Well I missed Tinker's strip act, but I DID get to hear Dani sing, and it was very fine indeed. Other highlights for me included:

Hearing Ann Mayo Muir and her daughter Christina singing together -- what a treat that was! We heard rather late in the planning process that Ann was in town, so we asked them to come and they did!

Several workshops, including Parting Songs and Remembering Hazel Dickens, stood out for me.

As always, it was wonderful to see all those great friends I get to see all too seldom. It was particularly fine to see some folks who haven't been at the Getaway recently, especially Nan & Paul Goland and Dwayne Thorpe.

The wonderful harmonies of the Gloucester, Mass., contingent -- Colin de la Barre is the best harmonizer I've heard in a very long time, and he sounds great with his mom Rose and their friend Olivia.

I was very gratified at the outpouring of generosity for Magpie's bridge fund. We were able to present them with close to $3,000! That leaves only about $15,000 to go, of course, but it's a hell of a good start, and I know Greg and Terry are very grateful. If you don't know what this is about, check out this thread, or Magpie's web site.

Lots of people worked hard to put the Getaway together, but we wouldn't do it if it weren't fun, and if the results weren't so great! Extra special thanks go to Tinker and Jacqui, who made the silent auction work and so raised a bunch of money for the Getaway scholarship fund, and to Judy Oppenheim, who stepped in at the last minute and took charge of the Retreat Center kitchen, keeping the potluck and snacks -- and all of you volunteers -- organized.

Thanks, too, to all of you who came to the Getaway! YOU are the ones who make it what it is!

By the way, if you didn't turn in your evaluation form, and still have it, please take a couple of minutes to fill it out and send it to Dean Clamons (whose address is on the form). Your feedback will help us make the Getaway even better!

--Nancy