Here is an article that was Published in the Rouge Valley Guild newsletter and submitted to CQA .
”Quilting in the Polar Vortex
It was Jan. 6, 2014, a day of heightened anticipation for six quilting friends. All of the planning had been done months ahead. The venue rented, menus were planned, projects prepared, machines cleaned and oiled, and cars duly packed. The busy-ness of the holiday season was behind us now. We had overseen the family gatherings, attended the requisite parties, kissed, cuddled and gifted the grandkids, prepared and presented feasts and celebrations for all. All of that was all over for another year and so we set off early that stormy January morning.
Machines and projects aplenty had been packed along with food and lady-like adult refreshments to sustain us for three days and two nights and loaded into the vehicles and off we set. Most of us were coming from Pickering, just east of Toronto but Arlene had driven down from Perth, Ontario the night before to join us for the next few days at The Farmer’s Wife Retreat House near Beaverton on the shores of Lake Simcoe.
One slight oversight had been made: Mother Nature had not been apprised of our intentions. Temperatures had plunged to frigid minus numbers and snow in ever increasing quantities buffeted us as we headed up seldom traveled country roads.
After an interesting white knuckle drive, we arrived safe and sound at our destination, a cute little two storey restored farm house. Cars were soon unloaded, the fridge stocked to bulging, machines set up and projects unpacked. Bliss! Three days of uninterrupted quilting, sharing, laughing, catching up, munching, discussing, advising, confiding and conferring were ahead of us. There was plenty of room for all to set up, pressing stations, design walls, extra room to spread out if we needed, a large well equipped farmhouse kitchen, laundry facilities, a bed for each, and two full bathrooms. What more could a quilter ask for?
Meanwhile, outside, it continued to snow and blow and get colder. We soon heard from Renate, the owner of the house, that the road had been closed. What could be better than to be snowed in at a quilt retreat? The next morning the thermometer read -25C. The wind chill was -40C. Over the next couple of days we remained snug little bugs quilting away as our projects grew. Outside the snow moat drift around the house also grew. Sometimes the trees across the field were visible and sometimes not. No worries, we quilted on.
Wednesday morning came too soon. The fridge remained overstuffed and there were loads of projects yet to be completed We would have happily stayed for a month. Sadly, our time together had come to an end. We six lingered as long as we could but the time had come to leave. Needless to say, we will be back again next year.
The reservations have been made: three nights, four days and lots of snow, please!
– The Despicables Irene Dewar, Lynn McCulloch, Arlene Langstaff, Jo Whiston, Kathy Harris, Debra Anger’
