Surprise Skeining Party

I have such good friends.
Friday night I had a surprise skeining party.
About 5:30pm saw me winding down, surrendering the day by getting into my jams. I had skeining work to do. The phone rang and it was Ms Audrey, did I need help? "Well, sure thanks Ms. A! come on over". I flew into some clothes and started skeining with Audrey. We hear "I'm home where are you?" from downstairs and it's Em, "how does Muchas Gracias sound to you guys"? Great! Em goes for our "usual" and next thing we know Beth comes up the stairs. Em comes home with "Muchas" ummmm and Al comes with his pizza! All of a sudden it's "PARTY TIME". All too soon, Em departs for the waiting arms of Don, Al departs to the peace of his armchair, and Audrey, Beth and I skein yarn. The last guest, Beth, leaves at 12:15 am. Bed time unknown, I couldn't bare to look.
The next day came very early at 6:00 am, off to Aurora Colony Hand-spinning Guild's Workshops. The event was going along normally until I made a stop in the "Ladies". I heard that dreaded sound and then it registered, my feet are wet and cold. One of the toilets had cracked and water was spurting from the tank (yes, thank goodness not from an overflowed toilet bowl. I had my hand-spun Sheep socks on). Stunned (as much as if I had hit a brick wall) is the word. Jan came to the rescue and got the toilet shut off, (why didn't I think of that?, the shock and horror maybe? is it a curse?). We finally made contact with the maintenance fellow, none to happy, especially when he and I had our first meeting in the "Gents". What can you say when you catch a stranger unaware? At least I had the presence of mind to make my apologies, life returning to normal.
Driving up to the cold dark house, it's windows empty and lifeless, cupboards pretty bare, made me melancholy. My bones creaking and feeling old, tired as I get out of the car, not even the barn cat came to chase out the shadows in my spirit. While unloading the car Emma and Don called and suggested I meet them in St. Helens for dinner, "great", meet you in town!
I was able to catch a strong internet signal while waiting near the parking lot for Don & Emma. Becky called and asked if I knew where Mom and Dad where? I had spoken to my mother only an hour before, but talking over the sounds of the annual Spook-Train and Potluck at Griffith Park proved impossible so we ended it quickly. I told Becky of this, and her reply, "yea I can't find them, I'm at Griffith Park Train station but no one is here".
Sitting in my car the view was of the Columbia County Courthouse. It's an imposing grey, moss covered, weathered stone building by day, this cold, blustery autumn's night made it positively spooky. The usually cheerful little park in front of the courthouse was empty but for the benches, looming like tombstones in the dappled dark. Trees, swaying in front of the lone street light, dislodged their yellow, orange and brown leaves, losing them to the gloomy dark, one struck the windshield. I jump and shivered, glancing up to see the swaying branch shadows, claw the dash of my car. Becky moans in my ear, "it's deserted Mom, I just saw the same coyote for the fourth time", she turns the car around, I can hear the tires crunch on the gravel. "Oh Mom I'm really lost." Griffith Park seems very close and yet so far away ( a thousand miles away). I Google "Griffith Park Trains" and find that there are two trains, one in Travel Town and one on the "other side of the park", which one are you at Becky? "Oh great, Mom, I don't know!" a strong gust of wind shakes my car, which I started, and banged on the heater. "Oh wait Mom, Val is calling !". Becky is rescued at the same time I see Emma and Don pull into the restaurant's parking lot.
A fine dinner, a nice cozy "sitting in front of the fire" evening, an extra hour sleep, "Restful Sunday" with Emma and Don's relaxed, gentle, but productive energy, long stretches of "tea breaks" looking onto a cheery cool autumn day. Stitches East 1 day and counting. The pile of skiening and the list of "still to do's" is pretty high, but I have confidence, one full bag packed and half a bottle of GlenLevet!
Yours in Fiber
Trish