Tessa and her quilt

Couldn't let this week go by without noting that two special someones both had birthdays this past month. Happy Birthday to my two beautiful daughters!  

And while I love them both, this post is more about the furry one of them--and a quilt, of course. 

Our golden retriever, Tessa, has been part of our family for 13+ years. She tolerates us all well, keeps us in line, and manages to do it with style.

Tessa's been having health issues, has lost some hearing and eyesight, but she's still a real sweetie.  She spends most of each day "resting up" for her evening walk with the love of her life, Mr. CatsMeowTwo.   She sleeps either on the cool tile near the front door or by the back patio door where she can see out and pretend to watch squirrels and birds.  Here she is watching her man build a ramp for her so she can get in and out of the patio door more easily.

On brief occasions (if she smells me eating something yummy for lunch or thinks it's her dinner time), she'll come see me and watch me quilt and help me choose a fabric, then will get a drink, but then she usually goes back to nap by one of the doors.  Getting old requires lots of rest!

So one day this April when I went to find her and she wasn't by either door, I was surprised.  I called and called her, but she didn't come (she doesn't always hear my voice--or does somewhat selectively).  I knew she had to be in the house, so began searching all the rooms for obvious spots, calling her, and wondering if she were hurt or sick or well, worse.

After a second time through the house, I was more than a little concerned and beginning to feel that "missing child" panic.  This time searching, instead of looking through the kitchen at the patio door, I walked to the back door and started across my living room, and this is what I saw:

Tessa was sound asleep laying on the quilt I has spread out on the floor so I could decide on a back.   I hadn't been able to see her from the other direction because she was hidden by a desk.

She was happily sleeping away with total abandon, at least until the camera person woke her up.......then she was a bit grumpy.  (Or maybe she was concerned that she'd be in trouble.)  ;)

Tessa NEVER lays on my quilts.  She ordinarily walks carefully around them, although she will walk across one if I leave it out on the floor too long.  Somehow I have to think that she knows that when you don't feel well, nothing makes you feel better than to lay on a quilt--even if it isn't finished!  (and she knows there are few finished quilts at my house)

And so this is my entry to the 2012 Pets on Quilts Show.  You can see all the cute pet photos here.

And, I promise I'll blog soon and catch up about making "Tessa's quilt" and all the other goings on that have been happening here since March--can't believe I haven't posted since then--Yikes!