The Best of Cat Quilts! Part Three

Here we go... Part Three (and the grand finale) of The Best of Cat Quilts !  As we mentioned in Part One, we "previewed" over 150 cat quilts in order to select the best for this series. Some of the quilts we showed last week make us feel as if the cats could jump right off the page! Today we're including some more contemporary styles:  silhouettes, pieced cats, abstract cats, and some cool tessellations. Read on for The Best of Cat Quilts - Part Three (and a request to readers: we'd love to see any outstanding quilts that we missed !)

Stairway to Cat Heaven, 52 x 52, by Marty Mason, at Marty's Fiber Musings

Marty Mason is a fiber artist who creates original art quilts and thread paintings, along with a selection of classic quilts.  Her striking "Stairway To Cat Heaven"  is a beautiful rendition of the popular quilt which first appeared in 1997 (links to the pattern can be found at the bottom of this post.)  The quilt shown above has been sold, but you can read about it on Marty Mason's blog, where you can also see Kitty Cat Charm.   Marty Mason's original fiber art works can be found at Marty's Fiber Musings on Etsy, including one of our favorites, the abstract art quilt known as  Architect's Dream #2. We can't help but mention that we are smitten with Marty's original thread paintings of pretty ladies in smart hats; check out her fabulous recent works !

Cat Nap, by Cynthia England, at England Design

Cynthia England is an internationally known quilting instructor and pattern designer, who is best known for the stunning quilts she makes with Picture Piecing. Cynthia's innovative technique breaks the design down into pieces that can be sewn using straight seams. Her elegant Cat Nap quilt pattern, above, is one of our favorites: it features a serene gray cat reclining on a red-and-ivory quilt. You have only to look at the amazing detail of the cat's face, shown below, to appreciate the piecework.

Cynthia England's most recognized art quilt, Piece and Quiet, was chosen as one of the "The Twentieth Century's Best American Quilts" in 2000. Piece and Quiet has over 8000 pieces and it is so realistic that it appears to be a photograph!  Don't be intimidated, though: Cynthia has made her techniques easy to learn with a book and with free videos, and two free patterns so that quilters can try the technique.  Also check out Quilter's Kitty, and the many gorgeous patterns in Cynthia England's landscape and nature galleries.

Porcelain Cat, 26 x 31, by Jane Spolar, at Quilt Poetry

Jane Spolar's quilts and fabrics exemplify her distinctive, lyrical style. Porcelain Cat dreams the dream of life and chasing, naps and frolic, flowers, a garden, and a friendly lap.  Another lovely cat quilt, Contented, bears the description: "Contented as a cat in the flowers". Also, if you are seeking bliss, take a look at Bliss, Jane Spolar's luscious fabric line for Northcott Silk.

Kitty Corner Cats, 35 x 35, by Ruth Powers, at Ruth Powers Art Quilts

Since taking up the art of quilting in 1989, Ruth Powers has gained national recognition for her award-winning quilts. Her works hang in private collections from coast to coast.  "Kitty Corner Cats" is another classic, with its combination of playful cats and "catty-wampus pieced blocks". (What an apt description... cattywampus really sums it up !) The pattern can be obtained on the Kitty Corner Cats page; also you can browse Fat Cat Dreaming, and Ruth Powers' many other inspiring patterns and recent works.

Garden Patch Cats, about 18 x 18 each, by Helene Knott, as seen at StoryQuilts

Helene Knott is a designer and teacher whose quilts have received worldwide acclaim. We adore her stylish Garden Patch Cats, and are showing six of our favorites: Pumpkat, Gourdo Gato, Eggplant Purr-mesan, Boscat, Walla Walla Kitty, and Kitt'ney Bean. A total of fourteen cats are available as of this writing, and Helene reportedly has drawings for many more !  StoryQuilts also carries Helene's marvelous Postcards from Japan and other designs. Helene's brochure includes all of her workshops, along with images of many of her spectacular quilts.

Sawtooth Cats, 64.5 x 80, by Janet Miller, at the City Stitcher

Janet Miller has been quilting since she was 12 years old; her many bestselling designs can be found at The City Stitcher, which she founded.   The charming "Sawtooth Cats" is one of our favorite pieced cat quilts. The curved backs and tails of the cats, and the borders, are made with paper foundation piecing in a sawtooth pattern. This quilt is perfect for scrap fabrics,  as seen in this colorful variation by Bonnie Reece.

Kitty Memories, 60.5 x 62, designed by Dawn Navarro Ericson, quilted by Pamela Dransfeldt, and published by McCalls Quilting

Dawn Navarro Ericson is an artist and illustrator, whose original designs include the very clever Copy Cat Quilts. One of Dawn's ingenious tessellation quilts is Kitty Memories, published by McCalls Quilting. If Kitty Memories is turned upside down, the dark cats appear, and if you click to enlarge the above image you can see the embellishments, which include dimensional cat collars and tags.  The McCall's web bonus includes photos of additional cat faces and a line drawing of the assembled quilt. 

Copy Cat Quilt, designed by Dawn Navarro Ericson, quilted by Pamela Dransfeldt, and published by Martingale and Company®

Finally, we're so pleased to be able to show you the ultra-cool quilt that  graces the cover of Copy Cat Quilts.  First published in the 1980's, this award-winning pattern has been updated with contemporary quilting techniques... it is a perennial favorite, and a definite Best of Cat Quilt !

And now (drum roll, please....) a request !   In  compiling The Best of Cat Quilts we previewed 150 quilts, and then selected the best 15 quilts to showcase in this series.  We're pretty sure there are some exceptional quilts we haven't seen, and we would love to know about them !  Please leave a link in the Comments below (et merci !)

Image credits and additional links: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists. Stairway to Cat Heaven: Fabric requirements and applique templates are available at McCalls Quilting, and the complete pattern can be purchased from the Quilt and Sew Shop.  Feline-friendly blogs:  SewCalGal has just wrapped up her Pets On Quilts Show, with some wonderful photos of real pets on real quilts ! Also check out these blogs: Felines and Fibre Arts, Cats and Quilts, Cats On My Quilts, Cats Who Quilt, and Quilt Tales and Cat Tails.

The Best of Cat Quilts! Part Two

One of the things that has been so exciting about this Best of Cat Quilts series is the amazing range of  techniques and styles that these artists have brought to their works. We think that today's artists will knock your socks off with their sublime creations. All we can say is: Life (in quilting) is good! We hope you enjoy The Best of Cat Quilts - Part Two.

My Cats Garden, 52 x 50, by Maggie Walker, at Maggie Walker Design

"My Cats Garden", by Maggie Walker, is a wonder to behold. This dreamy album quilt features exotic cats and tropical orchids, set against a luminous backdrop. The quilt includes a striking Burmese, Birman Blue Point, American Tabby, Persian, Abyssinian, Maine Coon, British Tabby, and an Egyptian Mau (wow! Did you know that the Egyptian Mau is the only naturally spotted breed of domesticated cat? You can "spot" him in the lower left of the quilt.) The center medallion, shown below, features a Bombay and Siamese Lilac Point cat frolicking in an idyllic garden.

Many talented quilters have fallen in love with My Cats Garden: take a look at one fabulous rendition here (the related post is here.) For more information and the complete pattern, visit the My Cats Garden page. Cat fanciers and quilters should also look at Maggie's delightful House Cats. We're enthusiastic about so many of Maggie Walker's quilts that we could go on and on... instead, we'll simply invite you to browse all of the designs at Maggie Walker Design.

Jamie and Jessie, by Grace J. Errea, at Amazing Quilts by Grace

Amazing quilts by Grace....it's not only the name of a website, but an accurate description of the quilts of Grace J. Errea.  A contemporary fiber artist, designer and quilter (and cat owner), Grace J. Errea began quilting in 2000. Her exceptional work illustrates and has been recognized for its primary use of values, and secondary use of color. Her focus on value is fundamental to her inspiring botanicals, landscape scenes and portraits... you can clearly see how this approach works in practice by looking at this fascinating before-and-after picture of the cat shown above, from Grace's photo-inspired art quilt workshop (you'll be amazed !)  Also take a look at her brilliant - and fierce - Eagle.  You can see an entire list of inspiring classes on her workshop page. For a visual treat, visit Grace J. Errea's online galleries.

Kitty Corner, 89.5 x 89.5, by Janet Fogg, at Janet Fogg Quilts

We've admired Janet Fogg's quilts for a long time, and it perhaps goes without saying that Kitty Corner is magnificent. It is no surprise that this quilt has won three Viewers Choice awards, four first place awards, and one best of show award in the competitive quilt arena (for the entire list of awards, click on the above link). We can only imagine just how impressive this Kitty must be, considering the grand scale of this quilt (89.5" square) !  If you have not yet seen Janet Fogg's gallery, we promise that you will be mesmerized by her original, artistic creations (cat lovers and quilters: be sure to take a look at the regal kitty named Neferkiti). Recently, Janet announced the opening of her quilting design studio, which is housed in a restored 1917 colonial near Portland, Oregon; you can read about her studio and workshops on her design studio page.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists; we sincerely thank them for their inspiring works.

Stay tuned! On Friday we'll post the third and final installment of The Best of Cat Quilts, featuring some very cool cats with a contemporary flair. As a friend of ours would say: Be there, or be □ !

The Best of Cat Quilts! Part One

Every cat owner knows that cats love quilts... and we love cats. Thus it makes purr-fect sense that the cat is one of the most popular motifs in all of quilting.  In order to seek out the best cat quilts from around the world, we "previewed" over 150 Cat Quilts (and we are not making that up). We are so excited to show you our very favorites, in three parts, with our thanks to all of the artists for their inspiring work. Stay tuned... you won't want to miss any of 'em !

Look Out for Scout, 35 x 39, by Penny Sander

When we came across "Look Out for Scout", by Penny Sander, the word that came to mind was: breathtaking. The quilt won first prize for wall quilts in 2009 at the Rising Star Quilt Show. Scout's face contains 16 colors and over 1000 one-inch rectangles. In a word: Wow. The quilt will also be shown this November at the 2010 International Quilt Festival in Houston (if you're going, you can look for it there!) The quilt featuring Scout is not the first of Penny Sander's award-winning quilts: she also created the fabulous Where's Buddy as part of a 2006 quilt challenge (black and white with one accent color). "Where's Buddy" used over 2000 one-inch rectangles to depict the cat in pictorial form; that quilt won first prize for Challenge Quilts at the 2006 RSQ show (if you click on the link, you can read about "Where's Buddy" and ogle all of the winning quilts). Also note that the 2010 Rising Star Quilt show is coming up soon: October 16-17 in Lexington, MA !

In His Dreams, 30 x 34, by Sharon Malec, at Malec Designs

Sharon Malec is a contemporary quilter who creates original art quilts, and a line of patterns, under her eponymous site: Malec Designs. Sharon is best known for her realistic depictions of dogs and other animals. Her highly regarded books include The Dog Lady Speaks and The Dog Lady Goes Wild. However, do not be deceived by the unassuming moniker of "The Dog Lady"... among her achievements, one of her quilts -"Barking up the Wrong Tree" - is in the permanent collection of the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah. Sharon Malec's designs even include a lion, tiger, and bear. One of her recent creations is the magnificent "In His Dreams", shown above (click on the image to enlarge it and view the exquisite detail). Additional designs in the cat kingdom include a lifelike tabby cat and the dignified black and white cat shown below.

Black and White Cat, 25 x 11, by Sharon Malec, at Malec Designs

Finally, here is something truly wonderful: you can put your own pet into a quilt. Sharon will draft a personalized pet quilt pattern for you, starting with a photo ! This would also make a fantastic gift for any pet lover.  For more inspiration, visit Sharon Malec's online gallery and her animal collection.

Morning Mews, by McKenna Ryan, at Pine Needles

Many of McKenna Ryan’s wildly popular designs include wild animals, but "Morning Mews" is a three-quilt series that features felines of the domestic kind, from left to right: Dora, Clifford, and Chip. Each individual quilt is approximately 17" x 22", and each one is a miniature work of art. Clifford, the curious black-and-white cat shown above, is framed by the colorful leaves of a tree and by majestic mountains in the distance. Alongside Clifford, two yellow birds risk their lives (er, enliven the scene!) These picturesque quilts use McKenna’s own line of fabrics from Hoffman California. For more information, visit the Morning Mews page at Pine Needles, the home of McKenna Ryan Designs. Also take note of the e-postcards on each page, which you can send to friends and family!

Catching the View, 33.5 x 39.5, by Janet Wickell, at About.com

The three silhouetted cats are the stars of "Catching the View", but the attic windows provide the perfect setting. In typical cat fashion, the cats are perched in the windows, staring at the scenery, which includes little butterflies that dart in and out of the windows. The rectangular windows are each pieced with 12 floral squares in the watercolor style, then surrounded by the sky-blue mitered frames. Note that the frames are on all sides of the windows, unlike an attic windows quilt that has frames on two adjacent sides. This pattern was developed by Janet Wickell as one of her "quick little quilt" projects. We admire this quilt because of its combination of beauty with simplicity (which is no mean feat!) For more information, visit Janet Wickell's site on About.com.

Next week:  Stay tuned for Part Two and Part Three of "The Best Of Cat Quilts"... we have some amazing applique and contemporary quilts to show you !

finally . . . giveaway time!

Happy National Quilting day (again) and HAPPY SPRING!!

I bet you were wondering if I was really going to pull this off today, huh? :) We had a wonderful day, wandering hither and yon, shopping here and there, eating and catching a movie . . . but I digress (and I'll tell more tomorrow)!

Finally, I've got it all together . . . we're having a giveaway!!

First: Heart for a Hero - a signed copy, personalized for the winner. Great story, great read.

Second, we've got the current issue of Tea Time magazine, along with a box of my favorite tea, Pomegranate Pizzazz, and to celebrate the first day of Spring, a copy of Celebrate Spring! The two magazines are both offerings of Hoffman Media, a privately owned publisher out of Birmingham, Alabama. They publish all of my favorite, non-quilting magazines, including the two I'm offering and Southern Lady, Sew Beautiful, Victoria, and Cooking With Paula Deen, to name a few!

For the final offering, I traveled here . . .

Hooked on Quilting, one of my favorite local quilt shops. She has a wonderful selection of novelty fabrics, as well as 30's prints, baby prints, batiks and more. I know this was the place to find something that spoke of our cat commonality, and I wasn't wrong!!

I found these darling Timeless Treasures prints . . . which blogspot refuses to put in my blog correctly. Whimsical fat cat quarters!

And we'll top if off with a pattern for a darling cell phone 'catty'!

Books, tea, spring, cats . . . this is fun stuff! You want it??? You know you do!

So here's the deal:

Leave a first (1st) comment that just says anything you want to say. That simple step will give you one entry.

Want another chance? Become a follower of my blog and leave me a second (2nd) comment saying that you have (or that you already are--God bless you)!

Want an even another chance? Good enough; blog about my giveaway (including a link back to my blog) on *your* blog, then leave me a third (3rd) comment with a link that confirms you've done so!

Easy-peasy!

Make *sure* you leave me a way to get in touch with you in one of your comments, especially if you're a no-reply blogger. If I can't get in touch with you, well, it's counter-productive.

Make sure you leave a comment for EACH entry (so you get all three of your chances).

I'll leave this active until Friday, March 26th, at 7 am, and then I'll let the online random number generator do its magic and select the winner!!!

Good luck!

:)

dinner and dashed hopes . . .

Todd & I enjoyed a lovely evening with Jocelyn & Jason. Joc has done such a marvelous job of making their house a beautiful and comfortable home. Plus Joc sets such a pretty table!! I love the red chargers with her china. Nice! It felt festive and special!

Plus she served yummy food -- Ravioli Soup, garden salad, and wheat rolls. *And* homemade lemonade! Deeee-licious!

Cute domestic moments . . .

This is Joc's baby. Princess Leia is her name. She is beautiful as can be, but mean as spit! Well, to me she is. But she's so darling! I can't resist {trying to} petting her!

But she's even a bit of a pickle with her mom . . . no kisses, mom!

Ah well. The cheesecake I brought was a hit . . . so good it stayed with them! Much to my husband's dismay. It's okay; I promised him I'd make a whole new one just for us! :)

Here's the recipe for it:

Sugar Free Cheesecake

12 oz. Light Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup granular splenda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups skim milk
*2 packages sugar free/fat free instant pudding (any flavor)
*3/4 cup sugar fruit spread (to coordinate with pudding flavor) (I prefer Polander's)
**Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and splenda until mix is creamy and smooth. Add milk and continue to beat until well blended. Add both packages of pudding and beat some more until mixture is thickened and smooth.

Spread scant half of mix into graham cracker pie and smooth surface. Spread fruit spread on top. Pour and spread the rest of the cheesecake mix on top to form third layer. Cover and allow to set for at least four hours (over night is better). (NOTE: there is usually TOO much filling for the pie shell. When that happens I pour the mix into 1/2 cup containers and we just eat the filling . . . who really needs the crust anyway?!?)

Cut and serve with sugar free cool whip and a dollop of the fruit spread, if you like!

*Good combinations are chocolate pudding and strawberry or cherry fruit spread; cheesecake pudding and apricot or blackberry or raspberry (or really, any kind of fruit) spread; or vanilla pudding and whatever. I throw in a little almond extract with my vanilla extract, especially with chocolate and vanilla pudding.

**The graham cracker pie crusts are NOT sugar free. The low fat crust has the same amount of sugar (6 grams per serving) as the regular. I used chocolate with my chocolate. :) You can also make your own graham cracker crust; this may cut down on your sugar.

I play around with most recipes I try, just because that's how I roll. This one is no different--or rather, it's quite different from how I originally found it!

A NICE giveaway I found today is over at A Little Bit Biased . . . check it out for yourself!!

Another NICE (and purple-ly) giveaway is happening over at Lila Tueller Designs . . . oh my goodness!!!

Oh yeah, and speaking about giveaways, remember yesterday when I talked about the offer of a sponsor for a giveaway? Total spam/hoax. I had a lovely lady, Kim from Sherrod Studio, who read my blog yesterday on Quilter Blogs.com, and said she'd had a similar experience from the same company that went bad. Ah well.

I'll be my own sponsor. How's that? I'll do a, "I'm a GRANDMA!" giveaway next month.

Yay! I'll be a grandma next month (in TWO weeks)!

Sweet!

:)

rv living and round robins . . .

I still consider us in the transition stage of RV living; a full year of all the seasons truly needs to pass before I feel comfortable saying, "We've made it!" Not because I don't believe we will--I most certainly do--but because pride cometh before the fall, and bearing that in mind, my humble side would like to give it a full year. After all, there's still the floods of spring, the heat of the summer, and the majority of fall to behold in our perky RV. There's birthdays and holidays and anniversaries (and grandbabies) and family gatherings all to be celebrated. Yes, I think a solid year is a good measure.

In this past month we've both had our share of sickness, so we know how that will go. Something about living in closer quarters makes you more aware of those you live with. I think this is a good thing. You can't afford to be selfish, if you want your relationship to continue to grow and flourish. Todd is better at this than I am. This is a personal growth opportunity for me!

The breakdown of chores is a little different. I'm just now getting the hang of the washer/dryer process, so I've been the one handling the laundry. There are a lot more outdoor-related chores with the RV; flushing grey & black water tanks, changing out propane tanks, keeping water lines warm & running, etc. I need to know how to do them (just in case), but Todd takes care of these things on a regular basis. So I feel compelled to keep up with the interior housekeeping. Granted, it's not as large a space, so it's not as time-consuming a task, but scrubbing a toilet is still scrubbing a toilet, and it's not my favorite thing! But it's really important that it gets done at least twice a week, because it doesn't flush like a normal commode, so the bowl doesn't get rinsed as well after each flush. Ugh. Stop me now, please!

So, while I'm confident in the outcome, I am not going to say yet that we've conquered RV living. But we are making great strides.

In another train of thought, last night I e-mailed my monthly contribution to our family's Round Robin. My dad's paternal grandmother had quite a few children. As they grew up, she kept up with them (and so kept them up-to-date with each other) by sending out a newsy-chatty letter to the oldest, who read her letter, added one of his own, and sent it to the next sibling, and so on, until all of the children had received their mom's letter, added one of their own, and the youngest sent it back to mom. Great-grandma Fowler would read the letters of all her children, replace her original letter with a new one, and start the cycle again.

Through the years, as she and her children passed away, their children and grandchildren have continued the tradition. Through the middle of last year, the Round Robin continued to be a postal wonder, sharing family news from coast-to-coast. Two of the original Fowler children were still contributing, as well! My Great Uncle Bill and my Great Uncle Frank (the baby of the Fowler's and lovingly referred to as "Grand"). Unfortunately, Great Uncle Bill, who always typed his contribution, got stuck. His typewriter broke, and he was not able/willing to carry on. And the Round Robin was grounded with him.

Luckily, enough of us still wanted to continue this awesome tradition, so Grand proposed that we do it by e-mail instead of regular mail. Each participant would send out a newsy/chatty e-mail each month, on the date of their birth (so, for example, I send out my blurb on the 10th of every month). If you were overwhelmed with life and couldn't send something, it didn't matter, because it didn't hold up everyone else down the line, and you could just jump back in when you could. And if you were a couple of days late, that was no big deal either. It was about keeping in touch with family.

The wonderful benefit about opening it up to e-mail was that lots more family members contribute these days! It's been awesome to get to know family that I had that I didn't realise I had. What's even more awesome is to learn of the great faith in Jesus that some of these family members have! That has been *so* exciting to me! It's a really cool tradition that my Fowler family has carried on through five generations, and I wanted to share it!

On a last, light note, the shop cat has really been good for entertainment value. She eats weird things. She's mostly a carb-eating cat. She likes cheetos, bugles, and chex mix. But she also likes things you'd never associate with a cat -- like organic, roasted red pepper and tomato soup. Only she doesn't lap it up like a saucer of milk . . . she dips her paw in and licks it off her paw! She must have repeated this forty or fifty times before she realized she'd cleaned the bowl!

Tomato soup. Go figure!

:)

cat's in the house (or, in the office . . .)

This is Reese. She's the shop cat where I work. Or rather, the office cat. She tries to be a shop cat--and sometimes she escapes and is successful--but that is not our preference for her.

She's a big help. Uh, yeah. She's big, anyway. She came to us as a stray; and the guys in the shop fed her bean burritos and she went from being a tiny stray baby, to a HUGE cat. But then she went to the vet and the doc told us she needed to diet extreme. So.

But she looks pretty! (Pretty greasy.) She has lots of nicknames . . . Reesey-peasey-butterball-obesey. . . Greasy Reesey . . . Stinkin' Cat . . . oh wait. That was Merlin's nickname.

If nothing else, she's good for our entertainment.

See how wide & wild her whiskers are? Did you know a cat's whiskers grow as wide as the cat's girth, to help them know if they'll be able to fit into small spaces?? Okay, do you *see* how wide her whiskers are?!?!

This is her "hen-pecked" look.

She wasn't pleased.

She knows how to get away from the torture....ummm, I mean, playing. (See the sag in that in-box?)

She *loves* a good cuddle. Yeah, I know, she doesn't look very happy in the above shot, but I *did* say a _good_ cuddle. That was an aggravating cuddle. Just ask her.

She really is a sweet-tempered cat, who puts up with about anything. She's very chatty and loves people; not a stranger ever walks into our showroom! If you don't pet her, she'll put her head under your hand, to give you inspiration. She's the only cat in my life on a daily basis now. I think she understands the responsibility; she's become my best buddy since we moved and my darling Merlin went to stay with James & Kim & Belle.

The only thing she lacks is a quilt to lay on while it's being worked on. She settles for payroll.

Droll.

:)

Can you believe . . .

. . . that it's been two and a half weeks since I blogged last? :(

. . . that I haven't shared a single thing about our move since they physically moved the RV?

. . . that we've been living full-time in the RV for, well, two and a half weeks?

. . . that I am no longer a cat owner?

. . . that I see deer on a daily basis, from our picture window?

. . . that I have done no significant quilting in better than two weeks?

. . . that I do laundry in a single machine that is both a washer & dryer? (And it's pretty cool, too!)

. . . that Thanksgiving has come and gone?

. . . that I went out, for the first time EVER on Black Friday? (Even if it was just as a chauffeur.)

. . . that for (also) the first time ever, our tree is artificial?

. . . that I'm excited I have an artificial tree??!

. . . that it's DECEMBER?? Where did 2009 go?!?

. . . that Christmas is in 23 days?!?!?!

. . . that there are recipes for sugar-free, low-fat eggnog?

Me either. But it's all true!

:)

today's the day!

So . . . it all comes down to today.

We loaded up all my quilting stuff. Ha! Todd was amazed at how much all that fabric and those notions weighed!! I was so tickled to be able to fit all our boxed DVD sets, my whole Jan Karon collection, *all* my tea-related books and a dozen cookbooks in the cabinets over the sofa. I feel better already!

We decided against loading *everything* into the RV before pulling it. Clothes were a problem because the washer/dryer hasn't been installed yet. Because it's in the master closet, we knew we'd just have to unload everything for the guys to be able to get into the space to install it.

We bought some tubs and racks at WalMart last night to use. We didn't get lots of stuff -- just enough to try out. Until we're living in it and have our stuff put up, it's hard to know exactly what we'll need!

I did get all our toiletries and stuff over there. Not all my hair accessories and jewelry, though. I do want my necklace rack over there today! :)

So much to think about! Todd's swept all the leaves off the roof . . . we're getting ready to pull in the slides and hook her up . . . this will be a busy day!

This evening we'll drop Merlin off at James and Kim's. Sigh. He snuggled with us this morning before we got up and going. He has no clue!

Tonight we'll spend our first night in Camp Macoba in our new home!!!

Pray for us, please!

:)

wrapping it up . . .

The week, that is.

I've not gotten a schedule from Tate Farms this week, so I guess I'm not scheduled to work tomorrow. It's not really a big deal -- I don't work there for the money. I may go by and pick up my free pumpkin! I think I'd really like to carve one this year. It's been a while since I have done that myself . . . I think I'd like to get one pumpkin for Halloween carving, and one for the turkey stand. :)

James and I went to lunch today and had a nice chat. Marriage and impending fatherhood has been very good for him. I've always had a soft spot for my boy, but I enjoy his company more and more as he becomes the man, husband, and soon-father, that God's whittling out of him. James has perceptive insight into situations -- I love to hear his thoughts on a subject.

Both James and Jocelyn have, by God's grace--not through anything I've done, matured into pretty cool people whose company I enjoy. And they both picked most excellent spouses, making for a double blessing; one for them and one for Todd & me! I love my family.

Todd and I will probably spend a quiet night at home this evening. He's been to Camp Macoba and chatted with that committee today . . . we're moving right along!

Today is better than yesterday. Both James & Kim, individually, offered to take care of Merlin. I am still not sure I want to burden these two like that! But last night, as I spent kitty-cuddling time with Merlin, I decided that I would just enjoy him each day that I have him, and that I would trust God to do what was best. Seems silly to spend time crying now, when I could be spending that time doing something productive . . . like scratching under Merlin's chin!

I got the cute little sewing accessory kit in the mail this week, along with my teapot BOM from The Cherry Pit, a beautiful Jerusalem's cross that Cynthia, my sister, brought me back from her trip to Jerusalem, the most current issue of Eating Well, and I think that's it for mail. Overall, not a bad week!

It wasn't a bad week for James, either. He's inherited (or stolen) my lucky gene! He won an xbox 360 yesterday on the radio. He goes to pick it up today!! Go James!!!! Now he's walking around twice as puffed up ... because it was bad enough when they found out they are having a BOY!!!! Yay! A grandbaby boy will be so much fun! His name will be Sawyer Graham Panter. I cannot wait to meet him next March! Let the baby boy quilts begin!

If I don't work tomorrow, I'll post some pictures of this week's treasures.

Hasta la vista!

:)

Awww!

Have you ever had a day where you were dealing with something that was just plain hard?

That's my today. My day hasn't been bad or traumatic or anything like that. We (Todd & I) are just facing a tough decision with our cat, and it's really heart-sad. I shared yesterday that Camp Macoba is a go, and that we're moving the RV up there on November 14th. I'm *really* excited about that and looking forward to having a couple of months to make the transition--living in the RV, but still having access to our home, so that we can decide what we _really_ need to hang on to, and what we _really_ didn't need to take in the first place!

One thing that just can't go is Merlin. I understand, I really, truthfully do. I can't imagine trying to live with a cat box in that small of a space. Something about a cat's box makes a small space even smaller! I know that Todd is even more sensitive to odors than I am -- but no one likes the smell of cat box! And since this will be our home *and* Todd's office, a cat just doesn't make sense.

But knowing that cold, hard fact, and being able to easily accept it are two different things. When we first started talking about RVs, it was down the line, after Todd retired. No biggie. Then, when we were able to get a GREAT deal on the exact RV we wanted, the soonest we were thinking was along the lines of March/April 2010 -- still a half year away! No biggie! Now? It's three weeks -- twenty-one days! Reality crash! And my heart is heavy.

Let me reiterate. I know this is the right thing. I know what we are doing is God's will, and I understand that obedience comes with a personal cost. If doing what God wanted was always easy, there would sure be a whole lot more folks being obedient! Laying my will aside so that I might do my Father's will is a great honor for me, and I'm so excited that we're ready to move forward. I need to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets me, and run with patience the race that is set before me. God's grace is good.

Flowers help too.


My darling husband had flowers sent to me at work today -- just acknowledging that he knew this was hard, and that we'd figure it out, and that he loved me. Aren't they fun & pretty? They made me smile and I knew that he understood; and I know that He understands, too.

I am blessed. I am truly blessed.

:)

more weekend pictures . . .

Okay. Because I realized I had not uploaded all the pictures I would have liked to, and because I finally figured out that if you compress your pictures they upload a LOT faster, here are some more glimpses into my super-wonderful weekend!

Here's that lovely breakfast I told you about . . . note that the napkin is still on the table with the spider! I had tomato juice (which was very fitting, considering our table setting, I thought). And please also note the truffles & ice cream appetizer! YUM!

Our second course of eggs, toast, bacon & grits! Doesn't it look great? And I kept the coffee coming! (As I told Jane -- Todd's a one cup of coffee person, and I'm a one pot of coffee person!)

One cat . . . Spot

Two cat . . . Maddy! (And three and four cat, too!)

More festive decorations! (And more cats.)

And more . . . most everything had cats!

See what I mean?

I loved this guy, hanging out at the bottom of the stairs!

This was Ginger, one of the upstairs cats. She was very shy. In fact, she bolted as we came up the stairs to take a look at the other guest bedroom, and only peeked around the door when I called her by name. I think, by her look, she's wondering who the heck I am to call her by her given name. She really did look rather indignant!

These are pictures of the quilts I found in her church . . . they really were beautiful.

And finally, a darling hand wreath which was on the wall in one of the children's Sunday school rooms! (We got the royal tour!)

The heavens declare the glory of God. That pretty much sums it up, perfectly.

:)