A few more.

A few photos from the dinner that I took. I will have to post a few times to get them all in. Clara

P.S. Margo, you might have to add a story to this quilt for me.

Scoopie wrote:
Thank you, Dawn, for my gift too. Didn't realize the candy had "huckleberries" in it...DELICIOUS! Please share the web site or address of where we could order these special sweet delights. The cherry fabric is even more special now because of what it represents. Thanx for sharing the above info!

Hugs,
Shirley

Josew wrote:
MaryJo, please post some of there here and/or here: [url]forum/quilt-shows-vacations-and-retreats/5015-tales-from-houston-2011[/url]

THANKS!!

Ritzy, I think I might have a few dinner pictures for you when I get them downloaded from phone to computer. I'll try to get them to you in the next couple of weeks. Dentist Appt. tomorrow!

Ritzy, it was a pleasure to meet the beautiful quilter from Indiana who shares the same Chicago sense of humor! I especially enjoyed seeing the sweet photos of your 2-month-old grandson! What a treat the daily "meet and greet" at the TQS booth was!

Hugs,
Shirley

Ritzy, Huckleberry cheesecake. We are well known for huckleberries. And, we are famous for our Flathead cherries here on Flathead lake. There are many cherry orchards on the east side, and a couple on the west side of the lake. The huckleberries are quite expensive ($10 a pound) because they are so small to pick, and you are in bear country while picking. It is a favorite food of theirs.

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Home--22 hours drive over two days. Did get to love on Eli for a while by taking a little detour. Cleaning up the mess, doing laundry and I have a fever blister--not enough rest. Was it worth it? You bet. What a wonderful time at the dinner--thanks Wanda. I received a luggage tag from Margo and some fabric and candy from Dawn(can't remember what the candy is called but she said it was from her area). I felt like a "social butterfly" at the meet and greet and the dinner. Had to make sure I met everyone. I know you will find this hard to believe but I really am not a "social butterfly". I just know that this trip was probably a once in a life time trip and I didn't want to miss meeting any of the dear, dear people I have met online. Love you all.

I just wanted to say "Thank you, everyone!" From Wanda, for organizing the dinner, to those of you who came up to me to wish Terry and I well in our upcoming journey. I was so nervous about the presentation of the quilt blocks, and then so caught up in all of the other emotional stories, and hugs, etc, that I did not take even one picture at the TQS dinner! Dang! (If any of you would like to send some my way, I would be greatful!) This was a truely memorable trip! Many wonderful surprises and many amazing friendships were made, that will last a lifetime. And, a number of these latest frienships came about because of the SOTTT exchange! Thank you Debbie for that very first post where you volunteered to be the person to organize and receive ALL of those HSTs! Little did I know what an incredible friendship would grow from that! As Shirley Forster said at the dinner, "I love you all!"

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Good morning everyone! What a fabulous week at Houston! I needed a full day yesterday to recover from all the excitement and stimuli! I am so thankful for a fabulous week sharing a room with Maryjo who was a lot of fun and full of great ideas, for 6 classes with some of the "great teachers" in our quilt world, for a happy and fun time meeting everyone at the TQS dinner, for all the quilters who showed their beautiful work in the IQF show, but most of all...for meeting Alex for the first time, seeing Ricky for a second time, and finally meeting all of YOU at the TQS booth for 2 days! What an incredible quilt journey this has been! And...we now have until May 1, 2012 to enter our quilts in the SOS memory book! How cool is that?

We do need to start a new thread about the Houston Experience because we all have a lot to show and tell, I'm sure!

Cheers and Hugs,
Shirley

eileenkny wrote: Too many ideas I think. I'm making notes, so I don't forget them.

Hope everyone got home safely. We're halfway; Sevierville, TN. Laying low and doing some more recovering. I've still got Festival images spinning through my brain when I close my eyes. All of the quilts were so inspiring and intimidating at the same time. I came away with lots of ideas, how about you all?

Wanda, thank you so much for organizing the dinner. It was a huge success and so wonderful to see and meet everyone! We are all so blessed for the friends we've made because of TQS. Looking forward to seeing you all again next year

Can't believe it's over for me, I am home, unpacking, laundry. But OH, what fun. It was great to see so many members again and definitely meeting new people. We blog, share, etc all year but it is always best to meet in person. Sorry I did not have enough time to spend with everyone but in my usual way, I overbooked myself. My highlight was a class on Friday with Libby Lehman, Floral Delights, can't wait to work some more on it; then attending her luncheon/lecture on Saturday (she is a hoot). Thank you AAJJ for making this all possible and to all members, yes even the UGHS, for sharing your journeys. Safe travels home, Pat