It was my dear friend Christy that convinced me to go to the Gathering at the very last minute! Not that I didn't WANT to go...but sometimes it takes some convincing to get me out of the house! We were only able to go for the sale on Saturday, but WOW! It was our first Gathering and I think we have memories to last a lifetime I would say!

We started off the day here :

Here is Cathy Lybarger holding the book that I gave her. Quite some time ago I was clothes shopping at the Salvation Army (where do you buy YOUR clothes??) and I came across this book entitled, "Alien Alphabet" by Rob Chaplin. I think it's supposed to be a kids book (hA!) with mix and match pages of different aliens each with names starting with a different letter of the alphabet. For example the alien for "Q" is "Quizzical Quentin! ( which is very cool because my 5 year-old's name is Quentin!). ANYWAY, if you saw this book, I think you'd understand why I bought it for her--uh, even though I had never MET her! I figured the opportunity would someday arise for me to present it to her. I had emailed her prior to "warn" her that I had a book for her, but I didn't tell her what the book WAS....I think she was afraid I was going to be bringing "Chicken Soup for the Soul" or something like that! I think she was quite relieved when she saw it. Also in this picture is the bead I bought, "Slack Jawed Focal". Ironically, my son Quentin--who isn't as into my beads as his little brother, saw Cathy's bead and yells, "WOW! Can I hang this up in my RooOooOM?!" Silly Quentin! AS IF!
Here's my bead from Cathy: SLACK-JAW FOCAL

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Cindy Palmer and JC Herrell

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you know him, you love him...Triangle Man. Perhaps the most traveled and most photographed piece of pottery (can I call him that???) ever. I'm sure he gets more action than those crazy knomes!

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Cindy with Triangle man. Apparently the top of his "head" has buddha belly-like qualities. So, after meeting and chatting with these three bead beauties, we mozy on down and meet THESE crazies...

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Lauri Copeland and Angi Graham
What's so funny, Lauri? (I think it was the Oparah bra)! I could have stayed at this table for a long time, but I'm glad we decided to move on because we got to meet:

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I so was instantly taken and amazed with Caitlin Hyde's beads that when she asked me about MY beads I about fell on the floor! Something along the lines of, if I didn't have any other beads for her to trade, she'd just have to take the ones I was wearing. ME. Caitlin Hyde wanted to trade beads with ME! In case you were wondering, these are the beads I was wearing:

And this was the bead I traded her:


This is the bead that Caitlin traded me

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I also got a Purple Elvis Tiki from BodhiBoy !! Too cool!


I think these two are in LOVE or something~ :-) What a whop of talent this couple has! Wonderful people! So, just with the people we had met so far and it felt like a full day!

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Now, keep in mind, the whole time we're there I've got like three or four books in my bag (for autographs) my big a** camera, several chocolate bars and Skittles (what? Tofu doesn't travel well!) smelling salts, band-aids and whatever else I thought I might have to have. I'm sure I must have looked like a tourist-groupie person. Who's next on the list? Anne Ricketts

Anne....over here! Can I take your picture? Will you sign my book?
That's not a good look for you, Anne. No just kidding, I actually like it! :-)

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Kate Fowle Meleney

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Heather Trimlett and Beth Williams

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I'm taking a picture of Tom Holland taking a picture of Kim Fields, Sharon Peters and some other people I don't recognize (sorry!)
Tom Holland signing my book (I even stood there and waited while he finished his PB&J. (See? Groupie!) Tom and Sage are far out huh? I wanted to get the two of them together, but Sage was a girl on the go.

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Lori Greenberg . Sign mine sign mine!
Brad Pearson Excuse me, move please...I need to see the beads. I'm a fan, I have a book to sign....excuse me!

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Kristina Logan and Pat Frantz These ladies were deep in conversation when we came up, but we interrupted, made them sign. touched all the beads and hurried on. I think it was after 4:00 at this point!
There are so many people I didn't get pictures of, I even missed some signatures. It was such a whirlwind of excitement and emotion (for me) that I'm just NOW coming down!

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This leads me to my last pictures:
Sharon Peters (signing my book) I started to cry at this point and she reached over the table and patted my head.
Perfect ending here I think...Sharon wraps it up, it's Bye-Bye.

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