HITTING DEAD SPOTS

On June 23rd, leaving graduations and Las Vegas behind, I flew my youngest grandson to Sacramento with me.  With a seven year old’s sense of adventure, through his eyes, I enjoyed the planes landing at the airport; the monitors, the hustle and bustle.  I enjoyed him while he enjoyed the tube, the luggage loaders, the servers, then the fabulous terrain out the window from the air. Not an ounce of fear for his first flight in memory, just fascination with cars turned to toys,  tiny  buildings, etched roads and patchwork fields.  Once the terrain out the window became repetitious, he tried for a nap.

I watched his eyes widen at the sight of the luggage sculpture. “Grandma, those suitcases are gonna fall!!”

We paused at my daughter’s house to check on  the chickens, cats and garden, then immediately drove to Lake County, North of  Willits, to join them at  their cabin. Its located five miles off the highway in a breath-taking valley with a river running through it.  It’s also a dead zone for phone and internet. Peaceful, quiet, solitude for we adults; fascinating exploration for kids.  To introduce a new experience to a seven year old allows us to be kids again and share their sense of wonder.
I drove back to Murphys;  home for a family reunion.  These pages will be dead spots here and there for awhile as well as I get caught  up.

THE THREE M'S DISCOVER FURNITURE JEWELRY

Mary, Madalaine and Michal, the Three M's did Camps.  We M's are long time friends and since Michal and I do a good deal of traveling, we don't have much time together.  We celebrated at Camps last year where they have good food and drinks.  So now, its a tradition. The bartender here is known  for her delicious Bloody Marys.

 

 Her Bloody Marys may require a chemistry degree, but we didn't ask. Yum!

 Every year Camps has a quilt show of local quilters at Greenhorn Creek. Quilts are normally built on straight lines, but this quilt declares it has NO straight lines. It makes an interesting interpretation of Christmas trees in the snow. Its based on the Dr. Seuss story How The Grinch Stole Christmas with Cindy Lou Who. An original by Tamara Leberer.

 A touch of beading and the inventive circular quilting give it cache.

 A Geometric Wonder, designed and quilted by Donna Coll caught everyone's eye draped over the fireplace mantle.

 Cutie Cats have colorful buttons, catty footprints, catty materials and was a fun subject made by Shera Winter.

 Beautifully embroidered with dragonflies, humming birds, flowers and butterflies by Kathy Jayne.

 We M's liked the Hawaiian print wall hanging above, all hand done by Karen Beeding.

 Maddie and Michal don't quilt, but they appreciate them. I understand the work that goes into a cathedral window pattern above, but we all chose as our favorite, the Poppy Wall hanging by Tamara Leberer.

The picture doesn't begin to show what work and creative shading is involved in this piece made from very small square and oblong pieces, most only 1/4 inch wide. Lovely.

Sheryl greeted us at the door and later modeled the shoulder wrap or "furniture jewelry" by Tamara Leberer. I had never heard that term before but realized how apt it is. I do the same thing, drape something pretty over a chair or table.
Tamara is a professional. She does machine quilting for others and many of the quilts in this exhibit were machine worked by Tamara. Quilting is an art and an obsession for some people. Beauty is the result.