By Sharon Merlo
The 2022 Plano ASG Retreat was one for the record books. I have been hosting the Plano ASG Retreat for a number of years now and this one is the most memorable to date.
We were scheduled for Feb 3rd through Feb 6th, 2022 (Thursday – Sunday) however, Mother Nature had different plans for us. I had been monitoring the weather forecast and was hoping we could utilize the outdoor fire pit on their patio in the evening, but it was not meant to be.
On Sunday prior to the retreat, after watching all the weather forecasts I contacted the retreat center and asked if we could arrive a day early. I was so lucky that no one had that day booked. I added Wednesday to the retreat and contacted all who signed up and let them know that due to the impending snow storm that we needed to get to the facility on Wednesday if possible. Out of 25 paid attendees we had 19 that were able to quickly adjust their schedules and attend. The last retreater arrived at 7pm and she stated the roads were starting to ice over.
We were all happy because we made it in safe, had a hot meal waiting on us and 4 more days of nothing but sewing, watching the weather from the windows, enjoying wonderful prepared meals and so thankful we did not have to go anywhere anytime soon. We were hoping the additional 6 attendees would be able to attend but the roads were just too dangerous even on Thursday and Friday. They were definitely missed but so glad they stayed safe.
We had lots of gorgeous quilts in the making, some kids’ clothes and a Christmas Wall Hanging being worked on as the snow continued to fall in the freezing temps for the next couple of days. The only time we had to stop was to enjoy our delicious meals made by Kate who is the manager of the retreat center. She stayed onsite as well and even joined in on the quilt making!
We played LCR game with fat quarters and all participated. It was a welcome change after being so dedicated to our projects we had been working so hard on. We had 2 tables of 10 so we had 2 winners! Whoever ended up with a fat quarter in hand at the end of the game won their entire pot of 50 fat quarters! What? You say you have enough fabric? Who sez that? LOL! Both winners shared their winnings and all the fat quarters found a new home. It was a ton of fun!
Thankfully by Sunday the weather warmed up enough and the snow and ice was melting and we all made it back home safely. This retreat was a memorable one and the feedback I received on it is that everyone was in agreement we need to add Wednesday to the calendar. Thank you, Mother Nature! So, if you thinking you would like to join us I have booked for next year and the dates are Wednesday February 8th thru Sunday February 12th, 2023 and information/registration will be this fall. Come join the fun!
Sharon Merlo
Your Happy Retreat Coordinator 😉
wish I could have been there.
Maggie you were missed! We wish you could have made it as well. ?
What a fabulous way to spend a cold wintry week. Sounds like it was the perfect retreat.
It was the BEST! Sharon you do an outstanding job every year!