Convention!

What a week this has been! It's always hectic when we're getting ready for our convention, but I still figured I needed to get this wallhanging going so I pulled out my 6 ft square design wall. It's really great. It collapses into a small bag and when I need it, I just put it together. Figuring out how to arrange the squares for my nephew's wallhanging was quite easy with the flannel on the wall! I've since sewn them together and packed it ready to take to Canada to quilt. Oh yeah, I went to Mama's Thimble to find some fabric to back it with. Knowing my nephew and wanting something fun, it will be backed with gnomes travelling the world! I like it anyway and I think he will as well!!Here's what my work table at home looked like early in the weekend. I had to make about 800 nametags before we begin the convention tomorrow. I have it down to a science but it all takes time. Each registrant has his own bag and all the nametags for themselves and their family are put in there. I do this ahead of time for the pre registrants. I gather everything I need and bring it to Nashville.

We came on Sunday. My husband is president of Chet Atkin's fan club. As such, we hold a big convention each summer in Nashville. Here's the living room of our suite. The dining room table is full of both of our work stations, doing all those last minute things that need doing. The table behind the sofa is our kitchen area. We buy alot of peanut butter, bread, chips, etc and hope that some of the kids that come to play will help themselves to our food and save themselves some money. We will have about 60 - 70 performers and workshop instructors during our 4 day conference. Some fairly big names in the guitar world will come to play. They come because they have fun playing with each other and inspiring the players to keep practicing. We have alot of teenagers that come as well. Some are as good or better than most of the players there! They come from around the world as well. So we like to help them with food when we can. We bring a microwave and popcorn too....

I love this suite. The bedroom is through the door and has its own huge bathroom. There's a jacuzzi I"ve never been in and we've been in this suite for years! Once tomorrow starts I won't be in here more than an hour a day. So I've enjoyed it while I can!Tuesday afternoon we stuffed bags. I have all the nametags in the bags but we have a stack of stuff we put in there. So a good number of these people help me all weekend. This is our 26th year to host the convention and most of these people have helped me almost since the beginning. They all know what they're doing and have their jobs. I'm really proud of how we manage to keep the music going and inspire  people to play more. We never know how many people will be there because we register people all weekend.
If you're in Nashville come to the Sheraton Music City and I'll be sure to help you register and point out the players you  have to hear! Go to you tube and find Tommy Emmanuel, Richard Smith, Earl Klugh, Martin Taylor, Edgar Cruz to name a few or some of the new kids, Lindsey Short, Ben Owens, Brooks Robertson, Joe Robinson (who won Australia's got talent a few years ago). We have no idea who'll be coming out of the woodwork this year. That's part of the excitement. They're partying downstairs tonight yet, late Tuesday evening. Sleep is optional!

I'm writing now because I won't have time the rest of the week. I'll be at the registration desk making sure things run smoothly!!!

I'll have pictures of the show next week!

Carol