I'm BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

Me and "Mom n Jr" 2000 Millenium Bears I picked up in Red Deer for $5.60 - what a DEAL!!! Yep I'm back home finally! Now to catch up on all and get back to the grind!

Oh MY, where do I start? We arrived in Winnipeg about 9:00 pm Thursday evening, picked up my computer and unpacked the van about 10:30 pm. We were covered with mosquito spray plus grungy from travelling since early morning. Well Sylvia left about 2:30 on Friday for home (northwest Ontario)! She got home about 10:00 pm. Gosh I feel for her but at least she said she slept like a log the night before - don't know why I didn't!!! Guess I was just so excited to be home and still so wound up that I was not ready to sleep! And we've a severe thunderstorm watches for southern Manitoba and Winnipeg with potential for huge hail the past two days - YIKES! Then I hear we've had tornadoes touch down a few places with major damage but no fatalities than goodness. I know that she was mighty glad to have me along to do most of the driving but on the way back I did switch off more so - we did about 3400 kms in total! UGH!!! Here's Sylvia peering into her overly stuffed van - don't know where I thought I'd pick up two more quilters on route! DUH ME!!!

On our way we stopped in Morse SK visiting with Alexandra at Dale Anne's (who was staying with family while checking on DH in intensive care that week - finally scary infection stalled some and now home). I had gotten so mosquito bitten resulting in an allergic reaction that I was on my Benadryl tablets and leaving me a might groggy while at the retreat. Then my friend gave me her Benedryl spray for allergic itching and BOY is that stuff awesome - like instant freezing and relief for hours - thank heavens!!! Good thing we're not driving anywhere!

Oh then we stopped at Medicine Hat AB and I got pics of Kerry and Heather with Angel Hugz for Kerry on Thursday and she says HI to all and is doing good and looks darn good in her new wig but I just can't get used to her in straight hair (chuckling)! I'm hoping we didn't tire her out too much with the lengthy visit, hopefully Kerry relaxed the nextday! Loved the catch up with both of them.

Anyways, I can now be as proud as others who brought various family members to the Western Retreat at Sylvan Lake, Alberta with them (three sisters meet annually at the Gimli retreat here in Manitoba for a family get together and I always thought that was awesome) and was very glad that Sylvia would like to return maybe for 2009 with me again. She's even talking about maybe something out east or into the States together! WOW! Yes we both enjoyed our jaunts but I feel kinda down that I forgot my promise to stop again at the quilt shop in north Regina on our way back (she loved that one the best) and Sylvia forgot it was there and here we stopped at Moosomin instead - SHOOT ME or like Linda M says BITE ME!!!

Oh well she thinks that when they both go west again to visit in Red Deer and maybe into BC she might convince Len to drive into Regina to that one shop at least - it's close and she felt easy to find and I gave her all my computer printed maps just in case too. LOL! BUT we did stop at Heather's Quilting Palette in Moose Jaw and picked up some of her painted Northern Lights fabric and other such awesome stuff and could have done more damage than we did. She even let us sneak a couple of pics and chatted as to her techniques to try out too - that was so special as many are very guarded with their designs/techniques used.

My 3" blocks mystery sampler top only

My Celtic table runner with drafted quilted images

AND this year I just about finished my 3" blocks mystery quilt (have the top all completed) and am set to do the quilting on my Celtic table runner class project - that is major accomplishment for me!!! Sylvia did finish stitching together her 12" blocks mystery quilt and LOVES it and now has another family gift put together! The both of us picked up LOTSA fabrics on this trip and also books/magazines too - and here I said I was not going to this year! Yeah RIGHT!!!

Sylvia's 12 inch block mystery sampler top only

I can truly say I loved the food, especially the the salmon but realize that could be an iffy item for a group function. The desserts were awesome but even for me a might to sweet. And everyone outdid themselves with the goodie tables but I restricted myself this year as the meals were bountiful on their own as par for other retreats I've been to there too (even if different staff). AND well what can you say about meeting/chatting with friends again and seeing such awesome works etc. The inspiration gleened from each other is priceless and so precious too! Thank you and I truly look forward to another year of anticipation and fun. Someday I can maybe pull off an extended travel like Alexandra and heck maybe forge into BC???

OHHHH I forgots to tell you about my "fright"! Nope not the incident of going through that red light - thank GOD he was watching out for me and it was a very very very quiet intersection or it could have been dreadful! No, this was about leaving Dale Anne's on the way to retreat and packing away my "special" fabric scissors, yep so well that I didn't find them until I got home and totally unpacked - yep nice and safe in the very bottom pocket - not the usual place at all.

ALSO, the worst was at 5:45 am I was going to transfer my car from the night spot onto the road (rented out during the day) and reaching for my drivers licence just in case and OH OH it's not in my wallet!!! So I just went out and moved the car and came back into to go to sleep, nope couldn't so unpacked my suitcase hoping it was in my pants pocket from when we went for a walk in Red Deer (always take ID with me) - NOPE not there and I was not about to go into the living room rooting with Sylvia sleeping - so crawled into bed and zonked out for 3 hours - finally considering I hadn't slept that whole night for some stupid reason!

So when I got up I told Sylvia and naturally she was worried for me but then suggested maybe I had put it in with the camera when we went for the walk and I said I thought so too and promtly searched for the camera bag. THANK GOODNESS it was in there - PHEW!!! Why oh why do I do this to myself????

Okay, I think I've uploaded my pics, read my emails, sent my emails and now the BLOG, so it’s time for my book, feets up and a marguarita to wait out these ongoing storms - not including Tuesday! Take care and happy stitching!