Monday, June 15, 2009

Painting Convention



Well, this is the start of a great week that I've been looking forward to for awhile. Thanks to my wonderful hubby, I get to attend the National, the SDP (Society of Decorative Painters) National Painting Convention in Peoria, IL from June 15 through to June 20.

My friend, Lynne and I left Ottawa yesterday morning (Sunday) and drove about 10-11 hours 'til we got to Kalamazoo. We liked the name so thought it'd be a good place to stop, lol. When we got up this morning, we headed to Perkins for brekkie then hit the road and about 5 hours later we were in Peoria, IL ready to start our week.

I will try to update you throughout the week on the goings on:

Yup, I may be down but not out... yet, lol. Every joint in my body is screaming from yesterday and today in the car, but it was pretty clear sailing other than a few slow downs for... what would you think?...construction. Make work time... it's construction season! Seems I can't get away from it, lol.

We had dinner about 5 pm Peoria time as it was 6 pm our time and our tummy's were a-growlin'. Also figured we'd want to try for an early night and wind-down (and computer ) time. Then we (my friend Lynne and I) headed back over to the Civic Centre to register for the convention. We'd alreadywandered over earlier, and I delivered the sadnews to Gloria about Priscilla Hauser's husband. There will be shock on the floor I'm sure as the news spreads and many hearts and thoughts will be going out to Priscilla. She is very well-loved and known.

I have already run into many of our ToleFriends' list members. It's been SO fun as much as I have a pic of myself on my webshots, and we've said that I'm a redhead, I guess the "in flesh" version is way different (scarier, lol?). I've literally walked up to a few TF's and said hi "so and so" and they've been floored - 'course, I got the pics they sent and looked over them many times. HeeHee. I've already met Margaret Levy (a beacon with her arm in a sling, lol), but what a warm doll; met Gloria - yup, s'prised her too - myhair is lighter than beacon red, lol (no, I don't dye it, it just lightens with age and the sun); Janet Thompson drove down by herself and I literally stopped her as she exited the parking garage - hardly gave her time to accustom to the light change, lol; and Donna Slutiak. Yes, dear Donna. I am going to love that woman (yes, I am, Donna). What a gem. Crusty like a mouth-watering loaf of italian or french bread (which is my weakness, sigh), but soft and warm and... well, a delight. She's probably going to kick me over the next couple days - I've told her secret, lol. Wish she lived closer. I KNOW she and I could be firm friends. Of course, I'm in trouble before I even opened my mouth 'cause SDP, bless their hearts, lol, consider me, a Canuck, an "international" member. Well, that gave me special status to jump the humongous queue waiting in their appropriate, well-organized"alphabetic lines". HeeHee. All my considerable work spent promoting the fact that we are "all one" group here in North America and I get special status, lol. Mary McLean figured "us Canucks" didn't realize we were "special" and so was out on the floor amongst the throng of eager registrants trying to reel us in. Lynne and I were standing patiently in the L to Q line-up, but... eagerly left for the vacant International wicket. Yup, that's where Donna found me. Not sure if it was the big "Shelley" on my bag or my irreverant behaviour (probably both, lol). Had already been targeted by another registrant who'd decided that we were kindred spirits (no, I didn't know her, but we're ALL friends here) and was kibbitzing with me and teasing the heck out of me. Yup, going to be a fun week. There are no strangers here.

I will download the few pics of the "throng" in a few minutes and put them on my webshots in a special album that you can view. Maybe you can find someone you know. I just took the pics and don't know anyone. Think I caught Gloria in one of the pics (completely by accident) and took one of Donna.

As I and my friend are SDP National "virgins", lol, we got more special status and our pics snapped by the "official" photographer, lol. Gee, maybe we'll appear in a future issue.

Well, gonna close for now and hope to do more updates as I can through the busy week to come.

~ Shelley

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