P. Buckley Moss e-newsletter

Dear Friends:

I am starting this newsletter with a tribute to my brother-in-law Bill Martin, who loved my sister Mary, a.k.a. Honey, and cared for her until she passed away Saturday night. I want to share what this beautiful man posted on my Facebook:

“I lost my love last night. My wonderful Mary passed away very peacefully as I held her hand. What a wonderful 64 years it has been. She will be cremated and her ashes mixed with mine when I pass on. A private family Mass celebrating her life will take place at a later date. Many thanks for your prayers and kindness.”—Bill Martin

I will remember Honey—happy, fun, and dancing.

This past Friday and Saturday, my daughter Patty and I were back with our friends in Leesburg, Virginia, and enjoying collectors and friends of Medlin Art, Ltd. Everyone was in a great holiday spirit, and it was cold outside and warm and friendly inside. Shirley Medlin’s framing was lovely—her designs are beautiful.

After the show Saturday, Patty and I drove through the countryside to The Blue Rock Inn, where my son John is the chef. The restaurant is located at this beautiful spot on Route 211 (Lee Highway) in Washington, Virginia (Rappahannock County). The view was so beautiful, overlooking the valley, horses, and preparations for a grape vineyard on the hills. It must be beautiful in the summer, too!

It was so nice to be pampered and treated to a special dinner prepared by my son and also to be able to spend a few minutes with him and his wife Maureen, who is also an employee there. John was in heaven cooking the kind of food he loves to prepare. Down the valley on our way to Waynesboro, we stopped in Luray to see the work John is doing at the restaurant he’s going to open one day.

It was another hour or so to Waynesboro and to bed, after watching Wuthering Heights. I love that movie! I’m a hopeless romantic. We were up early the next morning and driving down Route 11 to the Peaks of Otter in Bedford for breakfast with 35 members of the Moss in the Country Chapter of the P. Buckley Moss Society. There was no one on the road at 7:00 in the morning except Patty and me. Everyone was getting ready for church, and our church service was enjoying the beauty of the mountains. It was such a beautiful morning, with the mountains, the lake, and the leaves blowing in the breeze. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a jewel. Imagine, all that beautiful road came to be during the Depression. What a gift to all of us!

Members of the Moss in the Country Chapter met Patty and me for breakfast at The Peaks of Otter Sunday morning. Then, we all left for my show with Apple Barn Gallery in Buchanan.

These fine gentlemen are Moss in the Country’s support group.

After breakfast, we went to Buchanan for my show with Rachel Nichols at her Apple Barn Gallery. Click here to read an article from the Roanoke Times about our show. It was a day with more wonderful friends, some of whom I’ve met through the years and some new ones, too. There is always a new group coming in that is fresh and wonderful to be around, like my grandchildren. I found out that some are coming with us on our cruise next year to Italy, Greece, and Turkey, so we’ll see one another again. All are invited to join us! It’ll be fun! (Please see an update from our Cruise Coordinator Bonnie-Lou Binnig below.)

Pictured with me is Linda Dalton who, with her friend Denise Sell, made this glorious quilt for me. What a wonderful surprise! Linda and some of her family and friends came to Apple Barn’s show to give me the quilt, which I appreciate so very much. Linda stitched my counted cross stitch Christmas patterns, and Denise incorporated them into a beautiful quilt. I absolutely love it!

Everyone is also invited to my Christmas Museum and Barn Open House this November 30-December 2. At 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, December 1, we are going to have a tree lighting ceremony at The Barn for the students of Westwood Elementary School, their parents, and teachers. The Westwood students are making the ornaments for our 15-foot live Christmas tree this year, and I can’t wait to see their creations.

That Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the P. Buckley Moss Museum we’ll have a Dinner Dance to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the P. Buckley Moss Society. Tickets are $45, and attendees will receive a complimentary black and white print. There will be live and silent auctions to benefit the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education.

My special print for the November 30-December 2 Museum and Barn Open House is Christmas at the Barn, which captures the Christmas spirit at my Barn home in Waynesboro, VA. For more information, please contact the P. Buckley Moss Museum at 1-800-343-8643 or 540-949-6473.

Peace in the Valley will also be released during my November 30-December 2 Museum and Barn Open House.

This weekend I’m off to Iowa for back to back shows with The Finishing Touch in Carroll on Saturday, November 10, and with White’s Gallery in Osceola on Sunday, November 11. I can’t wait to see all my friends in Carroll and Osceola again!

Susan Rix, owner of The Finishing Touch, and I will release Bouquets of Love on Saturday, November 10. The giclée on paper features The Prairie Pedlar’s beautiful gardens in Odebolt, Iowa. For more information, please contact the gallery at 712-792-6665.

Kim White, owner of White’s Gallery, and I will release Family Traditions on Sunday, November 11. The giclée on paper features East Lake Park, located on the outskirts of Osceola. For more information, please contact the gallery at 641-342-7152.

After seeing my Iowa friends, I’m heading down to St. Petersburg, Florida, for a couple weeks of warmth and my show with the Finn Gallery November 16-18. I’ll be there for Thanksgiving with friends and my grandson Picco, who attends the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. This year will be his first Thanksgiving away from home. Hopefully, we’ll all be together for Christmas in Waynesboro.

Please remember our soldiers this Sunday, which is Veterans’ Day. God bless them for their sacrifices.

Love,
Pat

An Update on the 2013 Society Trip from Our Cruise Coordinator

Plans are being finalized for the pre-cruise and post-cruise events in Rome and Venice. Both will be exciting and informative for those who have never visited the cities previously and lots of fun for those who choose to return. In Rome, we expect that Society members and friends will arrive from the U.S. on Sunday morning, July 21. Most flights arrive in Rome between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., although there may be a few flights arriving around noon. There will be transportation from the airport to the hotel at two different departure times so we can transport as many folks as possible on each trip. The afternoon will provide time for individual exploration or rest. On the evening of July 21, we will take a guided evening tour of Rome, including Fontana di Trevi, and enjoy a group dinner. On Monday, July 22, we will have a guided tour of portions of Vatican City, including St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Museum. Lunch will be provided, and later that day we will take a guided tour of the Coliseum. Transportation will be provided from the hotel to the cruise ship on the morning of July 23.

On Sunday, August 4, we will depart the ship and be transported to our hotel in Venice, where we can rest or do individual exploration until that evening when we will have a group dinner and gondola tour on the canal. On the morning of August 5, we will enjoy a four-hour guided walking tour of Venice and include such sights as the Dog’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark’s Square, and the Rialto Bridge. We will also visit a glass-blowing factory in Venice. The afternoon will be free for those who wish to leave Venice for the U.S. on August 5. Transportation will be provided to the airport in Venice on the afternoon of August 5 and the morning of August 6.

More information on the exact price for the pre- and post-cruise tours, hotels, and transportation will follow on my next update.

Bonnie-Lou Binnig (blbinnig@yahoo.com)

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