Not a whole lot to report around here... we're still in the Christmas rush, although it's finally winding down. I've finally given up all hope of finishing the tree skirt (it's no fun anymore, and we're not keeping presents on the floor anyway because of all of the animals) and so all I've got left to do are the stockings. That's on today's agenda. I want to finish them (they won't be anything overly intricate) and do some baking. I've been woefully lacking in the baking department this year. Poor Mike! Hopefully today I'll have time to make some Almond Roca bars and peanut butter cookies. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
All of the animals are doing fine. Casper and Zorro have their first appointments with the vet on Friday, to get their shots. We decided not to have them spayed yet, as having a couple of litters of outdoor kitties might be fun. They're so cute; they sleep in this tiny little nook in the garage right next to the door that leads into the house. I put a tiny little utility quilt I made down there and they like to cuddle up on it. :) Much more rewarding than watching the spoiled little indoor brats ignore it.
Time to go make some stockings, so we can stuff them. :) If I don't post again before then, Merry Christmas!!!
My dog is a sociopath. The younger one, I mean, Shay. She's the mutt we got from the Humane Society when we got here. Now she's just over a year old, and she's still very much a puppy. Chewsome, my goodness, that dog can chew up anything. She terrorizes the cats inside from time to time, pinning them down with her ENORMOUS paws (just ask Amanda) and slurping and gnawing on them. She's never hurt them; she seems to have a soft mouth when it comes to cats. She also likes to "tree" the outside kitties. Finds that to be great fun. But Friday.. <shaking head> Well, we've finally let the guinea fowl start free-ranging during the daytime. They still don't go very far -- just venture into the garden adjacent to their pen -- so now they're vulnerable. Well. Friday, Mike was outside stringing an electrical cord to the stable (to put a deicer in the horse's watering trough) and the dogs were out, too. A very common occurrence. UNTIL. Mike heard this unearthly squawk of panic raised by the guinea camp. Sidenote - you haven't lived til you've heard a guinea alarm sound... could awaken the dead. He went and.. you guessed it, Shay had killed a guinea. :( She probably hadn't been chewing any harder than she does on the cats, but guineas have these tiny little necks, so they're much, much more fragile. Anyway, I learned about this by hearing the shrill "BAD DOG" chorus coming in through the door... Shay looked bewildered; she didn't know why she was bad. Mike buried the guinea, and I went back to work. Later, Mike went back out again. Ten minutes later the "BAD DOG" sounds were even more shrill, and even more angry. I rescued the dog from her scolding (still looking at her sternly, mind you) and asked grimly, "Another guinea?" Mike looked very angry. "No, she was attacking the chickens." I was shocked. We've had the chickens over 3 months, and nothing like this had ever happened. Besides, the chickens are penned. Or so I thought. Seems two of the chickens had gotten out (probably from crawling under the fence, as we found almost another chicken's worth of feathers there) and had become Shay's new playtoys. We rescued both of them. They were badly shaken up, and one had a tiny cut on the side of her head, but nothing worse. We went back in, shaking our heads and muttering, "Never a dull moment." Later on I heard what I thought was a kitty mewl that sounded nothing like any of our outdoor kitties. I went outside and DARNED if another hen hadn't gotten out!! I think she saw the carnage of so many feathers all over the yard from the previous attack and panicked. Much easier to get OUT than to get back IN. No dogs this time, thankfully. So I went back in the house and called to Mike, "Honey... I need you to help me catch a chicken." He called back disbelievingly, "AGAIN???" I didn't say anything, just headed back out. After several scrapes, lots of squawking, and some very indignant-looking scrambling through brush, we got her back in. <sigh> Someone please remind me, why are we doing this again???
Ah, Christmas preparations. That time of year when you age 10 years, gain 10 pounds, and swear 10 times that NEXT YEAR you'll start earlier. HA! People the world over have been making that same promise, and the simple truth is - we ALL have last-minute things to do. What, you mean you don't? I don't want to hear about it! Don't burst my bubble! Misery loves company, an' all that.
So, what have I been doing? Quilting, quilting, quilting. I've got new pics to update - they'll wait. I've got two other sites that need updating - they'll wait. I've got curtains to make.. they won't wait much longer. It's COLD here!! I bought 20 yards of taupe flannel to make curtains for the living room. I'm spending today prewashing it while I continue frantically making Christmas presents and my own decorations. I've decided I'd like to have a Christmas tree with all homemade ornaments. They don't have to be homemade by me, mind you, I'd just like them all to have MEANT something to someone, at least for a while. We haven't bought a tree yet; it would look pretty pathetic with no lights and no ornaments, and I've only finished four ornaments and haven't bought any lights. Those darned credit card companies, thinking they need to get paid, even though it's Christmas! Bunch o' scrooges... Oh, wait, I digress.
So anyway, I've been quilting and sewing and quilting and occasionally washing a load of dishes or clothes. I've also been spending lots of time at the quilt shop, running their longarm machine. Normally there are 3 of us, so we take 2 days apiece. But one of them has been called back to service for 2 weeks (yep, she's in the Reserves) and the other's daughter is due any day now, so she's gone to be with her. No word on when she'll get back, either. So it's just li'l ol' me, quilting my heart out. I've taken today and tomorrow off, though, because there's lots to do around here. But I know other people want their Christmas presents quilted before Christmas (ya think?) so I'm trying to help.
Speaking of Christmas, if you find any good links for holiday decorations you can make yourself (doesn't have to be quilted - I'm becoming quite the craftress <g>), please email them to me.
Have a stressful December! (Oh, yeah, right, like me telling you NOT to will change anything.)