Symmetry Saturday

St. Michael's Episcopal Church

Oberlin Road aka older part of Raleigh still has lots of
overhead cables.  Where we live everything is underground.

Very large home I love the roof lines and the chimneys especially the all stone.
So much symmetry here one could get dizzy

Over the last year we watched the original house that was on this property be
demolished and this one as it was built.
It is HUGE. The driveway is as long as a street and it has a portico on the side.
 Has all copper gutters and on the overhang above wind front bay windows
Lots of all which way symmetry here.

Nature and Feline Friday in Nevada and Fill Ins

Thanks Comedy Plus for hosting

Thanks LLB Gang for hosting

Pup and I were snuggled up, with visions of sugarplums dancing through our heads this morning,

when Mom yelled, “SNOW!”

I must say, I was a bit skeptical until I looked out the window.

Wow, snow in the Nevada desert!

What a sight to behold!

❤️ Kat Your Feline Nephew

Photo by my Nephew Kat's Mom.  Snow on the beautiful Nevada mountains December 27, 2019.

Taken from their campsite.

Photo by my Nephew Kat's Mom.  Snow on the beautiful Nevada mountains December 27, 2019.

Taken from their campsite.

Dearest Kat and Pup

You two make my heart strings purr.

Just absolutely precious and permanently on the

VERY VERY NICE list with Santa.

Lovingly your Aunty HiC

My attempt at Friday

Thank you Lorriane and Ellen for these great questions.
 Lorianne of Four-Legged Furballs came up with second two.

1. My plans for the weekend include taking down the Christmas tree

2. You will never find any kind of U of NC paraphernalia  in my home.  WE are ABC fans; Anybody But Carolina

3. I hope I always have my cup 1/2 full.

4. I hope I never to take myself too seriously.

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday #1 2020

Today we join Two  SPOILED CATS 

Angel Sammy and Teddy for their poetic pictorial poem.

Here is today's inspiration and it brought back some wonderful members of
meeting these

Big M

In 1972 she was out of the playpen
the but the tree was in.
She had inquisitive hands.
It looked funny but at least it would not
fall on her head.
She was ready to go but her legs were slow.
She had wheels but was lacking skills.
Our hope was by spring she'd grow.
No worries though she traversed the living room
like a pro.
Oh that look of pure glee on her first Christmas
remains in my mind's eye to this very day.

Now a little side story to go with the wheels.
Within a six or eight months we moved out of our apartment into
our first home.  In front of the house was a wonderful flat, sidewalk that
went on for several blocks.  In good weather we were out and about on it
several times a day.  However, little Sissy was eager to try the sidewalk by the house.
It was downhill all the way.  She finally talked her Daddy into going down it with her.
He was in front as she peddled down. Oh was she squealing with delight.  Of course she wanted to do it again.  Her Daddy asked if she wanted to ride it or push it up the hill.
Those little legs were not making any head way up, so Daddy picked up the trike and she was walking beside him. Daddy noticed she was tired so he reached down to pick her up too.
She looked at her Daddy and said...

"Daddy this is steep hill and a heavy Marlu". 
Honest to goodness her exact words, she was about 2 1/2 at the time.
She was putting short sentences together before she was  18 months old.

Witty Wednesday 1/1/2020

Happy 2020!!!

Drabble by Kevin Fagan


This is so true.  While riding around this season we saw 
many folks left their pumpkins on their porches too
Thanksgiving was a week later this year
pumpkins were still in good shape when it was time to put up
Christmas decorations.


I'm thankful to say I have a birthday just around the corner
and just so your know......

Happy (edited) Tuesday Potty Tale

Hosted by Comedy Plus

Early December our guest toilet was making crazy swishing noises in the middle of the night.  Did we have a ghost upstairs?  We did not want SIS and BIL of Angel Madi awakened by this when the came for Christmas.

  I called Midtown Plumbing.  I told the lady it was flushing randomly all by itself.

Tim the plumber took off the tank top, flushed it several times.  Finally he said

your tank is leaking 😱😰. Not something you want to hear about second floor toilet.

What ???we haven't seen any water on the floor.

No not that kind of leak. 

Turns out the water in the tank was leaking into the bowl, of course using extra water. The swish was the tank auto refilling itself when it got below the minimum water line.

  Tim assured me it would work fine. We just needed to make sure to keep the tank level at the maximum line.
We live smack in the middle of the City. However, nothing says Red Neck Christmas better than asking your visitors to do routine potty maintenance.  I had a pitcher on the tank.  Favorite SIL of Angel Madi took on the task of filling the tank a couple of times a day.  

FULL DISCLOSURE!!!

You know I'm shameless.  Angel Madi and  I would do anything to enhance a story!!!
I had photos of our vintage 1983 model and sleek, trim and taller 2019 model and a seven second video of the soft close potty in action.
When I told my editor (aka Dad of Madi),
about the post, photos and video..he immediately switched from  editor to manners police.
He asked  "are you really gonna post photos of the toilet"?! Yes I replied... I got a soft humph from the manners police.  Alas dear readers, you must use your mind's eye instead of using photos.

Any complaints regarding this censorship, should be sent to 
'dadofangelmadiakamannerspolice.com'


HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE TO YOU ALL

Awww Monday

Hosted by Comedy Plus

I wanted to learn a new block called

Card Trick.    

I Found a great video by Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt

I worked on it off and on for about 2 weeks.

I had a fist full of coupons too.  I
bought a *Jelly Roll, some white and off white fabric...

Jelly Rolls (2.5" Precut Strips)

A *jelly roll is a curated bundle of 2.5" strips of precut quilt fabric, featuring an array of coordinating fabric from a designer's collection. Jelly rolls make sewing up a cute strip quilt a snap! Use the filters to shop a wide selection of jelly roll colors, themes & styles from top fabric designers. Jelly rolls are how we roll!

I fired up Jenny's YouTube Video,  the race was on.
In the video, she is making a quilt for a queen bed.  I don't have the space (or
desire to make anything that large).   I made four card trick blocks.
Below is a close up of one below.
Each figured block is made with 6-4 1/2" strips
and 6-2 1/2" blocks, white fabric completes it

I made the 4 center blocks and then added the white to each.

I used the other 2 1/2" strips to join them together down the center and for the border.

Ironically, I had matching buttons in my button stash for accent

Card trick refers to the figured fabric in the center.  It gives an illusion of cards on top of each other.
There are a few humility areas just to remind me...that nothing has to be perfect...
one just has to try.

Jelly Roll is in a roll, thus  I could see basic colors but not details.

I decided not to buy backing fabric until saw all the colors.

It was about taking a trip in a Wheelie House...

Lots of strips had Route 66 on them.

Lo and behold I found the perfect backing fabric

This quilt's home is here on the couch in the family room. One of Angel Madi's favorite places.
If she heard us coming down the steps, she would sit on the left side.  Extend her leg just 
enough that we would play get her toesies with her.  
In my mind's eye, I could see her there.  I photo shopped her into the photo.
After I downloaded the photo,  I saw the octagonal window behind me reflecting in the
hanging picture above the couch.

Easy Sunday

69 DEGREES IN DECEMBER🙌😻

We had lunch on the porch earlier...just a glorious late April day in December.  Knowing this was a fluke, I decided to sit on the porch one more time.
These photos were taken on Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 4 pm.

I was sitting here reading.  I also had my trust iPad too.

I heard children's voices coming from many directions.

In this age of computer games, etc I rarely see/hear children outside.

All of a sudden I felt a sneeze coming on...FYI...my sneezes have been know to make the ground rumble.

From near by I heard 

"Bless You"

I turned to the direction of the voices.  This is what I saw children on a blanket having a snack and it sounded like playing a game.

I waved and said, Thank you.