TEXAS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Yesterday I finally got out to the Texas Renaissance Festival. There's only one more weekend to go so I'm glad I didn't miss it. I love to go, just to get into another world and do some people watching. I also get a lot of exercise from walking to see the multitude of vendors, not to mention the varied performances. I've been going out there for many years and the place has grown and grown. It's getting where you can't really do it justice in one day, but I have my favorite vendors so, if I get to see them, I'm happy.

I have pictures, but they are not ready to post yet, so keep an eye out. I actually went in costume this year, which makes it that much more fun. I had a beautiful deep green dress I got out there a number of years ago. This year, my dear friend and seamstress, Maryellen Mcauliffe, made me a lovely Tudor Robe to wear over the dress. I got so many compliments on it!!

I would highly recommend that anyone visit a renaissance festival near you. It's a day of fun and make believe. It's a great opportunity to get away from the humdrum of everyday living. And if you like people watching, this is the best place ever! There is something about the place that lets people be themselves and have fun.

My friend, Sandi, went out with me this year and we had a blast. It's nice to go with someone who appreciates what a rare opportunity a renaissance festival presents to be someone else in another time for a few hours.

Anyway, pictures to follow. Stay tuned!!

DADDY DAY CARE

I just had to post this picture today. There is a family of kitties living in my back yard and they are truly a family unit. This picture shows the little ones curled up with Daddy for a mid-morning nap. (Mom is scheduled to be trapped and spayed. Then we'll get dad and the little ones.)

Although Daddy can be ornery when other, non-family, cats are around, he is so good with the little ones. He seems to look after them when Mom is off doing whatever Moms do. He's very gentle with them. The cat at the top if the picture is one of his sons from a previous litter. The whole family interacts and plays together and it's really cute to watch. This shows that kitty dads do hang around to help take care of the kids sometimes.

This is a picture taken last month of the whole family together. Kinda cute.

PLUMBING!!

Well, I had an interesting weekend dealing with an elusive water leak. Saturday afternoon I discovered water seeping into the MBR closet. Luckily I have vinyl laminate flooring that I could pull up. Did that and found that the water was coming in under the outside wall. It wasn't coming in fast and once I took up the flooring it just stayed right under the wall. I went outside and looked and could see water coming down the wall under the siding, right where the water supply comes into the house.

I asked my neighbor across the street for his advice. He told me how to look inside the wall for the leak and loaned me the little knife you use to cut sheetrock. I cut in several places, found what I assumed was the water pipe and couldn't find the leak. I thought the water may be coming from the pipe the previous owner had added to take the water to a faucet in the back yard.

On Sunday I decided to eliminate the extra pipe and, in trying to take it all apart I accidentally split a copper pipe. (Lesson learned - always use two wrenches when dealing with copper pipe, one to turn the attachment and one to hold the main pipe since copper is so soft.) My neighbor said it would take soddering to fix it so I called the plumber. He was able to fix that so I could turn the water back on. I thought the original leak was taken care of since no water had leaked in Sunday afternoon. Well, later Sunday evening, after the water had been turned back on and the plumber was long gone, the seepage was back.

I called the plumber Monday morning (I should say plumbing company) and they send out someone very promptly. One thing I found was that I had been checking the wrong pipe! Water rarely leaks from the gas pipe. lol Anyway, he came in, cut away more sheetrock and found where the water was seeping from a soddered joint at the elbow where the pipe turned down to go through the slab. It was a tight space to use a blow torch, but he got it fixed without burning down the house. He did singe a bit of the inside of the siding, but nothing major. A couple of tries with the sodder and a good whack with the wrench resulted in a fix.

Now I will be learning how to patch drywall!! Since that is one of the things my across the street neighbor does for a living, I'm sure I'll be doing it right. For the duration I have a piece of plywood covering the opening to keep the cold air and bugs out and the cats in (they can crawl inside the wall).

I'm just so pleased that this was finally fixed. It was a tiny leak - it didn't even move the water meter - but it could have caused lots of damage. In fact, I was so energized that I sorted out and bagged up some shoes to go to the charity shop and then vacuumed and mopped the bedroom floor, wiped down the walls, windowsills, and furniture. All I need to do to finish is move the bed and clean behind and under it. Wow!!

Anyway, this has been a learning experience and now I know how to tell the difference between water and gas pipes! (Water is smaller copper, gas is bigger black pipe)

NOVEMBER IN HOUSTON

I just wanted to take a minute to share a picture I took this morning of this beautiful hibiscus out on the deck. As much as I lament the lack of seasons here in southeast Texas, there are advantages to having mild weather so late in the year. The trees are still green and the flowers are still blooming. There's still plenty of time for those sudden cold fronts that shock everyone into their coats, but right now it's pretty darn nice. For those folks where it's already snowed or just cold, I'm sorry, but I have to say it -

NEENER, NEENER, NEENER!!!

PICS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL

A couple of weeks ago I went to the International Quilt Festival held here in Houston. It's been going on here for years and this was the first year I actually got my butt in gear and went down there. My oh my it was an experience. There were what seemed like millions of vendors of everything and anything to do with sewing, embroidery and quilting. And the quilts on display were as diverse as any exhibition I had ever seen. By the time I was done looking at everything I was suffering from a severe case of sensory overload!! lol

I did take some pictures of some of the quilts on display that caught my eye and my imagination and I've posted them below. The first two are vintage quilts ca 1845 or so. The rest are contemporary. Enjoy.

NEW BREAST CANCER CHARITY QUILT AUCTION

My online group, Quilters Corner Group, has just listed a beautiful rag quilt on ebay. All of the proceeds of the auction will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Members of the group, including me, contributed a variety of blocks for this quilt and one member sewed it together. It is the best thing we've done so far. Go check it out at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130339687175&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT and make a bid or two. Or three or four! The auction ends October 31 so get a move on!

Isn't there someone you know who would love getting a present as beautiful as this quilt?

INTRODUCING CODY

Here is the lastest member of the family. His provisional name is Cody. I found him out front the morning after the storm moved thru, all wet and dirty, but purring up a storm. He's a cream point with a lot of Siamese in him. I asked around and no one I talked to knew where he belonged so I guess I'll keep him. I know, don't need another mouth to feed, but what else could I do?

Yesterday I took Cody to the vet to get checked out and be sure he didn't have any communicable diseases. Even tho she doesn't usually do surgeries on Mondays, the vet offered to neuter him so I left him there and ran some errands. (I guess it was a slow day.) I picked him up yesterday afternoon all groggy from the anesthesia, but still purring. All his tests came back negative except he has ear mites and hook worms. A dose or two of Revolution should take care of that. He slept most all of the afternoon and evening. And he's about 7 - 8 months old and weighs 7 lbs, which is just about perfect for his age.

This morning he was back to his cuddly, purry self. I've been racking my brain to try to come up with an appropriate name for him and Cody seems to be the top pick. He's residing in the back bedroom with some of the older guys who are a bit hissy, but will accept him when he stops smelling like the vet. Here are a couple of pictures of Cody and one of Ben and Jerry, his new big brothers. Isn't there quite the family resemblance?

Cody

Cody - look at that tail!

Ben (l) and Jerry (r)