Anxiety Walking

We hurried to get out in front of the storm. The storms were still a couple of counties away, but the sky was overcast, ominous. Forecasters had been promising rain all week and it certainly looked like they were right.

In the dim light we could just see our neighbors BP and RP walking between us and the elementary school.

Zelda fretted.

If she sees someone or a noisy car drives by (or whatever) she alerts, watches behind herself, or stops - cold. On other days she's been much less stressed. So, what was it? Could she feel the "pressure changes" that signal the coming storm? Was it the dark? The dark did not bother her so the other day.

Perhaps it was a bit of everything.

So, today we did not make it to the park.

We turned around and headed home. Zelda perked up, holding her tail high*. We were making good time down the street towards home. Then it happened...

Woof, whhooof, whhhoooof!!!

A beagle, lying in wait, began his howling-bark -- startling me** and terrifying Zelda. She spun in circles and tried to flee, stopped only by my firm grip on the leash. Hearts beating fast, we cautiously continued our return home.

I hate beagles.***

NOTES:

* Zelda has a "C" tail. When she is walking well, it curls up high - like a flag. When she is happy/excited it spins around like a helicopter blade.

** I was relieved no school children were waiting at the stop. This cranky old woman would have shared another, more colorful language. I do try to behave. It was the shock of the beagle ambush. That's my story.

***Yes, we once had a beagle - a pedigreed beagle (not my choice). Her name was Willie Vervick (it's a long story). She was not nice. She ran away when we moved.

The Last Butterfly

 

....The dandelions call to me

And the white chestnut branches in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.

Butterflies don't live in here,

in the ghetto.

- from The Butterfly by Pavel Friedman*

 

 

I was leaving the house this morning to work in the clay for a while. It is the end of the semester so we have only a few more days to work with wet clay.

 

A butterfly was flitting around my side garden. I've planted long-flowering plants there - for the pollinators and the hummingbirds. I delayed getting in the car to see if I could get a photo of the flutterer.

 

The weather is about to change. We have had a long mild fall. But tomorrow rain and cold are due in. So this may be my last butterfly of the season.

 

Gulf fritillary - Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus)

 

Butterflies are symbols of resurrection, endurance, hope, and life.** 

I was reminded of my mother (who taught me to plant things the butterflies and birds love), and a poem, a portion of which I have shared above. Pavel Friedman, the young man who wrote this poem, was interned in Theresienstadt, a concentration camp/ghetto in Terezin (Czech Republic). He was later sent to Auschwitz where he died. His poem was found amid the ruins of the camp/ghetto after the liberation.

This poem has been part of many collections of the poetry of children of the holocaust and gave name to a book, a play, and a project at the Houston Holocaust Museum where they gathered and exhibited 1.5 million paper butterflies representing the number of children who died (were murdered) in the holocaust.

Lest we forget.

NOTES:

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Friedman

**"Google" it yourself.

Full disclosure: I was in the play, "I never saw another butterfly," in high school. I had two lines...maybe 5 or 6 words. I was terrible. The play was amazing and is with me still.

 

 

Not So Dark

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; 

the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. 

~ Plato

Yes, the waning "super" moon. It's still lovely.

Zelda and I hit the street early this morning. It was dark, but the remains of the super moon still hung high in the sky, lighting our way.

We didn't flash as bright as the school bus, but our lights were on - to wake up the drivers - flashing a warning that we were making our slow progress towards the park.

Mornings are a little bit of magic.

A few folks rushed to work, but we were mostly on our own. No birds sang until we reached the park. Then one by one the morning birds began to sing - singing us home.

I Am Not Good at Routine

We are still struggling with routine, mostly because we have none.

Never having had an indoor dog, we just walk her every few hours and that has worked, so far. Still, don't they let you know when they need to go out?

<sigh>

We wandered out to see the big moon yesterday. It was pretty stunning, but no photos were taken. I've given up trying to do something decent with my cell and the moon. Dog walks don't lend themselves to fine photography - for me anyway.

The foggy foggy morning turned the sun into a moon-like vision, so I grabbed a photo of it instead.

Sun through the fog. Everything seemed a little grey.

We are struggling with routine. One of the blessings of retirement was no routines, or so we thought. Now we know that one cannot escape a schedule.

We're working on it.

Sunday in the Park with Zelda

We were up ridiculously early, but waited for the sun.

Geared-up in fleece,* we would hate to disappoint those expecting to see the crazy woman and her raggedy dog, we headed off briskly. I added a walking stick.** Too many people are letting their dogs loose in the early morning hours. I intend to be prepared.

The sun, surrounded by wispy clouds, urged us on past houses, trees, and power poles so that we could get a better look.

We were part of a sparse group of early risers - the old man on a bike, other walker in the park, and fitness guy in his headphones and sweatband.

Admiring the doves (when they didn't surprise and whoosh up from their feasting on crushed nuts) we noted them all along the route. This is a good time for doves (in spite of hunting season). Pecans and acorns fall from the trees, roll along the sidewalks, and drop off the curb where they are crushed by tires. The tender bits are thus freed and the birds find them quickly. This is why the chickens have been out. Pecans are so much taster than chicken scratch!

I suspect these doves are waiting for us to vacate the "pecan orchard" part of the park.

Yesterday was busy. I was more tired than I expected and I was having a bit of a stiff-spined morning. Sturdy Zelda gently pulled me up the hills toward home.

Breakfast was waiting.

NOTES:

* Grey fleece vest isn't too weird, but the bright yellow, green, blue, red, and purple hat defies style. Made for a long-ago trip to Europe, it brings back memories and, most importantly, keeps me warm. It is also bright to insure the early morning drivers see us.

** This is my grandfather's walking stick/cane. He didn't mess around - this thing is substantial. I think my Dad used it too. And I know that every Christmas shepherd for 10 or so years at Sacred Heart School used it too.

LOCKED OUT OF THE HOUSE!

There will be no photos here. All the evidence that is left is a cockeyed laundry cart, some dirt, and a slightly dirty stack of mail.

Join me in this almost "breaking and entry." Use your imagination.

It appears that a hopeful new dog owner decided to take a risk and leave the dog free in the house for a few hours today (DH is off on some adventures and I had a class - Geology/Soil/Water). She made sure to walk the sweet animal to tire the dog out and make sure the animal would not need a toilette break.

Before retuning to the house the HNDO stopped to  pick up a prescription and then headed home. She unlocked the door to find that the sweet new dog had knocked down the small laundry cart in the tiny utility room just inside the back door...COMPLETELY BLOCKING THE DOOR!

Where was the key to the front door? Inside the house.

Was there any other alternative besides breaking in through a window? No.

Where is a nice skinny arm when you need one?

After a few aborted attempts, the HNDO managed to squeeze her arm through the narrow gap created by the slightly open door, grab the top of the cart and "right" it enough to provide a wider gap she could then squeeze through. [All of this was accomplished while hopping on one leg as the HNDO concerned herself with the dog's toilette, but not her own -- TMI, I know. Still the visual!]

In the midst of the chaos the dog did her spinning around - joyous - YOU CAME BACK dance.

After securing the cart the HNDO eventually went back outside to pick up the stack of mail she had abandoned at the back steps in order to more easily navigate the contortionist opening of the back door.

Toilette resolved for all.

Dog and mistress are resting comfortably and preparing for round 2 of "Can I leave this dog home alone safely?"

That d----d cart has got to go!

Up Before the Chickens

Zelda and I were up and moving early. I have a class and so we needed to walk and get breakfast and get moving. We saw few neighbors - the older man on the tricycle bike and a yip dog on our way down to the park.

Another dog walker finished and drove past, dog (a healer) hanging out of the window. There was more movement on the way back.

Yup. We were up before the chickens, but they caught up with us.

One rooster, posing for his photo.

Another rooter and the chickens.

This is the same bunch we saw out the other day. One rooster crowed and we headed toward the house.

For my readers from overseas

 Am I dreaming? 

Has the world gone mad--or have I?

~ H.G. Wells

This blog began as a place to record walks - with my dogs, my friends, my dear husband, my family - wherever and whenever. We have had some adventures here and abroad. We've tried new things and will try more. Writing is a therapeutic experience for me. Some posts flow with little effort. Others make me work for the right tone, the right feel, the story as I saw/felt/understand it. All teach me something and I am happy for you, dear readers, to come along if you so choose. Over the years the blog has become a journal of sorts. So, that being said, here was my walk - spiritual/emotional quest  for meaning - today. Perhaps my efforts to understand will answer some of your questions.

I know you may be wondering what is happening in America after the events of yesterday.

You may be asking, "What were people thinking?"

I wish I knew.

I suspect they were not thinking. Seriously.

It reminds me of psychological studies (as well as anecdotal evidence) that people see and hear what they want/expect to see and hear.* The voters believed one person was a liar and the other lied less. Further, it seems that many people chose to believe that the president-elect didn't really mean the things he has said throughout the campaign. I suppose that remains to be seen.**

We will likely have 4 years to see what this election will mean (politically, economically, educationally, scientifically, medically, environmentally) to America - short and long term.

Unfortunately there is a great deal of anti-social behavior that has been unleashed by the harsh, xenophobic, racist, misogynistic, immoderate, biased (need I go on?) rhetoric of the campaign. There has been an extremist and mean spirit abroad in this country for some time. [Seriously, have you seen our "reality television"?] I believe this is the undercurrent responsible for the burning of churches, temples and mosques. I believe this is the undercurrent responsible for the assault on racial, ethnic and religious minorities. We did not need this undercurrent given legitimacy, but that appears to be what the campaign did - it enabled/empowered this cancer to come out of the shadows.

It also appears that white men realize they are losing control of American society. As women become educated in greater numbers, enter the workforce, delay or reject motherhood and compete with men for the limited jobs available, men are pushing back any way they can. They are threatened and afraid. Blue collar workers and members of the struggling middle class also rejected the candidate they saw as the government insider. In their desire for change, they chose to elect a person with no experience to lead the country.***

There is also a backlash against science in the country. People don't want to believe we are in a dangerous place with respect to climate change and the hazards to our environment. This is "denial." If I deny a problem exists, I don't have to deal with it. Some folks don't understand, choose not to learn about it, deny it exists and buy into the folks who (for their own personal reasons - usually self-serving) will support those views. Science be damned.

Oh, I cannot forget the role the press played in this silliness. FOX TV has been making up stories about liberal candidates and environmental issues for years. They have been the mouthpiece, the dirty tricks arm of the conservatives. People have been brainwashed. Further, the mainstream media found that the president-elect's behavior/antics sold papers and increased audiences. He made news. They covered him, not issues. They failed us.

All this being said, does it really matter how we got here? Here we are.

What are we going to do about it?

I believe the majority of America is appalled. We are going to work hard to contain the damage. We are going to support each other and try to protect those who appear to be targets of this "movement." We will need to advocate for those who have no voice. We will need to provide for our brothers and sisters.

Sometimes it will be a day to day and personal battle. Sometimes the fight will be in our local communities or states. Other times we will have to make sure our federal government responds. It seems a daunting undertaking, but we will have to take each day as it comes.

We will also need to build lines of civil communication with those who are angry, afraid, and disturbed enough have so acted. We will have to model civil behavior for all.

As I end I must admit I am dismayed, shocked, and afraid. And I am exhausted.

It is time to rest and regroup. As the days go by, I am confident that those who believe as I do will continue the good fight. Time and time again in moments of crisis I have seen heroes arise. I am already watching some of them on social media. Brave young men and women are speaking out. We have seen peaceful protest marches in major cities. We won't go back.

Mid-term elections are only 2 years away. Another presidential election happens in 4. We have a great deal of work ahead.

Stay tuned.


NOTES:

*https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/kidding-ourselves/201404/we-see-what-we-want-see

**Silly me. I tend to believe what someone tells me they believe and what they plan to do.

***Again, silly me. When I go to the doctor, I choose someone with training and experience. I like my public servants to have some training and experience.

FINAL NOTE:

We are not the only country where there seems to be an attitude of isolationism (Hello, England!). The world is a scary place. Folks seem to want to hide. This is not the first time this attitude has been pervasive in the western world. It wasn't pretty the last time. I hope we fare better as we work through it.

A New Routine for a New World

A sleep-disturbed night begged for a walk.

Still rain-damp, the neighborhood was in its normal morning bustle. We had a bit of a standoff at the busiest intersection. I must find our reflective belts and flashing runner's lights. Folks on their way to work/school may need a little reminder that some of us are taking our days a little slower.

Dead snake on the road. We turned it over as identification sometimes requires seeing both sides. No, I didn't touch it. That's what dog bags are for.

I believe it is a Texas Brown Snake. I find these little buggers in my garden often. Wonder if he got flooded out and was crossing the road looking for a dryer spot.

Then we found this guy on the garbage can. It is a horn-worm caterpillar of some kind. He was lovely, but we left him alone. The "horn" is just show to scare off predators. Worked on us.

Trees are getting naked in the park.

We suspect a couple of these are new. DH says the "Adopt-a-park" has been an issue (dueling service clubs). I noted they have likely just figured people want to be in the park early and late and threw up the hours. It used to be much more restrictive. Most of us ignored them anyway (YES, I have been walking in the park about 5:00 a.m., but never as late as 11. Um, except maybe driving through looking for deer.).

Whenever I see a hubcap I wonder if it is from a '94 Camry. We left one such hubcap on Hwy 36 back in '02.

DH joined Zelda and me for the walk. And he brought coffee.

We are learning the walking patterns of this new pup. She doesn't want DH walking behind her. She does well on a leash. She sees every dog and person. She is very aware of traffic. She has a good nose, but sneezes (we are starting to wonder if she - like others in the family - is allergic to the cat).

We wonder how long she was on her own in the wild.

Still, she seems to like having a home and has adjusted to sleeping on the pallets we made (before I raided a local discount store and found beds for the various places she lounges). In fact, she has some "separation anxiety" and follows both of us when we leave the room. We have no idea how we will manage when we both have to "be somewhere" without her.

For now, we walk. We nap. We reinforce good behavior - in all of us.

A chill wind blew in just after our walk...no surprise.

Pecan Picker-uppers, Walkers, Zelda, and Me

One post - two walks

Walk #1

 

Sweet Zelda

We took our first long walk to the park and back. It was a little late for a walk, but we went anyway. It is amazing to see how much changes in the neighborhood in a short time. The creepy, brilliant yard art has changed for the season. I am always afraid she is going to move and scare the devil out of me. As it is, she stands at her bicycle and ignores us all.

I love this weird vignette.

It really was a nutty day - live oak and red oak acorns littered the sidewalk. Then we found two trees dropping pecans. And we weren't the only ones who noticed. About half-way to the park we saw birds in the road...big birds. "Yuck," I thought. "Buzzards and roadkill. I will need to keep Zelda on a short leash and away from it."

They fled. This is a detail of the last photo before the rooster followed the chickens into the neighborhood.

But as we got closer I noticed those "big birds" were not buzzards, but chickens (!) and a rooster (!). [OK. I have admitted here before that I am not good identifying birds and my eyesight ain't what it used to be, but I quickly identified these critters.] I had no idea where they came from and kept looking around to see if there was a gate or door or something open. Still, how would I herd a flock of chickens into their enclosure?

By the time we got close to them, they were wandering off into the side yards and backyards along the route and I was off the hook for doing any "neighborly" thing.

At the park the pecan gatherers were out (and more gathered as we left - 3 old men with cigarettes and dogs!). I have noticed a good number of pecans in our yard too. We should get them up. They are native pecans, small, tough-shelled, but delicious.

A couple working hard on the pecan harvest.

Pecans are just waiting too be gathered.

Beautiful dog with nice owners.

The dog walkers were there as well. Some were leaving as we arrived. Some were making another trip around the path. Zelda noticed the people and pooches. She is a fairly easy walker - so far. She doesn't drag me down the street or jerk my hand when I am taking "just one more" photo. She also is relatively easy to steer away from hazards (like the fire ant mounds now dotting the fields).

Not my favorite creature.

The creek was still running, courtesy of the rains of the past few days. The seeds of the purple leatherflower gave witness to what must have been an incredible late bloom. Perhaps, we may see one more blooming if it stays as warm as it's been. The seeds reminded me that I am supposed to be writing about clematis.* <sigh> Add it to the list.

Crazy seeds of the leatherflower mark where we missed the blooms of a week or so ago.

They need to do some work on this creek. The concrete walls are deteriorating and silt is filling the channel.

We walked home crossing the street at the house where the doberman sometimes helps with construction. They allow him loose at times. And I have walked past when there was only a child safety gate between me and a mass of barking and teeth. Better safe...we just skipped that section of sidewalk.

And while we are on the subject of barking...Zelda doesn't bark. Or at least she has not barked. She whimpers and cries (when abandoned - or rather, when she thinks she has been abandoned). She sneezes. But, so far, no bark.

A truck honked as we were headed back up the hill. It was a friend who gave me a "Nasty Woman"** t-shirt. I was wearing it and thinking it might not have been the smartest thing to wear to the park. Someone might get the wrong idea.

I guess I never noticed the construction of this culvert before. The rock facing makes it look old/quaint.

Walk #2:

OK. We have no discipline.

Zelda has separation anxiety. So far we haven't a clue what to do with her when we are both gone. She escorts us to the kitchen when we go for a drink or to throw something away. She joins us in the bathroom. She frets when one of us leaves the house. She hates the crate.

So we took her along with us to Tai Chi. DH went to class and I drove to a park along the San Gabriel River. We ate lunch. We wandered around and looked at the ducks, an Eastern Fox Squirrel (who had caught a dragonfly**

See that crazy squirrel?

See? He has something in his mouth. The dragonfly was still alive and buzzed. The squirrel barked. We walked on.

There are Bur Oaks all over this park. I love Bur Oaks and gathered acorns for propagation experiments.

One of the Bur Oaks. They are lovely trees.

I probably could have done better with a photo of acorns. They are huge - between 1.5 and 2 inches in length. The cap is "hairy." The leaves are not unlike the red oak.

This park was busy. A school field trip was leaving as we arrived. Folks of all ages ran, walked dogs and fished.  There's a zoning change sign posted at the entrance to the park. While that may be worrisome, this community is committed to its parks. Certainly this will only mean good things.


NOTES:

*I want to write about the clematis "cousins" I see every summer. One is old man's beard found on fences all along the roadways. The other is my beloved purple leatherflower. Time to get to it.

**I was not aware squirrels were omnivores. Now I know.

Quilt Pilgrimage

Two quilters who have just met will be strangers only until their mutual passion for quilting is revealed. Then they can talk for hours like the best of friends.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jenniferch519921.html

Two quilters who have just met will be strangers only until their mutual passion for quilting is revealed. Then they can talk for hours like the best of friends.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jennifer_chiaverini.html

Fabric is everything. 

Often I tell my pattern makers, "Just listen to the material. 

What is it going to say? 

Just wait. 

Probably the material will tell you something.

~ Yohji Yamamoto

DISCLAIMER: I love quilts. I love traditional quilts. And I love art quilts. If you are not a quilt fan, you may want to stop right here. If you are interested in quilts or merely curious, read on.


Quilt National

Held every other year at The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio, Quilt National is a celebration of innovation in quilting. The founders were fiber artists creating "quilts" that did not fit into the restrictive definitions of the times. They began Quilt National in 1979.*

I wandered into the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas this weekend and ran head first into the traveling exhibit of quilts from the 2015 Quilt National. The first work I observed grabbed me and is still in my head as I type this.

Disruption, a five-panel work by Deidre Adams of Littleton, Colorado,** is like nothing I have ever seen...paper, cotton, and paint - stitched, layered, torn, applied, and manipulated to create a wonder. I share small details below so you will understand. These are not your granny's patchwork quilts.

Detail from Disruption by Deidre Adams

The bottom edges of three panels from Disruption.

Julie Weller, Events and Outreach Manager at Dairy Barn Arts Center, explained that the biennial exhibit runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day (so there is plenty of time to enjoy the exhibit and, a positive point for me, fewer crowds). She also shared the story of the Dairy Barn Arts Center - how the barn was saved at the last minute by the efforts of a coalition of citizens and artists who desired to turn it into a non-profit arts center. What vision!

The works from 2015 were varied and fascinating. Some pull at your heart while others appeal to the eye. Some speak to environmental and political concerns. All push the boundaries of materials and imagination.

I went back to the exhibit again and again meeting one of the artists, Janet Windsor, who shared her work, Crumbling, and her inspiration (a porcelain work by a ceramic artist). Ms. Windsor's work was not in the traveling exhibit, but we looked at a photo in the book chronicling the exhibition.  Let me describe it to you. Variegated curving veins of color run from the top of the rectangular piece (55"x25") to the bottom where they dissolve into a tumble of overlapping colorful pebbles. Visually compelling, it also tweaks the observer. How did she do that?

But no matter how wonderful a photograph,*** nothing is quite like seeing a work in person. The details of stitching and fabric and texture are often lost. I need to go and see for myself.

A trip to Athens is in order. I want to see what's next.

Maybe you will join me next summer. Maybe not. But go to the website. Look at the work. Consider the evolution in quilting represented by the award winning works archived there.

I will end this with a few more examples of the works that were part of  Quilt National 2015.

From the Number One Train by Judith Plotner  [Can't you see the movement, the buildings and the graffiti?]

Leaf Skeleton by Martha Cole

Grandma Maude by Mary Arnold

Woodstock by Cindi Goodwin

Head 7 by Diane Siebels

Detail from Color Form 71 by Gail Baar

'Murica by Kristin La Flamme

Detail from 'Murica  [The fabric choices!]

Clams by Velda Newman. [These clams were enormous and stunning - a shell collector's delight.]

Detail of Colourscape I by Inge Hueber

NOTES:

*http://dairybarn.org/quilt-national/5759-2/

**For more please visit the artists' websites:
    Deidre Adams:  http://deidreadams.com/
    Judith Plotner: www.judithplotner.com
    Martha Cole: www.marthacole.ca/artist/artist.html
    Mary Arnold:  http://maryarnoldfiberartist.blogspot.com/p/rock-quilts_20.html
    Cindi Goodwin: Couldn't find her website, but this is a great article -
    http://thecabin.net/stories/060705/sty_0607050044.shtml#.WCDpr9zbSgQ
    Diane Siebels: https://dianesiebelsfiberart.com/
    Gail Baar: http://www.gail.baar.us/
    Kristin La Flamme: http://kristinlaflamme.com/
    Velda Newman: http://www.veldanewman.com/
    Inge Hueber: http://ingehueber.de/ [Yes, I hear your colors singing!]
    Janet Windsor: http://www.janetwindsor.com/new-page/

*** I purchased Quilt National 2015, The best of Contemporary Quilts. I needed to see them all.

Zelda joins us

Thanks again for saving me. Someday, I’ll save you too.

~ Zelda Fitzgerald, 

in a letter to her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald

First selfie - she's not sure about this camera thing.

Every time I left the house I glanced to the back yard. No dog. We have lived with dogs (with short breaks) some 30 years. We knew a dog would come live with us before long, but were allowing ourselves the time to grieve the losses of Paddy and Scruffy. They were good dogs.

I had started looking at the websites for the local animal shelters, but I hesitated visiting. I kept watch on the Internet. I talked myself out of "stopping by" again and again.

This week I wouldn't listen and visited the shelter. I found her - Zelda.

And then I left. I am sure the shelter staff wondered why I was being so aloof - why I didn't gather her up and take her home.

DH and I had talked about timing. We thought we might be ready in a month or so. We wanted to get a few things behind us (like getting ready for another dog - figuring out where she would sleep and eat and, you know, stuff).

I thought about her for the day and took DH over to meet her. Pound was closed.

We went again the next day and she was gone.  My heart sank. Then the staffer explained Zelda had been taken over to the vet for surgery. Instead of frustration that DH couldn't meet her, there was relief that she had not been adopted and knowledge that she was already ours.*

DH said nothing until the next day, "Go get her."

I talked to the staff and heard her "story." She had wandered up to someone's home and delivered a litter of pups. While they were able to place the puppies, there was no new home for her and she was taken to the shelter.

Shelter employees recognized a good dog when they saw one. Alert to her surroundings, she could sit on command and come when called. She is relaxed and easy going. The vet says she is a mutt - likely schnauzer and poodle and a mixture of other breeds so we are calling her a schnoodle. He pulled gently on her coat and said she was unlikely to shed.

He went on to say that she was between 2 and 3 years of age. "Pick a date," he said. "You can pick her birthday." "April 1st," I said. It was a good as any and one I would remember. Then he looked at his records and saw she had already been given a birth date, October 31, Halloween. It was the first day I saw her. Good enough.

So, here she is, Zelda. We may call her Zee. We will see.

OC suggested that she had probably been named after the video game. Clueless, I replied that I preferred to think she was named for Zelda Fitzgerald.** Thus we now have the two grumpy guys and two crazy b--ches at our house.

We are all getting used to our new family dynamics.

We have started walking again. So far she is a great walker.

Watch this space.


NOTES:

*A friend asked if I had really chosen a dog without DH. Hey, I have bought a house without him. We have a good idea of when there needs to be consultation and when we can trust the other to make an autonomous decision. It works for us.

** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelda_Fitzgerald (in the event you thought, who?)

Final Note:

Zelda has my last name. In the past the animals have had DH's last name, but we went to a different vet (who saw Scruffy once with me) and so in their records she is mine. It's about time.

Trying to stay within the lines (lanes?) Traffic and Quilts!

This isn't life in the fast lane,

it's life in the oncoming lane. 

~Terry Pratchett

I traveled to Houston this weekend for the International Quilt Festival. Let me just say the quilt festival was overwhelming. Even now it hurts my head to picture the vendors, fabrics, machines and kits. It was visually overstimulating.

The exhibition of quilts was wonderful and somehow comforting and challenging at the same time. A much "calmer scene," there were quilts for everyone - traditionalist and rebel alike. Many called to me, especially the rowdy rebellious ones, as well as, those of wildlife and wilderness (woods, seaside, desert, beetles, butterflies, alligators, foxes, milkweed and more).

Had I really thought about the drive and been aware of the quantity of construction, I might have stayed home. [But the quilts really were worth it.]

Much of the route to the downtown area was under construction and poorly marked. "Nightmare" does not adequately describe it. You don't want to know about directions and cell phone apps. And when we reached downtown  we found MORE chaos as jack hammers and cranes were scattered here and there, sidewalks were blocked, and construction tape nets and tape were hung - orange cobwebs against the grey buildings.

I managed to negotiate the barricades and retreated from the noise. But even now I am shaking my head and finding my shoulders tensing remembering the mess and chaos.

The drive home began so much better. The signs made sense and were posted conveniently (and frequently). But it was Saturday and people were in a hurry. We thought we were well out of trouble as passed the Waller and Hempstead areas west of Houston. But we were still traveling between concrete barriers and found that some (traveling the opposite direction) found it impossible to navigate safely. We saw at least three wrecks...one quite serious and two the kind of chain-reaction fender benders you see when people drive too fast and tailgate. Of course found three "slow downs" reported by the little lady in my phone as the drivers in our lanes had to slow to "rubber neck."

Every time I travel in a city I breathe a sigh of relief upon clearing the "plex" and turn to the countryside. I'm not a country girl, but I am happier in small towns and rural communities well out of the city.

But now that the drives are over (and we made it), how about some quilts? I've already written about some of them. Here are some of my favorites (I'm only sharing the ones for which I can give proper attribution. Sorry. I cannot believe I am saying this, but I didn't have enough time with the quilts):

My friend views Clams by Velda Newman*

Disruption by Deidre Adams*

People in the 2015 Quilt National exhibit area

There were many quilts with photographic images used to stunning effect like Tagged by Patricia Kennedy-Zafred*

Peering Out of the Darkness by Shannon M. Conley*

I loved this graphic work, Harlequin, a trompe l'oeill quilt, by Ana Lisa Hedstrom.* The seemingly pieced pattern is dyed on blocks which are then pieced.

Observers trying to get close enough to see Ms. Hedstrom's work.

 Inge Hueber's Colorscape I from a distance...*

and "up close."

Just viewing these quilts again reinforces the appeal rows and columns has for me. I like patterns - stacks of things - repetition.

But then I also love critters and the environment. A number of the curated exhibits had environmental themes. Some quilters made political statements with the exhibition in which they chose to participate or the subject they chose to illustrate. It has been an amazing  wander through the blogs and websites of the artists (when I found one) whose work caught my eye.**

More quilts:

Home of the Exotic Blue Crow by Diane Wright.

Detail of a "blue crow." I love this little guy.

Detail of Honeybee Armageddon, by Diane Wright. [I had no idea I had two of Diane Wright's works in the camera until now. They were in different challenges/areas of the quilt display.] The bees here were so detailed and some marked with a QR code.

Give Me Back My Home, by Chin-Luan Chen features hermit crabs "homing" in discarded trash. I am writing an article on hermit crabs. Funny how many reminders I found on this trip.

Gown & Lice by Shiow-Meei Gau (included many recycled articles)

Having recently stalked milkweed in the wild, I loved this quilt, Milkweed, No. 1, by Sarah Ann Smith

Susan Carlson is kind of a quilting legend. She had her own exhibit and these were three of her exuberant works I loved:

Exuberance (perfect name)

Fire Beetle

Detail of the enormous traffic stopping Crocodylus Smylus

This guy was the talk of the show.

An exhibit entitled, "Water is Life" stood out because of the variety of work and the message:

Fish for Dinner by Nancy Turbitt

Source of Life by Hollis Chatelain

Detail of No Matter Where It Comes From Water Is Life by Peggy Becker

Another detail from Ms. Becker's work. More photo transfer and amazing quotes.

Heavens! We are "bird people." These are for the birds, I guess:

Jacob's Treasures by Susan Fletcher King

An award winning miniature quilt,  Lifetime Partners by Barbara McKie

A Pair of Cranes Flying into the Rising Sun by Keiko Morita

Okay, back to columns/rows and patterns and a reminder I have work to do (culling the library):

On the Same Page by Linda Anderson

NOTES:

*I'm going to remind you again about the amazing biennial Quilt National at The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio. Some of these quilts (from 2015) are shown in a separate post. Some weren't but are here instead. I plan to be in Athens next summer for the 2017 exhibit. Hope to see you!

The Dairy Barn website and those of the artists featured here:

 http://dairybarn.org/quilt-national/

Velda Newman -  http://www.veldanewman.com/
Deidre Adams -  http://deidreadams.com/
Patricia Kennedy-Zafred -  http://pattykz.com/home.html
Ana Lisa Hedstrom - http://analisahedstrom.com/
Inge Huber - http://ingehueber.de/

**Other quilters' links (in order):

Diane Wright - http://dianewrightquilts.blogspot.com/
Chin-Luan Chen - http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=231664&ctNode=2198&mp=9
and
Shiow-Meei Gau - members of the Taiwan Quilt Guild and featured here - http://www.linhsinchen.idv.tw/news.php
Sarah Ann Smith - http://www.sarahannsmith.com/
Susan Carlson - http://susancarlson.com/
Nancy Turbitt - http://studiogirasole.blogspot.com/p/gallery.html
Hollis Chatelain -  http://www.hollisart.com/gallery-1/
Peggy Becker - (still looking)
Susan Fletcher King - http://www.susanfletcherking.com/
Barbara McKie - http://mckieart.com/
Keiko Morita - (still looking)
Linda Anderson - http://laartquilts.com/


Final Note: It was difficult to take a photo because of the lighting, barricade tape, and crowds. I shared photos of people viewing the quilts here because that is what this show was all about...showing and sharing. It was pretty amazing. And I did have to leave out many "favorites" for failure to note the title and maker. I believe it important to make proper attribution when dealing with works of art.

I also think it is important to note acts of kindness. My phone died at one point (too many quilts - so terrible a battery) and I searched for a spot to charge it. None of the plugs worked! Finally I sought help where one does and found LC, a wonderful volunteer who took pity on me and allowed me to charge the phone enough to communicate with my companions. LC and I had time to visit about pottery and quilting and all sorts of other arts/crafts. She is a very talented woman - and kind (isn't that the most important thing?).