Oh my goodness, I'm so far behind with the blog, but I hope I make up for it with todays whispers.

I have some time off this evening so I'm going to write about my experiences here at Asilomar.

I've wanted to come to this retreat for years… and I have to pinch myself that I'm actually here right now.

As I write to you now, I'm privileged to watch a deer and her two babies standing just feet from my window. The animal pictured below was giving birth to her baby outside our class window yesterday.

Enveloped by tall pines the grounds are immense and date back the 1920's. My room has an open fireplace and is very spacious, a little spartan by some standards but comfy. There is no TV, no phones and there is a sense of peace and respect for the nature that surrounds us.

200 ladies are enjoying the 5 day quilting extravaganza and its been a wonderful experience. I'll be sad to see it end… but I have been invited back. !!!

There is a sense of camaraderie that is linked to a group of like minded creative people. The show and tell of quilts from previous years has been outstanding.

Just a short walk from the dining hall is the ocean. Dark, brooding and cold but on the other hand its spectacular and inevitably exciting in its changing hues.

Asilomar is a short drive to Pebble Beach and the town of Monterey which hosts the famous Cannery Row. It was the setting of John Steinbeck's novels Cannery Row (1945)and I managed to get a copy of the book from our local thrift shop recently. The book gives an altogether different perspective to the area than is present now.

I'll have more time to take photos tomorrow. Stay tuned