The Hurrierder I Go...

The behinder I get!

I am still wading through unread blog posts, SAQA memorabilia and my studio.  As Jenny wrote this morning, it's "Santa Fe Overload"!

However, I have managed to download the over 225 photos I took on my trip.  As my children will attest, this is an exceptional amount of photography for their point-and-click mom, who's just learning how to "manage" photos (import, categorize, rotate, rename and otherwise manipulate) on this new PC/laptop.

As Jenny also said, Santa Fe was all about the people.  With the exception of a few stony-faced security guards at the airport in LA, my entire trip was filled with people who smiled, welcomed, gave directions, toted luggage, served food, taught, inspired, hugged, admired, thanked and in all ways filled my heart, mind and soul.  That said, most of my photos were of my surroundings and lots and lots and lots of art.  But here are a few of the people:

Nancy Turbitt

There's Nancy, who I swear never stopped beaming!  She glowed the entire time.  :-) We met in Denver in 2011 and it was such fun to see her again.

Jenny Lyon, me, Judy Warner

I have to thank Jenny for this clear and clean photo of the three of us at the Santa Fe Spotlight silent auction fund-raiser on Friday evening.  She and I have been cyber-acquaintances for 3 or 4 years; meeting at the conference has made us friends.  Joining Jenny and me in that photo is my long-time friend Judy Warner, whom I met in Denver in 2011.  Don't we make a great trio?  Our smiles say it all!

Sherry Kleinman, Judy Warner, me

Another new friend is Sherry Kleinman, a very talented artist from Pacific Palisades, California.  Here she is with Judy and I in front of a sculpture at the Folk Art Museum, which we visited Saturday afternoon.  Another great trio!

And I would be remiss if I didn't include the Canadians who travelled to the conference.  Alas, operating without the flash (by request), Judy apologized for the blurry photo.  Apparently this was the best of several she took at the time!

Rear (L) to (R): Mary Pal, me, Anna Hergert, Elaine Quehl, Hilary Scanlon, Donna  Hamilton
Front (kneeling): (L) to (R): Maggie Vanderweit, Heather Dubreuil
Absent: Rebekah Crown

Although there were 9 Canadians at the opening ice-breaker on Thursday evening, we seemed to have lost one along the way.  Here are the 8 who gathered Saturday evening after the banquet.  Perhaps more than the lighting transpired to make us look blurry: after a jam-packed 2 1/2 days, plus long journeys to get there, plus adjusting to 7,200 feet above sea level,  we were all undoubtedly feeling a wee bit fuzzy around the edges!

I know there are other photos out there of me with other friends -- Kathie Briggs and Teri Springer, I think -- and perhaps even with new friends such as Holly Altman -- but they're not on my camera.  Perhaps they'll pop up over the next little while on the SAQA blogs, member blogs and/or Facebook.

Just give us time to recover!