It's May!

Well, here it is, already May.  I read/record the evening weather for the radio each day around 4 PM when the weather service updates the forecast.  In my former life, who would have ever thought I'd be announcing the weather on the radio?!  Not only the local weather but also the marine outlook!  It cracks me up when I think about it. Anyway, I was reading the weather the other day and the forecast called for snow, possibly mixed with rain, with "little or no accumulation."  I didn't think much of it because we can get snow flurries for months on end and I figured it would just be a small amount that didn't stick.  But here we are on May 1st and we had snow and sleet all day long.  I know I am not supposed to speak ill of the weather so I am just stating facts, okay? Yes, May 1st=snowstorm.  That's all I will say.  :)

My friend Judi has decided to retire and move to the lower 48.  She and I were behavioral health clinicians together for several years before I gave it up.  Besides her clinical work, Judi is a fabulous quilter and you may have seen previous posts about her beautiful work; she has been a huge supporter of local nonprofits, donating quilts to just about all of us for our fundraisers.  She also makes what she calls "comfort quilts" for people who are ill, have had a loss in the family, or who are dealing with difficult circumstances; in fact, she kindly made a sweet baby quilt for Emery when she was so sick as an infant.  Several nonprofit organizations got together and planned a surprise "thank you/going away" party for Judi a couple of weeks ago.  We had a great turnout and managed to keep it a surprise--hard to do in a small town!  We ordered a cake from Athena Jones, a local baker who owns Enticing Icing Custom Cakes and Confections and asked her if she could make something with a quilting theme.  Yes, she could!  The photo above shows the top of the very cool cake!

 Judi and me

 More of the cake

We decorated the room and tables with quilting quotes

 Just a small sampling of the fabulous food made by the chef and his crew

Rich and me

The community will greatly miss Judi and we wish her all the best as she moves on to more adventures!

Then last weekend the Convention and Visitors Bureau held its annual wine tasting event at the hotel. Rich always has to work so I am usually searching for a date.  My friend Tammy was supposed to go with me but got sick so I ended up crashing other people's dates.  Above, my friend Sonia and her husband Ray were lots of fun. I don't know Ray very well but he had me cracking up--he's a funny guy!

Who's this???!!  Oh yeah, (former) blogger Steve and the lovely Goldfish.  It was so good to see these two and catch up a bit.  Maybe, just maybe, Steve will think about blogging again.  I know lots of people miss his insights and unique view of life.

Last night was the last night of my ESL class for this session.  We had a potluck dinner in the classroom, I handed out certificates and we enjoyed visiting with one another while sharing a meal.  Some of our classmates have already left town so not everyone is in the photo. 

I asked the students to say what they liked best about the class and they shared these thoughts :  "I liked making new friends." "I enjoyed meeting people from many cultures." "I did not know anyone and now I feel like I have many friends."  "I could not talk to anyone but now I am having conversations with many people!" "I could not pass a test for my job but now I have passed it and been hired!" It warms my heart that they have grown to love and appreciate one another and to feel a part of a positive and supportive group.  I told them how proud I am to know them and how inspiring they are to me.  And I hope to see them back next session!

Rich and I head out on a month's vacation on May 7. We are looking forward to several stops and a big ole time.  Stay tuned!