Audio entry

To awake to another blaring fire alarm ... at the same time was just UNBELIEVABLE!! 

My day started with breakfast with several people who are members of the Crochet Partners website; it was great getting to meet them!  We were identified with little blue granny squares with a pony bead.  (I hope this is a start of a new tradition!)  I tried to do an audio update of the CPers saying "Hi" but it didn't go through -- I don't know what's going on with AOL Audio.  I hope it shows up.

Then I was off to the class on Freeform Crochet Dolls with Noreen Crone-Findlay.  I went in with a preconceived idea of what I wanted my doll to look like ... I wanted something that reflected romance ... love, how I feel about my relationship with my dh ... but she threw in a monkey wrench into my plans ... she said to create the doll from the heart; to crochet from the heart.

And so I did.

And I was moved.  I felt an emotional connection to my work like I've never experienced before. 

We had to show our dolls at the end of the class.  Mine reflected the colors I've come to associate with New Hampshire ... greens, pinks, and blues.  But more importantly it consisted of two emotions I'm experiencing right now ... pain and jubilee ... pain from my back/jubliee of being at the conference.  And this is what my doll reflected.  It was a really moving experience for me and I'm not sure how to describe it.  I just know that I want to feel that connection again, and so I'll pursue it some more in the future. 

At lunch I got to sit with Mel (she lives in CT and loves freeform BIG Time!); Prudence Mapstone, and Noreen.  The lunch could have much been better -- but I was in heaven sitting with these lovely and talented ladies!

I had the afternoon off since Nancy Wiseman's class was canceled.  So I went to my room and vegged out a little bit while getting "iced".  I crocheted up a hat for the Chapter Challenge, and finished the item I was working on for the Exchange to take place at the Keynote Address -- a beautiful black, beaded, amulet bag!

Then I met with Karen Manthey, editor of Crochet Fantasy.  She said she liked my work and plans on contacting me to do some work for her in the future.

With my family's help, I turned in our Chapter Challenges -- the Mapquest board and the Hats.  I'm really happy with the end results we turned in.  Considering only 1/3 of our members participated, and that we just came off of a Charity drive, I think we did a terrific job!  The question is, how well did the other Chapters do, and do we have a snowball chance against the NYCCG?

At the Key Note Address, I got to sit with Margaret Hubert, Prudence Mapstone and members of the NYCCG (of which I am also a member of).  The theme was looking back at people that have helped the Guild grow.  The appetizers were ... well, hmmm, let's say they made too little and the wait to serve the rest of the people was extremely slow.  The presentation though, was good.  In the exchange I received a pair of flip flops that had been crocheted over with a lovely pink furry yarn .... and they're my size!!  I wonder who received my black beaded amulet bag?

When they opened the Vendor's Market I didn't really have a chance to check it out ... my dh & kids "kidnapped me" ... we went to Wendy's for takeout and drove to a place they've been enjoying going to nearly daily -- to a place that overlooks the airport.  It was pretty watching the airplanes come & go in the night.

Now I'm beat.  It's 10:54 PM as I edit this entry to reflect these thoughts, and it's time to turn in.  I pray that fire alarm remains quiet!