Checking In!

Hello from Georgia!

Can you guys stand a post without pictures? I keep thinking you need pictures to hold your interest on this page while I blather on, but pictures are not cooperating with my laptop. I can't get it to recognise my camera...so...lots of pictures are still stuck on the camera, and no way to upload them until I get home.

Auburn and Opelika AL were a TON of fun! I got there Tuesday for wednesday class, and a Thursday evening trunkshow. One of the best parts was meeting our own Sarah N! She looks just like her pictures and is as sweet as can be. She even gifted me with a grocery sack of scraps. OH BOY!

The star struck class went great. I just LOVE seeing everyone's fabric choices and how different the quilts all turn out to be. Just gorgeous!

Thursday I was treated to a morning coffee with one groups of quilters, then off to a quilting bee at the home of another quilter, out to lunch, a tour of Auburn University and down town historic Opelika and all the gorgeous victorian houses....out to dinner, and then the trunkshow. There was NOT a spare moment in there. Just GO GO GO GO! Oh, and I just thought of something..I can find a pic of Auburn University online and link it to fool you into thinking I took pics :c)

I was really touched by my visit to this guild. If you are on quiltvillechat@yahoogrouups.com you might remember that there was a gal named Cindy Wall who was really looking forward to this workshop. She'd just finished her "Old Tobacco Road" mystery with us, and she passed away suddenly. This was her guild. It had only been three weeks since her passing, and I have thought about her and thought about her since hearing the news on the list.

I stayed at Louise's house...and Louise was in with the group who was in charge of distributing Cindy's stash. Many many many kits for charity quilts were assembled from her stash. A letter from her mother was read to the guild on Thursday night about where all the quilts are destined to go to help those in need. This is the kind of gal that Cindy was, even when she is not here anymore, her kindness towards others is still being felt.

There were some notions being distributed at the little sewing bee I went to, the circle of Cindy's closest friends. I am the recipient of one of Cindy's quilting hoops. (I have a lump in my throat as I write this..) She even put her name on it in sharpie. I'll think of her every time I use it. She will be greatly missed, and even though I didn't know her in person, only through email, etc, I am touched by her life.

Cindy also had a Gammil Long arm machine. If anyone in the AL area is looking for a good machine (basic, no stitch regulator, but it can be added) at a wonderful price, please contact Louise. I have no information on this machine. I just know that Cindy did beautiful work on it, I got to pet her quilts up close and personal. If you are looking for a machine...this would be a good one. They need to find a buyer because Cindy's house needs to go on the market soon.

Friday morning I headed over her to Mansfield GA for the Dear Jane Southeast Sewing Retreat! I've been working on my Salinda Rupp blocks. OH man....I've only done like 5 blocks the whole time, I think these last rows have all the hardest ones! But this has been a wonderful reteat. For instance....I have wifi in my room, but the cell phones get no reception! *hehehe* BLISS! The food has been great, the company even greater.

Charlottte (Jason's Kim's Mother :cD ) is here with me and we have done a lot of catching up and laughing while we have stitched. She is working on her Dear Jane and her work is lovely.

Sadly,retreat ends today..about 2pm I am off to Cartersville GA for a Happy Scrappy Houses class on Monday, and a Tuesday Lecture and Trunkshow. Wednesday is the Virginia Bound workshop, and then THURSDAY I get to go home.....I can't wait. There is no place like home. No matter how much fun I am having, I just miss H O M E !!!