Christmas lights 12-18-20

 

There are lots of light decorated houses around here.  Some are amazing and I wonder where they store all this stuff when the holidays are over.  Public Storage, maybe?  This house is near the lighted palm trees I posted a few weeks ago.  Some displays have music playing.  I don't know what I would do if I lived near one of those - eeeeeeek.   Anyway they are fun to look at.   I read today that although light at Christmas time has been around since pagan days, electric light strings came about in 1882 when a vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company had 80 special made blue lights to wrap around his Christmas tree instead of the traditional candles.  Needless to say the idea caught on.  

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Southern California Contemporary Quilts Part 3 12-17-20

 Nelda is a member of Art Stream, a small art quilt group in San Diego that I also belong to.  It was so interesting to watch this quilt come together and to see how she solve any problems she ran into.  It is 29" L X 31.5"W

Another recognition of the SCalifornia fire hazard was created by Pam Palmer-Lowe.  It acknowledges the women from prison fire crews who put their lives on the line despite their incarceration.  Their colorful identifying uniforms are in stark contrast to the blacken forest. 

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Southern California Comtemporary Quilts Part 2 12-16-20

Charlotte Bird's multi-panel work is in the center of the large gallery.  It is fascinating and deserves extra time to look at all the details.  She covers the scenes of SCalifornia with great artistry.  18" high X 22" wide for each panel X a total length of 102"

I always admire the work of Kathleen McCabe and there are several of her quilts in TCQC.  This one is soooo California.  48"L X 32"wide

This detail of the flowers in the foreground shows her fine control of her quilting. 

See the people and the light poles out on the pier - just shadows. Color isn't very good in this photo, it is much  brighter. 

Nancy Lemke's quilt is another salute to the coast.  21"L X 32"W

Notice the crocheted doily representing a sea star and there are hand embroidered sea urchins scattered throughout.

And tiny white fish flowing across the tidepool. I like the borders only top and bottom, leaving the water to flow out on each side.  

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Time off 12-14-20

I didn't mean to take a week off and I am sorry I caused some of you to worry, but  I have been struggling with keeping on my feet and trying to get back to "normal".   Couldn't do PTherapy because I was running a temp.  Seems to have been the UTI that has been haunting me off and on for the last few months.  Just generally feeling rotten on top of my sciatica problems.  I did see the orthopedist again last Friday and he thinks I should have another epidural.  I doubt that will happen until after the first of the new year.  I am waiting for a call back from the injection doc.  If I continue to feel better each day I will probably pass on that.    KoKo and I continue to walk twice a day and sometimes, like today, we do the loop both times.  I do think it makes an improvement in my aches and pains, but sometimes I don't have the energy.  I continue to do the exercises at home.  

I have been driving locally, to the market, the drugstore, takeout food, Starbuck's, but last Thursday I drove to Oceanside to have lunch with my friend Beth.  Oceanside is about halfway between us, an hour from San Diego and an hour from Placentia.  We each take our own lunch, park next to each other in the OMA lot,  roll down our windows and have a lovely visit while we eat.  Not the same as sitting in a restaurant and hugging on arrival/departure, but better than not seeing each other at all.  The traffic was mostly light, but I was whipped when I got home.  KoKo had stayed with Cherie and Jim overnight and I picked him up on the way home.  Needless to say I needed a nap and he joined me, as usual.  

Two special cards in the mail today.  I have always been fascinated by the 3-D folding cards and this is a very nice Snowman.  Also a quilled bluebird (of happiness) which was accompanied by a nice long letter HANDWRITTEN!  Haven't had one of those in years.  I will respond, but it will have to be typed as I can not even read my own cursive anymore.  

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