I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

What would you think if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,

And I'll try not to sing out of key.

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends -The Beatles

Exactly 2 weeks ago today was a sad, sad day....Ms. Karen (aka Mrs. Farmhouse), JM and JV left for Primitives of the Midwest in Missouri - WITHOUT ME!!! Yes, boys & girls, I was supposed to go. I was registered, paid for my classes and hotel reservations were made. Alas, it was not to be. My lip was dragging on the floor, my tears flowed toward the river, my hands & feet were pounding on the floor and the language should not to be heard by little children or sensitive ears anywhere. A last minute health situation forced me to choose safety over fun. Jeez, I hate that. It's so "responsible". Bleegh.

JM had mapped out strategic stops (quilt shops) along the way. These are some of the text messages I received as I recall them:

Them: OMG, we've hit the mother lode.

Me: Buy some for me.

Them: If there's any left.

Me: Should I put a stop on your credit cards?

Them: No way, Sister!

Them: OMG, we've hit another mother lode.

Me: (begging tone) Buy some for me.

Them: We're going to need a trailer to haul all the wool home.

Me: I can't hear you. Fingers in ears, la-la-la-la-la.

There was more but you get the idea. I was considering various ways to torture them when they got home. The worst one I could think of was to alert their husbands of their ETA so they could see all the "crap" (a husbandly word) they bought. That oughta keep 'em grounded for a while......HA! Not much chance of that I suppose.

Well, I've decided to forgive them for harassing me. While we were at Woolies (see footnote #1) last week, I had nothing for show & tell. (I'm sure I've done SOMETHING in the past month but really, lawn mowing and laundry don't count. Plus, I spent most of my time throwing tantrums. Ya know?) So they said they had something to SHOW ME. Lookee this:

For Me???? OMG. When I started pulling things out, this is what I found:

Registration materials from The Quilter's Station in Lee's Summit, MO., a shopping bag (a hint, maybe?) a little black book, er, journal for keeping important tips, a pen and a zippered pouch - money? needle & thread? well, duh, a credit card!

This is the kit for one of the classes I missed. It's a wool project called Pumpkin Row Bed Pillow taught by the designer, Lisa Bongean:

This is a kit for the class called "It's a Crock" taught by designer Lynda Hall (Primitives by Lynda).

And the basket? I was signed up to make that also and it was taught by Barb Reininger. Now I've never met Ms. Barb but I've no doubt that she was the model for a Disney movie where there is sunshine, beautiful flowers blooming and colorful birds flitting and tweeting about. She sent the FINISHED BASKET home with my gal pals. Wowser! What a sweetie. Thanks Barb. I'll bet it's ALMOST as good as if I'd made it myself! Ahem.

That wasn't all that was in the basket tho. "The Three" (see footnote #2)did do a little shopping as a gift for me. Can you feel me tearing up? Wait a sec. Who's got a kleenex? There was a real army blanket (see footnote #3), 3 lovely hunks of hand-dyed wool and a pack of hand dyed fabrics.

Now you see why I get by with a little help from my friends? They sure took the sting out of staying home. Thanks Three!

Footnotes:

#1 Woolies. A group of 7 exceptional women - and myself - who formed a group. Think desperate housewives. Our rules of incorporation state that there shall be no rules. Our intention to work with wool doesn't always work since we have no rules. We meet once a month to work with wool - altho usually not. We're better at talking about it and discussing whoever didn't show up that month. I have stuff I could tell you!!! HEY, WOOLIES, just kidding. The rules state that I won't talk about you.

#2. The Three. Previously referred to as Ms. Karen, Ms. JM and Ms. JV. I was better friends with them when we were "the Four" but as "the Three" they redeemed themselves with "the Gift". Now we're tight again. (I'm easily bribed.)

#3. Army Blanket. A couple years ago, I was looking for an army blanket to use as the background on a wool pillow. It's always possible that I would have made it IF I'd had the blanket. Since I didn't, it let me off the hook, so to speak. Now that I have the blanket, I still won't necessarily make the pillow but at least I'm prepared. Good to be prepared.

This got really long so I don't expect you to read it all. You just never know when there'll be a test tho. I'll have to write about the Woolies next time.

Hugs, Faye