A day well spent

Yesterday I had a great day with some of my girlbuddies! (or as my husband calls the the quilting crones!) Either way a great group of women who have learned many of life's lessons and still enjoy this world.

We took a drive a ways down the road to a small town called Paoli, Wisconsin. This town is literally an intersection, but is home to some of the finest art around the area.

We started at  the Artisan Gallery. I was astounded at the work of Leah Evans - a fiber artist with impeccable workmanship and beautiful design interpretations of topographical maps.

The gallery was filled with beautifully crafted ceramics, paintings, jewelry, and photography. Most of the artists were local artists.

From there - being Wisconsin and all - we had to stop at the Paoli Cheese house. a very small and filled to the brim store. Here we purchased some smoked stick cheese and sampled chocolate cheese to give us the energy to continue!

Next on our list was the Zazen Gallery. The owner was there and we had a great talk about his art and process. Wood furniture that defies description, so make sure you take a look!

After a few more stops and shops, we headed back to the Artisan Gallery to have lunch in the cafe. The food was good, but it was even better because as we ate we were seated under my friend, Chris Gargan's, landscapes of the area. Chris and I have been friends since high school, and his art just keeps getting better and better... he is truly one of the most dedicated artists and teachers I know.

It was a great day, good friends, good art, the season's first snow! Evidently a Minneapolis travel writer recently had a similar day - here is his article.