Tacoma waterfront in fall

Where Minkie sleeps while SweetPea watches

 

Goodby Minkie

Perle, pleasaunte to prynces paye

To clanly clos in golde so clere,

Oute of oryent, I hardyly saye,

Ne proued I neuer her precios pere.

So rounde, so reken in vche araye,

So smal, so smoþe her sydeȝ were,

Quere-so-euer I jugged gemmeȝ gaye,

I sette hyr sengeley in synglere.

Allas! I leste hyr in on erbere;

Þurȝ gresse to grounde hit fro me yot.

I dewyne, fordolked of luf-daungere

Of þat pryuy perle wythouten spot.

 

                             ~from Pearl 

Summer flowers

Minkie thinks I put them here for her.

All little girls like to dress up

Minkie wearing frizz she pulled off the scratching post.  Oh, pretty girl!

Just a picture of Minkie

Minkie the cat

Minkie and Jack

Minkie has made a wonderful recovery.  After a month of spa cuisine (i.e. people food) she is once again plump and fluffy, and she has her neck ruff back.  And best of all, her seizures seem to be under control.  Here's Minkie before and after.

Meanwhile, Jack came home from his radiation on Saturday.  He is wretchedly thin and for the first two days seemed to have trouble eating anything.  Even small pieces of cheese seemed difficult for him to manage.  But after a couple of good meals of ham and salmon, he finally seems to be settling down.  I'm hoping to have my 18 pounder back soon

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!

Working on the Burda pattern

Well, my machine is still gone away being repaired, so I'm working on non-sewing sewing.  This morning I decided to tackle the Burda pattern, and it turned out to be sooo easy!

First I decided on the size, and marked the box showing the pieces I needed to find.

Then I got out the supplies I would need:  Swedish pattern paper, tracing paper, a knitting needle (to use in place of a tracing wheel, so I wouldn't ruin the pattern) and a straight edge.

Now to find the pieces.  The box tells me I need pieces 1 - 6, that they are marked in black and that I'll find them on sheet D.  So far so good; D is hard to miss.  To find the individual pieces, look at the numbers printed along the top and bottom of the sheet.  They tell you exactly where the pieces you are looking for are located!  A miracle!  Then you just have to concentrate on seeing only the lines you're interested in.  I am so impressed.

And here's Annie's new pattern!  Well, it is kind of hard to see my markings, but they are there.

Now I'm going to rest from my labors, and read through the instructions.

The good life (Minkie version)

Almost forgot, I need to add one more thing.  What more could any little girl cat ask for, than a freshly laundered table cloth and mommy's purse to lie on, with fresh flowers and the newest Vogue pattern magazine to paw through.  Looks pretty pleased with herself, doesn't she?

Pure heaven!

Jack, of course, has his own idea of heaven, but I don't want to know what it is.  (Don't click on this picture, it's even worse close up.)