There were sure signs of spring as I started on my journey to Maryland.
As much snow as we had this year it makes me feel good when I see the daffodils and crocuses come into bloom.
This trip will take me to northern and southern Maryland. I love Maryland, except for the traffic. Yuck. Stay as far away from the beltway during the morning work traffic and the late afternoon work traffic as possible. But, if you have a good audio book it’s not too bad. I’m reading (listening to) The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks and I’m really sucked in. I have two more discs to go so don’t tell me how it ends. So far I am really enjoying this book. The way it’s going I might need some tissues before I get to the end of the book. So if you see some crazy lady crying as she is driving down the highway she might be listening to one of Nicholas Sparks’ books.
I started my trip with the Flying Geese Quilt Guild. I have worked with this guild before and like seeing so many friendly and familiar faces when I return. One of the guild members told me they had a better turn out for the meeting than normal. I think she said 178 members attended the lecture. That was a good turnout. The next day I did my workshop, Magical Medallions-Block Three. The guild meets at a cute church parish. When I got to the parish no one from the guild was there yet. So, I tried some doors and finally one opened. It was a back door into the kitchen. Well, Gene, the custodian was running the vacuum and did not hear me enter. Boy, did I scare him. I almost had to take him to the emergency room. But, his heart rate finally went back to normal. Just kidding. I guess he did not get the message that the guild was holding the workshop that day. Plus the door I entered was supposed to be locked. Oops. Gene was super nice and helped me get my luggage into the classroom. I had a great day with the guild members and guests of guild members who attended the workshop. If you live anywhere in the area I would highly recommend joining this guild. Very friendly. Lots of great quilts for show and tell. And from the sounds of it they have lots of workshops and charity projects in the works. If I lived closer this is a guild I would join. You can find out more about the Flying Geese Quilt Guild at www.quiltguilds.com
My next stop took me to Michelle’s Quilt shop in Hughesville, MD. Michelle and her husband were there when I arrived. Michelle and her husband are incredibly nice people. It has been a long time since I have been in a shop with such an excellent and large fabric selection. Awesome selection of batik fabrics. Plus bolt after bolt of cotton fabrics. Eye candy. You can find out more about Michelle’s Quilts at www.michellesquilts.com
The students who attended this workshop were real troopers because they were a little crowded at their tables. But none of them complained. As a matter of fact just the opposite. They were all happy campers or should I say sewers. They could not stop thanking me for all they learned in such a short amount of time.
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I left there feeling really good about my 4 hour drive which included the beltway around Washington DC during rush hour traffic. That, the story below and my audio book make it rather enjoyable.
There is something that happened to me while at Michelle’s that I would like to share with you. One of the students had my book: Applique Basics: Flower Wreaths, which is long out of print. She brought it to class and ask me if I would sign it for her and of course I was very happy to do so. She told me that this book along with one from Mimi Dietrich carried her through her cancer treatments. I hugged her and tried not to cry. For someone to tell me a book I wrote carried them through one of their darkest times made me feel unworthy. I just wrote a book. She survived cancer. There is no comparison. But, it made me realize how one person touches another without even realizing it. Each day I try my very best to be kind to the people I meet. If I put a smile on their face, all the better. You just never know what the other person is going through. By being kind to them you could be the bright spot in their day.