I’m here – just a hop skip and a jump from The Whole Nine Yarns, where I taught last night.
Taught is a grand word. I lectured – or rather, I blathered on for a few hours, wheezing and trying hard to get a good breath. This standing up thing is rough, sometimes! As those of you who have taken a class with me know, I can get a little – um, verklepmt? – at times. Last night the effect was heightened by my raggged breathing, making me sound at one point as if I were about to have a ‘come to jesus’ alter call. Ah, childhood memories of those day-long Sunday sessions at the Free Methodist church
The Whole Nine Yarns is just lovely – a very big, high ceilinged space with lots of natural light and an AMAZING collection of beautiful yarns. Debi, the owner, was a doll – and her staff and ‘regulars’ (it’s always so hard to tell one from the other EVERONE seems like a staff member!) were just so kind and sweet! (I’ve decided that when folks ask me if I’m from the south I’ll say, “Yes.” They don’t need to know I’m from South Orange…)
Blnnza (I know I’ve spelled it wrong…) a regular at WNY and a critical care nurse, made me feel so understood when I was trying to explain why the COPD has affected me in such subtle ways. It feels very good to be heard – thank you B!
Last night BJ, a regular at WNY, put me up at her lovely home and I felt doubly protected (her husband works for the police, she works for the sheriff – what could go wrong?) and this morning we went to a local goodwill for some hunting. I found many pair of jeans for the kids, a big bag of golf balls (?) and other sundries. I love Salvation Army and Goodwill Hunting – love the thrift shop scene. This either springs from my misspent youth as a teen runaway / quasi freak in Toledo where I did most of my intensive shopping at Sears or Goodwill; or from my days as a costumer, when I discovered the Salvation Army store on W. 46th street is the MIRACLE store in NY)
BJ had made one of my hats, and she did a REMARKABLE job on it – nothing makes me more proud or happier than seeing someone succeed in one of my patterns – I think that must be the thing that makes designers happier than anything else. It’s the highest praise – like when someone clips a cartoon out of the paper and puts it on the refrigerator. When folks care enough to claim something you’ve done, that’s the best feeling,
So, clutching my bargain purchases and wearing my new lime green bandana, I sped off toward Dunwoody – passing a post office (yippee! time to mail the books!) and enjoying the flowers and sunshine in the Georgia countryside. My cousin and I had a lovely heart to heart a few days ago, and she burst out at one point, “I just LOVE Georgia – I love living here!” It’s so nice to hear how happy someone is where they live! The folks certainly seem happy and very nice down here – but could it be that I’m missing a little vinegar?
Speaking of vinegar, I had the most DELICIOUS barbeque for lunch today at Old Hickory House – a chopped pork sandwich with lima (butter) beans and broccoli (casserole) – just delicious! Afterward I had a piece of peach cheesecake and it’s a memory I’ll carry around for months. Just delicious. Now I sit at a local starbucks, answering emails and catching up on the blog, just getting back on my business feet after a few days romping around in a very lazy way.