Friday Food 07-24-20

This looks appetizing to me because I love sauteed mushrooms.  TJoe's had boxes of nice mushrooms all the same size (except one - how did that get in there).  So, I minced up some garlic and a piece of shallot, stirred them around in some olive oil and butter until they looked good and dumped in the mushrooms.  A dollop of dry sherry and a soupcon of water and stir, stir, stir.  

Delicious. 

I only had two pieces of wheat bread, no sourdough (how did I forget that?), which I lightly buttered and laid top side down on the mushrooms to warm a bit.   And that was dinner.  A basically two item meal.  I seem to be eating more of those lately. 

One reason I enjoy this so much is that it brings back lovely memories of a meal in Bath, England, some years ago when I was traveling with a dear friend.  We took the train from London and somehow arrived late in the day.  We wandered around sightseeing a bit and decided we needed to eat before it got too late.  But it was already too late and most restaurants were closed.  Near the cathedral there were a few people at outside tables and we went in and found that they were just closing the kitchen.  We plead hunger and weariness (my friend was so good at that) and the chef said he could prepare some mushrooms and bread.  At the time it seemed like the best meal we had ever eaten.  And I remember it with everlasting fondness.  

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Oceanside, CA drive 07-23-20

Today I drove to Oceanside to deliver a quilt for the "Southern California Contemporary Quilts" exhibit at Oceanside Museum of Art that opens August 1st (through Oct 25).  They will hang the quilts and then post them on a video on their website.  If it can be arranged there will be a way to make a reservation to go to the museum with a limited number of visitors for a limited amount of time.  Something similar to what Visions is currently offering.  All the makers are in Southern California and the "theme" is our "view" of Southern California.  Mine is "Palms", to me the symbol of the area.  More on the exhibit later.  

I dropped KoKo for a visit with Nancy Ota in San Clemente, which is about an hour from my house and half an hour north of Oceanside.  Amazingly, it sprinkled on the way down and it was very overcast.  But by noon the sun was out and there were many people walking the huge Thursday farmer's market one block off of Mission. I turned in my quilt at OMA and found the crepe "booth" for a bacon/cheese/avocado/egg crepe which I ate sitting in my car, parked next to my friend Beth in her car, while we had a nice visit.  It did seem strange, but it worked rather well.  Then home again, stopping to pick up KoKo, and just in time for a ZOOM meeting with an art quilt group I belong to.  After which we required a nap!  

The Pacific Ocean on a grey overcast morning.

Don't know where the circle came from, it isn't part of the picture!

A military ship off of Camp Pendleton. 

The front of Oceanside Museum of Art with the current art piece displayed. 

And a close up!

We parked under the palm trees behind the museum to have our lunch. 

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Wordless Wednesday 07-22-20

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More on shopping 07-21-20

Thanks for the comments on shopping online, specifically Amazon.   With the extended limitations of the pandemic I find I need to buy things online rather than go to a shop.  I do go to the grocery store every few weeks, masked and with a detailed list so I just make a path to find the things on my list.  I don't spend very many minutes inside.  And I go to the farmer's market almost every Tuesday for veggies, fruits, eggs, and bread.  Almost everyone wears a face covering, but today there was a group of four, all without masks, standing mid aisle chattering away. But I am a bit of a coward when it comes to confronting people, so I just walked a wide swing around them. And made sure that my mask was fitting tightly.  Today I hit TJoe's because I knew I would find what I needed there and I was in and out in about ten minutes.  No more standing in line, not that I ever did.  I go to CVS for prescriptions because I am unwilling to be in their "club" to have prescriptions delivered.   I don't think I go out much at all, but am surprised that I know people who have not been out of their house/property since all this virus business started.  I am an introvert, but not that much of an INTROVERT.   And I find I need to converse with a human being more than I thought I did.   I do several ZOOM meetings which help, but are not very satisfying.  I can at least see people's faces and the emotions they express.  I do long to be out on the road seeing many different places and people.   The call of the open road!    I thought about buying a small motor home or trailer to avoid staying at motels, but thousands of other disgruntled travelers have the same idea and I understand the RV market is overrun and prices have increased.  Maybe a rental?  Even with extensive sanitizing I find that a bit intimidating.  So, I guess I will continue to stay home and try to avoid the virus, but as you all know, it is REALLY hard.  At least I have KoKo for company, but he isn't much of a conversationalist.  

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Buying on Amazon 07-20-20

I have been on Amazon for quite a long time, but I rarely buy anything except books.  Under the influence of my Friend Dick Bednar I have been looking for things in the vast resources that Amazon offers.  So, I bought a few things and they were delivered so quickly I thought there must be a mistake.   And there was, but it was mine!  I ordered two of my favorite lip balms (Evanhealy Whipped Shea Butter for Lips) because both of my current tubes are almost empty.  But I didn't read the instructions well enough and I ordered two "units" each including three tubes.  I now have enough to probably last me the rest of my life.   And I am in dire need of some Wonder Under 805, but Amazon listed 1 yard, 2 yard, 5 yard, or 35 yards.  I suspect I will be able to use up 35 yards of this product before my sewing days are over, but surely someone will be able to use my leftover.  

So, the moral of the story is to READ CAREFULLY and then read it again, befor hitting the ORDER NOW button.  

KoKo was mystified and thought this package was for Froggy.    But it must be mine since neither of them read. 

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Pieced block quilts 07-19-20

I have made traditional pieced block quilts off and on all my life - well, since I was seven anyway.  But I haven't made many lately.  Instead I have been doing Ruth B. McDowell's piecing technique, Sue Benner's fusing style, and my own combination of those and other things I have learned or "invented".  So, my current work on a Little Houses quilt which originated with Karen Perin has been a bit of a struggle.  Not using my skills for several years has made me lose some of them.  And my ageing brain struggles with remembering or relearning.  But I have enjoyed the Little Houses and the quilt top is finished except for one more outside border - once I can make a fabric choice!  

I don't remember which was my last block quilt, but here is "Blue Goose" finished in December 1995.  It is a 14.5" block with the sashing cut from a fabric design by Ruth B. McDowell.   Basically it is a scrap quilt with yellows from my vast yellow fabric library, but I did have to buy some blues.  Seems like it is not a color I use a lot.  

"Blue Goose"  Del Thomas  1995  56"W x 73.5"L

Commercial cotton prints, cotton batting and thread.

Machine pieced and quilted. 

Quilted by Derek Lockwood, Chino, CA

I was really into fancy labels then.  This one has two paper pieced blue geese.  Notice the backing fabric.  When the top was finished I was working in a quilt shop and went in one morning to unpack new fabric that had been delivered.  The first bolt out of the package were these great blue angels on a yellow ground.  It was made to be the back of this quilt. 

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Judith Content 07-18=20

Judith Content is one of the artists featured in the new exhibits at Visions Art Museum in San Diego.   The museum is still closed to the public, but members can make a reservation for a certain day/time to spend an hour enjoying the displays.   Go to the VAM website and look in the Store.  

Today Judith did a program on ZOOM for about 75 ladies who had signed up in advance.  She had prepared a number of pipes wrapped with fabric and string and then dyed and let dry.  As part of her program she unwrapped these and shared her results.  It was exciting to see the shading, lines, and color blending that she created.   

Judith cutting he wrapping strings on a dyed fabric roll. 

And the beautiful dyed fabric is unrolled and revealed. 

There are two of Judith's quilts in TCQC.

"Cataclysm"   Judith Content  2009  85"W x 55"L

The other is "Departure" from 2014 43"Wx61"L

But I cannot locate a photo right now.  Since Picasa died and Windows rearranged all my photos I sometimes cannot find what I am looking for.  Sorry.
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