Amanda Cabot's Blog, page 5

Wednesday in Wyoming - February 12, 2025

 

As is always the case, this year's Glass art show at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens featured a number of intriguing pieces. I thought the octopus was whimsical, but what I found even more interesting was the title of the other piece. 

Why do you think the artist called it "Wyoming Weather"?

Wednesday in Wyoming - February 5, 2025

 

February is the month of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens' annual Glass Art Show, something I look forward to every year. Most years, I simply admire the pieces, but one year -- 2009 to be specific -- I found inspiration in one of them.

I was writing the Texas Dreams series when my editor told me that the title I'd chosen for the third book, Winter Garden, wouldn't work for them. It seems that readers choose books with "winter" in their titles only during that season. 

I mulled over ideas for a diffe...

Cover Reveal -- Echoes of Sunrise

It's a new year, and for me it's an especially exciting one, because not only do I have a new book releasing next month, but it's also the start of a whole new series. The Sisters of the Heart trilogy features three women who spent a year together studying in Europe, and while they did that, they developed a friendship closer than many sisters share. That's why they call each other their sisters of the heart.

The first book, Echoes of Sunrise, is the story of Sophia Carr, whose return to her home...

Wednesday in Wyoming - January 29, 2025

 

What is this? It's a fully beaded Lakota horse mask created around the turn of the last century.

I had never seen anything like it and was fascinated by the fact that so few (less than fifty) historical horse masks are still in existence. I also hadn't realized that they were used for both battle and ceremonial reasons. This, as you might guess from the flags on it, was designed as a parade mask.

Wouldn't it have been fun to see a horse wearing this as he marched in an Independence Day parade?

Wednesday in Wyoming - January 22, 2025

 

Even though it's not technically a quilt, the Wyoming State Museum included this piece of fabric art as part of the quilt exhibit. 

Entitled "Don't Forget Your Mask," it's a reminder of what life was like five years ago. 

Did you notice that the artist used buttons to represent eyes above the masks? I thought that was clever.

Wednesday in Wyoming - January 15, 2025

 

In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Wyoming State Museum has several areas devoted to special exhibits. 

As you can tell, this one was devoted to quilts. I'm not a quilter, but I enjoyed seeing the way quilt patterns changed over the decades. 

This crazy quilt struck me as a good way to use up fabric remnants. Now all I need is time ...

Wednesday in Wyoming - January 8, 2025

 

Among the many exhibits in the Wyoming State Museum are several devoted to the state's prehistoric animals. If you're interested in dinosaurs, this is the state to visit.

Wednesday in Wyoming - January 1, 2025

 

Happy New Year!

This looks almost real, doesn't it? Of course, if it were real, I doubt the prairie dogs would be out of their burrows, and the jackrabbit would probably be running as fast as it could to escape the predatory coyote. 

As you probably guessed, this is a diorama. It's also one of the first exhibits visitors to the Wyoming State Museum encounter. I've seen it dozens of times, but I always stop to admire it when I go to the museum, because I love the way it introduces visitors to the ...

Wednesday in Wyoming - December 25, 2024

 

Merry Christmas!

I hope you've been enjoying this month's pictures of nativity scenes. I've enjoyed sharing them with you.

I saved this for last for two reasons. First of all, it's the largest. Joseph is three feet tall. Most of the nativity scenes I've seen are much smaller than that. Secondly, although most of us display our nativity scenes for only a short time each year, Sheri keeps this one on display next to a second floor window in her house all year round, reminding her and visitors that ...

The Christmas To Forget

 “I’m really looking forward toseeing Maggie again,” I told my husband as I settled into the passenger’s seatfor the long drive from New Jersey to South Carolina. Work had been hectic thatyear, and we were both excited about the prospect of having a relaxingChristmas weekend with our friend at a seaside bed and breakfast in SouthCarolina.

 

“I’m looking forward to thebreakfast pie,” he said.

 

We both laughed, remembering howdelicious all the food was at this B&B. That was one of the reas...