My two babies...the one on the left is the little girl... and the one one the right is Chunky Monkey. They had just woken up when I took these pics a few minutes ago. He is almost double her size. Not in height but in width. I am thinking I will use one of these as the wallpaper on my computer.

Another beautiful fall day here...it feels like rain is on the way. I went outside for something and was amazed by the feel. I don't mind....it might get me more in the mood to sew.

I went down and got my friend's Internet up and running this afternoon....it was really simple. I am sure she could have done it...but she is sort of scared of doing things like that. And if it had been like mine was, I would not have wished that on my worst enemy. For some reason it would not load from the disk and I had to get on the phone and spend hours getting it installed.

Other than that, I have not done much other than cooking and doing dishes. I read a little on a book I had thought was going to be very good, but was disappointed. It was just weird. A little sick to my way of thinking. So will probably not even attempt to read it through.

I also got my checkbook balanced...it came out right first time around. Kind of scary. I am usually off just a few cents. So it seems to good to be true. Tomorrow is bill paying day--I try to pay all the bills on the first of the month. That helps me keep it straight. That and the fact that I actually have a record book that I keep track of the bills. I make a list of all the normal monthly bills, write the date paid, the check number, and the amount in it.

And last year with all the medical bills I even had one where I kept track of what we spent on them. I kept track of the check number, date paid, and who it was paid to. Believe it or not, it came in real handy when I was double billed one time.

I really wonder if other people have the medical expenses we have...I have kept track of it pretty close two or three years and on top of paying for insurance and on top of what insurance has paid, we have averaged spending almost $300 per month on medical bills. That is a chunk of change to be going out all the time. Yet not near as much as it would have been had we not had insurance. Plus, I am thankful to have been able to pay that.

Oh, well, I am going to try to get off here and get my mind settled and think about going to bed. I got so sleepy earlier I could hardly stay awake and now I am wide awake. I think I need to stay up all night one night. It has been a while since I have done that...

I do not know where my time has gone...I know I went to Crawfordsville one day. I seen both my sisters that live up there. Had a really nice time but was gone all day.

Tuesday I helped a friend with some of her moving and taking down and setting her computer back up. I still have to go down there and install the new internet service she is getting....I can only hope it goes smoother than when we switched to it. I am the only person I have heard of who had so many problems.

Wednesday it rained...I don't recall what I did. Then yesterday I went to Joann Fabrics and to the library. I get so disgusted at our Joann's....everything is constantly a mess there. It is discouraging to try to shop there. I did pick up a Fairfield batting...they were all on sale. It is 80% cotton and 20% polyester. I have never used this brand so hope I like it. I also picked up a few pieces of fabric.

From there I went to the library. By the time I chose my audio books, I was done tired, so I quickly grabbed a few books and came home.

Our car is on its last legs--it is a Toyota Camry and has 140,000 miles on it. Had never give us a minutes problem until the last bit. It died one day a couple or three weeks ago as my husband was going to work. A new water pump and timing belt...which we had just replace year or so ago. Yesterday on his way to work, the dashboard lights kept flickering on and off as well as the low battery.

He stopped at Hardee's to get a breakfast sandwich and it would not start when he went back out. He got out and fooled under the hood, wiggling wires, etc. Got back in and it started. Made it to work where he left it running, with the windows up, while he got under the hood again. Decided to see if he could make it die by wiggling the wires. No luck. Remember I said he left the car running which means the keys are in the ignition, and had the windows rolled up. When he let the hood slam shut, he heard this CLICK! The doors locked! He was so aggravated--but the locksmith at work was able to come and get the door open.

They found a part that was bad--not sure if it is a fuse, but it was something small like that and replaced it. It started right up then, and started fine when he came home. We started to leave last night and it wouldn't make a sound! We also replaced the battery just a little while back, so it is not the battery. We also replaced something else but what it was called escapes me right this minute--I can picture it perfectly. Just cannot think of what it is called.

He has been planning for a couple weeks for him and friends to go shooting and sight in their rifles--so he is doing that today. It is close to deer hunting season--maybe bow season is open now. Not sure since he is not allowed to shoot his bow for a while yet.

So today I got up and vacuumed, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, and mowed the yard. So that is done for a while. I wonder just how many more times it will have to be mowed. I hate even thinking about all the leaves I will be raking. We are not allowed to burn them any more, which is fine by me. Though sometimes I will burn a few, I prefer to bag them.

So that is what has been happening with me....kind of boring, huh?

I thought by now I would have a little project to show. It is amazing how long it can take to do something so small. I did get sidetracked today though or I think it would have been done. I probably won't get it done tomorrow since I am going to my sister's house which is about an hour from here. Her husband passed away this past winter and she gets lonesome. She doesn't like to drive long distances so I go up there.

The kitties are just so busy...I honestly think their names are going to end up being Chunky Monkey or Little Coo for the boy. My husband came up with the name Chunky Monkey. Little Coo is a juniorized version of Cougar who was my last cat. And think the little girl is still supposed to be Lucy but we call her Allison made over, or Allison reincarnated since her looks and personality are so much like a cat my daughter had by that name. Along with her nicknames of 'the princess' and Puss Puss.

They are worth a fortune to me...every day I wonder how I have made it so long without a cat and boy, I would die if anything happened to one of them. The other day I don't know what Lucy had in her mouth...I thought at first she was choked. Then realized she had something caught in her moth but I couldn't tell what. I was trying to hold her and pry her mouth open and it was not working. You can only half imagine--I was ready to grab her and fly to the vet. Was trying to think did I want to try to drive her myself or get my neighbor to drive me while I held her.

But I couldn't even hold her here...and every time she would get loose from me, she would run a few feet and then started trying to get 'whatever' out of her mouth. And ever time she got down and ran The Boy would run and pounce on her! He thought it was PLAYTIME! And this happened at least four or five times--over and over. She finally seemed to get it lose and chewed and swallowed. I think she may have gotten a piece of the dog's food lodged in her teeth or jaw someway.

Anyway, a bit later when I got to thinking about it and how The Boy thought it was play time--I got so tickled. But oh while it was happening, I wanted to take him and lock him up! And all kinds of thoughts were going through my head like if she dies how am I going to explain it to my husband and daughter...how am I going to live with myself.

These two can find more stuff to get into than any cat I have ever had. I don't even want to think about Christmas. Probably won't have an ornament left on the tree. They love our shoes--I have seen cats play with shoe strings, but they will get hold of the shoes, and sometimes my pants, and try to shake them like dogs shake things.

I think I am going to start doing a day here and there called "Remembering Mom." She is where I got my love of fabric and quilting in general. And the attitude that I can make my own patterns. She had this saying that if you hadn't made a mistake, then you hadn't ever done anything. Only that is not exactly her words...

This is the quilt that I lost for several years. This picture is probably the day I found it or the next...it was a dark dreary day...I had my husband hold it off the end of the porch. It is not a great picture....but you can at least see why I was upset. I can actually remember being very small when my mom pieced this quilt. I was probably 5 or 6 years old and can remember sitting in the floor at her feet playing with other scraps.

I don't know where she got all the red material...I don't ever remember her just going and buying yardage of fabric except for muslin or else for making our clothes. Her quilts were almost entirely of scraps. They were by no means perfect but I loved them all. We always chose our favorite block when the quilt top was finished. She always had several tops waiting to be quilted....in fact I am not sure how many were/are still there after her death.

I tell my brother I would love to have pictures of all the quilts she has made, and know where they all are. She made a bunch in her life...it was truly her passion. A lot were quilted, but she also tied a lot. She gave a lot away as graduation presents...I could not even begin to think of who all received them for that. I think all the grand kids have at least one...and most of us children do.

This is my latest scrap quilt top--I think it is finished. Though I may put a border--it is square. I don't like square quilts for beds. So I am thinking about adding a narrow border to two opposite sides and wider borders to the other two sides. I have had these blocks made for over a year--maybe even longer than two years. As it is, the quilt is about 87 inches square. I have blocks left and will do something with them...not sure what.

As I type I have two kittens playing in my lap, as well as biting on me. I think they are telling me it is time to sit and snuggle. I usually sit with them in my lap for an hour or so and have not taken the time to do that tonight. They are settling down to snooze as I type this. I really don't know how I made it so long without a cat!

Time passes and the kitties are growing. Fall is upon us. There is that smell and feel to the air. James W. Riley's poem, When_the_Frost_is_on_the_Punkin keeps going through my mind. At least the first line or two. I wish I did have it memorized but I don't. Another one I should have memorized is September by Helen Hunt Jackson. Until I heard the poem by Riley, this is the one that repeated through my mind over and over--and I did know more of it. It seemed to be written just for me when I worked at the_orchard....my mom always repeated it in the fall so I grew up hearing it.

The first year I worked at this orchard was a record breaking year. If they had kept records...the trees literally had to have props under the limbs. I don't know why I didn't take the time to take my camera and take pictures. It would have to be seen to be believed. That year there were lots of Red Delicious apples as big as soft balls and maybe bigger. And the mutsu trees were still young and one apple would actually make a pie, or come very close. Two would have been too many...if I can find it I actually think I have a picture of someone's hand picking one. It was taken sometime other than the first year...after I was not such a new employee.

I almost have another quilt top together...I can't wait to get it done. It will be big enough for a queen sized bed. I should have had it done today but I had errands to run this morning and other things got me sidetracked part of the day.

My breast finally bruised--it is one ugly mess. It has been mainly purple, with that greenish yellow cast to it. My husband thinks it looks soooo sore. I feel it when I ride--not real bad unless he hits a rough spot. Then I do grab it and cringe! But just normal stuff does not seem to hurt.

I did put a lot of pictures of the kitties at my inbox_account...they are in the kitties album.

Just had to add these pictures of the furbabies! They are definitely the light of my life right now!

Yesterday the biopsy did not get done...they got me ready, numbed me, made the incision, and when they 'fired' the needle in, it hit a gusher. I bled and bled. This doctor has been doing this procedure for 12 years and it is the first time she has ever had to stop before she got the biopsy done. There was a LOT of blood...when they let go of me so I could turn over on my back, blood shot out at least 2 feet. Gauze pads were being saturated in just seconds. They finally got it stopped but held pressure on it for another 45 minutes to an hour. I was told that if it started bleeding at home and we could not stop it in a few minutes to get to the emergency room because I could bleed to death.

However, I am going back October 3 to try again...the procedure isn't bad at all. I really wasn't dreading it much before and now even less. I know this was a rare thing to happen...the doctor kept apologizine and I told her that if it was going to happen to anyone, it would happen to me. And that it was no more her fault than it was mine. It was just one of those things.

I finally got around to taking a picture of this 9-patch quilt top...I sure do need a place to take pictures. It never fails that when I want to take pictures of quilts/quilt tops the wind will not stop for even a minute. I guess that is typical for the midwest but I just don't notice it till I am doing this or fishing.

The first thing I noticed is in the lower right-hand corner is two blocks with the same dark material on point next to each other! I could definitely use a design wall too! But I still like it--I think it will make a homey looking quilt--one that will call my name to come snuggle under it when I finally quilt it.

So that is done, and tomorrow about this time I will be getting ready for my biopsies. Two places in my right breast. I will be so glad to have it done and over with. A lady called me yesterday to pre-register me...she told me it would be next week before I get the results. However, the technician at Clara Fairbanks Women Center said I should know some time Friday. She seemed positive that I would not have to wait over the weekend.

I am so totally happy to have the two little furballs in my life. They just brighten up any day...I cannot believe I waited this long to get another cat. They are little bundles of energy and love. My husband goes and gets them about the first thing if they don't come running. He doesn't admit it, but I think he is as happy to have them as I am.

I still have not trimmed my 9-patch. I should take it downstairs and I will work on it when I am down there messing with laundry. And the next chance I get I will take a picture of it. I also started adding sashing and cornerstones to some other blocks I have. I am in the mood to get things done. I think I will try to make it big enough for a queen size bed for one of the my daughters.

I wanted to fix something to sew by hand to have while I wait to see the surgeon tomorrow. I hope I don't have to wait too long before I have the biopsy done...I just want it over with. Still don't feel really worried over it. I hope if it should be cancer that I am able to keep this mood. I really do not want to put my husband through a lot with it. But if it is cancer, I want a total mastectomy--no messing around with a partial. It seems like everyone I know who has had the partial has had re-occurences.

This is the new additions to our family. I have not named them yet, though I am seriously considering Ricky and Lucy. The one on the bottom is the boy in the first picture. I am totally captivated by them...as is my husband. You would think they are the first kittens we have had--never mind they are just two in a long line. All well loved.

The second picture is of Little Girl--we lost her yesterday and hunted the house over 2 or 3 times, only to have my husband finally spot her in this box of kleenex. She was sound asleep and did not move when the flash went off on my camera.

Other happenings: my husband and two buddies moved the sewing desk for my Juki down in the basement. He still has to make the plate that fits around it, but that won't take long or be hard. I am so thrilled to have it down there.

And I did get all my nine-patches sewn together. I am not sure if I am adding a border or not. I do need to trim the edges of it...I always make my quarter square and half square triangles on the big side when I am setting blocks on point.