Goodness me – how this season has just flown by. Spring will soon be here, and I know many of you are thinking of going back to your summer homes. The phones have been busy asking about next season, especially for the Houston Quilt Festival. And yes, we already have about one third of the bus full. Departure is scheduled for October 30 with return on November 2, 2024.

Sorry, I cannot give you a definite price right now, as I am still waiting on another bid from a hotel in Houston. All I can do is estimate that it may run somewhere around $550 per person in double occupancy. A triple will be a little less, and a single is always much more as you are paying the entire cost of the room. The tour will be made by charter motor coach and that price and reservation I already have. I just need the hotel contract.

I am delighted that a quilt aficionada has agreed to be your guide. I am not a quilter, but I very much appreciate all the beautiful quilts that my mother and grandmother gave to me. My memories go back to the time when the quilting frame was raised to the ceiling when not in use to be lowered again when the ladies met to quilt and socialize. I am quite sure that the ladies of the small farming community where I grew up were all judged by how small and delicate their stitches were just as the men were judged by how straight the rows were in the fields they plowed.

If you are interested in attending the show, I urge you to get your name on our list before you leave the Valley. No money down at this time. Just as soon as we have a definite price, we will call you and you can make the final decision and put down a deposit to hold your seat. The balance will be due a little over thirty days prior to departure.

The tour includes entrance to the Preview Night, which is important as you get an overall view of how booths are set up and where they are located. Those of you who wish to take classes will need to be sure to let the registrar know that you are on a Go With Jo Tour. Generally, there is a discount since your entry to the show is paid when I register. If you decide to take classes, we will be shuttling you round trip some three times a day according to the classes for which you register. The festival is held at the Convention Center which is jammed with award winning quilts on display as well as all kinds of machines and fabrics.

Another trip that is already being planned is the ever popular one to San Miguel de Allende scheduled to depart on July 2. San Miguel, Mexico, located in the lovely state of Guanajuato really comes alive for those Americans who have retired there. There is a daytime parade on July 4 and a tremendous fireworks show that night. You will ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ at all the festivities.

I am sure that many of you would like the old time favorite of the Hill Country or a tour to San Antonio. Just let me know your wishes. Now is the time when I need to be planning for the next season.

In the meantime, have a beautiful summer wherever you may be and come back again next season. We will miss you while you are gone.