The First "PEEP" Report of 2015

Gentle Friends, Easter is upon us and Walgreen's has the candy to prove it.... with these bright yellow chicks just calling my name,  I thought it only appropriate to do a Peep Report....... 

....... bright yellow packaging and three to a package..

... they pop out and sit ever so still with a nice and not over bearing lemon sent and are pretty tasty for Limited Edition Peep's.  Often with LE one is happy that they are "limited" but these have a nice lemony flavour concentrated in the "Fudge" - the "Fudge" has a crisp soft crunch to it - but I not sure that I would call it "Fudge" - more like flavoured white chocolate, it has that sort of consistency.  I kinda liked them, but I like all things lemony and have a hard time finding something that is lemony not to be tasty at some level.....  so..... if you see some, and like Peep's and lemon flavour you might want to giv'em a try - what could it hurt!!

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Short and sweet today sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again soon!!

Take care,

edgar

A Few Framed Stitches

Gentle Friends, I finally got back some framed things that I wanted to share with you.....

First up would be BBD "Feast of Friendship"  - I loved stitching this piece and think it turned out really nice......  I do love BBD and have not had a bad stitch with any of their charts.....you can click HERE for the Finish Post where I talk about the changes I made and my thoughts about the piece....

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The next framed piece was from a Kit by Lizzie Kate - I usually steer clear of kits as I like to change up floss colours or the kit comes with floss I already have - usually they are just not my cup of tea - all I need is a chart, so why not just sell the chart!!  Off the soap box........... but sometimes you just gotta give in and get the damn kit. 

 I remember searching forever on the bay of evil waiting for just the chart to pop up and one never did........  You can click HERE to read the Finish Post and my thoughts...... 

......  even with all my bitchin' I really REALLY like this piece - I knew from the first moment I saw it when it was released I would stitch it up....... it was a super quick piece to stitch up and the word association with the Christmas Season is just perfect...... the frame I chose really doesn't show well in the snap, the speckled gilt matches the linen so well.....

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.... and the last piece I had framed is called "Christmas Band Sampler" by Heartstring Samplery, I love Beth's things and have many of her charts in the old stash heap waiting to be stitched.  You can click HERE to read the Post I wrote when I finished it and my thoughts and changes.......

I totally remember loving the stitching of this piece and how fast it seemed to work up - I am going to have to pull it out of the frame at some point and work on some of the "wonkiness" as the framer did a less than stellar job, but after waiting 6+ months and rejecting four earlier attempts I was at the end of my rope and just went with it....... I like the basic plain frame and think it suits the piece.

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks again for stopping by do stop again soon!!

Take care,

edgar

St Ignatius Church, The Carmelite Chapel and Monastery of Cristo Rey and Sts. Peter and Paul Church (Lots of Snaps)

Gentle Friends, the last three places we visited I'll wrap up in today's post.  After St Dominic's we headed out to St Ignatius Church.  Built by the Jesuits it is the fifth and grandest St Ignatius yet built.  Architect Charles Devlin starting drawing pans for this church in 1909.  It was built between 1910 and 1914, and dedicated on August 2, 1914 - this landmark sits on a hill at the corner of Fulton Street and Parker Avenue - the towers can be seen from most of the city.

Often referred to as “Jesuit Baroque,” the architectural style of St. Ignatius Church is eclectic, drawing inspiration from the Italian and Spanish Baroque, the works of Sir Christopher Wren and Greek and Roman classical principles.

.... the general layout of the nave is based on the ancient Roman Basilica, or law court building.  The focus of the nave is the sanctuary, which here takes the form of a semicircular, semi-domed space, or apse.    This space is separated from the nave by the chancel arch springing from grouped free-standing columns.  The centerpiece of the sanctuary, the ploychromed white oak baldacchino or canopy over the High Altar was added in 1949, as was the altar itself, along with the marble floor and communion rail...........

Joseph chapel has a graceful carved reredos bearing a Carrara marble statue of the saint

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Across Parker Avenue on the  Corner is the Monastery.....  the compound was built in 1927 and exemplifies the Spanish Revival architecture common to the 1920's......  The chapel itself is much more ornate, featuring heavily carved stone columns and other details.

.....  the 20 Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of Cristo Rey are cloistered and lead a secluded life of prayer, contemplation and penance.  They abstain from meat year-round and do not leave the monastery compound except for medical treatment.  They alternate praying the devine office in English and Spanish, as they are bilingual due to their history.  The community was originally founded in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1695, and relocated to California in 1927 as a result of religious persecution.  In more recent years they merged with the Carmelite's from a monastery in Kensington, California which closed.

......  we got there after Mass was over and the incense was still lingering in the air and let me get these great snaps of the nave and sanctuary.....  above the altar is a baldachin with Solomonic columns, reminiscent of the baldachin in St Peter's Basilica in Rome.  On the wall behind the altar is a sculpture in high relief of a windswept Jesus with outstretched arms in front of a golden aureola and accompanied by putti.....

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The last Church we visited was over in North Beach, Sts Peter and Paul Church.

Saints Peter and Paul Church was originally located at the intersection of Filbert Street and Grant Avenue. Built in 1884, the church was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire. A second smaller edifice was built at the site. Construction of the current house of worship began in 1913 and was finished in 1924

The church is served by a group of Salesian clergymen sent to minister the parish's large Italian immigrant population.  Some of the highlights are: the High Altar carved from Italian Carrara marble, the gorgeous stained glass windows, a replica of Michelangelo's Pieta and the twin spires that are 191 feet tall.

... the is a replica of the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in one of the side chapels....

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That wraps up our playing tourist and seeing some of the larger Churches here in the City.  I hope you enjoyed it - thanks for stopping by do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

Our visit to St. Dominic's

Gentle Friends, we left the Mission and drove over to the Western Addition.............Here's a little info about the WA......." historically, the Western Addition was first platted during the 1850's as a result of the Van Ness ordinance (The Van Ness Ordinance was the city’s first effort at formal city planning. It included plans to divide land into lots and blocks, out of which sites were to be reserved for schoolhouses, hospitals, fire engine houses, parks, and other public establishments) This large tract encompassed some 500 Blocks running west from Larkin Street (the City's previous western boundary) to Divisadaro.  Hence the name Western Addition.  The area was initially used for small-scale farming, but following the invention of the cable car during the 1870's, the WA developed as a Victorian streetcar suburb.  It survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake with its Victorian style buildings intact"

....... the Parish was established by the Dominican order in 1873, and the current church ( the fourth St Dominic's church), is built in the the English/French Gothic style, was begun in 1923 and finished in 1928......

.... looking up the nave towards the High Altar and Choir.....

.....  the choir with altar, and pulpit and the soaring arches, notice the lovely beamed ceiling ....

... the beautiful High Altar designed by Arnold Constable...... 

with Crucifix and the 12 apostles....

.... looking from the choir back down the nave ....  always some work going on repairing and retrofitting......

.... the stain glass windows are really lovely...... in the north facing transept is this window showing notable Dominican's...  

.......this one is in the south facing transept..... the window shows the Twelve Apostles (as Dominicans)......

......  and one of the three main windows from the Lady Chapel....

.......there are lots of statues and altars, but I thought the Pieta was especially  nice....

........ one of the highlights of St Dominic's is the Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus - the Patron of impossible cases........

That wraps up today's post - thanks for stopping by, do stop in again!!
 I also wanted to wish you all "Kung Hei Fat Choy!!!"

Take care,

edgar

Visiting The Misión San Francisco de Asís (lots of snaps...)

Gentle Friends, our day started off with breakfast at The Red Cafe, and then it was on to our first destination.....  The Mision San Francisco de Asis - from which the City by the Bay takes it's name.  Here's a snap of the front of the original Mission and the "new" Basilica......

Misión San Francisco de Asís

The Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded June 29, 1776. The settlement was named for St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, but was also commonly known as "Mission Dolores" owing to the presence of a nearby creek named Arroyo de los Dolores, or "Creek of Sorrows."

Mission Dolores is the oldest intact building in the City of San Francisco and the only intact Mission Chapel in the chain of 21 established under the direction of Father Serra. The Mission has been a steadfast witness to the span of San Francisco's history including the California Gold Rush and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The Mission Cemetery is the only cemetery that remains within the City limits. The Cemetery is the final resting place for numerous Ohlone, Miwok, and other First Californians as well as notable California pioneers.

the cornerstone from the rebuilding of the Basilica after the "06" earthquake and the commemorative one put there a couple of years ago to celebrate the Centennial.....

....... looking along the outside down 16th Street......  we visited the original Mission first......

... looking down the nave towards the original Reredos....

.... to the left or Gospel Side, stands St. Josephs altar, from left to right the Saints are - St John of Capistrano, St Joseph, foster father of Jesus and St Bonaventure...

.... to the right or Epistle-Side stands St Anthony's Altar - and the Saints from left to right are....St Pasqual of Baylon, St Anthony of Padua and St Francis of Solano......  here is a detail from the foot, these are wonderfully painted and just beautiful........

 

... a closer look at the main altar Reredos.....

...... and the beautiful reredos.....

..... the reredos was crafted in Mexico and brought to the Mission in 1797 - clockwise from the top left are - St Francis of Assisi in ecstasy, St Joachim, father of Mary, St Michael the Archangel, St Clare of Assisi founder of the Poor Clares, St Francis of Assisi with the stigmata, St Anne, mother of Mary, the Crucifix, and Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception, on the lowest level under the Crucifix is the Tabernacle......

... in the back of the is the spiral stair leading up to the choir loft.......

...... between the Mission and Basilica is an open breezeway and a diorama showing how the area looked in the 18th century......

....... looking down the breezeway - there is a door leading into the Basilica.....

.... looking towards the main altar....

....... where there would be a large rose window is a grand window of St Francis......

... one of the large windows of unusual orange glass with angels.....

...... looking from the main altar you can see where the large window of St Francis is over the main doorway

.... along both sides of the sanctuary are a series of windows depicting the different Missions and the dates of their founding......  the above is for Mission Santa Barbara....

.... looking down the main aisle......

....... in the back of the church are niches with lovely gilt mosaics and this one has a great faience icon of the Madonna and Jesus......

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After leaving the Basilica you go outside and on one of the walls is this......

..... the plaque with all the info.......about the artist and the piece.......

.... and a small museum with some of the churches artifacts.....

...... from the Museum you can go out and visit the graveyard.......  here are some snaps.......

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That's about it for the Mission San Francisco de Asis, thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar