Ben's Tux

Ben has decided he would like a tux with tails and a top hat.  He wants to go to Grandma's as a gentleman.  Wow!  Wouldn't that be nice if ALL men and boys want to act as gentlemen!

So, I started this project yesterday and decided I would post pictures for him to see the progress.

First the sewing table was all cleaned off.  Patterns were pulled out.  These patterns are from Reconstructing History.

These are the fabrics I will be using.  Casa dull satin poly, poly lining, and a new patterned fabric with a Japanese touch for a vest, all from Joann's fabric.

 All ready to trace and cut out the pattern pieces.  And look!  Another use for the weights!!!  They work perfectly!

Next I found an old sheet for a mock-up.

Ben knows pretty much what he wants.  The tails need to be in this shape, but without all the buttons and cuffs.

 
We have no idea where Ben came up with idea.  Maybe from Beauty and the Beast.

This year after the drought.

We spent the summer defeating the weeds, an all out war!  

I quickly took these pictures to remember all the work we did.  We put down cardboard, weed barrier and tan bark.  So, take THAT, weeds!

Of course because we have two pet chickens and so I have to have fences around the flower beds so they don't kick out all the mulch into the paths and chew on the plants.  Our darn chickens don't like snails so they are no help on that score.

Look what they did with the tan bark, any how.  pulled it out through the fence holes...

Waiting for my persimmons to ripen!

More and hopefully 

better pictures later!

A break from the real world - Pacific Grove

A couple of wonderful, beautiful days in Pacific Grove earlier this week.

This painting started out as a value study in sepia tones.  Yesterday I added the color.

This painting was done at Point Lobos, south of Carmel.  Another gorgeous day!  The sunlight was flowing down the cliff and hitting the rocks below.  By the time I finished the details the water had risen and the cliff looked entirely different, no sunlit spots.

Jan 21, 2017 - Women's March

Friends and I got big and brave.  We all feel the need to stand up now and voice our views.  None of us has done anything like this and we did have to overcome some fear.  But, we did it.  We went to the Women's March in San Francisco.

The Bart was crowded and our train had to wait at places for trains ahead to make space.  There were so many people that it took them longer to get out of the trains and to be able to move on the platforms.

We stopped for a snack before going up to the street.  We had gotten off at Powell which is as far as the trains were going because of the crowds at the other stations.  After snack we went up to the street level and the March was just passing.

We joined the March as it was not scary at all.  Everyone had each other's back, and no rabble rousers.  The parade filled all of Market street and the wide sidewalks too.  At each of the intersections we did a special little cheer.  Everyone was is such a great mood.  It was raining but no one cared.  It was about 56 degrees so not cold.  We had dressed for cold and wet.  The city was absolutely beautiful!

It took us about an hour and a half to walk down to the ferry building which had been in the middle of our view as we walked.  When we got to Justin Herman Plaza we started back on the sidewalk.  There was just enough room to walk the opposite direction of the March.  Instead of going down to the first several BART stations we decided to walk all the way back to Powell.  We were enjoying the full street of marchers.  Hundreds and hundreds....  We got back to Powell and we still couldn't see the end of the March.

We had taken this very seriously but we had found it so much fun too with all our supporters!

Hopefully we won't have to do this again, BUT we will if we find it necessary.

100,000 marched in San Francisco!

I Promise.

"I listened as they called our President a Muslim.

I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.

I listened as they said he wasn't born here.

I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could
.
I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.

I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.

I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog.

I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.

I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.

I watched as they did just that.

I listened.

I watched.

I paid attention.

Now, I'm being called on to be tolerant.

To move forward.

To denounce protesters.

To "Get over it."

To accept this...
I will not.

I will do my part to make sure this great American mistake becomes the embarrassing footnote of our history that it deserves to be.

I will do this as quickly as possible every chance I get.

I will do my part to limit the damage that this man can do to my country.

I will watch his every move and point out every single mistake and misdeed in a loud and proud voice.

I will let you know in a loud voice every time this man backs away from a promise he made to them.
Them. The people who voted for him.

The ones who sold their souls and prayed for him to win.

I will do this so that they never forget.

And they will hear me.

They will see it in my eyes when I look at them.

They will hear it in my voice when I talk to them.

They will know that I know who they are.

They will know that I know what they are.

Do not call for my tolerance. I've tolerated all I can.

Now it's their turn to tolerate ridicule.

Be aware, make no mistake about it, every single thing that goes wrong in our country from this day forward is now Trump's fault, just as much as they thought it was President Obama's.

I find it unreasonable for them to expect from me what they were entirely unwilling to give."

Author unknown. (Copy and Paste Everywhere)

Post Christmas

After getting a terrific head cold right after Christmas I am now getting back my energy slowly but surely.  Just about everyone I know had this bug before me and I wasn't surprised when I got it.  At least it wasn't the flu, I've had the shot.  This only lasted about a week but was a real duzzy.

Today the weatherman has said it will rain all day and heavy this afternoon.  We will see.  The SF Bay Area has so many micro environment that the general weather predictions do not follow in may areas (especially ours).

I hope to get over to Ardenwood to un-decorate the sewing/sun room that my daughter and I decorated for Christmas.  So far the rain hasn't started so if I get over there quick enough I might miss it!