Rituals and Traditions

I am having a lovely Sunday, beginning with my traditional practice of fixing a "nice" breakfast worthy of lingering over while I read the Sunday paper. This is a habit my late husband and I got into, he generally doing the cooking of pancakes or waffles, but I too contributed on occasion by whipping up an omelette or baking muffins. It was a real treat for both of us, this time together over a meal that took more time than the usual bowl of cold cereal quickly downed during the week. It's a tradition I maintain as one of many that keeps me close to our life together, even though that ended years ago. This morning was so warm and lovely that I took my second cup of coffee and the few sections of unread paper out on the back deck, something I haven't done much of late. Lovely breeze, birds chittering and fluttering between the lawn and the trees, the spicy scent of carnations, extra moments to enjoy simple things that feed the soul and refresh.

Later it was off to the local quilt guild's annual show. They are quite a respectable group of quilters, and while most of the work falls within the traditional category, there are always a few pushing boundaries. I haven't become involved with them knowing full well how easily I am tempted away from my own work by guild projects and challenges, but I love to check out what they are up to and support them. It's refreshing to look at these traditional and contemporary designs, see how colors are being used and maybe get some ideas for quilting motifs. Beyond that, I was hoping to meet a local gal somewhat new to the area who had started following my blog and purchased a padfolio from me.

Blogging buddies Renee and Sheila meet at last!

Mission accomplished! Here we are after chatting for a bit, so much fun for me to talk in person to one of my blog followers and also to see her work, many with ribbons! I'll be sharing some of these and other quilts that caught my eye in a separate post. We both hope our paths will cross more often now.

POAC's Arts and Crafts Fair was also going on this weekend and I was thinking of skipping it even though I go most years. I wasn't sure about walking around in the heat (one thing enjoying it while sitting on a shaded deck, quite another enduring it while walking where there's not much shade) plus most years I have something in mind I'm looking for but this year I really didn't. Well, I DID think I'd like more of the caramel corn I bought last year. I decided I'd make up  my mind once I'd viewed the quilt show. Stepping out the door, it seemed a bit cooler, and the fair set up at city beach was only a 10 or 15 minute walk away. I couldn't stay away and hoped the popcorn vendor would be in the same spot as last year - right at the entrance to the fair so I could grab my purchase and head right back to the car. But it was not, and so I ventured into the fair, doing a fairly quick walk-through as there was only about an hour left. Did I say I had nothing in mind but the caramel corn (which I got at a bargain because of the lateness of the day)? The truth is, the pottery booths are always a temptation and true to form, I could not resist adding this bowl to my collection. It's a size and shape I don't have and the glazes are the teal greens and browns I lean towards. It will look lovely with my other bowls.

It was this splash of glaze that drew me to it. There were other bowls nearly identical except the added glaze on the bottom was more circular. I'm not sure I've seen glaze worked this way before, almost a feathering of the blue with a hint of plum behind it. The potter shared it was her favorite and seemed very pleased I'd picked it.

Even the side is beautiful with some of that almost lavender glaze showing up like an aurora borealis.

The fair draws vendors from all over the country as well as artists closer to home so I always ask the people I buy from where home is for them. These potters, an older couple, happen to hail from Northern California, and I pressed them further since I have some knowledge it. Humbolt County, they finally shared, and I thought of my friend and fellow blogger Connie Rose who I'm pretty sure lives in Humbolt County. Wonder if she is familiar with North Bay Clayworks.

Happy, hot and tired, I headed home and settled in with a plate of nachos to watch some MotoGP motorcycle races I'd recorded earlier in the day. This is another Sunday tradition my late husband and I adhered to during the racing season - not sure why nachos became the food of choice while rooting for our favorite racers, but we did it often enough that to this day it feels funny not to be eating them while races are on. I also broke into that bag of caramel corn and have been nibbling ever since. After I finish up here, there's one more race to watch, this time while eating vanilla icecream with blueberry sauce. Not part of the tradition, but honestly, I have been looking forward to that for my dinner all day! No doubt more caramel corn will disappear too. 

What a lovely Sunday. Hope yours has been lovely too.