Asilomar

Hello dear blogging friends.

So glad you stopped by. Have you got time for me to show you a few photos of my trip to California? I was at a conference grounds called Asilomar in Pacific Grove CA. What a beautiful place. It was originally a YWCA camp designed in the early 1920's by a famous woman architect who also designed the Hearst castle. Her name escapes me for the moment. Lovely old redwood and stone buildings with big stone fireplaces, no TV no telephones in the room and it sits looking out to the ocean. My room was in a building called The Lodge. It even had it's own fireplace, a view of the ocean from the window and a little deck where I could sit and watch the ocean. At night we left the window open and let the sound of the waves lull us to sleep.

The first one to greet me as I made my way to my room (with no luggage! It didn't show up for another 24 hours!) was this sweet dear. I wonder if she's related to Daisy? I arrived a day before the quilting classes started so I had lots of time to go for a long walk along the boardwalk and enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean. It was breathtaking.




There were lots of little flowers popping amongst the sand dunes.

I love these. I remember seeing them growing wild along the Devon and Cornwall coast in England.coast

The setting was spectacular, but the reason I came was to quilt. Here I am with one of the my teachers. I am the one in the pink. The teacher is Freddy Moran. She makes wonderful quilts and has really influenced my growth as an artist. I feel like she is my mentor even though this was the first time I'd met her.

Here are a few examples of some of the work done in my class.

Oops! It's sideways!

Of course we found time for a little shopping. This is a quaint store in Carmel called Findings. They specialize in ribbons, trim, buttons and other types of embellishments. A fun little shop.
We visited the local quilt quilt shop Back Porch Fabrics, in Pacific Grove.

Here are both our teachers, Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran. You can see the roof of the building we are in which gives you a little idea of how beautiful it was. I sat right at that window and could see the ocean as I looked out. To tell the ruth I didn't look out very often as I was too intent on my work!

Some more photos of quilts.


I go for one more walk along the ocean before I head for home.
I had such a wonderful week, just sewing and creating all day long. No one to worry about but myself. I feel very spoiled! Feels good actually! I am in the process of quilting what I made so as soon as it is finished you'll see a picture of it. And speaking of quilting it's time for me to get back to my sewing machine.

Hope you are having a good day. Stop by again. I'd love to hear from you, so leave a comment if you have time.

Rhondi xo

Home Again

Hi blogging friends
I am home after a week in California and a week in Texas with the grandkids. The bluebonnets in Texas are so beautiful, but not as beautiful as my grandchildren. Thanks to all of you who left a comment while I was away. It will take me awhile to read all your blogs I missed while I was gone, but I'll get to you eventually!
Missed you all. I had a wonderful time but it's always good to be home again.
Rhondi xo

Goodbye

To all my dear blogging friends I am gone for 2 weeks. Tomorrow I leave for California for a quilting workshop and then we are off to Houston to see the grandkids. It will be two fun filled weeks and I am so excited. My little teddy bears wave goodbye.

I have lots to do to get ready. I'll get my bags packed put my hat on and then I am off. Goodbye.
Rhondi xo

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for Spring. No matter how brutal your winter has been, eventually Spring arrives. All the trees are asleep, but then one day they begin wake up and come to life.

As I was driving yesterday I held my camera out the window and just snapped it hoping I would get a good shot and I managed to get 2! So many of the streets in our city are lined with trees full of blossoms this time of year. It is so beautiful! Click on the picture for an even closer look.
Little violets pop up everywhere.
The grape hyacinth poke up through the brown earth.
And the forsythia celebrates the glory of spring. When forsythia has been left to grow in a natural shape and not pruned, the branches just go every which way and I always think it looks like they are shouting "Whoopee, it's Spring!"
For those of you who are still waiting for Spring, the wonderful thing about it is it always comes and one day you look out the window and there it is. Spring is filled with hope and life and we can never get enough of that.
I hope today that your day is filled with hope and life even if you are still experiencing the last blast of winter.
Rhondi xo

Anatomy of a Quilt

Good morning friends.
I think you know that I am passionate about quilting. I am getting ready to go to a quilt workshop and have been spending lots of time in my studio, so I thought I'd show you what I have been doing.
This is how I make a quilt. First I need something to inspire me. My inspiration is this book. I choose lots of fabric from my stash.

and more fabric. The more color the better!!
Organize and pick some favorites.
Then begin to make some blocks.
and more blocks.
To be continued. Stay tuned.

Hope you have a great day today and that the sun is shining where you are.

Rhondi xo

A Beautiful Start to the Day

Good morning out there in blogland.

As we sat eating our breakfast I noticed the sky turning a lovely shade of pink and I just had to grab my camera and take a picture of the sunrise. The sky was so beautiful. What a wonderful start to the day!

And I say to myself, "What a wonderful day." Hope you can say that today was a wonderful day too.

Rhondi xo

My Journal

Hello dear blogging friends.
I don't know what has been wrong with my computer today but I have tried off and on since early this morning to upload some pictures and I keep on getting an "error try again in 30 seconds" message! I finally was able to get at least this one picture of journals.
I write in a journal every morning. I've had the habit for a long time now. I write about what is happening in my life, recording the joys and heartbreaks while they are fresh in my mind. I write out my prayers. I journal about things that trouble me and things I am hoping for.
I write about creative ideas I have and my struggles in trying to give substance to those ideas.
I write about my family and friends My whole life is in my journal! Writing in my journal every day grounds me, settles my emotions and gives me peace. When I write in my journal I feel like I am telling God my thoughts.
I am a very creative person and I love beautiful things, so you'd think I'd have a lovely journal like one of these in pink or blue. But my journal is just a plain black and white composition book like we used to use at school which cost me $1 at the dollar store. I have a large stack of them tucked away in my closet. Perhaps someday someone else besides me may read them and have a glimpse into my soul. In the meantime it's just between me and the Lord.

Hope you are having a great day.
Rhondi xo

It's the Weekend!

Hi blogging friends

I spent the day sewing quilt blocks and enjoying hearing the sound of a lovely rainfall most of the day. Everything is beginning to turn that wonderful spring green!

This is a butterfly on the lantana from last summer.

Hope you have a great weekend.
Rhondi xo

Thankful Thursday

Hi

This Thursday I am thankful for life: to be able to breathe, walk, talk, hear, see, smell, feel. To have life and health.
I take it all for granted.
Life is a wonderful thing.
This is me on the left, my sister in the middle and my husband on the right as we enjoy a walk on the beach. It is so easy to enjoy life when we are away from our daily life.
I am determining to enjoy life in the everyday mundane part of it.
Abraham Lincoln said "In the end it's not the years in your life, it's the life in your years"
Jesus said "I have come that you might have life in abundance"

Today I am thankful for LIFE.
What are you thankful for today?

Rhondi xo

A Walk in the Woods

It is a very mild morning. Do you have time for a short walk with me in the woods behind our house? There has been some machinery out there making a lot of noise yesterday and again this morning, doing some work on the stream and path so I am nosy and want to see what they are doing. We can also see what's blooming while we're there. Daffodils bloom on the hillside. (If you double click on the pictures you'll get an even better view.) We had a very strong rain and it knocked over a lot of the daffodils.
More daffs blooming.Right now you can still see the path where we just walked. It is part of the greenway sytem that reaches right up to our backyard. It won't be long before the path will be completly hidden by all the leaves.
This precious little flower is poking up through the leaves. I can't remember the name of it.
Nearer to our house is this amazing shrub called Edgworthia. It sheds its leaves and then blooms in the winter. Here is a close up of it. I just got it last fall and am told it will grow 6 to 8 feet tall and wide!

The flowers almost look artificial don't they?There has been a frog croaking loadly by our little pond in the front yard. Let's take a look and see if we can find him. I haven't been able to spot him because as soon as I get close he becomes silent. See, he stops as soon as we get near. Look at the reflection of the dogwood tree in the pond. Isn't that beautiful?
Right outside our side door, Candytuft greets us.

Pulmonaria can't decide whether to be pink, purple or blue.
This double daffodil is showing off her unusual bloom
and the hyacinth are giving off that wonderful fragrance.

Come inside and I'll make us a cup of tea before you leave. As soon as I open the door the sweet fragrance of a hyacinth I picked yesterday will greet you. Mmmm... it smells wonderful!
Thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed having someone to walk with today!

Rhondi xo