I've just finished the two-day photo shoot for our next book. Almost half of the photos had my hands in them. Thank goodness for Donna, who takes care of my nails! I followed her advice and lotioned up well!

Before we started writing books I never thought about the work that goes into the photos in a quilt book. I can tell you now – it's work to decide what to take pictures of and to put together the supplies for each photo. Luckily Lynn and Carolyn (editors), and Diane Pederson (photographer) at C&T make sure that the photos look great in the books.

This time it was my turn to go to CA for the photo shoot. Here are some shots of Diane and me, working. Carolyn is out of the frame, keeping track of what to shoot and changing the text as needed. I'll admit that I've looked better in photos but my face wasn't in any of the photos for the book :-). I would figure out how to hold the stitching in my hands for the shot and then I'd move my hands out to the place where the light was best.

Diane would lean in, I would lean away and then down so as not to block the light.

After taking the photo, Diane would bring it up on the monitor and we'd decide if it was good or not and where to crop it. Sort of like this:

Yesterday at lunch I went for a walk with Lynn. I was admiring pine cones and Lynn spotted this one for me to take home:

I'd never seen this variety of pine cone before. It was heavy and dense and sticky in places from the pine resin. I got this photo taken and was going to put it in a ziplock bag and I must have held it too tightly in just the wrong place because it exploded in my hand! Pine cone parts ended up all over the floor.

There were a lot more 'leaves' than this but what surprised me the most was that pointy part from the central core of the pine cone. Who knew that this structure was inside that pretty round pine cone?! I'm glad I got the first photo when I did.

I'm heading home tomorrow. It's possible that a robot clock will need to go with me. I almost hope that that shop is not open when I go by…

I know what it is – they're cold! I flew into SF today and then took the BART to Berkeley. It is much cooler here, even inland. I love it! I'm staying with Lynn, my editor and friend, and her husband Glenn. Tomorrow I'll be at C&T for a photo shoot for the next book. It's my hands that will be in the photos so I need to lotion them up before bed.

I meant to post on Sunday but events got in the way. Christy is back in the hospital with an abscess at the surgical site. For a couple of days it was particularly bad, now it's just bad. She is getting better but she's probably going to need to be in the hospital for a while. The wound needs professional care.

But tonight I have pictures to share:

Steve got the front step finished at mom's on Sunday. I helped a bit, but he did the majority of this work. The step is finished now, the forms are off, and it works. One more thing marked off the list.

On my way out of the SF airport I stopped at the cutest little shop. I got some Christmas presents, I didn't buy one of these guys. But I may on my way out of town. I don't know what it is about robots, but I'm hooked.

Lynn and I did a bit more shopping. I stimulated the economy of CA a bit. One thing I found was this vintage silver charm that says 'Love is blind". I know it looks gold, but it isn't. The little case opens up to reveal a bitty pair of wire glasses. The chain is vintage as well. I love it and I'm sure if Steve had been there he'd have insisted I needed it!

Seriously, how could you pass this up?

Lynn drove me by this 'art house'. The owner makes sculptures from found stuff. At least of few of neighbors like his work too – it spills over into other lawns. I especially love the masks.

The rope elephant is great, as was a turquoise poodle.

I found this dog decoupaged to a wall outside of a salon. It reminded me a a similar dog (or cat?) that I saw in Paris. I need to put one of these on my house somewhere. Maybe the garage door?

This bike rack with the guerilla knitting is fun.

I can't think of anywhere in Sherman where I would find any of these things. If only I had more time, I'd funky up my own yard.

We went to Chez Panisse for late lunch. It was so very good! We each took photos but this is the only one that came out. We ended the meal with a mint infusion. I have mint growing at home and must remember to do this. It made us both happy.

And then there are the flowers. It's so hot at home – the flowers are not as plentiful. I should know what this fuzzy thing is, but don't. I liked it against the red car.

There are lots of succulents in yards here. I don't think they will grow this well in our hot weather and clay soil. However, if they would, I'd plant some. I love the circular growth pattern. It's rhythmic.

And lastly, there are trees who think it's fall. Lynn says it's very early for this sort of color. At home it's so hot that trees are dying all over town. Don't know what our fall will look like.

That's it for today. I'm heading off to bed.

This is our bed. Steve made the headboard and the bedside shelves, all of which hang on the wal.

When Mom down-sized, she decided to not use some of her pictures. I finally found a place for Mom (on my side)…

…and Daddy on Steve's side.

I'm pretty sure these were taken before I was born, maybe right after they got married. I need to ask Mom to be sure. Pretty great, huh?!

I'm off to teach in Tulsa for a few days. Steve is holding down the fort here. Christy is in the hospital – the pain from the surgery was too much for home. But she's better now that she's getting stronger drugs. I feel bad leaving but it sure is nice knowing that they are in town and Steve is handy.

I had time to begin to catch up on my blog reading and it was fun! I saw this (on Design Sponge I think) and I thought it would be particularly interesting to quilters.

I like the way that the two beds with their quilts mellow out the 'quilted' wall. By itself, I'll bet that wall is a bit overpowering. Luckily mom and Christy did not request anything remotely like it.

And the update is: Christy's hand is not broken! We managed to get Xrays yesterday. The hand doctor still wants to see her next Monday. And her surgery today went much better than expected and she was home before lunch. All those prayers and happy thoughts helped. Thanks!

Mom and Christy let me take pictures of some of the more settled spaces.

The metal chickens on the wall above the sink make them both very happy. They are old, family chickens.

This turtle spoon holder has been around forever too. If you look close in the top photo you'll see him on the left side of the sink. I don't think they put dirty spoons on him any more – he just stands watch over the counter.

Christy's bedroom is about unpacked. Having some pictures on the wall makes it feel like home. And she's using a quilt I gave her many years ago on her bed. It's from way back in the day when I was still hand quilting!

And mom has her sewing machine set up in the office. I learned to sew on that machine and she gave it to for several years. I pieced on it until I started machine quilting. This is not the original cabinet. It wore out. This is a cabinet to an older Singer that I refinished years ago.

Do you see the tin to the left of the sewing machine. That's mom's button box. I can remember playing with the buttons from that box when I was a bitty girl. It's funny the things that are most important – the chickens, the turtle, the button box – those are some of the things that spell home.

In other news, Christy fell over the weekend and probably broke some more of her hand. The last time this happened, just a few weeks ago, she went to the ER and ended up in a splint until later in the week when she could get in to the doctor. This time she opted to forget the ER (too expensive, too much poking, too awful when you feel bad) and I splinted it. To say it hurts is an understatement (not from the splint, she says mine was better than the last one). This morning I'm trying to get her in to see a hand doctor, before or after dialysis. She has surgery on something else tomorrow – unless the broken hand prevents it. That would be bad too. It would be so nice if my sister could catch a break.

We have a Salvadorian restaurant in Sherman – La Placita. It's in an old gas station and it is a hopping place at lunch time. I went for the first time today with Steve, Chris, and the kids. It was a celebration of being practically done with the fence. It was busy and we had to wait a bit for our order. I tried to be patient, but it's hard when you are light-headed. Chris is a way better person-who-is-waiting:

He refused to smile. Guys are so like that. If you have had boys you know they often put on their 'game face' for photos. But his game face is very nice so that's OK.

Do you see the painting on the wall above Chris and to the left? It was bad, but I grew to really like it. And the lettering on the wall is practically nautical – not at all like the rest of the place. But nice!

Elanor had just gotten a new haircut so I took her picture:

I do wish I photographed half as well as my granddaughter! Jack decided he needed a picture of his hair too:

Don't you love the curls? Lunch finally came. We had pupusas – think of a pita that is made from corn meal stuffed with cheese and/or beans and/or meat, etc. They make everything on site and my oh my it's really good. And inexpensive.

I got the internet to work at mom and Christy's. It's nice to be connected – in so many ways.