New sampler coming soon, and oh my gosh, a house full of kittens

Kitten season is definitely here -- I took two phone calls today from people who had found small (bottle-feeder) kittens.  They needed advice on what to do.  And earlier this week, PetSmart called me...some guy had run in with a box of kittens, set them on the counter, and hustled back out.  (That's what I get for becoming known around town as a crazy cat lady.)

The whole litter received rock star (ladies) names.  They all looked similar, and three were bobtails.  They are going into foster care at the shelter for a few weeks, and except for some fleas, these babies are healthy and happy.

Our little Mercy isn't so little anymore.  She's nearing the two pound mark, which means she'll soon go up for adoption.  We've had her since the day she was born, so it has been a joy to watch her grow.  She originally was about the size of a roll of quarters.  Now she's leaping, bounding, meowing, playing, wrestling her friends and enjoying the heck out of life.  She's definitely got a joie de vivre!

My bottle feeders took up so much of my time the last month.  But I was happy to help them.  They still have a ways to go, but they're developing, learning, and having a ball.  Plus, I'm like the Pied Piper around here.  Everywhere I go, I've got a gaggle of kittens following me.  I have to mind my feet and walk softly.

Above is Smee napping with Ty (who we adopted last year.)  Smee is my faithful little companion.  If I'm out of sight, he meows and meows, and he loves a good cuddle.

As proof to his cuddling abilities, please notice Smee (nose and cheek visible) sleeping with his sister, Ariel.

Ursula is a black beauty.  This picture was taken right as her eyes were changing from blue to green.  She's independent, quiet, and even keel, and she will have medium-length hair.  This whole litter has been very sweet.

We interrupt these kittens with a brief sampler announcement.  This was taken a while ago, but I am making good progress on a new (original) sampler design.  I'm stitching in silks on 40 count linen and will release a supply list soon.  The look I was going for was "dusty summer," and I've used brown/rose, a root beer color, a caramel color, a deep sooty grey, a few rusty reds...it's really turning out nicely, and it's been fun to stitch.  Lots of little surprises in this one, and a few specialty stitches.

The working title is "Jesus wept."  It is often quoted as the shortest bible verse.  The thing I like about it is that it shows Jesus' humanity -- it is a human condition to feel sad and weep.  It says volumes about his humanity to show sorrow and grief.

I'll also take this opportunity to plug my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LettersGreatandSmall.  I've been busy adding new things every week -- now I've got over 700 items in the shop, including almost 300 different sampler designs.  I've been able to get more of some old (classic/beautiful) Carriage House Samplings designs that the distributors aren't carrying anymore, as well as some Scarlet Letter samplers, the new Lizzie Kate designs, and some fabuloso scissors by Bohin (they're lime green, cherry red and sunshiny yellow.)

I'm also having a CLEARANCE, so if you type the word "clearance" in the "search this shop" bar on my shop, you'll find everything that's on sale (up to 50% off!)

Okay, back to kitties, because there are more!!!  This is dear little Wendy.  She has been one of my favorites, because she's quiet, calm, gentle, and humble.  She was the only one who didn't scratch and bite for the bottle (she sat on my knee and waited her turn.)

And this is Ace, aka Prince Eric.  He is HUGE (already at about 1 1/4 pounds.)  He's got long legs, a long body, and LOOOOOONG hair.  I had made a comment on my Facebook page that he seemed a little slow -- that was confirmed by our shelter vet who did some tests on him.  She said she believes he has a slight brain abnormality, which means it takes him a while to catch on to things, but he eats, cleans himself, uses the litter box, and is absolutely darling.  He will make someone the most lovable cat!

My husband loves Dwarf (we call him Gentle Ben.)  He has a very, very gentle demeanor and loves to just sit with you.  I think he'll be pretty big, but he has got a great personality and is a really attractive little cat.  In this picture, he's getting beaten up by Ariel, but you can see he doesn't worry too much about that.

This is Ariel.  She has been one of the most demanding, grabby, bite-y, complaining-est kittens I've ever had.  Well, she had been.  (One day while I was bottle feeding her, she lunged at my face and bit my nose so hard I bled, simultaneously gouging the bags under my eyes with her needle-like claws.)  Now, though, she has about 30-50 kisses a day for me, again and again and again.  She's calmed right down, is very polite and loving, and she is a doll baby.  She's been a good lesson in patience for me.  And of course I love her.

Life is so good.  It makes me happy to see these little boys and girls grow and learn about the world.  I opened the window one day, and little Wendy just sat looking at the big, big world, marveling at it all.  I am so gosh darn blessed to have time with them.