Wednesday, October 31, 2012

I Usually Do What I'm Asked...

And it's almost always by my 4-legged kids...let me explain.  Andy was out of town last weekend...he took a quick trip up to Pennsylvania to see some old friends from high school that were gathering in Mercersburg, PA...he left Thursday morning (before the storm set its sights on the east coast) and thankfully got home Sunday late afternoon...(flying out of Baltimore ahead of the storm...he was only an hour late getting home)...OK sorry, back to my story.  Well, you all know that when Andy's out of town I spend hours and hours and hours sewing, except for the last time he went away and I had that horrible cold or whatever it was and I spent the whole time he was gone on the couch...OK back on track again...I started out Thursday after he left wanting to work on my Bounce quilt...I headed upstairs and worked for about 1/2 an hour and Howie started "chatting" at me from the bottom of the stairs...he had a lot to say.  Since they're getting up in years, they don't like to come upstairs so much like they used to.  They used to follow me up and down a dozen times a day, but not anymore.  They still want to be with me, but I'm the one that needs to make the adjustments.  So I gave it a bit of thought and came up with the solution...I'd set up a sewing station at the kitchen table with my small Janome
and work on something else...upstairs machine, Bounce...downstairs machine, other stuff.  As it turned out, I spent most of my time downstairs sewing on "something else"...I'd sew for a bit, they'd be sound asleep, I'd leave the TV on in the kitchen and tiptoe upstairs...I'd be there just long enough to get going good and Howie would start "chatting"...just pitiful...so down I'd come.  I did get my Fat Quarter Shop Mystery block done, some Farmer's Wife blocks, started a Christmas quilt, got binding on Peyton's 1st Birthday quilt, but sure didn't get much done on my Bounce.  So dad's home, I have one more pieced border to do and then the solid outside border...I'll be in the upstairs sewing room, sewing like a wild woman if you need me!
Have a wonderful Halloween!
Thoughts and Prayers going out to all those affected by the storm...take care

17 comments:

Thelma said...

LOL, I would be right there at the kitchen table too, if that's what made Cooper happy. My sewing room is upstairs and Cooper hangs with me all day, I'll be sad when the day comes that he doesn't feel like sewing with me.

I can hardly wait to see your Bounce! I played around with another one and decided I just couldn't improve on the one I had, guess I'm a one Bounce girl!

Darlene said...

LOL - I'd be with my Cooper, as well. He doesn't like to stay in my sewing room for very long as he doesn't care for the whirrrrrr of my machine (strange little dog). However, he does let me know when he's ready for me to pick up my embroidery and sit in the living room with him. :-)

Can't wait to see your Bounce.

Janet O. said...

Cute story, Carol. You may not have worked on your target project, but it sounds like you did get a lot done--and kept the four-legged family members happy and secure with your presence. : )

Stitched With Prayer said...

Oh Carol, This sounds so much like my house. My sewing room in downstairs, now it's harder on me to do the stairs than it is on my older furry kid, but still, she is a Schnauzer so she doesn't 'chatter'...she 'demands'! I keep the sewing room door shut and run a small heater for me (summer and winter as my Scleroderma makes me cold all the time). Ah, but I digress, my Schnauzer Friskie, comes down the stairs and demands to come in. She doesn't bark, she is talking but it is very authoritative doggie language and she is probably lucky I only understand about every other word, LOL. So up I get, open the door, let her in. Ah, she 'makes her bed' under the cutting table by making a terrific mess of the neatly folded blanket that is there for her to lay on...then she curls up on the floor next to it. I settle in and start sewing, then there is a polite scratch at the door...Of course, her little sister Sadie Jo can't be left out, so up I get, open the door, Sadie comes in, studies the mess that Friskie has made of the blanket and stares at it until I refold it more to her liking, then she lays down, a satisfied sigh escapes her polite little self...then, true story this happens every single time we play this game...one them passes gas, it's just moments before all three of us are running up the stairs to escape the green cloud. *note*...I do pause long enough to turn the heater off to avoid an explosion should the green cloud make contact. Now, as I said, this is all true, and that is why I generally spend the time that hubby isn't home upstairs working on stitchery blocks. If he is home, they are satisfied to be with him in the living room. But when he is gone or outside working, this scenario plays over and over again until my knees and hips are not capable of doing the stairs one more time. But you know what??? I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world. But between your story and my story, it does beg the question...Who exactly is in charge...them or us? Well, you and I know the answer to that, don't we? *wink* Hugs...
***I really need to get a small machine that I can use upstairs. My Janome Horizon weighs over 40 lbs and it is monstrous big to carry around.

Bev said...

Boy do I understand! I just spent what seemed like hours (but was probably 5 minutes) trying to get a picture of Charlie and Lola in their Halloween costumes. Sadly, that didn't work and I'm giving treats to get back into their good graces. Have a Happy Halloween! Cheery wave from Bev

Angie said...

The things we are willing to do for our furbabies---Randy always says that pups are more important around here than he is. :D Sounds like you got a LOT done.

Deb said...

Our dog is the same way but it's not related to stairs. She just doesn't like to spend any time in my sewing room, but doesn't want to be alone either! When her dad is at work and I'm at home, she expects me to be where she's at, oh the compromises we'll make for our pets.

Nedra said...

You are such a good mama to your pets. They are fortunate to have your company and attention.

Carrie said...

Lucky me - we have just the one-level. No stairs. Rosie sews with me... Really! She used to love laying her head on my foot while it was on the foot pedal of the machine. It took a few months before she got the message that I would rather she not do that. Now she's just a few feet away and I know every pet lover feels the same way - she is my favorite, best, most welcome sewing buddy.

Give the boys a hug, a scratch and a treat from us. You too. Glad Andy got home safe and sound. I have a good friend who is stuck there until the weekend - at least.

*karendianne. said...

What a great story! I love it. You're a good Mom to the aged pups. (ps: I'm also adjusting and being talked to w/ Sagan @ 13.5. so this post actually made a little tear leak out in a good way)

Diane said...

Maybe Bounce didn't get done, but you sure got a lot of other stuff done! I start my Bounce next week at a quilt retreat. It's all cut, sorted and ready to go.

Gypsy Quilter said...

This is insightful. Eventually I'm sure I'll be doing the same thing. Good thing I have an extra sewing machine. It sounds as if you've gotten a lot done though.

Fabric Quilt Shop said...

LOL, I know what you are talking about. My Sasha isn't old but she doesn't like the stairs. All my sewing stuff is susposed to be upstairs but for now the projects I'm working on are on my kitchen table with my sewing machine. This works great because my husband likes to watch TV and eat in his chair plus after walking quilt market for several days I really don't want to keep going back and forth upstairs every couple of minutes.

suemac said...

My dogs love laying in the sewing room next to my feet. I don't mind until they lay on the presser foot and my sewing machine starts sewing away.

Wendy said...

We really do listen when our pets are calling. Lula always comes to get us when she thinks we should be going to bed. I have a nasty cold today....grrr.

Ranch Wife said...

I'm glad that Andy made it home safely. Mine was away this weekend too and I sewed till the cows came home. Funny, it used to be the kids and now it's the pets who we cater to. It happens in this house too. :) Sounds like you had a productive weekend working on a myriad of fun projects.

Josie McRazie said...

And I thought I was a sucker stooping one day to make a doggy pillow for Archie, who kept either sitting on my chair every time I got up or trying to sit in my lap every time I sat at my machine! He now sits on his pillow (in front of the radiator) right behind my sewing machine! He is a chihuahua cockerspaniel mix.