CANADIAN EXPRESS!

I hope you enjoyed a relaxing and reflective Memorial Day week! This is a photo of my Father-in-law, Joe Pelland, during World War II. I wish I had him back here today to learn about his experience in Germany, and how he ended up coming back to Montreal, Canada with a young German bride! There are so many questions I would ask my Father-in-law if he were here today. My husband was born and raised in Montreal, Where Joe and his wife Renee settled after the war. When Jeff and I were first married, we spent many weekends driving to Canada to visit relatives in Montreal and Toronto. Our friends called us the Montreal Express, we did the drive so many times! Driving between Montreal and Toronto, we would often go to Plattsburgh, NY where Jeff’s family would come over the border to shop at American stores. Then on to Belleville, Ontario to visit Jeff’s nieces, Ashley and Candice. It has been years since I have thought about all those Canadian connections! My In-laws passed away, and we hardly ever get to Canada any more.

That is all about to change! Next week, I will be traveling to Plattsburgh, NY to lecture and teach at a guild there. I may just venture over the Canadian border for old times sake! It is a quick trip from Plattsburgh to Montreal! At Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, I met Gail from Erie Quilt Art. Gail will be my newest distributor in Ontario, Canada. Fun with Stitches in Belleville, Ontario is my newest Canadian retail shop. Fun with Stitches will be demonstrating Leaves Galore Templates at Quilt Canada in June! I have also been asked to lecture and teach at this wonderful quilt shop, so I am looking at a mid winter visit to Ontario to see Fun with Stitches and my new distributor. While I am there I will reconnect with some dear friends that live just 10 miles from the Quilt Shop. When you begin to take notice, these synchronicities start to appear more frequently. Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe the stars are aligning to make it easier for me to teach thousands of new quilters my fun and easy methods of applique! Lookout, Canada, here we come!