Give a Hoot!

Since January 2010, San Diego county has been famous for it's owl cam in San Marcos.
People can view a live feed of what's happening in the nest, and comment on a forum.
It's pretty freakin' cool.
Sadly the news reported today that the male, McGee, appears to have died.
The owl mates are named Molly and McGee.
Hopefully Molly will find another mate.

My mom has about two and a half acres, and an owl would be a welcome tenant to keep the gophers under control.
Those gophers are cute as can be, but they're turning my garden into a quicksand zone.

I've been wanting to get an owl box for awhile, and serendipity had me drive past a guy selling some amazing boxes out in Jamul today.
By FAR these are the nicest boxes I've seen--they even have shingled roofs!

The website is Custom Owl Boxes.
Take a look.
These are even nicer in person.
He also makes bat boxes (bats eat lots of icky insects like mosquitos).

Coronado Flowers

Tis the season for Spring Garden Tours.
My mom and I love going to different home tours and getting inspiration and ideas.

Last weekend we drove out to Coronado to see their Flower Show (I even got a later shift at work so we could go).
The plant sale started at 7am, and the paper said the show started at 10am, so we got there right about opening time.
We were surprised to find the show closed off, saying judging was going on, and the show wouldn't open until 1pm.
Um, wtf?

We couldn't wait around since I had to work in the afternoon, so instead of calling the day a bust, we got a program from the library and cruised around a few of the streets looking at home gardens.

Several home gardens had received blue ribbons for their designs.
I especially am attracted to plants with contrasting color and texture placed next to one another.
Sometimes a dark foliage is shocking next to a pale one, or a bold leaf can add a sculptural component.



I am definitely going to incorporate this stone path idea, with its organic lines, into my own garden







Bird of Paradise always reminds me of my grandmother's garden

Pics

Oh my gosh, poor neglected blog!
The days zoom by so fast, and Facebook takes up more of my time than blogging lately.

For now, a couple of pics around San Diego.

Outside the La Jolla Music and Arts Library, The Atheneum.
I took my mom to see a three-part series by Professor Bruno Leone, where he told stories, sang, and expertly played the grand piano.
The series highlighted the lives of George Gerswhin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers.
Absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend signing up for any event given by Bruno Leone.

Huge vase of flowers that appears to be a paper-mache sculpture, inside the Atheneum. Huge meaning it was about ten feet tall.

A red leather (or vinyl...I'm not positive) couch at a local thrift store that I am absolutely coveting.
Looks brand new, and I'm on a red kick, but I can't afford it right now.

I've always thought of this as a lifeguard tower on Fiesta Island, but it may actually be for some kind of judging or for spectators. I'm not sure, I just know I walk by it often.

Reese, at Fiesta, pre-daisies.

My little three-legged kitty, Kai, is getting all grown up!
He's around 7 months old now.
He's actually quite smaller than my other cats, so I call him my "weenie".

Vintage goodness

I love the cherry pin I got at Donnaland today!

The sale continues through Sunday (until 6pm) at
Frock You Vintage on Park Boulevard in North Park.

Clothing from the 40's through the 80's, shoes, bags, sunglasses...
Pretty awesome.

Festa!

I've always wanted to attend the annual Festa downtown in Little Italy, and today I had the opportunity.

Kids must have "decorated" the street today before the crowds arrived.
A lot of people were just walking over the mini masterpieces, not noticing, but I thought it was fun to acknowledge the doodles and scribbles


I've been to other events in Little Italy, and those were actually even more romantic because they featured opera-singing waiters.
The singing was sadly absent today, but the Festa does feature several bands, a show of luxury Italian cars, vendors, and lots of food.
The show stoppers, however, are the artistic entries in the chalk drawing competition--all voted on by the public, and vying for cash prizes.
The sidewalk or street chalk drawings are Gesso Italiano.


The art featured homage to Italian masters in painting and other arts, but also to this year's sponsor: Fiat

Gorgeous!

















My favorite drawing was a tribute to Caravaggio.
My photos don't do the drawing justice--the detail and realism was amazing


Miscellaneous:
Awesome mermaid balloon sculpture


Lots of scooters, and this pristine vintage Corvair


I love the juxtaposition of old against new (the whales painting is by Wyland)


A mosaic on a column


Birds on a wire (photo taken through the window of the Trolley)


My favorite moment of the day: watching an elderly couple dance, alone in a small plaza, to a smiling man playing an accordian.

San Diego Peanut Butter Chews!

Previously I posted a recipe that I had read was the infamous (in San Diego) Peanut Chews from the San Diego School District.
Since then, however, I have received a second version.
I'm pretty sure this version is the actual, honest-to-God copy, as it's from a woman who used to work in the cafeteria.
Oh happy days!

Madison High Peanut Butter Chews

Grease (with shortening, not oil) two 8" x 13" pans.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix and set aside:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In another bowl, mix until creamy:
2/3 cup butter (original recipe calls for "oleo", but eeewww. Always use butter)
1 cup peanut butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar

Combine creamed mixture with dry mixture.
Add and blend well:
2 cups quick oats or 2 cups coconut
(I wonder if regular oats would work? I think they taste so much better than the quick. Or I wonder if half oats and half coconut would taste yummy?)

Pat into two greased pans and level.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes (don't let them get too brown)

While the bars are baking, mix up a very thin (but not watery) glaze of powdered sugar and vanilla icing (ingredients and quantities not listed, but I always thought the glaze from the previously posted recipe wasn't enough).
Spread glaze on baked chews while they are still hot.

Cool, then cut into squares.

San Diego Quilt Show, 2010

After my laptop being broken for so long, and then misplacing the battery to my camera, I've got a lot of catch-up to do on this blog.
My mom and I attended the San Diego Quilt Show recently, and I had planned to go through the program and identify all the artists, maybe even identify some of their inspirations.
But this cloudy weather kicks my butt, and I just don't have the energy.
So, for now anyway, I'll just share some photos of some of the quilts (and hope it inspires me to get back to sewing!)

This one used techniques to create rust, for added texture, color, and interest!
It also incorporated a real photograph

Fun fabric



Of course I always favor the quilts that incorporate neckties




modern log cabin in batiks


thread art and textural contrast create images in cloth




An example of using one shape only

Miscellaneous




















Confederate quilt

Incorporating hand-painting


I love the three-dimensional kite

Three dimensional characters

Notes and messages
Tee shirt memories
Scouting quilt recycles mementos


Using shapes and photographs