Perhaps a librarian could help

Today was re-entry after a blissful few days off on quilting retreat. After several days of uninterrupted creative time, lovely friends, lots of laughter, all punctuated by regular delicious meals which I did not have to cook, there's always a bit of a thud returning to the reality of home. (Not that home isn't lovely, but landing back amid piles of laundry and catalogs and Work To Be Done and miscellaneous Things to Be Put Away is always a bit of a shock. You know, "Who ARE these people and how to they manage to make such a mess?!")

So, naturally, I took myself out to run errands. I dropped by the fabric store (not having had enough fabric time despite 12 hours per day of it over the last several days), and picked up some groceries, and visited the library to pick up some of the books they'd found for me.

One of my favorite things about my local library system, by the way, is that I can look things up online in the library's county-wide catalog, "request" them with the click of a button, and they magically appear on the "hold" shelf sometime later. It's like Amazon.com but without the
less fun result when the credit card bill comes.

I'm in and out of the library frequently, and I have come to the conclusion that people who become librarians do so because they like books more than they like people. (Excuse me if you are among the rare breed known as Friendly Librarians -- I don't see them often in my bibliographic forest.) Gradually, my extreme charm and sparkling wit are winning these reserved folk over -- some days I get a timid smile and on a really good day I'll get a compliment about my just-for-library-books basket.

Today, as the librarian was sliding my books past the magic magnetic thingie, she looked up with a broad smile. "Oh, I never read books, but I read THAT one and it was really good."

You got that? "I never read books." I replied that I was very glad to hear the book was worth reading, and we resumed our exchange in silence while I pondered how it was she came to choose her career.

This reminded me of an incident some years back with my favorite front-desk librarian, a slim blond woman with perpetually wispy hair and bright pink lipstick smeared crookedly across her lips.

She sighed as she started in processing the stack of novels I'd placed on the counter. "You read so many books! I wish I could find a good novel to read."

What does one say to that, standing in the middle of a library? "Well, what sort of things do you like?" I asked.

"I don't know how to find books about the things I like," she replied with a shrug, and then went on to tell me that she preferred to read the astrology columns in newspapers. I suggested that she search the online catalog for books about astrology, and threw out the name of an author who writes mysteries featuring astrological topics. She looked astonished at my cleverness. "I never thought of that!"

Of course, this was the same woman who announced once as she took my library card, "we have the same name!"

"Oh, you're Diane too?" I replied (brilliant, yes?)

"No, my name is Cynthia." Said brightly, as if perfectly logical.

For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to reply. "We're both goddesses!" she exclaimed.

Note to self: don't try to engage the librarians in conversation. It will only cause more furrowed brow lines of confusion, of which I have plenty already.

Off to the Ranch

This evening marks the start of another of the biannual quilting retreats I attend out at Bishop's Ranch. I especially love the October retreat, when the crispness of fall is in the air and the vineyards are tinged with yellow as the leaves start to turn. It's a wonderful time to gather with friends and get busy with sewing.

So, today I'm packing up and sorting out what to take. It's not easy figuring out what I'll work on! I've found, from past retreats, that I don't do well working on anything that requires too much thought -- I'd rather be chatting, and the retreat setting just doesn't lend itself to heavy concentration. I've also done machine-quilting there in the past, although keeping one's head down and humming away at quilting speed isn't conducive to community chatting, either. So, for me the best tasks tend to be piecing, or working on something I've thought out before I arrive.

In the pile are 1) a bunch of wedges for a One-Block-Wonder quilt I cut out quite a while ago; 2) squares stacked and ready to be sewn into rows for a simple cozy throw quilt, using the snow ball pattern; 3) more blocks to piece from scraps for a springy quilt, probably for donation purposes; and 4) papers and fabrics for a Karen Stone paper-piecing project in shades of yellow and purple that I started at the last retreat.

That ought to keep me busy.

Of course, the camera will go into the bag for future pictures...

Let the Studio Tours Begin!

Quilting Arts is hosting a studio tour this weekend -- what fun to be able to sit at home and still see the creative spaces of a whole bunch of talented quilters and artists! Pull up a chair and start studio hopping!

Me, I have a funny little office/studio combo which means I have desk and work area in one corner and a sewing area in another ... with a closet stuffed full of fabric. Hardly tour-worthy. But I look at some of these studios and dream of having more space someday, still feeling grateful that I have a spot to leave my sewing machine up all the time which I'm convinced is the secret to getting anything done.

Happy touring!

Make a Good Impression

I finished a quilt! This feels like quite a triumph, given my scattered brain and ongoing upheaval of daily life lately. After I made a fingerprint piece for a recent 12x12 challenge (the theme was "Identity") I was inspired to go bigger with the same idea. I've called it "Make a Good Impression" and it's 33 x 39 inches.

As luck would have it, an assignment in my ongoing Practical Design workshop required me to design a quilt with a monochromatic color scheme and an asymmetrical design. So the fingerprint fit the bill nicely. I used reverse applique to create the fingerprint lines. I do enjoy the cutting away part and seeing the design reveal itself.

Here's the original 12x12 piece which spurred me into this larger one, btw:




On to the next UFO!

"Twelve" by Twelve by Twelve

Over on the Twelve by Twelve blog, we've just revealed our challenge pieces for the twelfth challenge -- on the theme "twelve." As always, the results are clever and fun and wonderfully surprising. Great variety, but much similarity, too.

Go see!

Quiet Time

You may have noticed that I've not had a lot to say here lately. I'm not entirely sure why. But my mood has been a quiet one lately, not just here but overall. I'm not feeling particularly social, and I'm not feeling particularly creative. I'm just sort of ... well, quiet.

Is it just me, going through phases like this? I don't think so. I wonder whether it's that my outward energy is directed at getting Caroline well-settled in her new school routine, and as a result getting MYSELF into a new routine. For a while I thought that maybe I was coming down with a cold, what with feeling so dulled and flattened.

Now I'm thinking it's just a transition, after a very busy and emotional time. So I am moving forward slowly. I'm working away on a simple piecing project to get an old UFO out of the closet. I'm reading a lot, and I've been letting myself sit in the sunshine in the living room for a bit in the morning after Roger leaves for work, reading and sipping my coffee. I'm making slow progress on a long-term work project, but I'm not knocking myself out with any brilliant spurts. I look at the garden and think about all that needs doing out there, but decide that I don't feel like working on that right now.

It's a quiet time.

Bye to Summer, Hello to Fall

I have been a Very Bad Blogger over the last months, and I apologize. Too much summer fun, and I'm feeling quite scattered as I try to get into some semblance of an organized mode for fall. I'm trying to get the downstairs back together after the Extreme Colorizing of the last two weeks (Pictures, soon, REALLY!)... sorting out the piles of stuff I'm accumulating to take off to the Salvation Army... Getting Caroline off to a solid start with the new distance ed school...

Which reminds me -- it's AMAZING what technology can do! I mean, I'm pretty computer savvy, but it totally awes me to see Caroline sitting at her school table (we've dedicated a corner in the upstairs hallway to her school table, computer and books) with headset on, watching her teacher and seeing the other students' faces appear on screen when they ask questions ... It really is a virtual classroom.

I guess I'm in some sort of decorating/nesting mode. I found a big big bargain on a set of that resin wicker outdoor furniture, and it is being delivered today. So I was out there early, cleaning off the patio and rearranging stuff in anticipation of a new outdoor room where we can sit and chat and sip wine before dinner and all. I have big dreams of being able to sit still for a bit and be leisurely! Good thing this is California, where we really will get use out of patio furniture even if it does arrive in September.

My sewing area is all tidy and ready for -- ta dah! -- sewing, any minute now. I've got ideas percolating for the upcoming 12x12 challenge on the theme "Twelve" ... I've got various things in progress to finish...

I tell you, getting to the FUN stuff is just around the corner...

The picture above, is in honor of a very fun summer. I took this from our hotel room window when we stayed for a few nights in Reno, Nevada. (Someone asked me if I took it from a diving board! Yikes -- not likely for ME, that's for sure.)

Need Inspiration?

What with the summer travel, painting the house, getting Caroline squared away for 8th grade, and general exhaustion (!), I've not been making any fiber art. I just think about the unfinished projects I have going -- which I really do want to finish one of these days! Really! -- but I haven't had any hunk of time to dive into a fabric project.

In the midst of the August Stuff, Jean Wells' new book "Intuitive Color and Design" arrived. I blocked off an hour and parked myself in a lounge chair in the back yard, and fell in love.

Wow. That was my immediate reaction to the book, and it's still my reaction every time I pick it up.

You all probably know Jean Wells from the big Sisters, Oregon quilt show, and from her appearances on Simply Quilts, and her books with her daughter Valori. But this new book shows a whole new side of Jean and her work. Jean says right up front that she was inspired by a workshop with Nancy Crow, and it's clear that Nancy Crow's work with linear design and solid colors have heavily influenced Jean's new direction. Still, the work shown in this book has that simple, direct, clarity that is instantly appealing.

What I especially like about this book is how Jean provides small lessons on seeing the world in a new way -- looking at lines and shapes, mainly -- and then on translating those new sights into cloth. She covers the artistic elements of design and composition, and then addresses sewing techniques for how to make designs in fabric. Jean pieces, so these aren't fused works -- but they're easily accessible to all levels of sewing ability.

Jean shows how she plays with designs in sketches, and then how the ultimate quilt resulted. (I love seeing the contrast between the original concept and the finished work.) She doesn't just stop at the quilt top, either. She discusses how to incorporate a quilting design that is compatible with the overall piece design, and she goes on to show various finishing techniques (including one that strikes me as rather odd an unappealing -- a square, pillow-esque construction she calls an "off the wall" quilt -- but that's just me... it's definitely different, and it may well appeal to some who want to finish their small pieces in a new and interesting way.)

This book is the first thing that has made me itch to get back to fabric -- not that I've been able to yet, but when I do, I'll probably have this book open and I'll be playing with an exercise or two!

Living with Color

I've been all about paint over the last week or so. Here's the family room, with walls in "Golden Glow." It's a rich, bright color, and changes how the room feels depending on the time of day. Sometimes it seems like a cheery yellow, at others a deeper tangerine. We are loving it!

I've moved on to the kitchen and eating nook, which are both at this back end of the house and connected. One wall is a nice, straight-forward red (Benjamin Moore's "redstone," for those you who need to know. And the rest is a very happy robin's egg blue (Ben M's "fairy tale blue). It is intense color but it sure makes me happy.

Pictures when the masking tape is off!

Now I'm eying the guest bathroom off of the dining room, and mentally selecting colors....

Life goes on...

It has been a week of ups and downs. We are still mourning Brad, and will be for ages and ages. I think we're all still in shock.

But good things are happening too. See that tower up there? It's Hoover Tower at Stanford University. And I'm posting it because Caroline has been admitted to Stanford's online school program for gifted kids! We're so proud of her, and so excited for her. Their online middle and high school program is innovative and I think it will be a great experience for her.

Me, I've been in home-dec mode! In that "one thing leads to another" deal, Roger and I bought a tv/shelf/wall unit to replace the ancient tv cabinet we'd hauled from New Hampshire, and it was being delivered last Tuesday. It occurred to me that I should paint the family room BEFORE the wall unit was assembled and put in place, so that I did. Our family room is now a sunny and cozy marigold color, which looks stunning against the white wall shelving unit.

But, of course, you change one room and then other things need changing. The family room is connected to the kitchen, and I have been testing paint swatches all week. I thought I had a plan (a slightly paler shade of marigold) but when I painted a swatch, it just looked flat and boring. So, I've made daily trips to both Home Depot and my local paint store, for more paint chips and samples. I'm now on a first name basis with our local paint guy, who says "See you tomorrow" each time I'm in. Finally, I bought paint today to surge forward...well, maybe "surge" is too strong a word..."Crawl" forward?

Along the way, I learned that the annoying pain I've had in my foot over the last several weeks is a FRACTURE. No wonder climbing up and down ladders made my foot hurt! I figure I'll have a beautifully and artfully paint-spattered immobilization boot by the time the kitchen is painted.

Welcome to Heaven

There are times where we are reminded how fragile life is, and how quickly everything can turn upside down. For us, this is one of those.

Over the weekend, we received news that a member of our family -- a man not yet 50 -- died suddenly and totally unexpectedly. He'd just dropped his oldest daughter off for her first year at college, and he and his wife were off with family for the weekend to relax and have fun. On the golf course, he was having a good old time -- and then he keeled over, dead.

We are so sad, and so shocked. I keep having that "but he was just HERE" feeling, totally unable to get my mind around how it could be that he left the house with a smile and a wave, and will never, ever come back.

I know this happens to people all the time.... death and loss strike all the time, seemingly so randomly. And yet, when it happens in your own circle, it is so harshly shocking. It feels unfathomable.

As trite as it is, it makes me want to say this: Tell everyone you love that you love them. Hug your dear ones. Let your friends know how much they mean to you.

I so appreciate you all -- most of you I've never met but your comments and your support cheer me and make me happy. Thanks for your friendship! Now, go hug your family! Oh, and when you're outside? Look up at the blue sky with a smile to welcome those newly-arrived folks in Heaven.

A Blog Give-Away!

Some time ago, I reviewed this very appealing book, Paper Quilts by Sandra Lounsbury Foose.

Well, I'm cleaning my office (got to make room for the NEW stuff, you know) and I have a copy of this book to give away!

First person to email me to say that want it will get it! (Do include your postal address!) And who know... I might just sneak a few other goodies into the package...

Okey dokey -- book is spoken for! Lucky Lisa will get it!

No School Allowed

Hey, school administrator people! Listen up! The month of August is still summer! And August is for sand-between-the-toes, and catching butterflies in the backyard, and riding bikes around the neighborhood at dusk, and eating ice cream cones.

It is not for starting school. What are you people, crazy?

Summer ends with Labor Day. And THEN school can start.

Sheesh.

[Roger starts back at school today, with classes starting on Monday...]

Zinnia Heaven

Last week, I visited at my mom and dad's house while Caroline attended a near-by day camp. In my folks' neighborhood, there's a guy who plants about an acre or so of land with a vast garden - tomatoes and vegetables and flowers. From about mid-summer on, he runs a small farm stand on the corner where you can get all sorts of varieties of heirloom tomatoes, squashes, eggplants, lettuce, and more...



But oh, it's the flowers that get me. He has rows and rows of zinnias and dahlias and flowers whose names I don't know -- but I can prowl around there with my camera and have a good old time.



So , here are a few zinnias for you...



They're just the happiest flowers.

Fun and surprises in San Francisco

Meet Beth and Moe, two of my best friends in the whole world. When I was a freshman in college at the University of California, Irvine, I had the amazing good luck to be plunked into a dorm room next door to these two. I rapidly learned that I had little in common with my roommates, but that Beth and Moe and I would be lifelong friends. Unfortunately, Moe lives down in Southern California and I don't get to see her nearly as often as I'd like.

But about 2 weeks ago, we finally got together in San Francisco, a trip we'd planned to celebrate a significant birthday for Moe. And what a time we had! We stayed at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, a San Francisco landmark (and got an amazingly great rate, thanks to Priceline.com)... had dinner at the Tonga Room in the Fairmont Hotel (which is like Disneyland's Tiki room but without the singing birds and flowers), then went to see "Wicked" which surpassed our very high expectations.

The following day, we rode cable cars and walked all over the place. You know, you really doln't want to walk up one of SF's hills if you can ride...



At one point, we were strolling along Fisherman's Wharf yakking away (as we do, non-stop), and suddenly a bush jumped out at us. Beth gasped, "geesus!" to which the bush replied, "I AM NOT JESUS!" When we'd caught our breaths (and stopped laughing) we realized that we'd had an encounter with the famous (infamous?) Bushman of San Francisco. He sits on a milk crate, tucked next to a mailbox or garbage can, and he holds a hand-made hedge-like bundle of branches. And then he scares passersby. Given that San Franciso has a pretty wide assortment of homeless folks and/or street performers asking for money (we'd been serenaded while waiting in line for the cable car earlier that day), I was impressed at the ingenuity of this guy. I mean, he was certainly entertaining, and it was certainly original. Turns out he has been doing this in SF's Wharf area since 1980! You can see him here:



If you've got a bit more time, you can watch this mini-documentary about him:



And check out this rather humorous article about him from the SF Chronicle which discusses his "act" as "performance art."

Our encounter with the Bushman not only amused us at the time, but kept us talking (enough to research him when we got home.) We learned that he claims to have made as much as $60,000 in a year from the donations he gets. Just goes to show that there are all sorts of career paths out there, eh?

Where ever you go, there you are.

And look, there I am, the gold car reflected in that huge shiny truck! (I took this at a long stoplight, by the way -- do you think I would try to snap photos while driving?!) I feel like I have been on the road for the last several weeks. Homebody that I am, I am not used to living out of suitcases. But this is our last excursion for a while, so I am looking forward to getting home on Saturday and staying there.

This week, I am on the SF peninsula, staying with my mom and dad so Caroline can attend a week-long computer technology day camp at Stanford. They live just 15 minutes away from Stanford, so it's quite convenient. It's lovely to get some leisurely time with my parents, Caroline is enjoying the camp enormously, and I'm having fun spending time alternately roaming and hanging out at the house.

Yesterday was a roaming day. I delivered Caroline into the custody of the enthusiastic camp counselors (who, in age-old camp tradition have nicknames like "Beep," "Peep," "Danger," and "Fridge." Question for the day: What would your camper nickname be this summer? I'm thinking I'd be "Snap" because I've had my camera with me all the time, taking pictures where ever I go.) And then I headed off to roam through some favorite stores.

I had a lovely time cruising around one of my favorite independent bookstores, Books, Inc. in Palo Alto. I found a great book on making digital art with Photoshop that will be fun to explore. I strolled down University Avenue, the funky main street in downtown Palo Alto, and found myself in the Borders bookstore which took over the big old movie theater. It's a wonderful use of the space, really, and there is something I like about climbing up to the balcony level to look at the kids' books.

I was delighted to find the new Somerset publication "Art Quilting Studio":



I haven't even peeked inside yet -- I'm saving that for when I can sit with it for a hunk of time ... perhaps later this evening.

And then there's Somerset's Artful Blogging magazine, which provides wonderful blogging inspiration:



The only danger about that magazine, I find, is that I end up with a list of new blogs to track down and read, and I have a massively long list of favorite blogs at it is!

I don't often take the time to just roam around when I'm at home. It's lovely play time -- I must remember to do this when I'm at home when I'm in need of a mental break.

When you have time to wander, where do you go? Art galleries? Wilderness? Shopping?

Crime of Passion

I have been a horrible blogger, and I apologize to all of you who have looked here to find no updates. All is well -- in fact, I've been having a terrifically fun (if busy) summer. I've been zooming hither and yon -- and I can tell you for a fact that yon does not have a wireless internet connection.

I am about to zoom off again tomorrow for the week (more on that to come, I promise). But I wanted to pop into say I'm fine and all is well.

But more importantly, today is the reveal date for our Twelve by 12 Challenge. The theme this time was "passion" and I can tell you it was not an easy one! I decided to emphasize the phrase "crime of passion" and to highlight my passion for reading! You can read about how I did my piece and see more detailed shots on the Twelve by 12 blog. Go quick and see the amazing interpretations of this theme!

Summer Surprises

Remember that appellate brief I mentioned, that was going to take up a good hunk of my time? POSTPONED. Good news and bad news both, really -- I can play now, but it'll come back one of these days.

So, instead of sitting at my computer doing legal work, I've been fiddling with Photoshop and layers and textures. Wow -- a whole new avenue for play. I know I've barely scratched the surface when it comes to the things one can do with Photoshop, but right now the texture thing is keeping me engrossed. This shot, by the way, is one I took in Old Orchard Beach, on the coast of Maine. It was a gray rainy day and everything was deserted, and I love how it looks like a faded old postcard.

Lest you think I've been at my computer all week, I've been earning my Nursing merit badge. My sister, who lives alone in a charming little house across town, has had some unexpected minor health things so I've escorted her to the local emergency room, doctor's appointments, and the odd test and pharmacy-run. I've even figured out how to arrange cushions on her small living room floor to make quite a cozy bed so I can stay the night, and we've had a few sister sleep-overs. She's doing fine but it's nice to know we have each other for these curve-ball episodes.

I'm still mulling and sketching about "passion" for the upcoming 12x12 theme. Yikes -- time is running out. I think I'll be diving into fabric tomorrow. It has been a hard theme for all of us this time. Be sure to check the 12x12 blog on August 1 to see what we've each come up with!

Locked Inside

Here's a shot from our day in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a lovely town on the Massachusetts coast, and of course it is famous for the witch-related hysteria that took place there in 1692. Remember Arthur Miller's The Crucible?

We did a bunch of the touristy things -- the witch museum, the witch village, the witch dungeon -- you get the idea. Caroline was fascinated, and even though the attractions were a bit on the hokey side (Disney theme park quality they are not), they provide good, short overviews of the fascinating history of the place. I had been reading a new novel, The Physick of Deliverance Dane, about a Harvard grad student researching Salem witch history, which seemed appropriate, so it was fun to be immersed in the sense of the place as we walked around.

Funnily enough, we spotted SNL comedian/actor Rob Schneider in the witch museum. Celebrity sighting! There were various people trailing after him, aiming their cell phones at him, with others murmuring, "WHO is he?"

It was a fun place to walk around. I can highly recommend the Peabody-Essex museum there, which has some wonderful exhibits AND Yin Yu Tang, a house from China dating back to the 1800's which has been rebuilt stone by stone on the premises.

But there's one more reason this photo is appropriate today -- vacation and the holiday weekend are over, and I have an appellate brief to write -- so I shall be cloistering myself away in my office for a bit to dive in. The door will be closed, and if you hear scary moans and rustly noises coming from inside, don't worry. It's just me at work. :-)

Happy July!

Celebrating Quietly

Happy Independence Day! We are having a quiet day here at home, which feels wonderful. We welcomed the last piece of luggage home last evening and so I've been doing last unpacking and laundry today. We'll grill sausages tonight (we have a local place that does wonderful chicken and apple sausage) and then head into town after dark to watch the fireworks.

We were able to spend a few days in Boston when we were in New England, so we got a refresher course on Paul Revere's ride, the hanging of the lamps in the Old North Church, the dumping of the tea into Boston Harbor, etc. It *is* very cool to see where it actually happened. At one point because we were tired of walking in the rain, we hopped onto a tour bus so we finished the rest of the Freedom Trail in a warm, dry vehicle. The tour guide had an odd mix of history and social commentary, but at one point he threw out an interesting fact: that at the time the colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, there was no democratic government existing in any country. Quite remarkable, really.

So, despite the strange twists and turns our democratic process takes from time to time, our governmental system is something rather amazing. It's an honor to celebrate it, and our nation, today.

I snapped the photo above, by the way, on a walk through our friends' neighborhood in Portland, Maine. I love the delicate red and blue flowers against the white house. Seeing flower-filled window boxes all over New England made me want to put them up on our front windows!

Hope you are celebrating with friends and family and abundant relaxation!

Good to be Home

We are back from a lovely two-week vacation in New England. It is great to be home! The hydrangea next to our front door is in full bloom, which is a lovely sight. I love hydrangeas.

As for the travels... We had a wonderful time. We were in Portland, Maine for the most part, staying with our dear friends Eric and Diane. They are the sort of friends we can just hang around with doing nothing quite happily -- which is a good thing, as the weather was constantly rainy, which meant that all of our outing plans had to be changed considerably. But we did lots of fun things, rain or shine... Lobster rolls eaten outside in the sun in Portland's old port, poking through the shops there, visiting the Portland Head Light and walking around Fort Williams, visiting Old Orchard Beach on a drizzly day, having high tea at a girly-frou-frou teahouse in Freeport ...

I got over to New Hampshire to visit my law firm (a firm meeting!), have lunch with my wonder-boss Bob, and see some old (erm, long-time) friends. I stopped by the house were Roger and I lived for several years and was amazed to find that even after 10 years, 3 out of the 5 apartments in the house are occupied by the same people! I visited with a former neighbor, oohed and aahed over how lovely the property looks now (new owner), and generally felt nostalgic.

We spent a few nights in Boston, too. My plan to walk the Freedom Trail was dashed by rain, so we rode the trail in a tour bus. Much warmer and dryer, and Caroline got a good overview of the historical sights. We especially enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Legal Seafoods, one of our favorite spots.

The only not-so-fun part of the trip was the flight home. We were due to fly out of Boston to NYC, then from there to Oakland, and should have been home in California by 7pm. But thunderstorms along the east coast threw all flights into a mess, and we sat there at the airport from 10:30 am until 11pm. That's right -- 12 solid hours. But we took off at 11:30 pm, and landed in Oakland 6 hours later. I love night flights -- NOT. Our luggage apparently went to NYC without us (hope it had fun!) so after sorting through the missing luggage stuff and driving the 90 minute drive home, we hit our front doorstep at (drum roll, please...) 4:45 am pacific time. We all fell right into bed and slept until noon.

The luggage is trickling in -- Jet Blue delivered two bags last night at midnight, and will deliver the last one this afternoon.

I won't even TALK about coming home to a computer that wouldn't boot up at all, and having to do a total restoration of software and data. Sigh.

Hey, we're home, I can sleep in my own bed... No complaints!!

Summer Reading

You all know I adore a good book. And there is no better time for putting one's feet up and sitting back with a good novel and a cold beverage than summertime. I don't know about you, but I like different sorts of books in different situations and climates. Summer, to me, is for lighter reading -- mysteries, some girlfriends-at-the-beach books, nothing too heavy or classic. There are always exceptions, though, and the best sorts of books are often the ones you didn't know you were in the mood for when you read it but it turned out to be exactly the right thing. The lucky finds, the surprises.

In case you need some suggestions for what to read this summer, here are some favorites from my list -- I might have mentioned some before, but that just means that I really, really really think these books are worth reading! Oh, and please do comment with anything you suggest! It might be just what I'm in the mood for and don't realize it yet!

The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (Told in letters, the unfolding between a baseball fan child and his hero -- I don't like baseball or sports books, but this was about the charming relationship. Very enjoyable reading. Keep kleenex handy. Just saying. )

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Suburban life in Mississippi in the 1960s, from the perspectiv of the black maids in well-to-do white households. You'll read this, and you'll not be able to stop thinking about it, and you'll give it as gifts, and recommend it to everyone you know. It's THAT good.)

The Likeness by Tana French (a twisty, turny mystery about a detective who goes undercover to solve the mysterious death of a girl who looks just like her. Implausible premise, really, and yet totally engrossing and fascinating and believable. I loved the writing.)

There's No Place Like Here by Cecelia Ahern (a missing persons investigator goes missing -- and finds herself in the land of lost things. Magical realism, I guess you'd call it -- charmingly written but with lots to think about. I love everything I've read by this author.)

And here's what's on my summer list. No heavy reading, but novels that look interesting and have gotten good reviews. I've not read them yet so I can't recommend them yet:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (everyone I know says this is wonderful -- even Oprah picked it)

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow

April & Oliver by Tess Callahan (if Joshilyn Jackson says it's good, that's good enough for me.)

Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger (writing this list reminded me I haven't read a few of this author's more recent books)

Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moment of Grace, Essays by Ayelet Waldman (reflections on motherhood, looks really good)

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (novel told from perspective on an admissions officer at Princeton)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (murder mystery compared to Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh -- I LOVED that book as a kid)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (a thriller that is getting good reviews and promises to be "un-put-downable." I hope.)

Okay -- I'm headed out to return books to the library! Happy reading!

Bee'in Busy

I don't know why I've had a hard time blogging lately. Too much to say, and too little, if you know what I mean.

So here are some of the things keeping me busy lately:

* Reading a great book right now: "Gone Tomorrow" by P.F. Kluge. A story in a story about a writer who becomes a professor at a small Ohio college. Written by a professor at a small Ohio college. The writing is fantastic and it's a wonderful exploration of the dreams of our youth and the realities of our lives. I've already requested other books by this guy from the library.

* With summer travels coming up and my reading pace on vacation, I decided I needed an Amazon Kindle so I won't travel with the bottom of my suitcase lined with books as I usually do. I love it already -- will not stop my library habit -- but it is wonderful to have masses of reading on one small tablet. On board for next week's trip to Boston: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett and some Mark Twain short stories I've been wanting to read again, plus some Jane Austen.

* Home schooling has been great, but boy, people react strangely when you tell them you're home-schooling. I think I need to format some good stock answers for when people say weird things.

* I've discovered that the best way to get to know a camera lens is to just put it on my camera and KEEP IT THERE for a few weeks, so I'm forced to use it and only it. My macro lens was hard to use at first but I just kept it on the camera and now it's my favorite lens. Lets see if this works for the 50mm lens.

* I have fiber projects in the works, one even finished (and labelled!) that you haven't even seen yet because I don't have a wall big enough to hang it and photograph it well. Maybe I'll try the garage door one of these grey mornings.

* The annual bird nest is showing signs of life in the climbing vine next to the garage door. You'd think that Mama would have learned by now that it's not the most restful spot, as she flies out every time the door opens or closes. Plus there's that pesky woman with her camera trying to get shots of the eggs...

* Why do songs on my Ipod just up and disappear all of a sudden? I loaded a few Stevie Wonder favorites a few weeks ago, and today they're gone from the Ipod music library. Go figure.

see what I mean? Hardly gripping thought.

Golden Windows

During my second year of law school, I rented an apartment over the garage in a home occupied by a lovely older woman named Mrs. Christie. She was a widow and often left treats she'd baked or vegetables she'd grown in her garden for me. She once told me a story that I think about from time to time, and when I took this picture the other evening it reminded me of it. The story goes like this:

One morning, a little girl was looking across the valley from her house, admiring the beautiful golden windows on a house on the top of the hill.

"Mom," she said, "Do you see that house on the hill with golden windows? It must be so beautiful there, and the people who live there must be so wealthy! I'll bet they have no problems and their lives are filled with happiness every day. I wish OUR HOUSE had golden windows."

"Oh, darling," replied the mother, "no one's life is perfect. Even people who live in a house with golden windows."

"No, I think you are wrong! I want to go see for myself!" So the mother packed the daughter a lunch, and away the daughter went to cross the valley and see how wonderful life was for the people who lived in the house with golden windows.

The girl walked all day long. As she reached the bottom of the valley, she lost sight of the house but kept going. It was dusk by the time she reached the top of the other hill. But to her surprise, all she found was an ordinary house. She saw no golden ornaments, nothing that made the house look different or more special than any other house. The people looked ordinary, just like the people in her own family. She was puzzled.

Disappointed, she turned around to gaze at her own house across the valley she'd just crossed. And to her surprise, her house was ablaze with light. The windows shone with gold as the setting sun lit them up. In disbelief, she looked again at the ordinary house in front of her, then back to her house gleaming across the way.

"MY house has golden windows!" she said in amazement. She stood for a moment, struck by how beautiful her house looked from this side of the valley. She took off running back down the hill, eager to return to her family. And never again did the little girl look at someone else's house, or life, with envy.

---

This house -- and yes, it is a single family home (when it was being built, we all thought it was a hotel or a fancy clubhouse for a country club or something) sits on the hill above my neighborhood. It's a bit "king of the county" for my taste, but it sure looks beautiful at sunset.

I'll be catching up on my blogging! I promise!

Latent Color

Today is a reveal date in our Twelve by Twelve challenge, where the current theme is "Identity." Head on over to the Twelve by Twelve blog to see all twelve -- as always, the variety is delightful and interesting.

I went for the fingerprint as an essential aspect of identity -- I've always found them fascinating and beautiful up close, and i like the graphic nature of their lines. But several of us Twelves used them as the focal point for our pieces -- I think it's the first time that so many of us featured such similar imagery.

I've been an absent blogger recently -- sorry! I've been busy with home stuff, the home schooling, planning a vacation, trying to purge a bit of stuff at a time, and even trying to make a bit of progress on the garden!

I'm inspired to try to make a larger fingerprint quilt, tho, and as "asymmetical composition" is my next assignment for my design class, this might be a good subject.

If I can find a wall big enough, I'll get a picture of the big quilt I just finished. One of the downsides of not having a large design wall is that my "photo studio" space is severely limited!

Time to Cuddle

I had a good lesson in attitude adjustment yesterday. Here's yet another fact I'm learning about our new unschool world: I feel better and get more done if I'm more relaxed about my own agenda. I'm discovering that it's not terribly realistic to expect to oversee Miss C's daily lessons, while also doing laundry, cleaning the garage, making phone calls, upgrading software on the computer, grilling chicken, and trying to get a bit of legal work done.

Don't laugh. That really does describe yesterday morning.

So today is different. My to-do list looks a tad more realistic. And we've already remembered to do something that both Miss C and I enjoy -- we take a "cuddle break" in the middle of the morning. We snuggle on the couch, or lie on the bed, and cuddle and read together or look at a book, or just talk. It's lovely quiet connecting time.

Sure beats recess on the playground. I highly recommend taking a cuddle-break with whom-ever is around your house!

Where does the time go?

My mornings always seem to disappear. How does that happen?

I get up, shower, have coffee, and make my plan. I'll get some laundry done. I'll fill a bag with stuff for donation or disposal (I'm on a one-a-day Purge of Stuff around here), and I'll do chores and then get started on a quilting project. I have plans! I'm ready to go! So, I go upstairs and wake Miss C, get the dog out for a romp in the yard or a walk around the neighborhood... I check my email, post my daily flickr picture... I'll do a bit of work (jumping up to transfer laundry around); I'll answer a phone call or two... I'll get Miss C squared away with her lessons for the day...

But wait, somehow, it's late morning, or almost lunchtime.

How DOES that happen?

Today, Miss C awakened with a migraine. Wednesdays seem to be a migraine day, for some reason. I'm keeping track of stuff in a calendar so I can see if I can find patterns. What is it about wednesdays?

Sigh. It's noon and I haven't yet even cleaned up my studio table (today's chore).

Maybe I need to start listing the things I *do* accomplish instead of the things I plan but don't get to. Then I'd feel like I was getting somewhere, even if it wasn't the "where" I planned to get to....

Bokeholic delight

One of the things that I love about photography is that it makes me see the world differently. Even when I don't have my camera with me, I find myself noticing lines and colors and things that would make a great picture.

I snapped this macro shot of a bottle brush bloom in my friend's backyard. I grew up in a neighborhood where lot of people had these in their yards, and I disliked them because they give off a sticky substance that I inevitably got in my hair when I ran and played under them. But they're amazing and interesting blooms, and I had a great time taking macro pictures of them.

I love bokeh. That blurry, spotty, glowy background? The photographic term is "bokeh." I'm a bokeh-holic.

Tiptoe Away from Tip Top Shoes

Every once in a while, a shopping experience makes me so mad that I decide to take action.  

Over the weekend, I decided to order a pair of shoes online, after I'd seen them in a store but was unable to find my size.  My online search led me to Tip Top Shoes, an online site that had relatively positive reviews.  They had the exact shoes I wanted, in the exact color, in my size.  Perfect.

In a big statement at the top of its front page, Tip Top Shoes promises "FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $100."  Go ahead, click on the link and go see.

Free shipping, that's what it says, right?  Do you see any qualifications?  Any statement that it applies only to certain things?  

I placed my order, for a pair of shoes over $100.  Dandy.  And when I got to the part of the order process where it totals your order, I found that it was charging me $7 for shipping.  I went back and tried to find where to activate the "FREE SHIPPING" promise.  Finally, when I couldn't find it, I put a note in the "comment" section of the order form saying that I couldn't find how to get the "FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $100" promised by the web banner, so they should deduct the shipping charge when they processed my order.  

This morning, I received this in my email from Tip Top Shoes: 

In response to what you wrote below, Yes our banner does say free shipping over anything over $100, but please see our shipping policy

 

All website orders will be shipped FREE via UPS Ground within the continental United States on all non-sale orders over $100.00. Sale Merchandise is any item listed with a price ending in .99  Any other requested method of shipping, or any international purchase will be paid for at the customer's expense.

I emailed them back to point out that their "FREE SHIPPING" promise didn't exclude sale items and specifically applied to "all orders over $100," and that as a result it was deceptive, their response was that they no longer had my shoe available!  Hmmmm.  

This is just the sort of thing that makes me cranky.  If you say "free shipping," then give "free shipping."  What's so complicated about that?  

Well, beware Tip Top Shoes.... I'm heading straight to Zappos.com, myself.

Moosewood Memories

When I went to Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York (more years ago now than I'd like to think), I was a vegetarian. And handily enough, there was a wonderful vegetarian restaurant that quickly became one of my favorite spots, the Moosewood Cafe.

Nowadays, Molly Katzen is in the vegetarian chef hall of fame, and she's produced a whole bunch of really great cookbooks. But the first classic Moosewood Cookbook is still a favorite of mine, along with book #2, the Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

Anyway, I've been craving ratatouille and when I pulled the Moosewood Cookbook off of the shelf to make sure I had the ingredients, it brought back such great memories. My book is worn and spattered, and the ratatouille page is the most rumpled and spotted of them all. So, in honor of the wonderful Moosewood restaurant, here's the ratatouille recipe we're having tonight:

3 Tb olive oil
4 med cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram or oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
2 medium zucchini, cubed
2 medium bell peppers (I usually use red), seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
black pepper
fresh minced parsley (optional)
sliced olives (optional)
fresh parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a deep pan. Add garlic, onion and bay leaf and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

2. Add eggplant, salt and herbs and stir. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until eggplant is soft.

3. Add zucchini, bell peppers, black pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until zucchini and bell peppers are tender.

Top with grated parmesan cheese and/or other goodies to serve.

Can serve alone (as stew), over pasta (my favorite), or even on crusty toasted french bread, as bruschetta.

Prep time: about 45 minutes
Serves 4-6.

It's vegetable-y, and healthy, and delicious. Enjoy!

Play day

We are entering Week 3 of home-schooling (which around here we call Unschool), and we are adjusting to the schedule. Or lack of schedule. Or the ongoing effort to figure out what our schedule should be... WHATever. All is going quite well, and the happy bubbly smiling girl we know and love has returned to our family. The change has been quite dramatic and has confirmed for all of us that we made the right decision.

Still, I'm the sort who likes a bit of time alone from time to time -- and these days, combined with R's going away for a conference last weekend, had me feeling a bit crazed. So, yesterday R was home and I left the building for a Day Off.

Yee haw!

First, I went to get my hair trimmed and had to try hard not to drool as Molly the hairstylist massaged my head while hot water thrummed against my scalp. I'd like to start every day that way, thank you very much.

Second, I met with Mr. S., a teacher from Miss C's school who is going to continue to work with her as a tutor on math and science. Miss C is darned smart and I am too insecure as an unschool teacher to have all of her subjects in my hands! So Mr. S will be stepping in to work with C on those subjects and we are all delighted about it.

THEN, the hours stretched before me like an expanse of possibility.... It was raining and I was chilly, so I sat myself down in a corner of the couch at Starbucks with a large cup of hot coffee, and I read magazines. For hours! I had the newest issue of Where Women Create so I sat and read and gazed intently at the beautiful studios on display. Oh, the luxury!

It had dawned on me that I've not been into a movie theater for so long that I can't remember what I saw last. So, I strolled on over to the local theater in time to catch a late-afternoon show of "State of Play" with Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Helen Mirren. A real movie! In a real theater! With real popcorn! I enjoyed the movie tremendously -- it was just the sort of plot-twisty, charactery, satisying story I'd been craving. While I had the niggling feeling that plot ends hadn't all been resolved satisfactorily, I was still so delighted with the experience that I have vowed to get into another theater with the next 5 years or so. Possibly even as soon as next friday.

AND THEN, if that wasn't exciting enough, I hopped into car and went to Borders which has the biggest magazine selection around. I wandered, perusing whatever struck my fancy, and sat down with a pile of photography books and odd magazines (Did you know there is a foreign magazine called "A Needle Pulling Thread" on all things stitchery?). There is nothing like wandering through a book store without any deadlines.

By the time I got home, I was feeling refreshed and happy and quite happy to see my family. I had quite the successful play day.

Oh -- I snapped that picture up there in Balboa Park, when we were in San Diego after Easter. Quintessential delight!

Birdsong

As long as we're talking about quilting (!) , here's another small quilt I made a few weeks ago. Our assignment in Practical Design was to make something with a horizontal composition and a monochromatic color scheme.

It just goes to show you what you can do on a random Sunday. I was feeling the pressure of the looming deadline, so I started doodling -- and the branch and birds appeared. I drew that on fabric, and just designed around it. Very simple, and although I tried adding various bits, I always took it back to this simple piece.

So it was fast, and fun, and freeing.

I tell you, I just need to play more ... which I suppose means keeping the worktable clear enough to play on...

Book Review: Fearless Design for Every Quilter

In my last post, I mentioned the Practical Design workshop I've participated in for the last few years. I recently got my hands on the newest book by design teacher Lorraine Torrence, Fearless Design for Every Quilter (C&T Pub. 2009) and was delighted to see that she has presented a workshop in design in book format.

Basically, the idea of the book is this: focusing on elements of design and composition, a group of quilt artists take on small challenges and all of their results are shared and critiqued. So this book provides a lot of great information: basic principles on design and composition and color; aspects of positive critiquing; specific challenges; examples of what the artists did; and the critiques each result garnered. It's very instructive.

The book features artists of different styles and abilities, so the challenge pieces they produce vary and will appeal to different tastes. Even when the resulting piece wasn't something I was wild about, I found that I enjoyed reading about the artist's process, the problems she encountered, etc.

Working through the exercises in this book would be a great way to give yourself a home design course, or to work through with a friend. And there are springboard ideas, too, so you're not limited to the specific assignments set out here.

I was very glad to find this book, and I'll be recommending it to my friends.

No Shade in Sight

I've mentioned the monthly Practical Design workshop I attend -- or try to attend! -- and lately I've been working on catching up on exercises. This is my latest small piece, which measures about 11 x 15".

Our assignment was to work with a grid composition, and to emphasize diagonals or "s-curves." We were to work with a warm color palette.

I went straight to the box of pre-fused fabrics I have, and cut 1 8-inch square, and the rest in squares that were 4", 2", 1" and 1/2". I had a very fun time moving them around to play with composition. You can't see the quilting too well, but ultimately I stitched gently curving parallel lines, trying to emphasize where the diagonal block lines went.

It was a fun fast exercise. I realized how the grid superimposed with curving lines makes me see a map -- which leads me to think I'd like to use this construction and composition method for something bigger.

Every month I'm reminded of how important it is to just experiment. The workshop deadlines make me fit the time in ...but really, I should just do it, deadline or not.

My bed is calling me...

The bad news: I was up way too late last night working, and I will be spending today and tonight putting in a lot of hours to finish a big work project. So it will be a while before I can crash into bed to sleep until I just wake up when I'm ready to wake up.

The good news: The solution for what sort of border to put on the Cinco de Mayo quilt I started eons ago suddenly came to me. Funny how I get all sorts of creative ideas when my left brain is wholly engaged in legal work.

One of the BIG questions of life

At our ranch retreat, we presented the quilts from our Second Annual Quilt Challenge. Last
April, a couple of intrepid fabric shoppers selected two different fabrics, and our challenge was to make something -- anything -- using some of each fabric.

Once again, I decided to make a quilt commemorating an aspect of the retreat that is meaningful to me. I thought about how we all get talking while we sew, and how we discuss all sorts of things -- our hopes, our dreams, our families, our failures, our marriages, our kids ... we can cover a lot of pretty personal territory.

So, my challenge quilt commemorated one of the intimate issues that absorbed us during the April '08 retreat:



"Over or Under."

(And don't tell me that at some time or another you haven't discussed this burning issue with someone...)

You can see a slideshow (once again, courtesy of Angie) of all of the challenge quilts here. There is a wonderful assortment!



Challenge Quilts April 2009

Virtual Retreat

Oh my! I've had all sorts of goings-on over the last two weeks, so I have a lot of blogging to catch up.

Before we headed off to San Diego for Easter vacation, I had a lovely 4 days with my retreat buddies at the Bishop's Ranch. As always it was total fun and lots of laughter and very restful and even productive!

I've not yet had a chance to download the pictures I took there but here is a great slideshow of pictures taken by the Official Ranchhands' Retreat Photographer, Angie. She's not only a great quilter, and blogger, and expert on home quilting systems, but she takes great pictures, too!

So click, and sit back and relax, and enjoy this virtual quilting retreat...

Bishop’s Ranch April 2009

Breaking from real life

So, we made a break from our real lives (get it, "spring break?!"), headed south, and have found ourselves in beautiful San Diego. We are staying with some old, dear friends who have a beautiful house overlooking the ocean -- so we are here for the week and will be eating and laughing and getting sand in our shoes and drinking margaritas and reading books and taking naps and generally having the sort of active and culturally enriching vacation we like.

Friends tell me that I cannot, cannot miss Rosie's Calico Cupboard while I am here -- a fabric store I would not have sought out as I don't really need calico for my cupboard, thank you very much -- so perhaps I will take a fabric-hunting excursion at some point.

Relaxation has already begun.

But wait -- a book recommendation for you...



I stumbled onto this book, via someone's list of favorites on Amazon.com ... and what a wonderful book. It tells the story of a modern day woman in Los Angeles, who has written a novel about the photographer Edward Curtis which is being considered for a movie project. The story weaves between her modern life and the story of Edward Curtis and his famous photographs of "the vanishing" American indians. The interweaving stories explore themes of vanished fathers, family life and intimacy, the myth of the American west, and more. The best part of this, to me, was the amazing lyrical prose. I kept pausing to re-read passages that were just so gorgeous.

It turned out to be the perfect thing to be reading as we drove down the length of California.

Hmmm, the fog is breaking so maybe a beachy afternoon IS in store today...

Deadlines can be good things...

Thank goodness for deadlines. Sometimes they push me to do something I wouldn't do ... and this month, the Twelve by 12 April 1 deadline was totally necessary to get me back to the sewing machine.

This time, the theme was window. Boy, did I have a hard time... I had so many ideas but just couldn't seem to get any of them started. I just kept waffling. Finally, I went with the idea that stuck the strongest in my head: using the traditional quilt block called "Dove in a Window." You'll notice that my windows have doves in them. Ahem -- literal, as usual, but still fun to do.

Head on over to the Twelve by 12 blog to see all 12 responses to this newest challenge. As always the 12 results are wonderful AND very different from each other.

I'm so grateful for the women in this group -- they inspire me and make me marvel at their cleverness and artistry and skill. I'm so glad to know them all and I learn from them every time.