Sunrise on a new year... since the Fire/Evacuation

On Monday the oil change mechanic said, "Come look at this!"  And he pointed to this big, rectangular oil-something gasket that was failing, and then he explained that "brake fluid just doesn't evaporate..." to the tune of several hundreds of $$$.

And yesterday, as I had an hour and a half between classes and a dinner-date-and-concert-plans with Miriam, I bought this cute Saturn Ion.

She had the last ride in my 1996 green Chevy Cavalier.  It was good and dependable for nine years and 147,000+ miles.  I say a happy 'thank you and farewell.'  Good luck at auction--I bet the dealer can recoup the $500 trade-in!

So after I dropped off Miriam, I picked up this shiny, silver chariot.  

What a great way to begin a new year with a dear friend, wonderful Fred B and Peter S on the guitars, and a zippy new (to me), ride.

...and Esly said, "Hi, Mormor," on the phone!

One Fish, Two Fish...

Last weekend was the Fallbrook Open Studios Art Tour with 18 professionals (sculpture, paint, print, textile, jewelry...), offering their working space and demonstrations to the ticket-buying public.  The self-guided scenic automobile trek brought about 50 people to my place to "look at art" and very few of them used the "q" word.

I had good fun piecing this running water composition in four sections.  And the respect-filled encouragement must have been the stimulus for using a rusching technique which narrowed the "too-wide" project.  Nonetheless, "Cold Climes" is off to Houston for a premiere in the Hoffman Fabrics booth at Quilt Market.

One guest on the tour remarked that all my work has birds, cats, animals in them.  Huh, I guess that's right.  And this one hasn't any flowers! 

THIS CHICKEN (rooster!) IS GOING TO HOUSTON... and Chicago and Long Beach and...

"Cross the Road" will be part of 38 works in the IQS traveling exhibit "Town and Country" debuting at Quilt Market in October.  

The title refers not only to chicken jokes, but the imperative to make a decision, however difficult. It's the stitcher's version of Nike's 'Just do it!'

I thought my quilt was going to be a lesson about a financial matter when I began designing it. Then it came to be about letting go of my aging white cat.  Finally, the issue was whether I could move to Boise and have a complete change of life on every front.  The purple background is quilted with text detailing the complicated risk - 'Dare to Go?... No, No, No... Fickle Feather... Home Sweet Home...'

Turns out I'm not going anywhere and I didn't make that decision!  But I'm grateful for all the new challenges here and I'm looking at the sun rise blocks happening in my own back yard.

The show will be on the road for three years. Maybe he'll come home in 2011 or perhaps will have found a new home along the way.  Happy trails... or chicken scratch.

Yet more big news...

My lovely Fallbrook house is off the market... so no move for now.  (Just too many bank-owned properties selling for a song.)  I won't be the resident grandma in Boise as we'd hoped.  And God holds my future and that's fine.

For all the local folks -- Deborah Danko at Prudential California Realty in Bonsall did more than anyone can believe to make this an efficient and pleasant experience despite the economy.

Life is more than good.  Every time I fly home to San Diego and see the harbor... who can deny the beauty?  All my wonderful students are working hard and blessing me with their enthusiasm and encouragement.

Of all the things I've let go these past months I've dispersed some 300+ books - through Amazon, to students and friends, and to the Fallbrook Library's Bottom Shelf.  In my quest to pare down there will be more "great stuff" sales in my future.  I'm still in the mood!

Right now the summer semester schedules and projects are about to begin.  I'm grateful for all of it.

Two big newses!

Esly is walking!  No more holding your fingers.  Look out Boise.

And, my website has legs--yep, it's up at karencunagin.com.

I'm still "crawling" on the shopping cart aspect.

For fourteen years my business has been called A Woman's Toys - meaning fabrics, yarns, scissors, sewing machines... things counterpoint to sports equipment, cars... guy stuff.

Well, too often lately, it's been misinterpreted as connoting sex toys!  How rude!

After lots of discussion with my 'advisors' and extensive research and copious paperwork, I'm happy to announce a new business name - Millefleur Fiber Arts.  That's 'thousand flowers' in French which seems to well-describe much of my work.  It's also the equivalent of millefiore, the ancient Italian glass cane technique I use to create the Bead Lady faces.  Here's to a fragrant new garden!

Miss Technology

Okay, okay...I'm really having fun with my new best friend, MacBook Pro...working on my website, putting together a traveling plan to suit my intended move to Boise!

There's no-one buying my nice house yet, but "everyone loves it."

While I'm waiting, I'm grateful that I, too, love it here--my friends/students, my work, gorgeous San Diego, my home, the neighbor's cat with whom I have an affair...

My recent visit with "the kids" in Boise was a great delight, even with the shower trickling 

and the plumber (who came with his own red carpet/door mat), having to update the works!

Love wins over inconvenience...

My little peach, Esly, will be ONE on Wednesday...Happy Day!