Jack the cat

It's always something, isn't it?  Now Jack has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, so soon we will have two radioactive cats.  He's not having as bad a time as the Mink, since he isn't having seizures, but he has gone from being a proud and hefty 18 pounder to a dainty 13 pounds.  He's still a beauty though.

This is how Minkie is feeling at the moment:

Minkie is home!

We brought her home yesterday, now we have a radioactive kitty!  She is already eating better, but she's still having seizures.  A lot of them.  I'm not sure how much longer we will have her.

One tool every sewing room needs

Today I actually sewed a finger, well nicked it anyway.  I can't believe I did it.  I haven't sewn any part of me since the time in 1967 or 1968 when I put the needle right through my thumb, nail and all.  (Sis regularly sews her hair, but don't tell her I said so).  So my newest sewing room tool:

I'm nearly done with my new coat (Butterick 4928, aka Diagon Alley Coat, because of the diagonal stripe), and it's going to be a beauty, especially without a finger sewn to it.  I just have hems and handwork left.  I'd finish it today but I wore myself out wrassling with it this morning.  Wool coats and their linings are heavy!

For all of Minkie's fans who are anxious for news:  She is weaker and thinner, and her seizures are coming more and more often, and I think she must be bruised all over from falling.  But the good news is she goes in for treatment tomorrow!

David puts up more lights

David raised the sheets of glass the plants sit on, using small blocks of wood, and strung lights underneath.  It's beautiful!

Christmas at Annie's house

Annie's clever husband came up with a solution (years ago) to the problem of having both a Christmas tree and cats (not to mention no floor space either of us is willing to give up):  the tree goes on the mantle!  And this is no puny table tree, it's a full 55 inches high.  Clever, clever David!

Even with the back branches cut off there's plenty of room for lights

And ornaments.  Oh look!  It's the Christmas sperm!

Underneath the tree there is room for crystal lights

And little glass baubles among the crystals

And our blessed family, parents of us all.  They are Australopithecines (Australopithecus afarensis, I presume).  They serve as our nativity scene.  If I had some Pliocene fauna I could make a manger scene.

David and I are happily celebrating the start of the Christmas season with champagne and Annie's incredibly good chicken liver pâté.  It works like this -- David decorates the tree, and Annie blogs about it, which is a fair division of labor in Annie's opinion.  David is enjoying himself, but he's pretending not to. 

Soon it will be time for more traditions:  the annual reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (in the original thank you!), the annual watching of Alistair Sim as Scrooge, the annual overeating of pâté, clam dip and mincemeat cookies, accompanied with lashings of champagne and the annual complaining about fat tummies. Annie is dropping hints as heavy as bricks about what she wants, and David can't think of a thing he wants.  We will have dim sum in China Town with Andy, Peter and Bob, and Annie's friend Pam and her husband will come for a late Christmas at New Years.  I am happy.

Meanwhile there is sewing.  I positively yearned for a project that I could get through without a lot of hassle, before I go back to the 49er jacket, and I have hit upon this (Butterick 4928):

No fitting issues!!! I'm using a lovely olive green wool with a subtle diagonal stripe (from Nancy's Sewing Basket), and I'm going to try a flannel backed lining to make it very warm.  Might be too heavy though.  I spent some hours on it this morning, but while helping David put up the tree I got sap all over my hands and I can't get it off.  And I'm not touching fabric until it is off.

Update on EWW

I had been thinking I should have chosen Edith's initials more carefully, until I started to work on her insides.  EEEEWWW!

First, taking the thingy off that holds the bobbin in place.  This is held in with a screw, so bobbin changing isn't done in a snap.  It took quite some work to work it free.

Yay, the bobbin fell out!  Also lots of crud.

Inside the bobbin case the metal was bright and shiny as if it were brand new.  Lots more crud up in there too, though.

And then I took hold of a bit of fluff, and pulled, and pulled, and pulled... Damn!  A spider egg case!  Well, I guess that's really appropriate, isn't it?  Edith sheltering another lady fiber worker. 

What's all this crap?

View of the backyard:

And the front yard:

Hmmm, I wonder who should have to go out and shovel it.