Zaney’s Coffee House in Hailey, Idaho is one of the many places my husband and I visit for a great cup of espresso. Sue Martin is the owner and we have come to know and respect her very much. You have probably seen Zaney’s on the news in the last few months because a lot of the interviews surrounding Beau Bergdhal’s friends and family were done at Zaney’s. Beau’s family used this coffee house as a sort of hub to get the word out about Beau’s capture and hopeful release. During the time of his release we would stop in every couple of weeks to get coffee and see how owner Sue Martin was holding up. The idea for this art quilt was born when sitting at the counter sipping our coffee and watching her customers stream in and out. After our visit I quickly sketched out the design for this quilt on the back of an envelope. You can see the extent of my limited drawing skills. When we returned for our next visit I brought my camera and took pictures of the building and sign for future reference. I took several shots that day and the Zaney’s Project art quilt was born. I started with the building and sign and literally built the rest of the art quilt around that. The mountains represent the Sawtooth Mountains which surround the town of Hailey. All longtime residents know these mountains inside and out because of their uniqueness, great beauty and recreational opportunities. They are the background for living there. The river in this picture is called the “Big Wood River” and it winds through the wood river valley. It is the main water source for this diverse agricultural area. I actually lived in this area for 35 years, raising my five children and then three of my grandchildren. We spent many hours camping in those mountains and fishing at the river. I am always in awe at the stunning beauty of this place. So while painting the many elements of this art quilt it was like going home for me. A little background about Zaney’s coffee shop and Sue Martin. Zaney’s was started by Sue’s son Zane who later died in a motorcycle accident and Sue continued on their good coffee tradition. I love going there because it has the feel of what this area was all about years ago when I first moved to Idaho. That small town community feeling. Beau Bergdhal was one of her employees before he joined the military and she stepped up and allowed her business to be a point of contact to help him return home. By the way Sue didn’t know I was making her a zaney’s art quilt and on the day that we presented the quilt she was very surprised and moved. It was worth all the effort spent on this art project. Hopefully you will get a sense of the specialness of this place and I would love to here your thoughts about it. Maybe you have a similar story to tell about someone who has made an impression in your life. Karen