Hail to the Red, White & Blue

This year, I had to work over the 4th of July holiday.

On July 3rd, I "had to" attend the Heritage Days dance, featuring The Michael D Band and Derryl Perry, to sell raffle tickets.

On the 4th, my day started with a parade (the first parade I've ever been in!).

I was ready.

fellow paraders

And ended with...

It was a VERY long day, and I was VERY tired.

My house, though, looked very festive, thanks to the cute little flag I found at the Goodwill in Maquoketa last fall.

 (I buy stuff when I see it.)

I love how rustic it looks!  It's perfect for the front porch of a little house in a little town in Iowa.

And I think I paid about $2 for it.

I was back at work Friday morning, but did NOTHING Friday night or Saturday.

On Sunday, though, my boyfriend & I took advantage of a few hours of uncharacteristically dry weather...

Seven hours, and 150 miles, later we'd had breakfast at The Riverview Cafe in Guttenberg, Iowa,

stopped for a lemonade (really!) at Uncle Sam's Saloon in McGregor, Iowa,

and drove through every town in between (on both sides of the river!) - Holy Cross, Luxemburg, Marquette, Prairie du Chien, Glen Haven, Cassville, Potosi...

It was another long (but fun!) day.

I was glad to get home to this, though...

Getting big!

Hopefully Winavie at Lemons & Chambray found some good red, white & blue deals this month!

Hazel

Kevin & I went to a garage sale in his neighborhood on Saturday, and as soon as we walked in, I saw this little, furry blur run across the floor.  I looked closer, and it was a kitten!

Kevin (jokingly) asked "how much for the cat?".

The people holding the sale were thrilled!  Apparently, a stray cat had kittens in their backyard and they were very anxious to find homes for them.

One guy ran over to the corner where she was hiding, picked her up and handed her to me.

She was cute, but I wasn't sold.

I specifically wanted a small dog that didn't shed, not a cat that most definitely will.

Plus, she was small - too small, I thought, to be taken away from her mother.

But Kevin convinced me that with our lifestyles (we're gone a lot), a dog just isn't practical, and this kitten would have a better life with us.

So...

Her name is Hazel, as she's originally from Hazel Green, Wisconsin.  We don't know how old she is, but I'm hoping a vet will help narrow that down.  She weighs exactly 3/4 of a pound.

Originally she was going to be my cat, but then we thought Kevin's house would make a better home (my house is a construction zone).

But I work 4 blocks away from my house, and can come home throughout the day to check on her, so my cat she is.

Saturday night she was sad.  She cried all night and I wanted to take her back.  She slept, and peed, on a blanket on the bed and I wanted to take her back.

But Kevin wouldn't let me.  

He was "attached".

Sunday night was better.  She slept, and peed, on a blanket in a recycle bin next to the bed.  She cried a bit, but when Kevin pet her she stopped.

On Monday, I had to go to work.  I tipped the recycle bin on it's side in the bathroom, closed the door and she slept, and peed, on the blanket again.  (By this time, I'd cut the original blanket into four pieces so I could rotate through them.)

But, by Monday night, she was fine.  She figured out where the litter box was and what it was for.

On Tuesday, she purred for the first time.

Tonight, she crawled onto my lap and fell asleep purring.

Needless to say, I don't want to take her back anymore.