Posted on by agilejack

Phew! I’m Back After a Hectic Couple Weeks

It’s been a whirlwind around here since I last posted here. We finished up a difficult and challenging radio fundraising drive. I had to make a quick trip to Las Vegas for work. I’ve had company at my house for over a week.

So, first off, I teased my Vegas trip in my last post. But now that it’s over I can share the reason for that last minute trip here. Several weeks ago I received a call letting me know that I had been selected as the 2024 recipient of the C. Scott Elliott Development Professional of the Year award. This reward recognizes Public Television development professionals who have had notable careers. I know a good number of people who have won this award in the past. It was a bit of a surprise that I had been selected.

I had to go to Vegas to accept the award and give a bit of an acceptance speech.

That’s a photo that my boss took. Here’s the official photographer’s shot with the actual award in my hands.

I didn’t get to bring the award home. I needs to be engraved and then they will ship it to me. I’ll share photos once I receive it.

It’s a pretty big deal to be selected for this award and I’m among a pretty impressive group of individuals. It’s really an honor to be selected. Here’s the pertinent paragraph from when I was introduced:

THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT, IN HER 28-YEAR TENURE IN PUBLIC MEDIA, HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP LUMINARIES IN OUR FUNDRAISING INDUSTRY. THROUGHOUT HER CAREER AT THE TWO STATIONS SHE HAS SERVED, SHE HAS BROUGHT VISION, RIGOR, AND AN EXCEPTIONAL LEVEL OF SKILL AND INNOVATION THAT HAS HAD DEEP IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES SHE HAS SERVED. SHE IS KNOWN AS AN INNOVATOR, AN EXPANSIVE THINKER AND CHAMPION AND MENTOR TO NOT ONLY HER TEAM, BUT TO THE PUBLIC MEDIA SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. SHE LEADS WITH DETERMINATION, INTEGRITY AND A PHILOSOPHY FOUNDED ON THE PREMISE THAT WE SERVE A GREATER COMMUNITY, THAT MEMBERS PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THAT BEING A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED PUBLIC MEDIA SERVICE PLACES OUR MEMBERS AT THE CENTER OF WHO WE ARE AND EVERYTHING WE DO. SHE IS DOGGED IN HER PURSUIT OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA.

It was so odd to hear those words about me spoken from the podium! But it was really fun to see colleagues from around the country that I haven’t seen for years. Also had a lovely dinner with a chosen few to celebrate.

I had an amazing room in Vegas…. on the 57th floor with some pretty spectacular views. I could lay in bed and watch the fountain at Caesar’s Palace, could see the new Sphere, Paris casino, and a lovely view of the mountains.

Vegas is such a strange city. I really don’t see the appeal it holds for people. It was an honor to be there, but I was perfectly happy to be on a plane out of there and I was definitely happy to be home.

My friend, Linda, Flew in and stayed with my boys while I was gone, and I arranged to take the rest of the weeks off so we could have a few days together.

We’ve been buying way too much fabric! Linda decided she is going to make my Blue Swirly quilt for a friend of hers who loves blue. So buying the fabrics for that quilt was our task for today. We actually made our sixth trip to a fabric store today! And our third time to the SAME store! I’m happy to say that I didn’t actually buy any fabric today! I did buy a pack of 10 empty bobbins for my Bernina.

We were planning on going to the coast on Friday but we went out to dinner on Thursday, the day I came home from Vegas, and Linda had a bad stomach from that meal. So we’re hoping to get out there tomorrow.

Since we were near a big field that my boys love on our trek today, we stopped to give them a nice run in the tall grass.

They had so much fun in that grass. It was hard to get Rico to come out at all.

Bender, on the other hand…

We have had some productive moments over the last couple days. I managed to buy some tomato plants, lettuce starts, and a honey suckle and got them all planted.

I’ve wanted a honey suckle growing on this fence for some time. Fingers crossed that it thrives here.

Over the last couple days my friend has been helping me chunk away at finish my Brandon Leftover quilt top. And we got it done tonight!

I did all the sewing and Linda did the pressing. It goes so much faster with someone to press!

I just love seeing this all done!

And look at these corners! These make me pretty happy!

And with that, I’m starting to think about my next project. I had a bit of a change of mind today. I was thinking about making another Interweave quilt, but decided to make a version of this quilt at Boersma’s sewing center in McMinnville, OR, and I bought the pattern a few months ago.

As soon as I saw this in the store the ideas started flowing! More as I get a better idea of how I’m going to do this. I’m getting excited about starting a new project.

On the way back home from McMinnville yesterday we ran across the most gorgeous huge field of crimson Clover.

I try to make a point every spring of getting out into a field of crimson clover. You should have heard the bees!

I’m so glad we saw this field and that it was easy to get to.

And finally, the roses are blooming! All of a sudden, they’re everywhere!

It feels good to be home.

111 Replies to “Phew! I’m Back After a Hectic Couple Weeks”

  9. Congratulations on your award! I really like the Brandon quilt. Turned out great. Your photos of your boys and the sceneries are so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. Congratulations on your award! It is wonderful to be recognized for your work! I admire that you have a full time job, are a full time dog mom and trainer and do all that quilting! Amazing woman you are.Nan Tonkin

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  13. Congratulations Anne on your award! I am making blue swirly quilt too. Wish I had access to some quilt stores I could get to so I could pick some different fabrics but hoping it will be pleasing anyway.

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  15. Congratulations on your honor with the PBS network. I love PBS and watch so many programs on it!! That had to be quite thrilling for you to receive… And I love your quilts and what you do with different patterns, you have a real talent for it..I can’t wait to start making a quilt with the Kaffee or Aboriginal fabric’s, the more I see them, they more I like them! Keep up the good works at everything you do..

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  16. I’ve followed your posts for some time. Congratulations on your award, obviously well deserved! I was drawn to you by the Kaffe and Brandon fabrics. I worked at a shop in Idaho, and we sold a lot of their fabrics so we were able to get them to come teach. I set up the venue for them. They are both very gracious people. Brandon is the organizer and is a fun person. I love your quilts and your pups!

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  18. Congratulations on your award! It is so good to see people recognized for their contribution and commitment to public broadcasting. We are great fans of PBS and Public Radio. In Alberta, our public radio station, CKUA is fighting to survive. They are over half way to their three million dollar goal that is needed by September.

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  19. Congratulations Anne on your well deserved award. We love to watch anything that is on PBS! Thanks for all your hard work in keeping this station alive. You are an amazing, talented lady .

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  21. So glad to have you back. I forgot about your Vegas trip and had all sorts of travails keeping you from posting. PHEW…. Not only ok but an award winner . Hearty congrats

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  24. Wow, Anne, you’re a superstar! Congratulations on a job, that’s bound to be rewarding, yet challenging at the same time. I have supported our local station (Detroit area) many years, and I will do it again in honor of your award.

    I have been away from your posts, the last month as I took a week long spinning (wheel) course at the John C Campbell Folk School. It is a fabulous place, in the Appalachian mountains, where instructors come to teach 5 and 6 day courses. It’s a very relaxed setting, and only 8-12 students to each course, so it’s very hands on. The results are spectacular. You would probably be a welcome addition to their future offerings. (No openings until 2025)

    I have started sewing on 2 different quilts, this weekend. Can you share the name of your longarm quilter? If not, can you think about writing (at your convenience, of course) on a subject…something like knowledge about, and general information on choosing Longarm quilters?

    Thank you and congratulations again,

    Capi

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  27. Congratulations!! That is such an honor. I am not surprised at the wonderful complements about you. I have followed you for over a year, and enjoyed all your posts. We used to live in Corvallis, OR, and you bring back many happy memories of the beaches, Berries, and beautiful flowers in the Pacific Northwest, not to mention the sewing and quilts. Thanks for sharing.

    Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

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  28. Anne, congratulations on your reward. Have been missing your blogs, the dogs, the new quilts, and your creative ideas. You are a whirlwind of creative ideas and get them completed almost immediately. I think you must be that way also in your career. Congrats for your career and your other life.

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  29. Wow!Wow!Wow! So happy for you. So proud to be “sustainor”. The future of public radio is lookin goood! Love the Jonah quilt. Am hoping to make one for our bed. Will be interested in watching yours develop.

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  30. Congratulations on your award – it was obviously well deserved!

    I used to live in Vancouver, BC, where we were lucky enough to get PBS from over the border, which we used to watch a lot, especially the great educational kids programs with no adverts when my daughter was little. We used to support the fundraising drives when we could afford it, and I still have a wonderful wind up torch, although most of the other items (bags, books etc) had to go when I returned to the the UK nearly 10 years ago.

    I think PBS is a great institution which provides wonderful programming without ads and for free – the nearest we have in the UK is the BBC, which is ad free, but to watch it (even streamed after the programme airs) you have to have a licence, which costs £215 per year, so the poorest people can’t afford it. Apparently the largest number of women in prison in this country are there for watching TV without a licence – mostly single mums on benefits!

    So I hope your audience really appreciates the service you offer and continues to support you into the future.

    Rachel

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      1. Well, technically you don’t get sent to prison for not having a licence, you would be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000 and then if you don’t pay the fine, you can be imprisoned. In terms of total numbers, Between 1995 and 2018, a total of 1,449 men and 754 women were jailed for this, but women make up only 4% of the prison population. In 2021, this offence made up 18% of prosecutions of women, which is no longer the highest (which is shoplifting at 21%).

        They stopped in person visits to homes without TV licences during lockdown, and so there hasn’t been anyone jailed since, and the government have considered changing this but haven’t.

        It’s also worth saying that you need a TV licence to watch ANY broadcast TV live, but the channels other than the BBC have online ‘catch up’ services where you can watch their shows as soon as the live broadcast is finished, but you can’t watch the BBC’s equivalent (BBC iPlayer) at all without a licence.

        Long answer but as you asked…

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  31. Congratulations Anne, you are a go getter in all that you do !! Amazing for sure. I always look forward to your blogs and the anticipation of your next awesome projects, tips and ideas. The fields of crimson clover are stunning, thanks for sharing , its always fun to see whats blooming in your part of the country, as Maine’s blooms are a little later ! Niki

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  32. Congratulations on your wonderful, well deserved award! So happy for you. Did you tell them in your speech you are also an awesome, over the top quilter? So happy for you!

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  35. Congratulations on your award! Public television and radio are so important! Now your pictures are making me miss OR – it’s already too hot down here in TX. Maybe I will schedule an impromptu trip to see my family this summer!

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  38. Congratulations on your award. It certainly doesn’t come as any surprise to those of us who follow you. You show the same qualities in your pursuit of outstanding quilt designs, your attention to detail and your creativity. It’s nice your friend was able to come watch the dogs and then help you finish the Brandon leftovers quilt.

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  41. How exciting that you won this amazing award! Congratulations are certainly in order. Not that I am surprised. I always figured if you did your job with half the gusto and your whole self like you seem to do everything else, you would be an absolute star. Oregon Public Broadcasting is wonderful–our son lives in Battle Ground and we’ve watched a lot when we’re visiting! And I have never seen gorgeous clover like that–absolutely beautiful! And the roses! Thanks for sharing!

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  46. Many congratulations on your award, how wonderful is that? No doubt very well deserved. I love it when women get honoured for things, we’re so rarely noticed for our achievements so it’s especially good when it happens.

    Enjoy your weekend

    Lindy x

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  47. Ann – congratulations on your award! What a wonderful recognition of the dedication and creativity you’ve so obviously brought to your career in public service. You live a creative life both in your career and in your quilting and I’m quite sure it permeates your life as a whole! Bask in the glow; you deserve it. Leslie 🙂

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  50. Wow and Congratulations!! I’m sure it feels wonderful to be honored by your peers.

    I recently finished up a friend’s Kaffe Twister quilt for her. Unfortunately, she had a couple of strokes and can no longer sew. That is my next quilt! Then one inspired by all the beautiful quilts you been making. As always, thank you for being you and sharing so much of you with us.

    ~ Tammy Anderson

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