The Budman

 Hi everyone.  Bud's exam in the vetmobile did not go well.  As thin and old as he is, doc said he is a tough customer and was unable to fully examine Bud's mouth.  The assistant was large and strong, and even while wrapped, Bud was extremely difficult.  His gums are bright red, very swollen, and bled when touched.  The further back he tried to see the more inflamed it was.  There are cancers that could cause this, or the plaque buildup, but his heart is so bad the anesthesia could be fatal or cause more injury. So he offered an antibiotic that targets the mouth, and gabapentin for pain.  With two professionals unable to handle him, he doesn't expect we will be able to insert a syringe four times a day.  Already failed twice.  Mark could not hold his head still enough and honestly, the stress to Bud is just as damaging.  So we will try to keep him happy and comfortable but I can't see that lasting much longer.  

Continuing stitching progress and all errors but one are standing proud and staying put.  And I am very anxious to be done with Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was my MIL's name, she died at 54 from ovarian cancer.  Mark said there was always a container of baby powder on the edge of the tub.  Elizabeth was his sister's middle name, who died at 43.  Elizabeth was my dearest friend's name who passed several years ago.   None of which have anything to do with the Elizabeth Clayton sampler, but reminiscing usually accompanies this type of mood.

Hoping you all have a pleasant Wednesday  It won't be long before January disappears.

As did the pie.

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One thing leads to another

Nice to hear I'm not the only one that is somewhat obsessed with error location.  Most times, it leads to more.  The edge aligns with the 1 but not the A further down, don't know why.  But the C is two spaces below the first T and it should be three which would make the A part off by one more, but since the C error moved it up a row which should correct alignment by the A but not the 1, but the second T doesn't line up with edge even though it moved up one because of the C error yet it's down one, and that long looking stitch in the outside edge turns out to be over three and off one linen thread.  So I baked a pie.

This pie plate is Anchor Hocking and the only one I found with handles this large.  Others are just too small for arthritic hands with a fat hotpad.

The spool huggers help but I still gather some areas when stitching in hand, and found it's a good idea to press and allow the linen to relax every once in a while.  I also wanted to unroll and see the entire sampler so far. 

 Beneath the vase will be several rows of grass, so this is very close to the bottom.

This vase and greenery are all color changes, not because I planned it, but that's another story.

Do you wear those fuzzy socks instead of slippers?  I do.  And I found a brand that is the softest and best fitting online.  Earth Therapeutics with Aloe.  They offered 15% off and free shipping at $25 so I got four pair and they are heavenly, total comfort. They do leave a ring around my Polish ankles but what doesn't.

Anxious about the vet visit tomorrow and wish I didn't have to pay the extra $$$ for a home visit, but he panics and bolts at times and having him in the carrier if that should happen would be terrifying.  

Have a good evening.

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Moving on

 You know I love borders but only the look, not the creation.  This one could not be more forgiving and simple, yet I have spent hours trying to locate the error causing me to be off in width, length, and alignment.  Why?  Just move on!  Is it necessary to locate the errant stitch?  If that happens, would I remove all the others because of that little bastard to correct it?  No, it does not change the body nor is it noticebable.  Then why does it create such a drive to find it and any others contributing to the shift?

All it takes is a few in millions to throw off the balance, destroy common sense, inflame emotions, and become a controlling force that consumes.  I've let it go before, time to do that again.  

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Ewe & Eye

 Didn't they have some really special little projects?  Not routine, most with a few specialty stitches, but small enough to not be daunting.  So why did I sell most all?  This Christmas Sampler was one I had missed and thanks to Laura, discovered.  And found on Ebay.  The very small chart photos are hard to examine but I grabbed it without hesitation because I do love the elements.  Will of course darken the thread color for those areas not displaying.  Next project?

I've been disappointed in two recent online orders that list items as in stock only to discover they sold out before mine could be filled.  It's not like I need them now, but I want them now.  I have a short attention span and will change my mind about wanting them by the time I get them.  

But tonight, I am planting my butt and during stitching breaks, scouring the atmosphere for whatever I want.  After news of another issue, I deserve to pamper myself a bit.  I've mentioned the progressing Sjogrens and how miserable I was.  The last two days have been more painful and unrelenting, with a loss of taste.  On top of the dryness and fissured tongue, BMS (Burning Mouth Syndrome) (not to be confused with Bitching Mouth Syndrome) has been diagnosed.  What the hell is that?  Simple.  Your fricking tongue is on fire.  Always.  And feels like it's waking from numbness.  Months to years duration.  Ice cream and sweet decaf iced coffee have become mainstays in my daily diet.  Watermelon is very comforting but that's a long way off.  C'mon summer!!!

I hope all is well with you!!

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Cats

 Two houses, one heated.

But I'll sit on the roof in the drizzle and cold.

This is why we call him Nit.

And someone is thrilled with his new house.  He had a very late dinner, retired to the house, and only left it for breakfast.  There are clear exit flaps front and back but I removed the front for now.  Since we inserted it in a shelter, he can't use the rear "emergency" exit.  Does anyone believe he would be challenged?  LOL!  As you can see, Petey is a brute and fills his house.

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Bud of a different kind

 The last heated house came today and because these brats are so filthy, I made covers from an old percale sheet.  The fleece covers that were included hold the cat hair and in order to remove for cleaning, the power plug must be pulled through it.  Mark has a safe extension cord in the back and I have no plan to crawl in and unplug to remove for washing.  It took a while to measure and cut but I made a sort of pillow case with a slit for the cord, can be slipped off and on with no cord involvement.  Yay!  Quick and easy hair removal on the smooth fabric.  So the crabass is pleased!

That large opossum is probably a female because the little ones came to visit the following night.  They ran as soon as I appeared at the door.   Last night I was on the phone with Carole and heard a racket, it was a huge raccoon that knocked Petey's dishes away from him, scattering the cat food across the deck.  I had to dig pieces out of the spaces between the decking or the opossum would be.  

This brought back memories of the sweetest little raccoon ever, and deserves posting again. Every day we were visited and the face on this sweetie was irresistible.  Petite and friendly, we named him Bud.  One year, Bud came to get his daily baloney and bread, turned to look behind, and then gave the go ahead to a litter of six tiny furballs.  From then on, Bud became Budette, we were honored to be trusted with yearly visits of her offspring.  She's the second from the left.

The normal life span in the wild is 2 to 3 years, much longer if kept.  My gal Bud was with us for five years.  Every day, she would come to our back door and look in, I would talk to her while she was dining on the deck after gently taking the food from my hand.  Raccoons are not gentle, docile critters, but she was so different from the very beginning.  Most days, she would go into the cat box beneath the plywood and take a nap after dinner until it was dark.  We wrapped 4x4 pieces of plywood with plastic and leaned them to create a dry place for food and shelter when attempting to civilize the brats.   

One year, I could see the change in her face and fur, told Mark she was failing. Bud became slower and the look in those sweet eyes told me she was nearing her end.  One morning, I prepared the cat dishes and as I opened the back door, I saw her little leg sticking out of the box she napped in.  She came to be close to me during her final hours and I am still emotional about it.

This was her last litter.

My sweet little girl a few months before she died.

Bud (a.k.a Budman), the oldest of my cat rescues, can't be seen until next Tuesday with a home visit.  The surgery if it's decided to take the risk, will be at the doctor's farm which is about 40 minutes from here. 

That's all I got.  I removed the side border flowers and will worry about them later.  It took quite a while!  I think the next step will be the figures and if they don't show well, I'll try two threads for the second half of the cross.  Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Hope your day went well.

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