Quiet Day

My cat is exhausted from wandering around through the upheavel as I get ready to leave for Quilting by the Lake. Here she is doing her classic "beached whale" pose.
There is an old "folk tale" or something that says if you have a "kitchen witch" in your kitchen your pots won't burn over. You can buy little "witches" in "cooking" shops. I decided it might be a good idea to have a "classroom witch". To guard against cranky students, missing items, demonstrations that don't work, and an inadequate supply of extension cords. So this is Version One. We'll see how it works out.
This fabric sample has scraps of fabric arranged on a base, painted a bit and then stitched over.

More Molas

The second jacket has a great mola on the back and several small molas. This one is the heaviest weight cotton and was purchased on Ebay.
This jacket was found in my stash...a great find which had been all but forgotten. It is decorated in the back with a mola of a jacket...how appropriate?
Some of these small molas have exquisite detail. To me they are more like appliques but they all seem to be lumped together as molas.
I call this mola "The Rat stirs the soup". It is a high quality mola with tiny details such as the fine stitches on the pop, the rick rack type applique around the figure, the tiny diamonds, and the fine outlines of the flowers and other figures. It is a worn applique...made for use and not for the tourist trade which I prefer. They are usually much better made than tourist molas.

There's a New Alpaca in Town

I was driving to one of my favorite farm stands on the edge of town and was quite surprised to see this alpaca sitting by a new fence. There is another alpaca/llama farm on the other side of town but out in the country. This land was formerly the home of a Motor Court...or Motel...which was abandoned and falling down. It probably went out of business right after they changed the road into town perhaps 50 years ago. There was a main house which had also been abandoned. Apparently someone tore it all down and cleared out the field. I am assuming that more alpacas are on the way since they are very sociable and like to be in a group.
My cat is pre-occupied with waiting for her supper. You can see she doesn't miss too many meals.

I have become slightly obsessed with decorating mandarin collared denim shirts with molas and such. This one came from a yard sale for $2 and I embellished it with part of a Tee-shirt I didn't like and lots of small molas and molitas. I bought another one on Ebay and miracle of miracle...found another one when I cleaned out a closet. I have dozens of molas in my stash for this project and will be going to Panama and the San Blas Islands in August for more.

Antique Tibetan Needle Holders

These antique Tibetan Needle Holders are a favorite item which I look for on every trip to Nepal. They are made of Sterling Silver and run 4 to 5" long and I am fortunate enough to own 8 of them. They have a loop to be worn on the waist so a woman would have handy access to a needle during her busy workday.
I love the designs and some of them have a turquoise or coral stone. All of them need a polish but I hate to touch them.
I purchase them in Bouda, a town on the outskirts of Kathmandu with a huge Tibetan colony. They are drawn there because of the huge Stupa which is several hundred years old. They have flourished, built guest houses and businesses and are supporting at least 28 monastaries the last time I counted. I spent many happy months volunteering in the schools in Boudha.
The leather flap pulls down from the bottom which is where the needles are stored.

Bye Bye Bush

This bush was originally a snowball bush which died and the present bush grew up around the stump in its place. It is also growing along the house wall and I keep trimming it back. This one is in the way of the steps and deck which will be built out from the back door. A chain is wrapped around it and it will be pulled out by the van.

The other bushes and lilies along the wall between the door and the new concrete pad will also be dug out. The grass in the area is also going to go.
And away it goes. Post holes have also been dug and are awaiting poles and cement.

I Have Rocks Now

My patio designer and site foreman (also known as Michael, my son-in-law) discusses the delivery with the truck driver. Getting into the back yard was easy. We have had so little rain that the ground is really hard. Last year a cement truck got nicely stuck back here delivering cement for the garage project.
The driver has this down to a science. The rocks were dropped dead center of the project.

Now the workmen have to come in and spread them out and fence posts have to be dug and filled with cement before the cement for the patio arrives.

The Painter's Back and Some Favorites

My granddaughter Lisa is back on the ladder finishing up the front. It is amazing how life gets in the way of teenagers and projects they need to finish. Its finally done. I have made three trips to Ecuador over the last 14 years. Its a fabulous country with magnificent volcanoes and beautiful countryside. A man in Tigua, a small town in the mountains began painting beautiful folk art on sheepskins a couple of decades ago and started a now world renowned art form. He and his family members and others now teach the skills to locals from their area. The paintings are sold all over Ecuador. I was lucky enough to find some excellent examples early on. They are now all over the house.
On my first trip I also found an exquisite arparilla...a local village scene...made by craftswomen in Columbia. In most South American countries you can find crafts from all over the continent. This one is exquisitely made with massive amounts of hand embroidery and hand applique. Each figure has something in their hands...such as a wooden hoe...or is stuffed. I haven't seen one from Columbia in a number of years. Most of the current ones are much coarser and smaller, and made by women in the slums of Lima Peru.

Its Big Doings in Wolcott--The 200th Anniversary Parade

Here is my son, his wife Jill , Jack and Luke sitting in front of one of the churches in town waiting for the big event. It was a bit misty but that didn't slow down the festivities which have been running for several days.
Of course there had to be people selling balloons and stuffed animals.

And all the mayors of the surrounding towns had to ride by in an impressive or at least big car.
My daughter Barbara. This was the first car of the parade. I have loaded these photos in three times and can't seem to get the order right.
The parade begins with a few police cars.
And we had to have golf carts announcing the different towns for some reason.

And what would a parade be without lots of old cars and trucks?

This is a float representing the falls in town.
And an oldtime school.
And the Princess float with my granddaughter Abby on it.
Abby is under the umbrella to the left. Giving her best Princess wave.

And of course it needs people in animal costumes.


Lots of floats dispensed candy from local industries and businesses. This group is from Electromark where my daughter in law Jill works. The kids love this of course.
And of course every parade needs an Uncle Sam on roller skates.



And a statue of liberty.

Every firetruck in the county always turns out for every parade, no matter how small. And the old fire trucks too.
And an old propane truck for some reason.

A lots of terrific marching bands. Who tried to keep from drowning each other out.
And firemen...some in spiffy uniforms.

This is the first parade I ever attended with dump trucks! There was a brand new dump truck from every town around it seemed.
Thats all folks.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!