Tuesday, October 28, 2008

2008 Fall Quilting Retreat

We really made lemonade out of lemons this year. Less than 48 hours before we were to arrive at the top of Beech Mountain and pick up our keys to the cabin, my phone rang. It was the real estate agent telling me that our cabin was not going to be available after all. The kitchen was being remodeled (we knew that in April) and would not be ready (after 6 months!!!) for us to occupy. AND he had no other cabins that large, so he was offering us a smaller cabin.

After a short time of deliberation, gnashing of teeth and pulling out hair, we decided we really had no other choice but to accept his offer and agreed to meet him at 9 a.m. as we had originally planned.

Elizabeth agreed to ride up the mountain with me, so we left her house about 6:30 on Saturday morning, 10/4, and had a pleasant and uneventful trip. The real estate agent met us and immediately put us in his car and drove us around Beech Mountain, the town, and showed us the recreation sites. He was most pleasant and accommodating. We finally agreed on the cabin he offered, thinking we could "make do" (isn't that what quilters are known for?) and "get by" with the limited space. He even offered to help us unload our cars and carry gear up all the stairs into the cabin! He brought us additional chairs from the fire station when we needed them and sent the plumbers when we developed a leaky shower.

We crammed 11 quilters (Carla, Eve, Sandy, Robbin, Nancy, Sandy, Ellen, Ronni, Sandy, Elizabeth, and me--all women, thankfully) into a cabin meant to sleep only 8, complete with tables, sewing machines, and ironing space. We cooked meals every day, sewed every day, stayed in our pajamas as much as possible, and had loads of fun. We read daily scripture selections, prayed together before meals, and shared intimate details about our lives. I can't imagine enjoying a week more than that one. The leaves changed as we watched them during the week, creating a palette of color that rivaled technicolor!

The hot tub was an unexpected pleasure for most of us, one that we requested for next year.

We played games, worked a jigsaw puzzle, made a couple of prayer quilts, worked on our own projects, and learned a few new things, too. We made time for knitting and playing with polymer clay, as well as learning new techniques for traditional patterns. We had one night scheduled just for "show and tell" to show off all our work from the week. The food was excellent and plentiful, the fellowship was friendly and meaningful, and the mountain was majestic. And even though my car wouldn't start when we were loaded up and ready to leave (and I had to buy a new battery on the way home), I am already looking forward to next year!