Girly TuTu

Watchu doin', Bhu? "Keepin' mai furrz clean and neat." That old wooden chair is nice and cool in the summer, huh? "But it iz slippurry." Well, nothing can be purrrfect! "Why U call this post Girly TuTu?" I felt like it. Sometimes words can be like musical notes or percussion, you know, as in Doo wop doo wah or Sha na na. "Did some other 'beans effur tell U yer brain works diffrent furrum theirs?" Allatime! "No wonder."

Lately I've caught myself sobbing about the oil spill. People seem so unfazed by the catastrophe! It's still pouring forth! There are a few "fundraising" efforts, but PEOPLE! This is NOT a natural disaster! This is a CORPORATE CRIME AGAINST THE EARTH! WTF! If my anger upsets anyone, just know this: I have had a "I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!" conversion. I've tried to be nice, but it doesn't work. So, be forewarned. xxooo Patty

Me No Works!

"Whatcha been doin' all these past two weeks?" Well, Bhu, I got an e-mail from work telling me to STOP WORKING!, so I did. This was so they could clean up my earned vacation and get me retired. Today is my last day, officially, of not working as a full-time employee! This is my last day of paid vacation . . . no more sick leave, paid holidays -- NUTHIN'! I am on my own now. No more checking e-mails on Christmas Eve! No more going to work on New Year's Day to submit a grant proposal on grants.gov! And, I will keep getting paid to NOT WORK! However, there's lots more work I do for no wages.
"Like whatz?" Jeez Loueez! Like going to the UPS Store to mail packages for Sabryin; going to the grocery store to get milk, bread, and FANCY FEAST all the time; interminable loads of laundry and piles of ironing; dusting, sweeping, washing dishes, making beds, emptying waste baskets! Ay yi yi! And, now that I'm home all day you seem to have developed this attitude that I should be your treats slave. You follow me around EVERYWHERE -- even the bathroom -- to remind me that it might be time to give you another Appetizer or liver treat! And you have become rather belligerent about it! "Hmmphff! Me desurvz treats!" Ish.
Plus, there is a lot of quilting to do. The Bowtie quilt is completed.
Just a bit more quilting on the string scrap quilt, still with the safety pins in the border.
I've gone this far with the pink stars UFO and now need to decide on a border. Not to mention the quilt in progress for our special furrend!

So even though I stopped "working," I've been pretty busy! xxoo Patty

Bad Hair Day!

It's summer in Florida, so Maggy and Zoey got their furs shorn! It's so sad to see all that superfluff GONE! All that Maggy has left is her superfluffy tail and superfluffy face! So, me invites her to come and snuggle in mai belleh furs so she can gets warm! "Ur belleh is so luxurious, Bhu! Thanks fur the invite!" Mai plesure, Maggy. Maybe later mai mom will gives us some Fancee Feest Appetizers! "This gets better all the time! Bhu, U iz a very good boyfurrend!" Aw, shucks, Maggy! xxoo

Well, the human is not in very good stead with Bhu today because she locked him in the basement all night by mistake. Fortunately, there are lots of piles of quilts down there, so I'm sure he didn't want for a cozy place to sleep. "But me was lonely fur U!" Well, I wondered why you didn't come in for your regular 3 a.m. petting/purring session. I slept all night through. "U didintz miss me?" Well, yes, we did miss you! Sabryin ran all over the house this morning looking for you and wouldn't leave for work until he found you and gave you a big kiss. Do you remember that? "Hmmmph!"

HUH?

You remember these folks, right? Sabrina the Teenage Witch, her two lovely aunts (Hildy and Zeldy), and Salem, whose catitude involves world domination. I love this show! Few things cheer me up as completely as the Toaster Mail from The Other Realm. Netflix has the seasons' episodes and I am watching them ALL! I need a little cheer these days while suffering with another two week long gout attack. This week I finally broke down and got myself a handicapped parking tag.
This is what has happened to the Bowtie blocks! The top is ready to be sandwiched and quilted. Also working on several other projects concurrently: (a) waiting for fabric to arrive from an online search to make a pretty quilt for a special furrend; (b) string blocks made from those tiny little strips that are always left over (my motto: "Use Everything. Waste Nothing."); and (c) summer sleep pants made from ikat fabric I purchased back in the early '70s (it's soooooooo soft!). This renaissance is due to the fact that I finally purchased a TV for the sewing room. Even though I rarely turn it on, I just feel it is more hospitable. Also, it's spring and we need a TV in the basement for when the tornado sirens go off (usually at 2 a.m.). Unfortunately, the sleeping couch is covered in piles of fabric.
The worst part about storm sirens going off at 2 a.m. is Bhu. "Whachu mean?" Well, you never want to come downstairs with us. You make us chase you all over the house and then you scratch and claw! Very unpleasant. "Me no likes basement." Bhu, we're just trying to save you from the storm! That's why we put you in the carrier, zip it up, and haul you down there. "Maybe if you puts Appetizers down there, too." Bhu, U R 2 MUCH! xxoo Patty

Pee Ess: Here's the "HUH?" part of this post. Mary J. Blige was on Oprah the other day singing "Stairway to Heaven" . . . YES, Led Zeppelin. Hmmmm.

Schpringa 2

This is what you think is going to happen when you buy that bag of 10 daffodils at the hardware store. Clue: It's been 20 years since I planted these. They do spread, or "naturalize" as master gardeners might say, but it takes a while. Just like your butt would do after working in an office job for twenty years. The Cotton Candy Redbuds are blooming now! Just LOVE the color!
Here's the collage I created at my first art class in 40 years. It's not finished, but I am very pleased with it. Unfortunately, I just visited my friend Wanda's blog "A Frayed of Fibers" and this doesn't come anywhere near as creative as all her projects. In due time, Wanda. In due time!

Bhu snoozes. He's been having a hard time keeping his food down these days, but he seems pretty healthy and happy. He's even getting used to having me home all day! "Whatevers. U iz more quiet than usual." xxooo Patty

Schpringa

Spring started with an all-day snow. It was beautiful, but better enjoyed inside than out. The first daffodils sagged under the weight of the heavy, wet snow. Today it's all melted and the daffodils have perked up again.

RETIREMENT: Last day of full-time work was Friday. Sunday, Sabryin and I took a class with Jessie Lawson, one awesome artist who specializes in paintings and collages featuring kittehs. She's got a shop on Etsy and you will find it delightful! As usual, I neglected to take my camera but it was so much fun and so energizing and inspiring.

Today is my first day of not working full-time. I'm actually "on vacation," but I've already placed an order for office supplies, changed the supervisor for one of the students, and answered/forwarded a score of e-mails. That's my way. Don't criticize. Whatever makes the transition smoother, right?

What I can't get used to are the neighbors' dogs. Why don't people train their dogs to bark only when there is an intrusion? Oh, yes, I know: LAZINESS. Open the door in the morning, out they go and out they stay, barking barking all the way. The difference between a "pet" and a DOG: pets get walked, their humans play games with them, occasionally you will see a human in the pet's venue. DOGS JUST BARK. NOBODY CARES ABOUT THEM. THEY'RE JUST DOGS, not pets.

Have raspberry canes and asparagus to plant and I imagine it's going to be a battle between me and THE DOG for supremacy in the back yard. Sorry, but I'm going to win, even if I have to intervene with the lack of human attention he gets. Patty speaks.

Functionary Blues

Kitteh Belleh is the most effective and organic anti-depressant I know! Bhu Belleh is a prime example! This weekend I have been suffering from the Functionary Blues and I got it BAD! I usually reserve this space for happy little chipper messages about life with Bhu, but today I will bore everyone with a sad little tale of woe: What will I do with the rest of my life?

Last summer I had lunch-side conversation with friends Corelots and Ann. Ann, retired for about two years at the time, was pursuing free-lance art gigs. Recently, she moved from NYC to a lovely resort town in the mountains of Mexico, a place known for its arts and crafts scene. I asked Corelots, currently a professor, what she intended to do after retirement. This question was not popular, but a reasonable response (tutor) ensued. Corelots (San Francisco) and Ann come back here in the summer to visit a friend who used to be a professor, but who moved back and became an artist and currently co-owns an art gallery. I don't know if "became" is the right word; many of us ARE artists who have had to work as functionaries just to pay the bills. Wages are a drug to which we easily become addicted. It might be stressful, but it's easy and certain: If I do the time, I get the paycheck.

So I am sitting around my house this weekend pondering that question: what will I do? Not "How shall I play?" but "What will I DO?" Cook, clean, launder, iron, pay bills, reconcile bank accounts, go to market, garden, run errands, do chores, make quilts, make other things to sell to people (maybe art), open a booth at the Farmer's Market, pet Bhu.

"Yes, petz me. Petting me is good fur ur soul." xxoo

Laundry Bhu

Yep, it's Sunday which means it's laundry and ironing day. Bhu has planted himself on top of a very large pile of pants and shirts "so they don'tz fall down," or so he says! "Some of the rinkels goes away if me lays on these clothes long enough." Hmmm, unfortunately you're right. Also, unfortunately, you,re coating all the clean clothes with a lovely layer of luxurious kitteh fur! "zzzzzzzzzzz."

So, what happened to February???? Whoosh! Here's what I can remember. Annabelle & Zuzu got a new brother! There were earthquakes and snowstorms that wreaked havoc on the planet. We were able to hire someone to replace me at work and the next five days will be my last as fiscal officer for the school(YAY)! Sabryin and I made French Onion soup from scratch yesterday, including the most necessary finishing touch: gruyere melted on crusty baguette! Oh YUM, it was good! We had a mysterious power outage last night for 90 minutes (probably in sympathy for all the 'hoods back East that still have the problem today), but it was fun getting out all the candles and opening the drapes to capture the blue moonlight. Fortunately, it was not a bone-chilling night . . . very mild. We had the True/False Film Festival in town, with thousands of folks from all over the world gathering to watch documentaries and independent films for three days. We discovered a wonderful goat cheese flavored with lavender and fennel ("Purple Haze") and started a new tradition on Friday nights (no dinner; just plates of fruit, cheese, meats and bread/crackers accompanied by wine). I'll invite you along next time, which won't be next Friday but the one after. We ordered some of our seeds and plants for the garden, but I have many more to order. If anyone knows of a good, cheap source for caladium bulbs, please let me know. I want to put some in my window boxes this year. Most of February was filled with unimportant and work-related business so it's just as well it's over.

We have had difficulty visiting blogs lately, and Bhu is very upset with me because he is longing for glimpses of Sweet Praline, Maggy (his valentine), and GJ (his pal). He has heard a rumor about the many valentines Sweet Praline received, but is always resigned to the fact that she is the sweetheart of the Kittehnet and rightly deserves the attention. Bhu, you are so laid back and handsome, I'm surprised you don't have more ladycat admirers. "Don't need more. Maggy's plenty fur me!" Ahhhhh, how sweet! xxoo Patty

True LUV

"Me gotz a valentine furrum Maggy! She is so purrity and has a BIG HEART! Mom, will U teech me hows to make valentines fur Maggy?"

I will do my best, but I'm not very talented in that area. Sabryin made a beautiful watercolor for me (love, love, love it) and informed me that he is the November 2009 main member 2 Battleboats Plus Tournament Champion! "Wow, do U getz prize??" Just a kiss from Lovee, Bhu.

I was trying to think of romantic/love songs this morning and the one I remember most from my childhood is Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly singing "True Love". I actually still have a 45 rpm of it; wonder if it would play? No doubt it could be downloaded to the ipod. "I give to you and you give to me, love forever true." xxoo Patty

SooPURR Bole Sunday

"Hey, mom! Does we has enough Fancy Feest Appetizers fur today??" Uh, yes, I think so, Bhu. Are you having a party? "Well, me furgotz to invite mai kitteh furrends, but just in case GJ and Sweet P stops by . . . " Don't worry, Bhu. If we run out, I'll go to the store and get more.

As for mom, she's gonna try to get over her adult-onset agoraphobia and head out to Satin Stitches for the fat quarter sale (10 for $20). Then, chores as usual: laundry, ironing, baking cookies, roasting a chicken and root veggies for dinner and working on Valentine's Day cards. "Ooooh, mom, don't furrget about mai valentine!" Ok, Bhu, I won't. xxoo Patty

Got My MOJO Back!

Finally forced myself to do something with the 30's repro bowtie blocks. I was stalled for a year on this one because I couldn't decide how to set the blocks . . . I think I must have googled it ten times during 2009. Finally found one I liked a couple of weeks ago, Sabryin gave it his dominus vobiscum, and I started sewing them together. I'd like to spend more time on it today, but I have 25 shirts and 12 pairs of pants to iron, plus laundry and cooking. Watchu doin', bhu?


"Y U bothurr me? Me iz hasin' a mindfullness moment." Oh, sorry, Bhu! What do you think of the new quilt? "Iz makin' me DIZZY!" Hmmmmm.

Crappy January

Never been my favorite month. Granted, it is possible that it would be better in a different hemisphere, but there is no opportunity for me to test that theory. Highlights of my dissatisfaction this month include (a) general fatness; (b) a temp that is out of the office more than she's in; (c) a work-load that waxes rather than wanes, due largely to the temp's rare appearances; (d) gloomy, grey days. There are a few bright spots, though. Interviews for my replacement are going well, but that leads to (e) fear of losing my job -- which, of course, is the PLAN but I've never really ever been unemployed.

"Iz there any fluffy onez to inturvue?"

Well, there was one I thought would be fluffy, but it turned out she fictionalized the fluff and was really just plain, old slick. But there's a couple more we will talk with next week, so there's still hope. Maybe in a few months I'll be able to spend more time with you, Bhu!

"Good. U can givez me Appetizers any time me wantz then!"

Right, Bhu. xxoo Patty

Bad Bhu, Bad Bhu, Whatcha Gonna Do . . .

when they come for you! I've always wanted to catch the little booger in the act and here he is on the counter licking a plastic bag. He'd climbed all the way over the counter, across the stovetop, past steaming pots and other dangers too horrible to tell JUST TO LICK THIS BAG!! Oh, and I have video of him actually knawing on the bag, too, officer. Yes, he is guilty! Take him away!
"Nooooo! Leavez me alone! Me just has a little problemz with plastic."
"Maybe you need rehab, Bhu."

brrrrr brrrrrr brrrrrrr

Forty-eight hours ago, Bhu was perched in the window fascinated by the snow falling. He is no longer amused. "Too cold. Me snooze. zzzzzzz." I have never seen a photo that captures the feeling of cold as well as this one my friend Ricky took. Wherever you are, stay warm and feed the birds. xxooo Patty

New Year Fluff

Happy New Year, Bhu! Got any resolutions?
"Yes. Sleep in sun as much as possible. Eat lotsa Fancy Feest Appetizers."
That's it? How about Be a good boy for your mommy?
"Me close mai eyes now and go back to sleep. zzzzzzzzzz"

The first day of 2010 is frigid, as usual, but sunny after a week of very deep cloudiness. Bhu is very relaxed in his patch of sunshine, his white fur glowing and his little sleepy eyes opening a little bit, then closing. He is a joy.

Normally, I don't do the resolutions thing, but this year I am going to try to be more organized in my attempt to live a healthy, fun life. I might even go as far as to create a "goal" or two: diet, exercise and self-awareness. Couldn't be bad, right?

Sabryin, Bhu and I hope your new year and new decade will be rewarding! xxoo Patty