Martha's Blog

Monday, April 21, 2025

April and End of Exhibit

Spring is in the air and Holy Week and Easter services and pleasant temperatures help take my mind off the troubling political climate. These yucca plants rode in my car for several days until I got someone to lift them out. Now to get my yard guy to plant them.

I've enjoyed more recitals and concerts at USM. The last symphony of this season will be this week, along with a production of Sense and Sensibility by the theatre department. Dr. Gregory Wolynec, newly appointed Director of Orchestral Activities and symphony conductor, presented excellent mini-seminars at OLLI as previews to enhance our appreciation of the programs.

With Daniel Margueles after his recital

Dr Gregory Wolynec, USM Symphony Conductor

Having Linda's and my quilt and fiber art exhibit at OLLI for these four months has been an ongoing pleasure, sparking many conversations and shared family quilt stories. We also taught another class we called "Round 3" to add to the other two we taught last year. Several pieces will go to new homes when we dismantle the exhibit next week.

Linda drove us to Dallas for my son's retirement party. It was fun getting to see five granddaughters and their husbands and children--ten, I think. Sewing has been mainly making small projects like flannel blankets for Southern Pines Animal Shelter, zipper bags and walker totes. I took a stack of the little zipper bags for the girls. These are such fun to make and I have fabric of every imaginable theme.

Walker totes

Zipper bags

My outdoor kitty, Lacey, was very affectionate this afternoon when I was in the yard. She got on my lap and accepted lots of petting and scratching before settling down for a short nap. Elizabeth had walked out to join me but was quite unhappy to see Lacey on my lap. She gave a hiss and glare before going back in.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Music, Music, Music, and the Best of the Beatles

March was alive with Music! The Meistersingers presented their spring concert March 2, "The Best of the Beatles." My granddaughters get a chuckle thinking about me learning and singing Beatles songs!

The Best of the Beatles concert

Then the March USM Symphony program featured some outstanding students, winners of the annual William T. Gower Competition. See Daniel Petrocelli, guitarist, after the flower pictures.

Nick Ciraldo and the Guitar Studio at USM held a Screamin' Eagles Guitarfest with lots of impressive talent on display. Many performers enjoy activities and Wednesday night potluck suppers at University Baptist Church, and these talented students presented a Thank You concert in Back Door Coffeehouse fashion.

Several students held recitals this month in fulfillment of requirements for degrees. I attend as many of these as I can, and am so grateful for the privilege.

USM Symphony

The Thank You Concert Team
with David W Walker and Linda Ginn

L-R Joao Vitor Gonzaga, Sofia Araujo, Renata Andrade,
Gabriel Barros, Marcus Silva

The azaleas are blooming, making any driving in town pure pleasure. My front porch is a great place to read or eat breakfast. We have had a couple of rain days, which beats down the blossoms, but more come to take up the show.

Daniel Petrocelli (one of the William T. Gower winners)
at the Thank You Concert at University Baptist

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Pictures at OLLI Art Reception

My OLLI friends really know how to put on a reception for the art exhibits. They rotate the art exhibits on a four month basis, and a reception is scheduled sometime during the exhibit. Linda and I brought a few sewing supplies to add to the flower arrangement that was planned, and the art committee and members always bring tasty food.

Dean Pennington prepared a slide show which ran continuously on two large TVs, showing a variety of our quilts which were not in the exhibit. Viewers especially enjoyed the videos of us doing free-motion quilting. In our talks we fielded questions about how we decided on designs (computer programs? no), how we bought and stored fabric, and some background stories.

Theresa Ratti prepared four large posters to publicize the exhibits. (Sorry for the glare from the glass.) The quilts will be on exhibit through April. The building is open Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Family

A significant lifetime event occurred this month--the loss of my brother, John Terry Weeks, followed by the celebration of his life in Austin, Texas. He was an influential lawyer who mentored and shared his wisdom and love of life. Being the surviving sibling of this generation is a reminder of how blessed I am to have grown up with this family.

Terry, Martha, Linda

At Terry's Celebration of Life
(R-L) Niece Mandy, her husband Will Klein, and Martha

With my nephews, Russell, Bill, and Ben Woodland

I'm glad earlier this year I sent Terry one of my favorite quilts--made by our grandmother Martha Rosalie Terry Hood Hearn sometime in the 1950s while she was living with our parents. I had used it for many years and knew Terry would enjoy it. When he saw it he immediately identified three of his shirts in the fabrics, from Mother's scrap bag. This photo was taken on the USM campus and appeared in Quiltfolk magazine Issue 26--Mississippi, p. 11.

Photo credit: Azuree Holloway

Monday, February 10, 2025

February--OLLI Exhibit

The exhibit of Linda's and my quilts and fiber art is at the OLLI building (3601 Pearl Street, Hattiesburg, MS) and we hope people attending classes are enjoying seeing them. The exhibit will hang through April, with a Reception on Friday, February 21 from 1-2:30.

We have five pieces using Katie Pasquini Masopust's Artful Log Cabin technique (ALC), with the photo inspiration for the quilts. Katie's book is entitled Artful Log Cabin Quilts; she also teaches online classes through American Quilter's Society.