Christmas Snow

My daughter just sent me this photo of the Christmas Day snow at her house. I have not been out to take any pictures here as the wind is blowing fiercely! She lives on the side of a mountain, and you can barely see her house for the snow! This is the first time we have had a Christmas snow in our part of the country since 1981, the year we moved here!! Our family had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve this year as snow was predicted for the next day, so on Christmas Day, I spent the day watching it snow! A quiet but pleasant day, but it gave me time to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas; that is, the Birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! This morning at 1:30am I awoke to the sound of a car stuck in the snow/ice just up the hill from my house. That was the first of many! In the 29 years we have lived here that has never happened before. The road was a sheet of ice with drifts of snow knee high. The snowplow came at 6:30 and worked on it for awhile. All is moving as usual again now and the sun is out!! Happy New Year.... it is predicted to be 60 degrees F. on Saturday and Sunday! Hooray!!

Snow Day

This photo was borrowed from another blog, it isn't one of my cats, nor do we have that much snow here (yet), but schools are closed here today due to some snow and ice. Yuck! I can handle snow, but ice is a different story altogether. Well, it is almost Christmas...

But, but.....I was just helping!

Icanhascheezburger.com has the cutest stuff. Sometimes, although not often, I just sit and look at all the photos and captions that people have come up with. So clever! Although I'm not making any sweaters as Christmas gifts this year, I sure have in the past!! Thought that someone might appreciate this one and get a chuckle out of it. Enjoy! By the way....my good intentions to get the small gingerbread quilt done have been put on hold. There are 3 inches of ice/snow on the back porch and I cannot get to my studio. When the weather gets cold and miserable like this, I tend to stiffen up like an old snake. Can't get out the back door, no hope of getting to the snow shovel. Sheesh! Guess I'll have to work on something else... as if I don't have enough to do already,eh?

Small Christmas Quilt

I am all the time trying to come up with new ideas for small quilts for Project Linus. That is, small, easy to make, stashbuster type patterns. I found the idea for this one on the internet, as I have made several of the "Stashbuster" pattern, using 6 fabrics, and I wanted to try something different. This little quilt turned out around 42 inches square (the blocks are 9 1/2 inch squares) and I am pleased with it. Now to get it quilted before Christmas...but that's another story.

The finished afghan

The Bernat Crochet Along afghan is finished. I have enjoyed working on this project, but I am glad to get to move onto other UFO's now (namely a Round Ripple 12-point star). My son was kind enough to hold it up for me. Now I'm going to give it a spritz with water & into the dryer just to fluff it up and even it out. I used stash yarn, mostly OLDER Red Heart yarn (hate the newer stuff, it reminds me of crocheting with ground up pop-bottles, yuck!!) Happy Thanksgiving to all. I'm cooking this year & got to get started! God's Blessings!

Edited to say...Now that it is finished & held up, I see a big mistake!! Oops, too late now...better finished than perfect, eh?

Poor Lucky Dog

Lucky Dog had her "surgery" on Thursday and my daughter picked her up on Friday. The little rascal won't leave her stitches alone, and had to go back to the Vet today with an infection (has to wear the dreaded "Elizabethan collar"). My daughter has caught a bug herself and is under the weather too. When it rains, it pours, eh? For years I have been a confirmed dog-hater, but I have to admit that Lucky has won me over. She is not only a nice dog, she is a good guard dog as well, but she is friendly to my son and I. Really smart, eh? Admittedly, I still would rather not be around dogs that bark constantly and have no manners, but Lucky is a start in the right direction. Maybe someday I might consider one myself....will have to think on that for a (long) while. (Photo taken by my daughter and sent to me by email. They were hiking at Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes County, NC.)

Bernat Afghan Crochet along

This is week #7 of the Bernat Afghan Crochet along. I have completed all but today's square. Whew! It has been a challenge, since the week before last called for 16 mitered squares! They are not all coming out the same perfect size and I don't know if this'll be a problem. The mitered ones are smaller than the rest. Seems like every week I say to myself "why am I doing this?", then I get back busy on them. This week's square is a great big, multicolored granny square. The CAL is just halfway done now. Too many projects, too little time (humph!).

Hug a sheep day!!

I don't have any real sheep, so I had my son take a picture of me holding "Floyd", my big stuffed sheep that I found at a yard sale while traveling to Floyd, VA. He is my favorite sheep, although I have several plastic boxes full of stuffed sheep. Happy Hug A Sheep Day!

Granny Stripe Afghan

At last!! After a few unsuccessful tries yesterday, the photo loaded immediately today! Go figure! This afghan is made of scraps and bits leftover from Prayer Shawls and other projects. It is shown folded in half on the chair. Actually, it doesn't take a whole lot of yarn to do a stripe. Each stripe is 2 rows. I am working on the Bernat Mystery Afghan as well. Oh my gosh! Today's pattern calls for making 16 squares! Yikes! I hate Granny Squares, but I do like working a Mystery (afghan or quilt) so........ This one'll take awhile. It's a rainey day today, so might as well get started.

October

I really do love October. Not only are there some sad events (anniversary of my leaving MI, my late husband's birthday), there are plenty of happy ones, too. All kinds of festivals in our neck-of-the-woods, my daughter's birthday, etc, etc. Although sometimes I slide into depression this time of year, this year I am NOT! Since I've been taking vitamin D3, I don't seem to have that problem anymore (well, occasionally on a rainey day, but who doesn't?). I have finished several projects, too, and have been doing some charity (machine) quilting. I tried to add a photo this morning to this writing, but unfortunately, blogger would not comply. Maybe later. The photo was of the Granny Stripe afghan I finished, inspired by Attic 24 blog, and I used scrap yarn. I will try again later. One festival I would have liked to have gone to over this weekend is the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, NC (way up in the Blue Ridge Mtns.). I just love woolly worms, and try to avoid running over them in the car. It seems the ones on the right side of the road want to go to the left side and vice-versa. It's a wonder I haven't been stopped by the Police, for swerving so much!! I do hope that everyone is enjoying this cooler weather. Get outside, breathe the air! (unless you are allergic to falling leaves, or goldenrod!)

Fall Photo

Fifty years ago this week, I left my beloved home in Michigan. I was eleven years old and had no say in the matter, but I remember well the golden maple leaves and cool temperatures as we loaded the old Dodge to carry us to South Florida. I have only been back to Port Huron twice since then. Once when my father died. Once when my mother died. But my heart is still there and always will be. (Photo borrowed from Weather Underground.)

Lucky Dog

Remember the other day when I posted the poem (below) Little Black Dog? Well, it turned out to be somewhat prophetic. Last Friday, my daughter adopted a rescue dog and named her Lucky. She seems to be a black "lab", and the Vet says about 6 months old. Kathleen is having a grand time adjusting to this new dog, and has made many adjustments to her life. She has had two break-in's at her home, and we are hoping that the dog will make a difference. (Even though she has an alarm system, they seem to know when she is at work and come then.) We are hoping that this new addition to her household will be beneficial to both her, the situation, and Lucky. As for her two kitty friends, the jury is still out on that one. As of now, they are not too pleased, and are on "watch & wait". Time will tell, I guess. By the way, photos sent to me by Kathleen and won't "click to enlarge".

Prayers & Squares Meeting

This morning I went to a Prayers & Squares meeting at the Richmond Hill Baptist Church outside of Boonville, NC. It's been about a year since I'd attended a meeting. Although I think of the group often, and say a prayer or two for their ministry, the road to the church scares me and I don't attend often. I happened to have some fabric to donate to them, so I made the effort to attend this morning. I asked if I could take some photos of their work and they agreed. The first photo is a quilt ready for hemming. The second photo is quilts ready for members to tie knots in and pray over. The third photo is just a side view of a quilt backing, ready to be layered for pinning together, and the last photo is a stack of quilts ready for the ties. I had a good time spending some time with these ladies again, and I hope to attend a meeting again before the weather gets bad. By the way, they send their love and prayers to the "sister group" of Prayers & Squares in Nikko, Japan, the leader being my friend, Tanya. The weather is clear and crisp now and the leaves are almost ready to change colors. What a glorious time of year to be alive!!

The Spinner's Cat

Earl Grey has fallen in love with my wool. It is black Shetland that I bought from a lady in Pilot Mountain, NC, and he just can't wait for me to open the plastic box in the evenings and begin spinning!! He "slithers" into the box and rolls over and over, then he holds a bat up to his face to "sniff" the wool (sometimes he actually chews on it!). He does this every time I sit down to spin. He has not done this previously, so guess he just likes the smell or whatever of this wool. We usually have to go get the flashlight (another favorite game of his) to distract him to get him out of the box as he will bite and scratch to stay in it otherwise. Ah! A cooler and rainey day today. Perfect for working on projects...which is what I usually do anyway! Have a blessed Sunday.

A good poem

THE LITTLE BLACK DOG
by Elizabeth Gardner Reynolds

I wonder if Christ had a little black dog,
All curly and wooly like mine:
With two long silky ears and a nose, round and wet,
And two eyes, brown and tender, that shine.
I am sure, if He had, that that little black dog
Knew, right from the first, He was God;
That he needed no proof that Christ was divine,
And just worshipped the ground where he trod.
I'm afraid that He hadn't, because I have read
How he prayed in the garden, alone;
For all of His friends and disciples had fled
Even Peter, the one called a stone.
And, oh, I am sure that the little black dog,
With a heart so tender and warm,
Would never have left him to suffer alone,
But, creeping right under his arm,
Would have licked the dear fingers, in agony clasped,
And, counting all favors but loss,
When they took him away, would have trotted behind
And Followed Him quite to the Cross.

Heerrre's Gracie

I found Gracie Girl hiding amongst a couple of other photos of Ricky! She is such a beautiful cat, and loves to have her picture taken!

A Great Day to Spin in Public!

Yesterday was Worldwide Spinning in Public Day at Leslie Shelor's Greenberry House in Meadows of Dan, VA. My daughter Kathleen and I attended and had a great time. Several passerby's stopped and asked questions, and seemed more interested in Kathleen's Tri-loom than spinning! That's more than okay, the message is "do something creative!!". We stopped at a veggie stand/craft shop after leaving and enjoyed looking at the local crafts, too. Kathleen bought several unusual veggies to take home. All in all, I would say that we had a wonderful time, and want to say "Thanks Leslie". Hope to see you again soon!!

Photo #1 is of Kathleen working on her Tri-loom. She is making a shawl. Photo #2 is of Leslie and I spinning. Leslie is working on a beautifully dyed peach-colored wool roving and I am spinning black Shetland wool. Photo #3 is of Kathleen's cat Ricky. Ricky and Earl Grey and brothers, but are a year and half apart (same MomCat). Grace, her other kitty, seemed to be missing from the photos. Hmmmm. I'll have to double check the photos taken this weekend. Hope you are having a nice weekend...........

World Wide Spinning in Public Day

We had such a good time last year at Leslie's Greenberry House in Meadows of Dan, VA, that I asked her if she was planning to have the event again this year. She agreed, and we are hoping that the weather will be great. My daughter, son, and myself were up on the mountain last Friday getting apples. (My daughter makes the absolute BEST applebutter!) The weather was quite warm yet, but it is always a treat to go to Fancy Gap, VA. I am looking forward to Saturday, September 18th!! Thanks, Leslie, hope to see you soon!

Hurricane "Earl"

Hurricane Earl came and went in our neck of the woods without much notice. Living in northwest NC, all we got was a slight wind, not even a rain shower. Earl Grey, on the other hand, is a different story. He was born last September, date unknown, so this whole month is his birthday month!! He continues to be a "souped-up wildcat" and enjoys life to the fullest. He has always been a housecat ever since last November when we took him in, when he had an ear infection. He has been entertaining us ever since. He has never seen a stranger, unlike Shizuku, who runs when the doorbell rings! Our birthday wish for our Earl Grey is long life, good health, and much happiness.

Soot Sprite?

Susuwatari is Japanese for Soot Sprite. Those are the little soot-ball-spirits in the film My Neighbor Totoro, by Hayao Miyazaki. I think this "kitteh" looks like my Boo Boo Kitty, who is entertaining the Lord now. She passed away three years ago tomorrow. Guess that means this is my 3 year blogaversary as well, as I had just begun this blog when we lost her so suddenly. Life goes on, eh?

On a happier note....I finished reading "State Fair" by Earlene Fowler in the wee hours of this morning. I love a good mystery, and this one is one of her best. I highly recommend it. I have all of this "quilt mystery" series in hardback books. I think I love my books every bit as much as I love fabric and yarn. This week I have found three drawers full of walmart quilt-of-the-month projects that I had bought the fabric for and put them away (and then forgot about). So far this week I have completed one top and have cut out a second. (And about a dozen left to go, ack!) Photos later. Have a blessed weekend!!

The Orange Crush Quilt

Awhile back, and please don't ask me how long ago, I made this quilt top as a quilt-a-long with the Quiltville yahoo group. A new "clue" is given each week or so & everyone uses their own fabric. Well...this quilt fought me all the way. It just wouldn't cooperate at all!! So I finished it, and made an ugly backing (I called it "clown fabric") and set the whole mess at the bottom of the pile to be quilted (someday). Last month I machine quilted an internet friend's quilt for her while she was in the States visiting family. You can see the quilt at the Taniwa blog, if you are interested. Anyway, it reminded me of my, now forgotten, monster. I got it out yesterday and decided to (despite the heat here) get-er-done. It still didn't want to cooperate, and the last two borders kept "growing" and the thread kept breaking, but I don't think it turned out too badly. Might even let it stay on my bed for awhile, as it does fit ya' know.

A Surprise in the Mail!

Today when I went to the Post Office, there was a "yellow card" in my PO box. That means there is an article to be picked up! You can't imagine my surprise when I opened the mailing bag and found these beautiful Japanese fabrics sent to me by my internet friend, Tanya. I did some machine quilting for her, and she was generous enough to send me some dried fishies and other foods for Shizuku-chan (previously) and also this fabric. I have collected Japanese fabric since my daughter lived in Kagoshima and I am absolutely thrilled to receive this!! Thanks Tanya!! I know that the photo doesn't do justice to the brilliant colors, and the fabric in the plastic wrapping is four inch, precut squares. Wow, they are so beautiful. I will spend the rest of the day with them on the table in front of my chair just looking at them!

Georgia Toffee Bars quilt

I have finished the Georgia Toffee Bars quilt from the Mar/Apr. issue (#2) of Irish Quilting magazine. It didn't take long to make and I mostly used fabric that I had on hand. I had to purchase the lively outer border print (not something I would ordinarily use) and I found what I needed at walmart in the precut aisle. The quilt is about 72" by 80". It looks remarkably like the one in the magazine!! I am quite pleased with the way it has turned out, even though the lack of variety of colors (fatquarters) made the colors "bunch up" some. We have had some interesting weather this weekend. Both Sat. and Sun. have been extremely cloudy and rain all day Sat. The temp never got above 68 degrees F both days. I'm glad summer is almost over. The poor kids will have to go back to school soon, and the Comm.Coll Fall session starts even before that!

Japanese Knot Bag

Success!!! My dear son has been trying to help me out here. He is home sick today (infected tooth). I still don't know how & why... but here are two photos of the Japanese Knot Bag. It is actually about nine inches across and the main bag part is seven inches long, excluding handles. The pattern came from the internet a few years ago. To knot the bag, you slip the large handle through the smaller handle. It is great for carrying small projects to work on.

Another photo of the Chan

Okay, so I was trying to upload two new photos of the Japanese Knot Bag I made out of an old kimono sleeve I was sent by a friend. The photos are in my picture section, but I just can't get them to upload!! An experiment...try another photo. Okay, no one has seen this photo of Shizuku-chan. Bingo, it works. The photos of the Knot Bag do not. I don't get it!! I am liking this laptop, but there is some new things to learn. Bear with me, I'll get it eventually, (I hope).

Computer problems, an update

I have posted a couple of times about the ongoing problems with the Vista computer and finally the inability to post pictures anymore. Over the weekend, the old Vista died. It got computer alzheimer's, and couldn't be convinced that it actually had a hard drive. I am still computer illiterate, but my son is computer savvy, and he did everything he could do to save it. I am now trying to learn to use his laptop computer. It is alot different from what I used before, but I might actually learn to like it! As a test here, I will attempt to post a picture of Sakurajima, an active volcano in southern Japan. My daughter lived about two miles from Sakurajima when she lived in Kagoshima, Japan. I think it is a beautiful sight. One of God's wonders of the world. Here goes.........

A Giveaway!

There will be a giveaway at Thistle Cove Farm this week with some very nice items. If interested, hop on over to www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com and take a look.

Picture Problems

I am sorry that I have not been updating my blog lately, but the truth is, I continue to have problems getting photos into this computer. My daughter, yesterday, worked on it for me, and it has helped a lot, but I still don't think that I can do the work myself. My old program used to be so easy, and I am very frustrated with this one. The above photo is of Shizuku-chan, and she is yawning. My daughter is very good at taking pictures. Earl Grey is getting to be quite troublesome. Although he is still a very sweet cat, he loves to "push the limits". Have a blessed day!

Hawaiian Style Quilting

Can you guess the name of this pattern?



I call this pineapple and woodrose. Pattern from an old magazine



Ulu or Breadfruit pattern

In 1993 I became interested in Hawaiian Quilting while watching the series on PBS. My cousin had married a Hawaiian man and that also added to my curiosity. Recently, I was reminded of my books, and bought a couple more from Amazon.com. I also got a few patterns from www.poakalani.net. I am not talented enough to draw my own. My art work is of the kindergarten variety, really. Because I am not Hawaiian myself, I read that I should call my work "Hawaiian Style Quilting", so I am. Well, have you made any guesses as to what my first mini-quilt is? If you guessed "a famous Mouse", you would be correct!! I used a batik fabric that I received in a trade, and it is from Australia. It is said that if you make a breadfruit quilt first, that you will never want for anything. That sounds nice. The red quilt was a pattern I tore out of a magazine in 1987. No name given, but it looks like a pineapple and woodrose design to me. I am quilting on the mouse, and am enjoying it a lot. These three mini-quilts are from 22 inches to 30 inches square. As I have to stand up to machine quilt, and being that I haven't hand quilted for about 15+ years, these are a joy to work on. Google Hawaiian Quilting, if you are interested, but I prefer the Poakalani site. I sure wish I could go to Hawaii. If wishes were horses, we'd all take a ride, eh??

Remembering our Veterans

Sunday afternoon quilting

It has been my habit, when I feel like it, to make a small charity quilt on Sunday afternoon. The above is what I worked on today. I like yellow! It doesn't take me long to make one of these quilts. This one is approximately 45" by 60". When I have hemmed it, it will go to Project Linus in Carroll County, VA. By the way, the pattern is "Square in a Square". They are easy to make and I use a special ruler to make the blocks fast & easy!

The New Goodwill Store

Yesterday, my daughter and I went to check out the new Goodwill Store in Elkin. I did not take a photo of it, as most towns have a Goodwill Store these days and everyone knows what they look like! It was day #2 of their Grand Opening. As usual, there were a lot of people there and they were buying the clothing. The other stuff wasn't moving so fast, as they had increased the prices outrageously! I bought a Sherpa bag (looks like a sheepskin) for $1., a plastic box, also a $1, a coffee mug for twenty-five cents and an old popcorn tin (this is a large one) with flags and Abraham Lincoln on it for a $1. My total was $4.32. This new Goodwill, while it has 3 times the floorspace, has lost it's "homey" feel and the clerks looked frazzled. My daughter and I couldn't leave fast enough. I imagine I will shop there on occasion, but things will no longer be on a first name basis. Too bad.

Iris at the College and a quilt

The bottom two photos are of the iris bed at Surry Community College. The iris have been exceptionally beautiful this Spring. Maybe because we had such a hard winter? The top two photos are of my latest quilt finish. It is a twenty block "disappearing 9-patch" and it makes up so quickly. The fabric came from walmart before they got rid of their fabrics, from a $1. yd. table. I like the froggie print, and have cut out one in blue froggies, too. Shizuku kitty always goes over to check out the just-finished quilt top when I spread it out to check on it. She would get on the top, and my dear Boo would crawl underneath. The finished quilt will go to Project Linus in Carroll County, VA (Shizuku stays here!!).

Busy Weekend!!

We had a very busy weekend!! On Friday, I traveled with my daughter to Charlotte, NC on business. It had been years since I'd been through Charlotte and it has grown so much! On the way back we stopped at a Bob Evans Restaurant to have some supper. The food was great. On a trip to Michigan, many years ago, my husband and I ate at a couple of these restaurants up North. I'm so glad that they have come further South now, but also wish there was one closer to us! My daughter bought me the sheepie above...an early Mother's Day present. On Saturday, my son and I went with her to Winston-Salem, and we stopped at several places, including the "major" Goodwill Store in this area. Wow! So much stuff! But I limited my purchase to two skeins of yarn. I don't get out much these days, so two days of travel and shopping really did me in (heehee). Sunday was relatively quiet. My son wanted to go to the video game store (he doesn't drive), so we went there then picked up some food items on the way home. Someone once said, "It's nice to go, but it's nicer to come home again". I agree. The other photo is of Earl Grey sitting with a stuffed cat. He loves to sleep with stuffed animals. Go figure! God Bless!!

Easter 2010

I hope that everyone had a nice Easter last Sunday. Both my (adult) children were on Spring Break from their jobs at the community college last week, and it was a busy time for us. Just a few days before that I had a rather nasty case of food poisoning and then a birthday. I went to my daughter's home (on the side of a mountain) for Easter weekend and enjoyed sitting on her porch and resting. On the way to her house, a baby black bear crossed the road in front of her Jeep. No sign of the momma-bear, and I do hope he or she found mom, as he/she was kind of small! I have been working on some 6 inch quilt blocks from The Farmer's Wife book and finished another Mile-a-Minute afghan from some old yarn called "adobe" and I also used "brick" and "aran" with it. Take time to smell the flowers, but avoid the pollen. Have a blessed Spring!

Ordered new books!

On Friday, I received 2 new books! When my husband was alive, we sort of bought our own birthday presents and then said "You gave me this for my birthday!!" It worked every time. Well, this year I ordered two books (even though he is in Heaven now). They are "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler" by Jennifer Chiaverini and "The Farmer's Wife" (picture from Amazon.com) above. The blocks are great but the really bad thing is that you have to print out the patterns from a CD that is included and they print one-per-page. Major bummer, and a terrible waste of paper!! I have been working on the blocks from "The Civil War Diaries" and "Civil War Love Letters" books what seems like forever!! I'm using solid colors instead of prints. There used to be a group of us here on the internet that was working on them, but I think it has fallen by the wayside now. I, too, put them away over the winter, closed up my studio (too COLD to quilt in there) and worked on yarn projects over the winter (mostly something I could cover up with while working on it)! It rained like crazy all night, but the sun is out this morning. Rejoice and be glad!!

National Quilting Day!

I read on another blog that this is National Quilting Day! I had been thinking about quilts all week (just a coincidence, I guess). I even went out to my "studio" yesterday and opened the windows and did some rearranging. Spring is here in NC and my daffodils are blooming and the sun is shining. Who could ask for anything more....well, maybe a local quilt shop would be nice. I sure hate to drive 50 miles to fabric shop. The local walmarts are selling less and less yarn these days, and the stupid pre-cut fabrics at the M.A. store are a joke. (Can you tell I HATE walmart?) I'm going to get busy and get out in the sun today (for tomorrow it is supposed to rain). By the way, I've still not learned to add photos (my son added the photo of Earl Grey in last post). I will learn. Soon. I promise. Enjoy your weekend.

Chan and Earl

As promised, I am showing a recent photo of Earl, taken yesterday. He was trying to take a nap and I disturbed him! The other photo is of Shizuku-chan, taken awhile back. She is a birthday girl this month and turns 12. She is an odd kitty and loves to have her tummy rubbed. Earl has enough energy for at least two cats and drives poor Chan up the wall sometimes. I have considered bringing in another yard-cat for him to play with, but am a bit hesitant about it. Hope you have a very fun St. Patrick's Day. On this day we are all Irish, eh?

A cat is a cat, and that is that!

Yesterday, I went to town to pay some bills and when I got back I found that Earl Grey (now six months old) had torn the screen in the bathroom window and escaped!! I walked the property and called for the rest of the day. No Earl. When my son got home from work, we saw Earl's head peeking out from the crawl-space door. He was having fun and didn't want to come in. We tried, unsuccessfully, until dark to get him to come to us. He made a game out of it! Grrrr! We said, "OK, fine, stay outside". It has warmed up a lot this week, so I wasn't worried about him freezing. This morning, as I was feeding the yard cats, Earl comes trotting up the walk-way. He is still not ready to admit defeat, and the yard cats aren't about to share their kibbles. On the second attempt to get a mouthful, I grabbed him, scared the yard cats half to death, and got clawed. But I hung on and I got that little varmint in the house! He ate his breakfast (indoors) and collapsed for a nap in the middle of the living room rug! No new photos, sorry. Still having problems with the photo program. My son has worked on it, but being computer-illiterate, I haven't learned it yet. I will take photos of Earl soon, I promise. I think I'll need lots of coffee to get through this day. (Loud sigh!!)

New Miyazaki movie!!

On Friday, I received my copy of the latest Hayao Miyazaki animated movie, Ponyo. It is adapted from "The Little Mermaid", but is very Japanese. It is truly wonderful!! I always hated the Disney "Mermaid" film, but this one is truly worth having. It is also brought to us by Disney, as they bought the rights to Miyazaki-san's work a few years ago, but what a difference!! I've heard that he is working on his version of "The Borrowers" next. I read that series when I was about 9 or 10. Can't wait for the next one. Enjoy your Sunday.