25,000 Days Old On Leap Day

This had to be one of the best parties I’ve ever hosted!
I took NO pictures….I just wanted to enjoy the party.\ and the memories are still fresh in my mind after all these years.
The photo you see share a few souvenirs from the party.
How lucky am I to have my 25,000 day old birthday fall on Leap Day and on top of that it was a Friday, the day everyone is in a party mood!
My intent was to make all the food…heavy appetizers and desserts. As I mentioned the party to my friends many of them volunteered to bring something and I did little food preparation.
The food was awesome and plentiful. By the end of the evening almost all the food was gone.

M & M’s
My guest list included neighbors, quilting friends, my Village People friends, my card club, my Wisconsin friends now living in the area, and just plain friends.
I made the rules and they were observed since no one had ever been to a 25,000 day old party before.
This was the invitation:
Kay Sorensen’s 25,000 Day Old Party
Yes, that’s 25 THOUSAND
February 29, 2008 XXXXXX That’s my house!
5 pm. Til ????????????
Heavy appetizers,  dessert and beverages
What to wear? Florida Friday night “going out” clothes!!
In case you have never been to a 25,000 day old party I’m including the Etiquette Rules for a 25,000 day old party
Etiquette Rules for a 25,000 Day Old Party
1. You may NOT bring a present
2. No cards unless you can find a card for a 25,000 day birthday celebration
3. It is NOT proper to bring a present
4. If you have adult houseguests they are most welcome
5. PLEASE do not bring a present
6. It’s all about FUN and enjoying the party!
7. Do not bring a present does NOT mean bring a present.
In case you are one of the people I told I won’t really be 25,000 days old until March 1^st, I WAS WRONG. I recalculated and the proper date is February 29^th. I forgot February had 29 days this year. Oh, well, what can you expect from someone who is almost 25,000 days old!
RSVP to: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Driving and parking Please come in your golf cart if possible. (If you live in The Villages or Ocala do NOT come in your golf cart!)  If you’re driving and can double up it will help the parking situation. And if you live in the neighborhood you can walk!
As guests arrived they were greeted with a hug and a flamingo necklace which set the theme for the party….FLAMINGOES!
I made up a questionnaire and the reward for getting the answers was a flashing flamingo pin! Almost no one completed the questionnaire but it was the best thing I’ve ever done to get people mixing. With friends from such a variety of groups so often people tend to stay in their own little group….not at this party….everyone mixed and met new friends. I did come up with ways to give out almost 50 flashing flamingo pins!
And how many friends attended….64! It had been a cold season and I was thrilled when we had the warmest day and the best weather of any day that month. We were able to have the doors to lanai wide open and people moved back and forth between the great room and the lanai.
If  you are approaching 25,000 days old or any other interesting number I hope you too will have a special unexpected party.
Remember, you are only 25,000 days old ONCE!

Today One Of My First Friends Is Here

If I told you how long Sally and I have known each other you won't believe me because she doesn't even look as old as that many years.
It was so good to get together for lunch and a visit as it has been far too long.

My Approach To My Work- Rerun

Thinking about who I am and what I do as an artist I have some basic “tools” I use as I create no matter what medium I am using.

My current show “Ice Tapestries And Shibori Quilts” pushed me to think about how I work. Questions and comments by visitors to the show also help me clarify my creativity approach.

Color is one of my most important tools. Color can mean so many things and  the way colors work together and play off of each other is evident in my work.

I prefer to pair design down to their simplest form for the greatest visual impact.

Along the way I try to find the most efficient way to construct my work. I also strive to find the easiest way to bring my vision to completion. Often as I am working on something a lightning bolt hits giving me a better way for my next step.

Although I have chosen imperfection as my word for several years, it is something I have a hard time doing. I do use it as my excuse when things don’t work perfectly.
I work in series, although sometimes it is not as evident in my finished work that the varied pieces were part of the same series.

Play is another part of my creativity. I do not attempt to recreate something I’ve already done.

My work comes from deep inside me and cannot be forced. Creating is as necessary to me as breathing.

I march to my own drummer and do not follow the latest pop craze in the art arena.

Beth's Recent Visit

As my friends visit I am taking new photos of them with the new quilt in the background.

I couldn't believe I had not taken her picture in front of the quilt since she has visited several times since it was hung. When the two of us get together we have so much to talk about and show each other we run out of time and I forget. This time I got it.