Casual cat

Hiya. Is your area as cold as mine?

Every day brings us closer to summer.  

I finished Fred's girlfriend Ethel. Is it 46 count or 48 count? One of those. I thought about giving her a necklace with a charm to reflect the season or holiday, but I don't have the energy or patience to search for them. Would I even hold interest long enough to change them throughout the year? No.  

Ethel may get a small heart charm, Fred may get a bowtie. I'm giving myself one day to decide. I want to finish them and would need to stitch the neck area first if adornments aren't added. 

Regarding the cardiology practice, they are a part of the hospital that closed. Several locations with five docs and two NPs, same name as hospital. They will need to establish the group as a stand alone practice? But no hospital here for them to become staff, continue heart surgeries, or admit patients.  

Hope you're all doing well. Covid is rampant here. Hubs and I are negative, my cousins ​​are positive. When I had my echocardiogram (can't get the results since now closed), he recounted spending a month in ICU in 2021 with failing organs from it. He knows Carole and I from yearly testing, and feels it was certainly her covid that hit her heart and kidneys so quickly.

No holiday decorations to put away this year. Painting will begin soon, found a husband wife team to do it.  

Stay well.

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Close to finish

 We expanded and revised Scott's work in the mini powder room.  Rather than a wood pedestal to enclose/hide pipes, we cut it down the center, added frame, made a door, matched to the wall cupboard.  Much better.

I plan to get baskets to fit along each side, making a shelf midway to hold four.  We could have made this full width but that's too much painted finish, I'd like some naturals/browns mixed in. The wood vanity will blend nicely.

 Haven't decided on the backsplash yet.  

This was Christmas. 

Read this beautiful card from Brenda.

My hubs said, "huh. Every day is Christmas."

My cardiologist canceled my appointment, temporarily closed the practice in order to decide their future.  The hospital closed today. What do I and others needing heart care do now?  The other hospital has a cardio, packed with transferring patients.  I am going there for a CT scan in two weeks.  Their ER and other staff look no diferent than patients.  T shirts, cargo pants, jeans, no uniforms or even cohesive color/matchings scrub tops.  I didn't know who was what, who to ask.  Two women in the hall I questioned were patients' relatives in ER!

That's all. 

Hope you're doing well.

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Goodbye bubble

All gone.  Checkup was good, still have a few flashes but the retina looked good to the doc. 

Just wanted to mention that if you are considering a purchase of Tobias linen, I checked with Seraphim and that light Affogato-y shade is now Tobias.  Completely different but the name was not changed.  I haven't found any online shops that have the original darker bronze linen and once I have even the slightest pickle, I move on.  So now I don't want it.

I usually order from 123Stitch, Hobby House, Hollis Hands Create, and recently Farm Girl.  You can check with any shop before ordering about returns,  Hobby House is accommodating if your purchase is not what you expected (as the significant difference I showed).  Although this is a nice piece of linen, I don't care for the slight greenish hue and have Affogato in my stash that is very close.  Or sell it?  Still have the few pieces mentioned previously that I want to sell, I need to decide. 

These tiny ornaments were found at Carole's, I know my SIL stitched them.  Not being a bead or Mill Hill stitcher, I may become one.  I will be searching for similar projects online.  Aren't they precious?

Hope you are doing well.  

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How many Tobias are there?

One of my absolute favorite linen colors, Tobias.  Beautiful, deep, rich, warm bronze.  Notified stock was replenished, ordered, and can't believe what I saw upon opening the envelope.

This is slightly more green than my Affogato, and the farthest from Tobias.  Returning for sure.  Anyone have any thoughts?  Was the color changed but name stayed the same?

This is my 36 and also 40.  BTW, Jane Southward is spectacular on it.

I give up.

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Finish

I avoid hearts in samplers and most designs.  Love the shape in a finish, but years ago the country style of hearts everywhere wore out their welcome.  Previous Cat finishes were done with the large heart along the neck as charted. 

 I removed it and decided on a scarf.  Other possibles are a bow tie, bolo, or dress shirt collar with tie.  The girls will have jeweled chokers or a string of small pearls tacked on, no stitching.

The first piebald cardinal here had white feathers, and he visited today.  What are the odds after all these years to have TWO!!  They do not feed at the same time but wouldn't that be great to get both in the same photo?

That green santa book is by Teresa Kogut and has many other santa charts included.  Great offer.

The carpal tunnel surgery is minimally invasive with a tiny incision in palm and wrist.  And yes Edie my friend's surgeon was Dr Kann in Seven Fields!

 My least favorite "holiday" is in a few days, the weather turns very cold, and the appointments/tests begin.  But where?

Be safe.

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Wishing everyone a healthy 2025

Probability of minor surgery for me this year. 

Carpal tunnel for sure, cubital tunnel is looming.  It's that feeling of hitting your "crazy bone" that radiates to the finger tips but it takes hours to subside.  My friend had the carpal done in Pittsburgh, local numbing, no surgical ward, fifteen minutes and you go back home.  No therapy, no sling, boom.  I have no intention to proceed with knee replacement and am looking for another doctor.  With the hospital closing next week, appointments for patients transferring to other local doctors will really cause a bottleneck.

Stitching interest is slowly returning, floss tube is helping with that.  Not much work on the cat, 40 count.  A second will be done on 46 count cream linen, reversed position.  This one is 4"wide and outline is black,  not brown.

Happy mail ...  this booklet and I am sorry I didn't Jingle to get her blue santa.  Quality of chart and paper is unmatched. Next year, blue.

The only time I drink tea is when ill with a cold.  Honey and sweetener need to be loaded in.  Davidson's Chai is my favorite, this is Christmas blend.  I thought I had enough health issues to complain about, but ....

Thank goodness Christmas is over. 

Hope yours was what you hoped for.

Happy New Year folks.

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