Back Home!

Why is it that the events you most look forward to end so quickly?  Keys4Art2012 is over, and that is a little bit sad, but I have to say, I am still feeling the warmth of friendship, and believe it or not, I am still relaxed.

I flew to Miami with Pat and Teri, and we think our pilot was in a rush for a hook up, because we landed almost an hour early.  We met up with Daisy at the baggage carousel, then headed for Chili's where we'd spend the next MANY hours, waiting for the others to arrive.  Several quesadillas and margaritas later, we piled into a van and headed for Elena's home in Key Largo.  Elena stayed behind to wait for the two latest arrivals, Val and Jen.

No photos to post of our first night together.  I wound up with so much stuff, I had to pack a lot into a box for Elena to ship, and some of the projects and gifts are in that box, but this is what things looked like the next day:

Daisy, Jen and Jacquie

Working on our postcard project:

When I first met Karen at the airport, I thought she

was a little bit nuts for bringing so many suitcases,

but now I know better.  One was entirely filled with

treats from Louisiana.  Today we got cajun chips.

We didn't have anything special planned for day one, so

I had time to make the covers for my postcard book.

I slept on the couch.  Right next to me were Teri and Pat

on air mattresses, and all the way on the other side of the

room was Daisy on a matching couch.  We were right next

to the room we worked in.

A view of the room from the other end.

Here's Pat with her smash book, one of many gifts

awaiting us.  When my box arrives I'll be able to

post pictures of all of them.  We were very very spoiled.

My Oregon art sisters, Marita and Gina:

Pardon the fuzzy photo; this is a little travel journal,one of many
gifts waiting for us from Elena.  She purchased them from Tim, and
the kits include a miniature suitcase that the journals fit into perfectly.
Mario sent along a special gift from him:  Tim Holtz aprons for
everyone!

Because we had so many people coming this year (17), we had some overflow staying at a fabulous beach house, thanks to one of Jacquie's clients.  While Elena and Teri went to Miami to pick up Lynne Perrella at the airport (more on that later), the rest of us headed to the beach house in the late afternoon to get dinner ready.

Jacquie was going to make paella, and I couldn't believe the size of the pan.  We helped with the prep work, and I have to say, it was the first time I dealt with a recipe that called for 16 cups of rice and 2 gallons of chicken broth, not to mention similar huge quantities of vegetables, chicken, sausage, shrimp, lobster, clams, mussels, and crab legs.

The view from the deck:

Do you believe the size of the paella pan?

The house as seen from the water's edge:

Most definitely the best paella I've ever had.

Bernie (Elena's husband), cracking the crab legs:

The next day we began our 2 day workshop with Lynne Perrella.  Fantastic!  And to be continued....