The 8-lb Christmas Ornament

... and why we don't have any lights or other ornaments up on our tree yet:

So far, he's only tipped it over once, and he climbed right back in as soon as I'd set it upright. We're waiting to see if the thrill wears off. It's an artificial tree, and a bit ratty; I'm half hoping he does enough damage I'll have a reason to junk it come 12/31.

Cosmo has also been helping out in the sewing room. I'm trying to finish up a lap quilt for Mr. de Hilo to use when we lounge on the deck on chilly winter afternoons (when the temperature might plunge toward 70... brrrrr!). It's already a big hit with the cat, who naps on it every chance he gets. When he's not napping, or out chasing birds and geckos, he tries to remove the safety pins with his teeth:

This my first free-motion quilting project, and I'm having fun. My FM stitching is about as bad as it gets, but that's okay, so long as I feel I'm getting better by the time this is done. Mr. de Hilo is unlikely to notice, or to care if he does, that the quilting is a long way from gorgeous. He'll just be touched that I made something for him, for a change, after sewing so many things for myself.

When this one's done, I do also have a deck quilt for myself to finish up. Chances that will happen before Christmas morning are looking slim, but it might get done.

Hope all your Santa projects are coming along... only a week left for elfin sewing!

Look who followed me home...

Ever since moving to Hawaii in 1999, I've been thinking "some day it will be nice to have a cat again." But with no urgency about it. It would happen when it happened. I figured when the time was right the right cat would find me: some fine day I'd go out for a walk and hear a kitten mewing in the grass, or something like that, and that would be it.

The years have gone by and from time to time I've wondered when my cat would appear. Then, this past Monday, Mr. de Hilo and I went for a walk, and on our way up the hill on our usual route this little cutie was crouched in the grass by a banana patch, mewing. I stopped to pet him, as I do any friendly cat. He's not quite a kitten anymore, but still young, about half-cat sized, and just adorable.

On our way back down the hill, he trotted out to the road and followed us (mostly me; Mr. de H could see where this was headed and was staying out of it). When we got to my street, cat still tagging along, a woman from the neighb stopped to wonder if it was the same little black stray her husband reported seeing around her house, a few blocks further down, several days ago.

Little cutie was a bit thin, very hungry/thirsty, but seems otherwise healthy. In 24 hours, he ate two entire cans of tuna and little bit of dry food, and visibly filled out. He is so adorable I couldn't believe no one was looking for him. Tuesday I went all over the neighborhood talking to whoever I could find and flagging down cars: "do you know anyone who's lost a little black cat?", and leaving notes with my phone number in mailboxes. Put a Lost and Found ad on Craigslist, and other in the local paper. Sent emails to local animal shelters, to say if anyone calls looking for a little black cat, pass them my number.

Then we (yes, Mr. de H has fallen for him, too) spent the rest of the week hoping no one would call. Yesterday was the last day of the local "found cat" ad, and the one call we got from it was someone looking for a black cat with a white throat, so not this one. Phew!!

Last night we finally allowed ourselves to believe that we get to keep him. Mr. de H has named him "Cosmo" in honor of "hipster doofus" Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld. I think that's a fine name for a cat.

No sewing got done this week, as free time was spent bonding with and playing with our little cutie. I will have pics of at least one new garment soon, promise.