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Dear Friends:
I’m starting this week’s newsletter on a somber note. I was so saddened to hear about the tragedy that occurred in Pennsylvania this week, and my heart goes out to our Amish friends in Pennsylvania as they mourn the loss of their precious angels. My heart also goes out to the community in Colorado, which also recently suffered a similar situation. It seems that we as a society aren’t doing enough to recognize and treat those with mental illnesses. If only more could be done to help these unfortunate people, maybe we could prevent more senseless losses.
In contrast to the sadness of the school shooting, I had another busy, happy weekend in Iowa. I spent Friday evening with a group of wonderful people who really care about children and education. We attended a fundraising dessert reception, which benefited the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education, and was held at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines. What fun! Everyone had a great time, and the desserts were sinful; there was even a chocolate fountain! The event was organized by Mariann Peterson, President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Congratulations, Mariann, you did a wonderful job!
Pat with Mariann Peterson, President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and Mike McFall, next to the "fountain of chocolate" at the fundraising dessert reception to benefit the Foundation, held at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines.Between the live and silent auctions and the raffle, approximately $5,000 was raised, which will be earmarked to support a Head Start Program in Iowa. Head Start Programs are so important, providing learning opportunities and support for at-risk children. Some of those children suffer from neglect and/or abuse; and, it is so vital to reach them at an early age, to provide support and sometimes even intervention. If more of these children are recognized and helped, perhaps we can avoid future tragedies.
Another of the programs fundraisers like these support is the Foundation’s annual Creative Mind Conference, a three-day event that provides teachers with presenters representing many organizations whose focus is to incorporate the arts into school curricula to help students who learn differently. The next Creative Mind Conference will be held at the Florence Elston Inn in Sweet Briar, Virginia, October 28-30.
Properly trained teachers are a valuable resource in protecting our children and our future. It takes just one special teacher to reach out to a troubled child or teenager, one who can recognize a learning difference or a mental health issue and provide the necessary support and encouragement. We really need to do more for our teachers and our children. When I say “our children,” I mean the old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
I was in Osceola Saturday for a wonderful show with White’s Gallery. Gallery owners Dan and Kim White, their right-hand gal Kay Frizzell, and their excellent team pulled out all the stops. The gallery was beautiful, and everyone was so warm and friendly.
Pat at White's Gallery in Osceola, IA with four sisters and their 2005 Christmas prints. They are, from the left, Loretta Foley, Barb Shutt, Terry Eldred and Lucy White.Sunday it was Carroll, Iowa, and a show with The Finishing Touch. Again, the show was excellent, with gallery owner Susan Rix and her friends making it fun for everyone. The day was topped off with an informal buffet dinner that was divine.
Hooray for the Orange T-Shirt Volunteers! The now-familiar sight of staff and volunteers at the P. Buckley Moss shows wearing Pat's new black cat T-shirt. Here they are at The Finishing Touch in Carroll, IA with gallery owner, Susan Rix (4th from right, on Pat's left).
Buffet dinner following the show at The Finishing Touch.This weekend I’ll be showing with my dear friend Ginger Cloonan at The Country Framer in Libertyville, Illinois. We’ll be releasing two very special prints during the show that I’m very excited about. Indiana Memories features the Basilica, the Dome, and the Grotto, beloved structures on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. It’s a beautiful place; I remember having to speak there once and being petrified! I really am a nervous public speaker.
Indiana Memories will be released October 6th and 7th at The Country Framer in Libertyville, IL. For more information, contact the gallery at (847) 680-8666.My Faithful Companion was created in honor of companion dogs, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this print will raise money for Canine Companions for Independence®, a national non-profit organization that breeds, trains, and places highly skilled assistance dogs with people with disabilities other than blindness. Although it costs more than $10,000 to provide each “canine companion,” the organization provides them free of charge to the recipients. Due to cost vs. demand, there is a two-year waiting list.
My Faithful Companion, also for release at The Country Framer. For more information, contact the gallery at (847) 680-8666.I was so very honored to find out from Ginger that a dog-in-training has been named after me! His name is Buckley, and he’ll be at Ginger’s show this weekend so I can have a chance to meet him!
Buckley, named after Pat, is going through training with his buddy Jeannine to become a faithful canine companion.Love,
Pat
The Moss
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74 Poplar Grove Lane
Mathews, VA 23109
(800) 430-1320
©P. Buckley Moss 2005