Lemons - NOT! 01-04-14

These pictures were taken January 6, 2010, and the lemon trees were heavy with fruit.  


These bright yellow orbs hung over the wall on the south side of my neighbor's house.  Easy to reach from the front yard.  

 
And this view is just around the corner of the wall.  An abundance of sweet Meyer lemons which the neighbor shared with me.  This year there is not a lemon in sight!  I wonder if he has watered his tree during this terrible dry year - the driest ever recorded in Los Angeles County.  So, it follows that it was also the driest in Orange County history.  I'll miss the lemons as Meyers are not often seen in markets here and when they are they are very pricey.  Guess it will be a year without lemon bars, lemon curd and fresh lemonade.  

Friday Feet 01-03-14

 

Bubbles 01-01-13

Guess I was too tired when I posted early this morning, somehow I thought it was Wednesday!  Today I had breakfast with my Book Group (a tradition of about eight years) and then went to San Clemente to the Ota's Open House with piles of food - Japanese and American.  It was delicious and lovely. When I arrived Nancy was out in the cul-de-sac helping her g'kids make huge bubbles using a home made contraption composed of two dowels, some heavy string and a metal washer.  I wish I had taken a picture of it.


Aren't these wonderful?  There was just the right amount of breeze to elongate the growing bubble and move it uphill before it made contact with something and disappeared. 

Here is a REALLY BIG one forming before breaking free and setting off on its journey. 

There is a long skinny bubble here that shows just below the car. But the real reason I include this picture is because of the shadows - Nancy's shadow in the middle holding the bubble maker and my shadow in the lower right (with my camera shadow sticking out like a weird nose).  The pan holds the Dawn detergent/glycerin mix for the bubbles.  Google "Giant Bubbles" for information to make your own! 

Wordless Tuesday - last day of 2013 12-31-13

 

 

 

Monday Browsing + Portal 12-30-13

Keep your eyes on ….what?   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tedtalks/watch-keep-a-close-eye-on_b_4476313.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl6%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D423004

Where are you from?   http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0     [My map showed  Sacramento, Stockton and Salt Lake City, places I have never lived.  At least it showed I am a Westerner. Del]

Ads worth a second look…  or a third… or many: https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/mgCIKGIYJ1A?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

I’ve checked up on Viewpoints9 – they have done some interesting work in the last few months.

http://viewpoints9-2.blogspot.com/

 

Aliaga home in Lima, Peru  Photo by Nancy Ota November 2013 

A Corky quilt in TCQC 12-29-13

This is one of my favorite quilts and it is even more precious now that Corky has died.  I think Diane captured the special look of this dear little poodle and she had never met him.  She used pictures from my blog to create her design. 


"Corky Encounters Nature"  Diane Perin Hock - Healdsburg, CA  2011   12"x12"
Cotton fabrics, illusion netting, cotton batting, fusible.  Machine appliqued and quilted.
 

I especially loved Corky's tidy little feet - they weren't quite this bony, but I think Diane's fabric choice is amazingly accurate.  I must say that Corky never paid any attention to the critters he encountered; I've seen him ignore a pair of ducks that walked within two feet of him.  He didn't even mind cats as long as they weren't in his yard or mine.
 

I've put in this duplicate which I sharpened so you can see the illusion netting that covers the entire quilt.
 

The white-on-white fabric really shows up in this picture.  Who knew that someone prints fabric with poodle curls on it? 
 

Diane is a member of the 12X12 Int'l group and this quilt was part of the gift of 12 they gave me because I sponsored their touring exhibit.   She didn't put a contact on the label - guess she hasn't heard me nagging people to do so. 
 

The backing and sleeve are a beautiful cabbage print.

Thank you, again, Diane.