Rhonda Bracey: At Random

In case you’re wondering why there’s no Day 1 and Day 2, that’s because I didn’t join the QuiltVenture 2018 (QV2018) tour group until their Day 3 in Seattle. I’d gone on earlier to New Orleans for a conference, and didn’t get into Seattle until very late on their Day 2.

Day 3, which is where I start my journey with them, was a workshop day. We did a workshop with Sherry Rogers-Harrison, learning her technique for painting quilts. She provided us with a kit with two different colourways — I chose to do the aqua/purple colours, not the copper/fall colours. She also did a trunk show of her amazing work (just a few photos below). Some were miniatures, others full size art quilts.

Mine:

We had a lot of fun, interspersed with long moments of concentrated silence as we focused on painting between the stitched lines.

This evening some of us are going to the ‘Come From Away’ musical, based on the true story of the people of Gander in Canada, who took in thousands of stranded passengers whose planes were grounded immediately after 9/11. I expect it to be rather emotional, so am making sure I take some tissues. (see the update below)

Tomorrow we go to an animal park, where I’ve heard there are bear cubs to be seen! (though at this time of the year, I’d expect them to be several months old by now).

Update: ‘Come From Away’:

OK, so here’s the thing. I’m not a fan of Broadway-style musicals, or even much of a fan of live theatre. But tonight in Seattle I saw probably the BEST show I’ve ever seen or heard on stage. It was full of humour, sadness, compassion, emotion, more humour, great music, excellent singing, and sheer brilliance. It finished with a 10-minute standing ovation from a full theatre (5th Avenue Theatre) on a Thursday night — and I was right there standing and clapping too. What was this brilliant show? ‘Come From Away’. Yes, you’ve probably never heard of it, and yes, over time you will. If you get the opportunity to see it, do.

When I first heard that some of my tour group might go, it was touted as a musical about 9/11. My first reaction? No way on Earth would I go to that. But I looked it up and saw that it was actually about the town of Gander in Newfoundland that ended up with 38 grounded planes when all air traffic into and in the US was stopped as a result of 9/11. 38 planes and 7000 passengers, in a sleepy little town about the same size. A town that fed and clothed them, took them into their homes, and said goodbye when they finally left. A town that those passengers have never forgotten.

If ‘Come From Away’ comes to your town, see it. You won’t regret it.