Since we're kitten-sitting, and the bigger cats have decided they don't like Rey (no surprise; strange kitten in THEIR household!), the kitten is getting shut in the shower room at night. Which does have the side effect of making it unavailable to us, especially since her food/water/litterbox/bed are set up in the shower. So last night, for the first time, the remodelled master bath got used for something other than Squiddle's baths.

In short, I think we picked a good showerhead. ^_^ We may need a liner shower curtain, though. The pretty decorative one doesn't adhere well to wet wall; water can get beyond it onto the floor.

Yep, as expected, Dr. Arora ordered a three-hour blood glucose test for me. Which needs ten hours of fasting beforehand! So my parents minded Alexander this morning while I took care of that. It involved: blood draw; drink bottle of orange glucola; wait an hour; another blood draw; wait an hour; another blood draw; wait an hour; another blood draw. It was half past one before I was free to go and finally have food/breakfast/lunch. Oddly, though, I wasn't actually hungry at any point. More just feeling like I should be hungry.

On the way home I stopped at the farm stand between home and my usual hospital and picked up the flat of #2 (smaller) berries I'd phoned and asked they put aside for me. They have the best berries. Tomorrow begins the annual jam-making!

Tonight was quilt guild. I got asked if I can take over Block of the Month, as the woman who runs that and the Quilts For Kids group and is Parlimentarian has suddenly been promoted and has to move to NorCal within a month. Apparently this happens every time she's Parlimentarian? Last time it involved her moving to Afghanistan for a year! I told the guild president I'd think about it and talk to Jill about what it involves. I think it's light enough duty that I could handle it, even with chibi #2 appearing in September... the only bit that might be tricky is having to get to the meetings about forty minutes earlier than I currently do.

And my parents are going out of town in a couple weeks, so they've asked us to kitten-sit. That will be a fun exercise in logistics, with two cats of our own and a toddler. But Squiddle was playing nicely (under supervision) with Rey today, so maybe all I have to worry about is how my two cats will react to the temporary interloper....

Went to the new quilt guild meeting this morning. Had a great time. The members were friendly (though I suspect at 39, I was the youngest person in the room - but then that's almost true of my other quilt guild as well) and the guest speaker was great. I wish I was able to take her class tomorrow! But (a) I hadn't cleared babysitting Squiddle with my mother, and (b) the class was full anyway.

I'd actually been to this guild before, something like fifteen years ago when was taking my grandmother to it. But that's a lifetime ago! The main reasons I hadn't been attending it since I got back into quilting were (a) daytime meetings, thereby necessitating child care for Squiddle, and I do not want to take my parents for granted in that respect, and (b) the fact that it's second Wednesday morning of the month meetings - and my other guild is second Tuesday evening of the month meetings. Which mean most months (though not this one) the meetings will be back to back! But I had a really good time, so I'm glad I'd decided ahead of time to pay full membership dues rather than just be a visitor/guest for my first meeting.

After that, and after lunch with my parents and Skyping my inlaws so they could see Squiddle open a package they'd sent to him, my mother, Squiddle, and myself went off to the Orange County Animal Shelter so my mother could visit and adopt a kitten she'd bonded with. "Her" cat was killed by a pack of coyotes a couple weeks ago. One of her neighbors has a security camera and caught it on tape. Never let anyone tell you there isn't wildlife in the middle of suburbia! But she was ready, and the two-month-old black kitten was active, curious, and friendly. Squiddle wanted to hold him, but we agreed that was a bad idea - he can pet the kitten (thus far nameless) when someone else is holding him, but not hold him his very own self.

Downside to the day: seem to've caught Squiddle's headcold from the other day. Or, at least, I have a scratchy throat, no energy to make dinner, little want to sew, and not overmuch desire to go to my writing class tonight. :(

ETA: Definitely sick. Not a good week for this.

Cuddled all six kittens--still only one has eyes open. Experienced miniature earthquake. Finished long book (review coming... tomorrow). Sewed dress bodice finally. Turned it right side out and stuck a gazillion pins back in. Going to bed now, dealing with the rest tomorrow.

Weather has finally cooled off. Thank god. I checked my potted plants this morning and though some of them definitely show signs of "crisping" I think the ones who've survived until now will recover. I took the time to plant seeds to replace those that didn't make it... or in some cases never sprouted. Hopefully the habeneros will come up because I now have no more of those seeds! But the corn and melons and cucumbers are sprouting, and the basil and dill surprised me by also starting to poke their heads aboveground.

...Just gotta start prepping beds to put all this bounty in, eventually.

Kittens continue to number six. They're bigger now and more active and I think eyes are starting to open, but I didn't really get a chance to check that this morning as Greystoke was there glaring at me. (The mama has finally developed a defend-the-kittens instinct. Not that I've ever been fool enough to touch her babies and leave my scent on them; I look and admire only.)

Since it was finally cool enough to try on my dress mockup last night and make some alterations, I'd much rather be at home sewing (or digging up a garden) right now. ;_; But we can't always have what we want, can we....

The kitten has at least temporarily been named "Sushi" on the basis that he's white on the outside and frequently has fish inside him.

I've also added some pictures of my always-in-progress patio garden. I got inspired to take 'em on Tuesday when I glanced out there and Paris was staring up at a hummingbird that had perched on my (dead) pea vines. Which got taken out this morning so I can put another crop in there instead.

Cut-tagged to preserve all y'all's friends pages.... More pics of all three can be found in my scrapbook.

( Paris )

( Spot )

( Spot and his sister Whitey )

I'd forgotten just how much stress taking care of a kitten causes! They're so small (1.2 pounds) compared to adult cats that anything that goes wrong goes wrong FAST. Spot has a touch of diarrhea, possibly caused by the deworming stuff or possibly from something else. I'm worried that he's not eating and drinking enough. Plus he was separated from his sister today and I'm keeping him away from Paris until he gets tested for FiV/FeLV in two weeks. Two weeks of isolation for a baby! At least I'm pretty sure that he's okay for a warm place to sleep... I put the cat carrier half on the heating pad (on low) and lined the sides with towels. Maybe I'll try mixing up some kitten formula in the morning and thinning out the solid kitten food with that to see if he likes it better that way....

Ash is dead. He passed away in my arms about twenty minutes ago. I don't feel as bad about this as I expected to. We took him home from the hospital and did the best we could, but I guess he was just too small and weak. Which is not to say it doesn't still hurt a lot. We'll burying him tomorrow under one of the rosebushes in my parents' yard.

Strange how someone you've known less than a week can become so dear....