WebGuy and I just celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary. What did we do for fun? A Cruise, a long weekend getaway? Nope! We went to the Santa Cruz County Fair in Watsonville for the day. Oh, we lead such an exciting life!
We love going over to Watsonville for the Fair – a tradition for us ever since we’ve been married. Watsonville is my former home as a little girl, and I love Fall because of living in Watsonville. Apple orchards and strawberry fields were at the end of our street and we loved to play in them when we weren’t supposed to and got run off by a farmer with a shovel — scary!
Childhood memories are some of the strongest we have and that’s what takes me back to Watsonville each September:
This year, we went to see the quilts and got a pleasant surprise… this quilt that won Best of Show:
Look familiar? It’s the West of Baltimore quilt made by one of my students, Pam Hicks!! Was I ever surprised and proud of Pam! Her quilt is beautiful and worthy of being awarded the Best of Show ribbon (see it in the bottom right corner of the quilt?). Congratulations, Pam!!
Here is a close-up of one block that Pam creatively used plush minkee in the block, giving it a cool shadowy effect.
We met up with Guy’s sister, Pat and her husband, Roger, and four of their granddaughters at the Fair. It was fun to hang out with the young’uns and tour the livestock pens, which included this gorgeous rooster:
Isn’t he a gorgeous specimen of a bird? The colors on this guy are amazing.
One of our favorite traditions at the Fair is stopping by the Cinnamon Roll car and indulging just once, each year.
And what did I find, always a little something to put in my photo archives for quilty inspiration… the sign for the Cinnamon Roll car provided a nice idea for applique!
Enjoying the little pleasures of life make life worth living. Traditions, made without conscious effort, make life rich.
Speaking of traditions, the semi-annual Quilt retreat to Cambria just one week later was fabulous. Half of the attendees were returning retreaters and the other half were brand-new and became immediate friends.
I have intended to bring you a new podcast with cool and fun things to ponder… I recorded the funniest story I’ve ever heard about acquiring a sewing machine, and when I went to edit for the show… it appears that my computer hard drive decided that it was full during the recording and just simply switched itself off without notifying me!! Horrors!!
So… a brief delay with podcast #135… while I collect the story again, for your listening pleasure. Soon, very soon!!
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