Where to start? Colton, I guess. Several years ago he had to be catheterized because of crystals built up in his urinary tract. All it took was hearing one “yowl” and seeing him squatting in the litter box for me to know it was happening again. So off to the vet where he’s been all week.
He’s home now and back on his perch above the parakeets! We’ll hope for the best!
And then there’s the copy machine – Xerox by name! I’ve had trouble with it all week so I called our leasing company who said they’d send a repairman. Oh no, they had a “repairman” call me! He was a soft spoken French Canadian who spoke with such an accent, I simply could not understand him. He kept trying to tell me there was a “boo-tawn’ ” in the upper right. Button. I can’t even repeat the other words he tried to tell me. I got so upset, I cried and then I simply hung up.
So – if you decided to order from the shop and have not gotten your pattern, please be patient. It will reach you eventually. And I will eventually reach a repairman who can speak English.
Finishes to show you:
Connie’s cross-stitch by Blackbird Designs:
My #12, Scrappy Trips.
Window replacement.
Same but new windows in sewing room.
Does anyone remember this Country Threads pattern, Scrap Roll Adventure?
I’m working with pink and gray on the remake.
From readers –
Kayla has so many more patterns in the store. At the moment I can’t keep up with posting them! Please scroll through them all in the online store. Moe is coming this weekend – and that won’t even be easy because of the southeast wind making it impossible to leave our dog door open.
And last but not least, a couple close friends have Covid and I’m scared for them. I’ll be going out to church on Sunday and the dentist on Tuesday morning – that’s it – and I’ll be wearing a face covering.
Stay safe, Everybody!
Some weeks are crazy like that, aren’t they? Be sure to double mask up now!. Are you on a list anywhere to get the Covid vaccine? Blessings to you
One of the things my daughter does when she realizes she is not speaking to someone who can speak understandable English. Ask for a manager and then someone who speaks clear and fluent English. Usually works for her and she deals with this type of thing with her job daily.
LuAnn Dekker – that would have probably gotten me further than crying and hanging up,wouldn’t it?
I was happy to see a blog post from you again. I was worried there were some problems. Hope Cotton continues to do well. I love all the quilt pictures. The Bullseye quilts just show that you can’t go wrong no matter what fabrics you choose. All turn out beautiful.
Happy Colton is back home again. He looked relaxed!
Your new lighter colors for remaking Raspberry Cat are delightful!
Today snow has been falling steadily since 2am adding 3’, possibly more up here. Temperature has warmed considerably as well! 35o outside,
Good news; we have date n times in Mid Feb. for our first C19 shots. Am thankful for that! Our son is an EMT and had his second shot this week!
Please be Calm
Launa – 3’ of snow? Good grief – were only expecting 3” this weekend and Rick can’t wait to move it! Next Saturday I get my second Covid vaccine – I am extremely grateful to be considered volunteer staff at the care center!
The truth is we all have an accent to someone else and it is a matter of attuning your ear to what someone says but that takes time and you can’t do that in one phone call. I have been married for over 40 years to someone who english is his second language and every once in awhile he says something to me and I have no idea what he is saying. It usually ends up just being something we laugh about because he doesn’t always understand me either. I will tell you that when kids grow up with a parent or grandparent that has an accent they don’t always hear it. My son’s girlfriend’s mom is from Taiwan and she didn’t know her mother had an accent until someone told her. My grandfather came over from Switzerland at 17 and I never heard his accent. My brother has told me that when he came back from Viet Nam he heard it for about 2 hours and then couldn’t hear it anymore. Over the years I have worked with many people that have accents so have gotten used to varied ones but every once in awhile I will talk to someone with an accent that I can’t understand. So it happens to all of us.
Feel sorry for Colton! My son has a cat, Scooter, that has to be on the c/d cat food because of that. Very painful I imagine. Love Debbie B’s quilt from Georgia. It reminds me of a rag rug. Give me a scrap quilt any day!
I have asked overseas people I can’t understand to transfer me to someone in the US. Sometimes that works. When you get someone stateside ask them if there is a US number you can call in the future. I tell them I’m hard of hearing, which I am, and can’t understand some accents.
Also sometimes it depends on the time of day you call.
Or if it’s a full moon!! 😉
So sorry you had a frustrating phone call! I’ve experienced those and it can be upsetting. I agree about asking for someone who speaks fluent English – makes a big difference. Sorry too to hear about Colton – a sick kitty is no fun for either of you. Press on and know your readers care for you! ❤️
So sorry Colton has been sick; I hope he continues improving.
These projects are beautiful and offer lots of inspiration. Thanks for posting. I hope next week has less complications. 😍
Are crystals in a cat like kidney stones in humans? If so, I feel for the cat – I had kidney stones for many years and can sympathize. Love your new windows, look like mine when we built the new house. Looking forward to the quilt along on the bullseye quilt.
I have had several issues with repair people on the phone who I couldn’t understand. I always ask for someone whose first language is English. If they can’t provide that, I ask for the manager.
I’m always in awe when I see all the beautiful quilts you show. Thanks for all the work you do so we can all enjoy. I have a lap size snowball top and not sure how to quilt it if anyone has suggestions.
I hope Colton is feeling better. I love where his perch is located. My cat Binx has been to the vet three times for an eye infection. The two of us have a great time putting in the eye drops. Wednesday was one of those days I’d like to forget. I’m thankful awful days don’t stay long. The quilts and cross stitch pictures are beautiful. Such talented people! Your windows look really nice. It is wonderful to have all the light come in the house. Hope your friends are better. Take care.
Mary, I have a cat that suffers from chronic uti’s. The money that’s been spent is insanity.
I love Connie’s cross stitch and she did beautiful work! I’m off now to find the pattern.
Teresa – how old is your cat with the chronic uti’s? When will you say “enough”?
She is six years old and her last uti cost a small fortune. She’s fed solely a W/D prescription diet for urinary care, if she gets another one I’ve decided that will be it, I’ll have her put to sleep. And it’s really more because when we run labs on her, she has to wait to be treated so in the meantime she’s suffering. This last time it was eight days before we got results back and that’s inhumane, she was suffering and urinating blood the whole time. You can imagine how sick she was after having an untreated bladder infection for nine days. It’s been three months since her last one and all the money I’ve spent on Vet bills, they still have no idea why she has this chronic issue.
Teresa – what vet couldn’t prescribe something for a pet in pain until he got all the lab reports? He suspected what was wrong, I assume. Poor girl, having to be in pain for 8 days? I could hardLy stand to read this. I hope I didn’t misunderstand. I sure hope you found a better vet.
Missed your blog for a few days. So glad Colton is home. I love all the quilts today and your pink and gray for the Scrap Roll Adventure. Hope you get your copy machine fixed soon. Have a great weekend.
Sounds like time for a beer🍻hope Colton and the Zerox get better soon! On a happy note the windows look great!
Mary, so sorry about Colton, but trust he is on the mend now. It was so good to see your blog pop up in my email. I was hoping you weren’t having more blog issues. As usual, enjoyed all the quilts. Good job, everyone.
The UTI is much worse on male cats because of their plumbing. My Mom’s cat had it. Finally the vet told her the cat couldn’t survive and she left without the cat. As she thought about it, she was extremely mad at the vet until he called. He did an autopsy and said the inside of the cat’s bladder was so very thick and scarred from the urine crystals it was a miracle he had lived that long. Then Mom wasn’t mad at the vet.
My cat, a female, would hop in the bathtub and squat over the drain and I could see the bloody urine. Can’t say they are dumb animals.
Your windows look so clean and pretty. Very nice.
Take care. Betty in Rapid City
Betty Klosterman – the vet and I agreed that he probably can’t withstand much more – I’ll bet his bladder is the same way. Poor Colton – he isn’t very old at all. The last cat I put down was a female with bloody urine – I just couldn’t put her through all the treatment as she was old then. A few less cats would be easier but most of them have been with me so long it will be like losing a real family member whose habits are ingrained with mine!
Our vet would give the verdict in Black and White. My friend was new to the area. She had a sick old dog. She didn’t want the dog to suffer, but if there was a chance, she would want to treat the dog. She didn’t come back with the dog. The Vet wouldn’t use a guilt trip on the pet owners.
Hi Mary – I have your original Scrap Roll Adventure quilt shown on your pattern. I bought the quilt from you when you sold your quilts at time of your shop closing. I love it and is proudly displayed at the foot of my bed. I took a picture but don’t think I can attach it to the blog.
Joyce Edmeier – you could send the picture to my email and I’d love to see it at the foot of your bed! Wow, here’s your chance to make it again in new colors! The pattern will eventually be available online. Where are you from that you were able to come to the sale? Wasn’t that a day?????
Oh GOSH, I know whatcha mean about accents!! I guess here it’s more often hispanic accents I have a hard time with. I get upset, too, and hang up sometimes. Now that the windows are in, everything will be clean and orderly for a bit anyways. HA Poor kitty, that has got to be awful for him. SO many pretties in the quilt dept. That pink and gray will be beautiful, love that color combo!!!
WOW! You really did have a tough week! I hope the kitty is better! The windows look beautiful!
Lovely quilt show again, there are some wonderful quilters reading your blog! So glad to be able to be part of the group!!
You are like me Mary with when my pets are not well, my whole life is off kilter!
It just sends me into a troubling mindset so crying at the repairman is just the result of the stress you were feeling. I can’t believe Colton can jump up on top where he was resting. My 11 yr old cat can’t jump that far anymore.
Kathy in western NY – gosh, I never thought it was unusual for my cats to jump up on that shelf – Colton is a big fella to jump that high, I guess. I’m out of sorts because he’s not feeling well.
One of our cats, our first, had to be put down 50 years ago for what they called “sand in the ladder.” It made us so sad to see him suffer with this and he was only 2 years old. We’ve never had another cat with this malady thank goodness. I have often gotten tech people on the phone that are hard to understand. Thanks for the suggestions from readers on how to handle it better in the future.
Pat Smith – did your blog subscription finally work? And you’re able to leave a comment with no trouble? It just occurred to me that I read your comment!!! Please let me know if you see this question.
It has been a rough week for you and Colton! I have a male cat that had a couple UTIs early in life. The vet said do what we could to keep him drinking. He loves running water so I would leave a bathroom faucet dripping for him to keep him drinking more water. He figured out how to turn the handle so we had to keep an eye on that! While I was looking at new food dishes, I was surprised to find a cat water fountain for $24! He loves it and it works like a dream!! It can be bubbler mode or by adding a plastic a attachment you can make it stream. Hoping the info helps someone else. Love your blog Mary! I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the shop and have to say that the Country Threads designs spurred my interest in quilting. An enormous thank you for all you have done and continue to do to make lives better! 🙂
Love the scrappy trips….it’s like sunshine at the beach!
Hi Mary,
I hope Colton is feeling better, I rembember very clearly when he ‘arrived’ in your life, and he is such a handsome fellow. Fingers crossed. I hope you are feeling better too, difficult telephone ‘support’ just makes things worse, dosen’t it? I am sure we have all felt like crying at times! What really gets to me is the total lack of empathy in a lot of the conversations with customer service departments: I understand that a missing parcel or a piece of (for me) vital equipment that is on the blink might not seem important to the person on the other end of the line, but I feel they should at least realise that if it wasn’t important to me I wouldn’t be contacting them! I try to keep that in mind myself when I am dealing with other people’s problems.
Our dog, Cali, has had crystals. The first sign was bloody urine and she went days (3 to 4) without going because it hurt her so bad. It was during the worst of the winter and we’d walk her in hopes that she’d finally go, plus we needed to see what was coming out. It was awful! We ended up at a specialized vet clinic and fingers crossed that it never returns. It’s been 3 years so it appears to be working. She takes cranberry D-mannose, a probiotic, and eats a special prescription food. It’s Royal Canin Urinary SO for dogs. We return every 6-9 months and they draw urine using an ultrasound to check for any crystal development. Yes, it was crazy $$$ but gosh she’s so worth it! She is our only pet and brings such joy. Keeping her on the food and supplements is much easier on the wallet than the emergency visits.
These quilts! What can I say, they are just fabulous! I cross-stitch also so really enjoy Connie’s work. It seems to be becoming popular again. The updates of the old quilt patterns is so fun to see. This pink and grey redo is going to be really something. I hope it is as much fun for you to do as it is for us to see.
Rhonda in Iowa – the remakes are soooo fun, I think! I’m not sure Connie agrees but I love trying a new color palette. I’m going to cut out two more today. The weather is so awful we can’t even have the dog door open!!! Basketball games and quilting are my fun for today.
Our bad week was last week. We had a clog in our sewer line and had water flooding two bathrooms and some hardwood floors. Thank goodness I keep all of our old towels and we got most of the water up. We had big fans running three days. The cats and I hid upstairs in the sewing room. The plumbers said they cleared the line and that the issue was on the city side. The city works guys came out and cleared roots out of the line and of course they say the issue is on our side. Sigh…
My three year old cat, Magnus has had pneumonia three times in the last two years. At Thanksgiving he had to go to the emergency vet. He’s better now but I watch him carefully. It’s so hard when our furry babies don’t feel well. We don’t want them to suffer and want to help them if we can. I sure hope Colton recovers.
Gary and I were out the other day. He makes fun of my Texas twang that comes out from time to time. I said “style” and he just laughed and laughed. It is frustrating when you can’t understand someone when you’re trying to fix something. I hope you get your copier repaired soon.
Pretty quilts today as always!
Be still!
Susan K in Texas – oh, of course the city would say it’s your problem! If the roots are coming from trees on city property, it is their problem. Many years ago when I bought my first little house in Clear Lake this happened to me. Never having been a home owner prior to this event, I was mortified about the damage done in my basement!
And what a job cleaning up! I remember!
I don’t really think Colton is much better – I’m watching him carefully – providing lots of water and watching the litter boxes but I won’t let him suffer – I have already told the vet I will put him down rather than put him through much more. It will be a relief and sad at the same time!
They could actually pinpoint where the problem is and it is on our side. 🙁 The roots are from two trees we had years ago – they’re gone now. We had the same problem 15 years ago so I guess that’s not so bad. The city workers were very friendly and helpful and free! The plumbers came out late and cleared the clog but didn’t clear the root. And they were expensive!
Poor baby Colton! I hope he’s getting better. He is so pretty.
Wow, it took a long time (a whole cup of coffee) to read all the commits on the post. I agree with everyone about Colton. I hope this issue is not chronic.
The quilts are so interesting…love the setting, there are so many different ways.
Your pink and grey combination looks enticing. Perhaps my bullseye will be along those lines. Lord knows I have plenty of both colors in my stash!
Your friends with Covid are a reminder to heed the precautions. We’re all tired of it, but just one slip up could be disastrous. Because of that, I’m glad the repair person didn’t come to your house. When, or if, they do, you leave the room. If a new printer is an option, comparing the cost of ink is wise. Printers are cheap, ink where the company’s make there money.
Remember before Christmas I took my neighbors poinsettia plants? Well one of them died this week. I’m so glad I took her that bundle of color. She loved flowers.
Jo in Wyoming- yes, we’re all tired of it! Even those of us who aren’t sick – you just can’t escape it! I am in a piecing frenzy these days so I’m quite content actually. Today it’s basketball and cutting out two more projects – remakes of old patterns – one of my favorite things to do!!
Wondering about the girls in the jail – have you been able to visit?
BTW – my longarm is working so well right now I want to keep quilting stuff until it develops a problem again. Hat causes that little loop in a line of stitching on the top? Is it all in the tension setting? (Rmember – you’re my go-to longarm guru!)
I do think Colton’s issue is chronic but I won’t let him continue to suffer with it. He isn’t that old but it could go on and on for him.
Yes, pinks and grays are so pretty and I’m going to love this quilt – I just have the borders to finish before I piece a back and get it on the machine.
Sorry about the poinsettia plant – you tried.
There IS a repairman coming Monday morning but I will wear a double mask while he’s here. It just has to get fixed!
Oh Mary, my neighbor lady died. She was 90, her husband is 91. The plant is still beautiful.
Generally, when longarm quilting, loops on the back-tighten the tension on the top. Loops on the top, tighten the bobbin. The bigger the loops, the more tightening. Also, batting has a top and bottom if it’s needle punched. The side with dimples goes against the quilt top. The other side is kinda fuzzy and softer, that side goes against the backer.
Glad I can help, I wish I could help Colton. Our pets will do anything to please us. I think that’s why they hang on so long, even in pain. Disappointing us is so devastating.
I notice that Connie’s fabric look aged. Did she do that or is there aged fabric I don’t know about?
Donna DeWall – her cross-stitch linen? She probably aged it with a commercial product.
I am glad to see your feline friend is back to his old ways. Our pets become more valuable everyday. I’d be lost without mine.
I really love looking at all the quilts that you post. They are all beautiful. Its so interesting to look at all the different color palettes. I look forward to more.
I am hoping to see the scrap roll adventure quilt in the store in the future. Thanks for such an interesting break in my day!
Donna – I’ll be finished with Scrap Roll Adventure soon and then I’ll send it on to Kayla
Hurray! Thanks
Debbie B. – I love your quilt. Such a great scrappy. What size squares did you use to make it? Those are the kind of quilts I love. Thanks for sharing.
It was a pattern from Temecula Quilts here is the link. https://temeculaquiltco.com/shop/patterns/Checkerboard%20pattern.jpg
Loved making it.
Be very careful Mary. I wore a double mask the other day. I just got my first shot but I’ll still be masking and hand washing and social distancing!! It’s darn scary!!!