We have a winner!

Sorry for the delay in getting to this post - a rather crazy week. And sorry to repeat the same picture from a few posts ago, but it is the star of the post.

The Hook In was a huge success, despite the crazy weather. Just like the postmen, neither sleet nor snow nor dark of night will keep a hooker from a Hook In. I think we had more people than last year. And the people coming from the north made it there in record time - including all the vendors.

The turnout was a combination of veteran hookers and a few novices. I am happy to report that many of Elaine and my new eager beaver hookers were there, and I think they totally enjoyed the day.

Our guest speaker, Barb D'Arcy was a huge success, telling stories about more than 20 of her rugs. I had the distinct pleasure of introducing her and thanking her. What a body of work she has created. She definitely illustrated how each and every rug is a piece of your life. She had everything there from primitives to Orientals, to fine-shaded florals, original designs - no category left untouched. I think that every person in the room was duly inspired by her.

The day flew by and before we knew it, it was time to draw for the prize of the day - the rug. I am thrilled to announce that one of the tickets I sold was the winner! My friend Gaye, whom I have known since I was a kid in Fredericton, won. She was, as the Brits so aptly say, gobsmacked!! I couldn't believe it either. Of all the people to whom I sold tickets, she was perhaps the cat craziest of all - followed closely by my sister Nancy and my friend Cyndy. The rest of the ticket holders were more than happy to support the cause, but probably wouldn't have appreciated the feline subject matter quite as much as these three.

It really added to the excitement, having the winner at the event. Much more fun than having to make a phone call to someone to tell them they had one. We took a picture of the rug, the winner, and the ticket seller - me. I will post it once I get a copy from someone.

And the Rug Museum of North America is a winner as well. Thanks to the support of everyone who bought a ticket, we surpassed our goal of $1,000 by over $400. So, we will be sending a big fat cheque their way.

How much fun it is to bring everyone together on a winter's day to share stories and show rugs in progress. What a way to chase the February blahs. I sure feel like a winner just for having been there.