It’s JSS Retreat time again!  I know that you’ve all been anxiously awaiting another JSS retreat.  The theme of Retreat this week is “Sew, Sew, Sew!”  However, if you had been reading the emails from this group of ladies recently, you might think my personal theme is “Blog, Blog, Blog!”  You’d think I hadn’t blogged in awhile.  Oh, yeah.  I haven’t.  I’ve been very lax in the blogging department lately.  Hopefully retreat will help to get me back on track.

So as usual, everyone is gone to bed and I’m up blogging.  But I was also sewing until just a few minutes ago.  After the Rangers’ game, that is.  Who plans a retreat right smack dab in the middle of the World Series anyway?  Oh, yeah.  That would be us.  It must have been planned before I was a fanatical baseball fan.  But I’ve only been a fanatical fan for just over a year.  It’s all Suz’ fault.  Since she got me into this mess, it’s a good thing she brings a nice TV to our retreats.

You’ll love our TV arrangement.  I think you’ll especially love the TV stand.

5 minutes later it looked like this:

Several of the gals just couldn’t stand watching the game and staring at the box at the same time.  But it elevated the TV to just the right height and made viewing easier for everyone.  And it’s a nice sturdy box.

My goals of this retreat are simple.

1.  Cheer the Rangers on to victory on Sunday night.

2.  Cheer the Rangers on to victory on Monday night.

3.  Cheer the Rangers on to victory on Wednesday night.

4.  Finish Janna’s T-shirt Quilt.

There.  I said it.  Now I have to do it.  Janna just fell off her chair.  You remember Janna’s quilt?  I think this makes the third retreat where it’s made an appearance.  You can read about it and see pictures of the beginnings here:

Janna’s T-shirt quilt

Please do not, I repeat, not look at the date on that posting.  It’s embarrassing.  I was going to try to surprise Janna with the quilt one day.  But I’m over that surprise thing.  I just want to get it done.  So I can be her favorite Aunt again.  She had given up hope of ever seeing this quilt.  And she’s dying for a look at the progress.  I sewed on it tonight, Janna!  After the Rangers’ game.  So here’s a peak at a new pic.  Just for Janna.

It’s the back!  Isn’t it exciting?  Look how much is sewn together.  Aren’t you impressed, Janna?  I promise I’ll show pics of the front before retreat is over.  I can’t give it all away in the very first blog posting, now can I?

Oh!  I almost forgot…..

5.  Blog

I have much to blog about.  Food, for one thing.  Retreat food has taken on a whole new meaning for me since I’m eating so healthy now.  Tonight I brought a crockpot and everyone chipped in ingredients for a new recipe I had tried recently.  Sweet Potato Chili.  It was a big hit.  Please don’t tell the gals here that there weren’t any sweet potatoes in it.  I think I fooled them.  I will post the recipe very soon.  With the variation that I used tonight.

I also brought a Pinto Bean Cake.  And the girls declared it very good.  Even after I told them there were pinto beans in it!  I’ll share that recipe too.  Healthy cake.  Sort of an oxymoron, isn’t it?

There will be lots of pics of all the JSS gals, laughing and sewing and having a wonderful time.  And there will be quilts in progress and lots of completed things too.  These gals sew like the wind at quilting retreats.  The Newbies are off to a good start with fabulous name tags for all.  So those will have to be shown too, now won’t they?

Stay tuned.  Lots of fun stuff to come.  In between Rangers’ games, of course.  And Janna’s quilt.  After all, blogging was #5 on the list. 

And by the way……. apparently sleeping is optional.

Hugs,
Barb