'm doing. This means more work turning the quilt in the machine, but that's okay. So far I have the center quilted and some work done further out from the center. My brain thinks it would have been easier to simply hand quilt it, but with the machine embroidery on the back... I just can't imagine trying to get the needle through it, and of course it helps that past experience has taught me machine quilting doesn't show much over top of an embroidered piece.