Celebration of Life - Wayne G. Browning

The Celebration of Life for Wayne G. Browning was

held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2015,

at the Grace Episcopal Church on Broadway St. in Paducah, KY.

He chose to be cremated and his ashes were interred

in the Memorial Garden at the Church.

The Garden is cross shaped and is a lovely spot for meditation.

I chose yellow roses with black ribbons for Wayne - 

ever the Iowa Hawkeye fan!

 There is a new star in heaven now, 

and Wayne is resting in peace, free from pain.

Dogwoods in Paducah - Beautiful for AQS QuiltWeek

Today Wayne and I took a drive on the Dogwood Trail. The dogwoods have bloomed just in time for the quilt show and all of our visitors. Here is a pictorial trip on the Dogwood Trail...

Redbud and Dogwood trees along Jefferson Street

Love seeing the American flags in so many yards this year

Dogwoods wild in the timber

The trees on the grounds of the Grace Episcopal Church are really pretty.
The Church was one of the winners in the Dogwood Trail Contest.

The trees in front of the Grace Episcopal Church

Really pretty red dogwood tree

Closeup of the bracts on the tree above

White dogwood

Hope we will see you next week in Paducah. The quilts are beautiful - can't wait to see who the winners are - the winners will be announced on Tuesday evening at the 30th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Presentation, 4:45 - 7:00 p.m. at the Carson Four Rivers Center.

If you need information on the show, go to www.AQSshows.com. The show runs April 23 - 26, 2014.

Is it hot where you are?

Happy Sunday...it is another hot day here in Paducah, where the temps have been in the high 90's for the last several days. Rain, rain, come again some day to wash this heat away. The grass is dry and crinkles when you walk across it.

It's been a busy few weeks since I last wrote a note here. The AQS Quilt Show in Knoxville was July 14 - 17 and I'm finally catching up with laundry, work, and my e-mails.

We don't have a garden this year but sure are enjoying the fresh veggies and fruits from the Farmer's Market. We can get fresh-picked peacher from a Southern Illinois orchard that has a stand here in town...look at these beauties. Peach cobbler, here we come!

Since it is so hot outside, I decided this was indeed a good weekend to do some sewing. Starting to sew on a new Xquisite scrap quilt in a whole different color scheme for me - browns, creams, teals, and some greens. Well, the teal is one of the colors I use a lot, but not the others. It will definitely have a modern look to it.

Hope you are staying cool, whereever you are....

Spring has Sprung

The first sign of spring in Paducah is the daffodils starting to bloom. The Bradford pear trees are blooming too, but many of them are scarred from the January ice storm..so they look a little battered.

The quilts for the AQS Quilt Contest have been juried, and there are 400 excited quilters who can't wait for the judging to see if they won. The judging is done on the weekend right before the show.

We are busy working on the final details for the 25th anniversary celebration - do you know that more than 10,000 quilts have been shown at the Paducah show over these past 25 years...and AQS has awarded more than $2.5 million in cash awards to quilters across the U.S. and around the world.

Most of the classes are full, but there are still a few seats if you want to register for a workshop or two. You can always attend some of the lectures - that's a great way to learn more about that instructor's techniques.

Be sure to sign up for the 25th Anniversary Celebration & Reception on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. It will be a special night. The past Best of Show winners will be honored - all but 4 of them will be here as guests of AQS.

And, I'm busy working on details...like finalizing the lodging list for the sponsors and teachers, and getting the BEO's (Banquet Event Orders - there's a slip for every room for every day) updated with this year's information for the hotel; and beginning the text for the Showbook that will be available at the show. There are things to be finished every day between now and the show.

Hope you all are planning to come join us in Paducah, April 22 - 25, 2009. If you need lodging, call the Visitors Bureau at 1-800-PADUCAH and ask about the AQS Home Bed & Breakfast program. We still have some local homeowners who are willing to host quilters for the show.

Rainy day here today...good day for a book and a nap. GRIN

Bonnie B

Ice in Paducah - January 27

The rain and sleet started last night. By 5 a.m., our power was out. Guess we were one of the first to call because the power company was here by shortly after 6 a.m. As we sat here in the house with no appliances running and no noise, we could hear the branches of trees breaking and falling to the ground. That was just the beginning. By 7:30 our power was restored. But the limbs have continued to fall. Here are some photos of our yard that looks like a war zone.

This is a major storm - last night the media called it the worst storm in two decades.

We only live about a mile or so from the office and Wayne took me to work this morning. All day long we could hear trees cracking in the woods near the office. Our power flickered on and off most of the day. Oh, did I say that I was the only member of our quilt show staff who made it in. I fielded calls for registrations most of the day. Then the power went out at about 3 p.m., so I came home. Guess the cell towers are iced over too because I had no bars on my cell phone and we were having trouble making outside calls with our office phones. Billy was finally able to get a call to Wayne to come get me. When I got home I grabbed my camera and shot some photos in our yard. You can get a larger view by clicking on the photos.

Even as I sit here typing, I can hear more limbs falling in our yard. Wow, there was a big tree that just crashed to the ground in the woods by our next door neighbor. And we have more sleet and snow to come yet tonight. This isn't supposed to end until about noon on Wednesday. More damage is on the way.

We are okay and have power for now.

We have a whole grove of trees along our left property line. Many, many branches have fallen from these trees. They just can't stand the weight of all that ice. It must be at least 1/2 inch thick. As pretty as the ice looks, we will have a big mess to clean up.

See how the trees have broken and fallen over into the neighbor's yard. It doesn't look like it damaged the fence, but now we've lost all four of the big pine trees that separated our yards.

This view from our back porch shows one pine

trees that has its limbs dragging clear to the ground, the next one is broken off at the roots and flopped our neighbor's fence, and smaller limbs that damaged our gutters on the back of the house.

This is the view of the back yard from our porch. Limbs are continuing to fall. I don't ever remember seeing icicles like this on our clothesline since we moved to Kentucky.

Ice Skating in Paducah!

Paducah has a new ice skating rink downtown across from the National Quilt Museum. The City rented a portable unit that has been having 1,000 skaters a day visit on the weekend. They have milk crates that can be stacked for the novice skaters to help them stand up until they get the hang of it. Private parties have filled the hours when the rink is not open to the public. It will be open until early in February. So put on your skates and don't break a leg -- that is exactly why I'm not digging out my old skates.

It's Nearly Christmas

Tonight after the Schroeder Publishing Christmas party, Wayne, Andi Reynolds and her husband Dennis, and I drove through Noble Park to see the lights. This was a really nice nativity scene.

We enjoyed dinner catered by Patti's Restaurant from Grand Rivers, music by the Tilghman girl's chorale group, and an enjoyable evening with our colleagues.

Tomorrow is a vacation day for me. After going out for breakfast, I have just a little shopping to finish up and we'll be all set to spend Christmas with our families.

The National Quilt Museum

So here is how the front of the building looks now. When the sun isn't so bright, I'll go take a better photo of the museum with its new signage.

MAQS recognized as The National Quilt Museum

Yesterday, May 17, Congressman Whitfield presented quilt museum founders Bill and Meredith Schroeder with the Congressional Record proclaiming the Museum of the American Quilter's Society as The National Quilt Museum.

The ceremony was attended by staff members of Senator Mitch McConnell and Congressman Whitefield, city and county officials, present and past MAQS Board members, Friends of MAQS, Paducah Ambassadors, quilters, and others interested in quilting and the quilt museum.

AQS Quilt Show - Opening Day

Today is Wednesday, April 23 - the opening day of the AQS Quilt Show...and this is the crowd waiting for the doors to open.

It was 85 degrees here today and it is supposed to stay warm for the next couple of days. Unusually warm for April here in Paducah.

The dogwoods are still beautiful so don't miss the Dogwood Trail drive through the city.

Pink Dogwoods - Paducah, KY

I saved the best photo for last today. Here are some of the beautiful dogwoods waiting for you when you get to Paducah. I stopped along the Dogwood Trail to shoot this photo.

See you next week in Paducah. We begin with the judging of the quilts tomorrow - by Monday we'll have them all judged. Safe travels on your trip to Paducah.

Paducah is full of blooms

This evening Wayne and I had dinner with Klaudeen and Mervin Hansen from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Afterward we drove part of the Dogwood Trail. This was a corner full of blooming tulips, pansies, and a beautiful dogwood tree, and even a pretty Red bud tree in the background.

If you are coming to the quilt show next week. the dogwoods are just starting to bloom so there will be plenty of them for you to see. Don't forget to drive the dogwood trail...and when you see all of those signs marking the trail attached to stop signs - think of me, that's my Paducah dogwood block design that is used on those signs. It's also on the banners downtown.

See you next week at the show!

Levee Behind the Executive Inn

April 15 -- taxes are done and sent off today.

Here is another photos of the earthen levee behind the Executive Inn, showing how the water levels of the Ohio River are dropping.

We begin judging the quilts on Saturday, in preparation for the AQS Quilt Show next week. It's going to be a realllllllyyyy gooooood show.

See y'all here in Paducah.

Water Level Going Down - April 15....tax day

Today is April 15...and you can see that the water level is going down around the bench in Schultz Park. It looks to have dropped a couple of feet since my last photo of the bench.

Rumors continue to circulate that Paducah is flooded. They are just that - rumors. Paducah is dry and the flood gates have not needed to be installed at all this year.

Did you know that Paducah has 12 miles of flood walls to protect the city from flood waters? The city watches the water levels very carefully so the gates can be installed in necessary. Thankfully, this year they have not been needed.

See you all at the quilt show next week.

AQS Quilt Show & Paducah in Wall Street Journal

Yesterday (April 12), the AQS Quilt Show and Paducah were featured in the Wall Street Journal. Here's the link to read the article and see some photos.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120794966336508795.html?mod=weekend_journal_primary_hs

The writer, Meg Cox, has written a book called The Quilter's Catalog that is a history of quilting today and features many quilters and happenings in the world of quilting. You'll find some nice kudos to yours truly in the Introduction. I was a resource for Meg as she was developing her book. Meg will be at the AQS Quilt Show signing her book in The Craftsman's Touch booth in the Pool Annex vendor area.

Schultz Park Covered by Flood Waters

Schultz park is the small city park along the Ohio River in Paducah. Today it is covered with flood waters. See the park benches surrounded by the water?

We often drive down along the river at this park. Officials have asked the barge companies to reduce the number of barges they are carrying to give them better control in the high water. This one was pushing 15 barges loaded with coal.

Ohio River Crests today

Here is how high the water is now. Flood stage is 39 feet. Today the water was at 45.6 ft.
If you have ever been on the Paducah riverfront, you know that the concrete things you see along the water's edge are really planters and that 3/4 of the riverfront is underwater. Fortunately is doesn't seem to be getting so high that the flood gates need to be installed. More rain is predicted for the weekend.

On April 26, we will be having a Christian Musical Concert as the final event for our AQS Quilt Show, presented by 200 members of the Crossroads Christian Church, Newburgh, Indiana, and the Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church, Evansville, Indiana, on the Wilson Stage on the riverfront -- it is totally under water now. This is part of the annual music ministry program of these two churches. Bring your lawn chair. Admission is free.

High Water in Paducah - March 21, 2008

I shot this photo yesterday evening on the Paducah riverfront. The band stage is completely covered except for the tops of the posts of the railing around it. Both roads and the boat ramp area on the riverfront are under water. The Ohio River is expected to crest on Tuesday or Wednesday of this next week. City officials are watching it closely, but right now they don't think they will need to install the flood gates.

Snow Girl

Four inches of snow on Friday here in Paducah gave us enough snow to make a snowman....or should I say snowgirl at this home on Jefferson Street. I guess they were thinking of warmer weather when they dressed her in the hula skirt, lei, and hat. Wayne and I were driving across town on Saturday afternoon and spotted several snowmen. We thought this one was especially well put together. With temps in the 40's, you can see that most of the snow had already melted.

Winter

The weather has been crazy all across the country this past week. We had something that we don't get very often - icicles. On Wednesday morning about 7:15 a.m., I stepped out on the back porch to take this photo of the icicles hanging there. The sun was shining through them, and I couldn't resist snapping this photo. The roads were a bit slick that morning but Wayne got me to work just fine. They do a lot of spraying a salt brine on the streets here when they know ice is coming. So if you live in the south...farther south than we do....here's some icicles for you. Let's hope this is our last cold spell, and that spring will be on its way soon.