GOING TOO FAST

From this pix 3 1/2 years ago with Mike, Syd and newborn Anthony...

to now with Julie (Jim's daughter) holding Anthony.

And Anthony who is already techno savvy at 3 

and older brother Syd who just turned 8 this week.

Syd tells me he is the 2nd best kid on his basketball team,

hee hee,

and he's also smart as a whip.

                Syd

It truly is remarkable but maybe kind of sad too

 how much these kids absorb and know at such an early age these days.

And how different parenting seems 

with all the resources our children have at their disposal for our grands. 

Is it a good thing?

Only time will tell how this new generation will turn out.

I really hope I live long enough to see it.

And I hope it's positive.

But based on what I'm seeing in our sheltered upscale neighborhood 

and community here in Anaheim Hills,

the generation before these young ones (the older teens) 

are going everywhere in their pajama bottoms,

 and don't want to work, get a job, or volunteer in their communities.

And the drugs,

not just the pot,

are easily available at our local high schools 

with Heroin being the popular drug of choice.

These kids here seem so entitled, slovenly and crazy disrespectful

 and that scares me.

I had a couple teens a few months back who were jumping our pool fence

which is prohibited and posted tell me to "F" off when I called them on it.

And when our security showed up,

 they were too chicken to take them on and let them stay.

Unbelievable!!!

And of course we are seeing less and less consequences.

I know there are exceptions but overall this is what I'm seeing.

Also noticing the boy and girl scouts/camp fire girls are a dying breed.

Is this just in Southern California or where you live too?

Are you as worried as I am?

Sorry for this rant,

it just kind of all spilled out.

Or maybe I'm just getting old and frightened.

LOL

And have I mentioned yet how much I dislike our Governor?

I better not let myself get started on that.

Ha ha!

OUR CALIFORNIA SNOW PACK JUST KEEPS GETTING DEEPER

This is Big Bear Mountain in the San Bernardino National Forest Range

 after our last big snow a couple of weeks ago.

I took this picture on our way up to our cabin last Thursday.

Our cabin is at 5000 feet in Crestline and we had tiny patches of dirty snow

when we got there.

Big Bear is at 8805 feet and is one of Southern California's favorite Ski Resorts

with a lot more excepted today.

As I scanned the horizon and turned in the opposite direction,

I was able to get a great picture of the San Gabriel Mountain Range.

The city of Wrightwood is located there 

with Mountain High being its Ski Resort at 8200 feet.

Not quite as crowded or popular as Big Bear 

but the perfect resort to learn how to ski at.

When we got to our cabin last week,

one of the first things I looked for 

was any water run off in our streams.

It's still a bit too chilly for much being in the 20's, 30's and 40's.

We have a stream next to our property that has a tiny trickle right now

 and too difficult to really take a decent picture of.

But this stream above is much more beautiful and about a 1/2 mile walk from us 

in a neighborhood called Valley of the Moon.

It had a bit more water streaming down the rocks

and some lovely moss/lichens beginning to grow.

It's such a peaceful place to sit and listen to the water run.

Another huge storm partially moved in yesterday 

with a lot of snowfall expected. 

Today its really coming down.

We were going to go up but now are taking a pass,

we don't want to get snowed in.

SIGNS OF SPRING

The birds have started to build their nests by picking cotton tuffs off this ball

on our porch.

Winter rains have brought out the spring grasses and wildflowers 

like Mustard Greens and Purple Lupine.

The dates on our palms are ripening,

and the orange poppies can be seen from space again 

for another super bloom season in California.

My freesia bulbs have shot up and are beginning their blooming season

and the smell is delightful.

The lilac bushes are sending out their buds 

and in the nurseries are already in bloom like this one.

And also in the nurseries now are several varieties of Magnolias in bloom

 like this gorgeous one called 'Genie'. 

This is a slow growing variety that only gets to 10 feet tall. 

Hummm....that sure would look nice on our porch.

EVEE'S FELT JOURNAL

FELTED JOURNALS

Beginning 3-D Art

dyed wool roving, hot soapy water, thread and yarn scraps, hardware findings

I recently found these old pictures that I think are anywhere 

from the 2012-2013 school year up to possibly the  2015-2016  school year.

I haven't shared these yet, 

and it's been so long since I did a post from my teaching years, 

that I thought I'd give it a try again.

I have to admit that remembering this old format is somewhat challenging,

but so good for this older brain.

Amazing how it comes back!

 One of my favorite projects to demonstrate was Feltmaking 

because the kids loved seeing me surrounded and covered in hot soapy water which was dripping all over me and the floor.

Can't remember why I chose this colorway,

but knowing me I wanted to use up some leftover pieces of dyed wool roving 

from previous year's scraps.

These next 3 shots are after I had wet felted the piece.

I wanted to show the kids they could embed other materials into their felt

before the wet felting begins.

Didn't get a shot of that, only after I wet felted it.

Like this saved ribbon tag from my son's best friend's wedding (above),

along with a small piece of felt I had demonstrated beading (below).

I also sprinkled on a variety of yarns and threads from other projects I'd saved.

I was fairly pleased with how this concoction turned out.

The next step was felting it down even more in the washing machine 

with hot soapy water and some serious agitation,

and then it was on to turning it into a Journal below to demo for the students.

A picture of the finished Journal closed up in a 3 way fold

Not sure why these next 4 photos of the finished Journal are looking so bright,

but it will mellow out in the last couple of pix.

A few things to point out in the finished piece

 is first of all the name embroidered with handspun yarn on the front cover,

Evee.

Evee is the first born daughter of the couple who the wedding tag belonged to.

But note how much different the ribbon tag looks from the photo way above.

That's the washing machine doing it's shrinking magic.

Sadly though the date on the fabric disappeared.

Perle cottons were used with a running stitch to meander around negative spaces and to highlight certain areas.

And knowing the father of Evee well,

 since Kindergarten actually,

and how much he and his wife love to travel,

a fun ribbon with text was found,

cut up, fringed and tacked down.

Because my brain is in right mode most of the time while I work, 

I didn't realize that I had designed the Journal to open backwards.

Oops and oh well.

I really enjoyed using the wire clamp I found on a dog walk for the closure

along with a spring I scavenged from my husbands  hardware findings,

below.

Then it was on to the interior.

If I remember correctly I gave the students a choice between fabric or leather

 to line the insides of Journal with.

Turning the edges under and sewing fabric on worked for me.

And then another fun part is teaching the kids how to do a Long Stitch Binding,

and I believe there was also another choice, 

a Coptic Binding.

And then the choice of  papers to use.

I did a combo so show you could do more then one kind;

construction & drawing paper, and a map of the big Island of Hawaii

because I knew it was Evee's first plane ride to my son's wedding.

I also gave the students a choice to cut or deckle the edges of their papers.

I chose deckling for a softer look.

I know it's hard to see the center page of the Journal below

but it is the part of the island we had the wedding at 

on the Kona Coast plus other areas we explored.

Close-ups of some of the details and shrinkage.

I think dear Evee is now at least 4-5 years old with a little sister

 who is probably around 2.

When did I finally get around to finishing this book and photos?

Well,

I'm embarrassed to say last year or maybe the year before.

I know,

I'm terrible about keeping track of these sorts of things.

And will I make one for little sister,

probably not knowing me.

Have I given the Journal to Evee and her parentals yet,

gulp,

nope.

My excuse,

Covid of course!

Haven't seen them in over two years.

But now that I've posted this it will force me to get it to them.

Do they live far away?

Sort of.

But I'll figure it out.

Her parents live up in our cabin community of Crestline.

So yeah.

To see my students journals go here then scroll down PAST this one

 to all the others below it.  

OUR NOSEY NEW NEIGHBORS

 

 I couldn't resist capturing these two new pups,

well grown dogs really,

 who recently moved in by us.

This is from their owners second story window.

Super curious and not one bark out of them as Sophie and I walked on by.

Impressive restraint!

Our girl Soph would have been flying thru that window screen barking her head off!

LOL

SENDING OUT VALENTINE WISHES WITH A RECIPE

 

These two cuties came rolling out of my latest bag of potatoes.

Just had to take a pix.

Been buying a new brand of potatoes to me

 that I found at Trader Joes called Dutch Babies.

Even better than Yukon Golds.

Scrumptious!

But alas,

into the pot of boiling water they went 

and I turned them into delicious mashed potatoes,

skin and all.

With salt& pepper, butter, sour cream, chive & onion cream cheese

and half and half.

Ha ha, 

no wonder I can't loose weight!

These are the potatoes that are now requested at Thanksgiving.

wOO hOO!!!

A FAVORITE SLOW STITCHER

Hazel's story cloth about 3" by 5" and her notecard above with another image of one of her story cloths

I was thrilled to be able to scoop up this brilliant story cloth 

by Hazel Monte of Handstories blog last month.

Her pieces speak to me so very strongly 

and I'm the lucky owner of several now.

Each one she makes are unique,

signed on the backside with their own special names.

the story cloth

So I've been thinking of how I can put them all together into a larger story cloth.

I think I have enough now to do that with.

I've been playing around with arrangements

and there are just so many ways to go.

a close-up

But honestly,

I feel I can't do them justice as Hazel would.

Hazel as you can see,

brings magic to scraps of cloth.

I know several of us send her remnants every now and then

plus she sources from old clothes that are dear to her,

and also supports other slow stitchers like Jude Hill

I'm wondering if I could commission Hazel to put them together for me?

Just a thought,

but a big one.

If you are new to her work let me give you some background.

Hazel hand dyes many of her pieces of cloth with natural dyestuffs.

I believe lately she has been playing with a vat of indigo.

She has an innate design ability that allows her to design as she stitches

which being a retired art instructor is a rare gift.

Most of us usually have to plan something out before we start, 

perhaps a rough sketch.

Rachel also has an uncanny skill with watercolor

and abstracting images that are purely delightful.

But what I find the most remarkable about Hazel's slow stitching

is the delicate quality of each piece she makes.

They are precious tiny gifts,

so small and lovely to hold in your hand,

so lightweight and soft.

A sensory experience for hand, eyes and hearts.

Her stitches are extremely tiny,

I really would love to watch her work one day to see how she moves her needle

and gets it to make that magic of hers.

And if you've never been to her blog site 

you will find that she is also a gifted story teller.

She is able to make you both laugh and cry.

I keep telling her she needs to write a book.

A DRIVE BY

February is usually the time of year that I take a drive by our home in Yorba Linda

where my ex and I raised our children from ages 4 and 9 thru collage.

I go at that time to see if my daffodils are up.

And they never disappoint.

I go there for many other reasons too and sometimes I get a little weepy,

especially when I see the kids bedroom windows.

There have been 2 other owners since we were there,

 and they've kept almost all the plantings I put in,

including my big beautiful Camilla bushes that are also in bloom now.

They have added solar panels,

 and when I happen to drive by at night,

not often,

don't want you to think I'm a stalker LOL,

 they have also changed out the paint colors that I so carefully picked out

inside the house.

Besides the daffs,

 both orange trees, a lime and lemon tree and a grapefruit are all in full fruit.

I want to knock on the door 

and ask if I can pick some fruit but I'm too big a chicken.

But I still love that home so much,

so many wonderful memories of my babies growing up.

SHIBORI GIRL MOONS

This past year I participated in

Glennis Dolce's Moon of the Month subscription

and received 2 Indigo dipped moons every month 

with a complete list of the fabrics used and any other tidbits she wanted us to know

about the making or significance of them.

She just started it up again and it's not to late to subscribe for 2023.

It was so much fun never knowing what size and shaped moons she'd create

 and what special fabrics she'd use,

oftentimes cutting into old kimonos she's brought back with her from Japan.

Glennis also has a tour guided trip to Japan this year that looks amazing.

I believe there are a few spots left too.

Glennis is a wealth of information on Japan and Shibori.

She also offers many other courses, cards and pieces she has made,

 several of them she has slow stitched into banners and bags.

Above are only a few of the 24 moons she sent out this past year.

With the December moons she also sent out six different rabbit silhouettes 

that she suggested we stitch onto a few of the moons 

since this is the year of the Rabbit.

I did a few and wasn't sure if I liked them,

 but when I saw this pix of them I think I might do a couple more 

before I sew them together in some type of banner.

My dear blogger friend Liz from I'm going to Texas

also participated in the monthly moons

 and has already started to sew hers onto a Quilt top.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

DAYS 10 & 11 ADVENT KNIT

I'm almost to the half way point on this shawl 

with 315 stitches across my needles.

Loving the way the black knit bobbles look

 giving the piece even more interest and dimension.

They are a pain to make, 

super time consuming

which of course slows me down even more.

Ha ha

And in this next white row I will be doing another round of them.

I'm also enjoying the pop of black and white check surrounded by that lovely darker green.

Day 11 (above) is a couple of shades of lighter greens 

mixed with a bit of yellow green.

Gorgeous colors.

Amanda Rios of Buku Knits in La Verne, Ca.,

 you are a genius with your dye pots!

Oh and Day 10 came with a bonus surprise,

the black and white check yarn surround for the white ball.

Love it!