Computer is a wreck! 05-09-09

If my laptop was made of wood it would probably look something like this. It hasn't completely fallen apart, but things are way out of whack. I need to do something about it NOW and I know that all my friends who despair of how long I can put things off will agree. Yesterday it decided that I only needed to see the little envelopes down the left side of the screen - no need for dates, senders or subjects. I can open things, but each one is a surprise and I fear one of the surprises will contain a virus or a bug or some other hateful thing.

I will try to take care of it tomorrow, but if I cannot you will probably not find a post on my blog. I'll catch up as quickly as I can.

Flower Fields @ Carlsbad 05-08-09

[Sorry, the top two pictures will not enlarge - don't know the cause.]

After stopping yesterday for lunch at Sammy's I continued north to stop at the Flower Fields at Carlsbad. The exit off the I-5 is Palomar Airport Road, which I am very familiar with since that is also the exit for the outlet mall (including Crate & Barrel where they sell Marimekko fabric). I had a quick glimpse of the fields on the way south so I knew there were blossoms. But it is getting to the end of the season, go now if you want to see the display.In the foreground is Armstrong Nursery which apparently has no connection to the Flower Fields. The Jacaranda trees in the foreground are showing tiny leaves, but the flowers will come on before the leaves are full out.

The buildings beyond the fields are a conference center - the flowers bloom right up to the property line.

Rides are available on these stake bed trailers, towed by REAL tractors, and go all around and through the fields. I loved the colorful clothing on the Indian lady in the foreground - she almost outshines the flowers.

I took this image from quite a distance so it is not very clear. I had hoped to get behind it so I could include the walker that was tied onto the back of the trailer. Anyone can go, despite disabilities.

If you drive through the parking lot and follow the "Additional Parking" signs you will see this huge flower flag. I don't know what they used for the blue - no Ranunculus that color. See the pickup truck on the right? That fellow finally drove down to the fence and hollered at me, "Is anything wrong?" "No, I'm just taking pictures." And he drove back up the hill. I wonder what he thought I was doing walking around the in the dirt parking area.

School groups come in buses and have this special gate - best to keep them corralled, eh?

When they pass through the gate, this is their view of the fields.


Here is the URL for the Flower Fields:
http://www.theflowerfields.com/index.html

You might also enjoy this flower display in Brussels:
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/45149,features,brussels-in-bloom

Lunch 05-07-09

I drove to San Diego today to pick up a quilt that I purchased at the Visions 2008 exhibit. Although the exhibit came down March 1st, I have been in and out of town, so I asked them to hold it for me to pick up. I didn't realize it would be two months! Now that I have it I will show it at the first meeting of the Surfside Quilters Guild on May 12th at 10am (San Clemente Presbyterian Church). I am presenting "Old and New: Quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection" for their inaugural program. I have also recently received the two quilts I bought at the Quilt National opening in May 2007 - they have been traveling with other quilts from the same venue.

The Gallery has a very nice exhibit of Elizabeth Busch's quilts. I've always admired her work, but others have purchased the quilts that I liked the most before I had a chance. There are several in this exhibit that I covet, but now I don't have the funds - bummer! I'll keep trying.

On my way home on I-5 I exited on Del Mar Heights Road and had lunch at Sammy's Pizza in the shopping center. As I sat reading the menu I discovered that there is a Sammy's at Liberty Center - where the Visions Art Quilt Gallery is located! Next time. Anyway, I have always been amused by this little shelf of grass as part of Sammy's decor, but feel it is lacking a focus. So, today I added a focus - if you go there look to see if they have removed it. I really wanted a bird, but couldn't find anything of the right size. However, real frogs do hop around in the grass.

I should have taken a picture immediately because lunch hour hadn't started and there weren't that many customers. By the time I was ready to take the picture all the tables were full. I told the guys at the table below this that I wanted a picture of the beaded lamps. Well, I couldn't tell them I wanted to take a picture of the frog, could I?

Wordless Wednesday 05-06-09

More Pamela Allen class 05-05-09

I captioned all the pictures in this album yesterday, but then the album disappeared into the dark reaches of Picasa. Now I have found it and will post it under yesterday's date. These pictures were taken by Janice Pennington who was in Pamela's class with me. Some of the captions are hers, but I am to blame for most of them. http://tinyurl.com/d226zm

Janice uses a Canon EOS Rebel xsi -VERY good pictures!

And I issue an apology to Josephine Jarvis and Rosemary Hopkins for reversing their identities, not only on the album I posted on 04-27-09, but also in reality in the classroom. All week I thought Josephine was Rosemary and "versa - vicea" (as we said as children). I will go in and change all the captions, but I fear the damage is done and the error will live on with both of these very nice ladies. I am so very sorry. Del

Jessie 05-04-09

I have no children and therefore no grandchildren. Several friends are willing to sort of 'share' their grandgirls, but I don't know many little boys these days. When I came home from Asilomar my neighbors, Jessie and his mother, were out walking and stopped to welcome me back.

As children do, Jessie had decided that he would wear his doctor costume for the day. He looked so cute with his Dutch bob and scrub hat.

But he didn't want me to take his picture whilst he was a 'doctor'. So, he preceded to take it off - okay, since he was completely clothed underneath. Here he has started at the bottom to unbutton the gown.

Somehow, sitting down makes de-robing easier.

Everything off, including the scrub hat. Then he stood up and turned his back on me - no more pictures!

Quilt from TCQC - Fallert 05-03-09

"Refractions #9 and #10" Caryl Bryer Fallert 1993 Each quilt is 36"X36"

In the fall of 2003 someone sent me an e-mail saying there were Caryl Bryer Fallert quilts being sold on eBay. Of course, I had to check them out and it was true. There were about a half a dozen and among them were three that were a triptych. All these quilts and the other 90+ items were being sold by the corporate office of an international company that was relocating and selling all of their art collection. Amazingly, the bidding on these quilts started at $25!! After I won the bid on three of Caryl's quilts I talked to the person at the corporation who was in charge of the auction and I asked her why they sold everything so cheap. She said she was just told to sell everything, with no other information or instructions. I contacted Caryl to see what she knew about the disposal of her work and she had not heard a thing about it. I think it is so odd that they wouldn't offer the quilts back to her first. I know if I ever had to dispose of the TCQC on the open market I would contact each artist and tell them I needed to sell - they might want to buy them back or perhaps know of someone lusting after a particular quilt. I found such a "fire sale" rather peculiar.

Which didn't stop me from bidding! The 'hottest' bidding was for #10 - I liked it best of the triptych pieces and apparently so did a lot of other people. As the bidding for that one went up and up I thought I should bid on # 9, just in case I was outbid for #10 at the last minute. I had the high bid for #9 and when the bidding for #10 was over I also had the high bid for it. I believe that none of the items on auction went over their original selling price and most of them much less.

These quilts are made with Caryl's hand dyed fabric in the style she was working in during the early 1990s. They are pieced in a log cabin order - VERY precisely. They look great hung together or individually, but it is too bad I didn't make the top bid for the third piece. I know that the lady who won that bid was thrilled with her purchase, as was I.

I have always admired Caryl's work and doubt if I would ever have been able to add her quilts to the Collection in any other way. She also has a fabulous website with much valuable information, check it out: http://www.bryerpatch.com/

And while you are there look for the triptych under General Railway Signal Corp the page for Corporate Collections:

http://www.bryerpatch.com/about/corporatecollections.htm

And look at her Quilts for Sale page, there are some wonderful pieces at quite reasonable prices.

One sleepy dog 05-02-09

Corky really zoned out while Liz and I were having coffee at our Starbuck's meeting place in Brea. He was very alert for quite a long time - watching the people and the other dogs. There are always lots of them, I suppose it is because there are several small restaurants that share the patio and there are lots of tables and, therefore, lots of space between dogs! The place was packed today and it took a long time to order and receive our coffee. Then Liz went to Corner Bakery looking for some better breakfast treats than the Starbuck's offerings, which were slim. By the time we started on our coffee and goodies Corky was bored with the entire deal and did what he does best - took a nap.