Wrap up…

I’m home.  In an excessive use of Facebook today I’ve been trying to post things that should have gone out all month long, on top of my 37th wedding anniversary (which is today) on top of my children wrapping up their lives in their current locations (not here at the house obviously) and I feel like I’ve spent more time on social media than anything else.  Happy Anniversary to my husband who is still in Sweden as I write…

Reentry is always entertaining if not challenging.  A tripped circuit breaker left me without my car momentarily since I couldn’t get it out of the garage, which I would have manually overridden eventually, but instead chose to zip over to the kennel to pick up my dogs who had been boarded for a month, using my husband’s car.  Which proceeded to have a flat tire as I was leaving the kennel.  The usual stuff.  But the weather was too glorious, and I was too grateful to be home to let any of that silly stuff bother me.  I said on Facebook that I’m a Jersey girl, we don’t pump our own gas (by law) and I don’t change tires especially in a dirt parking lot with a hand knit/hand spun alpaca sweater on, I do have my priorities.  I patiently waited for AAA, and did not in the least take it personally when I knew he was thinking what a stupid blonde I was… 🙂  I tipped him well.

The trip ended on a high note.  The last two venues were workshops that involved a lot of information and no actual hands on finished garment.  I love doing this type of workshop, so much information without the pressure of getting students to finish an actual garment.  Seattle Weavers had the two day version, and Greater Vancouver Weavers had the three day.

The venue for Seattle was lovely, once we found out that the third floor location did indeed have an elevator. (There was a lot of moaning on my part looking at three flights of stairs and all my 150 pounds of luggage especially after being told we’d have to pack up each night.) The coordinators did a splendid job of finding the elevator and arranging to be able to leave sewing machines and all my luggage tucked neatly away for the evening venue unrelated to us.

SeattleWorkshop1SeattleWorkshop2

I gave two lectures to the very large and wonderfully organized Seattle Weavers Guild and when the lecture coordinator Jane asked what I’d like for lunch and offered sushi, I actually thought she was kidding.  Seattle wins.  No one ever provided me with sushi for lunch.

SeattleSushi

There was a group of former students at the Seattle Guild meeting who all wore garments made in previous classes.

SeattleReunion

And of course, my three lovely ladies who came to the Olympia and Skagit workshops and met up at Seattle with their finished garments.

OlympiaGarments

I was whisked away from the guild meeting as soon as we could cram everything into my suitcases, and we set out for the trip north to Bellingham, where I was met by a member of the Greater Vancouver guild, and taken across the border into Canada.  Border crossings can always be chancy, but I breezed through, the customs agent was kind and efficient, and I settled into yet another bedroom and had to learn yet another kitchen, and bathroom.  I loved that on the back of the toilet was a copy of the latest New Yorker.  In Canada.  🙂

The Canadians are of course amazing people.  Often more well versed in politics of the US than most residents of the US, it was a pleasure to discuss how each country handles difficult issues and how each city cares for its citizens.  I’m always curious about real estate, and taxes and home prices, especially since I come from NJ where we have the highest property taxes of all the 50 states.  Sigh…

I had my first taste of a Nanaimo Bar.  It is a three layered confection specific to Canada, which I found in the bakery section of the local grocery store.  Even grocery stores across the country both US and Canada entertain me, the way they are laid out, foods that are commonplace, and the way they are marketed.  (I can’t get three buck Chuck in my local Trader Joe’s, liquor laws). Unlike my own grocery store where you have to navigate the bakery section as soon as you walk in to get to the produce section, in the Vancouver Savon, the bakery section was tucked back at the end of the store.  Says a lot about US priorities… 🙂

NanaimoBars

And the Vancouver group was of course nothing less than this side of awesome.  They worked hard, took lots of photos of my work and my story boards, and the details of my clothing and they made lots of cool samples too.  The space was light and airy and beautiful.  When a workshop is over, it is always lovely to hear someone tell me that it’s the best workshop they’ve ever taken, but what makes me even more thrilled, is when someone says, “I’m so excited to start sewing again.”  I know I’ve done my job.

Vancouver1Vancouver2

And so it is with huge huge gratitude that I end my wonderful west coast adventure.  None of this would have been possible without the group of coordinators and hostesses and drivers that made my connections flawless and my job easy.  There is not enough room in this blog to say how grateful I am to each and everyone of you, especially the one who found out a couple days before the workshop they had lost their venue, and had to scramble to find a new location.  Especially the drivers who always had to navigate rush hour to get me from one venue to another in time to start a new workshop at a new location in the morning.  Everyone did their job, and the participants were fantastic and lovely to work with.  Thanks to all for allowing my privacy in the evening to rest my voice, who fed me well, who made sure I wanted for nothing.  It takes a village and in this case, it took two states and Canada. 🙂

I returned unceremoniously at 2am Tuesday morning, to find that the world had imploded on itself, grief in Nepal, and grief in Baltimore.  I’m doing my best to catch up quickly.  I have about 150 starred emails I have to address, thanks all for your patience.  I had all the bills to pay, after all, I’ve been gone a month, not to mention orders to fill, banking to address, financial forms to fill out, conference proposals to send out, a webinar and marketing plan to submit, and pages of things to do, before we head north to Massachusetts for Brianna’s college graduation next Thursday, followed by my son’s return from a 10 month deployment in the middle east.  There are all kinds of wonderful things happening to me this month (including my 60th birthday), and I can’t help but feel a bit guilty that there are parts of the world that are suffering so much grief.  I end the month of April on my knees in Thanksgiving.  It was quite the ride!

Stay tuned…

 

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Susan
Susan
April 29, 2015 9:23 pm

You leave me breathless!!! and yes, we have a lot to be thankful for. Glad you survived that ride of yours 🙂

Joan Anderson
Joan Anderson
April 29, 2015 9:59 pm

Take a deep breath and move on! I learned so much in the inkle loom class at Asilomar. You are such a good teacher it all made sense.

Angi
Angi
April 29, 2015 10:28 pm

Happy Anniversary! Glad you’re home safely!

Judy
Judy
April 29, 2015 11:35 pm

Brianna graduating already! Time flies for this first step. Lucky west coasters to have you as an instructor.

Yvonne
Yvonne
April 30, 2015 10:09 am

Thank you so very much for coming out! The workshop I attended (Skagit) was beyond wonderful, full of inspiration & great techniques, and I again made friends with my sewing machine! Hope you’ll get back someday. You’re a great teacher.

Elizabeth E
Elizabeth E
April 30, 2015 10:32 am

And every word you write is a revelation, too. Your casual comment about “reentry” – how I remember having car trouble and pulling to the side of the road on 287 headed home from the airport, cursing the weevils who pop up just when coming home seemed so sweet! Nice to know, they aren’t all my fault!

Joan Ahern
Joan Ahern
April 30, 2015 11:36 pm

Wow! I can’t believe Brianna is graduating, and your son is coming home. Boy does time fly! Happy Anniversary, now relax, hope to see you at the guild meeting.

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