A beautiful thing

I’m home from the first annual Chicks with Sticks weekend at the Comfort Suites in White River Junction, Vermont.  The hotel has declared the event a success and has committed to making it an annual event – though perhaps with a bit of tweaking on the name.  My only regret for the weekend is that I was unable to spend the entire time at the hotel.  Family and personal commitments required that I drive up only for the day, the most pressing being able to witness our oldest in a bravo performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, in the role of Orsino:

Isn’t he handsome?

I digress.  Saturday was lovely.  The representatives for Cascade Yarns arrived and presented a yarn tasting:  Skeins of the various yarns from Cascade were available for folks to sample.  A dozen or so souls sat around the tables and took turns swatching the various yarns.  What a cool concept!  Sue McCain of Vermont Fiber Designs was in attendance with all her gorgeous sweater designs arrayed around her.

And at the far end of the room, Lois of White River Yarns held court, keeping the stitchers in stitches while demonstrating mysterious magic loop methods:

I managed to fit the dragon into my little Toyota, and a lovely woman took a shine to him and needle felted on him most of the day.  I managed to get a bit more done on his belly.  Several women learned to spin, and I learned some wonderful tips and tricks for sock knitting from Lois.

Late in the afternoon, just when everyone was beginning to feel the mid afternoon fog, the aroma of fresh baked cookies began to waft into the main room.  Within minutes, Mary Lee, our hostess extraordinaire, waltzed into the room bearing a tray of fresh baked cookies.  Could it get any better?

It is a beautiful thing to observe individuals doing what they do well.  Walter, Sue, and Lois were wonderful examples of this.  But Mary Lee – Mary Lee is a master.  For all the shows I have done, no one has ever gotten the coffee thing right.  Too many event organizers don’t think vendors require coffee at all, let alone see to it that fresh coffee is readily available throughout an event.  Mary Lee knows better, however.  Having done many a show herself, she recognizes the value of good coffee.  Not only did she make it fresh and make it available, she – sorry if I stumble here, but this still amazes me – she gave each of us a lovely ceramic mug so that we would not have to suffer styrofoam!

Will I return next year?  You have to ask?