Phronsa & Paulette met Judy in February of 2005 at a weekend retreat held in Gallant, Alabama at Camp Sumatanga (hosted by Renee Johnson).  They were instantly addicted to her spunky personality and ability to pull an all-nighter.  She’s just one of those women you immediately feel comfortable with.  As well as being an interesting and fun loving person to spend time with and the creator of beautiful scrapbook pages, she is a magnanimous hostess.

Twice annually, since 2002 in Shiloh, Georgia (next to F.D. Roosevelt’s home of Warm Springs) a weekend Craft Retreat is held at Concharty Girl Scout Camp.  Judy and other members of the Crochet Guild of Peachtree City organize the event attended by an average of 30 crafters.  Scrapbooking enthusiasts are joined by those who enjoy stamping, quilting, knitting, crocheting, weaving, and sewing.

Judy and her husband, Charlie arrive early at the camp on the day of the retreat’s beginning.  They set up tables, chairs, and a huge selection of Sizzix dies, make sure the restrooms are clean and have plenty of soap & paper goods, and even start cooking our dinner for that evening.  They pretty much do everything necessary to bring comfort to the crafters who are on their way.  Charlie is almost always around to help us unload our supplies if we need him.

As ladies file into the lodge, they are welcomed by a friendly Judy.  Sign up sheets await everyone for “kitchen duties”.  Everyone there gladly pitches in with either meal prep or clean up afterwards so that no one person bears the brunt of responsibility for the weekend.  There’s also a sign up sheet for those who want to go for lunch on Saturday at the magnificent Bulloch House in Warm Springs.  We all caravan there for an absolute feast of good old country cooking!  Known for its delicious fried chicken, roast beef, and vegetables (featuring fried green tomatoes), the old farm house – turned restaurant never fails to deliver up to our expectations.  It is one of the highlights of the weekend!

In the crop room, there’s always a radio or CD player pumping out a variety of great tunes which blend with the sound of women laughing and talking while they craft to their hearts’ content.  If anyone desires to have a break from the crowd, beautiful trails and a gorgeous lake await hikers, runners, and even those who like to fish!

Some of our ideas of how we do things at our retreat were derived from the events hosted by Judy and the crochet guild.  The method of receiving tickets for prize drawings and the ability to choose what you want to be in the drawing for came from Judy.  Covering most of the crop tables so that you have a surface on which to write notes or “practice” stamping before putting the finishing touches on your project is another idea we obtained from Judy.  We are learning from our experiences at each retreat what works and what does not.  It’s nice to have such a great mentor as Judy to follow and strive to acquire the success that she has achieved.

We appreciate Judy and all that she, Charlie, and the other members of the Crochet Guild of Peachtree City do for those of us who enjoy those wonderful weekends each spring and fall.  Thank you so much for your hard work and planning that goes into every one of those events.  Our hope is that one day we will have all our “die cuts in a row”, too.  We respect that Judy not only makes certain everyone attending her retreats has a good time; somehow she manages to get a lot of scrapbook pages done!  That is something we'd like to strive for in the future.  Her ability to accomplish stress free multitasking is worthy of our admiration!

Judy, we salute you!