New Years Eve 12-31-10

It'll be the last time I write 2010 - now I must retrain my brain to 2011. It is a problem for me every year, which is why I rarely write '10 or, now, '11. It takes the first two digits to get my brain in gear for the correct last two digits.

Here is the Poodle Prince at his house in the desert. This was the only picture that turned out of the several I took, he just wasn't much interested in posing for photos this week. We had a good chuckle when I groomed him yesterday - after he was all brushed up and I went to put his collar on (sans the wonderful green/red Christmas collar cover that Karen sent him) I realized he had "ring around the collar" in green! Just a very faint tint, such as one would have from wearing a faux gold ring around their finger. Too cute.

Easy drive home for me today, no wind, few trucks and not a lot of cars on I-40. They were mostly all going the other way. And on I-15N (toward Las Vegas) they were spending time standing still. I arrived in Orange County about 3:40pm, but I detoured to get gas at the 'cheap' station ($3.19/gal for 87octane), so I arrived at my house about 4:10pm. The temperature was in the low 40s most of the way home, but dipped to 39F over the Cajon Pass ( 3,777ft). By 6:30pm Placentia was 45.9F. Sometime since I left on Tuesday my recording thermometer showed a low of 31.6F and it is supposed to about that tonight. Every year I wonder how the Rose Parade fans survive their long night vigil on the parade route in Pasadena - it is probably colder there! In about 1959 when I lived with my Little Grandmother in Arcadia (right next door to Pasadena) I went to an all night New Year's Eve party with the intent for everyone to attend the parade in the morning. It was, as I recall, a great party, but when my date drove me to my house to change clothes I realized how cold it was and how tired I was..... We both decided to just skip the parade. So, I have never been. However, Floyd and I went several times to see the floats after the parade when they are parked on the street in a section of Pasadena - they are on display for two or three days. A MUCH more enjoyable way to see them, but we did miss the marching bands and the equestrian teams.

I have already been to bed for several hours! But got up to Blog. I couldn't let the old year end without wishing all of you a....

.... happy, prosperous and healthy 2011.

Love, Del-at-home

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Cacti at Lake Havasu City, AZ 12-30-10

This form of cactus has very long sharp spines. I don't know what the 'drawing' is on the pads, could be natural, but I suspect it is an insect burrowing inside the pads. All the pads on this cactus had these markings.

The cacti are mostly bearing fruit right now, but there are a few blossoms here and there. This is a slightly different variety of beavertail cactus than the next image. I believe that all of the beavertail fruits are edible - usually we see them as "cactus jelly" in novelty stores, but the Mexican people cook them in different ways and they are slightly sweet like most fruits.

This variety has larger "pads" and the fruits are slightly different.

This is the same plant, but I like the single fruit growing right out of the middle of one of the pads. I've not seen that before - it looks very strange to me.

This plant had two flowers and the other was quite faded. Notice that the spines are very short and grow in tight clumps, but they are still lethal.

More desert driving 12-29-10

Yesterday driving across I-40 I was taking pictures on the go, as I usually do.

But one has to plan ahead and see what is coming up between the image I seek and my vehicle when it gets to the correct location. Sometimes one gets a bush, tree, or large truck.

This is what I was trying to photograph, the Barstow-Dagget airport which seems to sit out in the middle of nowhere. It has no commercial traffic, but it is used by military aircraft about half the time - Army, I believe. Nearby is a "solar farm" where power is generated by reflecting sun light into a central tower where it is converted to electricity. I cannot take a picture from the highway and I can't explain the process. Here is a Wikipedia article about the solar farms in the Mojave Desert. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert

The heavy rainfall last week in Southern California also dumped a lot of water in the desert. All along the highway are large, shallow 'lakes' that take a long time to drain away. And, when they do, they leave salt deposits on the top of the soil - looks like snow!

There are some places that always fill with rain water. The water gradually drains or evaporates and leaves dry lake beds.

Drive to the Desert 12-28-10

Oh, my goodness, how I love driving on the highway, out of the LA Basin - the "open road" has always called me and I have been missing it the last year or so. The five plus hour drive to Lake Havasu City seems more like being on a road trip than my drives north on I-5 to San Juan Bautista and Pacific Grove. I think it is due to the miles and miles of uncultivated desert and the rough, rocky mountains.

Of course, one must first get out of the basin. This image is on I-15 (which starts at the Mexico border and ends just south of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) and we are all stopped quite near where Hwy 60 crosses - the high roadways you see are part of the Interchange. Just beyond this point all lanes of the road were closed due to a seven or eight car pileup with serious injuries - all northbound traffic had to exit either Hwy 60 East or Hwy 60 West. I chose west because I had an idea how to go around the blockage on surface streets. And I did fine. But instead of 1 to 1-1/2 hours it took me two hours and twenty minutes to make the drive from my house to Lenwood just south of Barstow. I really can't sit that long without suffering great pain in my hips and back, so when I got out at the Arco station in Lenwood I had to hang onto the car at first. Pitiful! I felt I needed a special lunch with lots of protein, so I lined up at the In & Out Hamburger drive-thru. One thing about In & Out, they know how to keep things moving. And the burgers are cheap and delicious. The last time I had one was late August when Liz and I stopped before I did the program in the garden for Westside Quilters.

Then I was on the road again, At Bartsow I turned off busy I-15 north to Las Vegas and took I-40 east which usually has light traffic, but lots of big trucks. This sign where I-40 begins always starts me daydreaming about driving across country again - "Wilmington, NC, 2,554 miles". I-40 follows the old Route 66, crossing and recrossing and sometimes it is the same roadway. The first time I drove/rode this route it was a great deal of Route 66 interspersed with short sections of the new Interstate. That was a lot of years ago.

Because I was delayed today, Corky's parents and grandparents left for Laughlin, NV, where they had tickets to see Debbie Reynolds in concert - she is 78! - leaving Corky alone for maybe a half an hour. He was glad to see me, but spent most of his time sitting in the front window looking for his parents to return. They got home about an hour ago and the three of them are sound asleep.

While I was unloading my car Corky wanted to go out back to do some business and this is the view I saw. I had been too busy to even look out the back windows. I have taken a zillion pictures of Lake Havasu sunsets - so many of them are spectacular. Almost as good as the South Pacific, but not quite so gaudy. I have more pictures to share with you, but I cannot keep my eyes open and keep typing on the wrong keys, so I'll post more travel views on another day.

No snow, but bare trees! 12-27-10

Watching the TV news about the terrible snows in the eastern states gives me a feeling of great anxiety! I have never been fond of snow, which is one reason I live in SCalifornia, and I do remember some snowy winters near Portland, OR. when I was a child. My best snow memory was the year my husband and I spent Christmas at the Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite Valley. It snowed a few inches Christmas Eve day and a few more during the night. It was an awesome sight to look out at the snow covered valley floor just after dawn - there were only deer tracks and crow tracks. We did go out walking, but not far because we couldn't bear to put footprints in that pure white snow. I think I will let that be my lifelong memory of new fallen snow.

Sue Benner quilt in TCQC posted on Blog 12-26-10

Here is another quilt from the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles November sale "High Fiber Under Five".

"Checks & Bars Jumble" Sue Benner 2009 11" x 11" Fused and machine quilted.

Sue is very inventive in her quilt making. I took a class from her at Empty Spools a number of years ago and she did challenge her students. It was an interesting week.

Interesting back - Marimekko fabric with title and signature in gold. One of Sue's signature techniques is leaving the tails on the threads she uses to overcast the edges of her quilts. Whenever I hang one of her quilts I fear that some helpful quilter will whip out scissors from her purse and trim off those dangling threads.

www.suebenner.com

The Gifts of Christmas Past 12-25-10

Do Corky and I look younger? This photo was taken Jan 3, 2004, at Corky's house in Long Beach. The Santa quilt was made by Chris Huben and I purchased it at a guild auction, but donated it back to the guild when I stopped doing Christmas a few years ago. So, they made money twice on Chris' gift.

Merry Christmas to you all 12-24-10

He goes around the world every year and when he is done he is ready for a nap.

A Christmas Quilt 12-24-10

"Teenage Reindeer" Del Thomas 1993 27" x 31.5"

A friendship group I belonged to in 1993 did a challenge where we had specific steps to prepare for the meeting where we started our projects. I'm not sure this is the order, but we had to have a fat quarter of definitely Xmas fabric in a brown lunch bag; a half yard of red or green fabric rolled and tied with a ribbon, and a white fabric wrapped in Xmas paper and tied with a ribbon. We could add whatever we wanted to create a Xmas quilt. No size restrictions. At the time I was teaching a class based on "One of a Kind Quilts" a book by Judy Hopkins of Alaska and this challenge fit perfectly into my need for class samples.

This little reindeer was part of the design on the Xmas wrapping I received. It could look familiar, I posted this quilt before at: http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-quilts-12-22-07.html

Dress a Girl Around the World 12-24-10

Blogger refuses to post this picture with the text, so here it is in a separate post. Sorry!

Speaking of Gifts 12-23-10

It is the season of giving. Take some time to make a dress for a girl somewhere in the world -

a girl who doesn't have a dress.

Surfside Quilters Guild Philanthropy is participating in a worldwide project called "Dress a Girl Around the World" http://www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com/

Around the world people who sew are converting pillowcases into dresses for girls who do not have a dress. The very simple pattern is available on the website:

http://www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com/pillowcasedresspattern.htm

Or you can dip into your fabric library and start with yardage instead of a pillowcase. Although a pillowcase with more tightly woven fabric might be more durable.

They have even come up with a pattern for "Boys Britches" made from a colorful T-Shirt. Of course, I think the girls should come first. But whatever you might decided to make you can contact the central office for directions on where to send your creations.

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Stormy Weather 12-22-10

Yes, it did rain early this morning (Wednesday) - and I mean RAIN! I think it woke me up a couple times; I usually get up several times during the night, I was up about every hour last night. Although I live in the "flat lands" there is a slope on the back of the property - it goes down to a dirt road that provides access for the Golden State Water Company and the flood control channel on the other side of the road. Sometime before we moved here (1986) the slope went down in a bad rain storm and I always wonder if it will happen again. So far, so good.

While I was in physical therapy there was rain off and on, but afterward when I stopped for lunch at Kimmie's Coffee Cup in Orange the sun came out and it was glorious.

It was raining when I got home; I started to back into the garage as I always do, and the sky opened up with rain so hard I couldn't see the opening to back up. I just sat there until it let up enough to back into the garage. I checked the back yard and found only a little standing water, but there is that tale tell mark on the wall that shows how high the water backed up in the last few days.

The rain stopped long enough for me to bring in the trash cans, but then it came down like gangbusters again. This is the view west - which is where our weather comes from.

This is a view to the northeast toward the mountains which have received both rain and snow. But these have not been cold storms, my recording thermometer only went down to 51 one night and has usually been about 60-65 during the day. I imagine that it will be a colder storm when it reaches the Midwest. The TV weatherman says we will have showers tonight and in the morning and then it will clear up - for a few days anyway.

Gifts #2 12-21-10

Many of us know the spirit of giving, learning from our childhood how much we get back when when we give to others. Christmas brings out this spirit even more than any time of the year. I don't think either of these items were intended as Christmas gifts, but they are special things that the givers knew I would enjoy - holiday or no.

"Maxine #1" 59"W x 63"L Made and given by Ruth Powers http://www.ruthpowersartquilts.com/

Ruth knows I get a laugh out of Maxine's warped outlook on life. The comments make even more of an impact since I learned the cartoon is drawn/written by a man - a very perceptive guy.

This square is especially apt as I forget things with more and more frequency. There were enough panels for two quilts, so Ruth made mine and another for herself. She made a point of saying this is a napping quilt, but I wondered if the wildness would keep me awake - the backing fabric has 1-1/2" white polka dots on a black background - but a couple days ago I napped just fine under it. I think it will make a great travel companion, as I always carry a bed quilt with me when I travel.

This is a lovely glass dish sitting on a black cloth background - it is 4.5" square and concave. Perfect for catching rings and/or earrings on a dresser. Corky's mommy gave it to me on Sunday - she had been out Christmas shopping and thought of me when she saw it. Isn't that the way gifts should always be? Something brings a certain person to mind and one cannot resist buying it for them.

That is the way I like to give gifts - something for exactly the right person, regardless of the season, reason or holiday. Of course, handmade gifts are even more special. I hope I can get back to sewing soon and have some special gifts for some special people.

I can just tell the gift givers "Thank You" and express how much I appreciate their gifts.

Gifts 12-20-10

I've explained in the past that I don't "do" Christmas. But I enjoy giving gifts at other times of the year and this is an excellent time of the year to find really different items that someone might enjoy. Today I was 'surfing' the Internet and found a few interesting sites.

The first is Fred Flare.com. They offer serious and not so serious and downright ridiculous gift items. DO check it out, but don't miss the special tea infuser good for an early Beatles fan:

http://www.fredflare.com/customer/product.php?productid=6043&cat=316&bf=cto

Another site I found interesting is wearpact.com. which features underwear for a cause. I was intrigued by the innuendo in the wording of this ad. It is very current - notice the "on your junk" phrase - or was that in common usage before the TSA crackdown?

Nice print on organic cotton. You can see the ladies undies at: http://wearpact.com/shop/category/fit/women/ A little pricey, but imagine how great you would feel in your special undies thinking about lighting a light for a family in Haiti. The website offers an explanation of their "green" policies including a request for suggestions on what to do with the underwear when it wears out - other than putting it in the trash.

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Elizabeth Barton quilt new to TCQC 12-19-10

Here is a quilt from the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles recent "High Fiber Under Five" Benefit Art Sale. All of the pieces were priced $500 or less. I purchased three of the small quilted works - this is the first I have posted.

"Village Street #1" Elizabeth Barton 2009 15.5"W x 13.25"L

Hand dyed shibori fabrics, machine piecing, applique and quilting.

I am very fond of Elizabeth's work - there are five of her quilts in the TCQC. I think this piece is an "excerpt" from a larger quilt that didn't work. Elizabeth is fearless when she feels something is not what she wanted it to be. Out comes the rotary cutter and zip-zip, it becomes a different quilt, or several different quilts. OMG how I admire that ability in an artist. I especially like the colors in this quilt.

She always signs her work on the front with hand sewing.

And she usually hand stitches the name of the piece on the front.

Her machine quilting is very free motion and flows over the surface of the quilt like... well, like music. This quilt is a little gem that I am happy to have in the Collection.

www.elizabethbarton.com http://elizabethbarton.blogspot.com/

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Pink Roses 12-18-10

This rose bush was already growing in the backyard when we moved to this house in 1986, however, the seven foot wall is only about five years old . The blossoms have almost no fragrance, but the bush makes up for it by blooming like crazy all year. Usually I prune the roses between Xmas and New Years - except for the years I don't get around to it until Valentines. So, soon all these blossoms will go in the garden recycle - sad. I will pick some and take them to someone who will appreciate them for a few days.

The buds start out a deep pinky red.

As they open they reveal the bluey pink of the interior petals.

And finally, full open, only the very outer petals are the darker color.

SCalifornia is in the midst of a series of storms, so it has been raining lightly since yesterday and the TV weather guy tells us it will continue through the weekend and most of next week. It is an Oregon rain - drizzle, drizzle, drizzle - however, the guy says it will get heavier. I pity the people in the burn areas since the hills have not had time to grow much vegetation since the last round of fires. All those folks are just holding their breath, hoping that the other shoe doesn't drop. If we have any gully washers there could be more homeless people in the foothills. But, the good news is that the snow pack in the mountains is now at 110% - meaning that we will probably not have any water rationing next July/August.

License plates 12-17-10

Before there were vanity plates I enjoyed checking for out-of-state plates, when I traveled across the USA I would do a checklist as I saw each additional state on a license. Of course, vanity plates are more of a challenge. Sometimes they are easily read and sometimes they are mysteries. Some years ago I was driving on I-5 and kept passing and being passed by a car with a plate I couldn't figure out. When I stopped for gas that car had also stopped. I jumped at the chance and asked the fellow, "What does your license plate mean?" He looked down his nose at me and said with a sneer, "It's my name." I have rarely asked anyone about the meaning of what is on their license plate.

I saw this one on Kraemer Blvd, a main north-south street here in Placentia. I wonder if the owner works at Calico House not far away. I think I'll check around in the lot next time I visit.

This isn't about the license plate, but the footprints in the rear window. I wonder what the halo means, hovering over the fourth set of prints. I'd hate to think that one of the children died and is now wearing a halo for real. Maybe it has something to do with autism. Does anyone know?