Dateline NC, GA, FL, SC. February 1-16, 2017......Three Events, 16 Days, 2000 Miles, 6 New T-Shirts:
Joni-Dee and I left for a 16 day/three event trip on February 1. First stop was in Clemson, SC for a day to walk down Memory Lane. I graduated twice from Clemson, Joni once (3.5 years), her dad spent 3 years there, and our son, Craig, spent a couple few more, so we have significant history in the town. All in all, Joni and I spent 7 years there. It has changed very little since. We visited our departments and I even met a faculty member from the Entomology Department who was there in the 1970's. Unfortunately, the Clemson Student Union snack bar is a Coke facility, no Diet Pepsi, so that was a downside. Seriously, though, as with everyone I am sure, it is enjoyable to visit places from your formative years, and this was enjoyable all around.
Next stop was at the GBA in Marietta, GA. The committee once again did a great job, Joni met up with Denise Bendelewski once again, and the classes were all enjoyable. As usual, the students are what makes it really fun for Joni. And the baskets of course. Several of Joni-Dee's classes were student's choice, of a combination of set baskets and student;s choice. We particularly enjoy this sort of set-up because each student gets to make exactly what they want. We are doing this more and more, and people seem to enjoy it. Next year, our commitment to the Basket Cruise 2018 may interfere with GBA.We pulled out of Marietta on Super Bowl Sunday and made it south of Atlanta, got two orders of chicken wings and holed up for the night in the camper at a Cracker Barrel, and watched the game. Bummer about the Falcons blowing such a lead....but life goes on. I can always look back on Clemson's FBC Championship for solace.
We meandered on down I-75 to Valdosta for a quick lunch at Beijing Cafe. I recommend you go there if you want very good Chinese food instead of the typical American-Chinese Restaurant-in-a-Box sort of places. How this great eatery ended up in Valdosta, GA, of all places, is beyond me. We rolled into Florida and on down to Melbourne. Tanya Cubeta was kind enough to invite us down (a year ago....these things take time, what with everyone's busy schedules) and host a group of 17!!! weavers at her home....up till the day before going on a family cruise. Now that is Basket-Dedication!! It all worked out for the best however and it looked like everyone had a good time. Joni and flopped into bed exhausted each evening....but it looked like everyone had a good time. We had several new nantucket weavers, but gratified at the excellent output from everyone in the class. Clarice Weathers had also invited a few weavers to this event, and instructed several to either make a practice Nantucket or to buy and read Joni/Denise's book before coming to class! There were some outstanding baskets in this class, and I must say that the view from the Tool Table of the Inter Coastal Waterway did not hurt either!
We next headed over to the Tampa Bay area to get together with 8 or so weavers in Clearwater, set up by Sharron Kirsher at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. on the way we stopped by Lakeland, FL for another Memory Lane stroll. Joni-Dee's grandparents lived in Lakeland, and she spent several weeks there every year. The old homestead is still there and in very nice condition. It is gratifying to see a grandparents neighborhood continue to be well maintained. Joni showed me the lake where 6 year old Joni was accosted by a goose, and other sights. We checked out the new Tigertown Spring Training facility on the way out and decided to stop by to watch Spring Training on the way home....
The smaller group in Clearwater was a nice way to end the working part of the trip, and once again, a lot of very nice baskets were made. Take a look at the pictures below. This is the second time we have been to the area, and it is a nice spot in February!
On the trip home, we stopped back by Joker Marchant Stadium at Tigertown. ( My grandparents lived in Detroit, MI, and I have been a Detroit Tiger fan since I was very young.) My grandfather took me to see Willie Horton and the Tigers in the original Tiger stadium several times. The fact that Joni went to Lakeland, FL every year (the Spring home of my beloved Tigers) had nothing to do with me falling for her back then) .Apparently I was smiling like a goofball the whole time we were there this past week. I must admit it was cool. Spring and Baseballs will be in the air soon.
Next stop was Circle B Bar Reserve south of Lakeland. Joni found this one and it was indeed a great find. 1,267 acres of former cattle ranch make a great wildlife reserve, we can attest. 20 or more wading water bird species, red shoulder hawks and ospreys (we dod not see the resident eagles), and alligators galore. We only had time to walk one side of the trails, but plan to return. We recommend it to any outdoor-minded-weavers out there (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_B_Bar_Reserve).
The last stop on our way home was The Crab Trap on St. Simons Island in GA. Joni and I spent our honeymoon on St. Simons Island, and ate at The Crab Trap back then. We stopped in for dinner on the way home from FL, and they sat us at the same table we ate at back then. In fact, we have eaten there at least 5 times over the years, and have been seated at exactly the same table every time!
Home at last, home at last....seeing the family and getting ready for the next events. Thanks for letting us bore you with our wanderings. We had a blast!
A couple of Notes:
1. We now have an Instagram page. If you want to post pictures to the HNCB Instagram page, post them on Instagram with the hashtag: #handmadencbaskets.
2. Joni and I have continued the "No Politics In Class" rule and we plan to stick with it indefinitely. It is fun to watch the class police itself, and leads to a tranquil weaving environment. Joni and I have also tried very hard (with only a few slip-ups) to carry this into the HNCB social media environment.
3. Our next event is a HNCB Nantucket Workshop here in Summerfield, NC, then, March 2-5, then the NCBA in Raleigh, NC March 16-19. Check the website for the most up-to-date schedule.
4. As we have said before, we are slowly paring back now the amount of travel we are doing at HNCB (hard to tell based on the above Blog I am sure, but we actually are) to try and do no more that 2 events per month. This is planned so that we can finish follow-up projects and be more prepared for upcoming events. We have had a number of instances in the past where follow-up projects were delayed (sometimes significantly) due to our travel schedule, and we want to do away with those delays.
5. Yes, Art, Joni is still standing on chairs, we are trying to break her of that. At least this time is was not a folding chair!
That's all for now.....Remember it's a Beautiful Day, Don't Let it Slip Away.
David & Joni
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