Ada the Kitty

Many blog readers may remember that when I write about my youngest son, now an adult, I mention that he has autism.  He lives nearby us in a small apartment, with lots of support from parents and his independent living worker.   Many people on the spectrum relate better to animals than people.  Joseph happens to loves cats.

We had loaned him our favorite kitty, Oscar, as a therapy pet.    Here is a picture of Oscar:

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Unfortunately, about 3 months ago, Oscar went missing.  We were devastated, searched in vain; but Joseph took it especially hard as Oscar was his companion and only friend.

A few weeks ago, a starving stray showed up at Joseph’s front door, meowing.  We think the kitty had been dumped, as it did not act feral, just hungry and thin.  Joseph took this sweet calico kitty in, and named her “Ada” in honor of the first woman programmer, Ada Lovelace.  He has showered Ada with love and affection- who in turn is warm and affectionate back.

Ada is the sweetest kitty, we fell in love with her, too.  Then, one day we get a phone call from Joseph.  He thinks Ada was very pregnant.   Uh-Oh.  All my pets gets spayed and neutered, so I forget that other pet owners are not as responsible.   Now I think the owner may have dumped Ada rather than deal with baby kittens.

Last night, Ada gave birth to 3 5 healthy baby kittens.  One kitten is spoken for, so we only have to find good homes for 2  4 kittens.  Ada will remain an indoor cat until the vet spays her at the proper time.

Pictures to follow…..

Happy Anniversary Musings

Wow!  Today, Joe and I are celebrating our thirtieth wedding anniversary, and I must say it only feels like 10 years have gone by rather than 30.   Joe is still the love of my life, my best friend and confidant- all rolled up in one!  How wonderful to be able to say that after 30 years, I would remarry him in a heartbeat…. if we were not already married.

We look forward to many years together still.  Raising Ethan, spending quality time with the grandkids, retirement eventually, travel still to come, sailboat trips; all are future adventures waiting to be shared together.   We are truly blessed!

 

Happy 4th!

To all the US blog readers, a happy 4th of July to you.  We are spending time with family, barbequing, fireworks, a very traditional 4th for my family.  What are you doing if you celebrate the 4th of July?

Grandson Jack spent the night last night!  Jack is now 3, and fun to be around.  He is very funny, and love all the toys I have saved or bought for the grandkids.

Ok, I will admit that I go a little crazy getting toys for the grandchildren room….  Being the bargain shopper that I am, I would say that most of it I picked up at the thrift store.  My local thrift store has a lot of Little Tikes toys, and other name brand toys.  Of course, you have to wash off the Thrift Store cooties first, before letting the kids play.

Any other bargain toy shoppers out there?

PS: if you are looking for the Class Registration info for the class starting next week, just scroll down.  Thanks!  I look forward to a wonderful class!

 

New Family Member!

Meet Sarge, our new dog:

Sarge was in need of a good home.  He is 6 years old, very sweet, and just wants to be loved.  That we will gladly do!

If you read my blog regularly, then you might remember that my previous dog, Rex, went missing, then we found his body on the ranch.  We were very sad as we had loved him for 12+ years.  It took well over a year, but now we have a new dog again.

Woof!

Oreo Update

This update is for those of you following the story of the sweet little black and white cat named Oreo, who  became badly injured after seeking warmth by sleeping in the engine area of a car.   At least this is the Vet’s theory based on the cat’s injuries.  The owner of the cat is disabled, and does not have the resources to pay for the cat’s care, so my dear husband (DH) is paying for all the treatment.

This weekend, Oreo’s back leg was amputated, and now he has recovered enough to be discharged later today.  DH Joe will drive Oreo back to the owner, who lives in the next town over, but I think he is going to offer to adopt this sweet 3 legged feline.  We feel that Oreo should be an indoor cat and will need follow up care.  I will let you know whether we get a new kitty or not.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments about what my husband did.  He is a great guy, a very kind man, and feels he is just doing the right thing and not anything special.  In fact, he doesn’t know I have written 2 posts now about his kindness- and would be embarrassed to learn I did.

Back to my quilting studio now.  I am almost finished with the Kimono quilt for Barb, just need to finish up some curved crosshatching and SID, and I am done!   Hugs from Carla

 

 

 

Oreo The Cat

Earlier this week, one evening, we received a phone call about an injured kitty named Oreo.  The owner lives on disability and had no car  or way to take Oreo to the emergency veterinarian.

My husband dropped everything and drove Oreo to the after hours emergency vet.  This poor cat, only about a year old,  had somehow gotten into a neighbor’s car (fan belt area) and fell asleep.  At least that is what the vet thinks.

Later that evening, we received a call from the emergency vet.  He said the kitty needs his back leg amputated it was so badly mangled.  Oreo had other injuries, too, including his front paw, which possibly sustained nerve damage.  Anyhow, the after-hours vet said that in the morning, Oreo would need to go to the usual vet office for treatment.

The next morning, my husband picked up Oreo and drove him over to our family vet for treatment.  Initially, they thought they could save his leg, but it became much worse.  Time for a decision…. euthanize Oreo or amputate his leg?  My good-hearted husband chose amputation,  saying that Oreo had such a sweet temperament.   Despite his injuries, Oreo was purring and very affectionate.

You may ask why my husband is making all the decisions when Oreo is not our cat?  It is because he knew the owner couldn’t afford the vet care, and really wasn’t in a financial or social position to even have a cat.  So, he is paying for all of Oreo’s vet bills, including emergency hospital care, a week or more of board and care, plus the surgery.  My DH is such a kind man, it touches my heart just how kind.  What is amazing is that my DH thinks he is doing nothing special, just doing the “right thing” for the situation.

Update:  Yesterday, we received a call to learn that Oreo came through the surgery just fine.  That is good news!  I will keep you updated about this now 3 -legged kitty.  Oh yes, the front paw that had some nerve damage initially?  Oreo is now moving it normally, too.

I promise to keep you posted about Oreo.

“I’m seeing Grandma & Grandpa?”

I haven’t written about Jack lately, who is my dear grandson, now age 2 and 3/4.    We love to have Jack spend the night and spend time with us at our home.  In fact, last Sat and Sunday Jack came over for a visit.

This morning, my son casually mentioned to Jack that he was going to see grandma and grandpa today.  Jack immediately went and packed his bag with toys, assuming that he was going to visit our home right then and there.  Our son took a picture  of Jack on his way to the garage where the car is.  Notice his rolling overnight case?  He is ready to go!!  LOL

He melts our hearts with his cute personality.  How sweet that he wants to visit us, too.  Actually, we planned to visit Jack and family at his house this time.

I got a chance to peek at what Jack was planning to bring in his rolling Diego case.  He had some favorite toys, and also some books in the bag.  No clothes… LOL  Guess toys are what are important to a almost 3 year old.   Ahhh… to be a young child again!!

 

Class Registration and other items…

I decided to take a few minutes and come up for air!  I have been busy registering students for my next online class that begins on Monday, October 18th.  I am happy to report that registration has been a complete success!

The demographics for this class is  a wonderful cross section of both sit down machine quilters and people in business with stand up quilting systems.  It is a nice mix of quilters from around the US, plus several students from Australia, Germany, England,  and Canada.   Students have been very upbeat and positive about taking my class, too.  We will have a good time.

Class starts on October 18, 2010 and lasts 3 weeks.  For more info, just click my class button above my Header art above.

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What else have I been up to?    I went thrift store hunting and scored more designer clothes for my fall wardrobe.  All for $1.50 per top!  I love a bargain, plus it just makes sense in this economy to save wherever you can.  Also came home with lots of grandkids toys to add to my collection.  Jack and Kate have more toys here than at home, I think.  LOL

Been sailing on my boat, S/V Sea Glass, a few times.  Sailing has become the highlight of my weekend time with Joe.  It has been 90- degrees, so it is still bathing suit weather here in Northern California.

Spent babysitting time with Jack and Kate.  They are so cute and fun to be around!  I love being a grandmother!

Preparing for Fall class season in the local stores.  I am teaching a wide variety of classes here in Northern CA-  an Autumn Leaves quilt, my slash therapy quilt, 3 purse classes, and yes, an adorned fabric bowl class.  More details to follow…

What have YOU been up to?  Hugs, Carla

New Sailboat!!

Joe and I wanted a nice little sailboat and trailer to sail whenever we wanted and keep those sailing skills up for chartering.  We have been watching  Craigslist for about 6 months to find just the right boat.  We finally found one yesterday, and arranged to meet the boat’s owner down at the lake marina today.

Here are the pictures from the Craigslist ad for this nice little 1984 O’Day 23:

Above, shown in the marina yard.

and on the water below.  The person taking the picture is standing on the bow (front) of the boat looking back to the cockpit:

No photos of the interior.  It is clean, but the cushions are original to the boat, so I will get them recovered.  Same goes for the forward V- berth.  The interior is very spacious for this size of boat.

After a detailed survey, we bought it!!  We plan to keep it for few years, then upgrade to a bluewater cruising boat.  Joe and I are excited!  The name of this boat used to be ‘Tee-Time,” so Joe and I started talking about potential names for our firstboat.  Picking a name for a boat is harder than you think.   I’m sure the right name will come to us, but if anyone has any ideas, bring them on!!

I started making a list of essentials to buy at West Marine.  New anchor & rode, fenders, some extra lines, depth finder, handheld radio,  and boat hook to start.   Now I need to hunt on craigslist for a used dingy, too.  Life is fun!!

Hugs, Carla

Bareboat Charter

Back now from our bareboat charter to the British Virgin Islands.  “Bareboat charter” means that Joe and I chartered a catamaran (Leopard 38) and operated it ourselves.   The opposite of this is chartering a yacht and then having  paid crew sail and  operate the boat.

Here is a map of the BVI’s:

This trip, we invited friends, Larry and Lori, to come along for the fun.  They were great fun; and we had many laughs together!

Getting to Tortola, specifically Wickhams Cay II, takes a bit of patience.  This trip involves a plane trip (or two) to Miami, then another plane trip (or two) to St. Thomas.  Then you grab a cab to the Ferry Dock, a Ferry ride from St. Thomas (in the US Virgin Islands) to Roadtown (which is in the British Virgin Islands). Exit the Ferry, then you grab another cab to the Charter company to pick up the boat.

Prepare to enjoy the concept of being on “island time.”  This is where you R-E-L-A-X and just go with the flow.  Feeling stressed from travel?  No problem…. just grab a cold drink, preferably one with rum and fruit juice involved and just chill.

The charter company, with a bit of pre-planning from you, will have your provisions all ready and unpacked on the boat.  Oops, turned out this was asking too much of our company, so I needed to inquire as to the snafu.  Finally, provisions arrived and put away; we were now one step closer to leaving base.

Joe and I came with our own boat checklist, and we made a list of questions and issues for the boat briefing the following morning.  Good thing we checked as our fresh water level was down a tank, so I grabbed a hose and topped it off.   By this point, you are eager to take off from base and start your charter.

Off we go!  First night was spent at Norman’s Islands, aka “The Bight.”  We love to moor on the left side of the mooring field and snorkel around the point.  We skipped snorkeling at the Caves this time.  Night time fun was at the William Thornton, called the “Willie T” for short.  The Willie T is a wild place, where Painkillers and Rum Punches flows and fun is all around.

The next morning, Joe and I motored over to the Indians, which features the best snorkeling in the area.  Be sure to get there early  to pick up a mooring ball.  This is the place where schools of tropical fish swim all around you, contrasted to the colorful coral reef.  For me, there is nothing more soothing than snorkeling over a reef.  Here is a picture of Larry and Lori snorkeling:

Next stop, Diamond Cay on Jost Van Dyke, which is the location of Foxy’s Taboo and the Bubbling Pool.  We learned that the Bubbling Pool was not so bubbly in July, contrasted to this picture taken last November:

For first time visitors, just ask for directions at Foxy’s Taboo.  Expect roughly about a 3/4 of a mile hike to get here.  Go at high tide if you can.

Foxy’s Taboo features good food and nice staff.  The nice young man remembered us from last November, my encounter with the sea urchin in the Cay must have been memorable!  LOL  If you go here in the month of July, bring bug spray to help with the voracious mosquitoes.  Everyone but Joe got bitten, we even had a contest to see who had most bites on their legs or arms.

The next day, after anchoring at Sandy Cay, one of my favorite spots, Lori and I decided to explore the island trails.  We also spent time looking for shells and beach glass.  Success on both scores!  After this stop, we decided to search for the allusive sea horses in White Bay.

White Bay was shallower than expected, and after a rather boring snorkel whereby we all agreed the sea horses were a myth, this was a pretty spot to spend the night.  During our snorkel, it poured, but this didn’t deter the amorous couple on the beach doing certain shocking things that belong in private. Enough said.

Next stop is Marina Cay, where of course we had to search out the Web Cam on the end of the dock.  You stand in front of the British Phone booth and they upload an image every 15 seconds.  As soon as I find our pictures, I will upload it to show you.

Virgin Gorda Sound  is one of my favorite spots.  We moored at Leverick Bay,  and then took the dingy over to Mosquitos Island, which is owned by Sir Richard Branson.  We have our favorite quiet spot on a beach, plus nearby is my favorite place to hunt for beach glass and shells.

Btw, here are pictures of Joe and I on this trip.  In case you are curious, yes, I am a blonde:

Here is Captain Joe, aka my DH.  Notice how happy we are?

At this point in the trip, we needed to get Larry and Lori back to Wickhams Cay II so they could catch the taxi to the ferry home.  We stopped for one last night at Cooper’s Island and had a tasty dinner there.  The snorkeling is great there, too.

Here I caught Lori on her kindle:

We said goodbye to our friends and then turned around and sailed back to Virgin Gorda again for our final 3 days.  Lori ad Larry were troopers, but I could tell they were happy to see normal flushing toilets again (marine heads require a pump flush handle and switch) and regular showers again (instead of showering on the swim step).

Joe and I love to spend hours at various beaches, just relaxing, snorkeling and beach glass hunting.  I came home with lots of beach glass this trip.  We also visited Saba Rock, and also had a nice meal there.   Also visited the Bitter End Yacht club, Cane Garden Bay, and Cooper Island before sailing back to the base at the end of our trip.

It was a wonderful trip and I can’t wait to do it again!  Next trip planned is tenatively set for next spring in the Bahamas.

Back now to the land of quilting and arts!  It is good to be home.  Hugs, Carla