Retreat!

Drive to the retreat center

I was so excited.  It has been a few months since I have been to a retreat and I am so ready.  New year, new machine, new outlook and new projects to work on.  I am stoked.

deer out the back door by the lake

I spent all afternoon worrying about the weather and plotting the route I would take.  I was heading to the frozen north.  To the far reaches of the Louisiana pine forests.  I planned which quilts I had that were the warmest ones, although weather gurus said it would be towards 70 degrees by Saturday.  I was still thinking cold.  I washed all my fleece doggy pjs and stuffed them into my duffels.

Fall 2011

I combed through the fabrics all week and planned projects.  I get so much done at a retreat.  Non-stop sewing, cutting and piecing.  The weather alerts and freezing rain kept me inside until this afternoon when I hit the grocery store and bakery and breathed in luscious goodies and beautiful baked goods.  I stopped at the bakery and ordered a birthday cake for Paula, her day is Sunday.  Chocolate on chocolate with chocolate roses.  All ready for the ride north.

Alice needed more light so
she appropriated a lamp

The SUV is packed to the gills with warm things, sweet things and fabric things.  I was just settling down to take my bath, shave my legs and condition my hair for the weekend, when the phone rang.

Spring 2010

I figured it was Cynthia telling me when she was heading out, or Paula telling me when she was hitting the road, or maybe even Caroline telling me when she would motor off.

It was Cynthia, but with a more ominous declaration.

Seems the pipes burst last night at the retreat center and they didn't know that until they went  in today to set up for us. Cynthia had spoken with them yesterday and relayed to everyone that the electricity was on, the place was warm and waiting for us.  But the water gushed all night and all morning ruining the hall, room, main room making the place uninhabitable for us.

I was stunned.  I am sure everyone else was as well.  Cynthia said she had made chili for 20 of us and had a LOT of chili.  Hope she has a place in her freezer for it!

Cynthia

I am bummed.  No retreat and I have to do all this unpacking.  And it is a good thing too, because I realized at that time I had packed no socks!

At least we can eat all the food I made to leave for Frank for the weekend!  I don't have to cook for a week!  And since I cancelled all my duties, I can sew in my lonely room, all by myself and eat all the fudge and cookies I bought to make everyone else fat.