Home and Healing

It's so odd to be back here in the Toledo area. I actually didn't drive in to Toledo - I drove to Temperance / Lambertville, to Vintage Yarns (a WONDERFUL yarn shop with a great selection and SO many beads! I love beads...)

I almost stopped a few doors down to get a pedicure, but decided against it because I was so darned tired. Eucher was out, too.

Boy, has this place changed. 20+ years ago when we lived here briefly, in Temperance, there was really nothing more than some fields, a few housing developments, farms, a few orchards, the high school & the library.

Well, that's what I remember. I'm sure there was more...

Now it's booming - in the shopping center where Vintage Yarns resides is a Krogers, a McDonalds AND a Wendys, as well as Qimby's (the place for Euker - which my parents used to play when I was a little kid.)

I remember when the only McDonalds around was on Laskey Road - we used to bike there, it was an old fashioned tile one. I also remember the Kewpee Hamburger place - I wonder if anyone else does..?

This event in Lambertville was a lecture - a chat - at the sister business of Vintage Yarns, Vintage Coffee.

Folks had java, sandwiches & dessert as I talked. Shirleen and her staff made me feel like a part of the crew right off the bat - I'm sorry, though, that I was just too nervous to eat before the talk.

The sandwiches looked very good - my coffee was excellent! But I'm always petrified that I'll start burping - or worse - in front of an audience, so I never eat before I teach or give a talk.

The audience was very receptive, so great, and I felt welcomed and loved. It was a pretty amazing experience because I think, in my heart of hearts, I was afraid of some wretched emotional meltdown taking me by surprise.

But no - I was contained, collected and able to speak coherently (for the most part.) It really was a great experience.

Hippie Jetsetter
But man, this made for a loooooong day!

I was up at 5:30 - couldn't sleep - so I got dressed and ready for Detroit Public TV.

I decided to check out of the Baymont Inn where I stayed last night to leave more freedom to stay wherever I wanted tonight (ironically, at ANOTHER Baymont Inn in Monroe, Michigan!)

I knew the traffic from Ann Arbor into Detroit would be intense, so I was glad I left early.

Why was I in Ann Arbor? Why, to have dinner with Lisa! She's a friend who lives here, who has a really wonderful knitting group that I met last year, and since I was going to be so close I thought it would be nice to get together. We had dinner at Zingerman's Roadhouse, it was amazing (I really AM sorry now I didn't get the grits, Lisa) and commiserated about the ups and downs of our respective lives.

A nice release, a nice chance to chat with a friend whose known me for more than a few months (although, not MUCH more...) and a chance for some excellent barbeque!

Needle Arts
I got lost in Detroit this morning - driving around and around Hamtramck - circling the auto plant. Geeze, Michigan roads are CR*P. Seriously. We always used to say that, in a very superior way, in Ohio - but I really found it to be true this time!

I finally found the studio, parked and strolled in right at 8:30 (when I was supposed to be there - not late!) and immediately saw Drew's smiling face. It was SO great to see him - and an unexpected joy to see Iris Schreier, too, who was taping her segment before ours & Joanne Cole, a yarn rep who was accompanying Iris.

I rushed to the bathroom for some - ahem - undergarment adjustment and saw this beautiful potpourri hanging on the wall - obviously public TV is throwing yet MORE money at silly, useless frills!

Also taping a segment was Marsha Polk, who was there to show off some crocheted pieces from her book Crocheted Squared. It looks like a really fun book - and how great to see some sistahs represented in the modeling pool (did I spell that right, Marsha?)

She and her husband - a police officer from Cincinnati - were a STITCH, and we had the BEST time waiting for our respective segments to be taped. I haven't laughed so hard since I was in Wisconsin 2 days ago...

Then we had lunch together with the other guests and Shay, then she and Drew and I went shopping at City Knits in the Fisher Building next to the studio. I used to go see shows at the Fisher Theater when I was in high school.

I also met Becka of Bag Smith - it was lovely to meet her, her husband & mom - I could tell that her segment really went well (we watched it on close circuit TV in the green room.) She gave me a kit which I cannot WAIT to try out and blog about (more later when I get a chance to play with it, it looks like amazing fun!)

But meeting Shay was the most fun! She has a delicious sense of humor, she's just such a joy and such a professional that she made us feel totally at ease! Drew and I had a very good time running through our little, short segment three times (the third time was a charm...)

The whole crew was great - nice, quick, unobtrusive - perfect TV production folk. I bonded with the makeup woman (and how rude of me to forget my BFT - best friend today's - name...) and really enjoyed meeting Carlota & Sharon & everyone else!

Upgrade
On the trip out I upgraded myself. For $40 - how could I NOT?? The extra leg room was phenomenal, and I may just do this again if I get the chance. I wonder if I can do that on the way back to MN?

Now it's 11:00, my flight isn't until after noon tomorrow, so I can sleep in if I want. Since it feels like I'm 50 feet from the interstate, I doubt if I'll be able to. Or maybe, given how tired I am, I WILL be able to!