No Idle hands here

I know it’s been a while, so this is a mish-mash.

Lets start with nature and fall colors. I have some fall decorations outside my house. This tree isn’t mine. Unfortunately 90% of my neighbors who put up Halloween decoration are into the gore and grisly. I can’t stand the skeletons and ghouls anymore. So I’m not sharing pictures of that.

someone carved and hung these pumpkins in the park, I just wish they hadn’t spray-painted the tree. Another thing I hate, graffiti. I remember when the left told us that graffiti is really art – and now our cities are filthy and ugly – way beyond graffiti.

Speaking of the left, here is a picture of me with my brother and cousin at 17. I was wearing a Kafiya, but now way was I on the left. At that time, mid 70s’ Arafat wore a Kafiya, but no one else did. It is from Iraq, and had it not been ruined by the ‘we hate Israel and Jews – by pretending we care for Palestinians-crowd.’ It is actually a lovely scarf.

Sienna is getting very big, she is covered head to toe with soup I made. Always good to introduce them to Santa cooking early.

Pre-Halloween, as a pumpkin.

Enjoying frozen yogurt. with Shira

and Aytan.

26 applique blocks for the Jane Austen quilt

This is not the final setting for the blocks, but you can see how the quit is growing.

I always have a puzzle going. This one is actually very hard. Not impossible but hard.

It is done!!!!

I don’t take a lot of photos when I’m busy living life. First night of Rosh Hashana we were 10 people, second night – 30. Here is the set up for the second night. I do love having such a wonderful backyard for hosting.

Look at this cutie, back from her first European trip.

Yes, she loves her cousins.

Love how these cousins enjoy a lot .

These two playing UNO and yes, Einav did win a game.

My niece just had a baby boy!!

Joel wearing Celines’ wedding green bow tie. I heard that one of the cousins sent one for the new baby – to the baby

With proud grandpa!

the name, Henry Orrin in English – Henry, cuz they want a classic name, Orrin for grandpa. The Hebrew name, Emanual, which is Gregs’ fathers Hebrew name- so Sephardic, which is great, seeing that Celine is half Sephardic

Joel reading part of the prayers at the Bris.

Then we ate, incredible Mizrachi food, once again, no pictures. The table decorations were great, and the food amazing.

Dupont Circle on my way to the Phillips collection.

very old in front of a newer apartment building. Love the staircases, and the fact that as time went by, they could add another room on top.

I didn’t take pictures of the art – go see it! A not very good photograph of great art doesn’t do much. so instead one of the fireplaces with Delft tiles.

Which to my eye, is art in itself.

Walked from there to the WWI memorial, saw this great Art Deco building along the way.

We stopped to see the White House, there is so much security here, understandable.

zooming in.

On to the memorial, opened a year ago.

A full length look at the Sabin Howard designed wall, A soldiers journey.

Starting from left to right, a man leaves for war, his wife trying to hold him back, his daughter handing him his helmet. Off he goes, to battle, to injuries to victory and back home to the daughter and wife, handing back his helmet.

I had heard a number of interviews with Sabin last year, a classically trained artist. this is the first monumental bronze sculpture made in the US in many many years

He used actual veterans of recent wars as models.

Tending to wounded and dead. The overall designer is Joe Weishaar. There was an event about to take place, we didn’t stay for it. But I was told that there is plenty of leeway for expansion and contraction of the bronze due to heat and cold.

coming home to his daughter, both are older now. Also, I don’t see the wife, wonder if she didn’t survive that period.

there is also a statue of General Pershing. Sorry no picture. The weather in DC was lovely, came back to very humid here in LA, like 72 degrees. we even had some rain, but no real relief. Next week it should be cooler

My Aunt Sue celebrated her 90th birthday.

There were 50 people who came out to celebrate, old friends like these two here. All her kids and grandkids – even great grandkids. Of course my brothers and I came as well. A well worth celebration.

Sue with her granddaughter Kate (they both used to have the same hair – Sues’ has thinned through the years) and Kates girlfriend Jill.

One thing I just noticed, the shoes Sue is wearing, even 10 years she never would have worn those shoes for a gathering. This was the brunch at her apartment the day after the party – so she has reached the stage of not just looking great, but being comfortable.

With may two brothers, who I haven’t seen since our mother died. They came from Israel for this.

This is what my older brother really looks like when taking a picture.

Even got Joel in the picture.

I did have the time to visit some of the museums here in DC. I wanted to see the American Indian museum. I understand it might be shutting down, I get why. It is a shame to spend taxpayer dollars on this. Sure, I enjoyed this garment – although I can assure you there are some who are much more detailed and intricate than this. But this museum wants you to know they Natives are inferior to us – which is why what they share is mediocre at best.

Yes these two beaded bags, made by young people- these are new – and I”m disappointed. They are nice, but they are mediocre. At the Autry museum they used to have shows that highlighted the amazing crafts of many different tribes – many beaded objects from 200 years ago when glass beads were introduced to the Indians. they were so superior to these, it is mind blowing.

This is probably the best example of creating art on the hide of a buffalo, painting, beading. Celebrating how natives have hunted the buffalo and moved on the modernity.

Finally, these shoes – there is nothing about these shoes that says Native American. On the one hand – beautiful and special – second – shells and bone would never create these kind of beads. so maybe acknowledge that we can simply become American, combining European beads and Indian sensitivity.

From there we went over to the National Gallery and I was reminded that 200 years ago or more – Europeans created absolute amazing paintings and sculptures. American painters of 200-300 years ago didn’t have the education- their paintings were simplistic and naive. But within a few years American Artists were as good as Europeans. The same would be true (and actually is, outside of woke museums) of Native artists and craftsmen. But no, the national museum must keep the red man down – they need the victim.

I hate that the schools are back in session in August, it is still high summer here!!! Oh well, we soldier on.

Cam isn’t off the hook when it comes to feeding Si-Si as they sometimes call her. She is also experimenting with real food, and yes, she likes it.

The succulent wall by their house, I could never sustain one of these, cool sea air keeps this alive

Roses thrive here, not mine, but they do like the valley heat.

about 2 months ago I yanked this out, it was right next to the fountain and it was crowding it out. I know, late June is not a good time to do this, but I did, I planted it elsewhere and kept on watering like crazy. The plant looked dead.

I took a close look this week. That isn’t a weed, the plant is alive and sending out new leaves! Yay! I don’t need to buy a new one, all that water worked!

Old friends, Sonia and Brian (in the middle) are visiting from Charlotte. They moved their 13 years ago and are back to see their grandson get engaged. We all were a ‘Chavurah” years ago. so nice to see them again.

The quilt grows

I’m switching between the piecing and the appliqué. Was showing this off to friends, and yes, they are duly impressed.

As I go through my stash to find fabrics that are different and will work, I realize that my next quilt has to be from stash only. Friends were over on Friday night and were duly impressed with my workmanship.

A puzzle I found at a thrift shop, it will now move on to another friend – this one was fun.

The kids are heading back to school, way to soon if you ask me, but no one is asking me.

Cam and Westley get to end the summer in Maine

Someone is loving a great desert

Shira is so good with crochet right now! This is some character from K-pop -Im glad she is into K-pop! She found the instructions online and made this fellow. I still remember just a few years ago teaching her how to crochet – painful at first, but now she is really good at it.

Sienna is getting huge!!!

Celine had her baby shower, she didn’t want to open gifts. But I forced her and Greg to open mine. I hand made these items, I want to see how thrilled they are with them – and yes, they are very excited.

I finished this a few months ago – finally got around to framing it.

and finally:

I’m pretty sure this is a raccoon. Tail is too thick to be an opossum. and it’s way too large to be a squirrel

I went ahead and bought this kit, Lori Holts’ quilt that honors 250 years of Jane Austen. All the fabrics are basically replica from

This is the quilt at Chasten, Janes home, that she probably made with her sister Charlotte. Lori Holt studied this well and replicated, or used for inspiration many of these fabrics.

Except…. There is a vibrance to Janes’ quilt that I don’t see in the kit – because all of the new fabrics are printed in using the same dye lots – so there is a flatness to the quilt, despite the many many fabrics.

I am using many of the fabrics I bought, as well as using from my own stash

Lori Holt has an interesting appliqué method, using a thin interfacing to make the shapes. I am using a wash away interfacing that I had on hand, which means no ironing until my block is done.

Once done and ironed, there is a certain crispness. also, my days of pretending I’m a machine are over, there are lovely irregularities in my appliqué.

The instruction dictate that one makes all the appliqué blocks, then the pieced borders then, put it all together. I can’t work that way. As you probably know by know, I am a very scrappy quilter, so I have added quite a few fabrics from my stash that work well. But of course, different dye lots, so there is more depth and interest.

Like these vines and corner blocks – after studying Janes actual quilt, I am so happy to be doing this. No offense to Lori, she designed lovely fabrics and in order to put a kit together, of course she is using all of her fabrics. But in quilting, everyone makes their own!

A day at the beach with Westley. Cam was at a birthday party.

So I bought him a huge ice cream sandwich, of course he gave me a few bites.

Love the American flags!

Right near the elephants, that are gone now, is this wonderful Gaudi inspired house. It has probably been there for years and I finally noticed it.

Another sign of late summer, fire flower.

I’ve been doing origami with the boys. The blue crane is one I made at home with YouTube, the pink one is from the book I gave Cam. there are more than one way to do origami.

I went to visit the elephants, twice.

They were in Beverly Hills for a month, after traveling from India to America and going across the country.

First time I went on my own, a volunteer shared their story, how the Brits had brought invasive plants that were now destroying the elephant habitat (really 70 years after they left suddenly there is a problem?) But the locals are using the stem of this plant to create elephants – there are 100 of them! Great so they found a solution! No, situation is a bad as ever – so I’m told.

A lot of work goes into the framework and nailing these stems down.

Second time was with grandkids. We had to stop by and meet Peanut, all the elephants have names. This one was bought by the aunt of Einavs’ friend!!! All elephants are for sale – raises more money for this village.

Bus tours stopped here of course. With the kids, another docent came by. She told a much more uplifting story – is it because of the kids – she said that making these elephants and other objects is really helping the village and the elephants. Thank You for some positivity!

Detail of trunk and toes.

Adorable grandkids! nice to get a picture in front of the famous Beverly Hills pond and sign.

Where the waterlilies are blooming.

The permanent sculptures are also cool.

Many people coming to enjoy the show!

The quilt is finished. Quilting really makes it a three dimensional object, and I love that

While attaching the binding, I use a decorative stitch on the top.

A closer look at the quilting, not perfect, but then it doesn’t need to be. A friend said, as we age our eyes get weaker. Also, this isn’t a piece of art, it’s for a baby

I pieced the back together and one corner still needed some fabric. I chose this one, it is purely by accident that the fox is right there in the corner.

I made a giraffe, babys’ Dads’ family is from South Africa.

Quilt and giraffe, ready to go!

I was probably 9 months since I was at the quilt guild. I showed off both the quilt and the giraffe. Then on the FB guild page I shared Funky Friends Factory. I have made about 15 of her patterns. We’ll see how many more show up at the meetings.

The Speaker was Jenny Lyons, a wonderful free motion quilter. I had taken her class 7 years ago, it was fun to see her again. She had some very good tips. My quilting is nothing like hers – she is a true professional, I just enjoy getting a quilt uniquely quilted, even if they would never win awards

I went to an estate sale and picked up these silver plate items. A picker was there looking for sterling silver- I’m fine with the silver plate.

They cleaned up very nicely, I will enjoy using them. The tongs are a little week, the cake server is lovely, it also might be a cheese server. Then the two spoons, is one a jelly spoon? Are they both?

My flowers are so gorgeous!!!

I LOVE the fountain! I was worried that the pump was too strong, but no, it is high and gurgles and yet, I only refill the bowl every third day. Sitting out in my yard is such a pleasure

West and Cam didn’t have camp this week, so I took them on a field trip to see the Destroyer Iowa in the Port of Los Angeles

Amazing boys. We spent over an hour on board, which for a 10 and 9 year old is saying a lot.

I love the sheer power of a ship like this. There were plenty of on duty Navy fixing and painting the ship. The amount of work to keep it in good shape, even just sitting in the harbor is incredible. They must have had Marines onboard as well, since their symbol is right here.

Seagulls are everywhere.

Hurray for big cannons, sorry it’s pointing right at you San Pedro.

The fourth Naval ship named for a landlocked state. Well, it is on the Mississippi. Also, I really like Cams’ shoes

Cam did the scavenger hunt for everything Vicky. Victory was the dog and mascot of Captain McCrea, the first captain of this ship. Of course in real life she was much smaller. Oh yes, Westley has nice shoes as well.

I love how massive the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach is. A real sign of our industrial world. two images. This channel is occupied by Evergreen. the small boat is being escorted by Harbor Patrol. There are some marinas here, I think that boat had gone in too far and was being escorted back to where it belonged

6 years ago, I took the boys to the Cabrillo Marine museum, afterwards I looked for lunch and found Sorrento’s in San Pedro. At the time Cam wanted Mac and cheese, something they don’t have. So he got Fettuccine Alfredo, and has been a fan ever since. He now doesn’t like Mac and cheese. So of course we went back for seconds.

At first it was a little hot, but he loved it.

Westley got spaghetti and meatballs, probably what he got the first time.

Clean plates! Westley really cleaned his plate, Cam took his leftovers home!

Then we drove over the Vincent Thomas bridge, which was fun. Since we were in the area, I took them to Willimington

To see the Phineas Banning mansion. Cam mentioned that lot of modern mansions look like this. What goes around, comes around. We didn’t take the tour, but a docent took us into the workshop – barn, where we saw some of the carriages. Banning came to LA in the mid 19th c. He made his money from stage coaches and deliveries. He helped build the railroad from DTLA to the port and got the Federal government to build breakwaters, so the port could become viable.

A good day of touring and history.