I've never been to a retreat (or summer camp when young) but it sounds like fun. I'm with QNS though--I like sleeping in my own bed and knowing where the bathroom is in the middle of the night. QE, maybe a Virtual Retreat would be my style!
Ggal, thank you for the suggestion of a memory type quilt. Great idea and so thoughtful of you. You are so right that my mother's health problems, my sick dog, and my best friend starting chemo for ovarian cancer all crashed in on me and I guess I lumped all those things into the problems I was having with my quilt blocks. Thanks to QNS and all of you, I'm much more comfortable with my choices of fabric. Anne and QE pointed out to me that not all blocks are farm-related.
You guys are not just talented quilters but great people to hang around the campfire with!
QNS sorry about your chickens!