Much happier news!

After the recent sadness we are ready for something happier, and now it's been officially announced so we can tell, too......we are having a grandkid!  Due in early January.  Never thought we would see the day, you know......we will be somewhat elderly first-time grandparents so I, for one, will not be getting down on the floor giving horsey rides or tossing said kid up in the air.  Not with my crook shoulder.

Fabric has been both purchased and sourced from the stash for a 'welcome to the world' present, pattern has been traced and pinned onto the fabric, and while I'm fairly sure the parents-to-be never read my blog (I doubt they even know I have one, if the truth be known) you will have to wait to see what is being made......but I'm fairly sure you can guess.

The star print fabric is for body, head and legs, the sharp green (which has been in my stash since forever ago and is rather gorgeous) is for ears and snout, while the felt is for claws and the nose which is appliquéd on with the matching thread.  At this stage the kid's gender is not known but trust me - even if they have a girl there won't be much pink coming from this quarter.

I believe grandmothers are usually known by warm fuzzy names like Nanna, Nanny, Grandma, Granny (heaven forbid), or Grammy.......I'm afraid that's not me.  A cultured person like what I am would much prefer to be known by a more elegant title - Grandmama, or perhaps Grandmère.  Much more my style, don't you think?

Both my grandmothers were known as Nanna - Nanna Davis and Nanna Eldridge - my maternal grandfather was Pop Davis, while my paternal grandfather was called that - Grandfather Eldridge.  He had migrated from England as a young bloke and was always quite formal, there was not much warm and fuzzy about him.

Poor Bianca The White Cat hasn't been herself lately, over the weekend she couldn't even keep down water so first thing Monday morning off to the vet she went, where she stayed until late Tuesday afternoon.  They managed to get her hydrated (she had lost a lot of body fluid), and she has eaten some food and keep most of it down.  Blood tests showed no apparent cause, but she is slowly recovering.  She was not a good cat at the vet's, had to be completely sedated to get blood for testing, and managed to pull out her drip.  She is usually not that badly behaved, but I suppose that's what happens when you don't feel well and are a bit scared.  I wouldn't be on my best behaviour in similar circumstances either, let me tell you.

Our winter weather has been very wintry, and Sunday and Monday were extremely cold.  On Monday afternoon I saw what I thought was rain falling in front of some of the distant trees on the hill behind us and a few drops  fell in our back yard, but something about the way they were dancing and swirling in the air made me check......and I'm pretty sure it was snow, or at least sleet.   It certainly wasn't rain.  Yesterday and this morning it was cold and frosty enough that water in the bird baths froze.  One of the yellow-beaked little black bastard birds that continually dig up our garden tried to get a drink this morning and couldn't get its beak through the ice.  Serves it right.

"Home Training.
Our earliest and best recollections are associated with home.  There the first lessons of infancy are learned.  The mother's heart is the child's first school-room.  The parent's examples are first imitated by the child, whose earliest impressions are gained from them.  In no way are evil habits more effectually propagated than by example, and therefore parents should be what they wish their children to be."

Nothing about grandparents setting a good example, you notice.

Enjoy your days!