The Virginia Trip - Day Five

It is now Saturday.  We have class with Shepherd's Bush today.  I go walking on the boardwalk again.  I could get used to this.  It is another gorgeous day.  I'm watching the clock closely so that I get back in time to go to Pocohantas Restaurant for breakfast.  There are six of us going.  I went to this place four years ago and I know it is good.  I get the sampler which has a little bit of everything.  I eat everything as it is sooo good.  It is fun to talk to Jeannette and ask her questions.  She is the nicest person.  Always happy and very funny.

Class with Tina and Teri is fun.  Just ask them a question and they have stories to tell.  We really enjoyed hearing about the trials and tribulations of photographing the leaflets of their stockings with small children.  Of course it is fun to start yet another new project.  We work on the sampler part of their design.

   A half an hour before class is over, Teri takes over and we have a cute small project of a sheep scissors fob.  It is easy and fun and quick to do.

Class goes very fast.  At the end I get my picture taken with each of them.

They are so down to earth and nice.  There is a bunch of us that want to go to the Shepherd's Bush Retreat next year.  I just wish they would do a project that doesn't hang on the wall.  I want a pocket or needlebook or something like that.

I'm trying to remember what we did for lunch but I think everybody was full from such a yummy, big breakfast.  L was going to pick up K who was walking the boardwalk and then go to a grocery store.  I had a hankering for cauliflower (I know, I'm weird) and thousand Island dressing.  So we go with L.  We want to get back in time for the Master Class where they are going to ask the designers questions.  We get back to the hotel just a bit late but luckily J has saved us a place and they haven't started yet.  Jeannette is so funny.  She is laughing hysterically at a text from her husband who has asked her if she wants him to "puck her up" when he meant to text "pick her up".  We are enjoying listening to the questions and answers when the emergency siren goes off.  We have to evacuate the hotel!  We make our way outside and pick our way around bushes to the front of the hotel.  Here comes a fire engine.

Then here comes another fire engine.  There are firemen with axes going into the hotel.  It turns out that a water pipe has broken near the elevators.  We wait outside hoping we can go back in soon.  It is pretty hot so BFF and I sit in our car and stitch.  We get the all clear to go back inside.  The Master Class is abandoned.  The elevators don't work.  Luckily, I was on the second floor and usually walked down the stairs to get to the lobby anyway.  I was glad I wasn't on the 10th floor.  We don't know if we can have the banquet tonight as it is scheduled for the 11th floor and they are behind in cooking because of the evacuation.  Nobody wants to walk up eleven flights of stairs.  The banquet does go off but is a little late.  The elevators are finally working.  We are supposed to dress like the decade we were born.  But our evacuation adventure has put a damper on things.
There are some great costumes.  The Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen costume wins.  It is great.  There was a great "Elvis" and Disco girl.  The Nebby Needle blog has great photos of those costumes.  The banquet is good.  We get our special present.  It is a hand painted box by Liberty Hill.

I can't believe the retreat is over.  Tomorrow we all go home.  It has been great fun.
A