This is the next street, Cedarlawn, where half a dozen residents have paid for the lighted flags that are put up for a week during six holidays a year.  It is a project for an Eagle Scout and I paid last year and again this year.  $60 seems like a bargain. 

Here are my 15 small flags which I stick into the hedge going up to the front porch.  Not fancy, but an effort anyway. 

Still having problems with my laptop, hope this does actually post

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Computer has been down 06-28-22

The problem isn't with my laptop, but with the AT&T connection.  Paid a visit to the Geek Squad today and Sean showed me a couple "go arounds", but I have been bounced twice.  Maybe it is time to try another carrier - Spectrum is about the only other possibility.  Sigh.  For the moment I am on line, but can't think of anything to say here.  It has been very hot, over 90F every day, and we are walking when it drops to 79F  usually after dark.  8:30pm tonight.  We live in an area that doesn't get much through traffic and there are lots of street lights and people leave their porch and yard lights on quite late or all night.  I always carry my cane and keep my eyes open for coyotes, other people walking dogs, and any strange cars.  It is very pleasant to walk just as the sun is going down, lovely skies with silhouettes of the trees.  

I have talked about Monthly Minis at Surfside Quilters Guild.  At each meeting tickets are sold for a drawing featuring something donated by a member.  Could be a small quilt, handbag, tote, placemats, aprons.... whatever anyone has donated.  For our June meeting I donated a little quilt that I made as a sample for a pattern I designed in 1994.  At that time I was thinking I might develop a line of patterns, but eventually decided that the logistics were more than I wanted to handle.  So this little Uncle Sam has been in a drawer all these years.  I recently came across it and thought it would be a good time to donate it for a Monthly Mini.  

The figure on the right was another design about the same time. 

Pam Hadfield, the lady in the center, had the winning ticket.  I am on the left, not realizing how silly I would look with my mask pulled down off my face.  On the right is Pattie Sexton representing the MoMini committee.  The income on this was about $280.  The tickets are a dollar or six for five dollars.  

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Fourth of July 2020 07-04-20

Several years ago when the house was painted the painter didn't put the flag holder back up and I kept forgetting to call him to come back to do that.  I haven't flown the flag since.  But this year it seemed I needed to fly the flag.  There were many more flags and buntings in the neighborhood than usual.  So I rigged up the pole horizontally on my front porch and it looked great. 

In this picture the sun wasn't quite over the top of the roof yet.   KoKo is probably sitting in the bottom center window, it is his spying spot to keep track of everything. 

In the past a Realtor would come by and stick a flag in everyone's lawn, but not this year.  I got out the ten flags I saved from past years, but couldn't stick them in the hard soil.  Instead I poked them in the pittisporum hedge and they flapped festively in the breeze. 

No barbeques or block parties for us.  We went to In-N-Out burger in Orange.  Doesn't it look lonely with no cars parked in the lot?  The drive thru line went out onto Tustin Blvd.  

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"America From the Heart" 07-04-19

This afternoon I was looking for a book on my quilting bookshelves and came across the book "America From the Heart: Quilters Remember September 11, 2001".

It seems so sad on this day of saber rattling in Washington, DC. to page through those quilts made to help each of us endure the shock, horror, and pain of that terrible attack on our nation and the murder of so many innocent civilians.  

The quilts first appeared together at the Quilt Festival in Houston in October 2001.  The book originated there and was supported by Karey Bresenhan who wrote the foreword and published by C&T Publishers in 2002.  There were about 300 quilts and I am proud that mine was one of them.  It isn't my best work, I did a lot of crying at that time in my life and found it difficult to concentrate on anything.  

The book is full of flag images which seemed somehow reassuring to me on this rather frightening 4th of July with tanks rolling on the Mall in Washington.  We are, I think, skating on thin ice these days in our relations with other countries.  I fear what may be in our future and these quilt certain represent what could happen.  

If you have a copy on your shelf, take a look at these works of our hands and our hearts.  

"New Growth"  Del Thomas  2001  14"x14"

Commercial and hand-dyed cottons, cotton thread and batting.

Machine pieced and quilted.  Fusing.  

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KoKo doesn't like July 4th 07-04-17

It was a quiet 4th of July here in Orange County California, except for the fireworks which had KoKo in a tizzy.  When we walked at 7pm (84F) there were already booms and bangs and he didn't want any part of it.   He strained at the leash to head for home until I had to pick him up and carry him lest he tear my arm out of the socket.  All the rest of the evening he was on me like another skin, so I had to sit and hold him, talking and petting and soothing.  He seemed to want to be on my head and he climbed up on the back of my recliner, something he has never done before.  For a while I wrapped him in his quilt while I held him, which seemed to help.  I had read about this online somewhere.  They make special 'bundling' coats for dogs, but I don't want to invest in one for one day a year.  Needless to say, he didn't get a bath today - tomorrow, for sure. 

It is very hot again, running in the high 80s and low 90s.  A little early in the summer for that kind of heat, but not unheard of.  I am still not quilting and it looks like I will miss another deadline.  Gotta get control of that lack of creativity soon or I will forget how to sew.

Meanwhile, I have finished the Surfside Quilters Guild newsletter.  A whole week late this time.  I will do better in future months.  The meeting is next Tuesday, already! 

 

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Inspiration 07-04-14

 

Near Burlingame, KS  2011

Patriotic Quilts at Surfside Quilters Guild 07-12-11

There were some great red, white and blue quilts at the Surfside Quilters Guild meeting today.  We have just this month started providing quilts for Wounded Warriors, a group devoted to having each wounded service person covered with a quilt when they are transported from a conflict area to a stateside or European based hospital.  Those quilts should be 48" x 78" to fit on the gurneys.  But these different sized quilts are great inspirations. http://patrioticheartstringsquiltingproject.blogspot.com/

Our speaker this month was Lyn Brown http://www.lynbrown.com/  who teaches in north Orange County and creates patterns which are available in her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/lynbrowndotcom

"Chains of Friendship" a pattern by Lyn Brown.  This quilt has her "Borders on Blocks" technique which builds the borders onto the blocks before they are assembled.

"Old Glory"  Lyn Brown pattern  64"W x 46"L (but it could be made larger or smaller with re-sized blocks)

"Hooray, U.S.A" -  Judy de Gruy showed this at Show & Tell.  She made it for her red, white & blue patriotic guest room.   It was quilted by Carol Kaplan.

Monica Shafer shared this quilt from a pattern featured on the cover of American Patchwork and Quilting. It was one of the first quilts that she made.

"Patriotic Star" wallhanging made by Maggie Bell from a pattern by Judy Hasselkus.  (not a good picture, sorry!)  This piece is about 18" square.

 

"Come Home Safe - We Love You"  Victoria Crayne

A collection of patriotic blocks - a great Uncle Sam on a bicycle!

More 4th of July

Corky and I drove down to Long Beach this afternoon because it was too hot to walk at my house and I had a couple things to do there before his parents return tomorrow.  It was the perfect temperature with just a slight breeze and the neighborhood was celebrating with patio parties and cookouts and boating and lots of decorations.  Hanging swags of bunting on the fences that face the water is a popular thing to do.  And I am always a sucker for a red umbrella with the sun shining through.

Remember the "canning buttons" post?  These people like to hang aprons on their palm trees.

We drove back to Placentia and went to visit the block party in Carol and Dick's neighborhood.  There are three or four parties within in a couple blocks - one with a 'bounce house', one with a sign "bike parade", two with barriers to traffic going down the street.  The neighbors on the Bednar's street have been doing this on the 4th for over 25 years.  When there were children at home they had volleyball and baseball and other games, but now mostly it is just the parents sitting around visiting, catching up with the news and .... eating!  I guess I only took pictures of desserts - wonder why?

This is a giant Mrs. Fields' chocolate chip cookie covered with icing.  It takes a super-sized pizza cutter!  It was very good and there is one family with three college students home for the summer.  Guess who took home the leftover cookie?

The trifle was also delicious.  Full of strawberries and blueberries in a bed of rich custard and whipped cream.   I lusted after the entire bowl, but settled for a large serving spoonful. 

 M-m-m-m.

Corky is back to not having his picture taken.  I did five shots and just as I pressed the shutter he turned his head away. 

When I finally was quick enough he looks so bored and disgusted.  He had a red, white and blue neckerchief, a red, white and blue bow under his chin and a flag attached to his stroller.  He could have been in a parade. 

We were back home a little before eight, just in time for evening pills.  Then Corky curled up in his bed and went to sleep, snoring, of course.  When his mommy called at 10:30 I woke him up so he could go out to do his business.  Then he went back to sleep and is again snoring away.  It was an exhausting 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July 07-04-11

Here is a paragraph about the Google Doodle for today and some facts about our Independence Day.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388023,00.asp

 
Taken near Burlington, Kansas, on Memorial Day 2011

Fourth of July at Avalon, Catalina Island 07-04-10

While Corky stays with his Nanny his parents enjoy the holiday weekend on Catalina Island. You know the one from the song: "26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is waiting for me." It is actually a bit further than 26 miles, but I suppose that fit into the song better.

Corky's daddy sent these pictures taken with his cell phone. The first is off the back of the boat on the way over on Friday. It was overcast that day and remained pretty much the same for the weekend.

Many boating people go to Catalina for this holiday as you can see from all the boats in the harbor. One needs to have a mooring reserved before leaving the mainland - they are rented by people who take their boats over often.

About 1pm on the 4th there is a parade with golf cart "floats"and the USC marching band. As you can see, most people on the island line up to see it. Behind them there are beach towels laid out to reserve a spot on the sand, although today was not a good sun tanning day.

Sherry, Corky's mommy, was "layered" in all the clothing she took with her. The top temperature was about 60F. "June Gloom" is creeping over into July.

Our 233rd Birthday 07-04-09

It was a red letter day at my house. I finished the newsletter - the one that was supposed to be posted last Tuesday! I learned a lot about Microsoft Publisher, especially what I still have to learn. Some pictures I was trying to post would not behave, so I had to send the N/L without the advertisements. I hope for this month we can post a separate page - or two - on our website with all the ads. Then they will start their regular appearance in next month's newsletter. The N/L is not mailed, but only available to read, or print out, on our temporary guild website.

http://sites.google.com/site/surfsidequiltersguild/

Corky and I didn't do much 4th of July celebrating, but we did drive over to Carol & Dick Bednar's neighborhood party. It is an annual thing - they have asked me before and I have never been able to go. But this year I had a handsome escort who was the hit of the event! We didn't go until after they had eaten, but there were still plenty of desserts! I had some treats for Corky, because I knew there would be food and he would be begging. There aren't many poodles around and I think everyone was impressed at how well behaved he was - despite the begging.

Meanwhile, Corky's parents were living it up on Catalina Island where they go every year for this holiday. Jim sent me this picture he took today. Looks like it was packed as usual. And the harbor is gunwale to gunwale boats - maybe you could walk across w/o getting your feet wet! I didn't know they had a parade with a band! Wonder what else they haven't told me about? Maybe Corky and I should go with them next year. We'd take the big white boat, no high powered speed boats for the two of us.

I'll take Corky home tomorrow afternoon and when I get home I think I'll just go to bed for a couple days - at least as much as I can. I feel like I have been fighting a war with my computers and Publisher and even have sore muscles (stress?). But I will try to blog every day. I feel sorry when I miss a blogging night. And I miss you when you don't blog. Del