thelmasmith

Hello, everyone,

I’m going to see if I can manage the self discipline to write on this blog at least once a week.

I have moved from the Sonoran Desert of Arizona to the Pacific Coast in Ventura, California.  Check out my view:

The days when we have strong sun the view is even better.  Some days we can see all the Channel Islands.

We are really struggling.  The fog comes sweeping in.  Forget little cat’s feet.  This is a theatrical curtain.  Summer comes in bits and spurts.  Some days we have six or eight hours of glorious sun.  Some days it’s cloudy.

I count myself very lucky to have such a wonderful view and such a mild climate.  The desert was a place of extremes.  Being ten blocks up the hill from the ocean is a dream of temperate consistency.

Since I moved from a three bedroom house with a three car garage to a one bedroom apartment with A parking space, the adjustment has been interesting.

I’ll try to begin posting quilt books and magazine collections for sale in the next month.  I would like any feedback and inquiries if you are looking for a specific book or magazine.

Do click on the thumbnail.  This image is much better larger.

I went down to the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory last week. I had not been to theVisitor’s Center in a long time. It was gratifying to walk in and after all these years look up and say, “Oh, those really aren’t too bad.” It’s part of never particularly liking any work when it’s first finished. It’s pleasing to see that the pieces, each specifically dyed for it’s place in each quilt, are still gracefully doing their jobs.

They are getting some morning sun. What I thought was north was in fact east. But driving up the winding mountain road over the foothills into the base camp at 4200 feet leaves one with no known landmark and no way to assess direction. From indoors in the Visitor’s Center one has not sufficient light to designate direction of light even knowing the time of day.

It’s pretty cool, after so many years to revisit work. Yes, they are losing some color due to the light. No, there is absolutely not one thing that can be done about it. Textiles are ephemeral; it’s easier to accept that truth. The subtleties of change are more apparent when one has years between visits.

In the meantime, a lot of quilters come and enjoy. Even the gentleman who runs the gamma ray experimental program has commented on them. They are not accurate astronomy; just an artist’s interpretation.