"Orange" you glad you came? 09-11-12

Surfside Quilters Guild met this morning, it is the only guild I find time to attend regularly - admittedly because I have a "job" as photographer.  But it is such a great group of ladies and they give me a feeling of belonging, something that doesn't seem to come from other the other guilds I belong to.  It is always a happy experience to be among my 100 or so quilting friends for a few hours.  Today our speaker was Wendy Mathson from San Diego and the topic was "What's Wrong With Orange?"   The membership had been asked to wear orange - from pale apricot to rust - and many members did.  It was fun to look at all the different orange shades and prints - I was surprised that so many members obliged.  I wore my orange hat, but my orange shirts have all been relegated to the "painting clothes" pile.  Wendy says that the Panetone color of the year is Tropical Tangerine (or some such name), so maybe I can find some shirt replacements.  I'll have to go shopping .

President Jan Hirth started out the meeting with a Knock-Knock that I haven't heard for ages - lacking grandchildren, I suppose. "Knock - Knock."  "Who's there?"  "Orange you glad you came?"  Nothing like a little laughter to get us in a good mood.  Wendy showed about forty quilts, all with orange in some shade - some very bright and others more subtle.  Most of the quilts were made by friends in her guilds and friendship groups, so the variety was exciting, along with the color.  I do love orange!

 
There are always flowers on the refreshment table - these are not orange, but aren't they lovely?  Members who bring refreshments put their name in a basket and one is drawn to take the flowers home.  Notice that the French flower vase is covered with a bag made from blue jeans and has yellow flower cutouts attached.  Very coordinated.  Members are asked to bring something in their birthday month and my contribution every September is a tray of See's chocolates - seen on the right of the picture.  Every year I think I will make cookies, but it is always so hot in early September that I loath to turn on my oven, so I just make a stop at See's.  Everyone seems to love them and there are no leftovers!

 
I was on stage to do a promo for Visions Art Museum in San Diego and took advantage of the height to snap some pictures of the orange-clad members.  I took this one first and I think they were all wondering what the heck I was doing, so they are very sober.

But when I turned the camera to the other half of the room they understood and were smiling at me.   The two ladies in the front are VP Vickie Janis and Secretary Sheri Hill, who is busy taking notes.  The violet leis are worn by officers and committee chairs.  They go well with the orange!

To our surprise, when we went outside the clouds had lowered and rolled in from the sea, which is beyond the distant palms.

And we had water on our cars! 

We didn't expect rain, but it was actually raining.  More of an Oregon mist, but real water coming out of the sky.   I headed north on I-5 and was soon out of the rain, but it was cloudy all day.  No rain in Placentia.