Friday Food 03-08-24

 While in SDiego I stayed in Air B&B with Pat Pauly, the teacher, so we ate breakfast at the house and sometimes dinner also.  We shopped at the local Von's Grocery where I found these "mixed" eggs.  

There  were these four left to bring home, but the  original dozen were  more varied  with  darker browns  and  brighter blues with  one greenish one. I have purchased colored eggs from local growers, but have never seen them commercially packaged. But I usually just buy brown eggs from Trader Joe's and don't look to see what else is available.  

Inside they are like any eggs.  These  were medium rather than the large I usually buy.   The breed of chicken is Ameraucana, which lay eggs in several different colors, but most commonly shades  of blue.

The commercial carton.

A full dozen from a local supplier.  They are not graded and come with all different sizes.  

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More images from Pat Pauly class 02-19-24

On this holiday honoring POTUS we recognize all the Presidents, good, bad, and abysmal.  Hope  you enjoyed the "free" day.  Here  it rained off and on all day and is raining now at almost midnight.  We need the rain, but it does cause problems. The city has canceled the grand re-opening of the park behind our house.  I am very curious to see the larger part that I cannot see from  our backyard.  

Here are some more pieces from Pat Pauly's students.  If you can identify any of  the creators, please let me know.  There  were a number of purple fans in the class.

But, of course, every color and variation thereof was used. 

Yvonne Perez Collins

Some of the work will be whole cloth quilts, but I imagine most will  be  cut  up  and  used for piecing or applique.   Here are a few ready  to be quilted. 

Andrea Bacal

Enough for tonight. 

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Images from students printing on fabric class 02-17-24

 

Pat Pauly and Del Thomas with "Oregon Rain" Pat's quilt that is part of TCQC.

Strawberries by Deb MacKay, who experimented with combining different techniques.

Terry Gardella

I especially admire this soft color piece by Andrea Bacal.  So much like autumn with the light morning fog.  This is not silk screened, but softly rollered with the template underneath. 

The subject of the class was Motif and Kay Laboda worked with Ginkgo leaves.  So graceful  and great color. 

Lots of dots going on, not necessarily perfectly round dots.  

Leaves were popular, probably because Pat used a leaf as a demo and suggested it as a basic shape to  begin with.  The bottom picture are my beginnings, using a commercial stencil borrowed from another student. 

More images at a later date.

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Home again 02-14-24

Hope you had a loving/lovely Valentine's Day.   💓  My thoughtful neighbor came with a card and bag of chocolate hearts.   But I spent the day napping and slowly putting things away.  Did  one load of laundry, but must do another load with just the clothes with dye on them. Didn't want tinted undies!   And I must start  washing out the fabric that I printed in class; it is an intensive project of many cold water rinses, several warm/hot water rinses, and, finally, hot water in the  washing machine with Synthrapol.  I have a front loader, so I'm not sure how well it will work, but that is what i  have.  Can't do everything at once, therefore it will probably be an  all day effort.

I left SDiego about 7:45am yesterday to arrive  at Nancy Ota's at  9am.  I thought  I would take KoKo to the quilt guild meeting, but Nancy suggested  we leave him at her house and I ride with her to the meeting.  It worked out fine and after the meeting we drove back to her house, loaded up KoKo's luggage, and I drove home in light afternoon traffic.  After unloading the essentials,  I  just  passed out for a  couple hours until it was time  to take KoKo for his  walk.  We strode along  quickly with my  new pacemaker showing  it's stuff.  Feels GREAT to not be dragging my body along and sitting down sometimes at all five "seats" that I have been  using.  However, I will start soon with a personal trainer to try  to build up strength.

The pictures I couldn't edit and transfer are intact. I will try to edit them and get them posted, but also have the "official" photos from the  guild meeting to edit and forward to the newsletter editor and I need to do those first.  I will talk more about Pat Pauly's workshop in the future. 

Here is KoKo helping Nancy Ota hand quilt.

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Last day in San Diego 02-12-24

I don't know why  I  cannot upload pictures that I  have taken in San Diego.  It was okay the first day, but now it tells me I need to be online!  But the settings show that I am and I can send and receive  email.   Too busy in class to take time off to find  some place local to get help.   The Help guy in some  foreign country couldn't help. So pictures will have to wait until later this week when I am home. 

I leave here tomorrow morning about 7:30am to pick up KoKo and take him with me to the Surfside Quilters  Guild meeting in Dana Point.    Then  home  about 2pm.

This picture shows what the sky looked  like here today, but was taken about 10 days ago in Placentia.  

KoKo helping Nancy quilt.

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Still in San Diego 02-10-24

Seems the rain has stopped for now,  but it is cold.  Down to 41F  at night and only  up to mid-60s in the day time.  No flooding at the house we have in Pacific Beach area.  

I have been working on the pictures, but cannot post  them.  The screen sneers back "pictures  will upload when  connected to wi-fi".   However, the settings say I AM connected  to wi-fi!  Yes,  I turned it off and back on.  Didn't help.  So no classroom pictures tonight.

Physically this  trip is a mistake, but since I signed up in September it wasn't possible to cancel in January.   I would forfeit my money and the  instructor, Pat Pauly would be without a dwelling and a driver.  However, I  am so glad I am here, the class is fascinating, the teacher is good (and a good roomie), and I am enjoying the adventure.   I plan to rest when I get home and start  with a personal trainer to get strength back.   So, all  is  well.   Tomorrow I will be alone here while others go to Coronado and hope to walk on the beach.   I will work trying to get the pictures to post and also do some paperwork I brought from home thinking I would have time to work on it.     It  is11pm and past time to be asleep. 

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Classwork with Pat Pauly 02-06-24

 It is too late and I MUST get to bed!!!    But here are a few  images of student work on the 2nd day of class.   I'll try harder tomorrow.  

Student and Pat work.  There is a huge mirror behind where Pat does her demos. 

I took this in the mirror as you can see me at the top near the middle. 

Student work, using direct application and some roller. 

Andrea Bacal work  using stencils with dye applied with roller. 

Del's piece of truck tire picked up years ago along I-5.  I have always wanted to use it for printing.  I put the print ready fabric on the piece tread and then applied the dye with a roller. This is four  "squares".  I have since printed over it with a different color. 

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Traveling 02-04-24

 

Drove to San Diego this afternoon/evening to take a fabric printing class with Pat Pauly. 

We are sharing my Air B&B until next Monday, the 12th  There wasn't  much traffic and only a few rain showers.  All the freeway  alert signs warned people not to drive Sunday - Tuesday.

I hope to  post some pictures, but will have to check with Pat and fellow students.

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Friday Food 09-08-23

 I love  salads, but am always a little leery when eating out because of my allergy to sulfites. They are frequently  used to keep  the lettuce  and other veggies looking fresh.  Salad bars are the  very  worst so I avoid them. But better restaurants usually don't use sulfites on their food.  If  in doubt I ask, but don't always receive a firm answer. It is  worse outside of California due to the different regulations in different states.  I don't make elaborate salads at  home - all that chopping, ick.  Our  temps are on the rise this week so I am  thinking salads - maybe Fitness Grill again!

Tasty crunch with chicken and cheese on top and, as usual, the dressing on the side.

Grilled tuna and violets.  Can't really taste the violets, but they are a delight to the eye!

This is more like what I make at home - two ingredients with rice vinegar and olive oil on the side.  A little fresh parsley if I have it.

Tomatoes, radishes, broccoli, blueberries, provolone, and  greens..

Got a little fancy here.

This recipe came from a Facebook friend in Australia in 2009 and it is my favorite summer salad, worth all the peeling and chopping.  

 

There aren't any exact measurements, but this is what I use for just one dinner size serving:

3 - 4 radishes sliced

half a small can of sliced black olives

1/2 naval orange cut into small pieces

2 cups of watermelon squares - about an inch.

a couple hands full of mixed greens OR baby spinach OR what have you.

Toss with a dressing made with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. 

A beet salad at Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station, San Diego.

This is a delightful combination and I always  intend on trying to duplicate it at home, but haven't so far.  It tastes so cool on a hot day. 

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Return from San Diego (06-03-23) 06-05-23

The drive to San Diego on Friday afternoon is always slow and I expected it, so I didn't get uptight and other drivers seem to take it in stride.  There are always one or two maniacs that just jockey from lane to lane to get ahead.  All that does is slow traffic even more.  My average speed was 24mph, but, of course, that was an average between dead stop and 80mph.  It took three hours.  

I  checked into  HIE-Old Town, my usual stopping place, and Beth  picked me up to go to dinner at Jimmy's Famous American Tavern right on the water, but we sat  inside out of the wind.  The French Dip was delicious, the first  I have had in years, it came with house made chips (no sulfites), and an Arnold Palmer to drink.   Interesting  to watch the customers, I just don't get out much any more!   

Ouside in the breeze  way was  this  wonderful  fully blooming vine.  Looks like  honeysuckle, but I've never seen such huge blooms or leaves.  Not terribly fragrant. 

I was  early to bed in the firm center  of the king sized bed with my earplugs in.  Can never sleep on either side of those big beds because they are all broken down.  My other option is to sleep crosswise across the foot part of the  mattress.  My preference would be a recliner and I understand  that some motels offer rooms so equipped.  I'll have to check around. 

On Saturday morning off to pick up Andrea and Deb and drive to Jamul, which is southeast of San  Diego, for the Art Stream meeting.  There were only five of the eight members, but that gave us all more talking time!!  We do an "assignment"  at each  live meeting and this month it was trees.  I didn't ask if I could post anyone's work, so I am just showing mine.  It is obviously not finished - just the fusing is done.  It is an abstract of a forest and I am still debating how to add some foliage.  The color in this image is rather darker than  reality  and  I don't know how to fix that.  Sorry. 

There will be smooth outside edges, probably faced.  

After the meeting and lunch I headed home in medium traffic, some  fast, some  slow and picked up KoKo at Nancy's about 3pm. Then another hour home.  Of course, we both needed a nap before putting things away.  And the  discovery that I don't have my datebook/calendar.  It has disappeared and I am  completely  in the dark about any dates or appointments I have for the rest of my life!!  It  is  a horrible feeling to not know what tomorrow, or tomorrow, or tomorrow or.....   will bring!  I have started a list as I remember things (like my 3pm doctor visit tomorrow, which I called to confirm), but there are notes and phone numbers I will not be able to recall.  I have never switched to keeping a calendar on my cell phone - in case I lose it!!!  This has been very stressful and I feel unconnected to my own world. I have never been one to lose things, but guess I screwed up this time.  Woe is I!

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San Diego 06-02-23

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I will be in San Diego tomorrow (Friday) night to attend an Art Stream meeting on Saturday morning.  KoKo will stay with Nancy Ota in San Clemente.  Back on Saturday evening  

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Went down to San Diego 01-08-23

Had a great trip to San Diego and a very successful meeting of the art quilt group.  But I over-did everything and am really dragging my tail.  Napped several times today and have things to do tomorrow.  However, I hope to settle at the computer for some updating and will try to blog earlier in the day/evening.  

We have enjoyed several good rains and the hills are now GREEN instead of tawny.  Traffic was light both ways, I suppose because school is still out for a lot of districts.  It was almost like driving in the 60s, but that was before the I-5 was thorough all the way.  Pacific Coast Highway (101) could be a rough drive back then.  It is still 100 miles or so and about two hours unless you are one of those that drive 90 - 100 mph.  Gotta watch out for those drivers!!

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Friday Food + Showing TCQC quilts 04-22-22

Breakfast at a restaurant always seems luxurious to me!  I don't understand why, maybe because my family never went out for that meal.  When my sister and I traveled by train in the late 40s from Portland, OR, to Los Angeles going to the dining car and having fresh squeezed orange juice  and silver covers on our plates was just too sophisticated for words.  When I was in San Diego this last  Monday/Tuesday I had breakfast at Farmer's Bottega with my friend Andrea.  We ate on their charming patio and the benedict was delicious along with tasty fresh fruit.   But it set me up for another visit to Toast in Brea on Thursday with friend Carol.  Their benedict is the best, this time with avocado.  I was much too busy eating to take pictures.

 

I was in San Diego to do a program for Canyon Quilters, showing quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection (TCQC).  It had been about three years since I did a program due to Covid and I worried that I wouldn't remember how to do it!  My friend Liz, who has helped me since I started doing presentations, is ill and unable to help.  I was really exhausted from getting the quilts down, "packaging" them for transporting, and then setting up at the meeting.  But the members pitched in to help and all went well.  I did remember how to do it!   I tried to take quilts that I didn't show when I visited the guild in June of 2014, but there are some that are just too interesting to leave out.  Ruth B. McDowell's "A Rash of Flamingos" came to me after the original owner died and her heirs contacted Ruth about it.  I feel so fortunate that I could add this treasure to the Collection.  It is a prime example of Ruth's masterful machine piecing and amazing eye for fabric selection.   One of the members took this picture of me in front of Flamingos. 

 

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