December 27, 2007 | Filed Under Celebrations | Comments Off
Love, joy and peace are the ultimate Christmas gifts. The first two are in abundance at my mother-in-law’s home here in Pittsburgh. However, with this loud exuberant Italian family, peace is a little harder to come by. I am always amazed that David and his sister make more noise than me and my five siblings put together!
The inclusion of more relatives for Christmas dinner added to the festivities and David’s & my cooking efforts were well received. We have eaten so well on this trip that I can see that we will have to apply a strict fish and salad regime on our return to Australia. Thank goodness for stretch jeans!
We are currently taking a side trip to Pennsylvanian (Amish) Dutch Country. Time for some more chocolate research. This time at Wilbur Chocolatesin Lititz.
December 21, 2007 | Filed Under Travel | Comments Off
When we were in San Francisco, we wandered around the Mission district where I got to eat some excellent tamales at Roosevelt’s Tamale Bar; take in the latino vibe and view some of the murals. My sister-in-law is business director with Precita Eyes Mural Arts Association:
“As an inner city, community-based mural arts organization, Precita Eyes Mural Arts Association seeks to enrich and beautify urban environments and educate communities locally and internationally about the process and the history of public community mural art. We maintain a deep commitment to collaborating with the various communities we serve. Our dedication to collaboration guarantees that creative work produced is accessible, both physically and conceptually, to the people whose lives it impacts. We intend to bring art into the daily lives of people through a process which enables them to reflect their particular concerns, joys and triumphs. “
Check out the colourful murals on the Precita Eyes website. They also do a great line in acrylic paints:
December 19, 2007 | Filed Under Celebrations | 2 Comments
Last night David and I did the granparently thing and stood in line for almost two hours so that Ryan (two and a half years old) could put in a good word with Santa. He was so chuffed! (This photo is grainy because it was surreptiously snapped with a zoom from a long distance. Our payback for having to wait so long…)
December 17, 2007 | Filed Under This & That | 2 Comments
From a blogging point of view, this trip has not been very successful and things are not likely to improve. Neither David’s sister nor his mother have broadband so we are limited to 15 minutes per day of painfully slow dial-up, most of which is dedicated to dealing with essential e-mails. We have also encountered connectivity problems in the few wi-fi places we have tried which is disappointing.
However, in terms of spending quality time with family and friends, things are going much better. We managed to get into Denver between storms and are having a lovely visit with David’s stepdaughter and her two and half year old chatterbox son, Ryan This morning we accompanied Ryan to Lollilocks Kid Salon for his hair cut. I personally don’t much enjoy getting my hair cut (I have to psych myself up for the head massage and the smalltalk) but maybe it would be more fun if I could sit on a hippo or a pink elephant…
Next stop Pittsburgh…
December 14, 2007 | Filed Under Travel | 1 Comment
When you encounter a stretch of favourable weather, as we have done, then San Francisco is a fun city to explore by foot. David and I have walked all over the place, taking in such neighbourhood treasures as Hayes Valley (see www.peaceindustry.com for contemporary felted rugs in often quilt-like designs); the Fillmore; Union Street; Golden Gate Park; Ocean Beach and the Cliff House and so on. I also did a spot of shopping in the city and came home with some new shoes:
December 10, 2007 | Filed Under This & That | 2 Comments
The focus of this trip is to spend time with dear family and friends. Geography and the tyranny of distance precludes us from gathering more often but we always make the most of our time together.
Some time ago, I selected “bridges” as my theme for exercises from the Art Quilt Workbook so this trip will also be an opportunity to gather some inspiration images.
December 8, 2007 | Filed Under Classic Quilts | 1 Comment
This post is for Caity who I know just loves her yoyo-making gadget. Here’s a wee project for you to aspire to:
One of David’s aunts made this yoyo coverlet a long time ago and now it graces the guest bed at his sister’s place. The colours on top have faded as a result of being continually exposed to direct sunlight but on the sides you can still make out the 30s prints.
December 6, 2007 | Filed Under Celebrations | 3 Comments
I first came across Diane’s blog Going to Pieces and the Artful Quilters Web Ring in 2005 and immediately felt like I had discovered a kindred spirit in this fellow quilting lawyer. As we often travel to this part of California, I was confident that it would only be a matter of time before we would have an opportunity to meet in person. That opportunity arose earlier this week and here is the proof:
And not only did we get to meet Diane but also her husband Roger and daughter Caroline. What fun!
December 3, 2007 | Filed Under Travel | 2 Comments
Saturday dawned with clear blue skies and so the four of us set out on the Barbary Coast Trail*. This self-guided 3.8+ mile walk starts at the Mint in downtown San Francisco and connects important historic sites in Union Square, Chinatown, the Financial District, Jackson Square, North Beach, Telegraph Hill, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghiradelli Square. David’s sister provided running commentary from the official guide book and, although all of us are quite familiar with SF sites and history, we learned a great deal. My favourite part was the Jackson Square Historic District, a cluster of Gold Rush and Barbary Coast era buildings harking back to the city’s origins as a maritime, mercantile and entertainment centre. Many of these buildings are now galleries and I enjoyed the glass works by Japanese artist Mashima. Our walk was punctuated by many refreshment stops including: seafood lunch at Tadich’s; a cleansing ale at the San Francisco Brewing Company; cannoli from Victoria’s at North Beach; and chocolate samples at Ghiradelli Square. We wrapped up the delightful day with an exhilarating ride on the Hyde-Power cable car line. Playing tourists can be fun.
* Apparently sailors borrowed the name Barbary Coast from North Africa where Barbary pirates kidnapped ships and held them to ransom. Sailor kidnapping occured on San Francisco’s waterfront during the Gold Rush as captains struggled to retain sufficient personnel to operate their ships
