Wolf's Den

So, we moved the shelf portion of Mark's childhood desk back upstairs to the Studio. I needed shelving in here, we want to get a nice 6ft bookcase that matches the new ones in the kitchen for downstairs, as well as rearrange the living room- maybe, still undecided on that part.

His old desk is an antique now. It's a 2 piece corner desk, with the shelf part that is angled across the back, rather than just fitting into the corner. Means less actual desk space, but lots of shelf space. Now, I have a place to put my Bead&Buttons, my QuiltArts, my Cooking Lights, my various papers, and storage containers, etc, etc, so one and so forth. It's also the most organized/cleanest part of the Studio, currently. Heh.

Oh yeah, as well as a space for the Boys to claim as their own without fear of something falling over on them. Yes, a portion of the bottom always HAS to be set aside for the cats. Cat owners know this. Otherwise, they will TAKE it, hell or high water.



Between Mark's old desk and my actual desk, is a 3 drawer fabric storage caddy. On top of THAT, is a quilt in progress and a folded throw. Luckily, Aries and Max are relatively good at sharing a space. Max was the first to claim the new curling/sleeping spot on the desk, where, yes, I placed a folded afghan. I am not stupid after all, and it's either that or sacrifice yet another art quilt in progress to their comfort. When one is sleeping HERE, the other is across the room, in the Box on the makeshift table by the other bookcase. Yes, it is almost an imperative to have multiple sleeping places in the Studio. Otherwise, they'll take over my desk AND the design table. Being large cats, they do both quite easily.





Max likes to think he rules all he surveys. We accommodated him in this thinking and laugh at him when he's not glowering looking. From his vantage point here, he can snarl and hiss at Caena when she stretches up to look out the window. Surprisingly, Max has actually lost weight. This is good. Finally, he has stopped wheezing when he lays on his back. Raw food and Solid Gold Indigo Moon for the win. He's also finally starting to wander back downstairs. This is very good.





Aries... is the Instigator. Don't let this laid back look fool you. He's constantly thinking up new ways to get Caena into trouble. He generally takes over this spot in the evenings, when Max moves to the other Box. From here, he can see precisely when to jump down, nonchalantly walk past Caena sleeping on the floor, and wait in the hall for her to notice him. Then he'll either fly down the stairs, causing her to take off in hot pursuit, or he'll try to worm his way back into the Studio, yeowling at her in the process, waking Max up and causing HIM to come waddling running across the design table to yeowl/snarl/hiss at poor Caena, who just wants to play. He also likes to sneak to the bottom of the stairs, peer around the end of the couch to see where Caena is and when she spots him, go tearing off back upstairs, with her on his heels. This is getting old. He didn't do this with Dante.

Needless to say, much of this is a daily thing. So this, basically, was a Day in the Life of Max and Aries. Heh.

Let's play 'What's Wrong With This Picture?'

Photo behind the cut.
( Carry on! )

Our pets are being finicky eaters.

The Boys don't like their canned food because I added Flax Seed Oil.

Caena don't like the Old Mother Hubbard food because it's not ground (like the Neura 95% Meat food), it's sliced/chunks and has the Flax Seed Oil AND Bone Meal in it.

I picked up Caena's dry food and told her she'd either eat the wet food or starve. Told the Boys the same thing. But left the little bit of dry they have left.

Oh looky, Max is eating the wet now. Well, he licked at it.

They should just be happy I didn't add fresh garlic to it too.



Photos from last weekend and a couple recipes coming soon, as well as new scarves and finally, bandannas.

It's past time for you to go on a diet...

went "BOOM! Here's a Flower!" today...



Titan's Glory, German Bearded Iris. First of the season to bloom in my garden. There's another bud nearly ready to bloom on the second stalk it has up.

My Irises, the German Bearded ones for now, have all sent up two to three flower stalks. Too bad they're getting divided and moved this year and won't bloom next year. But I guess they are making up for it with their sheer profusity. Yes, I made up a word. Deal.}:P





My other Clematis vines along the fence have bloomed finally.



The white ones on the side of the porch are starting to bloom as well.




Weds, I came home in time to see one of our psycho ninja squirrels making off with roughly half a block of the bird suet. He strolled away up the hill with it, nonchalantly. Then sat up there, giving me the evil eye, while gnawing away.



See? Evil eye. (Actually, I used a flash with this shot.}:P)

The Boys enjoyed a brief excursion outdoors, while I was photographing the Titan's Glory Iris. While Max chewed on the grass...



Aries sampled the Catnip. This is why I was left alone most of the day. LOL

One final shot...



Simply beautiful.

Why certain projects seem to take longer than most?

Wonder no more.






I left the room for 30 seconds.




He promptly tried to spill the beads immediately after this photo was taken.

It's not my Studio after all. I'm just allowed to use it occasionally.

Got a couple things to post about today, I think...

Continuing in the 'bit of home' theme, I made a dish the other night that my mom used to make when I was growing up. Once again, I added my twist on it. Heh.



She called it 'Eggs Ranchero', I call it good. It may not look appetizing, but believe me, it was/is.

I have a new mascot in the Studio. It seems to have taken up residence on the wall next to the computer. It tried climbing up yesterday, but fell down again, back behind the desk and I didn't see it the rest of the night. Today, it climbed back up, then over to the window, where, I assume, it's contemplating a place to build a web.



( Continued.... )

Since Nature decided to finally give us a break after 3 days of rain, I took advantage of the nice day to get my seedlings and more seeds in the ground.

( Read On.... )

Just because I can....



Aries helping out in his own special way. By blocking access to the mouse and keyboard.}:P

More tomorrow... maybe.

Looking out my back window in the studio, through the Rosemary. The breeze is blowing fresh air into the house, clearing out the staleness and making it less dry in here again. It doesn't feel like Winter. It feels like Sping, and I know, it's way too early to even be considering Spring. Especially when I look out the other window and the sky looks like an angry not quite bruise..



They're calling for possible severe thunderstorms and it's days like this that I am glad Dante is going somewhat deaf. There was a time when she was deathly afraid of thunder and would literally try to hide under the bed, or even under my desk. Ahh, the blessings of age, however few there maybe.

We need the rain, that's the only good thing about this weather system. Hopefully it won't be so dry this Summer because of the rains.

So I was trying to find a container of early beadwork that I stashed somewhere in the Studio yesterday. I looked in every spot I could think of, and then some. I even sent Mark an email yesterday saying I needed him to help me find it when he got home, after all, he is Marky, finder of all lost things. I then proceeded to start to tidy up, even more, the Studio. In doing so, I found what I was looking for, threw out a big box full of papers and trash, as well as a bucketful, and moved the Boys' box to a better location.

Aries, at least, seems pleased by where it now is.



Max loves laying on the black felt. The very felt I once used as a backdrop for photos. I have since relinquished it to the Boys. Hence the need for smooth black fabric. The gray is hanging from the ceiling, so no worries there, as far as cat hair, anymore.}:) Speaking of Max, he is currently glaring at me from his spot on the felt. Yeah.

Since I finished my Feb Challenge entry, I decided to work on another unfinished piece. The only problem was, I wasn't happy with how it was coming along. So I ripped it out back to the centerpiece. Then I started again.



I got 2 inches into it and hated it. Absolutely hated what it was doing. No wonder I stopped working on it in the first place. I wasn't happy with it. So I ripped it out a second time.

Well, as they say, 3 times a charm. Instead of trying to do somewthing really elaborate, which was causing the centerpiece to be lost amidst it, so not what I wanted, I went simpler. And I like it. Sure it'll need some tweaking, but they usually do in the end. But now, I'm pleased with what it is becoming, the centerpiece will be rightfully showcased instead of lost, the beadwork around it will accenuate it rather than drown it. Very happy now. I predict I'll be finished with it by the end of the weekend.



Need to see if Ahna has anymore really cool cabs like this one.

Someone on the EtsyBeadWeavers email list, posted a link to the Bead&Button Show 'Bead Dreams' contest. And I thought, 'Why the hel not?'

I mean, if I can finally skew up the guts to enter my first Quilt Show in 2006 and be brave enough to re-enter in 2007, then I'm fairly certain I can figure out a piece to enter into a beadwork contest. Possibly even 2 if I get working on it.

So I got to thinking, looking at the photos of last year's entries, wondering what I could make. Because while April is still 2 months away, it's not really alot of time in the grand scheme of things. Then I got the seed of an idea. Now I've gathered what supplies I have and will proceed to add to the collection over the rest of this month, and work on it until it's finished.

Never know until you try, just what you can do., after all.

Ok, so it's not a whole lot of snow, but it's snow, nonetheless!

Oh wow, I just glanced outside, it's starting to stick to the trees now and is coming down heavier.

Anyway, I got home from working for 4 hours, and was filling the bird feeders, while the Boys decided to check out the big outdoors for a few minutes.

( The Boys, Teaser of new project and no longer Ultra Violet... )

not sure what's going on.. but i've got an aries kitty laying across one arm, and his tail getting in the way of the keyboard. and a max kitty sleeping on the desk next to me.

yesterday neither could be bothered to be in the studio with me and today they won't leave me alone.

so much for finishing up that beadwork piece or working on my lap quilt.... for now...

Oh wait, wrong song. Sorry.

Actually, I have 30 cups of dye in the closet.



See? All lined up in a row, each with a piece of Kona cotton in it. Stewing away. In a few, I'll had a solution of soda ash. No, I'm doing that tomorrow, that way I don't completely exhaust the dye and render it useless before I get every. last. bit.. erm, sorry. That way I can dye up a few silk scarves with some of the colors in there.}:P

The list reads like a grocery list actually- Butterscotch, Mocha, Eggplant, Vanilla Bean, Hollandaise, Harvest Wheat, Curry, Spicey Plum, Sage, Golden Pineapple, Cranberry, Pumpkin Spice, Watermelon and so on. Heh.

Why?, you may ask. Well, I'm auditioning colors for the only 'traditional' quilt I'll ever have a hand in making. This one as a matter of fact-



Cool, huh? I've always wanted to either make a Mariner's Compass or own one. Now I can do both. My friend, Jess, up in Vermont will be doing the actual piecing. See, it'll be a collaborative work. I'm dyeing the fabrics, she's doing the machine piecing and I'm doing the quilting and actual putting together of the quilt.}:P I'm thinking that maybe if I really try, I can get it done in time for next year's quilt shows. Which is why I'm really glad to have that quilt frame now.


Speaking of quilt shows, I went to Alpine Sewing to drop my entries off today. Man, I've been here over 6 years and always thought that place was just a sewing machine store. Not only do they have sewing machines, they have embellishments such as Angelina fibers, books and thread galore. I restrained myself and walked out with a nifty package of Angelina-




This stuff will look awesome on artquilts. Might even do a few FiberArt Postcards with it. Hmm...

Random shot of Dante-



She's got so much grey around her muzzle now. Her mask has faded so much. My beautiful girl. She can'tr get on the bed without help anymore. And has started occassionally having trouble with the stairs. I suspect she'll only be around a few more months at best.

Where were the Boys during all this picture taking?



On the 'storage' side of my design desk. In a rare moment, they were actually sleeping together. Technically, Aries is sleeping, Max is glaring at me. Heh.

Hopefully by Thursday, I'll have a few new scarves to list in the shop. I think I'll run the 10% off chainmaille again next month as well as a 10% off the scarves too. Might take the test Kona in the closet and make up 'grab bags' for artquilters and fiber artists and list them too. We'll see.

"And if the paths that I have followed
have tread against the flow..."

( Purple... )

I currently have an Aries kitty alternating between head butting the arm my chin was resting on, to sniff-licking the side of my face near my earlobe.

Purring loudly the entire time.

With me trying not to laugh too loudly at him.

Methinks he really , REALLY wants attention.

Or maybe some of my Matcha latte... which, sadly, is all gone right now, as I have to go downstairs to refill the glass.

Uh oh.. now I'm getting 'Puss In Boots' eyes....

Have I mentioned that I STILL haven't been able to unpack the suitcase? Max is currently sleeping in it. I've been able to pull stuff out of it, but not completely empty it.

Silly Boys.

Mr Graceful aka Max, just stretched and rolled himself right off the desk.

Whoever said that cats always land on their feet... never saw something as funny as this.

Of all the times not to have a video running.

ROTFL.


He's fine, but his pride was wounded(he landed on some clothes), and the look he gave me, wow... *snickers*

As shortly after 7am, Ben walked through the door.

As I very studiously ignored him, and talked to June and Donna, then walked to the back office for a moment, he asks Donna, 'How's Ms Personality this morning?'

She replied, 'Fine, I guess', and he left quite quickly.  And didn't ask about Roo.

'Ms Personality' is just fine, thank you very much.  Was I supposed to drop everything I was doing and gush over the fact that you've suddenly shown back up again, like a bad penny or a case of 'rroids?

So sorry, my bad.   Not. Going. To. Happen.

Here's hoping that a severe case of the cold shoulder persuades him to not come back again, especially since I know damn well, my store is way out of his way. Especially that early.


In Dante news...

More energy is right. Wow. I came downstairs this morning and she was waiting for me. No coaxing her to get up and go outside, she couldn't wait to get out there today.

When I got home, she was dancing. Literally, full on, Akita Dancing. She hasn't done that in months.

Still waiting on the behavior improvement, though. Had to yell at her to get out of the fucking cat litter last night (we got a new litter box that's open topped, because it seems Aries has developed slight claustrophobic tendencies and was peeing on the litter mat outside of it. Just that particular box, too. So I bought him a new one for in the bathroom, as well as another new one to replace the one neither of them particularly care for, that's bigger and roomier, in the bedroom. The other bedroom one had already been replaced a few months ago and they still like it. It'll probably be replaced by Jan. though.), she was literally *digging* in the fresh litter, looking for 'crunchies'! She came back in the Studio with a sheepish look on her face.

The Boys are rather irritated with me. I take up the dry food at 9pm, leaving maybe half a cup to tide them over at night, which will be gradually reduced to none. Yesterday, they both tried to be extremely loving and attentive, hoping I would leave it down last night,  I guess. Today, they are ignoring me.

Methinks this will get worse as the food reduction and feeding schedule implementation goes on...


I have 3 dozen eggs, fresh blackberries and fresh blueberries. I think I'll go make some Clafouti.}:P

_{^{(Dante-Inu, Sept 2006)}}
A couple weeks ago, Dante had a vet appointment for her [possible] dental surgery. (She ended up NOT having it, by the way.)  I told Dr. Eick about her falling down the stairs the month before, as well as the two times she'd stumbled on the stairs the day before.  Combined with the emergancy vet trip a few months ago, and Dr Eick was a bit concerned. 

She sent out the bloodwork for a Lyme test to rule out the neuro episodes as being that.   Dante's thyroid levels were a bit low, so after the blood test for Lyme came back negative across the board, she had them do a thyroid panel as well.

My Dantegirl may or may not have Hypothyroidism.

So starting tomorrow, for the next 4 weeks, twice a day, she gets .6 mg of  Soloxine (the nice, pretty purple one there, heh).  In 4 weeks, we go back for a new thyroid panel workup and see whether it's helped, she's stayed the same, what have you. 

I asked on the Akita Rescue email list what  I could expect if she definately is Hypothyroid and what to expect when she's taking the Soloxine. 'Nothing but good things' across the board.  Better behavior, more energy, less shedding, less ear/skin and bladder infections (not that she's ever even had any in her nearly 13 years), and generally just a healthier Akita.

So we'll see....


_{^{(Emperor Maximilliean Amandas Von Reinfelden III, aka Max, Sept 2006)}}

Max kitty, due to his weight, is having breathing issues. 

Because of his Urinary Tract Disease, we can't exactly just start giving him a weight control/loss cat food.

So starting tonight, he and Aries will no longer be allowed to 'free feed' on their dry cat food 24 hours a day.  Gradually, they will be worked onto a set feeding schedule.  Aries isn't overweight himself, so this will help maintain his weight, hopefully. 

But Max.. is nearly, if not over, 20 lbs and not very active.  It's not like he's eating constantly, but his inactiveness doesn't help any with his weight.  I'm tempted to get him a harness and lead, and make him start going on walks with me. Heh.

So, hopefully we'll see a difference in his breathing issues over the next few months.

Poor Aries, Roo, Puck and Nyx must be feeling left out. They don't have any health issues. LOL. Not that I *want* them to have any mind you.}:)