Chasing Spring

Kate and I fly out early tomorrow to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the Quilter's Heritage Show. John is in Ohio right now with the van, having raced the big snowy weather across the plains.

Since we had a chance to catch our breath here in the office today, Kate decided to cut a new miniature kit; this time it is Pinwheels. It is a 3" block. We have the little kits stuffed in my suitcase and she is going to piece it on the airplane. Ha, I will be sleeping!

We have just changed the location or hosting or whatever the technical term is, of our website. There are still some bugs and hiccups but I love how much easier it for me to use - I will be able to put a lot more photos on and I think we all like to look at quilts!

Only one more little chore to do tonight; morning is going to come pretty quickly. Oh, I just thought of something else, make that two little chores.

Brooke

The Next Show

Well, the Wii is fun; it makes me laugh! John hasn't had time to use it yet but I am having fun, fun and am sore so it must be working.

Our next show in in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Amish country. It is a very nice, well-run show and in a really beautiful part of the country, although we have been there several times when it was cold, rainy and even snowy. But it's spring and one of my favorite sights is the big, bright forsythia bush on the golf course of the convention center where we vend. There are no flowers yet in Montana, believe me.

One morning while we were at breakfast, we looked over to the field across the road and saw a young Amish boy in his black trousers, white shirt and suspenders chasing three horses who had escaped somehow. Horses have so many more feet than humans - it really is hard to catch them but he was really giving it a try. The very first time we vended in Lancaster, I pulled in to the parking lot of the farm and ranch store at the same time as an Amish farmer in his horse drawn buggy. There was a hitching post for his horse and buggy, and he just jumped out and headed in to the store like any other farmer. No Starbucks cup in hand, though. I have to admire the nerves of steel of the Amish drivers and the big horses they use to pull their buggies in all that motorized traffic.

I am changing the website and it should be ready soon. We will start trouble shooting it next week and I think it will be a lot more fun for quilters to use. Kate is finishing up some of her custom cut quilt kits and John has produced a forest of quilts on frames for his Machine Quilting class in Lancaster. Patch, the cat is amazed and a little offended since the frames are kind of in his way.

Brooke

Power

John and I are back from vending at the Dallas Quilt Celebration; what a great group of volunteers and quilters. John was one of the Judges and gave a lecture; other than that, he was Demonstrator in Chief. We had a good show and liked our neighbors which, believe me, is an important part of having a good show. I did most of the set up while John was judging and every once in a while, I could hear him laugh, so I don't think there was much disagreement among the judges.

Again, I took no quilt pictures. I will get better at blogging one of these days. It just doesn't seem to be what is dominating my mind while setting up the booth and getting to and from work. I will do better at our next shows, the Quilter's Heritage Celebration in Lancaster and the AQS Show in Paducah.

John's Judge's Choice was an interesting wall hanging by Julie McKenzie Rushing called "Old Alton Bridge". It is an abstract portrait of a historic bridge near Denton, Texas and, while not in in a style that John could duplicate, it is A Bridge, which John dearly loves. There is more to the story of the bridge; it is supposedly haunted. If I run into this quilt again at a show, I'll be sure to get a picture of it.

I did take pictures on the way home through Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Wyoming. We saw cattle, horses, camels, buffalo and windmills!

John leaves tomorrow to teach in Great Falls, Montana. It is only 250 miles, a piece of cake.

Brooke

Dallas Here We Come

Well, John is already on his way to the Dallas Quilt Celebration via three workshops and two lectures in Nebraska. Kate and I got him out the door Friday afternoon, whew! He had a good drive over and missed the six inches of snow we got yesterday. And it is cold. Won't be cold in Dallas, though. I am flying down early Wednesday and will set up the booth while John judges.

I'm pretty excited; I bought us a Wii and it came today. Kate did the hookup and it's ready to go. We have the basic Sports games and also the Balance Board so tonight I will see if I still remember how to hula hoop.

Brooke

Travelers

John, Kate and I are back from the East Coast and from the West Coast. Kate and I had rainy weather most of the time at the show in Puyallup, WA but got to see Mt. Rainier two mornings in a row; beautiful with the eastern light on the snow. John got to see too much snow on his way out of Virginia Sunday and he says the frozen snow caked on his front bumper finally fell off in South Dakota.

In Kansas, John saw a huge flock of snow geese, covering 2 or three acres and a big swirling flock coming in to join them. I figure they are fellow travelers.

We all enjoyed the shows; made new friends and visiting with old friends. We are getting John ready to teach in Nebraska and then, on to the Dallas Quilt Show. Spring is a busy vending time for us; from one end of the country to the other. Maybe we'll see you at a show!

Brooke