I returned from St. Louis and our travels, unpacked, repacked and then headed to Sundance to join my friends there (Thursday to Saturday) for our annual book club retreat.  What a gift it is to have such dear friends.  We are in our 35th year together.  I’ve known these girls longer than I’ve known John!

One of my very good friends recently commented, “I always said that having a family or couple over for dinner is about equal to 18 months of seeing them in the hallway at church.”  We see each other every month for a couple of hours, but stepping away from everything else in our lives and spending 3 days together every year at this retreat has cemented our friendships.  We unburden our hearts, we cheer each other on, we laugh and cry together.  We eat and play games.  And we bring projects to work on while we visit.

We’ve always called ourselves “Excellent Women.”  Part of our excellence comes from supporting, listening, cheering and lifting each other.  I need to make more time in my life for my friends.  We need each other.

This week at the cabin  finished my Whig Rose applique, worked on my English Paper Pieced Star quilt’s edges and I chopped more snakes.