Ghost Birds Too

My brother David wrote a book about saving cranes and swans. See my March 13 post for more details. I made him a quilt for his office, and he said it was too nice for his office, it would go in the living room. So I said I'd make another for his office.



He received it the other day, and called to tell me it's too nice to hang in the office, so it will go in the dining room.



I told him then I guess his office wall will be bare, because he has had his quota of quilts for awhile, and if I did make another one, it would not have cranes. I'm over cranes and oriental fabrics.



My soon-to-be famous brother has been invited to do a book signing and lecture at the Smithsonian this summer. He'll also be doing book signings and lectures in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He's going to take the quilt along as a prop.

World Championship Barbeque Cooking Contest

Every year Memphis throws a big party - Memphis in May. The first weekend is the three day Beale Street Music Festival (or should I say Mud Festival, since it ALWAYS rains that weekend). The fourth weekend is the Sunset Symphony where they play on a stage at the river and people come with their picnics to listen to the music and enjoy the fireworks. But by far the craziest weekend is Barbeque Weekend.



Some of the team names:
Greaseland Porkers * Notorious P.I.G. * Pork Illustrated *
Wasted "n" Basted * Three Pigs to the Wind * Four Pork Harmony *
Adribbers * Aporkalyps Now * Barefoot in the Pork *




When we first went years ago, we walked around and saw the crazy booths and smelled the good smells, and watched everyone having a party, but since each party is private we could only watch. This year we knew 4 people who had booths and were invited to stop by each. So we got to party and eat great barbeque. Here's Tim, Armando and Margie at the Rebel Roaster Revue booth - they came in 6th in the shoulder contest. They have winners in three categories: ribs, shoulder and whole hog. From those three winners they select the grand champion.





Oinking on the River * Pork Fiction * Rib Ticklers * Serial Grillers *
South Pork * Swine-o-mite * Swinebucks *



It's billed as the World Championship Contest - 240 teams competing for big prize money and bragging rights - there were teams from Denmark and Norway to make it truly international. But most of the teams are from Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas with a few from Georgia, Alabama, N.Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and Indiana. Texas thinks real barbeque is beef, and Kansas City seems to think they are the #1 Barbeque capital in the US but we know better.

This booth belongs to Sow Luau. Every year they add a new head.



Any Pork in a Storm * The Hogfather * Holy Sow *
Not Ready for Swine Time Porkers * Parrothead Porkers of Hogaritaville *
Pit and the Pigulum * The Ques Brothers *










On Thursday at 5:30 they have the "Official Lighting of the Grill" - sort of like the Olympic Torch I suppose, but more like NASCAR -"Ladies and Gentlemen, light your fires!" They have the Miss Piggie Idol Contest - mostly guys dressed in pig noses and tutus. Friday night on the stage we watcged Ralph Stanley & Clinch Mountain perform - an OLD bluegrass band. If you saw "O Brother Where Art Thou?" it was that kind of bluegrass - in fact Ralph Stanley is featured singing in that movie.



Every year Memphis in May picks a country to honor. This year was Chile. We saw lots of Easter Island heads at booths. Some of them had pig noses.



We got invited to one party where they had a three story space. We went up to the top and got some great photos.



See the houses in the background up on the bluff? Cybill Shepperd has a house up there overlooking the river. What a view, but I'll bet they get no sleep during Music Festival or Barbeque Weekends.







Armando's cousin Magda and her husband Pepe are here visiting from Peru and they got to enjoy the 'Que experience with us. Pepe is the photographer for this blog entry.



Great food, great fun, great silliness.

Ghost Birds

My brother, David, has written a book called Chasing the Ghost Birds, Saving Swans and Cranes from Extinction.

From the Barnes and Noble website:
"Part environmental essay and part adventure story," Chasing the Ghost Birds takes readers to the front lines of three of the most important and innovative wildlife conservation projects of our time:
* Returning the trumpeter swan to the Midwest Flyway after an absence of 120 years
* International efforts to save the last of Russia's Siberian cranes
* Saving North America's whooping cranes from the brink of extinction

The book offers up details about the birds' biology, behavior, and habitats, and of the meticulous fieldwork required, without losing the sense of drama and excitement inherent in these efforts. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, Chasing the Ghost Birds ultimately gives us hope that "with enough brains, resources, determination, and hard work," we humans can preserve and protect the wild world around us.

No other book, no other source, covers any of these three projects in as much depth and breadth as Chasing the Ghost Birds. Yet it remains a very engaging and readable book. George Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, calls it, "a remarkable chronicle," told with "balance, accuracy, and lucid detail."

Since he is my brother, I may be biased (I doubt it) but I have to tell you, the book is really a good read. I even thought it might be dull until I picked it up and couldn't put it down. Read more about the book, and then go here to buy a copy.

Last year I decided to make a quilt for him and asked what he'd like. He said earth tones and if it had a crane on it, he wouldn't mind. So here is the result.

This was a quilt that didn't want to be made. I found the crane fabric and cut wedges - each block needed 6 identical wedges. I sewed them together by hand because it's more accurate. Then I found the blue-green fabric and decided the blocks needed that for sashing. Turns out the only way to attach sashing to a hexagon is to undo part of each seam, sew the sashing and then resew the seam.

I finally got it together and took it to my friend Marge's house so I could quilt it on her longarm. It sat there for months. Finally I loaded it on the frame and started to quilt the border using dark redish brown thread. I wasn't totally sold on it and was afraid that if I started quilting the center I'd really mess it up. So it sat on the frame for a month and I very carefully avoided quilting.

Finally she asked if I would mind if she quilted it. No! Of course I wouldn't mind! Thank you!!!! So she used metallic thread and outlined every feather. It turned out gorgeous. Then I had to take it back and pick out all the quilting I had done so that part of the border could be requilted with the metallic.

I gave it to him last summer (a late, or early, birthday, Christmas, Easter, valentine's, fourth of July present). It was supposed to be for his office, but he said it's going in his living room so he needs another quilt for his office. I'm working on it.

This is the back.

New Years 2009

For the first time since New Years 1996, we were in the
United States for New Years Eve. We kinda hated to
break our record, but the economy limited our travel.
So we spent New Years in Westfield Wisconsin at
Mary's and Rick's cottage with them and my brother
David and his wife Christal.

Rick, Mary and Armando

David & Christal

Then we went to Chicago for a couple of days. Here
is Lake Michigan next to Navy Pier.

And then we stopped in Shipshewana, Indiana for
a couple of days, just because.

My Beautiful Grandchildren

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Our grandchildren (and their parents) came for Christmas this year. Here are some photos taken at the Peabody Hotel. Click on them to make them larger.

Sandra (15), Ben (12) and Maritsa (18)