No, I am still working on the newsletter! Between my befuddled brain, trying to work with two computers at once and stupid AOL cutting me off about ten times today, the frustration level has been the worst I have endured in years. Maybe ever! For the last couple months I was trying Firefox, but it seemed to interfere with some of my programs so I took it off. Maybe I will try it again one of these days. Today (Saturday) will be the fifth day since my deadline for the newsletter. I feel that I am working as hard as I can but I'm not getting anywhere. Currently my friend Jeanne is linking all the pages together and preparing it to send as a PDF document with all the pages in order and in one transmission. Stupidly, I had made them all separate pages because I didn't know any better. I must say that the guys in India have been very helpful. And even understanding when I ask them to speak slower so I can understand what they are saying. Of course, I have spent hours just waiting on hold, but I guess it was worth it - they taught me some things and fixed some that were broken. I'm starting to think the Fujitsu is a $900 piece of junk!

Corky came yesterday afternoon to stay until Sunday when his parents return from Catalina. He doesn't like being ignored but I cannot pet him and love him when I am working on the newsletter. So he pouts.

He simply refused to look at me - little snob! I cannot leave him outside alone because of our coyote problem. We haven't seen them since early last fall, but now that there is no water in the hills they have to come down where people live and, I suppose, little pets and small children are tasty morsels. Several cats have been taken in the neighborhood in the past month.

He is always such a ham and will pose for pictures for quite a long time. But today he wouldn't even look at me! He looks so handsome in his Independence Day ribbon. Here he is out on the patio in the middle of the day it was so hot - 92 was the high today, but the humid wasn't as high as it has been lately. No monsoon moisture. I couldn't stand the heat so he had to come in - another strike against me! Tomorrow - which is actually today will be a better day - RIGHT? To add insult to injury we have had a fly in the house all day and I cannot spare the time to chase him. Thought I had him closed in the bathroom with the "fry" lights, but no, he is all over the house. BOOO!

See any errors? Let me know - I'm too tired to proofread. Del

Wordless Wednesday 07-01-09

More I-5, but I'm not on it now. 06-30-09

Just about everywhere I go I travel at least part of the way on I-5, which goes from the Mexican border to the Canadian border (where it continues north but under a different designation).

I took these pictures (I notice they are pretty much the same view, but with different vehicles passing by) from a hillside in San Clemente and couldn't decide if any of them were good. Guess I have been looking at the computer too much the last few days. But just look at that blue sky and the blue Pacific - two reasons why people move to California. This was a Tuesday about 1pm on June 16th. The traffic seems light, however the price of gas has gone up over a dollar since January - usually keeps more people at home.

I don't know what big project is going in across the highway, but there hasn't been any action lately, so I suppose it is on hold like so many other building projects.

If you click to enlarge you will be able to see the houses/condos/apts out near the edge of the slope going down to Hwy 101 (Pacific Coast Highway) and the water. Just a few miles south of this spot one crossed the line and travels through Camp Pendleton. If they every close the Camp there will probably be pretty much solid dwellings and businesses from north of LA to the Mexican border. Sigh!

I have been working all day trying to figure out Publisher and get the newsletter finished. I had one person offer help since they are familiar with the program, but three people telling me to call them if I decided to switch to Adobe! My biggest problem seems to be pictures. Mostly because when I download pictures on the Fujitsu they do not appear in my document files! I can use the locator to find them, but can't move them from there to Publisher. Haven't figured out what I will do about that. My brain is tired and my eyes are crossed and my buns are sore, so I will try for some sleep. Maybe things will magically work tomorrow (er...today!)

Not a good day!! 06-29-09

First of all - I didn't get the URL for Sue Benner's website on yesterday's blog. I know I copied it, but guess I just never pasted it! She has redone her website this year sometime and it is very nice - great photographs and fabulous work. Sorry, Sue! http://www.suebenner.com/index.html

But my real problem is that I have been trying to compose a newsletter for the Surfside Quilters Guild, which meets in the daytime in San Clemente. I have done dozens of newsletters for guilds and other organizations and I have used the computer to type everything. But then I cut it out, pasted it down and took it to the printers. However, nowadays newsletters are composed in their entirety with a publishing software program. So, I am learning as I go. I'm trying Microsoft Publisher, because I thought that being so familiar with Microsoft systems it would be easier for me. I don't think so now! I feel that each function is a box within a box, within a box...! And I am having a hard time finding my way around. It doesn't help that neither my old nor my new computer is fully functional, so I have been going back and forth between them.

The newsletter is supposed to be posted tomorrow, but I doubt it will be complete by then. Hopefully on Wednesday. But just watch out for me next month when I will know EVERYTHING and my computer problems will all be solved. The August newsletter will be a snap. Doesn't hurt to think positive!!!

Meanwhile, if anyone would like to offer telephone help for Microsoft Publisher , just send your phone number to me via e-mail - DELQLTS at aol dot com. I sure wish I had opted for Acrobat - I might yet have to learn that one also.

Sue Benner quilt from TCQC 06-28-09

"Marsh 11" Sue Benner 36"W x 18"L 2000

Hand dyed silk, cotton, rayon fabrics. Fused, machine pieced and quilted.

Sue has developed her style using fusible web that when heated with an iron “fuses” the fabrics together. She is respected for her highly developed color sense and freedom of line. This quilt was purchased at Thirteen Moons Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M., and is one of the few quilts I have purchased from a gallery. I would much rather establish a direct connection with the artists.

This is another special care quilt, since it is made of torn edge silk it continues to unravel on the edges of the horizontal strips. It is exactly what Sue intended. However, since I take it to show when I present programs I need to cover it with a thin layer of slick polyester fabric to prevent the ravels from snagging and unraveling even further. I always worry when I loan it to a gallery or museum that some helpful person will get out their scissors and try to trim off all the 'strings'. However, those around the edge are intended to be there. When Sue satin stitches the edges, she leaves the thread ends long to hang down - all the way around. It adds an extra point of interest to the piece and I have used the technique successfully on several of my own quilts. I think it is especially nice if little beads are strung on these dangling threads.

http://www.suebenner.com/index.html

Acquisitions/Two Terrys 06-27-09

The thing about collecting one-off quilts or original art of any kind is that one must buy it when it is available. Wait until next month or next year and one is generally too late. Therefore, when I don't have money to buy quilts, I can usually scrap up enough to purchase small items for my personal collections.

I have always been interested in birds - watching them, reading about them, learning about them, having them (actually, only one canary named Clyde, who has gone to bird heaven), and collecting images of them. This is "Arnold, the crow" who came from the creative hands of Terry Grant. Terry recently opened an Etsy Shop and started it off by offering six of her charming fabric birds. Arnold, at about 7" from tip of beak to tip of tail, is one of the larger birds in my collection and he is not the only crow, but he will fit in well. He is so handsome.Terry has added some elegant small quilts to her site. Check it out. www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7583915

"Broken Bulb" Terry Border of Bent Objects

Bent Objects is one of my favorite blogs and I try to read it every day. (I also check out the racier version, Really Bent) They almost always make me laugh, but occasionally I groan and sometimes I don't get it at all. I have never thought of buying one of Terry Border's works until I saw this one, which makes me smile if not laugh-out-loud. Terry has a great imagination, if a little twisted at times, and is a master at bending wire. Also, it is something he came up with all on his own. This is the sort of artist I like to support - one with original ideas and the perseverance to carry the idea to fruition. He will have a book coming out in the Fall.
http://www.bentobjects.blogspot.com/

www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5108219