Dear Friends:
The Finn Gallery’s show this past weekend was like another homecoming.
A Board Meeting of the P.
Buckley Moss Society was being held in St. Petersburg, and the board
members all came to the gallery on Friday evening to see me. Many other
friends, old and new, came during the weekend’s show, and it was
wonderful to be surrounded by so many smiling faces.
Right before our Dealers’ Meeting a few weeks ago, I was thrilled
to have Randy and Ginny Myers visit me. Randy and Ginny are long-time
friends and have served on both the Foundation Board and the Society
Board. We got together with Marlyn De Waard, who is also on the Society
Board, and friend-to-all Al Sandstrom for a visit to Tampa Electric’s
Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach. What a neat place to visit!
The water there is very clear, and you can really see the manatees well.
In the Manatee Museum, I couldn’t resist the life-sized manatee
mural that included words inviting guests to lie on the floor and compare
size with the baby manatee in the picture!
Not taking a nap; Pat compares size with the manatees - and comes
out favorably.
The manatee is one of Pat's favorite animal subjects. Mother's
Shadow is available as a limited edition print.
Ron and Dottie Kingen, who were with me on the Society’s
Italy trip last fall, recently paid another visit to Cortona and my
daughter Becky and her family. Ron and Dottie’s daughter Kimberly
is going to school in Florence; so, they thought it would be the perfect
opportunity to go back to Italy and see a little bit more, this time
bringing their children and some close friends. Becky, Roberto, Sofia,
and Michela joined them for dinner at Il Loggiato Restaurant, which
had been a favorite during the Society’s trip.
Becky (far right) with Sofia and Michela (front) joined the Kingen's
for dinner in Cortona.
Earlier this week, my daughter Ginny called to tell me
that my grandson Picco had won first place in the Transportation Challenge
and second place in the Communications Challenge during the Regional
TSA Competition held at Stewart Gordon Middle School in Verona, Virginia.
I’m very proud of Picco and so happy that he is involved in this
wonderful organization, which is run by volunteer teachers. As I’ve
explained before, The
Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national non-profit organization
devoted exclusively to the needs of elementary, middle, and high school
students with a dedicated interest in technology. TSA’s mission
is to prepare students for the challenges of a dynamic world by promoting
technological literacy, leadership, personal growth, and opportunities.
In the Transportation Challenge, the participants needed to design and
build a car and provide a notebook with drawings and information on
the materials used. Picco’s car was the only one to make it to
the top of the multi-angled ramp provided for the competition “race.”
His car made it in 46 seconds. It was the slowest, but it was also the
most consistent and evidently the most reliable. It made its second
run in almost the exact same time, and the judges awarded Picco the
first place trophy. Steve Clark, a mechanical engineer from Waynesboro,
was the volunteer who helped Picco understand the challenges of the
competition.
Picco, at the start of his run with his home-built car, took first
place in the Regional TSA Competition at Stewart Gordon Middle School
in Verona, Virginia.
In the Communications Challenge, Picco needed to design
a business card, letterhead, and newsletter for his club. It was a lot
of hard work, but Picco said that he enjoyed the challenge and enjoyed
working with the graphics on the computer. His hard work was rewarded
with the second place trophy!
TSA is something that I’ve been an advocate of ever since Picco
joined it a year ago. It seems to have something for every interest,
and it’s a great way to put into practice what students learn
in the classroom. It also helps students understand the challenges they
will face in the professional world.
Proud parents Corrado, (Director of the P. Buckley Moss Museum),
and Ginny with award-winning son Picco.
Just a few days left in sunny St. Pete before I return
to Virginia to visit Moser
Gallery in Fairfax (April 2nd) and Prince Royal Gallery in Alexandria
(April 3).
Until next week…
Love,
Pat