More "tame" flowers from the neighborhood 04--30-11

Corky forces me to go out for a walk in the afternoon, so I see many flowers I would not normally see.

It was late in the day - after 5:30pm - when I took this image, so it shows the yellow tone of the setting sun.

The largest of the Amaryllis flowers is larger than my wide spread hand.

A dark pink chrysanthemum makes a cushion in one corner of the flower bed.

Just one bright blue delphinium - they don't last long in the heat and wind.  In the top left are some Lily-of-the-Nile and the top right shows some white iris.   The pink in the background are more delphinium.

Dark, dark red snapdragons and pink delphiniums blooming under a weeping birch tree.  

 

A glorious white iris - wish it was in my yard. 

Isn't he the dearest little dog?  Corky goes home to his parents tomorrow.  I'll miss him.

Wildflowers are also out. 04-29-11

Mary Leakey took this image at the St Francis Retreat in San Juan Bautista, CA.  At last it has warmed up enough for the lupine and poppies to bloom. 

 
This picture has gone around on the Internet for at least five years - it is the most awesome display of wildflowers I have seen.  It was taken somewhere on the Carrizo Plain National Monument.  About now I want to drive out there to see what is blooming, but I don't think Corky would enjoy it.  If you go, take pictures and share them.  
 

"Tame" flowers blooming 04-28-11

With the sudden onset of much warmer weather the flowers are bursting out all over.  It has been colder than usual, longer than usual.  I received my natural gas bill today and find I used almost twice as many therms as I used in April 2009.  In March my consumption was more than twice as much as either of the previous two years.  Since I don't run the gas dryer much and almost never bake anything, the furnace is the culprit.   I'm so glad it is almost summer - even though I will complain of the heat when it really gets hot. 

Having to take Corky for a walk gets me outside to see the flowers.  Here is a sampling:

A lovely single Geranium.  My mother's favorite, although in Oregon she had to winter her plants in pots in the basement.  One spring she came to Long Beach to stay with me for a week and went wild with snipping slips from the gardens in the neighborhood.   She and Aunt Dorothy were sisters and they both maintained that the slips one "borrowed" were the ones that grew best.  Many Southern California gardeners think of geraniums in any form as weeds.

  

I think this red Geranium might be a triple - the blossoms form fat red pompoms next to this crepe myrtle tree.

This pink Pelargonium cascades over a slump stone wall - like a pink waterfall.

This isn't the largest Calla Lily around, but the shape is perfect - the classiest flower around.

I'm not sure about this - might be Watsonia (anyone?), but the color is yummy.

 

And a "tame" Gailliardia with huge flowers - but still not more lovely than the wild ones on the South Carolina beaches which are half this size. 

Yes, I do know that these flowers names are not normally capitalized, but I am feeling belligerent tonight.  The final newsletter that I will do for Surfside Quilters Guild has been posted
with all the "t"s crossed and the "i"s dotted.  I have excellent proofreaders who see things that I do not and some that I choose to leave "as is".   It has been a sometimes difficult two years, but I have improved my computer skills by several thousand percent and helped create a very thriving and interesting quilt guild in the south area of Orange County.  I will continue to be a member and attend meetings as I am able.
http://www.surfsidequiltersguild.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ww-WZLCbBu4%3d&tabid=127&mid=566

Red & White Quilts in New York 04-27-11

I don't know how many times I have looked at these images. There are so many quilts (651) that I have to spend a lot of time looking at each slide. There are "famous" quilts that we have seen in magazines and books, it is nice to know that they are cherished and cared for, but there are also quilts I imagine have rarely been displayed. Maybe because they are not spectacular, but more likely because there are limited venues for displaying quilts. I draw your attention to a few I think are special: the red and white "stripy" in slide #4; the airplane quilt on the upper left of slide #3; the interesting combination of stars, bars and hearts in the center of slide #2. I'd love to know more about the redwork embroidery quilt in slide #5 - labels from flour? chicken feed? derived from fruit packing boxes? - history in thread. I wonder about the anonymous (mostly) women who imagined these designs and wielded their needles and sewing machines to create such beauty; they worked with poor light and limited time and, sometimes, had hopes of recognition, probably at the county fair. It is particularly wonderful that the collector, Joanna Rose, had the desire, the eye and the money to assemble such a fabulous view of quilts in red and white. I wish I could have seen this exhibit - all those wonderful quilts "in-the-fabric", but I wonder if I might not just have swooned away at the sight.



http://www.dnainfo.com/20110324/upper-east-side/quilts-take-over-park-avenue-armory

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A new restaurant in Tustin 04-6-11

This morning Corky and I drove down to Dana Point to the quilting bee for the outgoing SQG president's quilt.  The hostess had said it was okay to have Corky with me - he was in his stroller and pretty much slept the whole time.  I didn't take any pictures of the quilters or the quilt, I guess I just was enjoying myself so much my mind was in a one-way channel which didn't divert for photography.  I have no idea how long it has been since I hand quilted on a standing frame, years - maybe a decade - and I once always had a quilt set up so I could sit down and quilt for ten minutes or hours.  Soooo relaxing.  But then the arthritis in my hands got worse, creating cramps after only 15 - 20 minutes.  However, today I didn't have any cramps, but my hands are very sore tonight.  I've done my hand exercises and will try for twice tomorrow.  I'm thinking of setting up a frame again and trying to quilt for a few minutes each day - a different sort of hand exercise and one that I would enjoy.  My stitches were not very even today, but fortunately I happened to be quilting on the block that I made for the quilt, so nobody will be sad their block has crooked stitches. 

Liz gave me an article from the Register newspaper about this new restaurant, which just happens to be two doors down from Flying Geese Quilt Shop.  The reviewer was full of praise and the mention of lamb shanks started me drooling.

 

There is a large patio with bright red umbrellas and red polka dot plastic tablecloths - very cheerful and relaxing - and the owners are dog friendly.  They have a standard poodle at home.

Corky was welcome in his stroller and was generally well behaved.  He normally has his dinner at 5pm and I had brought it along, in case we ran late, so he also dined at Norma Jane's! 

The menu said that lamb shanks were available after 5pm, but the waitress took my order though it was only 4:40pm (this was supposed to be lunch).  I ordered the full plate - it contained two enormous lamb shanks with the meat falling off the bone - and I had already eaten most of one when I thought to take a picture.  See the bones on the bread/butter plate at top right!  The mixed veggies were fresh and crisp with a little dollop of chopped garlic and __ ? on the side of the plate.  Under the shanks were wonderful creamy mashed potatoes and what I guess was the juice from cooking the shanks.  I brought the other shank, sans bones, home in a box to slice and have with rice tomorrow night.  I haven't cooked my little grandmother's "The Meat That Falls Off The Bone" recipe for years - it makes too much for just one and I don't know that many people who enjoy lamb.   It is a little more stew-like than what I had today.

 

The dessert list included "Berry Crisp", one of my most favorite desserts.  It came topped with a large scoop of very vanilla-y ice cream coated in a wash of raspberry puree.   It was individually baked in the dish and included raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.  I thought I would have to ask for another box, but I made a huge effort and finished eating every bite.  I would have licked the dish, but it seemed a little too brazen!   By the time we finished eating the commute traffic was lighter, making it an easy drive home.  We passed up Starbuck's - I'm trying to break the habit! 

Miscellaneous Stuff 04-25-11

I marked this article sometime ago to include in my Blog.  I have always found it interesting that only a few people have the "right" to choose the new "hot" color.  Marketing at its most domineering.

This is going around in honor of Earth Day - some gorgeous images, I see quilts!

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/21/the-earth-from-above-images-from-nasa-gallery/

 

I haven't done any knitting in years, but always admire the little knitted animals available from knitters around the world.  These little people are wonderful and the video is a hoot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FqiIcFEDvT8

 

A friend sent me this lovely flower garden today.  It is one of my favorite e-mail treasures and for the last three or four years I have been sending it out in the winter sometime, just to pretend it is Spring!  Just move your cursor across the page!  Voila - it is Spring!

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

More about "Don't Piss Off The Fairies" 04-24-11

I posted this 12" x 12" Ruth Power's quilt in June 2010:

http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2010/06/ruth-powers-quilt-on-my-blog-06-13-10.html

This is such a witty image and Ruth's techniques are superb, I usually have this quilt up on the wall somewhere in my house.  It works well in my bedroom, because it reminds me not be be such a grouch when I get up in the morning.  Yes, I can be a grouch even when nobody else is around!! 

In March the blog "Quilt Inspirations" featured humorous quilts and Ruth's Fairy was one of those shown:

http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com/2011/04/humorous-quilts-dont-piss-off-fairies.html

 
DETAIL
Quilt Inspirations is an interesting Blog that shares quilts that the authors find interesting or exciting.  They also have extensive free patterns and tutorials which are listed on the sidebar. 

Ruth  Website  http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/index.php     
 Blog   http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/weblog/