More Fish in a Bottle 12-30-08

This pretty young woman is our favorite waitress at Fish in a Bottle, our favorite restaurant. Her name is Kwan (although I am not sure of the spelling) and we are always delighted to be seated at one of her tables. Recently she has been working some evenings at the new Fish in a Bottle in Cypress, CA, and we don't see her as often as we would like.

I took a picture of her in July, but she had closed her eyes, so I had her pose again in early August. Cute.

She was not working tonight when Carol and Dick Bednar and I had our last FiaB meal of 2008. As usual, it was delicious. But we did try something we had not tried before and, though it was tasty, we won't put it on our list of favorites. In the center is a plate of "lobster and avocado spring rolls". They were just okay and besides they are fried (just like all spring rolls) and the three of us generally avoid fried food. On the left is a plate of "Golden Dragon" roll and on the right a plate of "Tiger" roll. I keep thinking I should ask if I might have a list of their sushi rolls so that I can tell you what is inside. I'll make that a resolution for the New Year!

Tri-Cities Park 12-29-08

If I had considered how dull my life is I might not have started this blog. Many of the high points have to do with being a Poodle Nanny to Corky the Poodle Prince. He was with me this weekend and I returned him to his parents today.

On Saturday we discovered the 'back way' into Tri-Cities Park where we like to walk. I was trying to find good locations to take pictures of the mountains with their snow coats and drove down a street I have never been on before. And there at the dead end is a entrance to the park. So, we parked and started out for our walk. We can always see the mountains in the distance, but they are much easier to see when they are white against the blue sky.

Lots of ducks, geese, seagulls - all the usual suspects. I tried for a picture of the cormorants roosting in the top of a eucalyptus tree, but they were too far up for my camera. However the resident egret was there - he always seems to be looking at his reflection!

At the end of the day, here is the Prince curled up in one of his beds. I have never seen him actually arrange the pillow, but he must know just how he wants it and moves it around at night. I sure do love this little guy.

Quilt from TCQC 12-28-08

As you may have figured out, I am very fond of Ruth McDowell's work. The first pieces I saw were six small herb quilts in QNM March 1982 illustrating an article about Ruth written by Nancy Halpern (whose work also grabs me). Also in that issue was an article about members of the "The Quilter's Connection", including a picture of Ruth's amazing "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" quilt which measures 102"W x 140"L and was subsequently included as one of the "Twentieth Century's Best American Quilts", published in 1990. The quilt I am showing this week was the second Ruth McDowell quilt I purchased.

"Dressing Up" Ruth B. McDowell 1994

Showing Ruth's two daughters and a friend playing dress up. Ruth doesn't usually put features on people in her quilts, instead using plaids or printed cottons. I think it is a great idea because it focuses on the people and what they are doing. Besides, if the quilt owner doesn't even know the person there is no point in making it a "portrait". The plaid faces are one of the special touches in this quilt. Another special thing is that some of the fabrics were designed by Ruth for Kona Bay in 1993. The binding is the one of her fabrics that I never found, it must have been really popular. The center of the umbrella is from a print of trees with dots representing the leaves/fruit. The ruffled blouse on the left and the garment being held up by the girl on the right are both Ruth's designs. Of course, I was attracted by the hats - aren't they wonderful? The beret on the left is shaded just right, and the tulip hat in the middle is much like one I wore in the late 50s. But the best of all is the "Cat in the Hat" hat on the right - I would have worn one of those if I wasn't so conservative at the time. The jacket looks Chinese and reminds me of a Chinese robe in my Aunt Teff's dress up box - I loved wearing that exotic garment, but only inside Aunt Teff's house, of course.

Ruth's sense of body language always makes her 'people' quilts very special. She made a quilt for Doreen Speckman which shows her teaching students at Asilomar how to do the Electric Slide. Anyone who knew Doreen could recognize her image by the body language Ruth has shown. If you look on Ruth's website you will find several people quilts.

www.ruthbmcdowell.com

"Dressing Up", "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and the Herb quilts are in Ruth's book "Art & Inspirations - Ruth B. McDowell". The Doreen Speckman quilt is in her book "A Fabric Journey".

Both were published by C&T Publishers

Snow on the mountains 12-27-08

It is rather early for much snow in SCalifornia, but the skiers and boarders are happy, along with the resort owners. At one time this past week the snow level was down to 1800 feet, but we have had sunshine since, so some of it has melted on the lower slopes.

First, here is a view of downtown Los Angeles taken from Bastanchury hill in Fullerton It is about 35 miles away, due west.

This is Mt. San Gorgonio about 70 miles due east as the crow flies. Taken from the Anaheim Lakes area.

San Bernardino Mountains from Fullerton's Bastanchury Hill. From here the crow would have to fly 50 miles north by northeast.

North by northwest maybe 40 miles are the San Gabriel Mtns. They overlap the San Bernardinos, so the two together appear to be one mountain range.

Hints & Dogs & Cats 12-26-08

Every now and then I run across something I'd like to share with other bloggers but am in doubt, so I set it aside to consider later. Here are a few of those items.

First, a great helpful hint from Linda Palaisy

Another idea to avoid losing pieces when adjusting that tiny screw on the bobbin tension is to work inside a clear plastic bag that is large enough
for you to work with your two hands, the screw driver and the bobbin case. That way, should the screw fall out or even go flying, it will be in the bag and not on it's way to the floor and most likely lost.

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Second, a video clip of one really happy dog who is surely at least part Jack Russell Terrier.

http://videos.komando.com/2008/12/23/bailey-the-unknown-reindeer/

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And thirdly, one of my favorite websites to just make me smile and sometimes LOL - this is for cat lovers. The images are randomized so they don't come up in the same order every time.
http://catsinsinks.com/

Here are a few of my favorites w/my comments.

These people need a larger bowl or a smaller cat.

Here is a 'flasher' who is really obscenely fat - El Gordo!

These people need a smaller bowl or a bigger cat!

I've never had a cat that slept in the sinks, but I did have a Siamese who didn't like to be left at home. When I would return she would wait until I went in the bathroom, then she would jump in the bathtub and poop! She never did it unless I was in the room. Smart cat, but annoying.

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Now, I have that file cleaned out for the coming New Year!

Decorations/Cookies 12-25-08

Here are the final Christmas pictures for this year.There are many of this snowman trio around the neighborhood.

This is the wreath on my door, my only decoration, I do it for my neighbors and my wonderful postal carrier.

There always seem to be palms wrapped in lights. This is a palm that doesn't grow more than about ten feet - easier to decorate than the towering palms that are so common. The wind was blowing pretty good this evening as I walked and this tree was just twinkling away. Very pretty.

When I celebrated Christmas one of my favorite parts was baking goodies to give to friends and neighbors.... and for my husband and I to eat. I don't do any baking, but maybe one day I will get the urge to do it again. Fortunately, I have several friends who like to fatten me up every year.

Liz always makes fudge, peanut brittle, gingersnaps and some kind of drop cookie. I don't know why I didn't get any fudge this year - boohoo.

Teresa, a member of the Book Group, also bakes for the Holidays. This shows one of everything she brought me on a large Christmas plate. As always, everything is very tasty - although I haven't tried the little loaf yet. I am going to slice some for breakfast in the morning and then hide it from myself.

Liz also makes stollen which is delicious when sliced, toasted and slathered with real butter! I have put half of this huge loaf in the freezer lest I eat it all in one day!

I had a very quiet Christmas Day. The rain started about one in the morning and was on and off all day, but our local total was only about three-fourths of an inch which didn't cause problems in the burn areas. The sky was clear to the west by five-thirty so I could watch the bright white light of Venus as I walked. There may be sprinkles tomorrow, but not much and then clear and warm until after January first. I don't regret not going to the desert, although the giant storm didn't materialize. Even with a little bit of rain the pavement is slick and most drivers don't understand SLOW DOWN, so there are lots of fender benders and some very serious accidents. Corky's parents will drop him off with me on Saturday when they drive back to LBeach and then I will return him there on Monday.

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Take a tip from Santa 12-25-08

I hope your Christmas is everything you want it to be.

Love, Del-at-home

Christmas Eve 12-24-08

My apology for not posting yesterday, but I won't take the blame - I kept getting cut off and finally just gave up. I'll use that post later!

Shopping finished? Presents wrapped? Now, see how far you can Sling Santa!

http://upchucky.com/games/sling-santa.html

Click the carrier to start it forward, pull back on the 'spoon' and let go in time to sling Santa over the chasm, but keep the elves from also going in. Better set a timer or you will be doing this all day! Love, Del

Corky and Del at Corky's house in Long Beach Xmas 2006

We were both two years younger, but we pretty much look the same. And we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year.

Dreaming of Summer 12-22-08

I am sorry so many of my friends and readers across the country are enduring terrible winter storms w/snow, ice and subzero weather. I don't know if this is going to make things better or worse, but I decided I would send you all flowers today. I haven't shown pink flowers on my blog previously and I found more in my photo files than I thought I would.

Wild Roses grow all over the country, but this one was in Idaho in the summer of 2005. I was on a road trip and, as is my habit, stopped along the highway to photograph flowers. To see the rest of this "bouquet" go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/DELQLTS/PinkFlowersCreated121308?authkey=hi98kgFkavw#

Quilt from TCQC

The Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection started out with just medium to large quilts, but as artists made smaller works I added some of those. Finally, as the Collection grew larger I divided my files into quilts greater than 24" in any direction and those less than 24". It makes storage and record keeping easier and helps when I am putting together a trunk show. Quilt auctions have become more common (there were three online quilt auctions at the same time this in Oct/Nov) and the quilts made for these auctions are usually medium to small sizes. So, it is a great place for new or aspiring collectors to find quilts that they like.

"Haiku" Karen Stiehl Osborn 2003 9"W x 17"L

This quilt was part of the 2005 Fiberarts For A Cause online auction. I was attracted by the depth Karen has achieved and the density of the blue color. She creates her own cloth to use in her quilts and also does paper for her wonderful paper collages. The three rectangles represent the three lines of a haiku, making it a 'visual haiku'. www.KarenStiehlOsborn.com

A funny story about this piece - when I bought it I knew I would be out of town for several weeks, so I ask that it be sent to a friend. While I was gone I called to ask her if it had arrived and she said yes. She thought it was very nice, but she said, "I guess I need new glasses, I can't read a single word". We had a laugh when I told her that nobody can, they aren't real words, they just resemble them.

Information on the 2009 Fiberarts For A Cause auction at:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/ReverseAuctionInformation2009.html

Just a tiny bit of snow 12-20-08

Saddleback Mountain is composed of several peaks, the tallest is about 5,700 feet, grouped together on the eastern side of Orange County, CA. Most years it gets a little sprinkle of snow on the very top, but on Wednesday, Dec 17th it really got dumped on. This picture was taken by my friend Patty Mayer who lives in Laguna Niguel, which is south of Saddleback, so she gets a better view than I do from the NW.

There is also snow on the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, which can be seen from my area, but I have not been out anywhere since Wednesday. Thus - no pictures. But I suppose a lot of you are just tired of snow anyway!

I was out on Wednesday to see the hand therapist who turned out to be a budding quilt maker and a new member of Beach Cities QGuild. Quilters are EVERYWHERE. And then I drove in the pounding rain to LBeach to see the PPrince and his family. But the time I drove home in the evening it was merely sprinkling. More rain promised for Monday.

Here is an unbelievable UK sunset:

http://tinyurl.com/9vpxhe
Borrowed from: http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/viewimages.html

New Apparatus 12-19-08

On Tuesday I saw a hand doctor and on Wednesday I saw the hand therapist. Talk about specialization - at least they do both hands. No specialist for the left hand and the right hand! I suppose I am fortunate that it is my left thumb that is killing me, because I am right handed. This is really an ongoing problem which derives from the arthritis I have in my hands ....and my hip.... and ...and ...and!! It finally came to the point that I can't hold anything in my left hand. At the beginning of this year someone suggested that it wasn't arthritis at all, but carpel tunnel syndrome. And, it turns out, it is a combination of the two.

This is a daytime splint.

Another view.

This is the night time splint.

And another view.

The most amazing thing about all this was watching the hand therapist make the night splint. She put a rectangular piece of the hole-y white plastic in a flat apparatus that looks like a banquet serving hot tray. She drew a very rough sketch (like five little lines) of my hand on a piece of paper. When she took the plastic out it was malleable and using the hand 'pattern' she had made, she cut it in the shape that she wanted and, when it had cooled a little, she wrapped it around my hand to shape it. Then she trimmed and smoothed and applied the Velcro tabs and voila! a splint made just for me. I'm not too crazy about the ragged knit piece that I wear under it, but if I don't wear it the splint sticks to my hand and I have a hard time getting it off. I'm trying to find something else that will work. This is an open ended deal, so I don't know how long I will wear the splints, or if it will be sufficient. The next step is surgery and anyone who knows me at all knows how diligently I avoid surgery! I'm tying to figure out ways to do things without using my left thumb. I'm not ready to give up on the computer yet.

I have a lot of sympathy for the people across the nation who are suffering from miserable weather. I had planned to go to the desert this week, but the weather reports deterred me and I am glad. Thousands of people were stranded around SCalifornia due to snowy road closures. I will try to go on Xmas day or the day after, but will be home by the 30th. Meanwhile I will try to blog.

Sorry 12-18-08

I'm sorry I have been missing days on this blog. I have been having problems with my arthritic hands, I suppose it is the cold weather. My left thumb in particular is very sore . Sometimes it is difficult to type.

Hurrah, they have decided this is not a spam blog! Takes out a couple of extra steps each time - so a little bit less typing and no "weird words" to figure out.

Christmas Shopping 12-17-08

Everyone is concerned about what is going to happen with our economy, apparently even Queen Elizabeth II. Artists are especially hard hit because what they have to offer is not vital to life and limb. Many are offering specials on their work and some are making smaller quilts to accommodate smaller pocketbooks. Lend your support by shopping artists' offerings.

Jeanne Williamson organized a site with offerings from many artists in different disciplines: http://www.smallartshowcase.com/

Elizabeth Barton added another 'page' to her blog: http://ebartonstore.blogspot.com/

Karen Stiehl Osborn has a page of collage pieces on sale at: http://www.karenstiehlosborn.com/Gallery/HolidaySale.htm

Fiberart For A Cause has merchandise related to this project to raise money for cancer research on their Cafe Press site: http://www.cafepress.com/virginiaspiegel

Virginia Spiegel has a series at a special price: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/PeaceSeries.html

I am sure there are other special offerings. If you send me the URL I will post it on my blog. I don't have a huge exposure, but every little bit helps.

Book Group Xmas meeting 12-15-08

I don't remember when we added dinner to the Book Group December meeting. We haven't done it for 35 years, maybe 25? As with all of our meetings someone volunteers to have the meeting. She also makes the main dish and asks the members to bring different things. The meal is usually okay, but this time it was very, very good. We also exchange small Xmas gifts - always an interesting and eclectic selection.

Our hostess Carol Bednar serving salad. Notice the bottle of wine? There are always two bottles and one never gets opened - we are just not drinkers.

Verna Wheeler and Teresa Malinowski worked together at the CSUF Library - along with Carol, and Kathy Frazee who couldn't be at the meeting last night. Notice that Verna is eating a bowl of soup - she has been on a medical diet and lost over thirty pounds since the first of October. We are all cheering her on.

On the other side of the table were Ann Morgan, Nancy Mastroianni and Marlita Bellot. I guess Nancy was just sleepy because in both the pictures I took she has her eyes closed!

Isn't this a lovely plate? So colorful and so delicious. From top right: green and wax beans, carrots w/parsley and a very light sauce, apricot halves in a cold salad, stuffing, and a fabulous butterflyed turkey breast - cooked to perfection. For dessert we enjoyed a Tiramisu cheesecake. Yum-O!

Sunday at Spinnaker Bay 12-14-08

Corky was going to be alone yesterday whilst his parents had Xmas events to attend, so I went down to stay with him. We had a lovely walk about 4:30 pm when it was starting to get dark and the Xmas lights were on.

This is just a few streets down looking along one of the "U"s that stick out into the water. The houses here are all zero lot line so they only have a very small yard/patio on one side of the house and a patio in back on the water.

It was a spectacular sunset which disproved the old saying "Red sky at dawning, sailor take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight". In the foreground is a Duffy electric boat with a blue canopy - they don't go out in the ocean, just in the bays and canals. These boats are moored around one of the "U"s behind the houses.

When we finished our walk I looked out the back windows overlooking Marine Stadium and the sunset was different but still awesome. the lightest portion is out over the ocean beyond Belmont Shore.

In the last few weeks I have take over a dozen pictures of these light wrapped trees on the street that goes past the end of the Marine Stadium. They are beautiful and gaudy - not close together so there is space to "rest your eyes". But I still don't have the trick to taking night pictures. I've braced the camera a number of different ways, but guess I should dig out the tripod for my old 35mm. That will probably be steady enough. A neighbor down the street from me always wrapped their olive tree this way and my husband and I always called it the "Festive Broccoli", but they stopped doing it two years ago. I miss it!

It started raining about midnight last night and rained most of the day, both light and heavy. The closest reporting town to Placentia had 2 inches by 11pm. More rain promised for the rest of the week with a severe storm on Wednesday. Hope those sailors are listening to the TV weather and not looking at sunsets!

The Book Group had their Christmas meeting, dinner and gift giving this evening. One of the best we have had in our about 35 years. I'll write about it and show some pictures - maybe tomorrow.

Another quilt from TCQC 12-14-08

If you see a quilt you would like to buy and it doesn't have a "for sale" sign or a price, just track down the artist and ask. She can say yes or no - you don't know until you ask. She also might offer other similar quilts that are not currently on display and you might like one of those better!

"Durban Dreams" Rosalie Dace 2006 33" square

I saw this quilt in a special exhibit of Rosalie's work at Pacific International Quilt Festival 2006 in Santa Clara. Rosalie was teaching that year, so I went to her classroom during lunch break and asked about this quilt. Fortunately, it was available and I could afford it. She had already promised it for another exhibit, so I had to wait until it was available and she shipped it to me. Her work is unlike that of any artist I know and reminds me of the Hmong applique work, only much richer because Rosalie uses silks and adds beads, rings and other doodads. Interesting quilting.

Here is a detail of the center of the quilt. The square w/the pastel 'log cabin' outlined in rose/violet is a loose flap hanging down over the half circle of yellow.

Rosalie's website: www.rosaliedace.co.za/home.html

Her work can also be seen at: www.fireworksart.com/dace.html

a site showing works by So. African fiber and textile artists.

Stormy Weather 12-13-08

I suppose some of you will think I have a nerve showing the weather in SCalifornia while half the country is suffering from ice, snow, rain, power outages, etc. But for us this IS weather.

The CVS drugstore I sometimes go to has a row of these palm trees in the middle of the parking lot. I don't know what kind they are, but they always remind me of the fans held by slaves in Egyptian paintings. This one shows up nicely against the baggy grey clouds.

The wind was whipping things up and chasing the clouds, so each minute looking through the camera was different. Grey clouds, blue sky, white clouds - changing, changing, changing.

I also made a swing over to Tall Mouse our local independent craft store to pick up some ribbon and Xmas gift bags. I've been shopping here for thirty years, I think. It was sad to see it so empty this evening, so close to Xmas.

From that view of Tall Mouse I turned to see these purple bags of moisture - an amazing color, eh? The sun was almost down and I headed home before the rain started, but it didn't start. Maybe tomorrow - I hope it is a gentle rain so the hillsides won't slide down.

Tomorrow evening I will post another quilt from the TCQC.