Joe and I just returned from a 10 day road trip to Indiana and Illinois. Great to be home even just for a day. I must apologize for not posting my blog from Virginia, but forgot to hit the Publish button before we left. If you read below you will see it. Virginia is for Quilters.
I am very lucky to travel to so many great places, explore interesting locales, eat great food, but most importantly, spend time with the best people in the world: quilters.
This grand sculpture, “Red, Blonde, Black and Olive” by a local sculptor, Jean Paul Darriau, greeted Joe and I as we drove into Bloomington, Indiana.
I gave a lecture for the Bloomington Quilters Guild whose program coordinator, Becky, was a blessing. I love organization and Becky, her guild members and officers were the best. To learn more about the guild visit www.bloomingtonquiltersguild.com
The members of the guild volunteer and donate to the community and to the efforts of the Indiana Heritage Quilt Festival. This wonderful show was celebrating it’s Silver Anniversary and it had been 16 years since I had last taught at the festival. I worked with Paulette who had organized the teaching staff and she was amazing. The show is a must visit for many reasons: the workshops, the fabulous quilts and special displays, the great staff and board members and the diverse, culturally rich Bloomington area. If you have not visited, next year put it on your list. Really, get your calendar out and mark the dates!! You can view all the winning quilts by visiting their website www.ihqs.org
Here were some of my favorite quilts:
Jan Hutchinson of Sedgwick, Kansas won First Place in the Art Innovative Category for “Sunflower Deco”
The Show had a category for the 25th Anniversary of the Festival. Annie Gianaris of Fishers, Indiana won Third Place for “The Journey Continues – Hope Springs Eternal”
Annie used 25 shades of gray fabric to create this wonderful piece.
My bad. The name of this quilter was a blur on the photo taken of the label. If anyone recognizes the quilt and has the quilter’s name and info please email me. Thanks. I loved, loved this quilt and the color palate used. The border was exceptional!! Great job!!
Look it’s raining on the quilt or is that in the quilt?
“Everything” from Jackie Spenser of Bedford, Indiana has phenomenal applique. The batiks she used gave such a great texture to the quilt.
Now that Joe is traveling more with me, I get to venture out more. Each morning, whether we are home or away, we rise early and walk for an hour. I love Indiana University’s campus and the use of the local stone for it’s hundreds of buildings. It was so peaceful walking early in the morning as we had the place to ourselves.
The sculpture of a war correspondent sits outside the Media School.
The Chapel is small but ever so quaint.
The City of Bloomington has more of a small town feeling and hosts so many great restaurants. There are Indian, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Tibetan, French, Greek, Italian, Mexican, North African, Irish, English, German, Organic, Vegan, American, … fine dining to casual to fast food and some very, very, very…
The Up Town Cafe was our favorite: three times for breakfast and once for lunch. Their dinners looked amazing, but Joe would grab some take out so I could relax.
On our walks, we found evidence that the winters in Bloomington are much colder than when I last visited 16 years ago: the locals are forced to knit sweaters for the trees!
Here in Carlisle, we had a taste of spring this week. And, the snow has all melted.
Even Kitty Carlisle got to bask in the Spring’s warmth among the growing flowers. Yes, she happily survived in her heated cat house this winter and I think she is never leaving!
BOOK REVIEW
On our drive from Virginia to Indiana, we listened to James Patterson’s new Alex Cross novel: “Cross Justice”. Dr. Alex Cross, the world re-known Washington D.C. detective and former FBI agent, returns to his boyhood North Carolina home after 25 years. Dr. Cross’s cousin, a local teacher, has been accused of the sex related murder of a student. The Cross family, including Alex’s grandmother, drive south for the trial to lend moral support. Dr. Cross can not stand by as the local judge, prosecutor and police department attempt to railroad the case and also accuse his family of other wrongdoings. They messed with the wrong man. Dr. Cross begins to delve into the matter, contacts his buddies at the FBI and assists his niece who is defending her cousin. During his private investigation which takes him from North Carolina to Florida and back, he learns hidden details of his past and assists the Palms Springs police in finding a serial killer. He is out for justice and this hometown will never forget his family’s fight for the truth. A must read.
I am off today for Panama City, Florida to teach. Joe asked if I was going on Spring Break and I said heck no, it’s Spring Work! Until next week ……………….