Surprise!!

My friends really, really surprised me today. 

Today was our monthly Bee Friends meeting and I was dragging my feet this morning.  I knew I didn't want to pack up my sewing stuff to take up there and had almost decided not to even go to the meeting, but I had won the last door prize so it was my turn to supply this months prize - which meant that I had to attend the meeting.  So, I drag out of bed - Have I ever told you how my summers reverse themselves for me?  How I go to bed extremely late (2:30 a.m last night) and I usually sleep until 8 or 9.  Well, as I just typed, last night was a late one and when the alarm went off at 7, I just hit the snooze a couple of times and finally re-set the entire alarm for 9.  Telling myself that I had to get up, I finally take a shower, find clean clothes to wear and go to my studio to see what I am taking to work on at Bee today.  I hop, skip and jump down the stairs - not really, I am still in a slight dragging mode, here, get into the car and drive to the ATM around the corner.  I pull out my phone to check for any messages, voice mails or missed calls and there is one from a guy that is trying to get in touch with someone other than me.  This is the second message he has left on this phone, so I know I need to call him and let him know that this is not that person's number.  I dial and it rings and rings and . . . I get an incoming call - - oops, pushed the wrong button, now I can't get back to the screen to hang up on the ringing phone because apparently he doesn't answer his phone on Saturday mornings and the person calling me hangs up.  wahhh. (that's me Lucy crying)  I desperately need to figure out how to work this phone better.  Finally I get the phone hung up and call back the person that was calling me.  It's my friend Kathy, checking to see if I am coming to Bee today.  I am usually there on Saturdays.  I am usually either the first or second person in the parking lot on Bee days.  Since I hadn't said anything to anyone, they were a bit worried and wanted to know if I was going to make it.  It was so nice they were checking up on me. 

Truthfully, they weren't really checking up on me, they had other things planned and apparently I wasn't falling in line with their plans!!!  I come in, talk, talk, talk, order lunch, talk, talk, talk and it's meeting time.  We have a guest come and speak with us about our new Hope House and then it's onto our business meeting.  Here again we talk, talk, talk and then Kathy turns to Liz and says, "Liz, do you have any more new business?"  She says yes and proceeds to say something about me having turned 50 back in April and they all wanted to shower me with 50 somethings.  WOW!!!  TOTAL SHOCK!!!   They got me.  I had no idea!!  They had been planning it for awhile and had even decided not to have the party in May since so many people couldn't be at that meeting.  It was crazy and wonderful!!  The first package I opened had 50 zip top snack bags.  I immediately put a couple of them to use and put away the hand stitching I was doing during the meeting.  Let's see, I don't want to leave anyone out, but I am going to have to do this by memory since the gifts are not right here in front of me.  I received:

50 snack size zip top baggies
50 marshmallows
50 rubber bands
50 - 2 1/2" squares of fabric - all different fabrics
50 5" squares in a charm pack - all matching
50 5" squares - 1 charm pack + 8 others
50 Hershey kisses with air bubbles in them
a deck of 50 cards - she later gave me the rest of the deck so I could use them
50 dollar gift card to Hobby Lobby
50 bites of jalapeno jelly - homemade!!  I have wanted a jar of her jelly for quite sometime, now I have one!!
50 organic doggie treats for my boys (and Fiona)

I think that may be all - I really hope I didn't leave anyone out - I would feel terrible if I did.  It was so wonderful and exciting and overwhelming.  Thank you to everyone for the gifts and the fun.  You are all fantastic and I love getting together with you and quilting.  (I really feel like I am forgetting a gift.  I will have to go check and post about it later if I did forget one)

One of my friends' daughter told her she needed to give me 50 yards of fabric!!  When she said no, then the daughter said, well, what about 50 feet?  I am so glad she didn't.  I really don't need that much fabric added to my stash.  Another one said her roommate told her to give me 50 fat quarters. (She told her roommate she didn't love me that much.)  Again, don't need to add to my stash anymore than I already have!!  

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to all my friends for your thoughtfulness, your humor and for loving and caring for me. 

The good day continued - when I left there I went to an estate sale and found 3 picture frames to use for family reunion and a large old yellow Fiesta bowl that had been used as a planter.  It had a chip on the lip, but I got it for $1.00!!  If nothing else, I can bust it up and put it with the other Fiesta broken dishes that I plan to one day make into a mosaic.  Great Day!!