winnowings

Raindrops falling on my face

2012-01-23T04:09:00.000-08:00

It’s around 4:00 in the morning. I am awake. I awoke because I felt a drip on my face. I was puzzled. I felt another drop. I touched my pillow and it was damp. What the??? I got out of bed and turned on the light and saw water standing on my bedside cupboard. Oh.

There is a stream of water pouring through the ceiling.

I grabbed towels and spread them around on the cupboard, on my bed, on the floor. I put a dishpan on the cupboard. It is filling up fast.

I’m going to be up the rest of the night emptying the pan. It fills up about an inch every 10 minutes. As long as I’m up I might as well blog.

I hired some fellows last week to clean out the gutters and weather-strip the doors. I thought I was prepared for this storm. Darn. I’ll have to wait until 8:00 a.m. to call them and probably call a roofer.

Update 10:40 a.m.

The leak has stopped! My old friend, Tom Knorr, came to the house right after I called him this morning. He climbed up to the roof through a skylight. He found standing water (see my post from 2009 here). He took apart the drain coverings and the water rushed out the drain pipes. It was a waterfall. Within a half hour the drip in my bedroom stopped.

Tom and I used to work together at the island levee district. I am sure glad he was willing to come and help me out. There is more work to be done up on the roof, so he will come back and figure things out when it’s dry. Right now I have lots of towels in the dryer.

Helping with the balance of trade

2012-01-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

There was gloomy news about the United States’ trade balance for last year. “Commerce Department data showed that the trade gap was $47.8 billion in November, exceeding analysts’ forecast of a $45 billion deficit,” according to the New York Times business page.

Well, I’m working very hard trying to reverse the trend. This January I’ve had more sales outside of the U.S. than usual. Last week I shipped patterns to: Kathleen in Kensington, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Juan Carlos in Barcelona, Spain; Janet in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada; Michelle in Arris, Ontario, Canada; and Beverley in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.

It’s fun to think of my quilt patterns in their big yellow envelopes going to quilters all over the world.

Waiting for my muse

2012-01-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

This new year is off to a slow start. I keep thinking, “Any minute now I’m going to get inspired and get busy.” I’ve just been mucking around and I don’t have much to blog about. I’ve been reading. I read my old journals from 1979 through 1999.

Talk about a story with no plot! I have a complete log of the weather, details of house cleaning, gardening, and good meals that Robert cooked. There were some highlights, of course, but they are not for publication. If my children ever read them they might be surprised. The journals start with our arrival on the island and starting the Bethel Island Beacon weekly newspaper. They skip six years (because you don’t need a journal when you have a newspaper) and start up again in 1990 when we sold the newspaper and opened our bookstore, the Island Book Galley. After that, they cover my years at the island levee district and my excitement discovering quilting – page after page after page about quilting. They stop abruptly in March, 1999. It was really strange to read the journals all in one sitting.

I’ve also read some books: Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton, Threadbare by Monica Ferris, Alpine Vengeance and Alpine Winter by Mary Daheim, The Table Comes First by Adam Gopnik. I’m reading The Obamas by Jodi Kantor right now (about 1/3 of the way through and nothing exciting so far).

I’ve cooked some delicious things.

And I’m finally binding the little quilt pad. My daughter-in-law Toni quilted the hearts way back in October. I’m feeling a little guilty.

White Christmas morning

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Frosty morning, December 25, 2011

Awwww

2011-12-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

This picture is from the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Maryland’s blog. Go to their main site: here and make a donation for providing such a cute photo. Or you could contribute to your local dog rescue organization. I couldn’t resist.

Good work

2011-12-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Tyson, the Sears’ Blue Crew man, arrived in the early morning tule fog to fix my range. I was really glad to see him. I told him I wanted to take a photo and he said, “Just a minute.” He ducked back into his truck. When he appeared again I asked him if he had stopped to comb his hair. He laughed.

He installed the new number pad connection for the stove and it is working again.

Today I baked cookies (California Gold Bricks) and made a chicken casserole for dinner. Ahhhhh.

Here is a close up of Tyson so you can see his hair style.

Mike from AT&T was here last evening and he was nice and efficient checking my new U-verse internet connection. I forgot to take a photo of him.

I really like tech guys. Now my life can get back to normal.

Packages arriving

2011-12-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Brown cardboard boxes are sitting by my little Christmas tree. However, these boxes are not presents. They will be opened before the 25th of December. Actually, technicians are going to rip open the cartons. The long box is the new number pad for my Jenn-Air range and the Sears’ guy will use it to fix my oven tomorrow. The flat box is a modem and other stuff for a new internet connection.

If this is blog post goes up on December 15th, that will mean the AT&T technician was here and hooked up my computer to U-verse. I’ve been without an internet connection for several days. I used my computer early Tuesday morning to get my e-mail, check for pattern orders, check my bank statement, and visit a few of my favorite blogs. When I went to get online again after 8:00 am, the connection was gone. I called AT&T and went through the endless circle about checking the connections, re-booting my modem, and re-booting my computer. I did this three times. Nothing happened.
I was finally directed to a technical person and he had me do it for the 4th time. He said, “It appears that your DSL is not working.”

“Duh,” I said. “Please reconnect it.”

“I am sorry, ma’am I cannot do that,” he said.

“Why was it disconnected?” I asked (I knew my bill was paid up to date).

He had no idea.

I signed up for U-verse internet-only service because it is less expensive than my current DSL rate. The company assured me it would be a smooth transition. They would continue the DSL until Thursday, December 15 and then switch it to U-verse at 8:00 pm. The new modem and all the various gizmos were to be installed at that time.

It felt like deja vu all over again.

In November and December of 2010 I went though a similar irritating scenario. See these links: here and here.

I do hope I will be going online and baking a new loaf of bread tomorrow.

Down to my last crust of bread

2011-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

After the Sears’ repairman left the house this morning, I made breakfast using my last crust of bread. I won’t be able to bake a loaf of bread or anything else for 10 days. The number key pad for setting the oven temperature has gone kablooey.

The number pad started acting up a while ago – right around the time we changed from daylight savings time to regular time. When I went to set the clock back, some of the numbers didn’t come up on the screen. The number 1 still worked, so I waited until it was exactly 11:11 am and then set the clock. It’s been going fine. Then, I noticed I couldn’t set certain oven temperatures. I read the manual and found that I could use “auto-set” by pressing “bake” and going up by 25-degree increments. That worked for a while. But this week the oven began turning off in the midst of baking for no reason at all. The last loaf of bread I baked the oven turned off 12 times. I sat right beside the range and every time it went off I reset the temperature. When I took the bread out of the oven, a warning beep started. An error code keep scrolling across the screen, followed by an 800 number. This went on for over an hour. I keep hitting “cancel” to no avail.

I had a Sears’ warranty so I called for a “Blue Crew” person. His name was Tyson and he came at 8:00 this morning. His diagnosis was that the number key pad was not functioning so he ordered a replacement. The pad costs $381.26 and it will be here on December 16. In the meantime, I need lots of good stovetop recipes.

Thanks is good for you

2011-11-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

The New York Times ran an article on the health and well-being benefits of gratitude -- A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day. See this link.
“Cultivating an ‘attitude of gratitude’ has been linked to better health, sounder sleep less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners.”
I had a lovely day yesterday. My neighbor, Mary, and I shared Thanksgiving. She brought white turkey meat and I roasted a turkey thigh (she doesn't like dark meat and I love it). I cooked dressing, mashed potatoes, and peas; and she brought gravy and cranberry sauce. The meal together was just what we both wanted so we didn’t have to get on the road and travel any distance.

I am grateful and I feel very healthy after a good night’s sleep.

Templates & Piecing 101 -- tutorial

2011-11-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

I received an e-mail from a disappointed customer yesterday. She said, “I decided to try the pattern. It doesn’t work. I went to a friend’s for help – she does paper piecing all the time. She couldn’t figure it out either. I made the separate pieces ... When I sewed A & B & C together it doesn’t come out like a boot.”

Oh dear. The pattern in question is called Dancing Boots. It is template pieced, not paper foundation pieced. There isn’t much information on the internet about making quilt templates and basic piecing. (I do have my Quick Stick & Rotary Cut up on the web.) But there isn't much that’s easy to find. I thought I’d better make a boot and take step-by-step photos. It’s pretty basic stuff and you can skip it if you are an experienced quilter.

Templates are found in quilting magazines, books, or packaged patterns. They are usually black and white drawings with two lines around the edges – one the sewing line, the other the cutting line. Make copies of the templates you need (keep the originals in a safe place). Rough cut around your copied templates. You will use them to cut out your fabric patches for quilting. Here are my paper templates arranged on some fabric ready to cut the patches. (You can click on any of the photos to see more detail.)

The paper templates are stuck onto the fabric with sticky tape on the non-printed side. I use rolled pieces of transparent tape, but you could use double sided sticky tape. Put the tape pieces in the corners and here and there along the sides.

Line up your see-through ruler along the outside cutting line (on a self-healing cutting surface). Use your rotary cutter to cut on this line.

When all your templates are cut, keep the paper stuck to them until you arrange them for sewing (following the piecing diagram). It is sometimes hard to tell one fabric patch from another similar one unless you have a guideline.

Pull off the paper templates and arrange the fabric patches in the order you are going to sew them together.

Sew the first two logical fabric patches together on your machine using a ¼ inch seam. For the Dancing Boot "standing boot" sew patch C to patch B. Press the seam to one side after sewing. Press all your seams as you go.

Sew your combined C and B to patch D. This begins the leg portion of the boot. Press seam.

Sew patch A to E.

Sew the two boot leg strips together. Press the seam.

Sew patches G and F to the two top corners of the boot leg strip. Press seams.

Sew patch H across the top of the boot leg assembly. Press seam.

Sew patch J to I to assemble the toe section of the boot. Press seam.

Sew the leg section to the toe section to finish the block. Press all seams to flatten the block. The complete block should be 9 ½ inches by 9 ½ inches because there are ¼ inch seam allowances all around the sides. The finished block will be 9 inches when it is sewn into a quilt.

I had such a good time making the standing boot (it was years ago I made the first ones for a quilt) that I sewed up a kicking boot. The kicking boot is a little harder to put together than the standing one. Now I have two boots in red and green for Christmas.

A Hobbit birthday

2011-11-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

roses f rom Robbie

I like the tradition of Hobbits giving presents to others on their birthdays. My day worked out like that yesterday. I listed my Vintage Singer 101 sewing machine on my local FreeCycle on Tuesday. Twenty people e-mailed responses. It was hard figuring out which one to pick. Yesterday, a nice woman came to get the heavy machine. She brought her 20-year-old son to help carry the cabinet downstairs and out to her SUV. She has a modern machine at home so we had a short lesson on how to operate an old Singer. She told me that her grandmother has made quilts. I showed her how the free-motion foot worked as well as the regular foot. I gave her the cola tin too. She really liked the knee-lever.

FreeCycle is such a good organization. Check it out here. There is probably one in your area. This past month I’ve given away chicken wire and old rabbit ears antenna and converter box. I found an announcement on FreeCycle about a nearby e-waste event so I was able to take my old TV to that instead of the dump. Today, a teacher is coming to my house to pick up a box of yarn for class projects. She asked for yarn on FreeCycle and I responded.

Fall, at last

2011-11-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Two leaves from the mulberry tree fell on my new walkway this week. So it must be fall.

To celebrate the occasion I reached back to a 4-inch paper pieced maple leaf block from 2009.

If you get busy today you could make a lot of these blocks for a Thanksgiving table runner.

Click on the small graphic below for full sized foundations for the leaf. Print them out for your personal use.

This looks beautiful (to me)

2011-11-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

It may not look beautiful to you, but it means I’ll be snug as a bug in a rug this winter. This is the new insulation under my house. It went in yesterday and tonight my feet are warm. I’m fortunate to have two thoughtful sons. My youngest son and his boys brought the rigid insulation boards and did some preliminary work at the end of October (click here). It was pretty complicated work going around all the ducting and pipes under the house so we decided a carpenter was necessary for the job.

My older son, Rob (click here) had a job assignment near my home this week. He has a good friend, Richard, in the area who is a skilled carpenter. Rob had him come out to my house and look at the work to be done. Richard arrived early yesterday morning and worked until after dark to put up the insulation. I am so pleased. Rob cleaned up the debris under the house last night. I took a photo, but you’ll have to look very hard to see him under there.

I am a lucky mom.

Plum simple

2011-11-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

My neighbor Mary brought me six plums from the farmers’ market where she works. I decided to try making jam. It turned out to be good and simple.

Here’s my recipe:

6 plums
1 cup of sugar
1/3 lemon (juice)
1/8 cup water
Cut up the plums (take out the pits) and put them in a stainless steel pot. Dump in a cup of sugar. Turn up the heat and start stirring. I added 1/8 cup of water to get the juices juicing.

I cut off 1/3 of a lemon and squeezed the juice into the pot. (I don’t know why, but a recipe I saw said to add lemon juice.) I used a whisk to break up the mixture as it heated.

As it was boiling I used a wooden spoon. I turned the heat down to a simmer.

I let the pot simmer for at least 25 minutes. I tested the mixture by taking out a spoonful every so often. When it started to look like jam (slipping off the spoon in one glob, not little drips) I cooked and stirred some more until I thought it was done. I let it cool in the pot for a little while and then I put it in a glass bowl.

I covered the bowl with cling wrap and stored it in the refrigerator. I’ll eat it up in a week or so. I will not keep it much longer than that.

I don’t watch much TV
I’ve always said that I don’t watch much TV, but when my big old, bulky Phillips set went dead Monday night I was very unhappy. I have favorite programs: Antiques Roadshow, This Old House, Charlie Rose, The Good Wife, and my local nightly news. Ha. I am an addict. I guess I’ll have to admit it.

I rushed out Tuesday morning to buy a small flat-screen. There was a 19-inch advertised for $159 so I went to Radio Shack. The 19-inch looked very small. A 22-inch next to it seemed better. “How much?” I asked, and found out it was on sale for $149.

It was really simple to set up. I don’t have cable because I can get many stations just out of the air with rabbit ears. Why would I want to pay for TV that comes free?

I used FreeCycle to advertise the old TV and the rabbit ears and the converter box and the two remotes. Within a couple of hours the little stuff was picked up. However, no one wants an old TV so I’ll have to take it to the hazardous waste dump about 20 miles away.

Fall – on the farm and at home

2011-10-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

Our little St. Alban’s Episcopal church held a big annual fund raiser called Fall on the Farm in October. The congregation is small but the event attracted lots of visitors from all over the east county area.

Friends greeted friends.

The cakewalk was a very popular attraction.

My friend Sidney did a good job of guarding the cakes.

The silent auction was a big success because the offerings were really nice. We sat a long tables and enjoyed a delicious dinner too.

Back on the homefront I was preparing for winter with the help of my son and his boys. They arrived full of enthusiasm to insulate the underside of my house.

Davis went to Home Depot and bought enough rigid foam insulation sheets to cover the area. He had store cut them in half so they would all fit in his SUV. They are bulky so he had to make two trips. The family crew worked pretty hard trimming and placing a couple of the sheets. They stacked them up and we all decided to find a skilled carpenter to complete the job.

My trip to PIQF 2011

2011-10-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

I rode in style to the Pacific International Quilt Festival at the Santa Clara Convention Center last Friday.

My local quilt store, Queen B’s Quilt Shop in Antioch, chartered a big bus to take 56 of us there.

The upholstery in the bus was interesting – not the usual industrial blue-gray.

Del Thomas came up from Southern California for the Festival. I had hoped to meet her there, but she attended on Thursday and Saturday. We were ships passing in the night (really daytime). She took really good pictures of several of the quilts I liked best. So, go to Del’s Blog and see them. It was funny, we didn’t have any communication about the quilts and yet when I looked at her blog she had picked the same ones I had taken pictures of. Her photos are much better than mine.

I’ll just show three quilts that caught my eye. One was funny, another was puzzling, and the third one was special to me.

Linda Laird’s quilt made me laugh out loud. It’s called “My Mom Wasn’t Much of a Cook.” She is from San Diego, CA.

The sign said:

“Many people have fond memories of their mother’s home-cooking. Well, what if your mother wasn’t much of a cook? Not poisonous or revolting meals, just not very daring or imaginative. This piece uses photos from 1950s – 1960s women’s magazines to show the “alternatives” available to mothers who didn’t quite measure up to the culinary ideals of the times.”
The sayings were fun to read. Click on the photo below to see them larger.

The puzzling quilt was called “My Hard Life” by Felicia Horowitz.

It was an ambitious piece. I kept looking at the gauzy bra-like thing and wondering what it was doing there. I called my cousin Sylvia over to see it. I said, “I wonder if it was put on to cover something.” Sylvia looked closely. We couldn’t touch the quilt. It was sewn on, but not with the tiny stitches that were used all over the rest of the quilt.

I searched for a white-glove lady and had her come over and show me the back of the quilt. Sure enough the stitches holding the gauzy stuff were much larger and did not seem to be part of the original concept. I guess I’ll never know exactly what the intention was.

The third quilt is really lovely. It was made by Tanya Brown and is called “Siesta.”

You really should click on the close-up photo to see the stitches. Amazing.

My quilting daughter-in-law, Toni, lives in San Jose and she had gone to the Festival on the opening day – Thursday. Toni planned to go Friday too because you really can’t take in such a large show in one day. Our quilting cousin, Sylvia, drove down from Oakland. Toni brought her friend Carol and we all toured around together.

Flashback Friday – Playing your cards right

2011-10-07T00:18:00.000-07:00

Davis Romine

I’ve been watching Prohibition, a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns, on PBS. It is a fascinating look at U.S. history.

I was reminded of story my father, Davis Romine, told. He was a young man on a train going home to South Bend, Indiana sometime in the late 1920s. A fellow walked down the isle in the coach car and spotted him. He leaned over and asked Davis if he played cards. Davis nodded yes, but said nothing.

The fellow came back through the car a bit later and told Davis to get up and follow him. Davis did not want to go with this tough looking guy. The fellow said, "My boss wants for you to play cards." He was menacing and Davis was sort of scared. He followed the fellow to a private room and was told to sit down and play cards.

Al Capone's mug shot

The guy in the room was Al Capone. My father was nervous but he played. He did not win. He was glad to get off the train in South Bend.

Good job

2011-10-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

We're here to put a dent in the universe.

Steve Jobs, entrepreneur and inventor (1955-2011)

Just across the isle

2011-10-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

When I entered church this morning I was surprised to see an orange cat walking up the center isle toward me. Then I remembered that today was the Feast of St. Francis. I learned that the cat was named Martha and she has been coming to church on St. Francis’s feast day for many, many years. Someone told me she is 14 years old. Martha sat several places in the church. She did not stay with her owners, but wandered around greeting people. However, she stayed still and attentive during the sermon.

I made a little YouTube video. You can see it if you click on the picture.

Soft Star Trek baby book

2011-09-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

A blogger named Julie has made a super little soft baby book about Star Trek. Click on the picture above to go to her blog and enjoy this clever thing.
My grandson, Victor, sent me to the site. Thanks.

Going to work

2011-09-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

I’m practicing with my new 301 darning (free motion) foot. By Jove, I think it’s going to work.

Waiting for the bus

2011-09-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

The old refrigerator photo is by Mike Manning from Wikimedia Commons

This afternoon, I’m looking at the sky above my house and waiting for the bus, or possibly the refrigerator.

If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, you will know where at least one of the 26 large pieces of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) spacecraft landed.

Victor's videos

2011-09-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my grandson Victor went to my local quilt store with me and set up video equipment to film some “atmosphere” sequences. Victor came to my place to help me with a short video about quilting templates. We wanted the quilt store clips for color and eye candy to enliven the video which will have a lot of footage of work done on a green cutting mat that could be pretty dull.

He did some filming in different parts of Queen B’s Quilt Shop – one with me sorting through bolts of fabric.

I was so pleased that he was willing to take on the project. He studies video at Campolindo high school and has directed and edited several videos (available on YouTube under SuperThresh).

When he reviewed my script at home he could barely keep his yawns suppressed. He made several suggestions about parts of the script to give them a bit more life. After several hours I realized that it really was boring. I had to admit it. One segment of the script was based on my Quick Stick & Rotary Cut web page. That part had a lot more action in it. Victor was gentle with his criticism. So, we are going to meet again and film the “exciting” part.

I totally trust him to do a great job with the filming and editing because I’ve seen his work and been impressed. The latest video project is called A Life Deferred. It is about the challenges faced by upward-bound students who trade off time having fun to concentrate on their studies. You can click on the picture below to watch it.

Victor was a darling little boy and now, at 16, he is a fine young man. I am very proud of him.

He won an award this year from the Orinda Arts Council’s Annual Lamorinda Acalanes Union Film Festival.

He's down in front

An old new tool

2011-09-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

I like to safety pin baste my quilts for hand-quilting. It was always hard on my fingers. A few years ago I found some small (7/8 inch) brass pins which were much more flexible than my old nickel-plated safety pins. Keeping the sandwich flat and smooth while pinning was still a challenge. The other day I discovered a “new” tool to help me close the pins without distorting the layers.

I slipped an old knitting needle under the sharp arm of the pin. It closed easily when I pressed down. I was delighted. Perhaps many of you have been using a knitting needle for years, but if you haven’t tried it you might enjoy it.

When I said I “found” some small brass safety pins it was true. I attended a workshop at St. Mary’s College several years ago. There were lots of classes given by quilting mavens in various classrooms. When I entered a classroom and sat down at a table I saw at least 50 little bass pins scattered on the carpeted floor near my spot. “Whose pins are these?” I asked. No one had any idea. The previous class in the room had been taught by Sally Collins. (I knew she was an advocate of small brass pins for basting.) While everyone was getting set up at their tables I crawled around on the floor (even under nearby tables) and picked up every one of the little safety pins and put them in a plastic bag. Lucky me.

You would think this little “quiltlet” I’m working on is a monumental project, but it’s just a small baby changing mat. I hope it gets finished before Emerson is out of diapers. I planned to free-motion nice rounded hearts on it. After it was pin basted I did some practice hearts on a small sample sandwich. But although I began to feel confident in my ability with the curved shapes there were sudden glitches and skipped stitches. I finally figured out that my old Singer 101 was shorting out so I could not use it.

I’ve ordered a new darning foot for another machine I have tucked away in the closet. The newly designated free motion machine is an old Singer301A. I could not use the foot I had on the 101 because the 301A is a slant stitch machine. I located a new foot at April’s 1930's Sewing Shop on eBay. Now I am waiting with bated breath for it to arrive.

September 11, 2011

2011-09-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
An impossible goal?

Then we have:
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
The Presbyterian's have it easier. It's only money.

I opened the door

2011-09-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Once a month, the cleaning ladies come to take over my house for an hour. I have to hide from them so I don’t get in their way. They move fast and efficiently. Today, I hid out in my sewing room. I thought I’d just read a book in there. However, I patted some fabric. It felt good. I have not been in that room for a couple of months.

There is a new baby in the family named Emerson. She is Virginia’s new granddaughter.

There is pink fabric neatly folded on my cutting table in the sewing room. And there is the unfinished hearts flimsy on my ironing board. That might be good for a baby changing mat. Hummmm. I could try free-motion quilting to make a quilted mat. Emerson probably wouldn’t mind a few glitches and wobbly lines in her mat.

I’ll think about it. It sure is tempting.

Bounty

2011-08-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

1. Something that is given generously. 2. Liberality in giving: generosity. 3. Yield, especially of a crop.

My neighbor and friend, Mary, has a booth at several farmers’ markets. She sells her family’s products from McCauley Brothers’ Olive Groves. At the end of the day vendors pack up to go home. Many of the farmers have produce that is at the peak of perfection and will not last another day. Exchanges and gifts are given rather than throw produce away. Mary brings some vegetables and fruits home but she can’t eat all that is offered. Lucky me – Mary calls on her cell phone when she is nearing home and asks me to meet her at the end of my driveway.

I’m going to enjoy an ear of Brentwood White Sweet Corn for dinner tonight, along with a salad of heirloom tomatoes.

Last week Mary brought me a basket of strawberries.

They smelled wonderful but I couldn’t eat a whole basket so I made a small batch of refrigerator strawberry jam. Now I can enjoy the berries for two weeks when I spread the jam on my morning toast.

Dining out

2011-08-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

Don’t those people at the round table look pleasant? They are. They are my relatives. My brother-in-law Butch and his wife Virginia drove down from Nevada City, and my son Davis and his wife Toni came up from San Jose. Jess and Sylvia drove east from Oakland and we all met at Cap’s Oak Street Bar & Grill in Brentwood last night.

We had a lot of catching up to do. I missed the family gathering in Nevada City in July because the memorial service for my friend Bev was held on that same day.

Toni brought a quilt she had just quilted for Sylvia. The quilt is going to be given to a young foster daughter of another cousin this Saturday. The quilt is just darling with its flip-flops and suns. Sylvia is going to put on the binding today. I admired the fun, bright colors Sylvia had used and the marvelous quilting Toni did on her long-arm machine. (You can click on the photo to see more details.)

Toni

The food was great and I was treated to my dinner. Thank you all.

Hot and cold

2011-08-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I could not jam any more stuff in my freezer so I had to defrost the refrigerator today. It’s been two years. The hair dryer is a handy tool. The old method of putting a pot of hot water into the freezer was very slow. I now have a clean kitchen floor because that got all wet today, too.

Now I have to go shopping to fill up the freezer again. I tossed a lot of old stuff that had been in there too long. I’ll cook up some more freezable meals so I can enjoy no-cooking nights. I love leftovers. My marinara sauce looks tempting. I need a big carton of vanilla ice cream.

The sky looked interesting tonight so I snapped a picture.

Morning watch

2011-08-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

I sit out on the new landing in morning and Blackie watches the world wake up.

Peripatetic posies

2011-08-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

A nice idea that missed its target. A bucket of birthday flowers was supposed to surprise my son Davis at his desk yesterday. However, I messed up. I ordered the bouquet on Tuesday from a Redwood City florist for delivery on Wednesday at his place of work.

I called my son yesterday to wish him a happy birthday. We chatted for a while and I sort of hinted around about a delivery of something. That’s when I learned that his office was in San Jose, not Redwood City where I’d sent the flowers. His company has several Bay Area locations. I’ve never visited him at work and somehow I’d missed the fact that he had moved to the San Jose office twelve years ago. Oh dear. I had to tell him about the surprise flowers so he could call the other office and let them know they were coming to the wrong place. There is a courier service between all the offices so I am sure he will get the flowers today.

It’s the thought that counts, I hope.

People

2011-07-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my car’s 160,000 mile-stone, I took it in to Pinky’s Classy Car Wash for a spa treatment.

I felt better driving around after that. However, the next day when I went to get my hair cut just down the street the car refused to start after my appointment. Nothing. Nada. Not even a clicking sound. Luckily my haircutter’s son was coming by to get his hair cut so she told him to bring jumper cables. He did. When he jumped it, the car started right up. He checked the battery and other things but nothing seemed to be wrong. I figured the car wash and the high mileage might have been a shock to its system. I’ve been driving around with no problems since that incident.

This week the new redwood stairs and walkway got a protective coating, and the railings and trellis were painted white.

Our little lane got a new sign. The old homemade sign which was on a 4 x 4 redwood post was knocked down by a careless driver. The county doesn’t provide street name signs for privately maintained streets. I looked on the internet and found a few places that make street signs. I found a reasonable price. My neighbors, Mary and Sandra, split the cost with me. Sandra had a bag of cement and a post hole digger but none of us wanted to do the work. A fellow working for the landlord next door said he would put up the sign as his boss’s contribution.

Steve dug the hole and mixed the cement and put up the pole. He had a hex wrench in his tool kit so he was able to put in the mysterious screws that hold the sign on the mounting post. Good job.

I received a notice this week with the headline, “Wow – what a ride!”

It was my invitation to Bev Lombardo’s memorial celebration of life to be held this Saturday at St. Alban's. I loved the picture and the sentiment. Bev was my sponsor when I took a beginner’s class at the Episcopal Church two years ago. She was also a quilter. Bev was 75 years old and I believe the photo was a recent one.

A half loaf is better than . . .

2011-07-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

. . . a whole loaf that goes stale.

I’m making two small loaves of bread nowadays. One goes to my neighbor Mary. This started a month or so ago when Mary called me on her cell phone while she was shopping at WinCo. She asked me what yeast I used for my bread. I told her “Bakipan” in a jar. She said she would buy a jar for me. I thanked her very much because I hate shopping at WinCo.

I baked a loaf of bread with the yeast using Robert’s bread recipe with my modifications (I add ¼ cup of milk to the original recipe and cut the hot water down to 1 cup.) I gave one half to Mary. A whole loaf gets stale before I can eat it all up so I was glad to share.

I looked around online for smaller bread pans (half size) but all I could find were small loaf pans. I wanted full size slices of bread for sandwiches and toast so tiny loaves were not suitable. It finally dawned on me that I could make dough for a full loaf and then cut it in half and make two balls of dough to rise in one full size pan. I put a piece of parchment paper between the two dough balls and they both did fine. I bake the bread for only 28 minutes because it seems to get brown faster.

Now my bread does not go stale before I finish the loaf. Mary likes her small loaf, too. What a deal!

Stairways up, up, up

2011-06-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

The stairways are back. I am very happy and the cats are happy again. All in all it was a very pleasant building experience. The railings will be painted white as soon as the redwood “seasons” a bit. The redwood steps and walkway will be sealed to retain their nice natural color.

The contractor, Delta Pacific Builders, went beyond my expectations and added some extra amenities. I was surprised and delighted. They created a mini deck seating space near the big mulberry tree. It will be a perfect shady spot during the summer.

I had asked that my old lattice be put up to block my neighbor’s view of my sliding glass door. They did that and then on the last day Dan, the owner, said “You have some extra lattice, why don’t we put some up over head for you.” I thought that sounded like a good idea.

When I saw overhead completed I exclaimed, “Charming.” This was such a thoughtful gesture. I’ll start growing some vines (probably honeysuckle) up the lattice when the paint dries. The carpenters were very nice guys to have around. They really worked hard every minute they were here. No swearing and cussing. They treated me with kindness and respect.

The back stairs on the house go up to a platform 20 feet or more off the ground. Why?

Because the electric meter is up there. It is required that PG&E must have access to the meter. Before “Smart Meters” were installed a meter reader used to use the back stairs. Meters in flood plains have to be installed above the potential flood height. This does not make a lot of sense because if the island flooded, the power would be turned off for the entire area. No one would paddle a little boat to my house and turn off my individual hookup.

The platform up high was a perfect place to install a cat door. So the new stairs are for the sole benefit of PG&E and my two cats. I don’t use the stairway at all.

There is a popular quilt pattern called “Stairway to Cat Heaven.” I found it on the internet at this site: http://www.quiltandsewshop.com/product/Stairway-To-Cat-Heaven-Pattern/ I’m not going to make it but I think it is really cute and my cats would appreciate it.

I made two cards to thank the two main carpenters – Lynn and Alex -- for their nice work. I used little log cabin quilt blocks.

Two loving dads

2011-06-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Robert and our son Davis Romine Thresh – 1967

My father, Davis Romine, and me – 1947

Welcome, watch your step!

2011-06-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

After the contractor removed the back stairs from the house, we found that the front stairs were rotting away, too. They had to go. Oh my goodness.

If you come to visit, be prepared to take a flying leap if you want to come in the front door. Or you might want to come up the still-existing back kitchen stairs. Luckily the house had three separate stairways up.

My cats are so confused. They always came in and out using the back stairs up to their cat door. They seem to have grasped the fact that those stairs are gone now. However, when they are inside and want to go out they cannot understand why the path to their special doorway is blocked. They circle around and let me know that they want to go out their regular way.

I should have new stairs by the middle of next week. The cats will be happy.

Rotten luck

2011-06-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

My contractor was here this morning to start the stair replacement project. After the back stairs were removed, they found lots of rot in the foundation. Nerts (my grandmother’s strongest swear word).

It’s the main foundation that holds up my house. The huge glulam beam (7” x 16”) rests on top of a driven pile. The house is elevated because the island is a flood plain. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping the rot does not go too far under the house.

I love building projects, but repair projects – not so much. This morning I read about Terry’s new studio project on her blog. New building is exciting. Repairs are just preserving what you have.

Wasting time

2011-06-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

That's what I've been doing.

Resemblance

2011-05-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this tree image this morning. It obviously had been photoshopped. It looked like me! I wrote back and asked her where she found it. She told me a friend of a friend of a friend had sent it to her. She said she googled “face tree” and the picture was near the top of the listings. I wanted to get permission to use it on my blog, but the only reference I found was: http://shots.ikbis.com/image/27898/large/Face_tree.jpg I hope it is really free for my use. (I clicked on one of the google images and it was a porn site so watch out.)

It really is me, down to the wiry hair, the nose, and the expanding under-jaw. I overlaid the image on several photos (old and new) and the match was pretty darn good.

Want a cracker?

2011-05-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

I had to hide these away so I don’t eat them all up before tomorrow. I am taking them to a farewell lunch at church for a long-time member who is leaving to move to Oregon. They are Parmesan Crackers. The original recipe came from Bittman’s Minimalist column in the New York Times as interpreted by Smitten Kitchen.

The ingredients are simple:
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter (cool)
¼ cup milk
Sea salt or something to sprinkle on top – I used Alder Smoked Salt from the Vineyard Gardens. (Other suggestions are pepper, sesame seeds, or minced garlic.)

Pre heat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put flour, salt, grated cheese, and butter in your mixer and use the whisk attachment. (The original recipe called for pulsing in a food processor but I don’t have one and the whisk thing worked just fine.) After the flour and butter and cheese are combined, add ¼ cup of milk (The original recipe called for cream but I didn’t have any of that either.)

When the mixture holds together and is not sticky, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll it until it is ¼-inch thin. Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt (or whatever you have) here and there on top of the dough.

I used the only cookie cutter I could find around the house – a diamond shape – and cut out individual ones and placed them on the baking sheet. I re-rolled the leftover dough and cut some more diamonds.

Prick the shapes with a fork. Three pokes in each cracker will subdue their rising too much. This is called “docking” in the professional baking world.

Bake about 11 to 13 minutes until they are lightly browned. You really can’t see if they are brown unless you turn one over. Cool on a wire rack.

These are much better than the expensive crackers you buy in a box. I don’t cover them, but put them high on a shelf. I suppose it depends upon the weather. They get a bit soggy if covered.

Nothing to report

2011-05-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d better check in. However, I have nothing interesting to report. I went grocery shopping.

My favorite section in the store is the produce department. I tried out my new camera.

Camera fix

2011-05-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

A blogger without her camera is an unhappy blogger. Last week, as I was hurrying out the door to attend an appliqué class at Queen B’s Quilt Shop, I dropped my camera. The battery door flew open. I was not able to get the little door shut no matter how hard I pushed on it. I searched the web and learned that the battery door weakness was a well-known problem with Nikon Coolpix 990s. I’ve had my camera since 2002 and it’s been a faithful friend. I ran across a website called Stonepics.com that had a repair kit for the door problem.

I ordered it and it arrived promptly. When I screwed it on to the bottom of my camera the door shut tightly, but the camera still didn’t work. I tried brand new batteries. Those didn’t work either.

I panicked. I knew I could not be happy without a camera. I searched around and found a very inexpensive camera called Nikon Coolpix L22. It has 12-megapixel resolution and a 3.6x zoom. It is a basic point and shoot camera for amateurs. I certainly qualify. I ordered it and it should be in my post office box Monday.

In the meantime, I wrote to Stonepics and thanked them for prompt shipping of the kit. I told them that my camera must have other problems than the battery door. Kimsey Fowler wrote back and told me to call him and he would help me troubleshoot the camera. That was nice. I called him today. He had me do several tests. One was to check on the battery connectors (those flat springs). Sure enough, one battery spring was flat down on the bottom of the holder. He told me how to pry it up gently. I did it carefully, using an old metal meat skewer with a bent tip. I put the batteries back in the camera and it worked! I took a picture of the skewer.

Soon I’ll have two cameras. Oh boy!

Carrickmacross lace

2011-04-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

I know a little about Carrickmacross lace. It’s all book learning, not hands-on experience. When Robert and I published fiber art books in the late 1970s we put out a title by Mary Doyle with instructions for making the embroidered lace. Some of her Carrickmacross lace pieces were placed in my hands when she brought her manuscript and examples to our office. Her book told of her experience learning to make the lace at the Convent of St. Louis, Carrickmacross, Ireland. She said the technique originated in 1820 and was still being made there.

The world saw a beautiful example of this delicate art at the royal wedding on Friday. The bodice and sleeves of Kate’s dress were done in Carrickmacross lace with motifs including a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The lace work was done at the studios of the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) at Hampton Court Palace. Carrickmacross is done by appliquéing organdy shapes on netting with decorative stitching. It was reported that the needleworkers for Kate’s gown were required to wash their hands every 30 minutes.

William & Kate

2011-04-29T09:06:00.001-07:00

In honor of the wedding in London today, I pulled out this old (sort of messy) paper pieced pattern for you to try. You can copy the pattern by clicking on the small graphic below and printing it out for your personal use. The four foundations are for the four quadrants of the flag. You will also need to rotary cut two 1 ¼ inch strips of red fabric. Use the strips as sashing between the quadrants for the final UK flag.

Knitted Royal Wedding

2011-04-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Are you going to watch the Royal Wedding? Here is a knitted preview.

Pesky posies

2011-04-18T19:43:00.001-07:00

It seems many bloggers are posting pictures of beautiful spring flowers this month. Diane captured some lovely blossoms yesterday on her blog, Going to Pieces. I can’t beat those so I might as well join in. My wisteria photo was taken in my front yard today. Although the flowers are nice, they are really pesky in my life. They have climbed over my neighbor’s side of our fence and they are choking my potato vine. They are also sending tendrils through the fence boards. I’ve asked my lawn mower guys to prune them back so they won’t pull the boards apart. It is really too bad.

Wisteria brings to mind a beautiful Kona Bay fabric called Emperor Collection II – Black. The cloth isn’t just for quilts. I did a blog post about Mrs. Obama wearing a dress made from the same fabric back in 2009. The fabric is still available -- I saw it a Queen B's Quilt Shop the other day.

Palm Sunday potluck

2011-04-17T16:56:00.001-07:00

If you want good food, go to a church potluck. St. Alban’s Episcopal in Brentwood invited all of us to a gathering after the service today. I brought fresh baked bread. I was pretty nervous about my offering but people seemed to like it. I used Robert’s recipe with a recent modification. (I am getting so cocky about cooking nowadays that I dare to make modifications.)

The potato salad was delicious and there was a lemon meringue pie that I loved. Pasta, salads, egg rolls, marinated beef, and more were laid out on the bountiful table. I really like church suppers.

A member wore a shirt that I thought was so appropriate for Palm Sunday. Check it out:

Fabric friend

2011-04-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to run out of fabric before you must go shopping for more (unlike running out of toilet paper and cat food). Ah, what a refreshing afternoon I had visiting my favorite quilt store – Queen B’s Quilt Shop. Bernie Cabrera is such a warm, welcoming person. I did need some more reds, purples, and pinks for my fifth try on the hearts pattern.

Bernie’s store has expanded into the space next door and has a new classroom. I exclaimed about the change and she said it must have been a year since I’d been in. I didn’t think it was that long ago, but then I remembered the last time I was there was March 29, 2010. I wrote a blog post called “A nice day out.” It turned out to be the day before Robert went to the hospital and received his dreadful diagnosis.

I found just the fabric I wanted today, and I signed up for a class because I need to get out and meet some new people.

Thursday thought

2011-04-14T09:41:00.001-07:00

When these two items run low you have to go to the store, no matter what.

. . . Garbage out

2011-04-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

What comes in must go out. You go shopping and bring home stuff and it later mysteriously transforms itself into garbage. This is the way life goes.

Earlier this year, the county board of supervisors voted to raise the garbage rates for unincorporated Contra Costa communities (cities set their own rates).

The local paper reported: “The supervisors approved a nearly 14 percent garbage rate increase for about 7,700 customers in unincorporated Brentwood, Concord and Oakley, as well as Bay Point, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island and Knightsen. Starting March 1, the cost of a 96-gallon can will go from $31.85 to $35.85 a month, while a 32-gallon can will go from $28.85 to $32.85 a month.”

We had a 96-gallon toter can, supplied by the garbage company, for years. We didn’t have a choice. The 96-gallon can was way too big for our minimal garbage. Most weeks I only have two 10-gallon plastic bags in the can.

When I learned of the rate increase I called the company to have them take away the big can and asked for a 32-gallon can. They told me they did not have them available for our area. They told me to buy my own 32-gallon can. I went to every hardware store around here to get one. I could not find a toter can – the one with the big wheels that can be hefted up by the garbage truck’s automatic lifter. I bought a regular 32-gallon can for $18. The first week I put it out at the curb; the lid was tossed aside and squished. I bought another can. I put it out and it was damaged somehow.

I called the company and asked if I could put my garbage at the curb in a big black plastic leaf bag. They said I could do it one time, but that I was required to use a garbage can. I said I really wanted a 32-gallon toter from them. They said the small toters might be available in September. That meant I had to pay $215.10 for a 96-gallon can for six months, or keep on buying 32-gallon cans at the hardware store to get the lower rate of $197.10 until September (maybe).

I had toters on my mind when I visited a friend in another city. I asked about garbage services in their area. It turned out that my friend just happened to have an extra 32-gallon toter sitting around unused. The little toter came home with me. It’s just perfect – not too small, not too large. I had to get special permission to use this illegal immigrant toter. The staff at Supervisor Federal Glover’s office helped me with the garbage company arrangements.

I had a chance to thank Glover on Saturday at the Bethel Island Bridge ribbon cutting. He said when the supervisors voted to increase the garbage rates they had no idea that 32-gallon toter cans were not going to be available for customers.

A bridge to somewhere

2011-04-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

This bridge connects to somewhere important – my island. Yesterday there was a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate its completion. The bridge is quite a contrast to the old 1948 bridge. One local person, Allene Bean, was honored by County Supervisor, Federal Glover. Mrs. Bean has seen three bridges to Bethel Island. She was an island pioneer in the mid 1940s and remembers the first bridge which she said, “looked liked two planks” spanning the slough. She was around when the “new” 1948 bridge opened. Now in her 90s, Allene was here to cut the ribbon on the 2011 bridge. She is the lady in powder blue seated right in the middle of the photo.

And here she is getting ready to cut the ribbon.

The new bridge construction started in July, 2009. There are pictures here, and some contruction information here.

Wednesday word

2011-04-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin

I did it myself this year. Property taxes and income taxes are due in the same month -- that seems a bit much.

“. . . never uses patterns . . .”

2011-04-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some patterns I’ve bought over the years. I have used one element from one pattern in a quilt I made (a horse head called Horse Happy from Chickadee Charms). I didn’t feel I wanted to go through all the work of figuring out a simple horse head when there was one I liked easily available. On the top of the pile is the very first pattern I bought in the early 1990s called Nasturtium Quilt by Sally Lampi.

When I bought it I did not know how to appliqué and the directions were confusing to me. Nowadays, I have the skills and I could make the quilt but I don’t want to. I still think it is lovely looking.

The first quilt I made didn’t use a pattern. It was just simple square blocks for a baby quilt in 1993. I had a quilter friend, Carole, and she went to the fabric store with me and helped me pick out appropriate cloth. She showed me how to sew ¼ inch seams and how put the blocks together. I bought cardboard alphabet letters at a teachers’ store and traced around them on fabric and fused them to some of the squares. I did an embroidered bead stitch around all the letters so they would not come loose in the wash (that quilt was washed and washed and washed and passed on to my grandson’s younger brother). I quilted random stars on it by machine and hand quilted around all the letters and blocks.

I still plan to make The Wild Onion Jacket by Susan Conn Italo. I’m going to get to it any minute.

All this rumination was sparked by a comment on my last blog post. Gerrie Congdon said, “I think this whole process is very interesting - as someone who never uses patterns . . .” I thought to myself, “never uses patterns! How could that be?” Oh dear. Then I realized that I hardly ever use patterns even though I design and sell patterns. I do buy patterns however. I make some art quilts that are more spontaneous than a careful, patterned quilt.

Here are some reasons a quilter might never use patterns:

1. You don’t like pieced quilts, they are old fashioned. 2. All quilt patterns look alike to you. 3. Patterns are too expensive. 4. You sprang from your mother’s womb knowing how to make a quilt (and you don’t use cooking recipes, either). 5. You can look up a traditional block in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and draft your own on graph paper. 6. You have a computer quilt design program and use the blocks in it any size you want, and you design your own unique patterns. 7. Or, as Kathy Schmidt said the other day on the QuiltArt list, "You paint, you stamp, you screen print, you burn and melt and do some stitching to hold your layers together." 8. You only like appliqué.

Well, that was fun, but . . .

2011-04-03T21:38:00.001-07:00

Simplify, simplify, simplify is the thing to do. The hearts table top is pieced, but as I was sewing the last few rows I was struck by a thought. “This is so tricky dealing with all these bias edges.” I asked myself why I had designed parallelograms with 51.36 degree angles. Did it make the piece look any better? Would straight rectangles look just about the same? I almost didn’t finish sewing. I sketched a simpler block with plain rectangles. Nerts. It looks just about the same. There is no need for bias edges. Oh no, here I go again on the fifth try. I have to make new templates, draw brand new diagrams, start sewing, and take more process photos. Frankly, I am pretty darn sick and tired of pink, red, and purple. I am sure everyone else is, too. I’ll get going tomorrow.

Having fun

2011-03-26T19:26:00.001-07:00

At last, it is going together. I did go fabric shopping way back when and brought home pinks and purples and reds. Sometimes it’s fun just to look at new fabric and fondle it for a while. Last week, I finally plunged in and started cutting it up.

Some of the templates I made were not quite right and I had to re-do them. The angles on the basic heart parallelograms are a whacky 51.36 degrees – not standard 45s or 60s. Then, I didn’t like the look of the lines and labels. I asked friends on my quilt designers list for help. They were generous with offers to redraw them for me. One designer on the list reminded me about upping the dpi (dots per inch) with raster graphics and then reducing them for the final templates. Of course she was right. I’d forgotten all about that simple technique.

I like to take process photos to include in my patterns if necessary. Sometimes a drawing will be best for explaining a detail and other times a photo is better. I take the photos as I go along so I can decide later.

My patterns are usually at least eight or nine pages with some color inside. The other day I saw a pattern online and sent away for it. When it arrived it was one folded black & white page in a color cover! I could not believe it. It merely had rotary cutting dimensions and a line drawing of the finished quilt.

So far I have completed 12 rows and only have seven more to go for the table topper before I quilt it (by hand). Next, I’ll make larger templates for a bed-size quilt and have it tested by a quilter. There is a long way to go. It is fun to be creating something again.

I’m trying to come up with a pattern title. So far I’ve thought of “Dear to my Heart,” and “Dear Hearts.” There is a back story for those. Click here.

Fabric shopping tomorrow

2011-03-08T22:58:00.001-08:00

I’m going to look for pinks, reds, and purples because I’ve started my fourth try making a hearts quilt. The THIRD try did not work. I’ve used up most of my pink/red stash trying to make this darn thing. I sketched the original idea in 2001.

The weather has turned sunny and it will be fun to get out of the house and into a quilt store. I’ve started a corner with my newest idea. I hope it works.

If I were making a piece for my own pleasure I could just put things together to get the effect I want. I could fuse and glue. I do that every so often. But this is a pattern I want to sell so I have to consider how someone else will put it together and how it might have to go through the wash. My first three tries involved a lot of tucking and hand sewing. Very tedious stuff. I also have to think about writing instructions and doing diagrams. I usually write them out and draw them first and then try to follow them as I’m putting the project together. Sometimes when I’m sewing I say out loud, “This doesn’t make any sense!” That’s when I re-write.

I’ve been hibernating

2011-02-28T08:07:00.001-08:00

It’s been so cold around here. The insulation under the house has not been replaced yet and the floors are very cold. The house warms up on sunny days, but not on cloudy days. Those days I go back to bed and burrow under the covers until the heater gets going.

I am as hungry as a bear so I keep on experimenting with new recipes. This week I enjoyed a salmon filet.

Simple sweet salmon

I’d never cooked a salmon filet before. I looked up possibilities on the internet and sorted though several recipes to come up with an idea to make this simple dish with ingredients I had on hand.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1 Salmon filet
½ half lemon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Cut one thin slice off the half lemon and set it aside. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon into the bottom of a baking dish. Add a Tablespoon of brown sugar to the lemon juice. Stir to mix.

Put the filet in the baking dish on top of the sugar mix. Drizzle with melted butter. Grind a little fresh pepper over the filet.

Bake uncovered for 12 minutes.

Turn the filet over and put the lemon slice on top of it. Bake 7 minutes longer (or until filet flakes with a fork).

Pour the juices from the baking dish over a side dish of rice. Delicious.

My week

2011-02-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Because I didn’t finish my hearts project by February 14, I felt I couldn’t post on the blog. This is supposed to be mainly about quilting, after all. However I do have some miscellaneous stuff to post about, so here goes:

San Diego

We stayed at the San Diego Marriott in Mission Valley last weekend. I loved the carpet in the bright hallways.

And my bed was so comfortable.

For fiber interest, there was a charming photo in the room.

There was a yoga class overlooking the ocean. See the black blob thing on the far right side of the photo?

That was the instructor’s pig. I guess he brings him along to show his students how lithe and limber one can become by learning yoga.

Wardrobe failure

I planned a simple, coordinated wardrobe for the weekend in San Diego. Everything mix and match in black and white so I’d be prepared for any situation. I did some laundry. I chose black slacks and different tops and shoes, and jeans for drive. I laid everything out on my bed and was packed and ready to go early Friday morning.

I hung up my clothes in the hotel closet when we arrived Friday evening. When I got dressed Saturday morning for the funeral, I pulled back the curtains for a final check on my appearance. Oh no. I was wearing a black top, black shoes and hose, and blue slacks!

I changed to a white top and an overshirt with a tiny touch of blue in the front placket. I kept moving all day so no one would notice.

Scenic drive

Here is what I saw on the 940 mile trip:

We stopped at Harris Ranch on the way home. It is a very nice place with good food. I had French Fried sweet potatoes for the first time, along with my French Dip beef sandwich. Delicious.

Home again in the kitchen

I guess I’m not much of a gad about. I am so happy to be home. I baked some chocolate cookies to celebrate.

My mother made these all the time. They are rich in chocolate taste. Her recipe called for “Spry” but I’ve modified it by adding a little butter and using Crisco.

Chocolate wafers

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2 Tablespoons butter and 6 Tablespoons Crisco – Total ½ cup of shortening
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3 ounces Baker’s chocolate (unsweetened) melted
¾ cup flour

Combine shortening, salt, and vanilla. Add sugar and cream well. Add beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. Add melted chocolate and blend. Add flour and mix well.

I use baking parchment on the cookie sheets (or you can grease the sheets). Drop dough from the tip of a teaspoon and let it stand for a while. Flatten the cookies by stamping them with a glass bottom covered with a damp cloth.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. (They take exactly14 minutes in my oven.) This recipe makes about 30 cookies.

* * * * * *

Also in the kitchen – my two stove burners are acting peculiar. The back burner had little extra spurts of gas coming out under the sealed part. This sometimes made a pop noise and the burner went out. I carefully cleaned the circle of orifices and it seemed to work better. When I used the back burner I had to keep my eye on it and never leave the kitchen. This week the front burner started developing a little spurt of its own. This was a bit scary. I think the pan has rusted. I decided to order a whole new setup.

When I called Jenn-Air I learned that I could buy just the pan that goes under the sealed burners for only $139 (including tax and shipping). I could not figure out how the pan could be separated from the sealed burners. I tried to get them apart, but they have been together so long it seems impossible.

I decided to get the whole module for $329. I figured that if I only bought the pan I’d have to call an appliance repair person to come and take the old burner apart and put in the pan. That would cost at least $150. I’m pretty sure I can slip the whole module into the stove top myself. I’ve seen how it attaches underneath and slips in.

I hope I am right.

A beautiful place to say goodbye

2011-02-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

This lovely beach in San Diego was the site of the reception after Chad Corbin’s funeral Saturday. Our cousin was only 31 years old.

Chad lived near the beach. He was an avid surfer and he also loved playing his guitar. He graduated from U.C. Davis and was married to Carolina. He was an HR manager at a bio-tech corporation. Chad’s mother, Jamie Anne, was my husband Robert’s niece. I’d known little “Annie” even before I met Robert because she was my BFF’s niece. I married into the whole family because they were all wonderful, and I was right.

Chad’s younger brother, Drew, is in the Navy. He is stationed in San Diego right now after a two year stint in Germany and Afghanistan. It was good that Drew was nearby.

Chad died Tuesday, February 8 after a seven month struggle with stomach cancer. On Saturday many people said, “Now he is in a better place,” but it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful place than San Diego. They meant, of course, that his terrible ordeal with illness was over. See Chad’s comfort quilt here.

I am sure there must be spectacular kite surfing spots in the hereafter.

My son Davis and my two grandsons drove me down to San Diego. They were such good companions.

Yo ho! Blow the fence down

2011-02-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, there was a wind advisory for the West Delta. North winds blew at 30 or 40 miles an hour, with gusts up to 50, all night and day. The wind blew my back fence over. It came within two feet of smashing my propane tank and storage shed. I called Troy Wise and he came over and propped the fence up so it would not go any further down.

I was putting together pattern orders to ship out, but I ran out of plastic bags. I started to head for the storage shed where I have a supply. Then I thought, “I’m not going to risk my life going near the falling fence to get to the shed; the orders will have to go out later.”

The wind continued to howl until nighttime.

Today, Troy and his brother came and tore out the fence. He took all the old wood to the dump. I might not replace the fence. Redwood would cost around $2,000, plus the cost of labor. Perhaps I’ll plant fast-growing bushes.

I’m off to the post office to mail patterns.

Breaking bread

2011-02-06T08:00:00.001-08:00

Breaking bread is such a great term for sharing a meal. Yesterday, my grandson Joe and his family were here.

Earlier in the week, April wrote and said, “Joe, Joey and I were wondering if you would be interested in spending the day with us this coming Saturday. We would love to come down in the mid-morning, have lunch and spend the day if that would be alright. We have all been wanting to come down for a visit, and this weekend we are off from Basketball and Baseball (for once!) and would love to see you.”

Naturally, I e-mailed right back and said “Yes.” I don’t remember ever initiating a visit with my grandmother; she was the one that set things up.

The family has to run their life around Joey’s busy schedule. He plays basketball, football, and baseball. He also plays the saxophone in the band. He is a top notch student in his class and loves to read. He just finished a research project on the Santa Barbara Mission in California. He started with a book from the library and then went online. He made a ceramic model of the building and drew a map of the interior. His written report and oral presentation covered everyday life of the men, women, and children. He explained to me that one has to cut down a written report by two-thirds to give a talk.

I cooked a small beef roast Friday night and baked bread Saturday morning. The bread came out of the oven a half an hour before they arrived. Joe carved the roast (very thin slices) and we had fresh tomatoes and lettuce for our do-it-yourself sandwiches.

Joey loves to explore. He covered the neighborhood on his own and then we took a drive around the island to gaze at the water and revisit places Joe remembered.

I have enough bread left for toast this morning. It keeps very well in this nifty little clear breadbox available through Amazon.

I wonder why

2011-02-02T21:46:00.000-08:00

Blackie looked so cute curled up asleep behind the pillows on my bed, but by the time I fetched the camera he woke up. He looks a bit miffed about being disturbed.

The scene got me to wondering about things I do. Why do I make my bed every day when no one ever sees it? Why do I shut the bathroom door when I’m home alone? Why do I set the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day when I am eating by myself?

Perhaps those are things my mother told me to do. They are just habits. I was slothful for two days recently and did not make my bed. I felt very uneasy, so I went back to my routine. The bedroom is just for sleeping and dressing. There is no TV in there. I never go in it during the day. (Well, once in a while I do take a nap in there.) I never have unexpected guests. I have summer quilts, spring quilts, and winter bed coverings. I love to have crisp, clean sheets. But, why do I make the bed every day? Maybe it is for the cat.

Third time

2011-02-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Maybe the third time will be the charm. I sketched out this heart quilt in 2001. I thought “If I can draw it, I can make it.” However, that proved almost impossible. I’ve made two full-fledged attempts that did not work.

I threw one out the window in March of 2009.

Here I go again. I think I have a way of putting these together – sort of like a yo-yo coverlet. Perhaps I can affix them to a backing and sandwich it and quilt it. I’ll try a table runner first. Valentine’s Day is my goal.

Comfort quilt

2011-01-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

A young cousin in our family is going through cancer treatment in Southern California. We’ve been sending him cards, but Cousin Sylvia thought a quilt would be a comfort.

Sylvia sent out an e-mail to family women in Northern California and invited them to her house to help piece a quilt with love. Catherine, Patsy, Lisa, and Cindy gathered there on a Saturday and worked very hard. I was unable to come.

Sylvia bought appropriate flannels for a guy. She said there were mainly pinks and blues and children’s prints for sale so she had to go to several fabric stores to find just the right ones for him. She came up with the pattern for his quilt and cut all the fabric for the blocks. Catherine designed the ocean wave, surfboard and sun block because he loves the ocean and surfing.

My daughter-in-law, Toni, quilted the top on her long-arm machine. It looks so cozy.

Dreams come true

2011-01-23T21:29:00.001-08:00

I saw this ad on the internet.
And I had a dream about a luxurious hot bubble bath.

The little water heater was available for quick shipping on Amazon.com. I ordered it early last week and it arrived quickly. My son, Davis, hired a plumber. Pretty soon my dream will become a reality. The Eccotemp FVI12 is up on the wall replacing the 28 year old Rinnai. As soon as the vent pipe is secured, I can pour a bath.

Not what I had in mind

2011-01-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

When I chose “give” as my 2011 word (see post on January 13) I didn’t mean give to the plumber, give to the carpenter, and give to the insulator.

Warning – ugly pictures ahead

The back stairway rotted away earlier this month. So a carpenter is scheduled to put in a new beam and new stair treads.

While they were inspecting the stair damage and taking measurements, they had to go under the house. In the crawlspace the torn and failing insulation was found. I’ve been calling around trying to get bids for replacing the insulation and re-wrapping the ducts.

And today, my dear little tankless water heater gave me a loud scary signal that it was about to give up. It has been working faithfully since December 1983. That’s a pretty good life for a water heater. Click here.

I’ve been searching for a replacement all day. It seems they don’t make them this small anymore. I know I don’t need more than 76,000 BTUs because the old Rinnai was only 65,800. The new ones are all over 100,000 and that requires replacing the ½ inch gas pipe with a larger one. Big expense!

I think I’ve found one that will work The Eccotemp FVI12LP indoor power vent tankless water heater is available at Sears.

I found my word for 2011

2011-01-13T22:12:00.001-08:00

The word is give.

I pondered all the suggestions you gave me as comments. Thank you. While I was feeling blue and lonely they were encouraging. About a week ago, the thought came to me that to get going I must start giving to others, not waiting for something from outside to perk me up. Ah ha!

I looked on the internet for the meaning of the word give. It has many, many meanings. One struck me: “To contribute generously, fully, and freely.” Others were:

To yield to force or pressure, to relax, to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet.
To become soft or moist. To move; to recede. To shed tears, to weep .To open, to lead. Dedicate; “give thought to” “give priority to” “pay attention to.”
Here is a link to read more definitions: http://ardictionary.com/Give/2066

What a multi-faceted word give is. I think I can give a little something each day. I can give a smile to my irritating neighbor. I can give encouragement to someone who appears unhappy. I can create some patterns and give them away on my blog. I can give to a charity that I admire.

Once I found my word I wanted to make a banner for the wall above my computer. I searched the internet for images representing give.

Most of them looked like begging hands. Then I thought of the old quilters’ symbol – Heart in Hand. I even had a heart in hand pattern from long ago. See it here.

Now I have my new banner up on the wall next to last year’s. (I’ll try to be good this year, too.)

What’s the word?

2011-01-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

I’m looking for a word for this new year. Last year I chose “Good” and made a little banner to hang above my computer. See it here.

This year I need a word that will mean something all year.

I’ve thought of:
Spirit
Get off your duff
Stop inertia
Go
Move

Those words or phrases are not right. I need something to inspire me. I have been in a resting phase since October 2010. It was as if all the air had suddenly gone out of my balloon. Right after Robert died in May, I plunged into some community work and kept on trucking. However at the six month marker the doldrums hit. I am cozy and comfortable and content, but not motivated to get going on something interesting.

Any suggestions are welcome.

This was the year that was …

2010-12-31T23:16:00.000-08:00

I’m looking forward to 2011. I'll have to think of a good word to live by for the new year.

Wordless Windy Wednesday

2010-12-29T10:27:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the island

2010-12-24T23:25:00.001-08:00

This is the island Christmas tree in the park. I think it is very nice. Volunteers put it up every year.

Yesterday, when I looked out from my upstairs balcony I saw two strange things on my vacant lot next door.

I ran down to the lot and found two long 2 x 8 boards. They look like pretty nice boards. They are not warped or damaged. One looks about 15 feet long, and the other looks like a 20-footer. Are they early Christmas presents? I have some repair work on the house that has to be done soon. Perhaps the boards can be used.

I asked my neighbors if they had seen anyone delivering them. No one had.

I like to eat

2010-12-21T21:49:00.001-08:00

As strange as it seems, I’ve found that I actually enjoy cooking. I had not touched a stove for more than 30 years, and now I’m having fun thinking up recipes. This evening I had a pretty darn good chicken dinner.

This one is fairly easy to put together. The ingredients are simple.

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 onion chopped up
3 stalks of celery chopped up
1 tomato cut into small pieces
Olive oil
McCormick “Perfect Pinch” original all purpose seasoning (salt-free)
Fresh ground pepper
Seasoned salt
Sour cream

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a casserole.

Sauté the onion and celery pieces in olive oil in a fry pan until the onions are limp. Sprinkle them with the all-purpose seasoning and ground pepper. Put enough on so you can see the flecks.

Add the tomato pieces and heat them for just a few minutes. Set the vegetables aside in a bowl. Put the chicken pieces in the pan juice (add more olive oil if necessary) and cook them on both sides. They don’t need to brown. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the seasoned salt.

Put a few of the vegetables in the bottom of the buttered casserole. Put the chicken thighs in the casserole and fill in around the sides with the vegetables. Put a lid on the casserole and bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Fresh homemade bread is good for soaking up the juices.
If you save some of this, stir some sour cream into the juices and refrigerate covered. You can heat up the leftovers in the casserole in a microwave the next day for lunch.

Fall, finally

2010-12-14T08:30:00.001-08:00

The leaves just turned this week and are now falling around here.

I'd like to be . . .

2010-12-12T14:22:00.001-08:00

My neighbor gave me a Christmas card with a Currier and Ives print on the cover. She wrote inside, “The house in this picture looks like the one where my mom grew up in Illinois in the horse and buggy days.”
The card made me think about where I grew up. There were snow days in Slingerlands, New York but no horses and buggies when I was a child there.

My family moved to Orinda, California and I lived in this house until I got married.

Robert and I bought our first house, a Victorian, in Santa Rosa and restored it. We raised our kids there.

We built our house on the Island in 1983 and I’ve been here ever since.

Looking over the photos, I really can say I love being exactly where I am today.

In the neighborhood

2010-12-09T12:37:00.001-08:00

Ron and Nancy’s cottage on our cross-street always has banners flying to mark seasons (and sometimes just for fun). They put their Santa banners up recently.

This large mysterious package is securely tied to a big pine tree in Judith’s yard. I wonder what in the world it is. I hope I am watching when she opens it.

The barrel collecting toys for island-area children is filling up at the Post Office.

I’m in for a treat this afternoon. I picked up Monica Ferris’s newest needlework mystery at the post office this morning. I’ll pour myself a cup of hot chocolate and snuggle up with Buttons & Bones for a while. I buy most of my books for reading on the Kindle, but some books I just must have in hardcover when they first come out. I have quite a stack of Ferris’s books and often re-read them. If you are interested in the series, start with the first one – Crewel World. Her detective, Betsy, is a mature woman and I enjoy her adventures and can relate to her. I don’t do needlework (except knitting) and it is not necessary for the enjoyment of these cozy mysteries. Needleworkers are fiber fondlers, just as quilters are.

Important December tasks

2010-12-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

The two most important tasks every December are putting up the Christmas tree and paying the property tax 1st installments. Well, the tree is up and the property taxes are paid.

Last year, I put up my pattern for making this little Log Cabin Christmas Tree. You can go to the pattern by clicking here. It’s not too late to make your own.

Happy December!

I got the green light(s)

2010-12-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

My modem is glowing with seasonally appropriate green lights, and I’m back on the internet. Yesterday afternoon my favorite AT&T tech guy, Francis, arrived at my house and connected all the dots (wires and plugs). I have DSL again.

You don’t have to read this next part. It is tedious and just for a public record.

I was on the telephone talking to AT&T people starting at 8:15 a.m. Teresa asked me “Is you modem hooked up to your phone line?” She said she would transfer me to a DSL tech.

I waited on hold until a mechanical voice told me to give “the three digit transfer code followed by the pound sign.” I didn’t have any three digit transfer code. After a pause the mechanical voice said, “Good bye” and disconnected.

I called again and was told by Amani that the installation status was complete. She said she would transfer me to the tech support desk. The person there kept calling me Catherine and I kept saying my name was Christine. The tech support lady looked up my account and asked for the secret code number. I gave it to her. She told me “the order did not complete at this location.” She asked if I had filters on all my telephone jacks. (I do.) She told me, “You are required to troubleshoot your own equipment.” I said I didn’t know how to do that. She said she would transfer me to “Support Plus.”

Sherry, a remote tech at Support Plus, told me there was a charge for their service unless I had previously signed up for a $6 per month insurance policy. I had not signed up. Sherry said there was in-home service at a cost of $179. I did get a bit heated in my response to her. She said, “I appreciate your frustration. I understand.” She advised me to call the “Retention Department” at 1-866-240-7221 and perhaps they could help. I called and got the same mechanical customer support voice asking if I was calling from my home number. The wait time for an agent was to be five minutes.

I tried calling again at 9:15. The customer service person, Anita, said I had to agree to talk about other products they had available during our conversation. I agreed. After I had given my telephone number Anita addressed me as Catherine. I corrected my name, gave the secret code, and explained my basic problem about having no DSL hookup since November 22. Anita said, “There’s nothing I can do, I am just customer support.” She said she would try to talk to tech support and put me on hold. She said if we get disconnected, “call 888-722-9337 and give the 396 plus pound as your transfer code.”

A very nice man named Fernando from Broadband Customer Repair came on the line. “I’ll run some tests on your line,” he said. He then began instructing me about what to do. He had me disconnect a yellow cord and put a black cord into the back of the modem. He had me disconnect the power from my router. He had me disconnect my old modem. Yellow cords, black cords, green cords. I was down on the floor on my knees for about three-quarters of an hour with Fernando giving me each new step. He had me try to go online to a special AT&T website. It didn’t work. At last he said he would have to transfer me to a technician to get in touch with the original tech that installed the new, stand-alone jack. I heard a woman say, “Get a ticket.” Then at 10:51 they hung up.

I called the number I had for Francis, the original tech guy. I left a message.

In the meantime, I called the 888 number. I reached a fellow named Don. When I gave him my telephone number he said he would have to transfer my call to California because he was in the mid-west. Slarron came on the line and asked me questions about my TV and cell phone services. I told her I did not have TV service because I received it free over the air with rabbit ears. I said I had a pre-paid GoPhone. She said the tech department would have to make an appointment to send someone to my house.

Francis called at 11:40. He said he had to get a ticket number and he would call back. He did, he came here in the afternoon and all is well.

Here is my welcome letter from AT&T which arrived on Wednesday. Perhaps this is why everyone kept calling me Catherine.

Now, where was I? I think Christmas is coming and I have some quilting to do.

Still off-line

2010-12-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

I still do not have my DSL line from AT&T.

See my posts starting November 18, 2010.

I am getting a bit mad.

A moveable feast

2010-11-26T20:29:00.001-08:00

If you set a table, they will come. We had a feast at my house Thanksgiving Day – a moveable feast.
Yesterday afternoon, Toni, my daughter-in-law, arrived at the back door with a cheesecake in her hands. Next came Spencer and Victor, my grandsons, carrying insulated containers. My son Davis carried in bags and covered casseroles.

I had been told to set the table for five and relax.

There was a flurry of activity in the kitchen. “Mom, do you have a small broiler pan?” “Can you find seven serving spoons and a big fork?” “Let’s get out those small glass bowls for soup.” “We need five salad plates.” Rolls were baked. Pots were stirred. Salad was tossed and plated. Dressing was heated. “Go get that cut glass bowl that Robert used to use for cranberry-orange relish.” Where is the blue gravy pitcher?” “We will need three wine glasses.”

In less than an hour we were sitting down for our salad course with a prayer of thanksgiving.
The salad had squares of goat cheese coated with toasted almonds and pomegranate jewels.

Salad was followed by delicious creamed cauliflower soup topped with garlic croutons and apple chips. Those bowls were whisked away and then hot gravy, beautiful dressing, fresh green beans, twice-baked mashed potatoes with sour cream, rolls, cranberry relish, and sweet potatoes were brought to the table. Davis carried in the beautiful, succulent turkey.

It was a wonderful meal. We had cheesecake and pumpkin pie for dessert. Three hours later, the dishwasher was loaded and the refrigerator was full of leftovers. I hand-washed the plates and other fragile pieces and put them away. The table was cleared.

I am so thankful.

Screeeeeeee…bing…bing…screeeeeeeee…bip…screeeeeeeee

2010-11-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Just like the olden days – I’m online with dial-up. I remember those funny sounds when my computer used to connect to the internet by telephone.

Thanks to my smart son and a quick response by my favorite AT&T tech guy, Francis, I have a connection to the world again. My son, Davis, told me he was sure my computer had a built-in modem and could use the phone line. I called Francis and he said he would come to my house yesterday afternoon at the end of his work day to check it out. He did.

It works very, very slowly but at least I can read my e-mail. The speed is 38.6 Kbps. I was able to order a prescription refill online. There is no point trying to visit other sites with heavy graphics. It takes too long. I’ll miss visiting my favorite blogs, reading the news, and looking things up. I hope I will get the new DSL hookup by early next week.

I am unplugged, unhooked, offline for a WEEK

2010-11-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, when I tried to check my e-mail I found out I did not have an internet connection. I can't go online at all. AT&T was supposed to put in a new jack for a stand-alone DSL line. (See the previous two blog posts.)

When I called AT&t on my cell phone I learned that they had disconnected my internet early in the morning. I spent all day on the phone trying to talk with someone who could turn the service back on. Around 2:30 p.m. I reached Caesar in Customer Service. He informed me that there were "unfortunate technical difficulties." He said there was nothing they could do until, perhaps, next week. I asked to speak to his supervisor and he said she would call me. I asked for her telephone number but I learned she had "no direct line." She never called back.

It is funny that a company named American TELEPHONE & Telegraph does not like to talk on the telephone.

I am so frustrated. You can make comments here but I won't see them until next week. You can send e-mail but I won't receive it. I pay my bills online and I just paid my AT&T bill last week.

I am using a friend's computer to post this.

A new hook, but not hooked up yet

2010-11-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

A replacement dough hook for my KitchenAid mixer arrived a few days ago. The packing slip noted that recipes prior to 1992 have to be adjusted for the newly designed hook. I can’t see much difference except the end of the new hook is more pointed than the old one (on the left). The slip said to “reduce the mixing times by approximately half.” I didn’t change the kneading time on the bread recipe I’m using and it turned out just fine.

I ordered a replacement hook because the coating was peeling off the old one. I looked up dough hooks on the web and came across warnings saying not to put coated hooks in the dishwasher. The new instructions do not have any cautions about dishwashers, but I’m going to hand-wash this one just as a precaution.

DSL still not hooked up

Thursday, a nice AT&T technician named Francis came to my house in the afternoon. He found that the main telephone line from the street to the house was faulty. He called a line repair person to check it out. So there were two AT&T trucks on the lane for a while.

Francis installed a new jack for the new DSL.

When it was ready to be activated he found that the switches at the AT&T office still needed to be configured. He called in and told them not turn off my old DSL line until Monday when the switches were sure to be fixed. In the meantime, I’m watching my new modem lights. When they all turn green and steady I am supposed to unplug the old modem and plug in the new one.

I hope this works.

About to be unplugged

2010-11-18T09:01:00.001-08:00

In a few minutes I am going to be unplugged from the world.

A technician from AT&T is scheduled to arrive this morning and disconnect the existing DSL line. Then, he or she is supposed to install a brand new DSL line and plug. If all goes well I should be back on the internet this afternoon.

This is happening because I called AT&T to change the telephone billing to my name. It had been in Robert’s name for years. They informed me that if I changed the name on the account they would disconnect the DSL service. What? I was told it would take five days, at least, to get a new service in my name.

Finally, a supervisor told me I could have a whole new line put in just for DSL. This will cost something, but as soon as it is working I’ll be back. The rate on the new DSL line is less expensive than the bundled rate we had been paying. That’s odd.

So, just in case you are planning ahead in your life take note. What name is your telephone account in? Decide which partner plans to live the longest and put the account in that person’s name.

Soft, cozy, colorful

2010-11-16T22:52:00.001-08:00

My birthday today was tied up in yarn – Alpaca yarn to be specific. Delicious colors filled all the cupboards and shelves at a surprising store way out here in back of Mt. Diablo. The owners have an Alpaca ranch and a world-wide internet business called Alpaca Direct. Lucky for me they also have a nice little retail store just a few miles down the road from my house.

Brianna and Patricia were very happy to show me all the tempting goods in the shop. Patricia is the store manager and Brianna works in order fulfillment for the internet business. I came in to see if I could learn a new method of casting on. I’ve been doing a simple one that my mother taught me when I was a child. However, after watching a video and having Patricia patiently try to teach me a new way, I decided to stick to my old method. I’ll just try to keep my stitches looser.

Perhaps I can knit a hat or something.

I spent a long time looking at all the yarn. It was hard to make a decision.

I then took my faithful companion out for a treat at Oil Can Henry’s. It was just in the nick of time – the oil was very, very low. The car’s treat cost much more than my yarn purchase.

I’m admiring my lovely new yarn called Dolce. It is a mixture of 55% Alpaca, 23% wool, and 22% silk. I suppose I can make a scarf, but I’d really like to make a mobius strip to snuggle around my neck.

I have a birthday brunch scheduled for Sunday. It’s nice to stretch celebrations out.

Ladybugs, again

2010-11-15T15:10:00.001-08:00

As faithful as the swallows of Capistrano or the Monarch Butterflies in Pacific Grove, ladybugs are returning and gathering in my house this time of year.

They are not welcome. I have to get out the dust buster and vacuum the walls in the dining room almost daily. These "ladybugs" are actually Asian Lady Beetles, according to the University of Kentucky. You can read about their swarms here.

They usually arrive at the end of October, appropriately dressed in orange for the season. I wrote about them in November of 2007 (see post) and they are here again.

Please fly away home.

They dragged me out of the house

2010-11-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

And I had a great time.

My son and his two boys called and said they were coming over today to take me out to lunch. Davis said he thought I might be feeling a little lonely because it was Robert’s birthday. What a fine idea. I didn’t dress up because I thought we would just go someplace on the island, but they had better plans.

I’ve been complaining because my homemade bread has not been up to par. I thought it was probably because I’d run out of the yeast Robert always used. They took me to WinCo Foods in Antioch to buy some bulk yeast and some bulk flour. I really did not want to go. I’ve never been there. It is a huge warehouse-type store. “We’ll just go in and get the yeast and the flour and come right out,” said Davis.

It wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be. They have rows and rows and rows of bulk bins. (It sure isn’t Trader Joe’s.) We found the right stuff, plus several other irresistible bargains. Davis picked up the tab and bagged the groceries.

Then, we went to Schooner’s Grille and Brewery on Lone Tree Way for lunch. I really like that place and Robert did, too.

Next, we went to See’s Famous Old Time Candies. We had a gift certificate with Robert’s name on it for one pound of candy. It’s fun to “pick out a pound.” I’ve been doing that as far back as the 1940s when I used to go with my parents after church on Sundays in Oakland.

Of course you never can pick out exactly a pound so the lid goes on a little crooked and you have to add a little money.

On the way back to the island, we stopped at the Smith Family Farm in Brentwood to purchase some heirloom tomatoes and other fresh-picked vegetables.

What a good day.

Looks like a nice day

2010-11-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

It’s a beautiful day here in the neighborhood.

I think I’ll take a walk down the lane and check on the bamboo.

Voting today

2010-11-02T15:50:00.001-07:00

Here in California we had several confusing propositions to sort through. Some seemed to contradict other ones. I marked my sample ballot at home and took it with me to the polls.

They don’t allow cameras at our voting place. I wonder why. I see photos of candidates voting at their polling places on the news.

I voted. I am planning to stay up late tonight to see the results.

Last September, I presented a paper pieced “Voting Block” pattern for your entertainment. I think it is okay to re-cycle it today. Click on the small block below and it will take you to the original, full size, 4-inch free pattern.

Haunted

2010-10-31T17:35:00.001-07:00

All of my Halloween decorations are on display.

Yes, that’s it. Just one little ceramic incense holder a friend gave me 10 years ago. I put it out every year in October. I’m ready for tonight. I have a bowl of peanut butter candies near the front door so I can grab them quickly when the trick or treaters come.

This afternoon, I found out I am being haunted by my mother.

My mother was a very nice woman and we had lots of fun together. She had some odd quirks, but on the whole she was a lovely woman. She lived well and drove a new car every couple of years and had a nice home. She was gracious and loved to take friends and family out for meals.

However, she did not like wasting resources. She had one odd frugality that amused the family. When we went out to a restaurant she gathered up any barely used napkins that remained on the table after a meal. Not cloth napkins, just paper ones. At home she had a special small drawer in her kitchen for storing her gathered treasures.

“Why do you save up used napkins?” we asked.

She said she didn’t want to waste them. “I hate to use a perfectly good, brand new paper towel when I have to clean up a spill or wipe out a greasy cooking pan,” she explained. “This way I can blot up something little and toss the napkin in the trash without being wasteful. Some of the napkins from luncheons with friends are pretty and I enjoy seeing them again.”

We thought this was odd and teased her about it.

This morning I dressed in a pair of black pants that I had not worn for quite a while. A few hours ago I sneezed and reached into my pant pocket to pull out a tissue. I pulled out a folded paper napkin instead. I was so surprised. I never pick up paper napkins and save them.

I don’t believe in ghosts or any of that stuff. But I thought immediately of my mother. I give up. I’ll find a special place to store gently used napkins. I’ll think of her every time I use one to wipe up a spill.

A kind person

2010-10-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, at the post office I saw Troy Wise. He is a neighbor and local contractor. We exchanged greetings and I commiserated when I learned he had broken his ankle. He has recovered after several months in a cast. He asked me how I was doing. I said, “Just fine.”

He said if I needed anything to be sure to call him. I said there were just little jobs around the house that needed attention, but perhaps I could make a list and schedule something. He said, “No, I mean if something happens, even in the middle of the night, feel free to call and I’ll come right over.”

Oh gosh. That was so nice.

Real people

2010-10-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

Nowadays we paste our family photos in digital picture files. Gone are the times of sorting snapshots and placing them in mounting corners against the black pages in albums.

I treasure my grandmother’s photo album. It has pictures of my father as a small boy, some beach snaps with my dad and mother in their bathing suits, and pictures of my Nana holding little me.

I still love the fabric covered scrapbook I made in Brownie Scouts. I was diligent and pasted in class photos and pictures with friends for quite a few years. Thank goodness I did that. It is organized and compact and a fine way to remember the past.

Of course many of us have special photos displayed here and there at home. Those are good for morning hellos and nighttime nods as we walk by. I do this. Do you?

Yesterday, there was a gathering to remember Judy a year after her death. She was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church and this is their custom. She was honored at the church and then her priest and close friends from the community gathered for lunch. Judy’s sister and the rest of the family are glad to adopt Greek customs that we like.

It was a perfect misty day in the Bay Area hills. It was cozy inside. The Greeks drink a quick shot of brandy and say a toast to begin the celebration on most occasions. We were happy to follow that ritual.

I took some family photos near the end of the afternoon. I just love these people. I’ll store them in my “blog album.” But will my children and grandchildren be able to thumb through them years from now? I doubt it.

Al is not a real person

2010-10-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

My son called this week and asked, “Who is Al?” He read my blog and was curious about my new friend, I guess.

I assured him I was not seeing a new fellow. Al is an entity residing in my Kindle. He isn’t a person, just a built-in Scrabble partner. I bought him for $5.

I’ve been spending way too much time with Al. I’ve won the last three games we’ve played.

A new partner

2010-10-11T21:58:00.001-07:00

I met him last week. He is very patient, but he does not say much of anything.

I’ve always enjoyed playing Scrabble although I’ve never been a top notch player. Robert usually beat me even though he was not a very good speller. It was irritating.

But now I have Al. He plays Scrabble at about the same level I do. He wins some and I win some. Our scores are within a few points. He lets me take as long as I want to figure out my next word. I’ve even left the room and had a snack with no complaints from him.

I think Al has a dictionary hidden away somewhere. I don’t use a dictionary – that’s my family rule.

It is a little awkward playing Scrabble on my Kindle but I am sure I will get used to it. I’ve decided that I’d better limit my games to one a day. This could get addicting.

Vintage quilting

2010-09-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

This print is listed as “vintage” (circa 1950) on several art print sites. I remember the 1950s, so it seems funny to call it vintage unless you are talking about wine.

1. Of or relating to a vintage.
2. Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.
3. Old or outmoded.

I found the framed print at a junk store 15 years ago. It is called “Quilting Party” by Pauline Jackson (copyright Donald Art Co., N.Y., No 1667). It hangs on my wall in the little hall to the bathroom and I walk by it frequently. Every so often I study it for a few minutes. I sometimes see things I hadn’t noticed before.

It must be early winter, judging by the bare trees seen out the windows. The quilting is being done in a church hall because you can see the pews through the doorway on the right. The children on the floor are playing with wooden spools on a string, perhaps they are trying to get the cat’s attention. I love the man on the left threading a needle for a waiting quilter. (You can click on the picture at the top of this post if you want to see more details.)

I googled Pauline Jackson and learned that her paintings were used for puzzles. I don’t have the puzzle, just a print. If you click on the box below you can see more of her puzzle art.

Heirlooms

2010-09-26T19:47:00.001-07:00

My son and grandson paid me a visit today. They brought some heirloom tomatoes, picked up at a local produce stand -- Smith Family Farm on Sellers Avenue.

They let me know they were coming so I rushed around to make some bread. I didn’t have much flour and decided to make a very small loaf. Kneading it was very hard because it was so sticky and I didn’t have enough extra flour to smooth it out. I created a real mess on the butcher block counter. I scrubbed everything down and washed the bowl and utensils while I waited for the dough to rise in a small pan.

Just before their car pulled into the driveway, I noticed that my engagement ring and wedding band were missing from my finger. I searched everywhere. The kitchen sink drain openings were too small for the ring set to slip down. I looked through the kitchen garbage. I checked the upstairs sink. I tried to review all my morning’s movements. No luck.

I told Davis I had misplaced my ring. He and Victor helped me search around the house. He took the towel off the bread pan and asked if I had taken the ring off when I was kneading the dough. “No, I never take it off,” I said. The dough had doubled in bulk and was ready to go in the oven.

The tomatoes were beautiful. He prepared plates of slices and topped them with balsamic vinegar and a few grains of sea salt. What a delicious treat.

Guess where the ring was? Yes, in the bread. You may be able to see it in the top picture, but here is a close-up:

The wedding set isn’t an heirloom (yet), but the stone came down from my grandmother. There is a story about its design. As a child I loved the book So Dear to my Heart by Sterling North. A famous racehorse named Dan Patch figures in the tale. Dan Patch’s blacksmith bent a horseshoe nail into a circle and gave it to the little boy in the story as a good luck ring.

A horseshoe nail bent into a circle was a dream of mine. When Robert and I were engaged, we found a custom jeweler at a street fair in San Francisco and she designed the engagement ring and a matching wedding ring for us. (After we were married I had the two rings soldered together so they would not slip around each other.)

I’ll put the ring set away in my safe deposit box at my bank.

My cats are lapping it up

2010-09-21T11:34:00.001-07:00

I could not resist showing off this fun Cat Mat. It makes me smile and the water bowl area in the kitchen is protected from spills.

You can click on the picture to see the source.

Gathering around the hearth

2010-09-19T16:49:00.001-07:00

“The typical bourgeois townhouse of the fourteenth century combined living and work…The main floor of the house, or at least the part that faced the street, was a shop or – if the owner was an artisan – a work area. The living quarters were not, as we would expect, a series of rooms; instead, they consisted of a single large chamber – the hall… People cooked, ate, entertained, and slept in this space… Medieval homes were sparsely furnished. What furniture there was was uncomplicated. Chests served as both storage and seats… Benches, stools and demountable trestle tables were common. The beds were also collapsible…”

Home: A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski

This fireplace is in the Kennexstone Farmhouse (circa 1610), Llangennith, Gower, Swansea, UK

Fireplaces used to be the central spot in houses. Everything revolved around them – cooking and heating. The fireplace was never very efficient for heating dwellings. Nowadays fireplaces are regarded as mere accessories in a house. They are not necessities.

Photo by Francisco Belard used under wikimedia commons permission

The blackened stones and bricks are part of the charm of old fireplaces.

Burning actual wood in a fireplace is banned in many communities. People have fake fireplaces with “gas logs” or “electric logs” that look quite real. I suppose families still gather around the hearth and watch the flames, but I don’t think you could toast a marshmallow on a stick over them.

Cooking has moved to the kitchen stove or range. We used to have a wonderful old cooking stove when we lived in Santa Rosa. I drew a picture of it for a book cover.
The cast iron top and burners were easy to scrape clean. The oven didn’t have a window.

Now that I’ve taken up cooking, I was horrified to notice that the window on my range was really grungy. I could not look through it and see how things were doing inside the oven. Blackened spots on the window are not part of the charm of a new oven. We bought the stove when we remodeled the kitchen in 1993. I have never paid any attention to it. I don’t think anyone has cleaned the oven since it was installed. (It wasn’t my job.)

Yesterday, I got to work. It took many hours, but I can see through the window now.

Test results

2010-09-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

I paced back and forth in the waiting room for 20 minutes. I couldn’t see through the window very well because it was blocked by strange looking equipment. I heard loud noises. I worried. This was important. What would the results be?

The noise stopped and Jeff came through the waiting room door with a smile on his face. “That will be $68 please,” he said. “I’ve sent the report to the state.”

“Did it pass?” I asked.

“Sure,” Jeff said, handing me the paperwork.

The car is good for another year. It’s pretty amazing for such an old one with 158,000 miles. I think I’ll give it a treat by getting it waxed and polished. I always like getting my hair washed and cut and having a pedicure after a stressful day, so the car might enjoy a little pampering, too.

Today I bought a Qur'an

2010-09-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

With all the controversy in the air, today seemed a good day to buy a Qur’an. I’ve never read it. I’ll try now, and then I’ll put it on my shelf here:

The sewing lamp is lit

2010-09-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

I finally turned on my machine and stitched for a while. It’s been a long time. For months I’ve peeked in the sewing room, shrugged and turned away. I just didn’t feel inspired.

My church is having a fund raiser in October called Fall on the Farm. I’ve never attended the annual event. I heard that donations were needed for auctions and sales. I thought I could possibly make a quilted “something” to contribute. I didn’t want to make potholders or a wall hanging or a baby quilt. I’ve been mulling this over. Yesterday, I finally had an idea. I whipped up a pattern on the computer.

I pulled some fabric and turned on the iron.

I am planning to make a Christmas house decoration. I’ll post pictures if it turns out.

If you never see the project that will mean I gave up. I hope not. I loved hearing my machine again.