Texas!

Jim and I climbed on a plane Monday night and headed for San Antonio and Bernina University (the annual dealer convention).  Now I knew it would be hot in TX, it's in the south right?  And everyone kept saying it's a dry heat - HA!  Who cares if it's dry or wet when the heat index is ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN????  We arrived Tues morning about 1:30am, it was NINETY.  Ugh.  (Of course it was just as bad back home where it was hot AND humid!

So we overslept and then walked the Riverwalk - very pretty, very nice - to find breakfast and then headed to the Alamo.  What a sad and solemn place.  I kindof knew the story about the Alamo - unlike some people who shall remain nameless, and it's not Jim who knew more of the story than I did - I knew it was a horrible battle and many lives were lost.  I didn't realize that everyone in the Alamo except women and children were killed.  Reading the story boards was a sad lesson in what man can do to other men.

When I was young, we traveled from Massachusetts to Tennessee to visit a cousin who was living there.  My Dad was a history buff so we went to visit Davy Crockett's birthplace.  I remember it was a small log cabin and I kept thinking, how did people live here?  It was so small.

So now I've visited both Davy's Crockett's birthplace and where he died.

After the Alamo we had to behave ourselves and go to BU, which started that morning while we were sleeping . . . .  I'm sure my rep will read this blog and know we played hooky . . .   It was a nice little, and very needed!,  mini vacation, even if it was only for a few hours.

BU is always made fun by all the people you see - friends, big names, famous people - classes you take, lectures you attend.  It's always interesting to hear about the ways others do thing differently than you do and you always come away with some ideas to try once you get home.

I took a hands on class and made a lace ornament like these for a class we'll have this fall.

I saw a big name and a friendly face in Kaye England, who gave me a huge hug that was MOST appreciated.  Thanks Kaye.  We've had to postpone Kaye's visit this September (it's the weekend Sara is due to have our new grandson) so we'll be rescheduling for next year in the next couple of weeks.

We had dinners and lunches with good friends who we enjoy very much.  Let me just say the Hayes family had us laughing for almost three hours one evening!   Those lunches and dinners were full of family talk, business talk and just a good time.  Sometimes I think I learn just as much at meal times as I do in classes.

I came home with class ideas, marketing ideas, event ideas, display ideas - my brain is hopping!

So what am I doing today?  Working at the shop putting all these ideas into practice?  No, I'm playing hooky and having a Nathan day.  It's very much needed after the brain drain of BU.  It lets all those ideas simmer around and percolate a bit more.  The mind is much more relaxed and open to all kinds of ideas when rocking a baby, ok he's almost a toddler, how did that happen????, to sleep.

Stay tuned for what happens when all those ideas finish percolating!

Till next time.