Cataracts and Raccoons!

Ok, now that I have your attention.....

Wednesday nite about 10:30 I was sitting at the table checking emails when I heard scratching on the living room screen.  Usually Miss Kitty (our outside kitty) will "claw" the window if she wants me to come out or if she wants food.  So I grabbed her food dish and headed out to the porch.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was not Miss Kitty but a raccoon who had gotten up and was pawing at the window.  Guess she was hungry and wondering why I had not left the food dish outside for her to eat!  I dont usually bring in the food dish until about 11 but I had brought it in early Wed nite.  I'm tellin' you-these animals around here think that we are a 24 hr diner!  Even the birds let me know they were not happy with us on Wed. morning.  They had gone thru all their food Tues. so Wed. they came up on the porch and were eating out of the cat's food dish....  I think we have created monsters....  The raccoon did not run off to far.  I sat out on the porch for a while and she found a pecan on the ground and broke it open and ate it.  Then she scampered off.    On Thurs. Ken went in and had right eye cataract surgery.  All went well and we were home after several hours.  We went to the doctor yesterday for post op check up.  He said all was good.  We go back in 1 week.  After 4 weeks if Ken is happy with results, we've had no problems and vision is improved, then we will schedule his left eye.  Then he will have oh so much better eyesight.  He will still have to wear glasses due to his astigmatism but thats ok.  Dont know if I would know him without the glasses!  I hope everyone is staying inside and cool.  Those of us in Texas are suffering something awful with this drought...our yard is so crunchy - no longer lush and green.  Miss it cause now I have to wear shoes out in the yard.....hurts to walk on the grass now since it is so dry.  We pray for rain daily but it just doesnt happen!  I was reading in the paper yesterday that 7 weeks ago 25% of Texas was in severe drought conditions and now 75.5% of Texas is in severe drought conditions....that only 2 counties are not in the severe drought category.  Now that is super scary.  We spend almost all day in the house....I sit out on the porch early morning and at nite.  There is usually a nice little breeze that helps make it comfortable.  We have Miss Lily (9) coming out the first week of Aug. for her stay.  She has already let me know she wants to sew/quilt.  So think I have an easy pattern for her and we will make a big 24 x24" floor pillow unless she just has to do a quilt like her sister.  Well, that is it from Webberville.  Remember to hug those you love.  Love, hugs and kisses from us...Ken and Glynda :)

Here is Miss Kitty busily sewing her first quilt.

You've heard of WHERE"S WALDO - well here is my version.....WHERE'S LUCY!...

Here is Kitty with her finished quilt.  I cant get over what an awesome job she did!  It was bound with black fabric and backed with the same black.  We used buttons to tie the quilt instead of quilting each square.

Well, hard to believe a week has come and gone.  I am trying to figure out where summer has gone.  With school starting Aug. 22 the summer is almost over now.  WOW!  This is a busy week for us.  Yesterday I went and helped my niece Cherry and my sister Beckie get Cherry's class room ready.  She is in a new class room this year so there was a lot to set up.  Today Ken had his 2nd fitting of his new leg.  Looks like if the modifications made today are good then at the next fitting - probably 2-3 weeks from now - they will be able to order the final leg.  Yahoo.  The new leg will have a foot that flexes some so it will make ambulating easier.  Right now there is no flexion in his foot.  We are so excited.  Tomorrow (Wed.) we go to Seton Northwest for his pre op appointment for his cataract surgery.  Then we go back to the hosp. on Thurs for the surgery, and Fri. AM we have post op visit.  So the week will be busy.  Hope nextg week I can get out in the shop and finish up a couple of projects I am working on.  I have had the neatest bird come up in the back yard.  I have tried to get pictures of it - but it is so skiddish  - flies away each time I go out and stays away until I come in the house.  It is a small bird about the size of a chickadee.  The head is blue, body red and wings green.  I have had 2 in the yard.  I am gonna have to get a book on Texas birds and see if I can find out what it is.  If anyone knows please let me know.   When we lived in Arlington I worked for an orthopedic surgeon and his son Dane is now in NY singing opera.  Go to YouTube.com and search Dane Reese and see his clips and hear him sing....OMG!!!! he is so wonderful.  He has been in Italy this week at a Italian Opera Festival singing.   He was invited to attend....so shows you how good he is.  Would love for yall to go take a look.   Well, I had better go...Americas Got Talent is coming on.....gotta see what Pierce Morgan has to say today!  Love to all....Ken and Glynda :)

It appears that we are boring Ethel beyond measure!  Guess she is saying..."mom! not another picture".

We got out in the shop to play with my new Cricut cartridge - here Kitty made a 4" Sweet Shop building.  Isnt it the cutest little thing.

Next we made a 71/2" house from the same cartridge. This is the best cartridge.  It makes boxes that look like a cupcake, a double dip ice cream cone, a cake slice, these houses and shops.  They will hold treats are you can add the insert and they will hold 1, 2 or 3 cupcakes.

Next we used Campin' Critters and made tents - these are cut at 7 1/2" - they even have the slit in the flap so you can go inside the tent.  We made no cards this time, but we went wild with the Cricut

Kitty was working on her quilt, and  we were laying the squares out as we made them, and Lucy had to get on top of them and roll around...

And here is Kitty showing off her first quilt ever!  And not only is this her first quilt but her first time to sew.  She did a wonderful job - so proud of her.  It measures 40" x 50" - made up of 20 10"  blocks....so a big project for her first attempt! 

Well, it is hard to believe that summer is half over....dont know where time has gone to.  It is just flying by.  I must admit that since it is so hot outside that we are both staying inside a lot more this summer.  I am either in the house or in the shop.  As you can tell by the first few pics I am playing with my Cricut a lot.  I have not really done a lot with the 3D portions of the cartidges so this past week while Kitty was here I did.  Thurs/Fri Lily was also here so all 3 of us made sweet shop and house.  Ken has gone in and had the casting made for his new leg.  Cant believe that it is time for him to get a new leg.  He has had the first fitting, adjustments were made, it has been sent back to company and we are awaiting the revised model to come in.  He will have probably 5 or 6 fittings to get it just right and then the final leg will be made.  We are hoping to have it by time we go to Georgia for Sept. wedding.  We have been pretty quiet this summer, we have made a trip to Tyler and we plan another one in Aug. if all goes well.  Cherry's girls have a busy summer but are finding time to come to "Camp MooMoo" as Kitty calls it. (LOL).  Too funny.  She thinks I should do this for a living...have a summer camp and teach everyone to sew.  I DONT think so.  I chose the crazy string quilt for her cause it is oh so forgiving, and for someone who has never sewn before - the perfect start.  Lily will be here next week for her week and she wants to learn to sew to.  Think for her we will do a pillow or something smaller.....at 9 think a big project will be tooooo much.  We started sewing Kitty's  quilt top around noon, broke for dinner and then finished up at 12:30am.....yep - I said 12:30am!!!!  She was like this sewing machine.....more MooMoo, more!!!!!  But we stopped at 20 blocks.  We got up the next day and sewed all the blocks together.  Today I will add the backing and batting, and then instead of quilting it, I am gonna tie it at the intersections of the X.  We are using bright neon colored flip flop buttons.....gonna be great.  She is still admazed that she did this all herself.  All I did was cut the fabrics, and then iron.  I taught her to use the rotary cutter, but it scared her a bit.....so she left cutting to me.  Now she wants to do another one....to learn a new quilt pattern.  We are thinking of doing a log cabin, or 9 patch pattern.  These are less forgiving, will be a bit more challenging but still an easy one for her to do.  It seems hard to believe that this time last year Ken had already had a couple of surgeries and we were still looking at several more.  He had a rough year last year, but this year we  have been blessed and he is doing so much better.  I am lovin' the new power chair.  He doesnt really use it much in the house, but it is so wonderful when we get out and about....he just zooms everywhere.  I will get a pic of the finished quilt and post it next time.  Will probably have pics of Lily and her projects.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week and make sure to hug the ones you love...... Ken and Glynda :)