Pillows

New pillows for the sofa! I made these using two sheets and a pillow case I bought at the Goodwill down the street (don't worry, they were thoroughly washed first). I love the patterns and colors--yay retro--but mostly I was looking for something really comfortable. Hence using bedding. Plus buying second-hand always saves money. Double yay. The lighter colors really brighten things up. Ready for summer, whenever it decides to show up. I'm totally tempted to slipcover the sofa entirely, but I'm not a very experienced seamstress. I envision myself spending a bunch of money on yards and yards of fabric, then working myself into a state of frustration and disappointment. Not really how I want to spend a weekend. So maybe the slip covering will wait a while.

The citrus situation is not so great this year. There was a late freeze that took out a lot of fruit in California's central valley. Prices have gone up, and the fruit is just not as good as it should be. Lucky for us, Southern California was spared the temperature drop, and there is a monstrous orange tree in the backyard of a house behind our apartment building. The property looks deserted, like a renovation project stopped midway. We decided to help ourselves to the fruit, which was literally rotting off the tree. The oranges are delicious. I think they're the Valencia variety. Very sweet and juicy, with a sharp tang that really adds dimension. We've been giving the fruit to neighbors in our building and friends in the area. John has to get up into the tree to get the fruit, which he loves. And we have fresh, organic juice pretty much on demand. Life is good, eh?

always, carolyn