Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona

Tonight we had a wonderful evening with a couple of friends. Thanks to my friend Lynn we were able to go to the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts to experience the Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona. This was night two of their first American Tour. I didn't really know what to expect. First Mr. Scottie Dog, Lynn and our friend Katie had dinner......I had the salmon. Yum, yum is all I can say. Then off to the Arkley Center....the old Richard Sweasy Theatre that Rob & Cheri Arkley refurbished into the beautiful venue for Eureka's cultural events. Here's a picture of the restored front.
And here's a great shot of the fantastic mural on the back of the theatre...it amazes me every time I see it as it really looks as if the sky is showing through the arch.

Here's a shot of the Orchestra led by Sergi Vincente. This evening's program was entirely of Spanish music (from 1640 on). Some of the guitars seemed to be used like a mandolin, other times the strings were slack. They picked with their fingers mostly, occasionally using a pick, and sometimes fingernails tapped on the sides, thumbs thumped, sounding like an entire orchestra.

Imagine our surprise on the fourth number when two beautiful flamenco dancers came out. I never knew you could do what they did with their castanets. At times the dancers were mere props for the Orchestra, other times the guitars were just props for the dancers. It all flowed in and out. I wish I knew more about music. But I loved it! Music that stirred my heart and kept my feet tapping. Classical Spanish music. Who knew?

Listen to them here.

Sadly they only played one encore, I could have listened for a much longer time. As we left the theatre we had a chance to greet Sergi and many of the players. Thanks Lynn for the tickets and Katie for a wonderful evening. I feel cultured. If you have a chance to hear them I encourage you to go.

Potato Corn Chowder

Every Fall I end up making Potato Corn Chowder. This morning Sydney was delivered to the house about 9 am. She and I were going to make Potato Corn Chowder and Corn Bread. YUM! First of all we put on our aprons and then washed our hands.

Here she is with some of our ingredients. You can't see the onion and garlic cloves.

Sydney had never peeled potatoes but she did a pretty good job, didn't she?
As I cut the onions and potatoes, she put them in a pan with some chicken stock.
After the potatoes & onions had cooked we put it all in the crockpot and she stirred it all up. We turned it on high and made our cornbread.

Syd can really stir good! She also loves cracking the eggs.

After the bread was out and the soup was done we loaded it all up into the car and went to Scottie Dog Quilts. We'd made lunch for the Thursday Sit & Sew Class. Fun, fun!

Sick!

Today is .....let's see, November 12. November 1, I woke up sick. Been sick for 12 days now. Bad sick...not swine flu but whatever animal/bird/insect/plant flu I've had is now severe bronchitis. Beka and the kids arrived on the 1st. Poor Grandma under the weather all this time.

I am getting better. SLOWLY, but better. Thanks for the emails. I WILL return.

My Tuesday

Tuesday began as any other Tuesday for me. I got to the store early for the large Drop-In Quilting Class I teach at Scottie Dog Quilts. These ladies celebrate birthdays, have pot lucks, gab about their children & grandchildren and even do some quilting! The UPS man came and delivered 6 huge boxes containing our new GO! Cutter display, several machines, dies, tote bags and more. This is the home version of our big AccuQuilt machine. The Go! Cutter will cut perfect shapes using up to 8 layers at a time in just seconds. To learn what I'm talking about Click here. We'll have the display up by next week. We are now distributors of the Go! Cutter.

We also got several boxes of fabrics...new flannels from Robert Kaufman, a gorgeous red, black & white line of Poppies from Fabric Freedom, blenders and more. Be sure to check them all out.

Then I had to go to the doctor for my annual check-up. I was anxious about it. Nearly three years ago we discovered I had very high blood pressure (a new thing since for most of my life my blood pressure bordered on too low) and my cholesterol levels were sky high too. I had originally gone in for severe knee pain (osteoarthritis). That is pretty much under control...I have some stiffness and pain but haven't had to use a cane as I did a couple of years ago. So first thing I got weighed. Every woman's nightmare, right? I was less than last year...not as much as I'd like, but the evil scale did record a loss. The verdict: I was in great health! My BP is quite normal and my cholesterol levels are also in the normal range. Success! Dr. W had suggested in January 2007 that I go (permanently) on the South Beach Diet. I was leery.....wasn't that a fad diet? One of those crazy no carbohydrate, high protein diets? I picked up a couple of books and did a study on-line and found out that this diet was designed by a heart specialist in Florida and had been successfully tested by millions. I've tried to be pretty faithful and after nearly three years I know what & how to each. No white flour, white potatoes, white rice, refined sugars. This diet is based on glycemic index of all you eat. Took me a couple days of reading to be convinced that it was a very healthy alternative diet. I found Kalyn's Kitchen, a blog that Kalyn Denny writes for South Beachers and her food is fabulous, quick and easy and for the most part uses foodstuffs you can get at any grocery store.

Dr. W's assessment was that I was in fabulous health. He felt that it was apparent that there had been a huge change since last year and he was proud of me. I was pretty proud of me.Made me feel pretty fabulous too!

After work it was the Humboldt Accordionairs night. Sydney and Liz came too (see Liz binding a quilt in the background?). This picture is of Sydney and her "beau" Caleb doing the Cakewalk up and down the aisles to "When The Saints Go Marching In." I danced several dances and got my exercise in for the day!

Here's what I had for dinner tonight (sorry about the glare...I don't know how to Photo Shop it out yet). Grilled chicken breast with garlic & parsley, steamed asparagus and some broiled tomatoes (first spread with a very grainy Dijon mustard and then topped with fresh ground pepper and fresh shredded Parmesan cheese. I was stuffed and satisfied! All South Beach Heart Healthy! Delicious!

And that's the way it was.

Rickstrew Ranch

We had planned a day trip at the end of Quilt Market to Galveston. We hadn't been there since Hurricane Ike and wanted to see how rebuilding was taking place and to have a seafood dinner to help the local economy. Galveston is about 45 minutes from Houston and I have never seen the lay of the land between these two cities as I have slept in the car each way every single time we've gone!

We had an early morning meeting Monday with some of my quilt shop owner friends and then decided not to go to Galveston but to drive to our friends' grass farm (Bermuda grass...not pot!) in Floresville near San Antonio...only 3 1/2 hours away! We made it in time to meet Tommy & Tracy Rickstrew (and Big Tom & Linda) with the kidlinks Riley & baby Abram at a little Mexican Restaurant. Linda knew how to order...a kid's enchilada plate for me was more than enough! We were hardly out of the car in the parking lot and 3 year-old Riley latched on to me...I got my Grandma fix that day! He snuggled up to me and pulled up a chair so he could sit next to me at the table. He wanted to share his chips with me and play cars & airplanes at the table.


Mr. Scottie Dog and Tommy have been buds ever since Tommy worked for him in Eureka. They didn't stop talking once while we were there but got right to changing the oil on a truck, riding around the property....I think Mr. Dog was quite envious and would love to be working the ranch too!

The farm is an idyllic place---at least the day we were there was warm & muggy but not really hot. The landscape was all greens, we saw lots of cattle and little goat herds before we actually arrived on the large ranch. There is a charming little creek and a pond. Tommy & Tracy have a vegetable & herb garden right outside their door.

Riley can ride a two-wheeler like the wind and stopped only for a second to pose with me. Some how I didn't get a shot of Baby Abram or Tracy, but we got in some great snuggles and conversation. We went up to the Big House and toured Linda's Sewing Room.....I'm envious! It is a wonderfully large space on the 2nd floor and filled with natural light. Tracy has a corner too and Liz showed her how to paper piece.

Big Tom gave Liz the tour of the land and she learned all about grass farming. She even got to drive the tractor around the yard!

Next year I want to go a couple of days early to Market and spend a day or two helping out on the ranch.....well, I can cook pretty well and I could hold a Quilting Lesson for the ladies! Oh, and I could again get a Grandma fix!

One last picture.................even the bugs on the car are bigger in Texas!

Scottie Dogs At Quilt Market

At Quilt Market 2009 we found Scottie Dogs galore! They were on packages....

Scotties were on bags.....

and on more bags.....

Scotties were on quilts....

There were Scottie Dogs just hanging out....

And there were some Scotties being cuddled. All of these were in the Bunny Hill booth. Watch over the next several weeks and we'll have these patterns and more coming in.