Napa Valley

My family and I drove up Valley again today. The stark contrast of the trees against the grass is so beautiful this time of year. I never get tired of the amazing forms that the oak trees take and the mosses that grow on them. This is what I miss most when I am not here and think of home, the landscape of the hills and oak trees and the various stages that they and the grasses go through during the year.


We also did a little more wine tasting too, which is always fun.

Pictures from "Home"

Ah... the Napa Valley in Winter! The mustard is blooming, so beautiful!

and a few grapes left on the vine, wonder if they would make a good late harvest wine...?

And then a day in San Francisco.... cold and beautiful too!

Went to the San Francisco de Young Museum and saw the Louise Nevelson exhibit. Some of her repititious sculptures reminded me of quilt blocks... What would a monochromatic quilt look like where every block is similar in structure, but the interior is different each time. What would be my statement? Hers was about the holocaust. Will mine be as profound or more about myself? What is repetitious in my life, the same but unique like the lives represented in her work? My days, my days alone, my days working, my years alive? I will have to think about that. Anyway, her work moved me.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Hope you are spending it with your families and loved ones. I will be spending my holiday with my parents and some old friends!

I really like the lights and sparkle of Christmas decorations. My favorite part is putting up the tree, lights, and pretty decorations. The next is surprising people with a well thought out give or treat.

My life has had a lot of ups and downs and some years I couldn't bear the pressures that some of the expectations of shopping, cooking, cards, that we all sometimes take on. A few years ago I decided that it was better for everyone if I do the holidays "my way" and I started to focus on the elements that make me feel good about Christmas. It has meant that sometimes I didn't send cards or another year I didn't give out gifts. It sure took the pressure off of me and I have been a lot happier since then and everyone seems to be okay.

I really do look forward Christmas every year, it remains my favorite holiday and I believe I am a much more giving person because of it.

Warmest Wishes and Happy, Healthy New Year!

I'm Back!

I sure needed the recovery! I put in a full day of work and have my energy back!

I tried to capture my dream last night, it is hardly a glimmer of what I saw...


"Warm Ocean Fissure"

Dreams of Fabric

My quilting priorities have been pretty low this month. Higher priority: Friends and relationships, a quilt that I have a hard time putting stitches into but such an important project!

I've gotten the house decorated, my Christmas cards written and mailed, some gifts wrapped ready to be given. I am looking forward to the last weekend I will have to spend with friends before we all scatter to our various families for the Christmas week.

Minor set back, a cold.

But, while sleeping my way to recovery I found myself dreaming of fabric. The colors were of the warm sea water made up of tones of teals, cobalts, and greens, more fabric kept bursting out of the seams while I sewed the pieces together so that I would applique them down or leave them to wave up and down like seaweed in tidal water. Gold and silver accented the colors. Brocaded fabrics woven into intricate patterns with metallics that sparkle with movement. Junctions and organic shapes merge into a watery landscape. I hope my sketches can capture these visions...

.

Holidays, Thanksgiving & Christmas

Whew! Well the holidays are arriving fast in my house! I went away for Thanksgiving, which was great, spent it with a close friend in Birmingham, AL. Now I am looking at the next two weekends as being packed with Christmas activities, too!

I would really like to spend time re-organizing my sewing room (it is a big mess ever since I grabbed my supplies to go to retreat in early November), but I fear that I won't get to it until January. I want to get started on the pillow shams/quilt tester soon so I can start quilting my main quilt. I know I will be a lot happier once everything is back in it's place again, so I can pull it all out again with my new projects.

That's okay, the rest of the house is clean and decorated and I will be having guests coming and going these next few weeks! Yeah!

A group of ladies from my guild are starting up a mini-group together. It is mostly because we like each other and want to hang out with each other more often. Oh, and if some perfectly good fabric gets cut up and sewn back together along the way... so much the better! I've agreed to host them at my house in April and need to pick a quilt pattern for us to work on by then. We will meet for the first time in February. I can't wait until it gets started, we should have some great fun together!