Shrove Tuesday

Happy Shrove Tuesday everyone! Well, I had every intention of snapping some pics tonight at our church's annual Shrove Tuesday dinner, but since I was part of the cooking team and flipped pancakes all evening, there just wasn't time! So, just visualize moi at the griddle, flippin' pancakes for 160 hungry folks! I'm just glad I survived the ordeal.

Me 'n' Amy

Well, this has been a fun day already, and it's only mid afternoon with lots more hours and events ahead of me!

We went by the box office of the Woodruff Arts Center this morning and purchased tickets to the Quilters Roundtable, which will be held at the High Museum on Sunday March 26th. This will be in conjunction with the opening of the Gee's Bend Quilt exhibit. Many of the quilters will be there, discussing their quilts, telling stories and singing songs.


This photo is of a particularly lovely piece which hangs in the lobby of the box office...has nothing to do with the quilts, but speaks to my heart!



Then we went to my all-time favorite Midtown eating establishment, Metrofresh (http://www.metrofreshatl.com/). As you can see, the day is delightful...many were eating out on the patio, and they even had the door open so that we could enjoy the beautiful springtime air from inside! We both had a heaping bowl of the veggie soup...Craig indulged in a roll, but I behaved! We had had a huge veggie omelet for breakfast, and are dining out tonight, so we didn't need much!

All the while you've been wondering about Amy...Amy who? What's this about Amy anyway? Well, settle down and I'll tell you! After our wonderfully yummy lunch, we headed up the road to Virginia Highlands and my very favorite of all times Chico's. Craig was being most indulgent to actually go with me (but he did leave me to check out a new gelato shop, which fortunately is not open on Mondays!). As I was trying on a few things, I saw this girl/lady who looked vaguely familiar but I just couldn't place her...you know how that goes, right? Well, it was AMY CARTER!!! Yeah, Jimmy and Rosalyn's girl!!! She was very nice, and of course none of us ever let on that we knew who she was!! I bought a few things, Amy bought a few things, and as I was leaving the store, I leaned in to the manager and asked if that had in fact been Amy..."yes"...she's a Chico's girl too!!

So then we drove on "home" to the condo and I snapped a few photos along the way for you. Here we go:





Piedmont Park along 10th Street, with the Midtown skyline in the background. I just love it!!!








The "world famous" Flying Biscuit, at the corner of 10th and Piedmont....normally there is a line of folks waiting to get in, especially for weekend breakfasts.






When I cannot get my steamer from my friend Chris at the "Little Yellow Coffee Shop" in Gainesville, Caribou will just have to do! And next door is the trendy flower shop "Twelve" from which Kristin's bridal bouquet came, and those of her attendants. It is a wonderful place to just browse!




Then we took Barker for a walk through the "hood", and here are a few of my favorite Midtown homes:





front view above


side view below








The white blossoms of this Bradford Pear against the blue sky was just too much to overlook! There are some lovely pansies in the side garden too....can you see them? I'm not that crazy about the house, but the tree and the pansies are cool!




OK, that's it for now. We are off to meet some friends for dinner and an evening program. Perhaps more later.

Enjoy your day!!!

REM in the Rain

It's another rainy day in Georgia, but I love these days. Actually, most any day is good, don't you think?




Here is the view from my sewing machine, at which my butt has been plunked for most of the afternoon...doing a bit of quilting. I'll show you the piece when I'm finished.
So, I'm listening to REM, but mainly them because the cd from my favorite Georgia band, Skybucket, is in Atlanta at the condo. I need to remember to bring that home!!! Or better yet, get a second cd!!!





Yesterday at our Silk Artists meeting in Atlanta, we got around to discussing discharge paste. Martha had a ton of it, so she shared it with those of us who were interested in trying it Here it is on a piece of Habotai. Isn't it neat? All you do is brush it on, let it dry, iron it with a lot of steam, and then wash it. I have a few ideas for that stuff!

Today Craig has kept busy smoking chickens on the smoker that I gave him for Valentine's Day. They smell so good that I can hardly stand it!! YUMMMM

Hope you are having a wonderful day, doing things that give you pleasure with those who do the same!

2nd Genesis

This afternoon I attended the first meeting of a new silk painting group in Atlanta. It was a very informative session, and there was an interesting mix of folks there. The group was small, but I think it will grow in time. Gail Racy demonstrated a manner in which to mount and frame silk paintings. She is a very accomplished Chinese Brush artist and was in the class I took with Susan Moyer last Fall. Gail teaches at the Chastain Art Center and I feel honored to count her as one of my friends. Martha Andreatos (http://www.silkartanddesign.com/) organized the meeting, and is responsible for getting the group together. She is a very talented silk painter, and another good friend. Rhea Metcalf (www.gallery77.com), a terrific watercolor artist and quilter went with me to the meeting, and we also met Habiba Sulayman, who dyes fabrics and works as a costume designer. She brought along a most amazing jacket, which she had constructed out of fabric that she had dyed. Like an idiot, I brought my camera along but forgot to take pictures!!! Duhhhhhh.

This morning we had a lovely walk with Barker in Piedmont Park. Believe it or not, there were many spring flowering shrubs and trees in bloom, and daffodils. This time, I had left my camera at the condo, so another photo op was missed!

We are back home tonight and I have been busily working on those placemats for John and Troy, plus a couple of other projects. I promise some photos tomorrow!

Nighty night!

p.s. Did you know???????????

that if you want to subscribe to a blog, you can go to:
http://www.blogarithm.com/account.php
and enter the url of the blog plus your email address, and whenever a new entry is made to that blog, you will automatically be emailed? Kinda nifty huh?

Genesis

Here's the beginning of a fun piece that I have been cooking up in my head over the past few days.






We are in Atlanta tonight, and tomorrow I will attend the first meeting of a new silk painting/art group that is forming here. It promises to be an exciting group of ladies with tons of talent!

This afternoon we dropped off my Radiant Suns quilt at the quilters. She, Leslee Evans, is a very energetic young lady, mother of 3, who hopes to have the quilting finished by next weekend! WooHoo! We discussed quilting patterns, thread, batting, etc. Never before have I been given so much say-so in the quilting of any of my quilts....but, when you think about it, who else should have that input but me!!! So, I am excited to see the finished product! Go Leslee!!!

OK, we are off to watch the second half of "Boys from Brazil".

Wouldn't It Be Nice....

This is my flower garden - LAST summer! It has been another cold and rainy day here, and I was just thinking how nice it would be to walk outside right now and see that garden all in bloom! But I guess it's days like these that make days like those so magical!

No lunch with Molly....her Granny had a series of mini strokes yesterday, so she has been busy. I hope all is well with them.

I did get some sewing done today. It was a great day for that. Still can't show you what I'm working on, but it won't be long now!

We went to see "Walk the Line" tonight at the dollar movie. It was great! Brought back so very many memories. I went to see Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and Mother Maybell in Boston in about 1969...a terrific show!

Found out that my dear son-in-law Dave has pneumonia....need to make him a get well card!! Well, get well Dave, if I don't get the card made in time!!

Tuesday Tuesday

I'm beginning to think that perhaps Tuesdays aren't my best. Last Tuesday I learned of baby Bryan's death, and today we had the sad news that my Swedish cousin Eva's father, Lennart had passed away. My heart is heavy for my family...once again so very far away.
Our rain has finally gone, but the weather people are forecasting it to return again tomorrow. UGH! After getting all of my chores in town completed today, I had about an hour to work on the placemats and napkins that I am dyeing for our friends John and Troy. They gave me carte blanche on this projects, so I am having fun, fun, fun! I'll show you some pics in a few days, but for now it is a big surprise to everyone except moi!
Received a belated (or is it very early?) Valentine from my friend Diane, with a print of one of Rayna Gillman's pieces, "Cacophany". Thanks Diane. Lovely piece, Rayna!
Tonight Craig and I went to see the Gainesville Theater Alliance's performance of "The Front Page News" right in downtown Gainesville at the new Hosch Theater. We met our friends Bob and Sheila Johnson there and thoroughly enjoyed the show. GTA is a combination effort of the theater students at Gainesville State College and Brenau University, both here in town. They do a wonderful job and we have enjoyed being subscribers for many years now.
Tomorrow I am having lunch with my friend Molly at 2 Dog. WooHoo!!!!
Night all!

Up and At 'Em!

OK, I'm back!!! A week of sadness and broken heartedness is all I can endure! While the sadness still lingers, it is time for me to get on with life and get creative.
While on our morning walk, Barker and I encountered many squirrels. He was just beside himself because I wouldn't let him chase them! My mind was off in lalaland, thinking about quilts that needed creating and silks that were begging to be painted. So.....today is a brand new day and I will be off to the studio to get going!!





Here is "March of the Henguins", a silk painting that I donated to an auction benefiting the endowment fund of Gainesville State College. It was purchased by Rhea Metcalf (www.gallery77.com) a local artist who also has a condo in Atlanta, just a few blocks from ours! I was thrilled that she bid on it and got it! Hopefully I will get to see it in its new home soon.

OK, off to conquer the studio!!

In Loving Memory of

my great nephew Bryan Patrick Spencer April 13, 2005 - February 13, 2006.
Please offer prayers to his parents Jenn and Jerry, and his loving big brother Adam.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope this finds you happily in love with somebody or something....or maybe both!!!

We have had a busy and fun last few days here, in spite of the bitter cold. On Sunday afternoon we went to the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta and had a great time viewing the Silk Synergy banners (hand painted images of flowers on silk) and also the wonderful horticultural exhibits. I spent a bit of time with my friend Martha (www.SilkArtandDesign.com), who is busyily painting a terrific silk scarf, but I won't steal her thunder and tell you what it's about! Maybe she'll put it up on her website before too long! Later, we went out for an early Valentines dinner at Vine Restaurant in Virginia Highlands. Ewwww, was it yummy!!! We woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow and had the dubious honor of walking Barker in the 22 degree temps. It was a bit chilly, especially when the wind came up from the north! It is difficult for this Boston girl to believe that she can actually get cold in Atlanta, Georgia!!!

This afternoon I put the finishing borders on my Radiant Suns quilt...photos to follow shortly...and now she is ready to go off to the quilters!

Enjoy your Valentine!

Lookey Here!

OK, I know, I know....this looks a bit catty-wompus, but that is because my design wall in my sewing room is along a narrow area that leads from my sewing room back into the breakfast room....so this had to be taken at an angle. BUT, you can plainly see that I have sewn up all of the Radiant Sun's blocks! WooHoo! Now I will go to my favorite Atlanta quilt shop, Intown Quilters (www.intownquilters.com), and check out their lovely selection of batiks for a suitable border fabric, or maybe even two! I'm thinking along the lines of a deep purple border, with perhaps a narrower inner border of chartreuse....what do you think?
My internet best bud in the whole wide world, Diane, is off playing with Rayna Gillman today, and I must tell you that I am green with envy!! But my day will come, Diane...just you wait and see!!! Seriously, I hope you had a great time and even learned something.
Now I'm off to do some dyeing!!

Time Warp

I am taking you back to October 9th, 1909...my maternal grandparents' wedding day. Here they are: Augusta Bendikta Anderson and Herman Peterson. Now when my Swedish cousins read this, they are going to get a great laugh at how I have probably misspelled Augusta's middle name! I would like to thank my Swedish cousin Eva for sending me a wonderful cd with so many old family photos on it. Augusta left Sweden (and her entire family) when she was just 16 and came to America all by herself. She was quite something, my grandmother! She met and fell in love with Herman and they married in 1909. Aren't they the most handsome couple?!!!

Here is a photo that Eva sent me of my mother, Ruth, and her older brother, Eldon, whom we all knew as "Pete"! Aren't they adorable? Mom was born in 1917 and Eldon was born in 1910. Unfortunately Uncle Pete passed away in 1960, but my Mom, bless her heart, will celebrate her 89th birthday in May.

Here is another photo of my Mom...I just love this one and have it framed in my bedroom.

This is my Mom's high school
graduation photo. Amazingly enough, she looks a great deal like our daughter Kristin.

I really want to thank Eva for sending me these (and many more) photos of my family. When my grandparents passed away, my mother was in charge of cleaning out their home and since she was not the sentimental type (and she was working full time and caring for a husband and two children) she threw almost everything away! YIKES!!!

Cousin Eva and I are working hard to find one lost branch of the family that emigrated to the states shortly after my grandmother.

My dream is for Rayna Gillman to teach me how to print these photos on fabric when I take her class at John C. Campbell Folk School next October...and then I will incorporate them into a quilt. Are you listening Rayna????

Speaking of quilts...I'd better quit this and go get working on my Radiant Suns before it is time for bed!!

Busy Days

I have been busy batiking scarves for the Quinlan Visual Arts Center Gift Shop (http://www.quinlanartscenter.org/). Batik is new to me but I am really enjoying the process and the wonderful colors and images that are being produced. I am using soy wax pellets rather than the traditional beeswax and parrafin....works for me!








Here is a pretty fish sarong that I have batiked for my daughter Kristin. I hope that she and Dave get to spend a lot of free time at the beach this year with their friends. They met at the beach, you know, so it is a special getaway for them.












This is the last one for today: pink on pink!
Actually, the leaves are a lighter shade than the main body of the scarf, but you will have to use your imagination since my camera chose to read the shades in reverse.






Now off to Super Bowl festivities...by the way, who is playing this year?

Orchids Anyone?

Well, as I told you yesterday, we spent a good bit of the morning at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens viewing their fabulous orchid display. The Orchid Show did not officially begin until today, but the weather was phenomenal yesterday and we were free, so we saw what they had out and enjoyed it thoroughly. Here are a few of my favorites, along with the wonderful fountain with the Chihuly Glass sculpture, remaining from the Chihuly show last Fall. The little birdy was one of a group (not a flock) living in the orchid garden. There are also Gamrel Quail running around inside the orchid house, along with all sorts of tropical frogs...makes for lots of chirps and tweets!

Catching Up!

As I said, it's been 8 months of silence and now that I've figured out how to post photos, I have tons to show and tell!

The first photo is of my dog Barker and his sister, Betty. They are such high energy dogs that I am glad that we only have Barker. Betty is owned by another gal in our town, so the two sibs get together periodically at the groomers. It is nice for them as they remember eachother and enjoy their little reunions. Barker likes to spend time in my studio while I am dyeing...frequently he emerges "wearing" the color of the day!
The second photo is of my daughter Kristin and her husband Dave on their wedding day: July 3rd, 2004! Happy Monthiversary Kristin and Dave...and almost happy birthday to you, dear Dave (Feb 6th)! Aren't they a lovely couple? They both graduated from Georgia Tech and earned degrees in Mechanical Engineers, although Dave writes software now for an international travel company. Kristin's official title is "Transmission Line Design Engineer" for Georgia Power. You go girl!! Both work long and hard and Yes, I am one proud Mama of both of my kids!!!

Now to the present: it was an unseasonably warm and sunny day in Atlanta - shirtsleeve weather, actually. We spent the morning viewing the orchids at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The Orchid Show officially starts tomorrow but we got to see some amazing specimens today. I will post photos soon! I would love to paint some orchids on silk...there will be some lovely ones done by a group called Silk Synergy on display at the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this spring.....I can't wait to see them.

What did you do today? I hope the weather was lovely in your neck of the woods and that you had a chance to be active and out of doors!

Aha!!!

Aha! With the help of Rayna Gillman, I've finally learned how to post photos to my blog! Thanks Rayna!!

Here is one of my latest batik pieces. The background color is a lot more purple than this, and the fish are more aqua marine, so use your imagination!

More later....I'm off to meet up with some friends!

Mama Hen 

Hen Scratchings

Hen Scratchings
So, maybe we should try this again...now that it's been 8 months since my last attempt!
Life has changed so much in eight months...has it for you?