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My little booth in Santa Fe.

Gail and I, having too much fun.

Anne and I, in the booth.

Michelle Goldstein, wishing I wouldn't take her picture.

The very whimsical, Alina.

Stephanie and Gail.

Gail, Me and Terri at dinner.

Linda Larsen of Objects and Elements and Lisa Blackwell of Zoa Art.

I got back from Santa Fe late last night after a typically harrowing day of travel. I am a magnet for plane delays and lost baggage. Remember this if you ever choose to travel with me. You have been warned. I'm sorry that my blogging was so sparse while I was gone. I had fully intended to post every day, but by the end of each day I was sapped and didn't have anything very intelligent to say.

The show was great fun and I did very well. I learned so much and when I got home, I already had some invitations in my email box to participate in some other large shows, so I guess I did something right! I met lots of great folks over the last week. Thank you to all of the nice people who had such nice things to say about my work. One person who really touched me was Linda-Marie, who lost her daughter a short time ago and found symbolism and comfort in my dragonflies. She was really sweet and her strength really touched and impressed me. Linda-Marie was helping out in the booth of Lisa Blackwell of Zoa Art. I met Lisa and her husband Tony a couple of years ago in Tucson and was really pleased to reconnect with her. Next door to our booth was Jill Wiseman from Tapestry Beads in Austin, Texas. Jill sells really lovely seed bead kits that are certainly well beyond my patience level. She has a particular bracelet that I believe she will be teaching next year with 2mm swarovskis that has to be seen to be believed. Gail and I got to connect with Facebook friend, Susan Dilger, who is now an actual friend. Susan is a fascinating L.A. transplant who now lives in Taos, New Mexico full time. Another night, I got to have dinner with Gail, Anne, Terri Caspary Schmidt (lampworker extrordinaire), Jennifer, Michelle Goldstein and Stephanie Sersich. Michelle and Stephanie have a collaborative project called 'Hearts and Bones' as well their own separate teaching and jewelry projects. Over the course of the show I also met lots of Interweave people, including the editor of 'Stringing', Danielle Fox, who came over to my booth to chat. Anne had a woman named Alina back to back with her booth, who was best described as a crazy fairy god mother. She kept picking little treasures of stones and beads out of her never ending stash to give to us, because she felt that we needed them. She reminded me a little of the character of Vianne, from the movie, 'Chocolat'. Do you remember how she always could guess the chocolate concoction that was your favorite, blissful treat? Alina was like that. She also made wildly exuberant jewelry that really suited her style.

I got to spend lots of time with my good friend Gail, who handles drama the same way that I usually do, with good old, Midwestern sense and aplomb. We had so much fun. I never laugh so much as when I'm with that silly girl. Every time that I see her, it makes me wish again that we lived closer. Thank you so much for all of your help, Gail. I can't wait to return the favor in Ohio this summer. And of course, I got to see Anne, whose booth I was helping to mind, as well as my own. I saw Anne in Tucson last month, but there's just never enough time to just hang out and shoot the breeze. It would be great to see her sometime when we can just sit around and do nothing except talk and drink margaritas. Someday. I get to see all of these fine people and others, again in June for the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee. I can't wait!