Midwestern Sky 05-15-09

New Mexico clouds May 2007

Near Tucumcari, NM - afternoon storm May 2007

Southern Kansas - midday May 2007

Evening approach into Kansas City, MO June 2007

I am feeling pretty down tonight. I called Ruth Powers today and told her I couldn't make the trip to Athens, Ohio, for the SAQA conference and QNat'l opening. We have been looking forward to this trip since June 2007. But I have a medical problem (not Cancer!) and need to have some outpatient tests. Meanwhile I am not feeling real great and I am apprehensive about driving across the country - what if I got REALLY sick out on the plains, far from a large town with a hospital? I found it physically difficult to pack the car for the trip and now I can unpack it - but a little at a time. I just brought in what I needed for tonight and tomorrow morning.

I don't know what part of the trip I will miss the most - a nice long visit w/Ruth, driving on the wide open road with the fabulous cloud formations, seeing people I know at the conference, ogling the QNat'l quilts, visiting galleries and museums on the way back to Kansas, the trip home over the Rockies and down I-15. It is a Bummer!

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday! 05-14-09

First Surfside Quilters Guild Meeting 05-12-09

Today was a special day for about a hundred quilt makers/lovers in south Orange County - the first meeting of the new daytime quilt guild met in San Clemente. Such a vibration in the air from a lot of excited new and potential members. The adjectives that might apply are colorful, exciting, fun, noisy, happy, .... well, you get the idea. GREAT day. I had the privilege of being the inaugural speaker and showed 34 quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection (20 12"X12" quilts and a file box of fiber postcards were shown, but not discussed). And, of course, I talked and talked and talked - sort of "More than you ever wanted to know about art quilts." But I think I only went overtime about ten minutes! Nobody was sneaking out the back, so they must have enjoyed what was being shown (and said).

Founder and President Nancy Ota

("Structured Chaos #14" - Beth Carney 2006 in background)

Mary Freedman and Sharon Milledge doing Monthly Mini drawing. ("Summer Lily" Ruth McDowell 2004 in background)

Yachi Monarrez, winner of the Monthly Mini made and donated by Nancy Ota. The three little kitties are from Nancy's newest pattern "Hang in there Kitty" and the collapsible stand is an original design by Mary Freedman. Mary and her husband donated twenty of the stands as a fundraiser for this new guild. With everyone doing their part we are off to a great start.

New Zealand Flax 05-11-09

New Zealand Flax Phormium Tenax

I had never seen New Zealand Flax until my first husband and I bought a house in Huntington Beach - about 1964. When we planted it we had no idea it would grow to great heights or so big around. Naturally, as new homeowners with no landscaping experience, we planted the small one- gallon plants too close together and before another year came around we were digging out every other plant and giving them to neighbors. In another year we remove every other plant again, but these were too large to transplant. It was a lesson a lot of new gardeners must learn - attested to by the trees and bushes that are planted so close to structures that they almost push them over! I have wondered if the 'hedge' of New Zealand Flax still stands, but I haven't been to Huntington Beach in years.

This is one of three specimens that grow in a clump in the shopping center where Sammy's (the one with the wildlife) is found.

The 'flower' is the little fuzzy part at the tip of the bud (?), they don't open much more than this. There a quite a few varieties now, including some with brightly colored or striped foliage.

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/homeandgarden/ci_11472441

"Monterey Sunrise" 05-10-09 Mom"s Day

"Monterey Sunrise" June Underwood 2004 6"W x 5"L

Mounted on mat board 9-7/8"W x &-3/8"L

Dyed Charmeuse silk. Machine quilting. Heat fused edge.

This lovely small piece was a gift from June and I cherish it - it is so typical of a foggy sunrise in the Monterey area. The silk gives a sheen that can't be found on cotton and I think the color is spot-on.

Thanks again, June. You are with me every single day!

Computer is a wreck! 05-09-09

If my laptop was made of wood it would probably look something like this. It hasn't completely fallen apart, but things are way out of whack. I need to do something about it NOW and I know that all my friends who despair of how long I can put things off will agree. Yesterday it decided that I only needed to see the little envelopes down the left side of the screen - no need for dates, senders or subjects. I can open things, but each one is a surprise and I fear one of the surprises will contain a virus or a bug or some other hateful thing.

I will try to take care of it tomorrow, but if I cannot you will probably not find a post on my blog. I'll catch up as quickly as I can.

Flower Fields @ Carlsbad 05-08-09

[Sorry, the top two pictures will not enlarge - don't know the cause.]

After stopping yesterday for lunch at Sammy's I continued north to stop at the Flower Fields at Carlsbad. The exit off the I-5 is Palomar Airport Road, which I am very familiar with since that is also the exit for the outlet mall (including Crate & Barrel where they sell Marimekko fabric). I had a quick glimpse of the fields on the way south so I knew there were blossoms. But it is getting to the end of the season, go now if you want to see the display.In the foreground is Armstrong Nursery which apparently has no connection to the Flower Fields. The Jacaranda trees in the foreground are showing tiny leaves, but the flowers will come on before the leaves are full out.

The buildings beyond the fields are a conference center - the flowers bloom right up to the property line.

Rides are available on these stake bed trailers, towed by REAL tractors, and go all around and through the fields. I loved the colorful clothing on the Indian lady in the foreground - she almost outshines the flowers.

I took this image from quite a distance so it is not very clear. I had hoped to get behind it so I could include the walker that was tied onto the back of the trailer. Anyone can go, despite disabilities.

If you drive through the parking lot and follow the "Additional Parking" signs you will see this huge flower flag. I don't know what they used for the blue - no Ranunculus that color. See the pickup truck on the right? That fellow finally drove down to the fence and hollered at me, "Is anything wrong?" "No, I'm just taking pictures." And he drove back up the hill. I wonder what he thought I was doing walking around the in the dirt parking area.

School groups come in buses and have this special gate - best to keep them corralled, eh?

When they pass through the gate, this is their view of the fields.


Here is the URL for the Flower Fields:
http://www.theflowerfields.com/index.html

You might also enjoy this flower display in Brussels:
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/45149,features,brussels-in-bloom