Hot Rods, Music, Movie and Quilting

My oh my this has been a great last few days of summer. We seem to go in spurts with our activities and working on the homestead. Right now we are in an activities/fun time of our lives. First off I'd like to recommend the movie Julie and Julia. Meryl Streep is the actors actor. She really was brilliant as Julia Child. There could have been a whole movie made about her, but, Amy Adams was good also as Julie Powel. She made a movie after writing a blog about making all the recipes in Julia's cook book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Share a large bag of popcorn with someone and go see this movie. My sweet husband went with me because I think he knew how much I wanted to go so much. But, believe me, it's a Chick Flick, as if you couldn't guess that

Next up, was the Street Rod/Hot Rod National Show at the fair grounds here in Louisville. They've been having this event in town for the past many years, but, I think it's about to end and move to Nashville. If it's still here next year, you better get over and see it as it will be moving. We've never gone because it's so hot. That was certainly the case this time, but, thank goodness we came with an umbrella. Why don't they have this event in the fall or spring? When it's a little cooler. There was also the big show in the fair grounds buildings. But, it was a treat to walk up and down the isles of thousands of hot rods. I even ran across a car I learned to drive in, a 1950 Ford pickup. The one I learned to drive with was not this nice. It was a real truck that my dad liked to drive everywhere. Mine used to have a big black wooden box on the bed and when we were little kids we would ride in the back and people would tease us as we would watch them out the back. One fellow took out his false teeth while driving and we were so grossed out. Their whole car would laugh and he'd do it again, gross out, laugh and laugh...smile.

By the way, a street rod hobby is the male equivalent of quilting. You have mainly a senior/retiree type of hobby and big "show off" events. Both are certainly hobbies for people with some handy cash. And most of all we look like them, a little heavier with grey hair and pony tails. Hmmm...now that's an event to bring the men and women together-quilt show/street rod show. That convention center could hold all those people attending-where ever it may be.

Our local radio station, WFPK likes to help bring unusual music to Louisville. I guess it's not that unusual, just maybe a little different from the ever popular classic '60's and '70's rock stations that abound. The concert Jennifer and I went to was the Decemberists.A folk opera was the style I'd call it, with two girls from another group that seemed to be the next Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart fame. So much were they similar, that the group sang Crazy on You and brought the house down. It was great. The quirky lead singer had a voice that was similar to old british folk singing women and they all complimented each other very well. The greatest part of the evening, for me, was discovering a new group, Blind Pilot. This group has a multi layered sound using trumpet and xylophone and a girl banjo player. It was kind of funny how the lead singer of the Decemberists told us we were "too nice". I've heard that before about our local music appreciating audiences. I don't know how any person or group of people can be "too nice". What a better place it would be if everyone was that way. So, I guess I'll continue appreciative and too nice for my own good, as he said. Who knows, maybe it will catch on-to the rest of the world.

Last but certainly not least, my favorite little quilt group, Northeast Quilting Friends, went to one of our favorite LQSs, Craft Town. Before we left Mary gave back of trunk instructions to us all as we are planning to sew a french braid quilt together in one of our upcoming classes.

So much blogging to do, so little time...al

I've been working on a double secret project lately. Our Christmas in July. Last December, Mary and Sherrill went shopping and bought 5 pieces of material and distributed them, half yard pieces each. We had our party today, so I can talk about my contribution.

In 2005 we went to Alaska on a 2 week cruise, one week on land, starting in Fairbanks and 1 week on the boat. This quilt is an homage to my memories of that vacation.

The center panel I purchased at a quilt shop in Alaska. This panel is filled with the underwater wildlife. The most fascinating to me was the watching whales do their bubble jet feeding in Anchorage, so of course this caught my eye. We really didn't see that many animals, as the train ride was lined with green trees and we did not take the extended visit into Denali National Park. We saw one caribou from a distance, laying down. It was sufficiently far enough away from our short ride group tour bus, that people suspected is was tied up there, so we could say we saw something.

We did have fabulous memories-like childbirth, you forget how exhausted you were during the "vacation". I over excurcioned-you know, planned to much to do, because by golly we were going all that way we were not going to sit around. One of the things I did do was learn to fly fish. So, along my border is a fishing pole in the quilting. I've made the quilt design to be the fly line pulling out and across the border on 2 sides. On the other 2 sides I have schools of fish with fish actually ready to bite the fly. Now when we were in Alaska, I can't really say I caught a fish, because it jumped off before I got it to the shore. But, it was close enough for me to get hooked myself.

We've already gone fly fishing in West Virginia-14 mile guided trip on the upper Gauley. Of course, it was the springtime, so that is a big difference from the Gauley in the fall. Needless to say there is a reason I quilted the fish, that's the only way I'll see a fish on my line. I hope that's not true. They tell me the thrill of fly fishing is making your own flies and catching fish on your own flies.

Nothing like quilting friends to pull you out of your funk. come,

Yes, hard times are here, but, leave it to my quilting friends, to see a need and offer help.  Help in my case was a trip to a museum.  Sheelah, my friend who has also undergone a hard regimen of chemotherapy for a freak cancer like Jennifer.  She has a heart for people going through difficult times.  Her particular gifts are aimed at people in the throws of or are in support of people with cancer.  

Having heard my story and being a part of our quilt group, she calls me up and says, Julie what do you want to do?  A long time ago I had heard of the King Tut exhibit in Dallas, Tx.  I guess it's been traveling the country at different times, but, I'd never been close enough for it.  So, I said, how about Indianapolis?  Without hesitation, Sheelah says okay.  And another lady in our group, Shirley, an intrepid traveler, wanted to come along as well.  

So off we drove, first to a wonderful little chines food place for lunch.  Then on to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.  Word of warning before you go, the parking lot was full when we arrived there around 1:00.  If you go, get to the museum at 3:00.  The children were pretty cleared out by then.  But, it might have added to the crowd, because there were, besides King Tut, a Star Wars and dragon exhibit.  It can't think of 2 more better draws for kids than those.  They should probably put an age appropriate warning on King Tut, as there was lots of reading and alarms that children did not seem to understand what not to do.  

This is a beautiful museum, with all things for kids, including kid size bathrooms.  

Last but not to be missed, a trip to Shapiro's bakery and deli.  I highly recommend the cannolis and ruben.  The ruben was plenty big enough to share.  They also make fresh bagels, of which I understand are most like those you find in NYC.  

We also managed to stop at 2 fabulous quilt shops in Indianapolis, the Back Door and Quilts Plus.  These are pictures of Quilts Plus.  I've always visited their booth at quilt shows and was curious about their shop.  I was not disappointed.  The shop had a little bit of everything, including a large quilting machine for quilting those quilt tops.  

Jennifer is in a pickle again

The world hands us difficulties.  Jennifer has been handed a bonanza-a nasty kind of cancer, no one should ever have.  Ewing's Sarcoma is a childhood cancer.  It's not the glamour cancer that breast cancer has become.  I suppose it's because so many people have breast cancer, it only makes sense that the research dollars should go this way.  But, what about the "freak" cancers, as Jennifer likes to call them.  There are no pink ribbons or walkathons for them.  There is no great politician, that I know of to champion these lesser known, and dare I say, lesser cared about cancers.  Children have no vote.  My daughter can vote, but, her lone vote does not matter.  She's a 25 year old with a classic childhood cancer. 

I don't begrudge anyone the benefit of the research done for breast cancer, my mom and grandmother are both survivors of breast cancer, both having mastectomies.  This is a wonderful thing.  

The picture above was in Jennifer's art show, that won acclaim around the area, and why she never ended up on Oprah, I'll never know.  It was so poignant and beautiful.  

So, without saying it, you can guess, it's rearing it's ugly head.  The cancer nightmare has returned.  She doesn't want to go through the treatment.  Someone so young shouldn't give up.  Oh my goodness, she does not know what she's doing to us.  Woes me.  

Bamboo Batting a review

I did my first machine quilted quilt using bamboo batting.  Unless you get it on sale it's not cheap.  Squeeze the bag and you will find it softer than 100% cotton batting.  It's smooth to the touch on the poles.  When you quilt it and it's been on the rollers for a while, it becomes the consistency of flannel, almost, very flat.  Now, I just took it off and maybe there needs to be some bounce back time, like unrolling a new roll of batting.  Any batting I use, I like to let it breath and fluff before I start rolling it on the machine.  The most interesting thing to me will be after washing it, will it have the antique quilt look of washed 100% cotton or the some fluff of polyester.  

To be continued

USA is second against Brazil...it was so close!

It looked like we were going to pull off another big upset.  First it was taking down Spain 2-0.  Then the Americans wanted it so, so bad and came closer than any other time in USA soccer history to winning a FIFA competition.  The event was in South Africa, the sight for the next World Cup tournament.  There is no greater glory, in the football world, than winning the World Cup, a once every four years tournament played by national players from each country.  This is why America is given a more equal footing.  The bigger clubs can spend huge, huge, sums of money for players from any country in the world.  Half of the Liverpool, England team is made of Spaniards.  America is coming to this, but, slowly, thank you Drew Carey for your support in this regard.  

The Americans came out blazing and pulled ahead 2-0 and it look like it was over.  My goodness, they were tasting it, in imaginary fashion, I suppose.  This game, the Confederations Cup-one year from the WC/2010-was getting them excited.  But, in the end, Brazil proved why it's won the World Cup competition 5 times and pulled off the upset of the seemingly invincible Americans.  

During the game, one of the announcers stated the largest number of ticket sales for 2010's World Cup has been purchased by Americans. 

You will be the first to lead the way for that "generation" that is growing up at home, loving the beautiful game.  

Hold your beautiful heads up boys, we are coming to help you next year. If we can-lions, tigers and bears, Oh my!  Spaniards, Italians, and Brazilians, Oh My!  But, you know that damn buzzing gets old...

YES YOU CAN!

USA beats world dominating Spain in soccer...smile