10/18/07

Fibergal's SOAR part 1

This year was so good; I have to break up the telling. Here was the beginning of the week for me.

It wasn’t the first time that I met someone and knew in that instant that my life would be changed forever. My first words to Abby shyly standing in the wallflower position in the back of the room were “Come over here and sit with us. Welcome to the Vortex”. Little did I know it would be us sucked into the maelstrom of laughter and fiber. Abby’s roommate was so very fortuitously the magnificent Denny, hereafter known as “I’M”. You see, you have to be careful what you wish for at SOAR. A few years ago, a friend sat with us knitting lace out loud from Nancy Bush’s class. She kept repeating K K YO and it has been her name since. I have met total strangers that never met her refer to her thusly. Names stick. So when Denny requested a name badge that said “I’m Denny, who the hell are you?”, you could see where this was heading. She is now and forever I’M in our book.

Wow, not only was this the funniest pair I have ever met, but they were both scholarship recipients and well deserved. Funny and fiber-filled – what more could you want. The parts I liked the best came about 2 am (didn’t anyone warn them about no sleeping at SOAR?) when after laughing wildly at something, we would be deep into a discussion of woolen vs. worsted, then back to peels of laughter. Wicked sharp, too funny for words and the biggest hearts in the world. Oh, we absolutely just loved them.

Particularly note the hand gestures.

Yet, dammit, the Northern contingent claimed our I’M when they got there mid-week. Apparently they were afraid she might be shy or something. As if. They stole her away but not before an astonishingly generous and moving gift. Yes, I’M gave me one of her very meaningful shawls, and my favorite one too. It is not my tale to tell, but I will show the photos. I was so moved, am so moved, I can’t even write about it without a tear. So instead, I will leave you with some laughs. It is a rare moment when you meet someone that has such an affect and we lucked out and got doubles.







To those wise fellows from the North – we want her back next year. And Abby, you know you just can’t miss this event. EVER.


This must have been a custody discussion.


I am not sure I can identify these gestures. Anyone?




I'M is training for retreat signups while the wise Jeannine observes.


This was the most common site of the week.

Now Denny, try to get happy, ok?




4 comments:

Beth said...

Man that was fun - again:-)

Anonymous said...

Of course you can have her back next year. Can we come too?

Seriously though, it's pretty damned obvious why we claimed her back, isn't it? And we love that you guys love her as much as we do. It made the week more fun for all of us.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad Denny got to be among her kind for the week. She deserves every happiness she can get, that one. Come to think of it, so do I. We'll all be back!

Abby Franquemont said...

Unidentified hand gestures = "Oh my God, I think I'm gonna barf after those windmills."

That's my guess.