Quilt Poet Earth and Sky

Mail Art Show

2010-04-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever done mail art? This unique and wonderful art form was created in response, in protest to, juried art shows. There are no rules except the No Rules. No censorship, no judging. The curator must hang all pieces received. I first learned of this no judgmental art form in 1982 (?) or thereabouts. I saw an announcement about a show in Whittier curated by Leslie Caldera, a.k.a. Creative Thing. The show was in the window of a Whittier Music store and I was entranced to read that anyone could enter.

I contacted Leslie, asked a lot of questions and arrived to see the show! Very interesting....in the ensuing years, I did mail art, curated several shows of my own and taught kids how to send interesting and funny things through the USPS. Now, of course, mail art is much tamer, due to security restrictions, but in the 80s you could, and we did, send anything!

Well...why Mail Art now? Because Leslie Caldera, a.k.a. Creative Thing has another mail art show and I entered and went to see it. That's him to the right.

The gallery, is what I call a mushroom gallery. Why mushroom? Because it was a very old warehouse that was filled with %$#@ for many years. What do mushrooms grow in? %$#@ that's what!

So a large warehouse cleaned out and painted white on the inside, and filled with 4-6 mini-exhibits, one of which is Leslie's show. The theme is Critical Mass.

Mail Art is a world wide art form, so the exhibit space was anchored with maps on the floor, please remove shoes.

It was an easy trip to Brazil.

If you are enchanted with the idea of "free art for the world" as I was, consider entering the next mail art show you hear about! It is loads of fun to do the art and then, if geography allows, see all of the pieces enhibited. Check for Mail art websites...such as www.zyarts.com/zybooks/mailartpage.html

Here are some of the pieces I enjoyed.

International Quilter's Day

2010-03-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

For the 14th year, Claudia Redfern of Laguna Beach, CA invited traditional and art quilters to share a meal, lots of laughter, and their completed and not-so-completed quilts. Many quilters traveled to Laguna Beach from such far flung places as Roseburg, Oregon and Fallbrook, Oceanside, Vista and El Segundo! There were women who do hand quilting. There were women who dye fabric. There were women who do EVERYTHING!
The day was gorgeous; sunshine and a fresh breeze. We ate great food, including a chicken "hot dish" made by Carolyn Winfield, made with raspberry sauce from Robert Rothschild Farm (www.robertrothschild.com) Carolyn works at Stephen Frank Garden and Home in Laguna Beach There are all kinds of fun items there for "foodies". See the goodies right here http://www.stephenfrank.com/store/sc/home.asp

The dish Carolyn made is called Rasberry Salsa Torte. It was luscious! Claudia made baby red potatoes stuffed with artichoke hearts, potato, mayo and parmesian cheese as an appetizer and Eike Anderson made Berries on a Cloud for dessert. Maybe Eike will give us the recipe next year!
Each year we choose a project(or more than one) to complete before the third Saturday of March the following year! The quilters who chose the black and white blocks last year were strong finishers. See some of the quilts here. ( DRAT! Lost the photos by clicking delete before I should have)
You would think a year would be enough time to allow ALL of us to complete our projects, but each of us who was supposed to finish our Lost Socks blocks, needed more time. I am in this slow but steady group. We will have them ready for trade at Camp Watch-A-Patcher (CWAP), right ladies?

This year there were a half-dozen projects proposed and we ended up with three. Some of us are doing stars with Bev Packard, some of us are doing Gwen Marston Houses, and some are doing a 4-patch scrappy quilt called Candy Stripe! Sounds yummy doesn't it? There is another group, the indies, doing Funky Baskets using pastel polka dots for the background, black & white strips only for the basket handle and bright flower for the baskets.
I am doing the houses, having seen these at CWAP several years ago and longing to try them...looking forward to doing these in polka dots, stripes and checks a la Yvonne Porcella, a great inspiration.
Brights and odd wonderful details....
Speaking of Yvonne, check this out! http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/
Go to the March 20th post!
Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jennison rounded up ( Leslie is a Texan) lots of quilters to do blocks for a quilt for Yvonne. Here it is in "living color"! You can copy and paste!
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TA8Az3thKn0/S6lc0oIX6YI/AAAAAAAAIFM/aav4Hr9Vy9A/s1600-h/process.JPG

Yvonne was recently diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer and is "enjoying" chemo cocktails these days. Over 100 blocks were done in her style, bright and wild! If you missed the opportunity to do a block, send her an encouraging word! A note! A chocolate pie! Just kidding! I know that she would love to hear from you.
More color in the world!!!

Billy (NMI) Calvert 1927-2009

2010-01-01T15:16:00.001-08:00

My father died of pneumonia on December 22, 2009. He was (just barely) 82 years old. He was a man who struggled with alcohol, the early loss of his own father and step-father, a man who loved to dance, loved sports. He taught me to play baseball and football, to be an inquisitive person, to read anything and everything, to enjoy life, to think on my feet and to question authority. He played the guitar in high school and college...music that sounded like Texas...Hank Williams, Chet Atkins, Sons of the Pioneers. He gave away his black and white guitar when we moved from Ohio back to CA.

He also taught me to choose with my heart, to assume that I could solve my own problems, to go after what I want and to never let anyone get the best of me.

He taught me to be a competitor, a leader and a challenger. I am afraid that he also taught me to set high standards, and to jettison those who do not measure up. His approval was difficult to achieve, although later in life he assured me that I was well loved.

He was a reader, argumentative, challenging, a discusser, talker, storyteller.

At various times of my life I loved him, feared him, resented him, worried about him, was angry with him, removed myself from his influence and wanted him to stop telling me what to do and how to do things.

I spent time with him in April, little dreaming that he would not live to see Christmas, a particularly tough time for our family and my father. While visiting him in Kentucky in April he gave my brother and I some old photos of my mom, my Aunt Ruth and some of him when he was a boy. I include one of my favorites here.

I do not know how you say good-bye to your father. The best I can do is to say thank you for giving what you could, I forgive you, and I love you. I will miss you.

Holidy Shopping that is FUN! Ongoing Show/Art Sale

2009-12-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

On Sunday December 20, 2009 from Noon to 5:00pm there is a treat in store for you.
The Muckenthaler Cultural Center (AKA The Muck) in Fullerton is hosting a Fine Arts and Crafts Fair as part of their Annual Holiday Festival. Imagine that! There are two wonderful fiber exhibits showing, more info at http://www.themuck.org

There will be fine arts and crafts vendor booths, children's arts activites, music and dance performances and tours of the beautiful 1924 mansion which houses the center.
Some of the Cut Loose Quilters will be there selling art quilts, cards, quiltlets, fabric post cards, ornaments, pillows and more. I will be there as well as Cindy Cooksey, Jamie Fingal, Stacy Hurt and Terry Waldron!
Come and enjoy a great opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts at reasonable prices.
Please join us!

Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton CA

2009-10-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely place....a vintage mansion, now concert venue, art galleries, lawns for craft fairs, car shows and two (!) beautiful Batchelder fireplaces. Currently, there are two exhibits. Downstairs, find "Natural Fibers", featuring fiber art including a very beautiful willow sculpture by Carol Shaw-Sutton, (a former teacher and always an inspiration) and wall installation pieces made from twined palm and canvas as well as Joseph Cornell like boxes filled with textures created by collections of seed pods, eggs, and mysterious natural forms.

Upstairs find "Contemporary Quilts", an exhibit of a range of textile work including friend Stacy Hurt's piece Children of Lir ,( the photo does not do it justice) several pieces by friend Cindy Cooksey and friend Jamie Fingal, all members of Cut Loose Quilters,

(see www.cutloosequilters.com/) as well as quilts by Rose Hughes, Carol Henke and others of Quilts on the Wall, a local art quilt group. For more of their work see www.quiltsonthewall.com/.

We enjoyed both shows, and then wandered to downtown Fullerton where we had lunch at a small cafe, enjoying chicke posole soup and tasty sandwiches and omlets, and then window shopped at Gilding the Lily which features vintage trim, hats, charms, buttons, game prize tokens, and a printer's chest full of what art quilters call "embellishments!"

Ever since I was the little girl who was allowed to choose her own hair ribbons at Sprouse Ritz, I have loved all kinds of ribbon...still do...just look what I found at Gilding the Lily....

A day well spent! Do check out the "Muck" as it is known to it's friends and supporters....lots of music, art and beauty right at Euclid and Malvern in Fullerton!

Down Home Antique Emporium Holds Fall Open House

2009-09-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Our favorite antique store in Old Towne Orange had a fall open house today! There were all things autumn...beautiful colored leaves, pumpkin pie and cookies, owls and things that go bump in the night! See some of the gorgeous pumpkins above. (I did not however see any hens in fall attire...dressed poultry...right!) I went with my friends Marva Hitchcock, and her daughters Amy and Janet and we ran into our friend Nancy Drew. Yes, that's right, Nancy Drew...no...not the teen sleuth, but a wonderful quilter and Orange resident.
Amy is pumpkin shopping! There were all sizes and shapes of pumpkins to be had, but the pumpkin farm address is a Halloween Secret! There were rats and bats and cats, oh my!
Is this a witch in disguise?
One of the antiquers did a wonderful job on this witch, and please note the for- real hornets nest and Lizzy Borden axes in the background...this is a VERY SCARY place!
Red wagons with pumpkins ready to be taken home and carved into jack-o-lanterns. I found my initial but opted to take home a Halloween Witch with a patchwork skirt instead!

Cow Chip Bingo???

2009-09-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, at the Street Fair last weekend I bought 4 tickets for Cow Chip Bingo, a creative way for the El Modena High School Band to raise money. What, you don't know what Cow Chip Bingo is? Well....let me explain. Take one reasonably green field, this one on the south side of El Modena's campus. No, not the football field, that one is artificial turf....but the one just east of the stadium, mark it off in squares....LOTS of squares, 3,000 to be exact and, I assume, using a computer, number the squares....then sell lots of tickets! On September 19th, sometime around noon, three cows will start wandering around the field and as is usually the case, the cows will eventually do what cows (and other creatures) do after eating...and I do not mean Moo! At the first unloading of....weeeeell.....cow dung, the humans in charge will figure out who "bought" the square in which the cow pattie landed and that LUCKY person will win $250, the second time this organic cleansing occurs the square owner will win $500 and the third time, the lucky square owner will win $750. If band members sell all of the tickets, the take will be $15,000! Wow! The band splits the remainder (after expenses I assume, how much do cows rent for and how mcuh do they eat?) with the ASB and everybody goes home happy...right? What about the cows? Whose cows are they anyway?

Cow watching begins at noon at EMHS...I will be there, because this is too silly to miss! Besides, by chance two of the tickets I bought contain the number 68 (my graduation year) and 70 ( my brother's graduation year!) I, of course, will win with that lucky start. Come on cows!

Lost at the beach?

2009-09-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those years? When you wake up in the morning and are just not sure where you are going? When you wish that life came with a

user's guide and you could actually get an idea of what is ahead? I do understand the concept of moving in faith, I just wish it were easier....

I am not a contol freak, really, I am just a planner and a dreamer and seem to have lost my way a bit....it has happened before, I have wandered a bit, but always, eventually find my way to MY WAY, it just seems a bit painful right now.

Thank goodness for friends, for those lovely people who call or email that they are thinking of me and/or praying for me. I am just a bit undone...my brother tells my father, "Don't worry, she always lands on her feet" and I am grateful for the worry and the trust in my abilities, but OH MY do I wonder where Richard gets the confidence in me when I am lacking it myself today.....I know I will get back to MY WAY, MY PATH, but I am wandering today....

Perhaps I need to get lost at the beach....found photo from the other coast I am sure...a reminder of a visit to Cape Cod years ago.

OCQG Potluck

2009-09-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Every year in August the Orange County Quilters Guild hosts a potluck prior to it's regular meeting. Quilters, being creative types, decorate their tables and awards are given. There is always an award for the best recipe, the most original table decorations etc. This year, Juanita Swarts (shown above) and I decorated a table with the theme from our upcoming quilt show, "Quilts-Our Global Language". We had a lot of fun doing this and even won a prize..fabric of course!

Have you ever seen a batiked globe? Juanita created this one. Gorgeous, yes? The fabric postcard "Peace" was made by Joanell Connelly.
I provided lots of little Oaxacan animals including the lacksidasical frog above.
The only thing I did not understand was that the prize we won was for the "Most Eccentric!" Hmmmmm...what other kind of globe would quilters have but a fabric one! What is so eccentric about that?

Mountain Man Music Jam (Mountain Women Too!)

2009-08-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

On the last Friday evening of the month you drive out Santiago Canyon Road to Black Star Canyon Road, go all the way to the gate and then park. You never know quite what and who you will find there, but it is always fun! Joel Robinson, seen above playing some wacky rhythm instrument, brings his fiddle, mandolin, and assorted other instuments, invites all who are coming to bring any instruments they play and then whoever shows up spends about 1 1/2 hours, depending on when darkness falls, playing and singing! On this particular night there were only three of us and a gorgeous sunset.

Joel is the brains and heart behind http://www.naturalist-for-you.org/ Please check it out. He is a dedicated, knowlegeable naturalist who cares about the planet and the community he serves. He leads hikes, wildflower explorations, outdoor adventures of all sorts. The website above has all kinds of great programming listed. Note! The next Mountain Man Music Jam is Friday, September 25, 6pm to 8pm - Drive up Black Star Canyon Road, Orange County, CA

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

2009-08-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA is a breath of heaven. I visited on a sunny Saturday, wandered the easiest pathways and interviewed for the position of Director of Public Programs today! This beautiful garden features and promotes native California plants in horticultural and more natural settings, depending on where you are in the garden. Interesting miniature treasures, including these "exploded"seed pods can be found at every turn of the path. This sculpture, Mythical Bird, by Gene Montez Flores, resides in a pond that is home to beautiful and large water lilies or at least water plants, botanic name unknown to me, but gorgeous! There are critters here too! I saw California Grey squirrels,
nibbling on an acorn I assume, Western Fence Lizards and evidence (scat) of coyotes. I missed the birds because they get up much earlier on Saturdays than I do. The best part of the garden is the delicate fragrance of the plants...sort of a sage/floral baking-in-the-sun smell. The peaceful, quiet benches make it a restful and nurturing place.I believe this is rue, but may be wrong...not labeled. I love the million shades of green I found and can only share a few here.

Getting the remainder of the purple blossoms tilted the horizon, but the purple/blue is worth it! A type of salvia I believe. Lots to learn of a garden visit.Don't you just love the grey behind the oval green? I hope to be spending lots of time here, introducing children, seniors, and interested others to the benefits and beauty of native California plants!

Five Stories Up

2009-08-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

Why is a level of a building called a story? Well, there are stories and then there are stories...

Every day, since coming to the Santa Ana Senior Center to work temporarily, I park in a five story parking structure. The view is different from up on the open air/top story.

The building with the American flag is the Spurgeon Building, named after a founding father. I love the various levels and shapes and colors.

This is the view north and down. Old bricks and new railings, I believe these are apartments above retail, but I can only guess because it all looks different from up here.

It is interesting being at or above tree tops, even if it is only Birch Park at Third and Birch. This is the park that my mother came to when she attended Santa Ana High School. The botony class came for leaves to press for their class project,(1947) to learn Latin names. Now the park is home to street people. (2009)

Just what lurks and lives on rooftops here in Santa Ana?

Interesting ducts and dishes, shapes repeated and satellites for entertainment.

And then I looked down.

Yipes, stripes!

Stripes and shadows.This way, out!

Tea for 5

2009-08-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Tea Bags, a group of lovely ladies, has invited me to be part of their tea parties. Thank you Cecelia, Sue, and best friends/sisters Diane, and Elaine. Elaine hosted us in Oceanside amid lovely antiques including this wonderful piece. No, it is not a Victrola, but a Columbia Grafonola! Gorgeous wood, a very sharp needle and the record? "Mickey's Grand Opera!" A collectors piece I am sure. Have you ever heard a mouse and a duck and a chicken singing opera? Me neither! Thanks Elaine! These two charmers are Gracie (age 11, on the right) and Sally, ( age 6, on the left.) In case you haven't guessed they are Jack Russell Terriers. Sally has a foot fetish and was licking ankles and toes under the tea table!Here are 2 of our "Tea Bags"...that is Diane on the left and Cecelia on the right...you can see we enjoyed the meal! I am the one holding the camera...HA!Diane and Cecelia are both Agri-Women! Diane raises sheep and pigs and Cecelia raises goats and chickens! I was the lucky recipient of fresh eggs and homemade gouda cheese...yummmm!

Elaine harvested some tasty recipes off of the internet and we enjoyed Orange Cranberry scones, and Blueberry scones, deviled eggs(Diane), cucumber sandwiches (Sue) and fresh fruit (me)....just as during the tea party there is more than we could enjoy! Lots of goodies....and more to take home! Then more great conversation, a tour of Elaine's place and a bit of music. Yes, Cecelia is truly a renaissance woman..she is a nurse too!

Next time, they will come to Orange and we will do some antique shopping in Old Towne!

Long Beach International Quilt Festival-Project Runway at Make-It University

2009-07-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ok! Totally silly, grown women, quilters all, participated in the 60's Couture version of "Project Runway" and made artsy items from silk flowers, fun foam, beads, pipe cleaners, paint, stencils, and more. Did they have fun? You bet!
Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jane La Fazio doing the what?
Arts for peace, an idea as timely now as in the 60's. Make art not war!
Pokey Bolton was the Emcee and had a wonderful time in the process.
She introduced the design team, the Mod Squad, (see above) setting prices for their design assistance...prices included singing "I Got You Babe", dancing in the aisles, singing along with the Beach Boys and more. Participants could "buy" design assistance if willing to make utter and total fools of themselves which they did willingly! At least they had the lyrics!
I got invited to "help" sing along with the Beach Boys. Although I was not a participant, I was a GREAT Cheerleader...any surprise there? Pokey gave me a prize! Bali Pops, 2 inch strips of the most beautiful batiks by Hoffman Fabrics.
The participants stitched with pipe cleaners, glue etc. making art-to-wear and then had to line up and parade the creations. Here is Jean Impey, art quilter extraordinaire contempating her creation....
After one hour of design work, pure fun and more silliness, it was time for the runway strut! Here you goooooo.
This was my favorite....I love her John Lennon rose colored glasses and flower power!

Check out the lady from France on the left, fun foam guitar in hand, and reefer madness in her eyes...amazing how many quilters know how to roll a...well, you know! She let me know after requesting that I take her picture with her camera, that her inspiration was Jimi Hendrix....hmmmmm!

Pokey and her desgn crew picked winnners, I don't know how! Everybody had so much fun we were all winners! Jean and her friend personified the 60's

Don't bogart that doilly, ladies!

Casa Romantica-San Clemente

2009-07-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous tile is the patio floor (!) at Casa Romantica, San Clemente, former home of Ole Hanson. "In 1927, Hanson built the Casa Romantica as his family home, and expression of his version of the California dream. The seven-bedroom, seven-bath house was designedby Carl Lindbom, who also designed LaCasa Pacifica (the former Western WhiteHouse)." See the website at http://www.casaromantica.org/

Casa Romantica was the site of a presentation about historic California women "gardeners" who were leaders in a field largely populated by men. The presenter, a landscape architect herself, told stories and reminded all of the women in the room that although there were few recognized, women have always had their hands in the soil, trees and flowers, starting with Eve!

Before the presentation, my friend and fellow gardener, Susan Williams and I wandered through the courtyard area.

Can you believe these colors?

At each step...literally, there was beauty.
A must see when you are in San Clemente, CA.

This gorgeous place sits on the cliff right above the Pacific.

I did not shoot any sea photos, but believe me the view is stunning!

Hawk Country-Can you believe that sky?

2009-07-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

View from the side of the road, before coming into Stockton...Highway 88.
When I drive this road I imagine that I am riding a "paint", a black and white horse across this beautiful land. I always think about "before cars", before the pavement tamed this land, and the people who ranched and raised cattle here long ago. I am a cowgirl at heart and in spirit.

Clements Ridge-Between Volcano and Stockton

2009-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Stopped at the first produce stand I came to....

I love all reds. Can you tell?
I went home with some of these plump, tasty apricots and a "thingee" that you fill with wood ships and clip to your bbq to add smoky flavor...it was a thank you present for my neighbors who feed my cats!

The Road Out of Town

2009-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

I stayed a week, cleaned the rain gutters and replaced light bulbs, had fun, ate and slept well and am on the way home down Rams Horn Grade and through Volcano, CA
It wasn't a volcano, just beautiful mountains that the miners saw, but the name stuck. Population 101, here is the "downtown".

St George Hotel....vintage and looking grand for July 4 and the upcoming classic car show. Cars not yet in place....these are the tourists!
Rosie's Bench outside the General Store. Rosie was the Official Greeter for years... gone but not forgotten.

Looking down into the creek. To the left is the amphitheater, site of melodramas and musicals. Barn in sunshine, a favorite of mine.

Mom

2009-07-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

An independent spirit...she taught me that too! She lives in the forest, enjoys the peace and quiet! She is reserved, votes Republican, cares about the junior high kids she works with at church and is a quiet spoken, but strong woman.

Richard and Mom are more alike than Mom and I but she is a role model for me of patience, kindness and strength. You can see her forest, it is her view from the front deck, looking northwest.

3rd of July Celebration

2009-07-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

A silly , fun photo! One of those hold-it-in-front-of-you and shoot! We are sitting on the lawn at the Jackson 3rd of July Independence Day(before)Celebration. Hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner, live music by The Geezers, swing with lots of saxaphone, very nice. Wheelbarrow races for the younger and more flexible and then FIREWORKS! One of the best shows I have seen! Photos difficult, but that did not keep me from trying. We had so much fun, people watching, fireworks bursting, just me and Mom!

A Yucca from Kansas?

2009-07-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jim Stone, Mom's soul mate and my step father, grew up in Kansas. Mom and Jim often traveled in their motor home (a Happy Daze). On a trip back to Kansas, to Jim's family farm, they found and liberated this Yucca and brought it home to Spirit Wind. I am not at all sure that Yuccas are native to Kansas. There is a research opportunity there, but not today! However, the Yucca thrived in gold country soil and bloomed while I was visiting. Here is a close up....

Creamy beautiful flowers. Mom and I are gardeners and flower lovers...she taught me that too! We spend a good deal of our time tending roses, watering the azaleas and rhodedendrons and commenting on the beauty of roadside or other "found" flowers. Oh yes, and feeding the birds....several humming birds are in residence and empty the feeders regularly! My camera is not quick enough to catch the fascinating tiny hummers!

Another love of ours is cats! Imagine that! Meet Tangerine, the cat that was very stand-offish is now an indoor cat...mostly...and a good companion to Mom! Spirit Wind sunset, pale tonight, but still a beautiful view.

Road Trip!

2009-06-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

After a job interview at 8:30am...(can you believe it, me a night person?) I took off on a road trip! Driving up the 57 to the 210 west to the 5 north to the 99 north to Stockton and then up into the mountains, it was some trip. If not for the Happy Music CDs (4 of them!) that Jen Fingal burned for me, I would have been asleep, not a good thing to do while driving. I sang along with Kermit in the Rainbow song, vanquished creativity killing vampires, remembered loves and felt love refreshed! I am one of the lovers and dreamers too. Thank you Jen for the encouraging words and music! Now I just have to catch up on all of the musicals! I was headed for Mom's in the foothills of the Sierras. Change of Latitude/Change of attitude! Mom and I always enjoy watching sunsets, seeking out wildflowers, feeding the birds and reading quietly...She is a retired librarian, so my brother and I learned the value of books early on! The flower above is, I believe, Blue Eyed Grass, found by the side of the road.

Fairies reported at Pitcher Park!

2009-06-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Pat Barrios, Fairy Godmother in charge, on the left, and Mayor Pro Tem Tita Smith on the right, visit with a local grandmother, name unknown, who came with her grand daughters to the Fairy Party at Pitcher Park. There were LOTS of moms, grandmothers, daughters and even the Fairy Queen, Jan Chomyn. This lovely party raised money for the Pitcher Park Foundation and scholarshops for the FFA students at Orange High School.
This fey fiddler played enchanting Irish folk music, and fairies danced around the maypole. The fiddler, a product of Orange County High School of the Arts was wonderful, but her preference is for classical music!

Both tiny and tall fairies danced around the MayPole! Peter Pan was present, although the Lost boys were of course...lost! TinkerBelle was a bit shy so we only heard her!
There were all sorts of interesting mythical creatures at the party. Take a look at this lovely fairy and her charming friend! There was a story teller, with little fairies sitting in the fairy circle we found under the ancient avocado tree, planted by Mr. and Mrs. Pitcher. I would not be surprised to learn that Mr. and Mrs. Pitcher were at the Fairy Party (at least in spirit), enjoying all of the fairies flitting about! Have you ever seen such wings?I too had a role to play at the Fairy Party. I shared fairy poetry! The knowledgeable librarians in the children's section at Orange Public Library found more selections than I could fit into my perfomance time. There was poetry about fairies going marketing, an entreprenurial fairy, fairy attire and of course fairies and moonlight. I am looking forward to doing this event next year! Oh, my wings? I tucked them into the straps of my overalls-----I am, of course, a garden fairy!

Blue Sky Red Tree

2009-06-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what this tree is called...red flowers shaped like commas....here is what they look like on the tree(above) and here (below) is what they look like on the ground. Beautiful!

Painting Party!

2009-06-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

So, can you believe it? I have such good friends, Jennifer in the middle and Alison on the far right that they actually VOLUNTEERED to help me paint the largest of the bedrooms and the attached bathroom. ** We painted and talked and listened to oldies and ate pizza and cookies and drank beer and still managed to do it all on three nights without many goofs...the ceiling too! Speaking of the ceiling, Chris Edwards, not pictured here, a stand-up comic by trade, was a huge help! He could reach higher, paint faster and was funny too! I am hoping we all do not "show up" in his material.....HUGE thanks to all my painting buddies. Next time, Bob, we will wait for you! **Please note the very attractive painting attire in the photo above! We were using the latest off white
fashion color, Swiss Coffee, more swiss than coffee. You can't see it here, but we were wearing more than our share!

Fish Prints

2009-06-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

After trying three different markets, I finally found some Tilapia to use for Fish Prints, the arts activity at our year-end Luau. Yes, Fish Prints. This Japanese printing technique can be done with fake, rubber fish, but what fun is THAT?We used poster paint, water based. The kids first did ocean background, blue and wavy, and then used 2 inch brushes to coat/paint the fish. Next step, laying the already dry ocean on the fish and pressing gently to transfer the fish image to the ocean. They turned out beautifully. Sorry all the artwork went home with Mom and Dad or Abuelitos/as.

Read and Create-The Final Season

2009-06-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

For the past six years, I have either facilitated or managed the Read and Create Program. This program combines reading, art, parental and other's community involvement. Once a week for eight weeks, Santa Ana police officers or Orange County probation officers came to read books to 3-12 year olds. Each week each child took a copy of the book home to build their personal libraries. The books, art supplies, prizes for the most active readers as recorded on their reading logs, were paid for by donations. Some of our donors were The Gas Company/Sempra Energy, Volvo, The Perfect Game, Epicor and others. The group of Read and Create graduates and parents you see above are from El Salvador Community Center. This great program fell victim to the severe budget cuts delivered by the City of Santa Ana Council and management. The staff position was cut and the program cancelled. Over the six years I took care of this program, we shared books with over 700 children. I consider myself and all of sponsors, Marie Moreno of the O C Probation Dept and those who loved this program as Good Fairies, of the book variety. Thanks so much for caring about encouraging kids to read and create!

Take time to stop and smell the roses

2009-06-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, even though I am crying at the drop of a hat, I do remember that this too shall pass and that I better stop and smell the roses while I can....so I do.

There are beautiful flowers lining the walkway at the Southwest Senior Center, which is now the "main office" since the depleted budget demanded that we close our Main Office...can you tell that red is my favorite color?

El Salvador Recreation Center and MY KIDS

2009-06-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

At El Salvdor Community Center we have a partnership with Orange County High School of the Arts. Every so often, when they have a break from auditions, rehearsals and shows, some of the high schoolers come and teach and do arts/music/dance activities with the kids in the El Salvador After School Program...it is a lot of fun for the students...all ages, teachers or ASA participants. This time is was " Under the Sea" song and dance....

Thanks OCHSA!

Job Networking!

2009-05-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there I was feeling sorry for myself at the Golden Flame in Orange...I even ordered French Fries, a true sign of despair....and then I saw the gum ball machine...except it was filled with little rubber balls....so I grabbed my trusty camera, and took a photo...actually several....Then I hear a voice saying "Are you really taking a picture of that"....a stranger making comments...."Yes, I say, I am an art quilter, and it might (someday) be an art quilt." He laughs a little self-consciously ( my comment) and says that he and his friend ( also waiting in line for burgers and fries) are stained glass makers....cooool!
So he asks if I do that for a living and I explain I am a beginner and that I am really a recreation center manager. except, gulp, I just got laid off......so he says....what jobs are you looking for, and I say that I am looking to work for a non-profit organization doing marketing/grant writing/etc...and he says...I know a person who runs a non-profit and so I give him my outdated card, phone number good through June 30, and he says he will ask her to call me.

Imagine that, networking at the Golden Flame...frys not that good there anymore.
Thanks Kevin and Ronetta for the supportive comments and kind phone call.

Remembering our fallen

2009-05-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Jane and I went to Fairhaven Memorial Cemetery and clipped the grass and left flowers for those we remember. She recently lost her life's love, a Navy man, and also remembered her grandparents and parents. I put flowers at my great Aunt's and Uncle's resting places. The grass and trees and beautiful flags make a sad occaision a bit gentler.

Bad News

2009-05-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Well, we knew they were going to do more lay-offs and today I got mine.
I am feeling angry, sad and disgusted with the management.
I will not be working with the kids this summer.
I found out that we can be demoted and "get" to work part time/no benefits.
And that if we refuse the job our unemployment insurance could be denied.
So, between a rock and a hard spot I will be working at the Santa Ana Senior Center.

Vacation's Almost Over....

2009-04-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

My little brother showed me a great time, introduced me to the intricacies of mandolin and fiddle shopping on Ebay, bought me some Japanese kimono fabric for a (very early) birthday present and took me to visit my nephew Eli and his new bride Rachel. Eli is wearing the CA vintage Hawaiian shirt his favorite Aunt (that would be me) brought him. I was meeting Rachel for the first time. We enjoyed sharing ice tea and chocolate and conversation about the communities we serve. Rachel works with kids who have behavioral challenges, caused by any number of difficulties that you have probably worried about. Eli does work similar to mine. He is planning some fun summer "camps" including a Star Wars Camp, one of his particular favorites!
Here is more family, my Dad and Mattie and, of course, Suzi. Mattie and Dad are both gardeners, as is my Mom, so I come by it honestly. You can see a corner of one of the front yard azaleas. I am always surprised, no matter how many times I notice, there are fewer fences in KY than in CA. Robert Frost and his "good fences make good neighbors" would not go far in KY....
Family visits HAVE to end with picture taking in the front yard.
Well, time to fly back to CA....other adventures ahead. My brother the ham....my suitcase is not THAT heavy, although I will admit to shipping a box of fabric home.... Travel to CA. Home to my own bed and my own kitties.

Marion, KY-Amish Farms and Flowers

2009-04-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

After the quilt show was over Richard drove me to Murray, KY, one hour to the south-east to spend some time with my Dad, Bill and his wife, Mattie. They had arranged to get the directions to Marion KY, the nearest Amish community and we had a field trip to the country. I so enjoyed the quiet spaces and beautiful vistas of green fields and native flowers. We drove for about 2 hours out east and followed some small windy roads and found Amish greenhouses, some gorgeous petunias, Amish cheese from Ohio, peach jam and picturesque laundry flapping in the breeze.
With permission I took photos of the buggy that is so indicative of the Amish lifestyle. Relected in the windshield, see the house on the hill and the beautiful green that was all around us. One of the gentlemen who ran a greenhouse on his farm, allowed me to traipse across his back lawn to put my camera into a peony, one of my all time favorite flowers...they say there is a peony that I could grow in OC, but not like these...
I am not sure what flower the bee has found, perhaps a rhododendron?

Give me a peony every time!

Fabric That Looks Like You?

2009-04-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do think that this fabric looks like me....cheery and could be the curtains in my studio or the back ground for my next art quilt? You think? Found it at Hancock's.

While wandering around downtown, I happened upon this lovely flower....not one I recognize from CA. Is it a cousin to a hydranga? I am flower struck in spring.

Richard, my little brother, resident of Paduah for 30+ years, a great cook and a great eater, knows all of the best places to go! When he first moved to Paducah he had to cajole my mom into shipping him tortillas and refried beans, because there were NO Mexican restaurants or supplies at the Piggly Wiggly...I kid you not. Now, however, there are lots! Artisan Kitchen, while not south-of-the- border, does offer gourmet meals to go AND, now this is the best....excellent desserts including snickerdoodle cheese cake and others that sounded even more decadent! You must arrive before 6pm and you cannot take a slice out of a whole cheesecake, but there are usually 5 or 6 to choose from! Too good to miss.
That is one of the owners in the foreground...pointing out some specialities!
And if you should need some exercise, just wander through the downtown. Here is the facade of the Market House Theater. This building was originally the destination of farmers come to market, close to the Ohio river and side doors that opened to the drays full of produce. Now home to an excellent community theater, it is oftne the center of attention in the uptown area. See their web site at http://www.mhtplay.com/

Or stop in at Allen Music where all of the locals get their gig needs met...I bought a tee shirt and a polishing cloth for my ukulele....

Hancocks Fabric

2009-04-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Richard suggested that since I arrived 2 days before the quilt show started that I might want to go to Hancock's Fabric before the rush....good advice!Have you been to Hancocks? It is warehouse size, but nicely organized and there are lots of nice salespeople to help find just what you need! This is just the front of the store. There is a huge back room with flat fold and sale items.I, of course found fabric I could not live without....some Dia del los Muertos and skulls and some Wizard of Oz too.

On Wednesday night I tagged along to a rehearsal of the band my brother plays with, Uninvited Guests. They practice at one of the band members homes, a farm not far outside of town. There was a gorgeous, huge crabapple tree there, which, happily survived the terrible winter ice storm that hit this area.

The band is as follows...Sherman on the guitar...that's him in the upper left in the photo below. Liz plays dobro and is in the lower left. Greg is the bass player, playing stand-up or bass guitar and the one hiding is Richard, my "little" brother.
Here is Liz with her Dobro....lap played instrument.
Richard plays lead guitar, fiddle and mandolin, writes songs and sings. He is a very talented guy if I do say so myself.

Cut Loose Quilters-Round Robin Book

2009-04-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

In November of 2007, Jamie Fingal, quilt artist, the leader/host/instigator of the Cut Loose Quilters (CLQ) of Orange, CA http://cut-loose-quilters.blogspot.com/suggested that the CLQ do a Round Robin Book. She showed us a sample, suggested that we each choose our own theme and then each of us would do the back and front cover, inside and outside of our book and then pass the book to each artist who was participating for 2 pages and then pass-it-on! WHEW! She very kindly provided a printed roster with names, addresses and birthdates which promptly got buried on my desk, but we started in December 2007. Jamie and Stacy created the cardboard, ring bound blank books, and filled them with blank pages for us to use. It took us all of 2008, some finished on time, some are still working, but I wanted to share my book, with other-artist/friends pages here. Here is the front cover....the theme "What If"

Joanell got my book first. Here is one of her pages...what if, as you see here. Joanell's work can be seen at http://www.joanell.com/

Next came Cindy...a cat person/artist! Cindy's work can be seen at http://www.cindycooksey.com/

Ann's turn. Ann is an artist, special ed teacher and a quilt appraiser among her many talents. Her "what if" is reminiscent of The Beatles....Ann is also the founder of Fiber Arts Connection of Southern California...see the website here http://www.fiberartsconnsocal.org/

Next was Julie...a very creative lady with a bit of the Pacific in her....I love the cool edging here. See one of her art quilts here. http://www.quiltsonthewall.com/quiltArtists/schlueterNew02.html

Then there is Jamie's page, a wonderful garden singing in the rain. Jamie's work can be seen at http://www.jamiefingal.com/Then Stacy who grew contemplative about God and Nature. See Stacy's work at http://corvus93.blogspot.com/Terry is a junior high English teacher who brings a high level of creativity to her teaching and of course her beautiful quilts. Her work is at http://www.terrywaldron.com/Here is the outside back cover, mine. I kidnapped the elephant, having found him on a thrift store treasure. My photos don't do justice to the great colors and creative expression included in the book, but you get the idea! I can't wait to do another one! What do you think CLQ's?

Easter with Becky and Family

2009-04-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous day, the Easter Bunny arrived early and there were about a million eggs to be hunted and found, and fortunately nobody mowed the lawn! Devon was the ersatz Easter Bunny. Check out those very cool aqua jeans. Pippi and Jack got off to a twisted start...that was Devon's doing. Five times around, eyes closed, then Go Fot It! There were eggs in the trees, in the "jungle"(my friend Becky's/Grammie's flower garden), under and in the patio furniture and EVERYWHERE! The Easter Bunny even brought me one! It was pink! There were several bunnies in attendance. Here is one that Pippi made at school.There were, of course, PEEPS! Oh yes, a bunny cake too.
Wendy/Mom and Pippi found princesses in Pippi's eggs and Jack found Stitch! That's Auntie Chris in the background, lots of photo opps on a sunny CA Easter Sun-day.
Somehow I missed getting photos of Uncle Ceaser snoozing on the chaise, Chris playing Hillbilly Golf, great fun by the way, and the wild bunny who hopped across the patio and into the "jungle" while we were enjoying Impossible Pie and Mimosas! Yes of course he was real....he wasn't even pink! Grammie Becky was the instigator, no photos unfortunately, but parties at Becky's are ALWAYS fun! Thanks Becky, now you can rest those sore feet again.

The May Festival

2009-04-10T12:14:00.001-07:00

I was reading a local history website http://www.octhen.com/ and was reminded about the May Festival and Parade that used to happen every spring in Orange, CA.

I grew up in Orange/Santa Ana and always went to the May Festival and parade.
In fact, as a member of the first graduating class of El Modena High School, I cajoled my peers into creating a "float", (really a flat bed truck that we decorated with posters and crepe paper) promoting our 20 year reunion in the very last May Festival Parade, 1988. It was great fun.

I believe the first time I was in that parade was while I was a songleader at McPherson Junior High. We were the "Celtics" then and wore red plaid skirts to prove it!

The parade started on east Chapman and went around the Plaza and south on Glassell to Hart Park, if memory serves. The bands all assembled in Hart Park to receive their parade awards. There were lots of booths, low-key carnival games, and a ferris wheel. The whole thing was organized by the Jay Cees (Junior Chamber of Commerce)...too bad parades are so expensive! Spring is the perfect time for one!

Gardeners' Delight!

2009-04-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

It rained here last night and all of us who are gardeners say "Thank you!"

The Sweet Peas are blooming, the more I pick the more show up!
The Pink Jasmine is very fragrant, and the roses are too.

The Orange Women's Club flower show is coming up on Thursday, the 16th of April, Noon - 5pm.

It is open to any gardener and is a lovely old fashioned show. No entry fee for community gardeners of all ages and lots of gorgeous flowers to see.

This show has been going on for 72 years! The theme this year is "Garden Treasures."

The entries are judged by a professional judge. There is a plant sale, a Garden Cafe for lunch or snacks, a baked goods table and lots of prizes and opportunity drawings. Before or after lunch, you can join a guided History Walk through Orange. 10:30am or 1pm, suggested donation, $5.00.

Ribbons are awarded and there are MANY categories to enter, including special ones for junior gardeners, for those kids who are just learning the joy of growing green things.

You can chose your bloooms/category and just show up the morning of the 16th in Old Towne Orange at the Women's Club which is at 121 S. Center St. Orange, CA 92866,
near the corner of Center and Chapman Ave, across from the "new" library! You can pick up an entry form showing all of the categories at that very same library. You can find their website at http://www.wcorange.org/

On the 16th the ribbons are awarded at a ceremony at 5:30or 6pm, and small prizes given. They draw the opportunity tickets, with all proceeds benefiting the Women's Club programs and charities.

The best part is that this show harkens back to what I imagine the garden shows of the 30s or 40s were like, and a gentle sort of hometown feeling....common in Old Towne Orange and searched for and enjoyed by many! I have particpated several years and always enjoy the blooms, the plant sale, the homemade cookies, and the step back in time!

Survived April Fool's Day

2009-04-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Whew! No creepy tricks, no pranks...Yes, I do have a sense of humor, but I HATE April Fools

Day! No sugar in the salt shaker or vice versa, no phone calls that tell me that I owe the IRS, no blue food coloring in the shampoo....whew!

April will bring an office move and a trip to Kentucky...best get started. Boxes and a suitcase to pack!

Yes, I am one lucky lady. A quilter whose only brother lives in the very city that is home to AQS National Quilt Museum. The show will be fun I am sure. Lots of photo opps there, being very careful to avoid copyright infringement.

This will be an opportunity to hear my brother play music too. Richard plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle and just bought a stand-up bass...that is next on his list to learn! He is also a talented actor.

The Market House Theater, in Paducah, does some nice shows. He was last seen (and heard) in

A Sanders Family Christmas. He played the musical patriarch, quite fitting as all three of his sons are also performers of one sort or another. I am looking forward to hearing him and friends play some bluegrass, jazz, etc!

Jerome Park CommUnity Garden

2009-03-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

What a perfect day to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Jerome Park Community Garden! Sun shining, music and children playing and families enjoying the park.

The Grain Project used this site as a Pilot Project for the City of Santa Ana. Successful?

You be the judge!

Community volunteers help clear the land, prepare the soil, plant and reap the harvest of the garden. They had to till under the winter plants to make room for the spring crops. Even the tiniest gardeners had a job to do. What did they plant? I think those are peppers!

The verbena below was last season, but look beautiful.

Now where are those shovels and the wheelbarrow? Let's get dirty!

Tea for Five at Diane and Steve's Farm in Valley Center, CA

2009-03-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Diane must have cooked all day because the kitchen was full of goodies when I got to the house after winding my way along Lilac Road to the hilly mud-free path/road to enjoy this delightful gathering. Saw California Poppies along the way, enjoyed the enforced slow-down of a dirt road. Every one should get to slow down in such a pleasant environment.

Diane had home-made scones, and lots of tea choices.

Elaine, Diane' s irrepressible sister and Diane's daughter, just as enthusiastic, were "helping".

Elaine has just the right touch, don't you think?

Diane and her daughter had arranged flowers for the table and every little corner, so even at the tea table it was like being in a garden. The Dutch cow cannot resist the lavender and mint combination and neither could I!Sue got away before we grabbed the camera , but here are Elaine, Diane and Cecelia sharing the friendship that created this lovely group of self-proclaimed "Tea Bags."

Diane and Steve's is truly a working farm. Just ask Diane about the water shortage and how short showers have to be so the goats and crops have enough water. Here is a batch of just collected eggs from their geese, hens and assorted fowl. Yes, that is DIRT!

Diane even planned a project for us and had "whipped up" in her "spare time" tea cozies for us to decorate. Here are the fun things we got to play with.

And a good time was had by all....tea anyone?

You can tell it's Spring the wildflowers have arrived!

2009-03-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

We took a walk in Tin Mine Canyon to see the wildflowers!

Tin Mine Canyon is on the south side of the 91, exit Lincoln and meander back behind the newest Corona housing develpments....unfortunately!

We walked about 2 miles up the canyon over paths that were bumpy with large gravel, but fairly easy to hike.

We saw a lot of wildflowers including Miner's Lettuce, Milk Maids (green and white) and Rattlesnake Spurge with the teeeeeniest flowers I have ever seen(white against rocks).

We also saw stinging lupines, named for the prickly hairs that you can see on the stems and leaves (left).
On the way and when returning we saw lots of poppies and a hillside covered in purple...Chino Hills.

Gorgeous! Go wildflowering while you can...
Tennyson's poem says "Once in a golden moment I cast to earth a seed, up there came a flower, the people said a weed."

A wildflower, not a weed!

Happy National Quilters Day

2009-03-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! We saw many beautiful quilts, had mimosas and a great lunch, and are all set to take on a new project to bring next year on the third Saturday of March.

Claudia Redfern is our brave yearly hostess, and she lives in a beautiful home on the hillside in Laguna Beach.

Each year, quilters arrive from south, north, and east (not west... that would be the ocean!) to share what we have done since the last time we were all together. Elli Rapp arrived from Oregon this year, having missed last year's gathering due to snow...this year it was only raining! She won the prize for coming the greatest distance.
Pat and Dionne came from San Diego and the rest of us were OC/LA close.

Each year we have Show and Tell.

I got to announce that the quilt that Jamie Fingal, Anne Copeland and I made called Tres Latinas Artistas was sold in a gallery in Orange, CA. THAT is a lot to live up to!

Each year we choose one or two or three projects to do for next year....some will be doing garden ladies from Gwen and Freddies's newest book, Collaborative Quilts. Some of us will do an applique quilt of Christmas socks...not stockings, and some will do black and white four patches. Then next year we swap!

Let's get started!

Synchronicity?

2009-03-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

So, I was drivng to work, sort of listening to the radio, and the moment I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the word Dodge on the front of the old, red truck behind me, the voice on the radio said "Dodge"....very weird, and it happens all the time....I just figure that I am in the right place doing the right thing and this is just the the universe telling me so...

Does this ever happen to you? Is it syn·chro·nic·i·ty ?
(sĭng'krə-nĭs'ĭ-tē, sĭn'-) Pronunciation Key n. pl. syn·chro·nic·i·ties
The state or fact of being synchronous or simultaneous; synchronism.
Coincidence of events that seem to be meaningfully related, conceived in Jungian theory as an explanatory principle on the same order as causality.

Ok, ok I had no idea it was Jungian!

So what?

2009-03-18T12:11:00.001-07:00

Orange County Quilters Guild Opportunity Quilt!

Look at this luscious quilt! Designed and made by Juanita Swarts and Lorraine Voorhees and quilted by Jane Ann Monroe it illustrates our theme perfectly. Orange County Quilters Guild is selling tickets to win this gorgeous art quilt! Soon it will show on their website, but here is a preview. The money raised is used for workshops and more at the Guild."Quilts-Our Global Language" will be at CSU, Fullerton, September 26 & 27, 2009. I am the crazy woman who is the Quilt Show Chair! Can't wait to see the lovely quilts that we will hang!

Hello Blog Land!

2009-03-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now I have a blog.....now what?
First let me introduce my self....
Self described art quilter, poet, cat lover, gardener and owner of a new Scion...hmm
What else?
Favorite Color: Periwinkle, closely followed by red
Favorite Band of All Time: The Cream...da da da da DA DA doo doo doo doo (you know... Sunshine of your Love)
What I thought I would be when I grew up? Rich and Famous...ha!
What I love to do besides read and make art? Play tennis, eat good Mexican food and dance.
Ok enough of me
Here is a poem.

The Secret Language of Snow
Do you know snow?
It whispers down like a baby's sigh, like a brush of hummingbird feathers, like a fling of twinkles.

It shouts down like the rush of a linebacker, like the struggle of the earth to move, like the ageless gift of fire.

It tickles down like an eyelash wink, like a tip-toe of lace, like a wave of the flag, or the dust of the forest.

The secret language of snow. Do you know snow?

More Later