I Like Thursday: Thankfulness

Happy Thanksgiving.  May you enjoy time with loved ones (even if it's just yourself).

Rob's been snapping photos before I get up in the morning.  I enjoy discovering them as I download what's on my camera.

We got our first snow on Sunday.  Hard to see, but it was quite misty that morning, too.

Remembering Mabel

I found Mabel (then named Jewel) at the Potter League rescue.  She was bright and cheery when we met her, but simply flopped down exhausted after 30 minutes of meet-and-greet with Wedgwood.  I doubted the wisdom of bringing her home:  she was listed as 5 years old, was so tired, had some signs of neglect and had just lost her long-term cage mate.  I braced myself for heartache and figured she might last a year, tops.  But having met Mabel she had to come home with me.

Turned out to be a really good decision and my predictions were really bad.

Pigless

I Like Thursday: Fruit, Blinky Lights, Porcupine Butt

Got a little bit of everything this week.

I found this little chest at a craft fair two years ago.  It's made from old cranberry crates.  I had never heard of Decas Brothers before, but I found their cranberries at the store last week.  Cool!

Eight, Nine and Ten of Thirteen

Progress slowed a bit. But I'm still plugging along.  Three more done, three more left.

These circles all have gear edging.  I really struggled with the last one - the quilt kept threatening to pucker and the foot got caught on some of the seams.  The tricky bit was that the cogs went all the way around - but they lined up pretty evenly out to the raw edge.  Yay!

The middle one does not yet have its cogs.  The circle is not along the quilt edge and requires the teeth all the way around.  Gotta do some math or some measuring or something so I don't have one teeny-tiny or massively big tooth where the quilting meets.

I Like Thursday: Fun Finds, Flowers and Food

Lots of this and that this week.

My Christmas/Thanksgiving/Whatever cactus (half blooms in the spring) is seriously happy in the sunroom.  I don't know when I've seen this many buds on it.  Just wait until it blooms!

I Like Thursday: Soup, Ringlets, Dresses

Thursday already?  Where has the time been going??

This doesn't look like much (actually, kind of looks like saag), but this Mushroom Spinach Soup is delicious.  It was prettier in the pan, but we were too busy eating it to take a photo until I packed up the leftovers.  The recipe suggests serving with a dollop of yogurt.  Really good!

Had to use up the last of my tote apples along with some cheese and leftover sausage - which adds up to Apple Sausage Pie.  It's a fall favorite.  Rob has converted me in pouring a bit of maple syrup over it.

Yeah, I am looking forward to cooking my favorite fall and winter meals.

Apple Peeling Challenge

It's the time of year for apples.  Yum!  Apple crisp for me, apple peelings for Mabel.

I need to dole out the peelings a little at a time.  Too much all at once will upset a guinea pig's stomach.  So Mabel only gets a few pieces a day.  Plus I make her work for it.  The peelings hang nicely from the grids.  She needs to locate them first, then stretch up to grab them.  As soon as she pulls one down, she runs off to a corner with it to enjoy.

Six and Seven of Thirteen

I've rounded the halfway point for quilting the circles.  I still will have sun-rays and the border to do, but the quilt is held together with more quilting than basting.  Huzzah!

Most of the remaining circles are full round, rather than 3/4 circles. Lots of designing and stitching in those.  I'm trying not to repeat too many patterns, so it's tough to figure out what I want to put on these.  Decisions, decisions.

Houdini

Mabel had been doing well.  She'd been off all the meds since Labor Day.  Her fur had finally grown back.  She'd gained more weight.  Things were looking great!

Then a week or two ago, she started losing weight.  Her paw looked odd - I was afraid the infection had returned.  She's started to be needy, always looking for food and attention, and started to chew apart her cozies.  Clearly not feeling well.

Back to the vet.  More antibiotics.  No fun.

Soon after Mabel went back on the antibiotics, she started pulling this Houdini trick in the morning.  This first photo?  That is a guinea pig on the wrong side of the gate.  At 7am.  Surprised the heck out of me when I pulled the fleece cover off the cage.  How long had she been on the wrong side?  Just since we got up?  Longer?  I suspect it couldn't be too long for the lack of chewed furniture/boxes on the floor and no poo.