Pushing a deadline Sep 22, 2007

I've been using my new box of pencils today. They are very nice, but I miss the stand-up 'easel' type box of the old set. And I discovered there is no grey included! I may have to run out tomorrow to find a couple greys. The pressure is on for the Sep 28 deadline for the Journal Quilt challenge from the Quilt Art online group. I've tried three different designs with no success and this one must be the final one and I must get it done so I can ship it to arrive by Sep 28, Friday! One of the rules is that the quilts cannot be shared until after they appear at the enormous Houston Quilt Festival. And that isn't until the end of October! Maybe I will finish one of the rejects and post it.

While I worked this evening I watched/listened to the first installment of Ken Burn's "The War" on PBS. I was only seven when WWII ended, but I do remember some things about it and they aren't pleasant memories. I wonder how these surviving servicemen can dredge up their horrific memories and not have nightmares. Maybe they do. I was seventeen when I worked behind the scenes in a library and saw books with pictures of the victims of Nazism and they still give me nightmares sometimes. I imagine that as long as there are egomaniacs in positions of power there will always be the threat of war.

I still hope to drive up the east side of the Sierra on Hwy 395 sometime soon, at least to Bishop. Here is a photo taken at Bishop Park campground in October 1989 showing how magnificent it can be when the aspen are in full color.