Quilts and Quotes

Went to a nice quilt show in Oxford with three friends on Monday. We enjoyed seeing all the creations, and had a fine lunch, too! I really liked this quilt of golden autumn leaves someone made for their college bound son!

Yesterday had my first oil change for my Elantra. The dealership also quoted me a price of $340 to replace my shattered rear view mirror, which I accidentally broke two weeks ago on a tree in my own driveway (which I've successfully navigated around for thirty years, but crunched in my haste to provide the local convenience store with $5 of needed nickels. Don't worry, the tree is fine!). I really just wanted the glass replaced and not the whole unit, but evidently big business is out to make as much profit as possible and operates under the motto, "Replace, not fix". Of course, these days power-adjustable rear view mirrors aren't simply bolted on with three screws... to make a long story short, I decided to see if I could find a mirror at an auto store to superglue over the old one.

Imagine my delight when I passed a family-owned plate glass business as I was wending my way through town from one side of the river to the other and saw two homemade signs out front that advertised, "We repair rear view mirrors!" Saleeby and Son- what a great place! They made a pattern on cardboard, traced it onto a thick, copper-backed mirror, deftly cut it out by scribing the glass and knocking away the excess, ground down the sharp edges, applied adhesive and attached it to my car! All this, plus lively chatter in a genuine workshop environment, with every inch covered with tools, old calendars, frames, etc. for a modest $30.24- 10% of what the dealership asked for, plus I got to watch and be amazed by real craftsmanship.(They have been in business since 1923). I'm tempted to smash the passenger side mirror so I can go back again!(Just kidding).

Tonight I finished making an Autumn-inspired quilt to spruce up the bed upstairs, since my Alaskan cousins may be visiting next week. That's more fun than dusting cobwebs and changing sheets, what I really should be doing!

Sneak Peek Preview

Pat Stone, editor of GreenPrints, a gardener's quarterly filled with illustrations and stories, approved my Winter assignment, shown here. Whew! Now if you want to find out what this illustrates, you'll have to wait until the Winter issue hits the shelves!

Peeking at Autumn's Peak

Today may be the peak for Autumn colors! Took a walk outside with my camera this afternoon.

This is Jazz looking statuesque.


And this is one of the last marigolds in bloom in my garden.

The sunflowers have been exuding cheer atop our kitchen table.

I cut strips for a new quilt this morning. The colors ring of Summer yielding to Autumn.




Little porch pumpkin nestled near pansies.

Our home is dwarfed by the old, golden, maple sentries.

October Light

We took a day trip on Saturday to visit R at New Paltz and took plenty of snapshots to document the day. The morning light looks different to me, especially when the sun's shining. It says, "Autumn is here in all its fullness and glory. Don't miss out! Look! Look at the textures of the colored leaves on the hills! Look at the way the sun shines through the leaves and makes patterns on the ground! Look at the clouds!"

R looked happy and great, and we enjoyed seeing her projects! I had fun looking at the art studios, the still lifes, the sculptural space, the random painted patterns on the floor, even the labeled pipes overhead. It's exciting to be around a place where creativity is encouraged.

We picked apples in an orchard, trees barely supporting the weight of ripened fruit. They were overly abundant. It bordered on overwhelming!

Flowers,Rainbows and Honoring Loved Ones

The windowboxes are still giving us pleasure as September gives way to October. I didn't have very showy boxes this year, but still enjoyed them anyway, even the stray tomato plants that grew from the compost soil.



Participated in Rec Park's annual Lung Cancer Awareness Walk/Run (helped make the pink T-shirts to honor the memory of a recent lung cancer victim, Wendy Howie, the daughter of my line dancing friend, Dot).



I've actually finished this drawing, since this photo was taken. I gave a copy to my folks, and it's already hanging near their front door. Eventually, I'll tint it. This picture is the way I like to remember my oldest brother, Jack, who died in 1989.



We went to Norwich after school yesterday and watched a rainbow grace the sky nearly all the way home. At times, saw portions of a double rainbow. Stopped to marvel at the complete arch as we neared Afton. It's always magical and memorable!



Mom and Dad came up today and we had a tea party next to the woodstove with freshly made brownies, Afterwards, i trimmed Mom's hair, an added service that many diners don't offer!



A few weeks ago went the wedding of a friend's daughter and just completed this small log cabin quilt for her (appropriate since her new last name is Plank). I always know a quilt is a success when someone in my family would like to keep it (in this case,my youngest son, and okay! okay! I confess- I'd like to keep it, too).

September Songs

Its September again (almost mid month by now)! Many mothers and others might be humming the happy back-to-school song. The first day of school is like my new year- I have more control over my own schedule again! I'm celebrating my new year by starting the first of my 2011 calendar drawings, which will all have water in common. (My 2010 calendar is done and features trains). The first drawing I'm doing for '11 may take awhile- it's been taped to the side of my dresser for years, and is of my oldest brother, Jack, fishing in the Gunnison River on a Colorado family vacation. I'm not sure what year it's from, but it doesn't really matter. He's in the river of time, doing one of the things he loved doing most in the world. It predates 1989, the year he died. He's wearing a windbreaker (are nylon jackets still called windbreakers?) that Mom and Dad brought us back from Hawaii as souvenirs. I showed Mom and Dad my start this morning and they recognized the place instantly. We have all been at that spot- I remember playing with a red balloon and some carnations with my niece, Kathy, on one of the rocks there, when Jack was trying to fish.



My youngest son, J, starts middle school this year and catches a ride to school with his Dad now. Thus my morning ritual of standing by the side of the road with one of my three children is over after 21 years of early morning fog, occasional rain showers, swirling leaves, snow pants, boots, windchill, small talk and waving to passing cars (if we waved to at least two people, we were assured of having a good day- my declaration) is over. I'm ready for the next chapter.



J and I enjoyed a reunion bluegrass show at the Bainbridge Town Hall Opry this past Saturday night when the Lockwood Family returned to the stage after a 25 year hiatus. We saw them perform back in the early '80s. The original brothers have grown and had families. Brother Tim was visiting from his home in Panama, so a reunion show was held and enjoyed by the audience. Mother, Mary, manned the bass as she did in the old days, as well as sister, Mary, and Jonathon's wife. The children all got to sing on stage with their parents- I especially like the fishing song written and performed by young Mary and her two kids.



My Mom always heads for the family piano in our dining room, and plays the same song her Dad used to play- Redbird, followed by the scales. It's part of her weekly ritual along with petting, Jazz, our cat, and having pie and cocoa at Henry's the diner next door.



And nothing puts a song in my heart like the image of sunlit flowers.

More Summer Snapshots

This gorgeous evening cloud, whose image I captured from my front yard, reminds me a little of a Maxfield Parrish scene. Who's M.P.? He did lovely illustrative paintings many decades ago.


Bumper rides at the Delaware Co. Fair.


Another bumpy ride!


This photo shows a really cool, impromptu grotto of stacked beach pebbles on the Maine beach near Perkin's Cove. I don't know if it's the efforts of one person or many, but I appreciated the mystical results!


Most dune roses are pink, but spotted this pretty white one.


Off to the beach!


Tradition continues.


The ocean beckons.

Summer Snapshots

We've had a full Summer occupied with family and baseball and occasional day trips. It's been very wet and muggy lately! The mosquitoes forced me inside- a good time to post some snapshots.


A bouquet to celebrate J's eleventh birthday.


R and I enjoyed Binghamton's August Art walk. (I would've enjoyed it more if I wore comfortable shoes!)


R helped celebrate Grandma D's birthday.


A flower among flowers.


We love going to this barbecue joint- great food, every time! Just horsing around above.


My parents, out standing in their yard.


Dad's corner garden.


J playing second base, last Summer game, 2009, Sidney.


My oldest kids, en route to Sidney to see J's game.


A peaceful place in my friend M's garden.


I like this brick alley in Hamilton, NY.


We line danced at the Deposit Lumberjack Festival, the Afton Fair and Sidney's sidewalk festival this summer.


A favorite nook at Cornell's Plantation Garden, Ithaca, NY.