Last night in San Diego 09-19-15

 

Looking out my window at HIE-Old Town/Airport.  The red and yellow streaks in the foreground are the vehicles on the I-5.  The white lights in the distance are at the airport.  I think the block of yellowish lights to the right of center are the airline terminals.  But I haven't been over there to see!

 

We only had one viewer for the docent tour at Visions Art Museum and since it was someone that both Lisa Yoder and I knew, we had a lovely time looking at and talking about the quilts on display.   Eight of the pieces in the "Collector's Showcase" are from TCQC and I had provided a lot of information about them.  Lisa has been doing tours all along and she had more information about the remaining quilts.  So, we taught each other.  There is to be another tour tomorrow at 11am, right after the Annual Meeting.  I will be alone conducting that one - maybe completely alone if nobody wants the tour.

 

The weather has been warm, but not excessively so.  More humid here than in Orange County.  

Still in San Diego 09-18-15

Today was the day I spent working on the Surfside QGuild newsletter.  All of the auction quilts will be pictured, so I had to resize and edit the images, which  came from several different people. It is very stressful on the eyes, so breaks were necessary.  I'm reading Ivan Doig's final book (he died last spring) "Last Bus to Wisdom".  It is a book to savor and I am trying to not read it too fast - to make it last.   He has been one of my favorite authors over the years and sometimes I read the books again just in enjoy his way with language.  His early book "This House of Sky" was an autobiography and was a runner up for the National Book Award in 1979 the year that Peter Matheisson won for "The Snow Leopard".  It is a wonderful autobiography of growing up in the West.  I read the actual paper tome so it is a rest for my eyes whereas a mechanical device would not be.

This evening I went to dinner with friends.  The restaurant was  Farmer's Bottega: Farm to Table on Washington Street.  http://www.farmersbottega.com/  I had the quail which was divine, but I had to bring some back to the motel refrigerator - two tiny quail are too much.  Naturally, I saved room for dessert - pear/cranberry tart with just a touch of Amaretto in the mix and served with a mound of whipped cream and the biggest blackberry I've ever seen.  Maybe it was a loganberry!  Anyway it was good food, good company. 

California Quail

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In San Diego for the weekend 09-17-15

I'm missing the KoKo dog even though I am not home, but in a motel in SDiego.  I returned the little guy to his mommy on the way down I-5.  He seemed happy to be home.  I had thrown Ducky in a nylon bag and stuck him in the washer with my clothes and the same thing happened that happened last weekend.  The washer just filled with water and nothing happened.  I had to open the door so more water on the garage floor, but it managed to miss my shoes this time.  I fished out the bag with Ducky, rinsed him off and squeezed out all the water I could, but I had to put him in a baggie and return him to Nancy to deal with.  Poor KoKo, deprived of his Ducky, he is very unhappy.  

I was late for my meeting at Visions Art Museum, but didn't miss much.  Afterward Beth  and I had dinner at our  favorite place,  Ikiru.  Such good food and a pleasant atmosphere.   Afterward I checked into the motel and have been trying to go to bed ever since, but there are things that need to be done and computer work.

This is a very atypical painting by Emily Carr done early in her career in 1911 when she was in Brittany, France.  It is one of my favorite paintings -  I think it is the colors that attract me and the slight resemblance to my mother's house in Oregon. 

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KoKo's vacation is over 09-16-15

One of my friends wonders if KoKo's tribe inspired the Ewoks in the Star Wars movies.  All KoKo needs is a little helmet!  He is looking over the low wall that goes along the top of the hill behind our property.  He can see into the park which has twice daily meetings of dog walkers from the neighborhood.  KoKo watches silently, but intently

I'm amazed at some of the postures dogs and cats adopt for sleeping.  Here KoKo's back feet go to the right, his front feet to the left and his head to the right.  And he is sooo sound asleep.

 

I have enjoyed having the little guy.  My shoulders are looser from throwing toys for him and we have walked twice a day when the temperature was less than 80F.  That is always good for anyone.  Today was delightfully cool, after rain in the early morning.  But those weather guys predict heat again over the weekend. Hope it is cooler in San Diego.

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The power of positive thinking? 09-15-15

Probably just a change in the jet stream!  But it was raining when we got up this morning and KoKo got to whiz in the rain, maybe for the first time.  He kept looking over his back like he was wondering what those things were hitting him there.   I toweled him off and washed his feet and his soft fur dried quickly.  We were off to the Surfside QGuild board meeting in Dana Point and it rained most of the way, with some heavy squalls that only lasted a minute or two.  Traffic moved well and we saw no accidents. 

 

 

KoKo rode in his soft sided carrier and I carried him into the meeting in it, he was quiet for the entire one hour, eight minute meeting and then I carried him back out to the car and we headed home. Only very light rain and it was late enough (11:30am) that the northbound traffic was moving well.  Although it sprinkled off and on during the day, the main part of the storm had passed over us.  Everything is washed clean and the trees seem to be greening up as I watch.  Hope we get some more gentle storms like this one. 

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Monday Browsing 09-14-15

Getting people to look at your art: 

http://www.artbusiness.com/osoqulookbuy.html

 A tiny visit to equilter.com warehouse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjP1Kswp7HE&rel=0

There are quite a few interesting videos on the equilter website:

http://www.equilter.com/news/videos

Here is one about Japanese vintage fabrics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTyC-vhtxbo&rel=0

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Ann Johnston quilt from TCQC 09-13-15

Sometimes I see a quilt that just won't leave me alone.  This is one of them.  I had looked at this quilt on Ann Johnston's website for a number of years, until I finally had to buy it in 2013.  There are several things that thrill me.  The color, of course, Ann is a master dyer.  The black and white applique, and the tension created by the balancing "chairs" create a quilt that I can look at again and again. . 

 

"Balance #19"  Ann Johnston 2002  40" x 36" 

Hand dyed cotton fabric by the artist, machine appliqued and quilted. . 

 

I appreciate the various layers of quilting using different colors of thread. 

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