Well, I've gotten caught up on sleep -- I try never to sleep during the Getaway, but end up missing things for at least 4 hours a night. Thanks to all who posted the photos. It all seems so REAL while you are immersed in everything there, but once you are back home it's like a great shining dream that happened years ago. Pictures bring it back a little.

Thanks to Rita, Nancy King and Carly for a wonderful program AGAIN! The longer format was great -- you could soak it in without looking at a watch, or you could more easily double up on workshops. Got to go to Mia's workshop and learn songs in Bulgarian (Croatian?) AND then get to the Shanty workshop in time to hear and sing loudly with the incredible trio on Help Me to Raise 'Em Boys.

Great to meet more of the people whose posts I have enjoyed reading for the past few years. The Duck family - wow!

Highlights for me:

Seeing that luxurious wedding/birthday spread with all the fancy geegaws on Friday night - what a welcome!

Being in on the Mudcat-generated plans for a "production number" and preparing and performing with the "Ladies of the Club" on Sat. What fun... giggle, shhh! giggle. Ah to wear a pink tutu again! Great ideas, Jacqui and SINSULL.

Singing along with the slightly warped group outside the dining hall on Friday night

Seeing the moon and stars so clear. I live in downtown Bethesda MD which has very bright lights all the time. I literally forget there are stars until I see them at Camp Ramblewood

Laughing for half an hour after hearing "Fido the Rabid Dog" about the flea-ridden Pekinese at the Parody sing

Learning from Bat Goddess about how a teen-aged bat's wings grow so much overnight, it makes them awkward when returning in the morning

Being spellbound by the Underground Railroad song of Loren Ottley's

Hearing from so many people that they remember my son Benny, who won't/can't come to the Getaway anymore. I talked to him on the phone and he said he has such nice memories of the Getaway.

Sunday night after the concert singing everything, including the stand-up-sit-down-link-arms song. It was wonderful how the TV Room and Dinning Hall groups gradually morphed into one big (thanks for the beer!) HARMONIOUS group as one person after the other quietly left the TV Room to get accreted to the Dinning Hall group.
I MUST go to the UK someday --- what spirit!

The warmth: the sun, the warm nights, the people!

I wasn't going to sing at all, except as chorus, not having so much as looked at a song or listened to hardly any folk music (except for the radio program Traditions and my precious cassette tape of the Johnson Girls OF COURSE) for a whole year. I thought I would forget things two words in. So thanks to Lorraine for actually requesting me to sing something. Turned the whole Getaway around for me. (well, that and the pink tutu).

I miss everybody. Have a great year.

--Linda