Monday June 2nd.

I'll be damed, half of this year is almost over! Can you believe that?

Well I realize that I have some serious catching up do. I love staying at the hotel that I stay at but the Internet connection is not Mac Friendly. So today is the first time that I have bee able to post since I arrived in Milwaukee.

Cris and I had a wonderful drive out to Milwaukee from Iowa City. I love a gal that is ready to go, not just on time but 35 minutes early. God love her! She is a woman after my own heart. We got in early and got all checked into our hotels and then we started the ordeal of loading in the contents of the mini-van. To say it was an ordeal is the understatement of this year. The wind was SO BAD that it literally blew the boxes of all of my supplies onto the pavement. The door that I have loaded into every year for the past few years was LOCKED! Cris was draped over the boxes trying not to let the wind take them over the rainbow. It was unbelievable!

We got the room all set up and were ready in record time. We had a great dinner at Butches Steak House and had a few hours of cocktails and huge amount of laughter for the next several hours. It was so wonderful to see my friends and relax and just kick back like no time had passed sine we had last seen each other.

Yesterday’s first day of class was excellent. Susan Lenardt-Kazmer is my next-door neighbor for the week. It is a real treat to see her everyday. The class dove right in to demos and they all took to the work. Everyone had a great day and made some beautiful parts for the pendants that are to come.

It is great to be here and to see the people starting to arrive and to see the excitement build as more and more attendees arrive daily.

After class Gail & Cris & Karen & I went to dinner at the really good Italian place around the corner and had the lovely surprise of being joined by funny and talented Dustin Tabor and Stephanie Sersich. We had a laughter filled evening and it was totally enjoyable!

Today’s class picked up and everyone was off to the races. I am amazed at how quickly everyone is progressing. I could not be more pleased at the quality of the work that is being produced by EVERYONE! I am so stoked that everyone will have a completed piece by the end of class tomorrow.

I am sitting in my classroom right now and do not have the energy to post the pictures that I have taken. All of those will come tomorrow. I Swear! I have about 20 or so already and I just can’t make it happen for you tonight!

I am excited about the show kicking into high gear on Wednesday with Meet the Teachers, the only thing that I can say is…”LET THE GAMES BEGIN!”