Summer Time This and That:

 One of the best ways to spend a lazy summer evening is with family at a Luau and dance recital.  Our youngest granddaughter, Racquel, above, has been taking hula lessons for the past few months and last night was her first dance recital.  The lady who teaches the group is from Hawaii and teaches all forms of Polynesian dances, right down to the flaming batons,  We joined the family early and got front row seats.

A Batik Workshop:

I've been looking forward to this past weekend for quit awhile.  In fact, this workshop is the very reason why I joined the Utah Surface Design Group headquartered in SLC and full of crazy talented ladies.  Intimidating, yes, but what a great group to push me along in my attempts to be creative.  The class was being taught in Heber City, Utah which is south of Park City and about 45 minutes from our cabin, where I stayed between the two day class.  While Heber City is growing at a fast pace, it still is pretty rural and offers views of Mt. Timpanogus, above, and the ski resorts of Park City, below.

Brigham City Quilt Show:

Every summer, Brigham City, Utah holds, what I consider, one of the best small quilts shows around.    Brigham City is a small town in northern Utah generally know best for peach orchards and LDS Church history.  The quilt show is held in their "museum" which is in the basement of the senior center.  The first year I went, I made the mistake of going through the main floor door and and had to ask directions which took us through a senior exercise class and down the back staircase.    I know better now.  The show. above, is hung in three smallish rooms and is FREE.   This means return visits  and the need to add to their donation box.  Below are a few of my favorite.

The New Long Arm is Here!!!!

 Isn't it just beautiful!!!!  My new long arm is finally up and running and happily situated in an12X11 and 1/2 square foot basement bedroom, the Quilt Cave #2.  It takes up half of the bedroom and the doors were needed to be taken off the closest so I could maneuver around to the back to roll the bottom leader up and turn on and off  the machine.

Road to Paducah:

 I have been thinking and talking about a trip to Paducah Kentucky for a few years now.  After Tokyo, Houston, and Lincoln, this trip was designed to pretty much finish up my "bucket list" for quilt shows and museums, though (don't tell Roger) I am sure there will be more added on in the future.  We had talked about flying to Nashville and renting a car from there, but when all was said and done, we thought a road trip was the best way to accomplish this "quest". We headed east through the Rocky Mountains, above, and spent our first night in Denver Colorado.

Chinatown Fashion Victim

Some people will wear anything to draw attention to themselves!

Okay I admit it, we both bought one as there was a terrific downpour but I did NOT wear that silly hood.  Still, they were a bargain at THB20 and probably had the added bonus of sweating a few pounds off us in the Bangkok heat!

A Fantastic Gift.

Sue Hammond painted this wonderful picture of our house in France and I just love it!  

Sue took a couple of photos and managed to capture the house perfectly.  Both Alan and I are very excited about having this painting hanging in our home when we finally return to France (which isn't long now).

Thank you Sue.

The Fab Four!

The British Club Bangkok celebrated its birthday with an appearance by a very well know (and seemingly ageless) Fab Four!

They are actually good fun and you can't help but singalong.

Dyeing Fabric Indian Style.

Shahpur Jat in Delhi is known for its Indian fashion designers and businesses associated with fashion, such as bead and sequin shops.  The lanes of Shahpur Jat are also home to a number of men dyeing fabric to order.  Sitting in little open front shops, surrounded by buckets of water, a gas ring and a tray loaded with pots of dye, the men wait for customers from one of the fashion houses.

When I dye to get an exact shade, I first look up the dye quantities in my dyers dictionary.  I mix initial solutions and then from those take amounts that sometimes are little more than three drops of one colour mixed to a tablespoon of another, to achieve the requisite colour.  Oh yes, I also wear an apron, gloves and a mask whilst the measuring and mixing of chemicals goes on.  By contrast the men worked intuitively and I looked on in amazement at the open lidded pots of dye that the dyer was constantly spooning dye from.   The men didn't wear gloves or masks, so what on earth are they breathing all day every day?  Yes, this was dyeing Indian style!  

Old Delhi & Safdarjang's Tomb

I love to wake around old Delhi, looking at all there is to see.

Visit to a camp in Delhi

The highlight of my stay in India was meeting Sarah's English classes, and in particular, her conversation class.  

Hole In the Rock Road:

 The wonderful thing about living in the West is that you can plan a "trip of a lifetime" around a long
weekend.  I had never been to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument before which is located in the southwest corner of Utah.  Roger had last been there 25 years ago on a camping trip with the kids and was excited to show me what was available in our own backyard.  Our destination was the 62 mile "Hole In the Rock" road which begins just outside of Escalante.

EmQuartier Mall Opening

Yesterday saw the opening of the new mall opposite Emporium, EmQuartier.  As is the norm in Bangkok, the place is not finished, so floors were roped off at the top and workmen were still scurrying around the place.  

Storm Damage

As well as brining down trees in the road, the storm earlier this week also blew a tree onto our condo's spirit house.  They cut down the remaining trees around the shrine today and will plant some low level bushes instead.

Of course the staff here are worried as to them, this means bad luck.  The condo manager told me a horrible story.  An hour after the shrine was damaged, one of the staff got a call to tell him that his son had died.   Coincidence?

Some time soon we will get a new shrine.  Sadly I will probably be away when it is installed, I am sure it will be fascinating to watch.

Bangkok Monsoon

Emporium now has a lovely new upper entrance, but they have yet to finish the covered path to the BTS.  With the heavy rain yesterday, the poor guards were kept busy ferrying shoppers under large umbrellas to the train.  

Arizona Road Trip:

 It has been too long since I have written on our blog.  Problems, problems, and more problems had beset it.  When I returned from our Panama Canal cruise (I forgot to post that one first!), my computer had died and we ended up buying a new Mac.  A lot has happened between  November and now and I am just getting the hang of things again.

When is it too late to...

When is it too late to wear sexy clothes?  

Never, going by the latest Dolce & Gabbana windows. These women looked great!

Devine Dessert

Dinner at a friend's house last night was rounded off by individual cakes, served on teeny tiny dessert platters.  I had definite platter envy!

The cakes were served on one large platter and each little platter was a different pastel colour, so we were able to choose our favourite colour.   Much as I loved the cake (scrummy), I was eyeing those little stands and wondering whether our hosts would notice one less at the end of the evening! 

TURNING 60

Alan turned 60 this month!  

Of course I made him the man he is now.  You don't believe me?  Take a peek...