Girlfriend Time - Brazos Style

Most of the retreat ladies have departed, but Kay did ask a handful if we wanted to stay a couple more days.  That is sooooo hard to say no to, so a few took her up on the offer.  Jen is only here for a couple extra hours, but she makes it interesting by having Gwen cut her hair on the front porch.  Four inches came off and then she was on her way home too.

Frieda has another TA-DA

Stephannie has a cross stitch TA-DA

So just what have I been doing?  Well, making rope is the easy answer.  It has taken me two days, but I have all four ropes made for the jelly roll rugs.  Whew!!!  That makes this day done!  I'm off to bed early for a good night's sleep.

Monday morning finds me sitting on the porch and enjoying a cup of coffee.  A quick pic to my sweetie and his response is, "Why is there a hat on the tree."  I truly don't know.  Gwen comes out for a morning chat and our time is cut short with the arrival of a very large critter.  I'm done -- back into the house for me. 

The design walls are being kept busy with many pretties.

My task for today is to work on rugs.  That means I need to build a flat space level with my machine and after a library raid, I believe I've pulled it off.  Forgetting the table for the machine was not one of my better moves.

Setting to work, one rug hits the finish key and my shoulders and left hand are already hurting.  What will three more do?

Val finishes her Dawn's Early Light blocks from last year's classes. TA-DA

Sew, sew, sew.  I am not stopping until these are completed.  It's after 10 when I can say - TA-DONE.  I love them and now they just need to lay flat for awhile.  Reality tells me I should do the same and I'm off to bed once again.  We are down to just four of us in the house now.

It's our last day here and my sweetheart is having his share of troubles at home, so part of me is forcing the other part to stay.  I pack up all the machines/bags that I am finished with and settle in to quilt the sashing and border pieces for my Christmas Whimm's quilt.  Free motion, small stipple is the ticket and they are finished by 4 in the afternoon.

Mister managed to make me curious so I went to take a closer picture of the hat.  Well, by golly, it is a ceramic birdhouse.  I never would have guessed.

We have had rain the past bit, so a walk to the river lets me check to see if it has rose at all.  If so, not that I can tell.

Porch sitting with Val and Gwen for the evening.  It's a perfect way to end the day and our time together.

My goodies from this retreat are gathered up for a picture and I am so blessed, once again.  My life is filled with the love from these women and I'm ready to go home and face whatever comes our way.  I only have a month to get through before friend time comes around again.  We are totally loaded and packed --- a good night of sleep and by 7 the next morning (Val left much earlier), we say good-bye with hugs and hopes of seeing each other again soon.  Love to all and I'm glad we had some extra "girlfriend" time.  Thank you to Val, Frieda, and Gwen -- you guys are my rocks in life.