Time Travel Portal - 1915 - CA Tower - (San Diego Field Trip)

Looking for a way back to 1915? Travel up the stairs of the California Tower in San Diego's Balboa Park. Back to the time of the Panama Pacific Exposition, when folks saw the world through a pair of rose colored  - Beaux Arte flavored - glasses, International was another word for exotic, and California drifted like an almost unexplored cultural island.

Balboa Park San Diego (Field Trip)

Franklin Roosevelt 

Climbed these stairs to see Expo

Panama Canal!

Panama Pacific Exposition, San Diego, Balboa Park, 1915

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama–California_Exposition

Grenwich Time - Walking Jefferson Market Garden (NYC Field Trip)

I went part way along with Rosalinda when she headed off to her graduate studies Friday night , then made an abrupt turn at Washington Square and headed for West Greenwich Village.  Yah, yah, I know they call it "the village" around here. I was in the mood for a walk that involved more than window shopping, and I found it when I stumbled on Jefferson Market Garden. The garden is one of those hidden gems I always hope I'll discover on a ramble.

Backed up by the gorgeous historic Jefferson Market Library building, this secret garden packs a floral wallop in a compact footprint. Even in September the roses are still blooming in the sunny spots, along with varied colorful daises.  Hydrangea, a variety of tuberous and wax begonias, and a plethora of shade-loving flowers and ferns gather close beneath a green canopy. There's an inspirational greenhouse and pond as well - complete with water plants. 

 

 Despite it's small size a number of people, pups and kids had all managed to find a bench and a place to hang out and companion each other. I could have stayed all day, but the Boheminian charms of the West Village were calling.

Still Holding a Torch for You (New York - Field Trip)

Remember folks, The Bronx is Up and the Battery's Down

I've been on a prolonged visit to New York City, helping my beloved daughter, Rosalinda, move into her new apartment on the East Side of Manhattan.  Rosie's come to take a bite out of the big apple and pursue a graduate degree. I've come along for the ride. As much as I'm looking forward to returning to my California home, I've been savoring this ultimate big city experience.

One of my favorite discoveries was learning that we got an excellent view of  that celebrated Old Lady - a.k.a. The Statue of Liberty - from the cafeteria window at Ikea! Hey, don't you think the Old Gal must be getting tired of holding that torch up for everybody by now?

 ~ ~ ~ How to Acquire Apartment Furniture in NYC ~ ~ ~

Many of us are familiar with that new-apartment dwellers-shopping utopia, Ikea. Back home in California, we use our own car to load up our purchases. Over here in the land of 8.8 million people, it works a little differently for those without a car - which seems to be the majority.

Here's how my daughter acquired an assembled bed, compact eating table with two chairs, and a desk.

-  We called ahead to get advice on ordering on-web versus going to store. Nice man told us that if we ordered on-line, it would take two or three weeks, but that by visiting the store we could get a delivery date of our choice. Not wanting to sleep on the floor in Rosie's new apartment, we went to the store. - Give yourself a solid day. We went late morning Tuesday and it took us about four hours - though we did eat lunch first in the cafeteria. Yes, my daughter had already identified the names and product numbers for the furniture she wanted. Thank goodness.
-  Locate the various free Ikea shuttle stops in (our case) lower Manhattan. You can take a bus or subway to those. The MTA website might help you find them. There is also a water taxi which, I believe, leaves from Wall Street. Sounds fun but we were too exhausted to locate it after we heard this fun fact in the Home Delivery line.
- You might want to pay to have your items pulled from the shelves in the self serve warehouse area. We did not. The mattresses were really shoved in tight and I was glad I'd had a nourishing lunch, as I slammed my body repeatedly against one to make way for another to come out. Other bed pieces were pretty durn heavy. Between the two of us we just managed it - oh and my daughter had a stress fracture on her foot. Normally here, I work on being her feet, but there we were - us and those big heavy cartons that had to get into the carts. I do not recommend moving in this temporarily disabled condition. Given that fracture, we should have paid the forty bucks to have somebody else pick the furniture.
- Once Rose paid for the furniture boxes we'd struggled to load into and onto two carts, we thought we were all set. 

Har de har har.

It took an hour and a half to get through the Home Delivery line. Funny, it didn't look that long. But we moved at a snail's pace. It was like a Disneyland queue were they forgot to keep folks going.
- Rosalinda got the date and delivery window of her choice. The two men that came, schlepped the stuff up her five flights of stairs, assembled the furniture, and carted the boxes back down to her recycling area, were really nice. I practiced my Spanish with one of them. The other, who spoke English as his first language, communicated effortlessly with his non-English speaking helper. He looked to be of Italian ancestry. I've noticed many, many non-Latino folks in the area speak excellent Spanish. No, I didn't know before that 25% of people in the area are of Hispanic ancestry.
- Flat delivery fee at this time was $99. What a deal! Rosie also paid for the assembly - I think it's calculated based on weight. I've seen my husband assemble Ikea beds before and knew it was a big job, so I was really glad we didn't have to deal with it on our first day in.

 

Road to Half Moon Bay - Sanchez Farm (field trip)

Stock blooming at Sanchez Farm

Highway 92 cuts across one of the narrower sections of the Santa Cruz Mountains, past Skyline Boulevard and then on down to Half Moon Bay. Before reaching our destination we stopped off to buy peaches and admire the in-bloom stocks.

Inspiration for a garden -Japanese Tea Gardens, Golden Gate Park - San Francisco Field Trip

I'm quite interested in creating themed gardens at home these days - whether in a pot or larger gardening space. Recently my daughter and I went up to the Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, and you can bet I was thinking the whole time about elements for the perfect mini tea garden at home!

Do you think I can manufacture something for a large pot garden, or a stretch of yard, as perfect as a drum bridge?

I've seen miniature bridges, but none as perfectly rounded as this. Kids love to climb over this - and I've had a lot of fun on it as a no-longer-a-kid myself.

Hummmm I think I'm going to need some green glass to give a watery look, something along the lines of this lantern and a lovely orange lily. I have a lot of chasmonti floribunda that's overgrown my yard. It has a lovely orange flower and similar lily foliage. 

I might not be able to squeeze in a temple in a pot, or in my yard for that matter, but these burnt reds contrasting with green are certainly something to think about when it comes to plants, and or a ceramic pot or tile.

Applique inspiration - Summer at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Blue Sky Sewing)

Nothing says summer like a ride at the historical Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

What makes me want to create an applique inspired by this design from the Santa Cruz Beach Bordwalk?

Because:
-  Orange says summer like no other color
-  Charm of the school's-out scene, that little girl is so obviously happy
-  Seahorse Beach motif also speaks to summer

Where might I applique a design like this?

- Beach or Shopping Bag
- Back of a bathrobe
- Pillow Cover

Where would you put an appliqué inspired by summer at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk?

~ ~ ~

Mix a spot of history with your CA beachside fun http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2015/07/california-summer-at-beachside.html

California Summer at the Beachside Boardwalk in Santa Cruz( SF Bay Area Field Trip)

Back around the turn of the 20'th century, amusement parks were a big summertime draw for regular folks - middle class and the lower middle class. With the railroad making close by day trips doable - people took weekend trains out to the edges of urban areas to ride fast rides, eat funnel cakes, compete for cheap prizes and enjoy a little fresh air at a plethora of public amusement parks.

The railroads, having acquired massive tracts of territory
through power private and public land grabs, often owned these temporary fun towns. The trips increased train ridership, 
even though the actual take at the gate didn't provide much in the way of profit for these major corporations.

A Trip to the Boardwalk inspires thoughts of Appliqué

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was a part of a chain of seaside parks along the West Coast of the United States. Built in 1907, it is the oldest such park to survive, and, though no longer accessible by train, it  still makes for a wonderful weekend field trip from the San Francisco Bay Area.

~ ~ ~
Sewing - Inspiration for Appliqué http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/07/applique-inspiration-summer-at-hte.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_Beach_Boardwalk

Great public radio podcast - Amusement Parks History and More http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/public-radio-international/pri-to-the-best-of-our-knowledge/e/amusement-parks-38106844

March'ing Through the De Anza Flea Market - Bay Area Field Trip

Directions and More - De Anza Flea Market

Some Junk is Better

Than the Goop I Already Have.

Shall We Hunt For Fleas?

Discovering a Little Delta History in Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay)

The most recent Enchanted by Sewing Audio/Podcast is a sewing duologue between me and Susan in this glorious California Delta setting. You can download it to a mobile device, or simply listen on the web while you're doing something else.

Tule Fog has been both helping and hindering locals in the Delta
for over four thousand years

We often zip through the delta area of the San Francisco Bay, on our way to or from the mountains. This month I took my time with the rural, delta scenery on a day field trip to hangout at
 my buddy Susan's house for a chummy lunch and sewing afternoon. Susan lives in Discovery Bay, a rural-edge  community near Livermore, along the banks of the historic California Delta water system - where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers flow into the San Francisco Bay.

When I lit on the windmill above, I knew I'd found a time travel portal back to an era of freshly plowed fields, misty skies and well-loved farm houses. It spoke of California in another age, a time before silicon when fruits and nuts reigned supreme.

Discovery Bay emerged from barley and potato fields in 1964, but it still looks very agricultural 'round about. The area is still rich agricultural land, second only to California’s Great Central Valley, which still feeds many parts of the world. You can imagine that wonderful soil being washed down the great rivers and depositing itself in the valleys here. Nowadays with a lot of land zoned agricultural, I wonder if you’d be able to convert agriculturally zoned land to housing?

Humans have inhabited the Delta for at least 4,300 years. Before European contact, the Maidu and Miwok people benefited from the rich soil, just like the later farmers. These early inhabitants harvested foods and wildlife that grew and fed here. They also gathered the native tule reeds that grew in the marshy areas hereabout. They used the tules for boats, houses, and fabric for clothing.

Next time I go for a sewing day with Susan, maybe we'll keep out eyes open for tules. I wonder if there are any Vogue patterns we could alter to sew up from tules?

When I drove to Susan’s I witnessed a mild tule fog. If you don’t live in California, you’ve probably never seen anything like this soupy fog. It’s unique to the area. Tule fog happens between November and March, after we've had a good soaking rain. The moisture then rises up and hangs in the air, where it becomes the leading cause of weather-related accidents in California. It turns out that over the past three decades, tule fogs are decreasing.

Wouldn't you think that would be a good thing?

It turns out that local fruit and nut crops, an important part of the economy, have been impacted by this lack of moisture.

Bring back the tules!

 ~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Listen in on my sewing day with Susan in the Enchanted by Sewing Audio/Podcast 

Discovery Bay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Bay,_California

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento–San_Joaquin_River_Delta

http://www.seecalifornia.com/california-cities/discovery-bay.html

Tule Fog What is it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tule_fog
Impact of decreasing Tule fog on crops http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/As-Central-Valley-fog-disappears-fruit-nut-5496710.php

Hiking the Dish (Stanford University, Field Trip)

Hiking at The Dish

Radio waves measure stars,

Space commands and chat. 

The Dish, a giant radio telescope above Stanford University, can be counted on as a time travel portal that takes me back to a time when we *knew* our short-term future lay beyond the stars.
~ ~ ~

Web Resources

About The Dish at Stanford University http://dish.stanford.edu

Wikipedia on The Dish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dish_(landmark)

Winter Walk Across the Golden Gate Bridge (Field Trip)

Walked across the span

Fort Point to Marin, then back

Our Golden Gate Bridge

~ ~ ~ 
When might my next walk lead to? 

Nothing beats finding time travel portals so close to my own home. . . 
How many folks have started out on the Fort Point end of this golden span,  to travel back to the Panama Pacific Exposition, Civil War or Gold Rush? Not to mention Ohlone times, before the first European foot pressed down on local sands.

Earlier this week we lucked out and managed to find parking at Fort Point, then walked up stairs to cross the bridge. The cold dry air, chock full of ozone, elated us! The bridge loop is about 3.6 miles. Add in the short walk to and up the stairs made the total expedition about 5 miles. A perfect cool, winter's day field trip.

Another way to get parking is head over from the Presidio, another favorite field trip of mine. It's a longer trip, but parking is more available.

~ ~ ~ 

Web Resources

Golden Gate Memories in the Family http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2014/09/golden-gate-memories-in-family.html

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Bridge

Fort Point dates back to the Civil War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Point,_San_Francisco

Valley of the Moon

Sonoma Day Trip!

Cows and Vines - Jack London's home.

Valley of the Moon.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

History and What's there http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoma,_California

Wine Tasting http://www.sonoma.com/drink/

Hike in Nearby Jack London State Park http://www.jacklondonpark.com

Embellishment: Buttoning Up Vancouver B.C. - A Sewist Travels

 


On my recent trip to Vancover B.C., I stopped in at Button Button, a unique embellishment mecca for the sewist who just thinks she's already seen it all.

Browsing Colleen's collection of gorgeous, handcrafted buttons  is like visiting an art galley full of tiny gems - except that these jewels are more affordable than Tiffany's!

I purchased the lovelies above for future embellishment projects. Likely I'll attach them to one of my caps, or on the lapel of a jacket or shirt. Can't you just see that terrier doggie surrounded by a circle or oval of tiny seed beads, or seed pearls? 

I'll be talking more about my experiences shopping for embellishments and looking for sewing inspiration in Vancouver, in my (free) November Enchanted by Sewing audio podcast, which I'll be publishing by the end of this month. You can signup to get an email  each time these monthly audio shows are available.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Enchanted by Sewing audio podcast 

http://buttonbutton.ca

Californian Visits Vancouver B.C.'s Dressew - A Sewing Mecca

How many extra suitcases are you packin', for that trip to Vancouver?

My November Enchanted by Sewing podcast will include an audio spin through these aisles.

 Wellllllll, this Californian didn't have any extra suit case room this trip 'round. But I still managed to spend about $25 on bits and pieces to fill my bags corners, at Dressew, a Vancouver B.C. store that's a lot more than fabrics.

This store certainly has tons of fabrics. On this trip I looked down an aisle of brocades that was maybe 50' long. They had an array of beautiful dotted cottons, the like of which I've never seen. And lace fabric? Don't even get me started on the lace. Into active wear sewing? They also sell power mesh that LuluLemon sells them, when they stop production on a particular color/style.

Luckily for me, I wasn't hungry for fabric. I did want zippers though. They have all those speciality sizes and types I usually have to buy on the web for a lot more money. I bought several in the 3-5 inch range for less than a dollar (lucked out on the exchange rate this time through too). Then there are buttons - over 500 tubes of buttons (with an average of probably 30 buttons per tube). There are buttons on cards as well. Trim - you want trim? Trims I've never seen before, and lots of leather trim. Great prices. I also bought needles and decorative embellishments I plan to use for jeans. They were all 25 cents. These folks are liquidators. You don't count on what they'll have, but you'll want what you see.

And of course, just hanging out with other sewists and wondering what they were going to make added a lot to my fun.

Nothing makes me bond more to a city, then finding great sewing resources.

That's the kind of thing that keeps me . . . 

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Subscribe to email notifications for the Enchanted by Sewing podcast, so you won't miss the show on Vancouver sewing resources.

Dressew - Gallery - Check out those buttons! http://students.bcitwebdev.com/stephanepj/finalproject/gallery.php

Edgewood Ghost Rider (Halloween Field Trip San Francisco Bay Area)

Next time at Edgewood

When I see that ghost rider

Gonna ask - her time.

I see a lot of things at Edgewood that aren't in the nature preserve brochure, or on the map. Time travel is always an option, both for me and for those who return from a long time gone.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Time Travel Portals - http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/time-travel-portals/

Filoli - Next Time You Come to Visit ( Local Time Travel Portal, San Francisco Bay Area Field Trip)

Next time you come to visit me,

let's go to Filoli!

There's that beautiful historic house to wander through . . .

And those gardens -

The views extend right up and over the California Coast Range.
They'll knock your socks off! 

You can't beat this spot on the peninsula, only 30 or 40 miles south of San Francisco, right off the 280 freeway.

Maybe we'll even take an extended trip.

It is one of the best local Time Travel portals I know.

Let me know when you plan to come, OK?

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

http://www.filoli.org

Golden Gate Memories in the Family

(click on the photo above to get an up close and personal view)

A walk to and/or over the Golden Gate Bridge is a lovely long walk from San Francisco's Presidio, a lovely destination in it's own right. Recently I went to an exhibit about artist Mary Blair at the Disney Family Museum while my husband hoofed it out to the Bridge. Still  recovering my health a bit, I contented myself with taking a photo of the bridge, from the back side of the museum. Reflections on his families history, in regards to the bridge, have me planning a fall walk out onto the span. Such a promenade is a the perfect local field trip.

John A. Roebling was famed for wire rope suspension bridges, like the Brooklyn Bridge and another well known construction San Francisco Bay Area locals still admire. My mother-in-law was always very proud of her father, Willard G. Marks', work for the John A. Roebling company, which supplied the cable for the Golden Gate Bridge. Each of her children inherited little sample paper weights of cable used for the bridge. Ours is on display on the secretary desk in our living room.

It turns out there was more to the provision of that cable, than simply rolling it up and sending it over. PBS did a special on the Roebling Crew's work for this huge undertaking. 

Nice knowing my husband's family has an interest in what it is that keeps our footing sure, when we take a walk across this beauty.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Spinning the Cables -- The Golden Gate Bridge (Roebling Crew) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/goldengate-spinning/

John A. Robling (Johann August Rõbling) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Roebling

The Roebling Museum is in New Jersey http://roeblingmuseum.org/about-us/the-roeblings-sons-co/

Mission San Juan Bautista (haiku, Bay Area Field Trip)

More than two hundred years

Since Ohlone and Yokut folk

Built for Spainiard's God.

How long since a woman's hand first began
to form this grinding stone?

~ ~ ~ 

Web Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Juan_Bautista

Cliff House - Primed for Time Travel Perfection (San Francisco Field Trip)

The Neo-Classical, Greek Revival Art in
the Cliff House is a strong clue to any regular historic traveller, that
there's at least one time travel portal nearby!

I'm pretty sure there's a time portal in or around San Francisco's Cliff House. Perhaps my difficulty in finding the entrance to a trip back in time, is the number of eras this quintessential bay area locale evokes.

The Sutro Baths finally closed down in the 1960's.
The ghosts remain.

There are a limited number of public buildings in the area that survived the 1906 earthquake. This restaurant, with it's beach front location and view of the one time Sutro Baths public bathhouse, is one that did. And it's also one of my favorite places to return again and again. Locals, in and near San Francisco, have been traveling to the Cliff House for a special supper in a prime ocean location since 1863. The baths and associated marine recreation activities opened to the public in 1894. 

Upstairs at the Cliff is a little more casual, but the views are still there.

This week we went up for a birthday supper, we'd put off a month back. I'm glad we waited until it was just the right night. We chose to eat upstairs. It's less expensive than the reservation-only downstairs, though definitely not a budget meal! The scenery and setting made our tasty, simple prix fixe suppers stellar. We thoroughly enjoyed our supper at the Cliff House, followed by a walk along the promenade, with a view of the historic Sutro Baths, and ended with by walking back along Ocean Beach. 

I didn't manage to find my way back in time to take in the sights of 1920's swimmers cavorting in the classic Grecian entryway of Adolph Sutro's baths, or catch a glimpse of late nineteenth century railroad baron  university founder Leland Stanford or famed newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst chatting over a racing form and cocktails.

But, then again, maybe my own time's the best for travelin' to.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Download a free copy of the music for the golden age tune, "Moonlight at the Cliff" from http://www.sanfranciscomemories.com/cliff/souvenirs.html

History of the Cliff House http://www.cliffhouse.com/history/

The Sutro Baths http://www.nps.gov/goga/historyculture/sutro-baths.htm