Sad...

I took Tuggy to the vet today and had her put to sleep. It was so sad. I stayed with her because I knew how nervous she is with other people, so I wanted to be there to hold her. She was just getting so weak and was throwing up and peeing outside of her litter box on a rug. She just wanted to lay next to us on the couch and get petted. When I took her in to the vet I held her in my arms and cuddled her and she let me do it. She never wanted to be held, but she let me hold her today. I got her wet with tears dropping on her while I cuddled her. The people at the vet were so nice and our regular vet came in to talk to me and pet Tuggs, and to tell me I was doing the right thing. Another doctor did the actual deed. I had not stayed with a pet before. Usually I made Rich take the animal in, and he never stayed. So this was a new experience for me. A very sad experience. Tuggy was really my cat. She had a special connection to me from the minute I saw her. So this was very hard today. I woke up about an hour ago, thinking about her and what she looked like when she died. I couldn't sleep, so I got up and came down to work on the computer. I needed to post this so my friends know that it is over.

Tomorrow is the day...

we get to pick up our new computer! It is exciting, because it is going to be more up to date and faster and and and... woooo hoooo! I spent tonight backing up my documents so that I can put them on the new computer. We will still have the other computer, and will update it and put it upstairs for DS and DGD to use. We have been looking at desks to get one for it. We won't get a very expensive one, but it'll be good for the guest room.

I only have the last borders to put on the baby quilt for our friends' grandson. Then I can quilt it. I have spring break coming up in two weeks, and if I have that one done I can go on to quilt another one. We have four days of school next week and four more the week after, and then 10 days off. I am going to make a list of what I want to do. I am in the mood to clean things like closets, drawers, etc. Maybe it comes from always doing spring cleaning when I was growing up. It'll feel good to get things clean and tidy. Now, if only the spring weather would come with this wanting to spring clean! Being able to open up the doors and windows would be nice. Oh well, at least I'll get things straightened out! I have to keep myself off the computer playing games and also buying things! I ordered thread for my fun quilter. I ordered some things for the house, and I ordered things for my Scooba, like an extra battery and cleaning solution.

I need to get moving so I don't fall asleep!

20...

That's the number of times that I still have to do grades before I retire. I finished grades yesterday. I don't know who sets up this school schedule, but they sure aren't thinking about teachers! We are in the middle of parent/teacher conferences (last time tonight for this go-round), and grades are due. We also had a half day staff development before conferences on Friday, and I was a presenter. Then we had a department meeting, and I have to add things to our action plan to send to the Principal for her report. I have to put in a supply order, order things with our parent money (Parent Communication Association, or PCA, has a fund raiser each fall and gives each department $800). I also have to type up department meeting notes to send to the principal. OK, are we having fun yet? Do we have enough STRESS yet? Hmmmm? And people wonder why we make all this "big money!" Oh yeah, and before this 12 hour day, I woke up at 4:00 and couldn't get back to sleep. Coffee is ready. Time out to get a cuppa.



Oh, and after tonight, only 18 more sets of conferences.



Our cat has diabetes. With her being so skittish, I couldn't see giving insulin shots, and the oral medication didn't work, so she is dying. I told DGD about it on Sunday, and she really cried. She just hates losing pets. I talked to her about the cycle of life, and how animals don't live as long as people, and how it is still worth having pets, even though we lose them, because of the joy and love they bring to us. After while she calmed down. I gave her my camera and let her take as many pictures as she wanted to. Then I took some of her with her head on the cat. That tells you how sick the cat is... letting DGD "hug" her instead of running away! But... I think the cat felt her distress and it was a way of comforting her (tolerating the hugs). I'll print pictures for DGD to have when the cat is gone (soon now, I think). DGD was angry with me for telling her, but this way she has the pictures with the cat, and she has warning that the cat won't be here one day when she comes.



Last night I met with the knitting group. Mostly it is just me and one other person. She is younger than my boys, but we have fun. She considers herself a "geek". She majored in statistics in college. I think she is a very intelligent and friendly young lady, and I like her a lot. The Green Bay group meets twice a month. We have had other come, but not come back (guess I scared them away). Sometimes some come from Appleton, where the gal is who started the group, but not last night. I am on my 3rd pair of socks. I am doing this one with the 40" circular needle, using the magic loop method. So far I like it (once I got the hang of it, and after starting the sock 5 times...) I am on the heal right now. we'll see how the rest of it goes.



I finished some blocks for one of the members of my Dear Jane group. Somehow we got making blocks for each other. I didn't want to be the only one who didn't want to do it. It is all so new for these gals. So I said I'd do it. Now, we aren't making DJ blocks, mind you, but we are making 9" or 12" blocks for each other. I have one set to go. I'm last, which is OK with me. I have to make some churn dash blocks yet. I am having them make 9" double nine patch blocks for me. They should be able to do that if they can make DJ blocks. The ones I did this time are somthing I designed. She wanted hearts and crosses on hers, in green and pink. So I did a 16 block, on point, with a different color to show up as a cross when on point. Then I added semi-circles to two sides to make it a heart. I appliqued the heart on to a background. The backgrounds are pink, the hearts green and the crosses are bright pink. I did it that way because then I could make them out of fabric I had here. I had more pinks than green that would go together. So, I hope she likes them. She better appreciate them with the extra time to applique them! (I know she will.)



I bought some batting so I can finish the baby quilt for our friends' grandson. I have the blocks up on the design wall. I did a rail fence with blue and orange making the zigzags, and yellow and green in the centers of the squares. I found some dinosaur (cartoon type) fabric which I used to pull the colors from, and it will be the borders and backing. I put it up on the wall, and decided I didn't like the dino fabric right next to the blocks. So I went and got some red fabric to put a narrow border and also the binding. I hope it does the trink. There's no red in the center, but there is red in the dino print. I have enough fabric/blocks to make a second baby quilt, if I back it with another fabric (which I also bought). This is the only fabric I have purchased recently. I am trying to only buy fabric for the four "B's"- borders, batting, backing and binding. And that's only if there isn't anything I can use in my stash. I don't have a lot of "baby" type fabrics, being more partial to the darks, so for that I had to buy some brights. I won'[t have much left for a stash though. Some day I'll use all my bright scraps to make one more baby quilt. They look great with black and whites. Time for more coffee. Boy, I really need it... I just came down with a cup with only cream in it. I forgot to add the coffee!



This Saturday I will get back to that baby quilt and at least get the top done. I have spring break coming up soon, and I hope to get that and another UFO quilted. It feels so good to be getting things done!



I need to make another throw rug. I have fabric to cut strips from, but can't find my pattern or size Q crochet hook! So I went out and purchased a new hook, and asked a friend for the pattern since I lost it on my computer when it crashed last year. Haven't heard back from her about it yet. I know she has it, because she taught classes on rug crocheting and had typed up her version of the pattern. I have fabric that my aunt gave to me when she couldn't sew any more. I've been using that in rugs because I am a quilt shop fabric snob, and this is from JoAnn's. I just know for quilts I want the higher quality fabric. If I am going to put that much time into it, I want something that will last, and not fade, etc. But for rugs, it works fine.

The other day I ordered a bunch of thread for my fun quilter. I love King Tut thread (Superior). It works well on my machine and it is varigated. I bought colors that I can use on my UFOs. I also ordered floor washing solution for my Scooba. Plus an extra battery. Then DH and I went out and ordered a new computer. It is being built at a local place and should be ready to pick up this weekend. I am also going to get a laptop. We also looked for new furniture for our living room, but didn't find anything we liked (I have a "vision"). Everything out there is retro 50's and 60's. UGH! UGLY!!! Maybe it's a good thing that we didn't find anything. After my other expenditures, I might have to save some more!

Speaking of saving, I've been making double payments on our house. It will be paid off before we retire. Then all we have to do is figure out how to pay the property taxes...

Better go now and pack my lunch and get ready for school. At least waking up early gave me some time to write this! A bit long, huh?