Best Museums in the World!

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.  It's not!" -Dr. Seuss

Fort Worth is the most unique city.  We have a world renown rodeo and stock show...cowboys everywhere...and the most wonderful art galleries bar none!  Today, I had an eye appointment, so Dick went in with me.  After my appt. was over, we planned to go to the Kimbell (http://www.kimbellart.org/) to see the current exhibit due to close the end of March.

Of course, I was through before 10:00 so we had time to kill....then realized that the Kimbell doesn't open until 12:00 on Fridays as it stays open until 9:00 PM.  So we went over to the Amon Carter (http://www.amoncarter.org/) and wandered around for awhile.  The Amon Carter has nothing but American art...from the earliest years of our country up to modern times.  Photography is also one of the specialties of the gallery.  It is also well known for works by Fredrick Remington and Charles Russell..as well as many Georgia O'Keeffe paintings.  All favorites of ours.

After visiting the A. C., (we had also dropped in at the Fort Worth Art Center which used to be the old Modern Art Museum...now displaying the most fantastic thread painting done by some Vietnamese girls), we went to lunch at Dos Gringos.  By the time we had finished, the Kimbell was open.  We had a great time enjoying the very extensive works of art owned by Texas collectors.

If it weren't for the lousy weather...still rainy and cold...it would have been a perfect day.  We came home...had a little nap...and I have begun working on the Donation Quilt 2010.  I am liking the design...actually I have two designs I like...by tomorrow I will decide on which one and acutally begin sewing!

Busy Week!!

"The Power of Imagination makes us infinite."  John Muir

Monday: Board Meeting and this year's first show meeting.  The topic of our show this year is "Everyday Heirlooms" with a special exhibit of quilt and quilted items that "tell a story".  I have volunteered to do the Donation Quilt again this year. I made up kits for members to make the blocks, and I will get it put together. Some one else will do the quilting.

This is the "Birth of a Quilt"  over 800 31/2" half square triangle blocks.  Now to just get them all put together with the design in my head!

Thursday: Met our friends, Debby and Raymond for dinner at Mi Familia in Granbury.

Friday: TVQG meeting.  Everyone did a great job of getting their kits turned in to me. Our speaker was Karen Combs who does very neat Optical Illusion quilts.  I wish I had taken her workshop the day before but I didn't sign up in time.  Then I had an eye appt. at 1:30 so after the meeting, I just killed a little time by going to the Fort Worth Art Center where the old Modern used to be.  They always have some interesting art displays...one in particular caught my eye...Threaded Paintings...all done by hand, embroidery...very detailed!!  I recommend going to see it.  And I grabbed a little lunch at the Z-Cafe there in the same building...a nice little deli type place.

Sunday: Went to dinner with Bob and Eddy Lou then looked at each others' pics of our Alaskan trips.  They are planning another trip there this summer.

Monday: studioQ meeting at Bethany's.  We had a great time doing marbling on fabric using shaving cream for a base and Dyna-fabric paint.  Our recipe ingredient this time was to do a symbol.  There were only seven of us at the meeting and only four of us did the block for a symbol.

Top-Heather's swirl; middle-Beth's heart and bottom-Wendy's Chinese "sticks". Mine is not finished...I chose the symbol for female and was writing quotes from women around it but need to do a lot more work on it.

And today...it snowed...again!!!  I didn't even take any pictures of it!  By afternoon it was all gone!

Valentines Day Is Not Just for Lovers!

"He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened."  Lao-tzu

Today I actually got some things accomplished.  The sun came out and began the melting process...it was so pretty, but the heavy snows left many people without electicity and did damage to many trees.  We were very fortunate...as heavily laden as our trees got, none of the limbs broke...and our power stayed on during the whole ordeal!  Our power seems to go out only when there is absolutely no reason for it to!!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow...I am a big fan of letting everyone I love know that I do...I am not a big fan of people who allow themselves to be tortured over the idea of the day...and buying into the hype of the day by advertisements.  I have been busy making my own Valentine cards, but because of the weather, they are going to be a little late as I have not been away from the homestead since last Tuesday....now that fact in itself would drive some crazy, but I love having an excuse to not have to go any where!!

So Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!!  This is as good as it gets!!!

Olympic Time!

"Live shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."  Anais Nin

I love the Olympics...the coming together of athletes from all over the world; the courage for some of these little countries with one athlete; the comaraderie which seems to exist.  

We watched most of the opening ceremony tonight...it ran so late we recorded it and will watch the rest tomorrow night.  Of course, it is always a thrill when the USA enters...I have almost the same feeling of pride for the Canadians.  Our trip last fall up through there gave us so much better of an understanding of our relationship with our neighbors.  We were very impressed by how many places would fly an American flag right beside the Canandian flag...and not just at the border...this would be way up into the interior. And, truly, what warm, welcoming people!

We also have a greater grasp of the "First Nation"/"Aborigine" peoples because of having traveled there.  I loved the different tribes at the opening ceremony...their clothing and dances, etc.  I bet they will be a weary bunch of people tomorrow!

I didn't think anything could top or come close to the Ceremony in Beijing, but Vancouver did a wonderful job.  It was just as good, but in a totally different way.

What a Beautiful Morning!!!

"I shut my eyes in order to see."  Paul Gauguin

And we thought yesterday was beautiful!  It must have snowed three more inches in the night as we woke up to a true winter wonderland.  And I do have to disagree with my quote today....my eyes are wide open!

Our live oak tree is really loaded!!

And the robins are still with us!  Hundreds (no joke) are settling around in the trees.

We have never had such a snow fall since we have lived in Texas...nearly 30 years for us!  We both grew up in the midwest and snows like this were common, but this is really rare for Texas!

The Weather Outside Is Frightful!! (But Beautiful!)

"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams! Live the life you have imagined."   Henry David Thoreau

This was taken about 9:00 AM...what a beautiful snowfall!

And this was taken about 3:30 PM...notice the snow sliding off the roof!

I don't think we will be having an evening beverage under the tree today!

The poor bluebirds!!  We didn't see them at all today...hmmm...smart little guys...hope they can stay warm!

Lovely yaupon holly berries!!  My next year's Christmas card, maybe??

So WE decided a great day to take a walk...only the "little" boy I was walking with just had to make snowballs!!!

You would think with no where to go, I would get a lot done today...but I was so "busy" watching the snowfall that I was quite distracted!!  Maybe tomorrow when it will be too icy to go anywhere, but no snow falling, I can get some sewing done!!  I have a million ideas working in my head!

Monoprinting Fun!

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." Oscar Wilde

This is my collection of monoprinting done with metalic paints on black fabric.  This is the process that my studioQ group did Monday on the gelatin blocks.  A very fun project!!  And inexpensive...I have so much paint collected from other projects; the gelatin blocks take no time or money to make!

A closeup of one of the larger gelatin monoprints.  Now to get busy and make something with them! When I was in Houston, I purchased some very neat silk fabric in some lush colors I think I will use and incorporate some of these and maybe some beading.

This afternoon, we went to the "Y" for our biweekly sessions; they are remodeling and getting new equipment so it is kind of a mess right now, but we perservere!!  On the way home, we stopped by the mechanic's to pick up the truck which had been very dead...I was waiting while Dick went in to pay, and to see if it was going to make it OK.  Then when I tried to start the car, it would not start!!! No one could take time to start it then, so we came on home in the truck...called later...went back up.  The owner fired it right up but he knew that there was something wrong with the starter!  So left it there to be worked on and we are back to having one vehicle in the garage!!  I swear, if one more thing goes wrong around here, I am going to think we are really cursed!!!

Rainy Day

"Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow'! "  The Talmud

This evening, my chauffeur and I drove over to Burleson to attend the meeting of confirmation sponsers.  My granddaughter is being confirmed this spring and has asked me to be her sponser.  I feel very honored to do so...she is such a special young lady (I almost said "little girl", but that is no longer true.)  It was a rainy dark night; that is why Dick went with me...night driving is not a favorite thing for either of us, but at least we were able to do it together.  Four ol' eyes almost make a good pair!!  (Actually eight, as we both wear glasses!)

I played most of the day on printing with the gelatin blocks again...I want to do a few more tomorrow, then better start thinking of something to do with all of them....of course a few of them will go to the trash, but I am really liking some of them.

From Saturday Night On, A Great Week!!

"A mind too active is no mind at all."  Theodore Roethke

Saturday...rodeo and dinner with the family at Marti's.  We were going to have the dinner after the rodeo at our house, but because we had no fridge and our power was being very erratic, we decided to do all the cooking but take everything into Marti's.  Andrea came here after everything and spent the night.

Sunday....Andrea helped me download our new, wonderful "anti-virus" etc. program.  Then after she left, the guys from Loew's showed up with our new refrigerator.  It is really nice...the French doors with the pull out freezer drawer.

Monday....I hosted the studioQ group here...we had a great time playing with monoprinting on gelatin blocks.  I had made small ones for everyone to have and covered up all my stuff in my studio to protect it from wild painters. (If you watch "Dexter", the good serial killer, I was preparing my room like he does his "kill" room!)

Here we are painting away on our little blocks.  And here are some of the prints..I have been playing around with it today on different fabric...black..and am beginning to really like the process.


After we cleaned up, while the prints were drying, we had our show and tell.  Here is some of the wonderful examples of what this terrific group can do!

Here is one of Heathers.

                               This is Nancy's "recipe" quilt, so far.

And this is Susan's "recipe" quilt.

And another quilt by Heather...using a lot of her own hand dyed.

Bethany shows a quilt she and her daughter are making together.

Wendy also dyes most of her own fabric.

Beth is showing a quilt she did with an international group.  (My new fridge in the background!)

And...the sun came out today for the first time in days....and..granddaughter made it to district swimmeet which is next weekend!!

All in all...a great week..so far!!!