So, back on Thursday, we hung around the house waiting for the end of the morning rush before we left Newton. We did miss it, basically because we were going against traffic to get outta town. But we hit Providence traffic, then Bridgewater traffic and New Haven traffic and on and one, and this is before even seeing New York State. We arrived at the Tappan Zee bridge and I discovered my battery was out of my camera- and you know how I like taking pictures of bridges. So, I had to steal this one from Mickey, hope he won't mind. We didn't have rain, seems Mickey had worse weather than I did.
We got into another Jam in Jersey, like I would expect anything else. At one point we saw a big black lab stuck in the median strip so called the state police to go fetch him before he tried to cross four lanes of traffic. They were already on their way. The only redeeming fact was that we missed the whole Ford funeral series- I think Thursday was the California episode, but wait wait- the next episode was Washington and guess where we were headed! Of course we hit the greater DC area about an hour before peak rush hour so another Jam held back TY from going his preferred 85mph. Hours later we exited and fled into Virginia where we were headed for Richmond for our doggie hotel reservation. Wouldn't you know that the hotel was on the far side of Richmond so we didn't get in until after 9PM, a 12 hour trip counting the several hours of standing dead still. TY went out and got a pizza and a stiff drink and I babysat Molly the escape artist while clicking through the thousands of channels until I fell into a stupor.
TY is ---ummm---an early riser so we were in the car and on the road before 7AM. At a decent hour we found a Waffle House and got Molly her fried egg and us our coffee, but by the time we got back on 95 we were in another gridlock. And then another one. Then we hit North Carolina where the road narrowed to two lanes and everything came to a standstill. We went 20 mph for three hours. I started to smell myself fro lack of morning shower combined with driving and riding stress. We went through all the Harry and David's popcorn and nuts and the dog treats were going to go next. We had planned on stopping in Charleston again but it was too early to just sit around a motel so decided to press on to Savannah to spend the night. Gridlock again. It took hours to Savannah, we were fed up and decided to just go on to Florida in spite of the distance.
So, we stopped for gas and somethng to eat at a Cracker Barrel. I had been to a C-B once before and had iced tea with my southern buddy. it was perfectly fine in spite of the giftte-shoppe waiting thing. i had told TY about this and he really wanted the 'experience' so in we went. First of all, we are *large* people but in that place I felt a little like Cindy Crawford must when she enters a restaurant, slim and tall and elegant. Everything is relative, right? Well since this is so, I recommend hanging out at C-Bs whenever you are having a fat day. And the best part is that the food is so hideous that indeed you can go there and actually LOSE weight. TY had a plate o' goo they called chicken n' dumplins (sic) but the two of us plowed through the sticky white stuff with out forks and think they forgot the chicken part. It was accompanied by canned green beans that had been cooked until they turned gray. You get a choice of 3 vegetable 'sides' with your meal and one I ordered was a fried apple. I had fond memories of my mom frying up battered apple slices when I was a kid, a special treat always with pork chops. But what I got was a bowl of (gag me here) apple pie filling, canned. Oh, the other 'vegetable' offerings were mashed potatos with a choice of white or brown gravy or mac n' cheese (!). TY got brown rice with his dinner and that was a revelation- it was a combo of practically UNcooked white and wild rice with Worcestershire sauce making it the promised brown.
Sorry to say we didn't stay around for dessert. Or make a reservation at the next C-B down the road. Back in the car and I was driving now. I went like a bat outta hell for about 6 minutes until I hit a 3 hour bumper to bumper stretch. And we hadn't even gotten to the Florida line. Once we finally did, we had much smoother sailing for the last 5 hours. Rolled into Jupiter at almost midnight after SEVENTEEN friggin hours on the road. My own bed. And never again.
So, tonight is New Years Eve and up until a few hours ago we had no plans, but old friends called and apparently no one has plans so we are getting together for an early dinner and then home by probably 9. Fine with me.
At least I know I will get a good meal tonight.
And we are still not by the Ford funeral extravaganza in spite of the fact that no one has much to say. Thankfully we aren't seeing James Brown in his box, but Saddam's head keeps poking it's way onto the newspaper front page. What is wrong with the media? What is wrong with the public?? What is wrong with this world???
A woman is like a teabag, you never know how strong she is until you put her in hot water. Mae West (1892 - 1980)
I picked up my show in Acton today and got it home in time to drop off two quilts for the NEQM show above. Hey, I am a MASSter according to the quilt museum! On the QuiltArt list I always referred to myself as a Dinosaur and you can see from the company I keep that isn't far from the truth. The list includes my whole crit group, which the museum has been actively collecting over the past year, and another crit group with some overlap in members. The idea is that we are all in the permanent collection now because we are either the oldest known quilters around or perhaps have broken some ground over the years. These women don't do much embellishing, hardly ever venture into thread painting, and the beads used are certainly not making anybody any money! As a matter of fact, I think all the embellishing and beading and thread work in this bunch is done by me. They think I am a rebel .
For some reason my computer would NOT let me turn the other side of the postcard right side up so I will just tell you that the show runs from Jan 16th through March 24th. The show includes 14 quilts from the permanent collection as well as 19 recent works. Also ploanned is an artist's panel on Jan 20th at 1 PM, a lecture by Nancy Halpern on Feb 10th at 1 PM, and a gelatin block and stamping workshop run by Nancy Crasco and Carol Grotrian on March 10 and 11. For more information, go to the NEQM website.
Here is the mess I worked on this afternoon, I have barely made a dent and will have to face it all when I get home in the spring. What I was able to do is get all the quilts rolled up into their various 'logs', and have moved them away from the windows to hopefully keep them from further sun damage. This apartment is somewhat cave-like so they will be fine.
Now, to move away from quilts for a moment, I found this site on knitting-by-scientists.
There is some interesting information on how new shapes can easily be illustrated by knitting and crochet.
And some silver cast jewelery from Germany that I just lost the site for! 
Basically the artist presses knitted fabric scraps into wax and carves the ring form. Then the wax is put inside a plaster form which is subjected to high heat to burn away the wax, leaving a negative mold. The molten silver is pushed into the crucible with centrifical force and takes the exact shape. I'm remembering this process from 40 years ago at Syracuse so may have the terms wrong, and who knows, maybe by now there is an easier way but this is the ancient lost wax method. Beautiful, no?
Knitted Cupcakes
This one is bran with blueberries and fresh churned butter. Umm, tasty.
And with that I am off for the sunny south. We leave tomorrow early to drive Ms. Molly to Florida. TY has promised me a few mornings at the Waffle House after we pass the Mason Dixon line and that should keep me going for the trip. We have packed Molly's new fav stuffed fox and a couple of cans of dogfood so off we go- figure if things get rough we can share the dogfood.
You're never too old to become younger. Mae West
Phillipe Starck designed Yule Log. Sure beats the old round kind with the mirangue mushrooms.
Cats in Sinks Who woulda thought there would be a website about this? You can send off all your pictures of FlufferNutter and Zamboni and Miss Priss in their respective sinks for all to see. I really loved the old Cat Scans website, wonder if it's still around.
Eye Glasses made from beer bottles
More Eye Glasses made from old records or wood!
Dali and Cute Friend
So, two nights ago TY got feeling that we need to have some friends over for dinner so he got to pick one and I got to pick one. We called them right away and they said 'sure' and I got to work immediately with my books. Seems that out of the 4 people invited we had one vegetarian, one that never eats red meat, one that won't touch fish and loves red meat, and the fourth that is allergic to duck- NOT a problem! So, the choices were pretty straight- I could make pasta that possibly they would all eat, plus if I have enough wine all will be well.
Appetizers were the best prociutto and Buffalo mozzarella on crostini, and another platter of olive tapanade and cipolini onion dip with a piece of vegetarian pate. Something for everyone.
Then for the first course I made eggplant roltini, shrimp scampi, and a huge platter of roasted peppers and baby artichokes. The red peppers had fresh white anchovies and the orange had fresh tarragon. Also I had a salad of fennel and oranges with paper think Bermuda onions on a bed of arugula. And a good crusty bread. So far, so good.
The main course was porcini ravioli with a wild mushroom ragout.
And dessert was a poached pear with a scoop of vanilla gelato and a ladle of poached dried cherries and blueberries. Not a sticky plate was left. And as I was cleaning up last night I discovered five empty bottles of wine- considering I had only one glass to assure that I would get stuff to the table, it left a lot for the others. I think they left happy at 11 PM on a school night.
And Molly behaved too, but I expect that of a well-bred Tibetan (see above).
The last few days I have been knitting up some of my discount yarns from the Classic Elite warehouse. I styarted out with one pattern but switched in the middle of the back to another pattern, then decided I wanted a cardigan rather than pullover so designed the front pattern as I was starting the ribbing. Since I wrote it out on the back of one of my collages, I have to recopy, and check my calculations while at it! I will be short of yarn but think I can make it work by doing shorter sleeves which I like anyway. This is now ready to take on the 3 day ride to Florida so it should be done when I get there.
Religion is everywhere. It is in the mind, in the heart, in the love you put into what you do. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919
So, how could you justify a Christmas tree made from Mountain Dew bottles?
I was trying to load the collage images I finished up today onto my work site, A Muse Ments, but blogger apparently is off duty for now. Will try later.
So, instead, I will give you a little somethng to waste some spare moments on:
Create a Snowflake
Be a Painter
Spell Your Name (I love this one, but I can't show you because of blogger's current image problem) Feh!
I am headed out to my crit group tonight to show them the new collages and ask for advice on hanging mechanisms. Right now I am leaning to velcro on a stick- we'll see what they say.
"Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an art." - Charles McCabe
Today is the day my daughter and SIL close on their first house, high excitement in the north country here. Today is also the day TY returns back from FL for the holidays. And today is the day I invited my SIL and BIL over for spagetti with broccoli rape. Because I have to take off at a moments notice, whenever the closing is over, to help paint the new living room and deliver the traditional salt and bread, I have dinner all ready to go with the table set and the water ready to boil. Of course I could be sewing on the Buck Quilts while wasting time, but instead I am here again. To even further waste time, I finished all my wrapping. I cannot tell you how I have learned to hate Christmas- it used to be my favorite time but now it is nothing but chores and I don't even do the three big parties or house decorating or massive Christmas eve dinner or have houseguests or make cookies or send cards- nada. This year people are getting several small gifts each, things I have picked up over the summer and fall to keep me out of the 'mauls'.
This year we have been invited to several parties, but all are on the same two nights with every other night free so we have to send regrets to some I would like to attend. Bummer. On the other hand, we are also invited to two parties after New Years- what a great idea to wait a week or two so there aren't conflicts.
And finally, here is my best throw pillow:
GREAT AUNT RUTH'S FAMOUS LIME PICKLES, 59" x 39", 1986. Vintage tablecloth that belonged to my Great Aunt Ruth with evidence of her heavy-handed washing methods, antique linens, lace and bead embellishment, hand applique and hand quilted (!).
I am posting this for Jane to show her that indeed there are other deviled-egg quilts out there. I was about to go hunting for this old piece when I noticed it was marked 'sold' in my book- I have no idea where it might be. SO, I will tell you the story anyway. Family legend has Aunt Ruth crossing the prairie with her first husband in a Canastoga wagon and settled in Colorado- she was 15 years old. I have no clue what happened to that husband, but she was on her own until she met John, a mountain guide who has a peak named for him in the Rockies, 'John's Peak'. OK, so they weren't very creative, but these folks don't embellish much. There isn't any evidence that they ever married, an early version of the don't-ask-don't-tell philosphy. At some point Ruth did cleaning for some of the old hotels around Estes Park and apparently might have had some light fingers because there was quite a collection of old hotel silver in her drawers years later- but we don't mention this.
Ruth and John eventually ended up in a log cabin on the banks of the Cache la Pouder River where John would catch trout for breakfast and Ruth would make the lightest fluffiest biscuits on earth. She was fun and full of life and a comedian, standing on the driveway and letting her false teeth drop from her mouth to make funny faces as she waved goodbye. For all of her exuberance I don't think I ever heard John talk. She was built like a brick outhouse (my dad's expression for those of stocky physique) from years of snitching the crispy fat off of roasts, and John was rail thin and craggy.
When my brother was killed in 1968, Colorado State University had a little ceremony to unveil a plaque for him on the side of the chapel. I went out with my mother for the ceremony and we stayed with Aunt Ruth in the cabin. For lunch one day she had a big Mason jar of pickles she had put up and I ate the whole jar. She gave me the recipe, which of course I have never used because sometimes it's best to let your memory do the work.
The tablecloth had worked it's way to my mother, but she didn't use it much because it was stained and had some holes from overuse, so I got it. it was thick linen with ratty fringe showing how much it had been washed, in soft shades of red and off white. Well, in my continuing quest for old stuff I was in NYC at an antiques dealer and found the exact same tablecloth, UNUSED and still with it's lables and box. It was georgous, the original colors were maroon and grey! Unfortunately the price was astronomical so I didn't buy it but I always thought it so odd to find the same tablecloth new- the universe was showing me how it had evolved apparently, and that gave me permission to cut it up. I simply cut out the holes and spots and resewed it together without worrying about matching it up again.
And with this quilt a new direction was established because I have been doing the same thing for over 20 years now! I love working with 'pre-owned' fabrics! The only thing I regret is not having the stories that they contain like I did for the red and white tablecloth.
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
- Mary Wilson Little
Finally some things are happening as I planned without just joining the other thorns in my paw. I had sent in an order to National Geographic for a couple of gifts, received word they had been sent but I was in FL. I just hoped that someone in my building would put the boxes outside my door. Noting was there when I got home and it took me several days to go get my vacation-hold mail from the post office. About halfway down through the huge pile of catalogs was a flourescent green sticky note that there was a box waiting. So I asked the crack employee acting as a holiday greeter and she told me she wasn't allowed to go back and look for it. I had already waited in line over 20 minutes because I was watching the time for the parking meter, and I did NOT want to get back in line and re-wait and that was the option the greeter gave me. I left and hoped I could have it delivered. I was out all day yesterday and when I got home there it was! Yeaaaa, USPS. Something in their system worked right.
I do have to say that my local PO is the pits. They have a real arrogant old jerk on the desk who won't chat or smile or even make full sentences when you are trying to do a transaction, only snaps at you in monosyllables. Some day someone will 'go public' on this guy. But whoever is back there in the secret rooms with all the big canvas bins has their act together.
Yesterday I was asked to come visit the Lowell Fiber Studio and talk to them about my 'process'. They had all visited my show as a field trip and wanted to meet me and see what the hell I was about, so I trooped up to Lowell with two huge bags of 'process' in my trunk. And I talked and I talked and I talked... I meant to go about an ahour but when I looked at my watch I had yakked for 2 1/2. Those poor women- Trapped! But they all looked interested and no one was yawning AND they asked good questions that actually made me think. When I was packing up to go, they presented me with a little booklet they had compiled of all their reviews that they had written as a class assignment after going to the show and it was wonderful! Karen Bettencourt had done a magnificent job printing it and adding pictures and little dingbats on wonderful heavy deckle edge paper. It's something I will treasure forever, after I first make my whole family READ it.
And here are a couple more links I have been hoarding, things I love, or, as they say on HGTV, "I WANT THAT!":
Fiber Optic Fabric How long before I can get a yard or seven?
Paper Clones, a way of being there without having to BE there.
And finally, Skateboarding Mannequins This one just cracked me up.
Got a dentist appointment for 4 PM today to get my tooth stuck back on, but that means I have to stay home because if I open my mouth to talk the air rushes in and Yeeee-Owwwww! I also broke a small hunk off a bottom front tooth this week and filed down the sharp edges with an emery board, but this one doesn't hurt (yet). I will have him look at it- what IS it with having pieces of myself drop off along my path these days. I guess as long as it's teeth instead of limbs I won't complain for now.
So, since I am trapped I guess I will spend some studio time. I have to get a few things ready for my talk tomorrow to the Lowell group- the problem is that they want to hear about 'process' but it's really just intuitive moving things around, not concious decisions on my part. In fact I don't even remember what my thought processes are after I am finished so recreating my 'hows and whys' will be difficult. But I am up to it. And I get rid of a few bags of old stuff I can donate to the studio up there.
This past Saturday we hiked up to Lowell to a brunch they gave for us, then to stay for Jane Burch Cochran's lecture. I have always loved her work, probably because I recognise so much of myself in it. And she had several pieces hanging in the current embellishment show, so it was totally worth the trip. I met Jane in 1993 along with Wendy Huhn at Quilt National. They, by that time, were regulars and I was there for what has turned out to be my only time but we all have similar ways of working and 'take' on the world. We all appreciate the stuff of our mothers and grandmothers and filter it through today's life experiences, and probably the most important similarity is that we all believe in layers, then maybe some more layers, with one last layer for good measure. It was great hearing her stories along with seeing her actual quilts hanging in the gallery. And it was great reconnecting and feeling justified in doing what I do. Sometimes it takes other peoples' words to describe our own motivations, doesn't it? Maybe it was just great to have another narrative quiltmaker around for a bit? Whatever, it was a great day AND it pulled quite a few old familiar faces out of their hidey holes.
Made it home in time for my temporary crown to fall off in a mouthful of Eskimo Pie, so I am really feeling sorry for myself because I can't eat or drink with out shooting pains, or as they used to say, "I saw stars.", but these aren't the good stars. Friggin 27 degrees the other day had I had to keep my mouth closed while walking the livestock.
But I found the Christmas box in the storeroom and have decked my halls- this year it consists of a pile of gold candles on the table and a pile of glass ornaments on a tray in the livingroom- the idea behind this festivity is that I can simply stuff it all back in the Christmas box after it's all over. 
Meanwhile a quick check of my social calender shows that not a single human being will see it except for the condo board meeting here next Monday, and my own kids who are pissed that I am not getting a tree. (I told them I would if they would go with me to get it, help me decorate it, and then be there to help disassemble the damn thing on Christmas Day so TY and I can get out of town.) Suprisingly, I had no takers. So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop by- but don't expect anything to eat because we are living off canned tunafish and old frozen bread scraps until we get back to Florida.
The dentist can see me at 4- damn, that means no food until tonight, and I really really need some coffee. Maybe if I let it cool down to body temperature it will be OK- today's experiment. I'll post tomorrow when I am well fed and have my tooth installed and all will be right with the world- meanwhile check the last post for the links because there are some good ones in spite of it taking me days to get it fixed up.
I promise to add more info and clean these up into some sort of order tomorrow- for now I am just collecting stuff that grabs me at 3AM. Always have trouble sleeping before a flight, and it doesn't help that there is a **high aviation alert** happening this week.
Table for your iPod, and wouldn't Liberace have loved this? Maybe with one of those DWR clear plastic candelabras.
Tapemeasure Belt- what a bad idea for people who actually eat.
Holster without the attitude
FauxFox and I want it NOW! (I can remember my great aunt wearing the real thing back in the 50's and I was fascinated. I guess I can get just as fascinated by felt these days. But I would add some beaded eyes...
Biojewelery, so you can make your loved one wear a piece of yourself on the outside. No thanks.
Figurines--- unfortunately are returned from the dead
Cool Camera Ring
Oh, the lobster is the link- it's not very clear, is it? A very expensive way to kill 'em
Fleece Dog The whole idea here is to make little dogs out of your own dog's fur or hair, or you can use purchased fleece. I bought the book at the New England Quilt Museum yesterday thinking I would give it as a gift but when I got home and looked through it, no way! It's mine, all mine. And now I wil start making a herd of doggies with their directions. The book isn't yet on Amazon, but watch for it.
So, I left last time with Lisa at the beach and me trying to do some paperwork, right? Well, TY was feeling worse and worse so I walked him around and finally at 2 decided he needed to be in the emergency room so off we went. There was no one there and as soon aas he mentioned 'chest pains' he was usheered into his room. In fact by the time I parked the car and was back in the ER he was being tested. He had x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and finally an ultrasound before they found the culprit- a 'nasty' gall bladder. They tied him down and told him he was staying there for surgery aas soon as they could do it. Well, it was the next evening before they got it together so I spent the day racing back and forth between the ER and home. Finally they wheeled him out of the room at 2 PM to go to the OR, so I went home to wait.
Here is a reflection of my hubcap on the parking lot- very cool, eh?
Oh, I digress, don't I? ANYway, he didn't get actually into the OR until 7 PM so my calls to the nurses station were getting pretty frantic by 9 since I thought he had been in since 2! But at 9 he called me from his room and all was well, the offending organ in the 'hazardous waste' bin. Thanksgod this didn't happen one day earlier in the Mexican jungle! But today I watched him get better every hour and he will probably be released tomorrow.
All my running around was to get my plane tickets moved a few days, then to get the dog covered, and some appointments cancelled. I also did a good food shopping so I can make some things for his recuperative time here after I leave and before he comes back in another week.
Artwork? WHAT artwork? I finished the diagonal lace scarf in the hospital last night- it's OK, but not a knock-out. It sure was a great project to keep my mind busy though. Here she is after blocking: 
Sorry for the absolutely crappy out-of-focus picture. I used some wool sock yarn for this, and the pattern was from Knitty.com last month I think. I do have to say it drapes beautifully.
No posts for quite a few days, eh? So I am out of town, actually sort of licking my wounds over my poor turnout for the gallery talk but the trip was planned long before the talk was scheduled. Oh well. It will all be over soon and I can roll up my 'tent' and scurry on home with it under my arm.
So Florida is pretty hot and sticky and I have been very busy running errands and shoppeing and eating ouyt for a few days. It has to stop now though because my money is gone and basically I have e*v*e*r*y*t*h*i*n*g I could possibly want, much stuff that I could happily unburden myself from, and very little in the need department. I found presents fro my two grand-dogs and had tapas under the stars at a wine bar. 
I drove to the beach, installed the Mac's Airport, and ate Vitello Milanese. I like the new outdoor furniture I had ordered sight unseen but think it's one piece too many- still, it's nice to have room for a few other people after all these years. So much about this 'overview'. Ralph had a grand time in Mexico teaching yoga- arrived back last night a bit jet-lagged from a 2 hour harrowing cab ride through the jungle, a short plane ride across the Carribean to Miami, and another 2 hour harrowing ride up to Jupiter on I-95.
So, today I am shaking my vodka with my lemon rinds and watching it turn the color of fresh urine. In another few days it will be flourescent yellow in color and time to add the sugar water and bottle it up. 
This all started when I realized I am down to 2 small bottles of Limoncello because I haven't made it for two years. The last two years of hurricanes have played havoc with my tree, but this year's mild summer has brought it back to amazing production again.
In fact I am a little worried that it may have gotten some growth hormones by mistake. 
And now I must get to work while my friend Lisa is at the beach and I have a few minutes to do my paperwork.
