INSPIRED BY LIFE

Life is good! I recently returned from a short visit to Mexico where I experienced, once again, another amazing trip with my traveling group "Sisters of the Castor Beans". This year our group of eight went on a journey through the little advertised Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, located in the north central area of the country. We visited the capital city of the same name, two amazing "magic towns" (a tourism designation...Real de Catorce and Xilitla), beautiful rivers and waterfalls, all happy being together with good food and good laughter at our sides. The serotonin was flowing!

 Here we are getting ready for our canoe trip on Rio Tampaon.

And the Edward James gardens were amazing! This is worthy of a GOOGLE!

Beyond all of this adventure and fun, I was able to visit with my Mazatlan friends and of course my sewing ladies.

It was the first time I had seen them since our San Francisco trip, and of course they had brought lots of good food to share with us. We recounted our memories and had lots of laughs together.

I was so happy to see Paty again. She is the only one of the group who was denied a visa for the SF trip. She is the youngest and most educated of the group and the rejection by the officials at immigration was crushing to her. Happily she also received a box with a new machine and lots of fabric. Here she is holding Frances' beautiful new granddaughter, Helen.

I was able to finally divvy out the Day of the Dead fabric I acquired in San Francisco. I know they will come up with some great creations!

 Vilma and the ladies made some beautiful tops for Bev!

Once again, I said "adios" to my Mazatlan... Until next year!

HAPPY AFTERMATH

The last few days of our "dream trip" to San Francisco were hectic to say the least: EVERY woman creating and completing a quilt (with mini-lessons for each step-by-step), finishing the many simple projects that were started throughout the week, last minute shopping, and lots of packing. Bev and I were constantly dropping not-so-subtle hints that everything needed to fit in the suitcase and weigh NOT more than 22 kilos. I kept looking at Vilma's "Barbie Glam Vacation House" that she brought for her daughter Sarah and wondered where it was going to fit.
The amount of learning that took place during these ten days was phenomenal: I saw incredible growth in sewing skills, in quality control, in design, in color use, etc., etc.. Most of these women had not been exposed to modern kitchens, and after a week with a variety of appliances and conveniences at their fingertips, they were navigating with confidence. They were attentive, receptive and full of gratitude with each lesson and experience. Their senses of humor rose to the top; they were delightful to live with.
At the beginning of this trip, I imagined that we'd have a few homesick souls, but that never happened. As time went on, I realized they probably have never had a time like this with trusted girlfriends, a sewing room and fabric at their fingertips, with the ability to sew into the wee hours of the night, laughing and sharing stories. And all of this was happening without family members interrupting their focus with requests for meals and the like.Don't we all love retreats from life!
On one of our final days, Linda allowed them to collect their packing materials - fabric cuts of their choice to fold and pack around their new sewing machines, filling up every nook and cranny with goodies to sew and create with for a very long time to come. Linda's generosity was GI-NORMOUS and she and this amazing opportunity will not be easily forgotten.
Many thanks Linda and all her many volunteers for all you provided for us. Many thanks to my fantastic traveling partners, Bev and Toy...we are such a good team! And to our lovely "sewing ladies" from Mazatlan, thank you for being dedicated to your craft, working so hard at all you do, being my friends, and being the reason for all of the last two weeks to happen.
Now, for a bit of breathing...

COMING SOON...DREAM TRIP 2014

 One more week before I embark on "Dream Trip 2014". I'm excited, but assuredly not as excited as my ten Mexican friends. Mazatlan's "Sewing Ladies", along with leaders Toy and Bev will be flying into San Francisco next Saturday night. I will be driving from Oregon to meet them, and we'll be spending 12 days there, all thanks to Linda Hannawalt of Quiltworks and her many friends and volunteers.

 Linda met them last spring on a trip to Mazatlan. She connected instantly and promised to send them supplies from her shop when she returned back to the US. That was just the beginning. A few months later, she wrote to say that her group participates in an international service project every year, and they had decided to work with our ladies this year. She offered this trip to them, full of educational and cultural opportunities, along with fun and friendship. Her generosity is mindblowing to say the least.

 Ten of the twelve women will be participating. One was unable to come, and another was denied a visa. I just about cried when I heard that. A trip to the U.S. is certainly beyond their wildest dreams, but I'm sure even traveling by airplane is a new experience for most if not all of them. Plus, this is a trip steeped in friendship. Bev and I have always dreamed of traveling with our Mexican friends, and now it's coming true.

What a smile on Dora's face! I think I'll be seeing a lot of smiles, just like hers, next week. Stay tuned!