Going to the park 02-22-25

Parque Del Arroyo Verde is the park I look into from the back of our house. It is long and narrow with one way in and out at the narrow end.  It is about two house lots wide and fifteen house lots long - about 130 acres I read somewhere.  In the 38 years we have lived here it has undergone two major renovations, the latest just last year. It is now more suited to middle school kids and dog walkers.  No swings, jungle bars, slides, but several climbing structures (one that somewhat resembles an elephant) and even a zip line.  There is a large covered picnic area with two Bar-B-Q grills and nearby a restroom building for women and men - very clean.  KoKo and I walk there several times a week. It is a little less than a mile from our house to the back of the park where we can took up at the  back of our house.  I like the smooth, unbroken paving that I won't trip on and KoKo enjoys the bushes, trees, and open lawn areas. We now run into some of the same people and he likes to see the little children who carefully pet him.  He protects me from the big dogs, but accepts advances from small, friendly pups.

On the far side of the park is a gated community of "patio homes". 

Looking the length of the park with the wide paved path.The tallest trees are in the patio homes community.

The elephant that I can see from my backyard.  These boys were so good at helping their little sister climb up and down.

On weekends there are always mixed groups trying to outdo each other. 

There is our house with the big ficus tree in myneighbor's yard. The flood control channel runs between the two chainlink fences.  The beige wall is the end of the park abutting the patio homes.

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Friday Food 02-21-25

In the last 35 years I have pretty much lost all my cooking skills and barely manage to meet the nutritional needs for my age.   Cooking is just not interesting, so I depend more on simple meals or occasionally on prepared foods.  Never sure exactly what I might be eating with prepackaged things and they are always higher in salt than I prefer.   However, I do experiment sometimes.   At the market I was looking in the refrigerated case for cheese when I saw a bargain on fresh packaged meals, buy one get one (BOGO), that are things I have enjoyed. 

 
In fact, Carbonara is my favorite Italian offering. 

And Chicken Marsala is a close second.  

Both are easy to make at home, but require more cooking time than I usually want to give.    $7.99 for two is a deal.  The plastic bowl is filled with soft pasta and there is a plastic pouch of sauce.  Pour the sauce and mix with pasta, cover and zap for five minutes.   I took it out, stirred, and zapped for another 1-1/2 minutes so it  would still be hot when I had zapped a serving of fresh broccoli. Not as tasty as  my favorite Italian restaurant, it was a satisfactory meal and would be cheap enough at $7.99.    I will probably purchase again one day. 

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Miscellaneous February 20, 2025

I  looked back a few years and find that I generally blog about the same things every year!  In February I write about what is blooming, the weather, and what I have been reading.  With being sick most of the month and unable to do much other than doctor myself and take care of KoKo, I have been reading with Kindle on my cell phone.   

One recent Book Group read was "The Kitchen Front" by Jennifer Ryan, which takes place in England during WWII and covers food rationing and food preparation.  Of course,  it has a romance and personality clashes, but I found the food part fascinating. Another Book Group selection was "The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife"  by Anna Johnston.   It is a fantastical tale of two men who look very much alike, one dead and the man who accidently takes his place in an elder care home.  Also in England.  I enjoyed this one a lot, although hard to believe the coincidences. 

On my own I have read several books about the late Queen Elizabeth II.  "The Other Side of the Coin:The Queen, The Dresser, and The Wardrobe"  Angela Kelly.  Interesting look into the Queen's closet by her long-time "dresser"  who manages all clothing and designs dresses  for special  occasions.  I followed that up with an autobiography by Elizabeth's cousin, Margaret Rhodes, "The Final Curtsey: A Royal Memoir".  Born between the wars she experienced the diminishing of the aristocracy, but led an exotic life.  Candid pictures of the Royal Family.  

I enjoyed "Doc" by R.E. Losee, a doctor starting in WWII and his continuing practice in a tiny town in Montana.  Very much an informal sort of ramble.  "Sisters in Science" by Olivia Campbell covers the troubles of European female scientists during and after the rule of the Nazies. 

Currently I am into "Life After Manzanar" by Heather C. Lindquist and  Naomi Hirahara.  Researches what happened to the Japanese detainees at Manzanar concentration camp in California's Owens Valley after they were released at the end of WWII.

I have read a lot of books since I stopped blogging last June.  Since I don't have TV my "down time" is usually reading time, although I do spend an excessive amount of time on Facebook, Instagram, and e-mail.  Hard to keep up with the news these days, it is confusing and oh-so-depressing. Where are we headed?

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What's Blooming 02-19-25

I have been able to walk KoKo several times this week, getting out in the sunshine and enjoying the flowers feels so good. The rain last week has washed off the dust and erased the sidewalk art work, making everything look new and clean.  The landscape roses, almost all are white, are always blooming in some density, rather sparse right now.  Regular roses were pruned in the last few months and are just leafing out.  But there are always perennials and succulents in bloom. 

 

Osteospermum  Also known as Cape Daisy, African Daisy, Cape Margarita. 

It has several color variations.

Delosperma. Trailing iceplant.

And a sneaky dandelion!

Coral Aloe

Bougainvillea

Almost always blooming in abundance. The flower is the small white blob deep in the red brackets.  No fragrance.

I am still not over the RSV, the cough is worse at night.  I managed three hours sound sleep this afternoon, which I hope to add to tonight. Still sleeping sitting mostly upright, otherwise the draining starts the cough. KoKo on my lap, of course.

 

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From TCQC 02-17-25

"Early Birds" Ruth Powers - Carbondale, KS 2005 49"W x 38"L

Cotton fabrics, thread, batting.  Machine pieced and quilted.

Here is an older quilt from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection added in 2007. This is "Early Birds" (40"W x 38"L) a quilt made by Ruth Powers of Carbondale, KS. It is entirely machine pieced and quilted and won the Best of Show in the "Think Spring" catagory at IQA in Chicago in 2006.It is now part of the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection and is shown here on a grey wall. 

I first saw a Ruth Powers quilt in 1998 at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles and asked about availability, but they had no information. No pictures were allowed, but I stored the image of "Vireya" in my brain somewhere and didn't forget it. In early 2010 a friend heard about a new group "Kansas Art Quilters" and sent me the URL for their website. I was so impressed that they had a great website up so soon after they formed that I sent a query about membership. They replied that I could be a member, so I sent my check. When I looked at the membership list I found that Ruth Powers was a member and we exchanged the first of years of e-mails. I was so glad that I could purchase this quilt in 2006, although it is hard to choose a favorite among Ruth's many masterpiece quilts this one in particular 'spoke to me'. KAQ was a group that I enjoyed very much, even though I live so many miles away.

"Early Birds"  Best Of Show at Celebrate Spring! IQF, Rosemont, IL 2006 and was in the Celebrate Spring! Special Exhibit at Houston in 2006. Published in Fons and Porter’s ”Love of Quilting” May/June 2007 and the SAQA Journal Vol. 17 - #2 Spring 2007" Ruth machine pieces EVERYTHING using commercial fabrics almost exclusively and FMQs her quilts on her home machine. She also does exquisite thread painting on some of her work. The texture of the fabrics she selected for this quilt give the illusion of depth and the one that shows the distant trees is an inspired choice. This quilt is one that requires many close viewings to see all the details. Ruth has a commercial pattern business, INNOVATIONS, where she sells designs that are just a little different than others on the market. http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/patterns.php 

Look at Ruth's work at: http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/ Her blog is www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/weblog