Category: Toby

He Wasn’t Really Dancing

Karen1 Comment

I mentioned Dancing Cats Feline Health Center on Friday, and at the risk of telling yet another cat story, I have to mention it again today. Toby had to go there last Wednesday for an eye infection; they were really nice; he didn’t mind being there (until they tried to take his temperature); and he got eye drops to clear things up.

But the drops weren’t clearing things up, so I left a message Saturday morning when they were closed, thinking I wouldn’t hear back from them over the weekend. But only an hour later the vet called and had me come in to get oral antibiotics, and called again yesterday to see if they were working. (Fortunately, they were, because it wasn’t fun for anyone involved to make sure Toby got eye drops and liquid medicine.)

But my point is: great vet, who remembers people by their cat’s name, who comes in on weekends to check messages, and who names her clinic Dancing Cats.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Brand New Bag

Karen1 Comment

I got the feeling on Friday (get it, James Brown fans?) to ignore my dirty windows and screens and to work on a new bag instead. I’ve made purses for myself before, but have always been a little dissatisfied with how they turned out–too small, the zipper looked lumpy, the interfacing didn’t bond right, etc.

But I got so sick of carrying an old bag that I bought in the days of credit (that I probably just paid off) that I decided to try again. And it turned out well: It’s big enough to hold a bottle of wine, my minimum size requirement (putting wine in a purse happens more than you’d think); there’s a magnetic snap instead of a zipper; and the interfacing is just fine.

Toby likes it, too. Although he prefers his grocery bag.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Cat Hair Everywhere Edition

Karen1 Comment

I started this project weeks before Toby L. Cat showed up, but I got the decorative strip pinned on and then lost all steam to finish. Last week I finally sewed the strip down and added ties to keep the sides shut.
What is it, you ask? A sewing machine cozy, of course. It keeps things like dust and cat hair out of the machine and it keeps interesting small chewable things hidden from Toby.
I’m glad I got this out of the way because I feel a project-filled weekend coming up: The navy gingham will be here soon, and yesterday I got fabric for a new summer handbag project.

Which is, of course, Toby-approved:

Tuesday Project Roundup: Nothing To Show But Toby

Karen1 Comment

I still need to photograph the pattern and the four variations I’ve made from it that I talked about last week, but I got distracted and photographed Toby watching birds out the window:

I’ve been knitting, too–a cotton cardigan to wear over dresses in the summer–but there’s really nothing to see yet, since I’m not past the shoulders and it’s just plain stockinette. If you want to imagine it in tan, it’s this pattern.

And inspired by the goat pictures and Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, I’ve ordered some navy gingham to make into a dress that hopefully will come off more like a sophisticated nod to hobby farms than Dorothy from Kansas. (We shall see.)

Toby approves of the crafty plans. And birds.

Toby!

Karen6 Comments

After one trip to the PetSmart Saturday adoption, one last-minute test for FIV, two different kinds of treats, three different kinds of food, twenty-four daylight hours of hiding under the bed, seven nighttime hours of yowling loud enough to wake the upstairs neighbors, one kitty bed, one purchased mouse toy, one homemade yarn toy, one robe tie that became a toy, and half a bag of catnip, Toby has joined the household:

And I’m so glad he did, because I was seriously doubting my cat-whispering skills during the Saturday Night of Yowls. Thankfully that was followed by the Sunday Night of “I’ll Sleep So Close To You You Won’t Be Able To Roll Over And You’ll Get A Leg Cramp But You’ll Love It Because I Am So Very Cute.”