A Little Bit of Christmas

We celebrated Christmas Eve at our house with Murphy and Meredith and her family. After lots of food goodies we settled down to unwrap gifts. Uncle Murphy won the award for the best presents this year. He gave Adrian a V-tech toy that looks a lot like a smart phone and does all kinds of interesting things - really cool. And he gave Andrew a neat book that also has these buttons on the side that make noises to correspond to the stories within. Also cool. And in minutes, toys had changed hands and Andrew was making off with Adrian's new V-tech! After a quick lesson in sharing, Adrian took control of his impulses and allowed Andrew time to play with his toy. What a good brother!

He is more concerned with all the neat sounds coming out of the toy than actually trying to make it work. That's going to take the efforts of a four year old!

Andrew's book has just enough interest to give Adrian the impetus to be a sharing older brother. He has another similar one at home. And of course, by Sunday, the newness had worn off just enough that both boys were content to take turns with each toy.

Savannah was genuinely happy that she had no one with whom to share her new toy. By bedtime the squeaky had been dismantled! She was very happy that Santa remembered her this year.

A Merry Westie Christmas!

From all appearances, this Westie looks like she's sleeping off a wild and wacky Christmas morning! The truth is, she's just resigned herself to letting her Mama take her picture with a crazy Santa hat!

Such love... Such dedication!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Merry Christmas, Savannah.

Christmas Eve on the Wild Side

Despite a veiled forecast of snow for Christmas in San Antonio, Saturday morning brought about only cold rain that lasted pretty much the whole day. Feeling in a Christmas mood, and just a little sad for the critters in the backyard who weren't having a Christmas meal, I set up an umbrella on the garden cart by the pool and put some wild bird seed in a large pottery dish for the birds. What happened after that can only be described as "A Walk on the Wild Side."

The cast of characters:

Momma Red Bird, who bravely entered the shelter for food.

Cowardly Poppa Red Bird, who let Momma check out the "trap."

The Stealthy Squirrel, undaunted by the presence of Momma Bird, but determined to remove said squatter from the premises.

In a matter of minutes the drama began, as Momma ate her fill and Poppa watched from afar, Brave (and Rascally) little Squirrel began making his move. From the top of the bench he quickly ran down to the pool pavement ....

 and frightened away both Momma and Poppa Red Bird.

With determination in each step, Squirrel makes his way toward a cache of coveted birdseed.

Success! I guess he figured if the trap didn't swallow Momma Bird, all would be safe for him to come and partake of his own Christmas dinner.

And because it was cold and rainy, Savannah was content - well maybe not content, but certainly intent on watching the show from her warm and dry perch atop the sofa in the TV room. Ah, winter!

First Blast of Winter

Our forecast on the news last night was for "below freezing" temps so we diligently covered the lemon tree and brought in the cactus bush. All the pipes have been wrapped and the pool pump was turned on for the night. So it was no surprise this morning to find ice in the bird bath! Poor birdies! I think the official temperature was 27 degrees, but as of 10:00 this morning it is already above freezing.

One member of our family was not too happy about the cold! Savannah, who usually shoots out the door like a rock in a slingshot, actually waited for me to put her warm fleece jacket on before venturing outside. She checked the squirrel feeder before "taking care of business" and heading right back inside. I hear about Westies who love rolling in the snow and getting "snow cone noses" and I wonder what would happen if Savannah ever stepped out into some snow!

Sweet Savannah

Savannah is finally settling down enough that she will sit quietly and watch me sew or snooze beside me in her chair now. This is a huge step in her development, and I think I owe it in part to my little grandsons! Every time they come over Savannah is right there to greet them and ready to play ball. They can have her running for half an hour and, when they leave, she is more than ready to sit in her chair and rest while I work on my quilt! It's the best of both worlds!

I have to admit that she is not totally domesticated though. Tonight I let her out after dark for a brief moment and it took her that long to chase a possum across the fence and up a tree! She still has her preferences and "outside" is at the top of the list. "Sitting in a chair" comes in way down at the bottom! But we're making progress. And when she's in the mood she can be the most affectionate little dog ever. Independent, yes! But still very loving. My Sweet Savannah.

What I Have Learned from My Quilts

I have just returned from Kingsland where I picked up my latest quilts from the quilter. These two were quilted for a purpose. One of them is to go to Meredith's inlaws in Romania and the other will travel all the way to Afghanistan for my great-nephew who is serving there in the Army.

This one is for the Mozas. I bought the material in a pack of precuts called a "Layer Cake." There were forty ten-inch squares of at least 20 different patterns, all brightly colored florals. When I saw the package, I knew I had to make something with it for the Mozas in Romania. One of my favorite impressions of that country and its people is the abundance of flowers. Just a quick walk through one of the markets will overwhelm you with bundles and bundles of flowers! A lovely pasttime we noticed is the gesture of bringing flowers as a greeting.

As I began to envision a flower-themed quilt, I picked a pattern that looked as though I were viewing flowers through a window. Adding the black frame around each square completed the picture for me. I hope that Cristi's mother will have the same sensation as she lingers under the warmth of her quilt.

This quilt began to develop in my mind before we went to Russia. My niece's older son, Nathaniel, was just deployed to Afghanistan and, having some involvement with Soldier's Angels, I wanted to find some way to deliver a reminder that we're thinking of him and praying for his safety. This pattern came about by combining elements of other quilt tutorials and several hours of combing through fabric on Ebay and other websites. I put in my order, then left for Russia. When I picked up my held mail at the Post Office there were several packages of fabric waiting for me! I had a great time mixing and matching colors to make the stars.

Now it's up to the postal service to get both of these quilts to their respective destinations. God speed!

Now that I have finished these two and the table runners from my Russian inspiration, I have been thinking about why quilting is such a satisfying hobby. Let me back up to say that the previous three quilts were made solely because I had some new precuts and some new tutorial websites that challenged me to accomplish a project. In my opinion, it was a very sterile reason to make a quilt. In fact, those three quilts are just stacked on a chair in my room. They are not making anyone happy or warm. They have no real purpose.

From the very first quilt I made five years ago, every single one was made for a purpose, or more pointedly, for a person. Quilts, I have learned, are a very personal thing. My quilts have been given to my children and grandchildren, to babies of close friends and family, and to family members. A quilt needs color and design that will perfectly fit the recipient. And now, with three exceptions, all my quilts were made that way. Unless I have a specific person in mind, I don't think I'll invest myself in just "quilting." It's a lesson well learned. 

My Russian Inspiration

Before we left for Russia in September, I determined that I would look for an "inspiration" for a quilt that would remind me of the trip. It didn't take long - three days only - for that inspiration to stand directly in front of me. One of our evenings in Moscow was spent on an optional concert by a group called the Zlatoust Singers. It consists of an ensemble of ten remarkable singers who perform all their songs a capella. We met in a small art museum/concert hall where the acoustics were superb.

For the second half of the program the five women came out dressed in traditional Russian costume and I sat mesmerized at the stunning beauty of their dress. Quite suddenly I realized that this was my inspiration and I didn't have my camera with me. So I quickly beckoned Pat to take some pictures for me, particularly of their gorgeous dresses. He was so busy getting video recordings that he only managed to snap two photos, but it was just enough to bolster my memory.

Three of the singers in traditional dress.

Once at home, I began to mull over my quilt options and look through myriad fabric choices. Meanwhile I received some material in the mail that I had ordered to make a quilt for my nephew in Afghanistan. That became my focus for a couple weeks, and then I began to put together a quilt for Meredith's in laws in Romania. As soon as those two projects were taken to Kingsland for finishing, I was free (project-wise) to order material for my Russian quilt.

Then, Lois called with a date for our post-Russia party and I decided to turn my quilt into a table runner that could be used at the party. An online fabric order plus a quick trip to Joann's put me on the right track. Then I remembered a tutorial I had seen to make a "Quilt as You Go" runner. Being the indecisive person that I am, I couldn't decide which of two fabric colors I wanted to use, so I bought both and ended up making two runners.

This one has a black background and a black and pink floral as the primary panel. The dresses the Zlatoust singers wore had lots of colorful horizontal strips, and I found these bright strips online. I have enough for not just two runners, but another quilt project in my future.

This one has a navy backing and navy floral as its primary strip. I love the "folksy" look of this one, which may be more reflective of the Karelian dancers we saw in Petrozavodsk. And the little doll is from the gift shop on the ship. I passed by the showcase with these dolls multiple times a day, finally giving in to my longing for one. So these will be lovely reminders of our trip to Russia.

Savannah's Overdue Progress Report

Savannah in pursuit of a squirrel in this tree.

I picked this photo because it speaks so much of Savannah's personality and illustrates what will be in this progress report. Let's just say this is a long overdue six month report. It's over due because 1), I was in Russia on her six month anniversary and, 2) I've been posting and blogging about our trip for the past month. So let the evaluation begin!

Savannah has remained very healthy. Let me explain. It seems that the memories of (as well as expectations) the last dog carry over to the new one for a period of time. For instance, Maggie was deaf and blind when she passed and, consequently, I was surprised by Treasure's ability to hear and see. And Treasure was ill with bladder cancer and troubled with incontinence, so I have been surprised by Savannah's energy and twelve-hour bladder! Just having a healthy dog who requires only flea and heart worm medication is a huge change for me.

She is still extremely active and inquisitive. For weeks she was very demanding, requiring us to go for a walk at least twice a day. Gradually, though, she has found more and more interest in the back yard and, with the diminishing curiosity for the Polaris, can be trusted to stay outside for longer periods by herself. She gets engaged (or obsessed) by something in the yard and focuses on that for weeks. Then she moves to something else and entertains herself anew. It could be squirrels, lizards or, her newest obsession, possums. So now we walk only once a day except on Sundays. And she is doing really well on her leash.

As we have bonded with each other over the months, Savannah has learned how to compromise. I do spend a lot of my time upstairs at my sewing machine or computer and for a long time she would show her displeasure by verbally bantering with me until I would take her outside. In just the last few days she has discovered she can sit or sleep in a chair beside my workspace and is quite content to just be close.

Sleepy eyes are making ready for a nap.

Her two favorite things (apart from stalking squirrels, lizards and possums) are to play with her grandboys and go to Bible study. Andrew (and sometimes Adrian) loves to play ball with her. And she is vigilant whenever he is eating a cookie, just in case a crumb falls to the floor. Bible study, though, is the best of all her worlds. She gets lots of love and attention from the ladies and, if Jefferson is there, she gets a little doggie time in. But what she really loves is the open door to the small backyard. Sometimes she'll sit inside the door, looking and waiting for something to appear. Usually, though, she's outside exploring. And on rare occasions, she'll come inside and find a comfy spot by one of the ladies and have a good snooze.

I took her to the Doggie Spa this morning for a bath and there were two older Westie boys ahead of her. This time she just sat on the bench beside me, quietly waiting her turn. No barking, no shaking, no hesitation when the attendant picked her up. Now, that's improvement!



St. Petersburg, Part 2

"Today the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings arranged side by side along the river embankment, houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world." Thus begins a description of the Hermitage. Originally built for Peter the Great's daughter, Elizabeth, she did not live to see it completed. Catherine the Great was the first in a line of successors to enjoy the Palace. Catherine's purchase of 255 paintings from Berlin started what would become the most extensive collection of art in the world.

The sumptuous grand entrance.

The first of many ballrooms.

One of the art galleries.

The Throne Room.

Beautiful and mysterious stairway.

Mosaic circular floor.

Perfect perspective in the hallway connecting buildings.

Another beautiful art gallery. For the most part, pictures were either restricted or not allowed in the galleries. After three hours we were exhausted but thoroughly pleased and impressed with this Palace-turned-museum. Of all my travels over the last decade, I believe that the Hermitage has captured my heart and soul. Fortunately, Graham and I take a break from tomorrow's activities to digest what we've seen and prepare for our return. On Thursday we visit Catherine's Palace.

This is a statue of the poet, Alexander Pushkin. This town, a suburb of St. Petersburg, is named after him. And Catherine Palace and Park are located here. Whereas the Hermitage was the Winter Palace of the royal families, Catherine Palace in Pushkin was known as the Summer Palace. It seems that no expense was spared in decorating this lavish estate as is evidenced by the gold appointments both inside and out.

The golden gates to the Palace.

The Palace measures nearly 1 kilometer in circumference.

I was attracted to this pottery display, as it closely resembles the Mason stoneware my grandmother handed down to me.

The Great Hall, also known as the Hall of Light, measures nearly 1,000 square meters, and occupies the full width of the palace so that there are superb views on either side.

The Blue Drawing Room, my favorite, was designed by architect, Charles Cameron.

The sun catches the gold tops of the church as we prepare to leave Catherine's Summer Palace.

Our tour came to an end on this final Thursday. We had been briefed and had packed our bags with all our Russian treasures and settled into our cabins after our last meal on the ship. some of us had the Ragout of Lamb. I thoroughly enjoyed one last salmon dish, this one with farfalle and white wine cream sauce. We retired early, only to be awaken at 1:30 a.m. for a very early breakfast and a ride to the airport for a 6 a.m. flight home.

A bit out of order is this photo of the Zlatoust Singers that we heard in concert in Moscow. I had opted to leave my camera on the ship and, at the last minute, persuaded Pat to take some pictures for me of the women in their costumes. Suddenly, as the ladies were singing, an inspiration for a quilt popped into my head and I needed this reminder after our return home. Needless to say, this was one of my favorite evenings. These women, along with four very talented men, gave us a  wonderful concert of both sacred and traditional Russian music.

Our memories are varied and many. Russia is a country of contrasts. The loveliest memory I will treasure is not a building, a cathedral or palace, but a people. Without exception, every person we met or interacted with was friendly, helpful, grateful, talented, gracious... My heart is full.

St. Petersburg, Part 1

We woke up Monday morning, looked out our window, and saw a beautiful expansion bridge that will soon become my signal that we are minutes away from our ship. Most of the time that bridge will be packed with cars and trucks and the traffic will move slowly. For now, though, we are anticipating our departure for the City Tour and the visit to Peterhof. Oh yes, it is cold and rainy today. Urg.

Our first stop on the city tour was at the Smolny Cathedral and convent. The buildings are no longer utilized as a school and nunnery; now there is a museum and an actively used concert hall.

Our next stop is at the magnificent Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, also known as Savior on the Spilled Blood. It is just gorgeous and we were so disappointed that we did not get to go inside. The story behind the common name is that a chapel was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 and the church was later built around the chapel.

After we got back on our bus and started away from the church, we saw the cutest little Westie dog walking in the adjacent park, wearing a nice, warm jacket. Barring yelling "fire on the bus!" I was unable to get a picture, for which I was grieved the rest of the day.

Our final stop of the morning was for an extensive visit inside St. Isaac's Cathedral.

"The cathedral's facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns (made of single pieces of red granite), while the interior is adorned with incredibly detailed mosaic icons, paintings and columns made of malachite and lapis lazuli. A large, brightly colored stained glass window of the "Resurrected Christ" takes pride of place inside the main altar. The church, designed to accommodate 14,000 standing worshipers, was closed in the early 1930s and reopened as a museum. Today, church services are held here only on major ecclesiastical occasions."

This gives you an idea of how massive the interior of the church is.

A view up into the top of the dome reveals the white dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

After lunch in a restaurant downtown we took a short drive out to Peterhof, Peter the Great's vision for a palace in the suburbs. His desire was to emulate Versailles in its grandeur and his granddaughter, Empress Elizabeth, ordered the construction of the massive array of fountains.

An extension of the Grand Palace.

Popular fountains in the middle of a lake.

The Grand Cascade fronts the Grand Palace. There are forty-one steps on either side of the fountains.

Here is the statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion.

These innocent looking fountains lure the unsuspecting guest into a sudden spray of water from the side benches. At this point in our tour we were all soaked to the bone and feeling the cold.

Back on the ship, for dinner we had the most delicious cabbage rolls called Golubci and a delightful Lemon Tart for dessert.

Early Tuesday morning we left the ship for a tour through Peter and Paul's fortress and an afternoon in the Hermitage.

Inside the Fortress stands the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.

The art inside the cathedral is undergoing meticulous restoration.

"One major attraction is the graves of most of the Romanov rulers of Russia from Peter the Great onward. Peter's grave is at the front right, and people still leave fresh flowers on it. Also here are both Catherines, Elizabeth, all three Alexanders, Paul, Peter III, Anne - and now both Nicholases as well, as the remains of Nicholas II and his family were re-interred in the small Chapel of St. Catherine on July 17, 1998."

A word we became familiar with as we toured St. Petersburg's beautiful churches is "iconostasis."  The Orthodox church is dominantly decorated with icons, most of which were handcrafted and very beautiful. Usually the worship areas were crowded with icons - think massive in size.

After a light lunch in a restaurant downtown it was finally time to enter the Hermitage.

The Hermitage consists of five buildings. This yellow one is where we will enter for our tour. Please wait for the next post to continue on this tour!