Belated post, but it's taken a while to get back on the rails, here.

First, a big thank you to our hosts, the ever warm and incredibly generous souls who do the hard work of putting on the Getaway, facilitating all the bits and pieces, and encouraging all comers. Thank you for this touchstone of REAL life every year.

Thanks to the best roomies ever, Jeri and Tami. Everyone got what they needed, whether it was sleep or no sleep, and left with the right bras. You're the best.

It was great fun to meet 3 new Getawayers (though I believe they are FSGW folks):
-        Mia, instant friend and total delight, even though (or maybe BECAUSE) she threatened our Abby with a knife within 2 minutes of their meeting; Jeanne of the lovely smile and voice; and Mitch, who was bubbling over like a bottle of fine Champagne shook hard with the wonder and beauty of the Getaway. Yes, Mitch, it's all real, and it really does re-appear out of the mist again next year. Come back.
It's always dangerous calling people out, but I'm gonna do it anyway:

Linda Goodman, you are a delight to my soul every time you sing a song, strum a guitar, or straddle a washtub bass. Like a flower opening and facing the sun : )

To Riggy, Mudcatter newly met: gently, you did one of the wisest, most kind things I've ever seen, and I bow to you. PM me if you don't know what I'm talking about.

The pics of Max as princess just made me spit the last of the 'company' wine all over my pajamas. You're a good sport, and it was great to hear you play and sing.

Kendall's Spoken Word session was great. Judy Cook's Beeping Sleuty made my sides AND my brain hurt, all at once. Kendall and Jacqui, you are the best team ever: keep coming up with stories. Your voices together are spellbinding.

The campfire was glorious. Can we do that EVERY year, please?! Phil Fox is sweetie, wonderful fire host and another veritable jukebox of things fun to sing.

Kat Logan's workshop on Finding Your Voice broke something open: afterwards, I had to go away and think, walk, write, sing. I am a singer, and I WILL sing from my armpits if I have to. Thanks for the perspective : )

Amos sang and played more than I've ever heard. He was everywhere, all the time; clearly he has found the fountain of cloning. I think it might be at the end of that dock. He made me cry twice before noon, which is how I know that he is only part gentleman.

Janie pushed on through pain and frustration and sang AND danced. Can't keep a good woman down.

Roger, Lisa and Charlie, Joe, Bill and Rita, Severn, Jim, Ron, Tinker, Nancy…. See? Once you start, how do you stop? Seeing all of your sweet faces and singing with (some of) you, even once a year, is good medicine. Thank you.

Alla y'all who couldn't be there…. I want to give you hell, but I get it. We have our seasons, don't we? But know that you were dearly missed. Probably if we ALL made it in the same year, a great chunk of Earth would float away on the West River, all aboard.

Post script: Driving home with Abby, Amos and Micca was one of my favorite parts of the weekend. Among them, IS there a song unknown? I doubt it very much. And once the bawdy stuff began… well, who knew it was downhill all the way from Petersburg VA to the middle of NC?! It was ALL downhill from there.