Dear Jane BOW, Orange Marmalade, Lemoncello and Iris

H-4 Abbey's Eyes

It is the first week of March and my white California native iris are blooming; they always bloom on March 6. This year it was March 9. Yesterday we bought 5 fruit trees and will plant them when we return from Allyson's. We canned our home-brewed lemoncello on Tuesday. Yesterday we started orange/lemon marmalade and will cook it and can it today. Here is my Dear Jane block of the week. The other exciting garden news is my yellow orchid is blooming. I will havee to repot the iris in April and adjust the amount of light they get by moving them around in the garden. The orchid in the house we got three weeks ago is still blooming.

Dear Jane K-2 BOW for February 27

Here is my Dear Jane block of the week. It is really amazing how imperfect it is, considering how hard I try for perfection. I have now finished 76 blocks out of 169 so I am almost a half way point. I would like to try to do more than one a week so I can get to the half way point in early April. My piece count is 1178.

Dear Jane Progress - Block of the Week February 20



K-13 Brandon's Star

 I am now at 75 blocks and 1138 pieces and have spent between 450-500 hours to date. I need to get some more fabric.

51st Meeting Anniversary-Cherry Pie Walk and Vow Renewal in Bora Bora

 

 

We did our Washington Birthday 51st meeting anniversary Cherry Pie Walk and trip yesterday. We drove to Landers in the high desert (about an hour drive) and had a personal and very informative tour of Gublers Orchids. We learned a lot. Then we bought a beautiful 4-spray rose pink orchid (very much like Mom had).

On the way back we stop at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. However, it was so cold and there was hail, we ate our picnic in the car. We drove home, did our walk on the Butler-Adams trail (2.6 miles) and came home and had our Cherry pie with Champagne in our dining room. I tried this morning, although in vain, to find a picture of our first Washington Birthday Pie walk in Maryland, but have not been successful so far. I can't believe we don't have a picture. We are going to try another walk today and another pie too! While my pie is not very beautiful, it is delicious.

Sunday - Did our second pie walk today in Morango Canyon. Weather much warmer. Then had our second pie.

 

 

This afternoon Allyson and Mike who are on their second honeymoon in Bora Bora renewed their vows on the beach. It was Allyson's surprise to Mike. They sent a picture. Oh I wish we could have been there. Allyson got a dress for $99 and got Mike a linen suit. How exciting. Makes us want to have our 50th in Bora Bora.

Gardening News-Orchids and Yertle

The exciting news is my Cymbidium yellow orchid plant that I got at the Orchid show in Costa Mesa in February 2002? will be blooming. It hasn't bloomed since 2004. I am very excited. My Mom had Cymnbidium orchids and I remember one Easter she sent me a spray from her plants.It lasted for 5 or 6 weeks. I am very excited. I need to learn more about growing orchids in S. California.

Grapes-I got 3 grape plants yesterday but I think I am going to see if I can order some that are higher quality. Also got several six packs of lettuces.

We spent 5 horus working in the garden to solve some watering issues. Still have problems.

 Yertle -We continue to see Yertle. Yesterday he found the rock we have in the pond and sat on it but as soon as I went into the graden he went back into the water. When the water gets warmer we are going to set up a larger rock area.

Dear Jane BOW 2-13-11 D-4 Crystal Star

Here is my Dear Jane BOW. I now have completed 74 blocks and 1113 pieces.

Valentines Day and Yertle

Got my story, A Nice boy from Stanford, posted on SCN e-circle writing group this am. Yeah. Agonized all too long about it. Just do it, Arlene! The story will appear in my memoir View From The Scaffold. Been working on my memior for several years now. This year for my birthday in June I will bind a draft copy.  Here is the photo I am thinking about for the cover. The story tells of how Alan and I met 51 years ago.

Got a 6 pack of artichoke plants and cilantro planted yesterday.

 

We have a turtle; we named him Yertle. We put him in the pond with a net. It is Dad’s Valentine’s gift.

Popping Lids

Finished reading Simon Winchester's book, The Man Who Loved China. Alan and I have to lead a discussion at book group on Thursday. Excellent writing; about Joseph Needham. It hs made me want to know more about China.

I canned 6 pints and 6 half pints of spaghetti sauce this afternoon. Made the sauce and pureed it two days ago; it has been in refrigerator. Only took an hour to get the jars into canning pot for processing. Soon I will hear the popping of the lids.

Baby Hat and Booties

I made a baby hat and booties for Allyson's colleague Ashley. I rememebr my Mom use to make booties and blankets for my friends babies. Pass it forward. The hat I made during the Super Bowl!

BOW of Week for 2/6/11

Here is my 72th Dear Jane  block.



E-4 Buffalo Tree Hopper



Woofs and Meeows! Our Pet Children and Grand Cats

Our pet children we have had over the years and our two grand cats.



Simba - 1st Grand Cat

Pooh Bah meeting Baby Allyson -What have your brought home?

Allyson and Iolanthe

Athena - My Dancing Maytag





Bunter in a Bag - Second Grand Cat

Rudigore - Our Hide and Seeker







Murgatroyd



Arlene-Penny 2000 to 2010 Log Cabin Block Exchange

Got the blocks up on a design wall today. They have been on the floor for two weeks while I played with them. Now I want to do soemthing for the edge. Penny and I want to get it done by December 31, 2011.

36 blocks, 12 x 12 inches made over ten years.

Calfornia sights and smells-Draft

This will be a collage of photos of California. One of the things we like to do is walk across (sometimes with my best friend Nancy from Cal) the SF Golden Gate Bridge. We try to do it once a year. My Mom walked across it when it opened in 1937 and on the 50th anniversary in 1987.


San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge from boat on a trip to Angel Island, June 19, 2010.



Oakland Bay Bridge and San Francisco Skyline from boat June 19, 2010.

Design Wall Update Jan 22, 2011.

Here is my Dear Jane design wall. I keep it covered to protect from dust and light.

Ashley's Baby Quilt

This is about the eighth train blanket quilt I hae made. Here is the story of the train blanket.

I finished another train baby blanket this morning for Ashley, one of Allyson's co-residents at Stanford. The tea baby shower is this weekend. This is about the eighth one I have made from my pattern.

January 2011 Dear Jane Blocks

F-3 Snowball (BOW Alternate Jan 2)

K-3 Seven Sisters (BOW Alternate  Jan 16)

I-7 (BOW Alternate Jan 9) Mac and Duff

K-9 (BOW Alternate Jan 23) Scout's Honor

From Arlene's Kitchen - our book update

Allyson and Michael looking at our book From Arlene's Kitchen

Alan and I made a lot of progress on editing the third edition of my recipe and story book From Arlene's Kitchen in the last three weeks. Using Picasa I was able to create collages of the food and family pictures. I now have 105 photos and just finished the list of illustrations. Yeah. Alan has done a lot of formating and editing. The index and layout of the recipes look fantastic. I want to finish editing and then we can get it printed and bound. Update January 2, 2011. We were able to get it finished and gave it to Allyson and Michael on January 1 at the Family holiday diner at Gary Danko. I was very pleased with how it looked this year. Alan did an amzing job on the index. Next year we need to take the paper and pcitures to kinkos before we print and they will trim the paper to size.

 

Back Cover 2011

Our Christmas Trees

Our Chjristmas Trees and Allyson and Mike's Christmas Tree.





Howard's Christmas Window

 


Howard's Dining Room - Angel and Snowflake Tree with my Mom's hand crochet ornaments.

Howard's Kitchen - Christmas card tree made from tomato cages by my neighbor Cindy.  It has our first string of lights on it that we bought in 1962. They still work.





Allyson with their Christmas Tree



Howard's Kitchen window



Saint Luica's Day

Had a nice morning yesterday with my quilt group. I think I am making a friend. It is always so hard to do this. I am keeping busy trying to get the 3^rd edition of my From Arlene’s Kitchen book done for Christmas. I made a lot of progress this year. This week I am working on the photos and it is a major effort. I am making an attempt to get them done in Picasa rather than have the collage done by Costco. All I can say it is no small task. Alan is busy with the formatting, no small task either.

Yesterday was Saint Lucias day (Swedish holiday); I always make a ham and pea soup and I serve it with small thin pancakes and ligonberries.

Had a nice Christmas letter from a friend named Betty who lived in the apartment below me when we lived in Hayward. I have never known her age and in her letter yesterday she told me she will be 98 in May. She still swims every day, has for about 50 years and still drives and plays pool with the guys. Betty is amazing. I am so inspired by her. WOW!

Christmas Quilts

Here are my Christmas Quilts.

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