Well, back to NC Quilt Symposium....

Once we got through the ATV trail and discovered the very nice real road that led to the house, everything went smoothly.  I owe my very generous friends for allowing us to stay in their wonderful home for the weekend.  It was a wonderful place - quiet and peaceful - sitting in the woods on top of a mountain.  I REALLY didn't want to leave.

Laura and I are both on the NC Quilt Symposium Board of Directors so we had a few meetings to go to once we check in on campus.  I had a few extra meetings because I'm the incoming President...I know...who's big idea was that?

First thing, I had a big surprise.  I had entered my Southern Album in the quilt show and got a first place ribbon!  I was stunned.  Best of all was I got one of their beautiful handmade ribbons.

There are so many great things about Symposium but one of the greatest is seeing quilting friends from all over and meeting new friends.  I always come back inspired and recharged.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

BA Status

If you get the chance to go, even for the day, go.  NC Quilt Symposium is always great fun.  The hosting guilds outdo themselves every year and this year was no exception.  I enjoyed every minute...once I got there.

I learned a valuable lesson.  My GPS does not know the difference between a 4-lane highway and a goat path.  It's kinda funny now but at the time, it was gut-wrenching.  Here's what happened...

A couple of wonderful friends offered to let Laura and me stay at their mountain house during Symposium.  It was 10 minutes away from campus instead of 30 minutes away like the hotel...not to mention that it saved us both about $450.  They gave me a key and directions to the house and said to make ourselves at home.  So, we headed up towards Cullowhee and, trusting soul that I am, I just followed my GPS.  We were almost to Sylva when it told me to turn left...so I did.

It was okay for a while...a little winding but typical mountain road.  My GPS said we were only 5 miles from the house.  Then there was a sign that said pavement ends...

it was okay for the first mile but then the road kept getting narrower.

At about 4 miles from the house, I thought...hmmm...I should turn around....but I couldn't.  Too narrow and muddy...so we kept on going...though streams, over rocks, through mud puddles bigger than my SUV...and I drive a BIG SUV.  (Laura calls it The BAL for Big Ass Lexus.)  The road kinda looked like this...

...but worse.  It wasn't nearly that wide and the puddles went all the way across.  At one point we had to stop and get out to evaluate how to jump a rock that offered an 18" drop in the middle of the path.  I swear my car walked over it like one of those cartoon cars that tip-toe...one wheel at a time.

Thank goodness Laura was with me because she stayed calm and kept saying "only a mile to go", "only a half mile to go", "you're doing great".  When we got to the "only a mile to go", I figured if we got stuck, we could walk from there so I started to breathe again.  At little less than a half mile, we started to see light at the end of the tunnel (yeah, there was a thick canopy over us so it was a little dark in there).  The light ended up being someone's yard.  So, here we come out of the woods into this guy's yard.  He was standing on his porch talking on the phone so we just waved like we do this kind of thing every day.

I've never been so glad to see a gravel road in my life.  It took me about a day to calm down though.  My forearms ached for about a day from gripping the stirring wheel. I got "bad ass" status from Laura which is quite the complement coming from her.  (She knows "bad ass" and doesn't hand those out lightly.) 

But here's the thing...the BAL is 8 years old and has over 160,000 miles on it and it took on that ATV trail without ever going into 4-wheel drive.  

The BAL should have it's own Lexus commercial.

I'm not driving though...

Where Does the Time Go?

It flies when you're having fun.  That's where it goes.

Since my last post...

1. Judged the Gate City Quilt Guild Quilter Show in Greensboro with Lorraine Covington.  I love judging with her for so many reasons.
2.  Helped Sew Original set up the smallest vendor booth ever.  We can pack a lot of great stuff in a small space that's for sure!

3. Finished a T-shirt quilt (with Bonnie's and her longarm's help) for Jaynie and Dante.  It's on it's way to Cape Cod right now!

4. Went on a greenway hike with Leanne and Bonnie and discovered the God's Acre at Bethabara.  It sits on a hill, hidden in the woods - very peaceful and wonderful.  I do love to wander the graveyards.

5. Had a wonderful sew day with Leanne in the barn - a celebration of her last few days before her new job. I've been working on a king size chicken quilt for a friend in California and the barn was a perfect place to finish the top.  We also went to lunch at Sander's Ridge where another friend, Starr, is the chef.  Her pimento cheese will make you swoon.

6.  Had another sew day at Bonnie's to get the chicken quilt quilted.  We ended the day with pizza and a couple of movies for a binding fest.  Shelby took turns, snuggling up to the chicken quilt and to Bonnie's Florabunda.  She wouldn't tell us which was her favorite but...

7. Quiltkeemosabe and I took a class on doing cathedral windows by machine.  Sarah Chin of Blueprint Textiles taught the class based on her pattern.  It was great fun (even after I realized I was old enough to be Saras mother).

8.  Spent quite a bit of time as shih tsu furniture while doing hand applique.

 9. Met another quilting rock star - Tula Pink who was fascinating...not to mention I'm in love with all of her fabrics.  Here's Tula, me (and shelby) and Lee when Tula and Karen Gray dropped by Sew Original.  Later, Tula did a program at Graylyn where we got to see her new fabric lines and here her incredible story.

 10. Came home one day and met the neighborhood hawk up close and personal.  How creepy is it that he's looking right at me?

11.  Serviced a gazillion sewing machines.  Here's a hint...occasionally remove your stitch plate so you can get the lint out...before it become structural.

 12.  Celebrated Missy's birthday (won't say which one but it has a zero in it) with dinner at Fearrington House.  Her husband treated our bee to dinner then Cyndi and I (and Shelby) got to spend the night at Chez Missy.

Even though she said no presents, I couldn't resist...I found this kit in Pieceful Hearts Quilt Shop in Lisle, Illinois.  I added "Friendship is a sheltering tree" because it is...

13.  Laura and I went to NC Quilt Symposium in Cullowhee and I took a couple great classes:

Border solutions with Cindy Williams

Machine quilting with crazy threads with Carol Taylor

 There will be more on Symposium because that little adventure needs its own post.

14.  Been instigating with new friends and old friends - there will be sales opportunities in the near future - but more on that later too.

15.  Gave my machine maintenance program at the Heart of the Triad Quilt Guild which was great fun.

16.  Bought a new Bernina 580 and a serger...yes I have lost my pea-pickin' mind.

17. Celebrated my Dad's 70th birthday by sitting around the kitchen table with him, my mom, my brother, his wife, my husband and Shelby...telling stories on each other.  It was perfect.

18.  Been incredibly stressed out and overwhelmed.

19.  Lived life and dreamed big dreams.

20.  Thinking it's time for some of those big dreams to become something....stay tuned....

As  Mrs. G. says...life is good.