checking out and checking in

“I believe this is the most beautiful day I have seen in a long, long time,” I repeated for about the fifteenth time and my dear daughter-in-law just grinned. Of course our exciting afternoon adventure surely had something to do with our location and point of view.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Mayfield, KY, for a Get out the Vote rally on Sunday afternoon, May 18, and C and I had media credentials as local bloggers and photographers on flickr. Of couse, C had already had her first taste covering the local campaign on Friday when former President Bill Clinton came to Paducah. Where was I then? Why keeping the grandbaby, of course!

So what did I gather from the afternoon? Hillary was absolutely beautiful in person. Television and photographs do not begin to do her justice. Her passion was evident and her charisma shone as she shared her hopes and plans with our small West Kentucky community.

The crowd’s favorite analogy was to a car on track. “If you want to go forward, you put it in D. If you want to go backward, you put it in R,” she quipped in reference to Democrats and Republicans. She advised the gathering, “Think about this as a hiring decision,” and it was evident that many of those in attendance were thrilled to see their possible first woman president.

I stood near both William Sledd, sporting a new colorful ‘do, and my high school prom date, now with a local radio station. Chatted with local news crews and rubbed elbows with CNN. And maybe, came a bit closer to making my decision for Tuesday’s Kentucky Primary… just maybe.

Today, armed only with an umbrella and a camera, I braved the West Kentucky rain to visit both Democratic Presidential nominee candidates’ Paducah headquarters.

I had one question for volunteers I met in each office. If you had three minutes to convince me why I should support your candidate, what would you tell me?

It has been a long political road since my favorite candidate, John Edwards, announced his intention to seek the Democratic Presidential nomination in New Orleans. But since Edwards left the race I had been convinced that Kentucky would play no part in this upcoming primary selection process.

Now it seems Kentucky voters may have a small voice. But what will we say? How should we speak?

I am a Kentucky Democrat and an undecided voter, I told them today. I also am a blogger and photographer and shared with them my intent to post their comments and photos if they would agree. Upfront I told them this. “I want you to have a chance to put your best foot forward.” No tricks up my sleeve.

Here is what I encountered on my lunch hour and a half.

At both offices, volunteers shook my hand, asked me my name, and immediately inquired as to whether I was there to volunteer. Neither office offered me a bumper sticker, yard sign, or lapel pin but then neither asked for a donation either. No one asked me for my vote.

Barack’s volunteers, from Idaho and New York, passed me off from first one then another until finally my three minutes of answers became 20 minutes of questions from the four of them. Who was my favorite President? Just where was this going on the internet? Could I wait while they checked for an OK from headquarters? They shared with me why I should not support John McCain or Hillary and how wrong it had been to support George W. Bush or John Edwards. “Obama will unite us” was as close as I got to an answer to my original question. I pressed for more. “Oh, he stood up from the beginning against the war.”

After giving them the URL of this blog, they got approval for my photo request. I made a few shots, met a nice lady from Graves County and a fine gentleman from Chicago, and offered to name and quote any of them directly. “No, just call us volunteers,” the very young out-of-staters smilingly said as I left.

Across town, through pouring rain, I arrived at Hillary’s headquarters where a young man, busy sharing with a visitor how to mail in her contribution, agreed to share his reasoning as a Hillary supporter. He shared a story Hillary told when he heard her speak at Notre Dame.

The story, of another young man who was aided by a Clinton phone call to ensure that he receive medical benefits from an unagreeable insurance company, had inspired him. I asked him if she would be available to make those phone calls for all the rest of us. “She won’t have to,” he grinned and said. “Once she changes policy for health care, those phone calls for all of us will already have been made.”

He then led me to the phone volunteers who happily agreed to a photograph. These local residents greeted me and asked neighborly questions about work and family. One volunteer asked if the photo would be in the newspaper. I told them no, it would be blogged. “Cool,” the other one said.

As I left Hillary headquarters, KFVS12 television’s crew from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, arrived in the parking lot. The anticipated campaign visit of former President Bill Clinton at Paducah’s Expo Center tomorrow, on his wife’s behalf, is causing our community to momentarily be a hot location it seems.

So there is my tale. I got my story. But the answer I was searching for, I am afraid, still eludes me.

Thanks to Amtrak, we got a great deal on tickets for our upcoming trip to Chicago. Did you know that “on May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, ceremonially creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad”? Well I didn’t either but I do now thanks to first-ever National Train Day!

Up until the past six months, most of my trips to Chicago had been for business. I have never driven to the Windy City and only flown once into O’Hare but have taken train from Carbondale every single other time. What a hoot! I like watching the people on board and love seeing the glorious heartland start and end it’s day as well as the other-side-of-the tracks of every little community along the route.

My reasons to visit now are even more exciting. Darling daughter dear now resides in Chicago so we visit every chance we get! So much to do and see and oh those grandbabies to play with…!!

Now with the help of Matt B. at The Chicago Traveler and Tammy Green’s My Aggregated Life, the mini-vacation days for this trip are all planned out!I Everyone in our little group is suggesting places to visit and so the best laid plans of six grownups and three young’uns are soon to be tested for full days of fun in the city!

Here is the plan… maybe I can twitter our adventure as it happens and update to flickr daily some of our most fun experiences. We plan to enjoy Navy Pier’s Children’s Museum, do some Window Shopping on Michigan Avenue, enjoy Cloudgate at sunrise, find some Chinatown treats, and check out Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory.

I sure do want to try the Macaroni and Cheese at Kuma’s Corner this time and find some more bargains while thrift shopping in Roscoe Village. All mapped out with the help of Google Maps directions with public transportation! Whew… sounds like a whirlwind for sure… stay tuned…!!

For the first time in 30 years of following two year old thoroughbreds in sales and training, I abandoned their progress during 2007. Even after they turned three, in January this year, my passion was not with who was running and maturing in the late winter and early spring prep races.

Finally, last Monday, encouraged by a visit from my friends Ross and Ronnie of the Derby Museum, I decided it was time to get serious about a Kentucky Derby selection. A filly, they mentioned, was running. She was gray. I loved her name. Instantly Eight Belles, over a friendly dinner conversation, became my favorite. How easy was that?

We laughed as I told them about my 100 point opening score with EQUINES in a current Scrabulous game. “Just drop $100 on the filly and be done with it,” Ronnie teasingly suggested.

When the post positions were announced, I ran a little digit summing exercise with the letters of her name. I was fascinated when both the numerical pattern and her draw for post position produced the single-digit five. I also checked the historical report for my genealogy index. Amazingly there were eight women named Belle in my Louisville relatives’ line.

Truth be known, my actual handicapping skills have sometimes left something to be desired. Maybe it was time to go with a seemingly perfect alignment of signs?

I played her. I watched and cheered for her. I was stunned when she didn’t survive the gallop out and never returned to the barn.

I am not a brave better so I am thankful for the $10 win ticket I now have as a treasure. But I have to tell you, the $30 across the board became the toughest ticket I have gone to cash, ever.

This may be the sport of kings. This surely is a game of fragility. My heart tells me that I need no further signs to know it is time, once again, to give these young thoroughbreds a rest.

It is Derby Week in Kentucky and if my morning play on a new facebook game of Scrabulous is any indication my luck may just be changing…!!

Still trying to pick my horse here… what about you…??

The post position draw will be held this afternoon at Fourth Street Live in Louisville. You can tune in to ESPN2 at 5:00 p.m. EDT to watch it live.

The adventure for visitors from around the world and the hard work of the all those involved in putting on the AQS Quilt Show & Contest is drawing to a close. The enthusiasm, inspiration, hilarity, and sheer exhaustion of Quilt Week in Paducah, KY, however, is sure to linger long after the loose threads are swept up and the last crate of fabric is stowed.

True confession. I have lived in Quilt City USA® since June of 1985, two months after the Schroader’s very first show. This year, 2008, was my very first time to actually participate by going to the Expo.

What was I thinking? That I might absorb enough of the atmosphere just by experiencing the traffic created by daily scores of tour buses and the crowded restaurants full of hungry quilters? Could I really understand the attraction of all the thousands of women, and dozens of men, that show up by only observing their promenades on the city sidewalks downtown for an evening stroll?

I love what the quilt show does for Paducah, always have and always will. Our city takes on a whole new atmosphere with the opportunity to really share our true southern hospitality. Even the dogwood and azalea blossoms shout out, “We’re glad you’re here!” But for me, now, it is so much more real.

So many new flickr, facebook, and blog friends met; such exciting visuals of color, texture, and craft to savor; all true inspirations and opportunities I now understand are just waiting out there for me to explore a bit further.

Special thanks to Mary Hammond, Executive Director at the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau. You moved me forward. And thank you quilters! You brought me great JOY!

Quilters continued to arrive in Paducah as the AQS Quilt Show & Contest entered the third day. Crowds seemed even larger today than during the past two days.

But then again, I have only been to the show in the afternoons since it has been a regular work week for me as well.

This morning dawned a beautiful day and the McCracken County Public Library garden captured this glorious view including a V.I.P. Charter tour bus. Quilters from Florida took time out from the show to take advantage of the library’s free internet and wireless access.

This afternoon many visitors took advantage of the final day for the AQS Collector Books backroom book sale. Deep discounts on discontinued titles as well as “hurt” books with minor wear and tear were still available to a flurry of hands that are more accustomed to making slow and painstaking quilt stitches. (photo right)

The AQS Book Fair, a new program this year, featured many favorite authors published by Collector Books. Paducah’s own Ro Morse participated with her new book, 100 Things to Enjoy in Historic Paducah, recently featured in Mary Thorsby’s ilist Paducah blog. (photo below)

Also featured at the Book Fair was quilter/author Judy Laquidara better known to her fans as Judy L. I will tell you more tomorrow about how fun it was meeting her today but in the meantime you can see more photos at Paducah Quilts and Quilters on flickr.

For many, a trip through the Expo Center to view the AQS Quilt Contest Winners and browse the vendor booths may be a crowded and exciting experience…

but a stroll downtown in the evening allows everyone to relax and become part of Paducah’s friendly community…

The AQS Quilt Show & Contest brought Calna McGoldrick from Ontario, Canada, to Paducah, Kentucky, and Facebook networking allowed her to meet new friends while visiting Quilt City USA® this week.

McGoldrick, selected as a Paducah Quilt Show semi-finalist for her landscape art quilt “Spring Time Wandering”, posted a question to the Canadian Quilters group on Facebook. Mary Hammond, Executive Director of the Paducah Convention & Tourist Bureau, noticed Calna’s inquiry as to whether there were other quilters traveling to Paducah who would want to meet at the Quilt Show.

Hammond shared her interest in meeting Calna with me and instantly we three began an online communication leading to face-to-face hugs and introductions today.

Calna visited with me at the McCracken County Public Library. Her warm greeting and gracious smile was only the beginning of a most enjoyable time spent getting to know each other.

Traveling with her 78 year old mother, Leone Orr, her sister, Pam Orchard, cousin Denise Watson, and friend Susan Neave, the adventurous group of women left home this past Sunday morning in a ‘98 van with the brake light glowing. After spending the first night in Dayton, Ohio, they arrived at a Kentucky Lake resort where they are camping for the week.

They enjoyed examining the quilts at the Expo Center this morning, but tomorrow they intend to “goof off” and try their hand at crappie fishing on Kentucky Lake. “I have my Kentucky Fishing License already!” she exclaimed.

The group will return to Paducah on Friday to shop and see more sights before leaving for home on Saturday.

Ted Storm-van Weelden, of The Netherlands, is the creator of the 2008 AQS Quilt Contest Best of Show winner.

Her quilt, Spring of Desire, was also the 2007 Master Award for Traditional Artistry at the Winner’s Circle Celebration of the ‘Quilts: a World of Beauty’ exhibit at the International Quilt Festival 2007 in Houston, TX. Storm has been an international quilting instructor since 1988.

The 24th Annual Awards Presentation was held this evening at the beautiful Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center on the riverfront in Paducah, KY.