Orangey-Yellow flowers 07-02-10

Since Corky is here we must go for a walk at least once a day. That is about all I can manage lately. It was too hot still at 4pm, so we waited until about 7:30 and it was just perfect. He was a happy little dog and trotted along like a dog half his age - he will be 14 the end of July. Thanks to the acupuncture every three weeks and regular medications it is hard to believe he is so 'aged'. The worst thing, of course, is that he cannot hear at all. Every now and then a very loud noise will make him turn and look, but it isn't consistent, so it must have something to do with the frequency of the noise. Clapping hands very loudly will sometimes attract his attention, but with my arthritis I can't clap at all, so I must walk up to him and touch him or be in his field of view to attract his attention. We struggle, but we manage.

These unusual flowers are growing in a neighbor's yard. I have the feeling that I used to know what they are, but my ageing brain has lost the name.

The buds are little papery balls and as the flowers get older the bottom row of petals folds back so that they resemble little fairies. See the one in the middle?

I wonder about those few very yellow leaves - they add an extra touch of mystery! The plants are quite tall - this one is about three feet. Please let me know if you can identify this plant.

Lovely handwork - Nancy Ota 07-01-10

Isn't this lovely? This is the sample for Nancy Ota's Sashiko workshop - one she has taught at many different guilds and will present to students in her workshop for Surfside Quilters Guild in September. I wish I could take the workshop, handwork has always been my favorite type of needlework and I did hand "needle-turned" applique that I was quite vain about. But with my arthritic hands it just becomes too painful and I have to quit. Doing everything in about 20 minute 'snatches' doesn't appeal to me. I keep hoping I will find something to handle the pain, but I don't know that anything would ever improve the current clumsiness of my fingers.

Corky is with me for the July 4th weekend as he is every year while his parents go to Catalina. He will go home on Monday, but we may drive to LBeach just so we can walk where it isn't so hot. About 88F today here and perhaps 70F where his house is located on Marine Stadium.

# # #

Wordless Wednesday 06-30-10

Blogger would not let me post last night - something about a Security Token and Blog ID. So, this is a test to see if I can post today.

Hurrah - so far so good. Now to post it.

# # #

I went to a party! 06-29-10

These are my friends Mike and Nancy Ota who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday at Sam Woos restaurant in Irvine. I was delighted to attend along with at least a hundred other guests. But I am not very good at parties, I never know what to say to anyone! So, I went around taking pictures. Mike and Nancy were so busy being host and hostess that I'm sure they missed seeing most of the images that I captured. Not the greatest pictures because it was so crowded and there were lots of mirrors and shiny surfaces that fed the flash back to me. When the food service began I was at a table with five quilting ladies and their husbands, so I was able to find a few topics of conversation that I could participate in.

The food was abundant and delicious. Here the waitress is boning a steamed rock cod that was wonderfully succulent.

Here is that guy all de-boned - I passed on the eye and the tail. At the top of the picture is a platter of spicy salty shrimp - everyone was eating the entire shrimp, including head and tail, but I don't care for the texture of the shells in my mouth, so I carefully peeled mine - perfect. On the left is what remains of two platters scraped together - barbequed pork and roast duck.

I thought this dish was the best - Scallops with vegetables. And the scallops were cooked perfectly. How do they do that? They cook so quickly that I dare not glance away when they are in the pan and here the restaurant is serving them to a hundred people or more. Yummy.

This is something I have never eaten before - snow pea leaves, sort of a cross between spinach and bok choy. To the left is beef with broccoli and at the top of the picture is the scallops with vegetables (carrots, pea pods, baby corn-on-the-cob and, I think, water chestnuts).

There were fourteen courses followed by wedges of oranges that were about the sweetest, juiciest I have ever eaten. I tried to pace myself, since we each had a menu card to warn of what was to come, but I had to quit eating before the shrimp in lobster sauce was served. Guess I'll have to go back to Sam Woo's sometime to try that dish.

Everyone received a little red box containing one homemade mochi - I brought mine home to enjoy when I wasn't so full. I do love mochi in all its forms. And I had a great time!

B.J. Adams quilt from SAQA Auction '09 06-27-10

"A Predictable Attraction" B. J. Adams 2009 12" X 12" Purchased from SAQA online auction for 2009.
B.J. is another artist whose work I have admired for years - at least twenty, I think. I am especially taken with her alphabet series (see her website). This is a beautiful little quilt, both visually and technically, I am so happy to have it in the Collection.

Many of the parts on this work are three dimensional. I believe they are machine embroidered on net, cut out and then applied to the background.

Here you can see the net inside the flower outline. click to enlarge.

On this motif it almost looks like chain stitch, but I believe it is just that both the top and the bobbin threads can be seen since it was done on net.

The narrow border on the front appears to actually be a wide binding that is turned to the back.
http://www.bjadamsart.com/ http://bjadamsmallwork.blogspot.com/

Canadian Geese 06-26-10

Bird populations are constantly shifting, so one never knows what they might see when out bird watching. I rarely "watch" these days, I guess I am a "bird looker". One spot that yields changing species is the Anaheim Lakes area just behind my favorite Starbuck's where the parking lot is separated from the lake by a chain link fence. I can nose into fence and enjoy my latte whilst looking with my binoculars and the birds are not frightened as long as I don't approach the fence. This flock of geese is local, but they aren't here year round. Right now they have growing chicks so they are hanging around most days.

This fluffy little guy/gal had a nice shady spot to himself and he is surrounded by wild mustard in bloom. His parent was nearby keeping track of everything moving around the area.

This gaggle of adults was preening and sunning by the water. I don't know of a way to tell the sexes apart, but I understand that all the adults take turns keeping track of all of the chicks. To me this looks like a group of guys just loafing while someone else keeps watch.

This picture intrigues me - guess it is the shade to bright sun contrast. There are several ages of young being taken on a stroll by two adults. They didn't go far before they all sat down again in the shade. It was in the high 80s on this day. Currently the days are in the mid-seventies and very pleasant.