Tuesday, April 10, 2007

To Retreat Or Not To Retreat

Yes, that is the question…

Every year, for the past seven years, I have attended a stitching retreat at Camp Wildwood. It’s only about a two and a half hour drive from home so I consider it pretty local. The weekend consists of two nights and three days of stitching, shopping, eating and catching up with friends :o) It’s not The Ritz mind you but that’s fine with me because as long as I have a bed to sleep on, a chair so I can sit and stitch and a table that will hold my food, I’m a happy camper. LOL! The camp provides two or three meals a day plus two or three snacks in between. We even have the LNS set up there so we can indulge without even having to leave the lodge :o)

There are two retreats a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Women come from all over and on average there can be anywhere from 65 to 80 women. Yes, that’s a lot of female hormones in one place at the same time ;o) You should see the look on a husband’s face when one dares to come and pick up his wife! There are chairs, Ott-Lites, tables, totes, foot stools and extension cords e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e! It really is quite a site. Many ladies have been coming there for far longer that I have but each year there are always a few newbies that are welcomed into the family.

At fall retreat we have an ornament exchange. It’s a wonderful way to start off the holiday season. A Christmas tree is put up and during the weekend, more and more stitched ornaments adorn the tree until the last day, when they come off and are presented to their new owners :o) In the spring we do another exchange but this can be anything that is stitched. It’s amazing the creativity of some of these ladies.

Each retreat, for as long as I can remember, we have joined together and held raffles and auctions. Most of the time the funds raised have been going towards breast cancer research but there have been other causes as well. The generosity of these ladies is amazing as we can usually bring in around $600 in one weekend! There have been a lot of tragedies and sad stories shared there but on the other hand, there are a lot of hugs available and shoulders to cry on.

Last week I received the email announcing our upcoming spring retreat and I have to be honest, it did not fill me with the usual excitement :o( The past few letters have gradually become colder but this one was completely void of warmth. New rules are being implemented and the price has increased again. This has not gone over well with me or some of the other gals that go. Two retreats a year has now become only one as some of us cannot afford to go to both now. And while I do understand why prices have to increase, there are other issues. Maybe it’s time for a change of hands.

So my answer is…no, I will not be attending spring retreat this year. Instead, Katie, Faith Ann, Flat Shannon and I are going on a trip! We are heading to Bangor, Maine for the weekend to do a little shopping, and more shopping and more shopping ;o) I’m sure we’ll fit food and sleep in there somewhere. LOL! As much as I shouldn’t be going, I really do need this time to unwind and forget about things, even if it’s only for a few days. I’m hoping that maybe we are starting our own spring tradition, something new to spruce up the old. Don’t worry though; the Ta-Ta Twins will still exist! We might even morph into the Ta-Ta Quadruplets ;o)

10 comments:

Alberta said...

Having never attending a stitching retreat, I can't comment. However...a shopping trip with your girl friends DOES sound exciting! Have fun!

Faith Ann said...

I think a new spring tradition of a Bangor shopping/eating/stitching trip is a nice idea :)

I can't wait!!

Jamie said...

Enjoy your trip! Thanks for the kind words and thoughts on my blog. It really means so much to have so many people who care. It's quite amazing!

Carolyn said...

I don't blame you for wanting to do something different for a change.I hope you,Katie and Flat Shannon have a great time in Bangor:)

Carolyn said...

Sorry FaithAnn..I didn't mean to forget you...I know you will have so much fun:)

Shannon said...

I'm so jealous of my flat twin ! You're all going to have such a great time !! :)

Jenn said...

Your shopping trip sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Maybe you need to try and new retreat. Mabye next year you can come down to NH for Celebration! :)

Katie said...

There...we'll have to decorate Shannon's sweater with her own tassle this time ;) Customs will love us

Anonymous said...

I too have made new plans for the spring, and will decide on the fall when it gets here. As one of the people who brought patterns for sale last time, I feel as though my fingers were slapped. It was the only way I could afford the weekend, and now that the price has risen again..I just don't know. We're getting some friends together and renting a cabin to stitch in for the weekend. MUCH cheaper.
Sue (the one who broke her chair in the corner 2 years ago) haha.

Lori said...

I got the letter too, and am worried about the limit on numbers. With increases in taxes and every bill going up, it is hard to fit in just one retreat. I think it will end up a privileged person's stitching camp just because of our state of economy lately.
Very sad.