5/1/24

Do-Nothing Day, Quilt Show Encore, And Paducah Mural Wall

Good morning, my friends. It's a good thing I have lots of pictures for you today. We can both just sit back and relax. I did almost nothing yesterday. The day off was very nice, and I'm happy to report my pain level is back to pretty much zero. (At my age, we're not ever quite at zero.) 

The only thing I accomplished yesterday was getting Smitty out for some more Cattucky grass.

The people with the big woofies moved on and so the space beside us was empty. I've realized if I carry him around to a place where he can't see all the people, cars, trucks, dogs, nor invisible monsters that are all intent on killing him, he can walk in a more relaxed mood. And that was all working just fine until this very rude squirrel showed up and started barking at him. He did this with an acorn in his mouth. 


Well, Smitty was so taken aback at the rudeness of this interloper, we decided to leave immediately. We walked around to the other side of the RV, but there was a Man there. Bummer. Then, we went back inside. And that was the extent of my accomplishments for the day, although I did fit in a little slow stitching.


I still have a ways to go on this piece. Here's where it started.


Finishing this piece will be my goal for May's



So, let's get back to the quilt show, shall we? I realized I'd left out several of the quilts I had photographed, and so I'm adding them in here on this I-did-nothing post. Like before, I'll put the name of the quilter first, and then the quilt.



This was a large quilt done on the scale of a mini. Yeesh.



Here's another one done with bazillions of tiny flying geese and half-square triangles.






This quilt was one I really, really wished I could have gotten closer to. I've cropped in tight, hoping you can see the detail, but it would have been better in person.


This next one reminds me of my Whimsical Quilt Garden quilt.



Okay, so I'm fairly certain I've posted all the pictures I took at the quilt show. Now, I'll show you the pictures of the mural wall in Paducah. Before arriving in Paducah, I knew absolutely nothing about the place, except that it hosted an annual quilt show, and that the National Quilt Museum was there. As it turns out, it has a rich and storied history that is shared in this long wall of murals.


I posted this picture previously, but I'll post it again. Remember that I was already about one-third of the way down the wall when I took this. Another half-again length of wall is behind me.


Starting at the beginning, these are the ones that most interested me, and I'm barely scratching the surface. I'll post the mural first, and then the accompanying plaque that describes the scene and puts it into historical context.





I'll admit, I'm not sure what these numbers mean. One assumes the numbers are included on the mural, but I can't see them. Maybe one of you can figure it out. In any case, these two plaques were side-by-side and described the same mural.







Yes, THAT Gen. William Clark, from the Lewis & Clark expedition. The man must never have slept.













So I believe I've posted all the pictures I've been holding back. Tomorrow we'll start fresh with all new stuff. We're heading to Bowling Green, Kentucky, today. We'll have another four days there. While there, we're going to the National Corvette Museum (on Mike's bucket list), and we'll also visit Mammoth Cave National Park. Thankfully, the hip pain I had a few days ago has completely resolved and so I should be able to enjoy the cave tour. (I'm going on record saying prednisone is a miracle drug.) Whatever else we do in Bowling Green is still up for grabs, but I'm banking on a quilt shop.

We'll have some time this morning before we need to take off. Breakfast is next, and then I can probably fit in a little slow-stitching.

13 comments:

Barbara said...

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Carly Nord said...

The wall of murals in Paducah is amazing. I was there for Quilt Week also and had a great time. I had a quilt in the show and a friend and I have quilts in the 2025 AQS Quilt Art Engagement calendar. We were there for the book signing for the calendar but that was just our excuse to go. The city of Paducah is very welcoming and tolerates being invaded by quilters. Glad you enjoyed Paducah too.

Anonymous said...

I hope you have your Kentucky Derby hat ready for Saturday! Thanks for all the pix and info. … I’m enjoying the trip! Candy

Jenny said...

So interesting to read all the info about the history of Paducah, all I knew about it was the big quilt show.
The quilt with the teeny tiny flying geese is amazing.

Shari said...

The murals in Paducah are so cool to see. I was there in 2010 for the quilt shop and due to flooding, they had the gates installed. I have to say it's a little unnerving to see water trickling through the gates and think about all the water that wall and the gates were holding back. The conference center was flooded and they spread the quilt show all over town into every open store they could find. It was definitely a unique experience that year. The talent is amazing.

Anonymous said...

The telephone operator switchboard pictured in the mural is pretty much like the one my mother worked at during her long career as a telephone operator. Mom and her fellow operators were members of the Telephone Pioneers of America (I think that's the right title).
Mom was working the day of President Kennedy's assassination. Mom said the switchboard suddenly lit up with callers upset and crying. When operators began their shifts, they were sequestered at the switchboard with no access to television or radio. Once they figured out what was happening, they had to remain calm and focused to help callers. The news of the President's death had yet to be confirmed at that point.

Teresa F.

Christine said...

All those kimono..... A winner in my book.
Love all those murals and the info.
After my stint in hospital over Christmas and the New Year, I take Prednisolone, which over here is a steroid tablet. It has taken this long to get my strength built back up, so I can give these tablets a big thumbs up.....
I am aware that they are two different medications......
But so long as they work.... Who cares! lol

Auntiepatch said...

I worked on a long distance switchboard that looked a lot like that photo in the '70's. I was a new operator on the day of the big earthquake in LA area. I think everybody in Hemet CA was calling family in the earthquake area that day. Total madness!

Kate said...

So glad you are feeling much better. The quilts are pretty spectacular, such little pieces on many of them. An exercise in patience and precision piecing. The mural is pretty cool.

piecefulwendy said...

Glad the hip is better. Those tiny pieces in those quilts, and the kimono quilt are pretty stunning. Thanks for the info on Paducah; lots of things I didn't know!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Seeing the mural of Paducah's main street - it looks quite similar to what our main street currently looks like (sans the wonderful old cars of course!).
Those quilts made with all those itty bitty pieces made me glad I am sitting down. Wowzers.

karen said...

My favorite quilt so far is 508. Animal lovers and quilters. Don't get no better'n that.
These travel posts have been fantastic. Glad your health is better. Now you can think of real things instead of just the total encompassing pain.

Anne-Marie said...

Good luck with your goal. I'm still enjoying all the vicarious traveling.