Worked the Flooring America Convention which was, like all conventions you work, exhausting.  Education Day was a good experience.  My counterpart at FA, Lee Wedgeworth, got to try something I've wanted to do for years at a Carpet One convention; put 10 computers in a room, 3 people to a convention, and do the same presentation at all five sessions.  It worked very well, and I'm hoping to repeat it at the next C1 convention.

The rest of my time I was holed up in my hotel room keeping the c1members.net web site up to date during the day, and working the trade show at night.  Once again, I got to spend delightful time in my booth just across from Lee and Linda Butz of CIS Carpet Directory.  They are such charming and fun people, and we have a lot in common.  They are both old UGA Marching Band Members.

Saturday, the show started at noon and was closed by 7:00 pm so I checked out of my hotel room early and went to spend the night at Grandma's house.  I can't remember when I've had the opportunity to have Grandma all to myself, and I really enjoyed it.  We had a nice dinner and spent the rest of the evening chatting.  My taxi came at 5:00 am to take me to the airport, and then back to Atlanta.  I'm bushed

Bill's back off traveling for HP, this time in New Jersey.  He'll be home for a day or two come Friday, and then he's off again to Dublin, Ireland.  Whew!  We're ships passing in the night, but thank goodness for cell phones and e-mail.  I at least get a call or a message now and then with a loving word and a reminder of this or that task that needs attention.  I'm lucky to remember everything, but I still recall what he looks like, so things aren't too bad.

Things change, things change, things change.  For the past 12 years, Beltane preparation has been a set ritual.  We were always up early in the morning for the "Run for the Roses" collecting leftover flowers from florists, and dumpster diving for every scrap of their refuse.  Last year's separation from RW the day before Beltane left no time or energy for that involved effort.  We called on our members to each bring a bouquet of flowers, and we had more than enough flowers to cover our needs.

This year, the old-timers arrived at Lady D's house bright and early in our hard-wired fashion.  But the largest portion of the members took last year as the new template of the work session.  By 2:00 pm there were enough folks there steadily tackling every task.  Bouquets of flowers enough to fill our needs without being wasteful or excessive arrived with each new participant.

L Derw and I had delivered the May Pole from the property to Lady D's house after cutting the extra four feet off the bottom.  Then the infernal beeper went off and he was called back into the office.  Tension... tension... filling commitments to all concerned; home, church, and self.  He swore that, no matter the outcome at work, he would return at 5:00 pm.

That pole... I kept looking at the old pole donated by Green Chapel last year and comparing it to the giant of this year.  L. Osiris, L. Deva and I worked ver hard to remove any knobbly parts that might snag a ribbon during the dancing.  With permission, the old pole was cut up for use in the Beltane fire.  Flower arrangements for the quarters and the wreath for the pole were decorated with ivy and flowers.  Green and white ribbons were attached to the top, and the entire pole was crowned with our magnificent new Jolly Green Giant, created at the "Women's Mysteries".  It all came together with time to spare for truly necessary things like naps and the bottling of Beltane Beer.

The ritual was especially powerful, one of the strongest in my memory, though I can't relate it here.  Our celebrations after included a toast with champagne in honor of our first very successful year, mountains of food for the feast, and music.  My dear friend L. Adrian returned to join us and blend his voice and guitar with this very musical band of merrymakers.  It was nearly 3:00 am before my head hit the pillow 

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