Cats, a Quilt, and Horses

With 50 degrees outside already, today looks to be warm. The ravens and crows are playing with Nedi in the back yard, Lovey has been running in and out, and I've been catching up on bill-paying. Maggie slept with me last night, which was unusual, but she was ready to roll at 5:30 this morning. After caring for her, I spent some time with Ooch, and then came home to my kits. Remy had a bad night, and the Rs walk has been cancelled today, so I'm at loose ends for an hour or so.

   Unless some new, really pretty cloth grabs my eye, I have finished purchasing the material for niece Sarah's baby quilt. I'm sewing it by hand, using all cotton cloth and batting that is also 100% cotton. I've started quilting the batting and one side together - I'm quilting around the shapes of the kittens and bears and dolls, etc in one line, skipping a line, and then quilting around the next line. This is the single-side cloth:

The other side is a patterned, pieced quilt of green squares (representing pastures) with a horse or pony on each square; the pasture is surrounded with a five-color jewel-tone background, and will have the edges bound with an aqua print that has cats and dogs practicing yoga. Once it's done, I'll take photos and post them.

   In horse racing news, Hear the Ghost, one of the favorites in this weekend's Santa Anita Derby, is out of racing for 90 days with a "small injury" to his right fore leg. And the breeding world has lost three good, solid stallions: Brian's Time, Coax Me Chad, and Slew City Slew. Coax Me Chad had been pensioned from stud duty, and was 32 years old; he was the second-place finisher in the 1984 Kentucky Derby behind Swale. Slew City Slew, the 29-year-old son of Seattle Slew, was pensioned two years ago. Brian's Song had been winner of the 1988 Florida Derby, and was still active at stud in Japan. He broke his femur and was put down.    *Sigh*     Good-bye to some really good horses....