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February 8, 2024
A Welcome Day at Home from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. To read the title of this post, you might think that I'm running around town all the time...every day. In fact, I'm home most days. Sometimes a whole week passes, and I don't leave the house. It's how I like it. Formerly a very busy person, I'm happy to claim my hermitry. So going out twice in the same week...two days in a row, with no vacation in between...it was a sad thing. Staying home gave me plenty of time to sew. Wanna see what I did?

Okay ...

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February 4, 2024
A Perfect Day from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. We couldn't have asked for a better day of weather for opening day of the Beaverton Farmers Market. The market opens at 10:00 a.m., and no sales can occur before the literal ringing of the opening bell. Erik and Mae were determined to get some oysters. Oysters will sell out within the first hour of opening the market, and so we were hanging out...hovering, you might say...first in line for some oysters. While we waited, a bald eagle flew overhead and landed in a nearby tree. I had only my phone ...

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A Perfect Day from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. We couldn't have asked for a better day of weather for opening day of the Beaverton Farmers Market. The market opens at 10:00 a.m., and no sales can occur before the literal ringing of the opening bell. Erik and Mae were determined to get some oysters. Oysters will sell out within the first hour of opening the market, and so we were hanging out...hovering, you might say...first in line for some oysters. While we waited, a bald eagle flew overhead and landed in a nearby tree. I had only my phone ...

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January 30, 2024
Sweet Little Cooper from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

First, sweet little Cooper gave me the night off from stitching because he chewed the magnifier light cord into two pieces. He did it while sitting right here next to me. So much for the attentive dog mom. Oscar had already chewed a few little “nicks” into the cord so I ordered a new cord...

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January 28, 2024
A Spoiled Dog from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

How did we get to this point? Oscar will only eat if his bowl is on the sofa and he’s sitting on my lap. I’ve always said they (kids or dogs) would eat when they get hungry and that’s true but Oscar will whine and cry and run in and bump me with his nose,...

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January 27, 2024
My Uncle’s Dog from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

My uncle’s chihuahua, Bandit, passed away this week but the whole story about the last half (or more) of Bandit’s life is pretty interesting. Both my aunt and uncle were/are dog lovers. My aunt, Dorothy, passed away six years ago. Bandit was a rescue dog and I think they had him five years before we...

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January 26, 2024
Trying To Get Back To Normal from Quilting My Way

 I didn't sleep the best, but I did get a good night's sleep. My arm pit and boob hurt. It's not the funniest thing in the world. 

Of all days, today is Patrick's Birthday! He even had a dentist appointment for his Birthday! UGH

I pretty much had my Tylenol and Ibuprofen trading places all day. I tried not to take it but every 6 hours. Don't want to depend on drugs to get me through this pain. I also had ice packs under my arm off and on all day. I'm going to ...

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January 23, 2024
Addie’s Request from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

This is the kind of message that makes this grandma happy! Last night I got that from Chad. Addie wants me to make a Corgi quilt with her! I’m going to tell her that I’ll be glad to make it with her but she is going to have to be a participant and not a...

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January 22, 2024
Sleepy Dogs from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Oscar and Cooper wake up full of energy. I think both of them would sleep later if I would sleep later but most mornings, they wake up when I get up. I take them out, feed them and then they play . . I guess/hope it’s playing because they chase each other and roll around...

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January 21, 2024
A Shoulder to Sleep On from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

This is what Cooper does every night. Same spot. Same position. Rita does not like to be held . . not at all. We carry her outside to go to the bathroom and she’s wiggling and squirming and grunting the entire time trying to get down. She’s never wanted to sit with me . ....

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The Scary Vacuum Cleaner from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

We have a central vac but I don’t use it in the sewing room. At a previous house, I used it in the sewing room and pins poked holes in the vacuum hose and . . those things were a bit pricey and Vince was not happy so since then, I’ve had an inexpensive vacuum...

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January 19, 2024
Playful Pups from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

These two dachshunds play so hard! Up until this week, I was constantly supervising. I wouldn’t even try to stitch until they were napping or Vince was down in the basement with me to help watch them. They play so rough but a couple of days ago, I figured . . Cooper is six months...

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January 18, 2024
Sweet Children! from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Here at the house, our cell service only works on wifi except if I stand at the dining room window. When the power went out, my first thought was to let Chad know we didn’t have power (he knows about our cell service) because I didn’t want him to try to call, us not answer,...

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January 9, 2024
A New Crate from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Our dogs have never stated in the crate much but I’ve always wanted the to be comfortable in their crates. Because Oscar is so destructive, if I’m leaving the room for 1 minute, he goes into the crate. Cooper still isn’t 100% trustworthy with his bathroom manners so he goes into the crate if I’m...

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A Family Weekend from Jo's Country Junction

Kayla messaged me late on Thursday saying that her family wanted to come for a visit. She’d get here Friday for supper, stay over, and leave at naptime on Saturday. I said sure but she’d have to pick up supper along the way as I would be working and would be home until 5:30 pm …

A Family Weekend Read More »

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January 6, 2024
2023 — What. A. Year. from A Prim and (not so) Proper Quilter

All the things in one jam-packed year.

Sunrise on the ridge

All the stuff we experienced this year may not seem like much to many, but the sensory overload after 2.5 years of isolation was a lot…for us.  

Because it wasn’t just about building a house — it was a lot about family. 

In our extended family, we lost 4 members; two expected, two completely unexpected.  The unexpected always hurts the most, doesn’t it?  You don’t see it coming and WHAM, it hits you.  My Godbrother and my cousin died; I’ve known both their entire ...

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January 5, 2024
Lots to do in Napier from Romany Quilting

We've moved on to Napier to spend several days just relaxing.  But….. needs must, and we desperately needed to go to the laundromat.  There was one close by, and at the NZMCA camp we are staying, there was a huge clothesline to hang it all out.  There’s nothing better than laundry drying in the warm sunshine, is there?  Holiday or not, there’s always plenty of washing to do.

P1050430

Round and round it goes

Not too far from the camp is the Filter Room which makes cider and beer.  There is also a restaurant attached and we took ...

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A Pouting Dog! from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Oscar is like a spoiled child sometimes. When the grass is damp outside, he ends up with ear issues because as he’s snooping around outside with his nose to the ground, his ears are like little scoops getting all that dampness inside. As you’ve probably figured out by now, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing...

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January 4, 2024
New Year Party, Berries and Peas from Romany Quilting

Generally, we spend New Year fairly quietly, but we had a family birthday celebrate.  This year we spent a very wet New Year’s Eve with my nephew Shane who was turning 60.  Shane is the eldest grandchild on the maternal side, the first child of my late sister Kathleen and hubby Dennis.   It is a tradition in this family to prepare and cook a hangi for special occasions, and this Shane did with a little help.  Not a “hole in the ground” traditional hangi, but rather one cooked in a stainless steel container, heated with gas, but still using ...

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January 1, 2024
Happy New Year! from Alamosa Quilter

 I've had a nice week at home with my shop closed all last week. I got our laundry room repainted after we had the ceiling in that room repaired and retextured. I also got some touch-up painting done in our main bathroom after we had some work done to one spot on the wall and the entire ceiling.

Our new family member, Sheba, has been busy all week too.

Sheba in our Christmas tree

We put up our Christmas tree without any ornaments. Then we were gifted a few ornaments. Since Sheba had been leaving the tree alone we put them on the tree ...

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