If I were a person who posted on this blog with any regularity – you, the reader (I hope there are readers!) would have noted my absence… But I am an infrequent author here on my blog…and I am working on that. But this past week I was away; at a utopian community nestled in the woods of north-western North Carolina. Yes, I mean Penland.

Going on a retrest for a week – well, my husband is eternally supportive. He was left at home with 2 crazy dogs, 2 (at times) cranky cats, daily trips to the doggy daycare, and a full time job of his own. But he sent me off with encouragement and best wishes.

I went to take a class – albeit a class with two well known and well received artists in their respective genres. One of these artists – I have followed her work for years, a great inspiration to me. On paper, Penland reads like art camp for adults, but it is so much more.

So over the next week or so, I will keep posting about my week and my experiences there. It was inspirational, invigorating, exhausting, and a helluva lot of fun. I am still digesting and settling back into the real world. I am happy to be home, of course – I love my life. But Penland has made its mark on me…