Looking Back and Ahead

2013 is winding down and in looking back, it has been a very busy year. It's time to sit a bit in front of a nice warm fire.
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Wayne and I traveled a lot this year - to all of the AQS QuiltWeek® events: Lancaster, PA; Paducah, KY (didn't need to travel but worked the show for nine days); Grand Rapids, MI; and Des Moines, IA. And then we traveled to Muscatine, IA, for Bonnie's class reunion; to Moline, IL, for Mom's 90th birthday party; to Marion, IN, where Meredith Schroeder was inducted into the Quilter's Hall of Fame; to Williamsburg, VA, for Wayne's annual Army reunion with the guys who were stationed together in Viet Nam; and to Huntsville, AL, where Bonnie judged the quilt show for the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville.
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Mom (Mary Kirkland) turned 90 years young in July. We had about 50 relatives from across the country join us for a big party for her. But we also celebrated several other things - brother Gerry turned 70 in June, youngest sister Marcia turned 65 in May, and Wayne and Bonnie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June. Now that is a lot of celebrations!



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Bonnie made another trip to Egypt in May to select more of the Tentmakers' applique to display and sell at our AQS QuiltWeek events. It takes four days to visit each of the 21 shops that we work with. Bonnie bought some pieces for her own collection on this trip, including the one shown behind her in this photo. This piece is an unusual style for a Tentmaker piece. It looks like it should be pieced, but every piece is appliqued to the background. And, you can see that it is in the colors that Bonnie likes!
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At the reunion of the 222nd Aviation Battalion in Williamsburg, Wayne planned a big surprise for all of the other veterans. We contacted Quilts of Valor and they presented every veteran at the reunion with their own Quilt of Valor. I did a whole blog about that - just scroll down to find all of the photos from that very special evening. Every veteran was thanked for their service - this was the first time that had happened for many of them. Wayne had received a Quilt of Valor from the group in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2012; we took his quilt and they also gave him a very nice certificate of appreciation for service to our country.
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Wayne spent two weeks in the hospital in December - started with a fall at home and they admitted him for cellulitis in his right leg. That led to other tests, and he is now home recuperating. His leg is improving daily and with the help of OT and PT, he is walking better every day. He has a new lift chair that will make it easier for him to get up from his chair and to sit more comfortably with his leg elevated (like it is supposed to be).

What's ahead for 2014?
AQS has added three new shows to our schedule of events - Phoenix, AZ, in February; Charlotte, NC, in July; and Chattanooga, TN, in September. These are in addition to Lancaster, Paducah, Grand Rapids, and Des Moines. That's a total of seven shows for 2014.

Bonnie is working on another book that combines Zentangle® with Quilting. You'll learn how to add Zentangle designs to many other projects - from dishes to linens and already-made lampshades and pillows. Then we'll take those Zentangle designs and convert them to quilting designs.

In May, Bonnie will be teaching Zentangle > Quilting on an Alaskan cruise aboard the Norwegian Princess, along with Patti Hempen. We'll have hands-on classes when at sea, and explore Alaska when we are at port. When Wayne and I have cruised in Mexico and the Caribbean, the stewards have always told us that you don't want to miss a cruise to Alaska. Join us and cross that one off your bucket list!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Bonnie B

Browning Holiday News - 2013

For many years, Wayne and I have printed a Browning Holidays News... and this year we are trying something new. The photos we would have printed are included in this electronic Smilebox album.

Hope you enjoy it... and the Christmas music to go along with it.

Merry Christmas from Wayne, Bonnie, and Tuffy

Free picture slideshow generated with Smilebox