Friday Food 02-14-25

HOPE YOU HAD A TASTY VALENTINE'S DAY.

At first glance this looks edible, but it is really a glass box of hearts made of stone, wood, leather, and enamel.  Clutter collected over the years.

Here are some real chocolates gifted years ago. Good, but not See's.

The February meeting of Surfside Quilters Guild always  has lots of Valentine goodies on the refreshment table. 

These appared on my porch table this year.  From neighbors with no names!  Thank you!

I am feeling much better, still coughing, but no spasms today.  The four of our small group who were going to Phoenix for QuiltCon have canceled our trip.  Sickness, apprehension about viruses, and the death of a  husband.  It just wouldn't work. 

I do hope to be able to walk KoKo tomorrow.

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Happy Valentine's Day 02-14-22

At various times in my life friends have decided I needed to collect something.  The idea being that they would then have a theme when they wanted to give me a gift.  This was, of course, years before I started collecting expensive art quilts.  At one time everyone was giving me pigs, I had no idea why, and now I have only one remaining, a lovely Beleek pig that always makes me think of Winston Churchill.  But after the pigs someone decided that hearts would be a good collection.

Now I only have a few in a glass box on an end table.  The large on in the lower right is a leather paperweight, in lower left is a compact with a mirror inside, the beige one on the top row is a sea washed rock from a beach in South Carolina.  Several stone hearts are carved and polished (cold, cold heart?) and there is one tiny metal one at top right.  I don't know why I keep them, they really don't have a sentimental value.  Someday I will find someone who enthusiastically collects hearts and they will find a new home.  

This is a scary heart!   After Valentine's Day one year I was visiting friends and went out to their garage to put something in the trash.  When I lifted the lid out popped this discarded balloon, almost causing my heart to stop.  I don't know what I thought it was, but I didn't expect something "living" to come out of the can.  I punctured it so it could never fly again.   But this picture always makes me laugh a little.   

Hope  you had a special day.  

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KoKo with Valentine 02-14-21

This funny critter came as a Valentine gift from a neighbor today.  It isn't meant to be a doggy toy, but I figure KoKo can enjoy it until it falls apart.  He immediately ripped the hard button off the nose and I stitched it up.  There is a cute video of him putting it through the paces, but I cannot figure out how to post a video on my blog.  So, maybe that will come later. 

It was an unusually "gifty" Valentine's Day.  A heart shaped balloon that floats on the ceiling, a heart shaped box of Whitman's chocolates, a kazoo, a large mug that says "Soooo Cray About You" (???), and a plastic bag of Cuties, oranges, and lemons - waaay more than I can ever eat.  Guess I'll have to find a neighbor who needs some citrus.  And, of course, this critter which was stuffed in the large mug.  Guess I am on people's minds this week. 

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Lemon tree 02-13-21

It is citrus season here.  The orange, lemon, mandarin trees are weighted down with fruit.  At the same time the buds are setting for next year's bounty.  Kind neighbors share bags of fruit and I pass some on to others.  I could never use the 20+ lemons someone left on my porch last year.  

This little tree has been growing here for at least six years, but it gets no fertilizer and apparently only natural water.  The previous owners did not pick the fruit, so what wasn't rescued by neighbors just rotted.  Sad.  New owners seem to be taking better care. 

See all the tiny white blossoms coming on.  Hope a lot of them survive and the lemons will be abundant next winter.  

We are doing okay.  I am just so very, very tired and spend a lot of time resting, reading, and snoozing.  We did the loop both morning and evening today and I continue with the PTherapy exercises.  But then have to rest up.  BP is all over the map; I am taking it three times a day per instructions.  

Hope you have a special Valentines Day.  One of my neighbors brought me a heart shaped balloon.  It bumps along on the ceiling with my movements and KoKo growls at it.  I think he has accepted it now.  Funny guy.  

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Valentine's Flowers 02-14-20

Here is an illustration of a simple gift making someone's day special.   This afternoon someone knocked on my door and I opened it to a little girl who lives in the cul de sac across the street.  I just know them to say hello and once when they accidentally locked their little white dog out of the house when they went off for a whole day, I gave her a bowl of water and watched that she didn't run off.  She wouldn't let me near her, but she would run back into the yard if I came by.  It was a simple thing to do and I do love doggies even if they don't love me!  Since then she has brought little gifts several times and today, for Valentine's, she brought me a bunch of white carnations which are very fragrant.  I know it was her mother's idea, but regardless of the origin of the idea it was a lovely thing to do and made me feel not so alone.  It is a reminder that we have no real idea of how much our actions affect the lives of others.  Saying hello, paying for the car behind at Starbuck's, telling someone how nice they look, giving up a seat on a crowded bus, - simple things that connect us to the world around us.  I am so grateful for the special moments that lift my spirits.  

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Valentine's Treats 02-14-15

This is a little corny!  But all day I have been thinking about Valentine's candy.  But when I looked through my photos these are all I could find. 

 

Chocolates from Charles Chocolate in San Francisco. 

 

Fabric on the back of Kay Laboda's quilt "Charlie, the Chocolate Lab."

Best of all a whole tray of tiny treats served at a gallery opening. 

 

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day - chocolate or no. 

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Happy Valentine's Day 02-14-13

Valentine's Day is not high on the days that I celebrate.  But I do have a small collection of hearts, acquired over fifty years or so.  I keep them in a Plexiglas box on a side table in the living room.

 
Top row:  a black stone painted with a heart,  a natural stone heart, the first acquired - found on a beach , two carved stone hearts, a tiny metal heart.
Front row:  a mirror compact, a wooden box, a carved jasper stone heart, a leather heart filled with B-Bs to use as a paper weight.

Another Trash Can Surprise 03-01-12

What is it with me and trash cans?  It is always a struggle and sometimes a surprise.  Some years ago I posted:
  http://www.delquilts.blogspot.com/2008/03/fairy-in-my-trash-can-03-28-08.html    
I later discovered the fairy comes back at a certain time of year to revisit the can, located in the same spot in the garage.  So the turban on the roof not only lets in air - it also lets in fairies.

Recently I was in LBeach with the Poodle Prince and went out to put something the trash can and nearly had a heart attack when this came popping out at me.  One cannot expect to have something with a shiny red face jump out when the lid of the can is lifted.  Of course, I had not turned on the garage light and was relying on the faint light coming from the door to the inside hall.  I actually struck out at it with my elbow - good training comes back when needed.   

 
I was tempted to deflate this scary thing, but figured "Hey, it isn't my trash can with a red faced thing popping up whenever I open it."

Color for Valentine's Day 02-14-10

It was a summer day with temperature up to 82F and it was very clear. If I had some extra time I might have gone searching for that "perfect" shot of the snow capped mountains. With the temperature soaring they are not as snow capped as last week, but the snowboarding is reported to still be great. Liz and I stayed in suburbia and had coffee at Starbuck's. This tropical Bird of Paradise was so brilliant in the landscaped area of the parking lot. There weren't a lot of blooms, just enough so that they would be noticed. In a few weeks I suppose there will be hundreds of blooms. Such graphic blossoms.

I stopped for gas at the cheapest station around and had to wait in line for a pump. But it was worth it when this 'chrome king' pulled up in the next line. The angle doesn't show how RED it is, perfect for Valentine's day. I think this is a 1957 Dodge - a Coronet Lancer, perhaps. I guessed the Dodge part, but had to Google to get the model. A perfect car for perfect SCalifornia sunshine. Sure takes me back to my early days in SCal - I moved here in 1957.

This old geezer wasn't really friendly, although I did tell him what a great car he had. He probably thought I was trying to pick him up! He somewhat resembles Liz's husband Dale with the facial hair.

Happy Valentine's Day 02-14-10

To each of you, wherever you may be, love and hugs for Valentine's Day. Del