My big adventure and cause for celebration..

Almost two years ago Holly Van Kleeck and I were chatting at a retreat and she asked if I would be interested in attending a  Judith Baker Montano workshop with her.  And it is finally happening.. Holly lives in Denver and will pick me up at the airport on Friday.  We will be staying in Judith's guesthouse and the workshop we are taking is "Cottages Galore" which fits right in with my year's exploration of everything cottage.. I am packing threads, material and beads etc., - but no ribbons.  I plan on splurging on lots of Judith's lovely hand dyed ribbons which you see hanging behind her.

After a long year of my health problems and my mother's health problems, the thought of totally immersing myself in stitching surrounded by stitchers for 5 days is my idea of heaven,

And I will be leaving on a celebratory note. About 3 months ago we were notified by the county assessor's office that the forest acreage needed to be reclassified due to a change in country regulations.  I have no  problem with this.... But the fees and requirements to do so were going to be nearly $2000 for what amounts to a little paperwork. So I went into battle and have spent hours and hours and  have two files stuffed with forms, regulations and letters. I have met and corresponded with multiple persons in the assessor's office, the county planning office and with the state assessor's representative. It has nothing to do really with the forest nor the land but is about money.  What it ensures is that when the forest is eventually harvested (after I'm dead and gone) that the state will get a bigger tax bite of any profits.  For weeks it was like banging my head against a stone wall but to my great relief I found out on Friday that I won and the costs for the reclassification are being waived.