Good Times!

Back in Michigan after cold days in Columbus (though they are just as cold here!).

Last time I talked a bit about the NETA conference. Here's a bit of an overview -- highlights of a great time!


First, the opening reception was terrific! It was a COSI, the science museum, also site to the WOSU (Ohio State) public television studios. Some of my favorite parts of this event were the stilt people...


...the walking statue. He would stand still (I watched closely for breathing -- he's very good, and looked very "metalic")...

...the musical talent -- this is a terrible photo of a terrific drummer, but he moved too quickly to stay in focus! (He also had a group of dancers with him and was later joined by other musicians, including some audience volunteers!)

...the studio tours. WOSU is located within the museum, which makes it very public and a wonderful way for people to really be able to interact with their public television station....

This is one of my colleagues at one of the interactive displays they have set up in their studio so people can "play" at being a director...

...the fascinating pendulum in the lobby. Again, moving too much to be a clear shot. This pendulum moves with the earth's movement, if I got that right, and every so often, it knocks off a metal marble positioned in the circle that surrounds it.

...the Space Exhibit. This area focused on space and had walk-in areas so you could see the food and facilties astronauts work with as well as many interactive exhibits.

The conference was fun, too. Tremendous workshops and a good learning experience. Lots about digital television and the February 2009 conversion, which has all our heads spinning. And many other good sessions related to promotion and communications. Wonderful people, too. I like this conference because it isn't so big it gets "out of control" -- you really do get to see and talk with people.


The first day's lunch featured Mary Ann Esposito, host of "Ciao, Italia" (check your public television station!). It was a pizza lunch and I've decided I'm in love with gorgonzola and sun-dried tomato pizza. She was very gracious (pictured on the left with a NETA staff person named Gail).



Thursday night was the hospitality suite evening. As I mentioned before, I was all geeked up about the "how-to" suite, and it didn't disappoint. Here are three of my creations (the card wasn't that great and not worth including!). The necklace nearly killed me -- made me realize I either need to move to a bigger size reader glasses or bite the bullet and get the real thing! Sandy Laipply of "Beads, Baubles and Jewels" graciously helped me with some of the smaller-holed beads. (Let me say that I've strung beads since I was four, and there is nothing complicated about this necklace except for the wretched rubber bumper beads between the pearls. I will never use them again unless I get lasik.)


The fun table was for "Knitting Daily," coming in summer to PBS stations. We needle-felted a heart which I pinned to my hat. This was a terrific group of people, and we were all very diligent! When my colleagues from the station, Bill and Joe, stopped by to say hello, I fear I barely noticed them!

And I loved "Quilting Arts" and meeting Patricia Bolton, who many of us know as editor of "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" (as well as "Quilting Arts" magazine). Our project there was a coffee cup holder (like the kind you might get on a Starbucks cup). Using fabric and fused patches, we cut out the designs we chose from the patches, arranged them, and Patricia sewed them onto the pre-cut shape and then free-quilted it with the machine. It's really cute and I'll use it.

She was a lovely and very interesting woman (who really looks young!), with a lot of experience under her belt (including a background in special needs). She landed in this business after a trip to Jo-Ann's on a stressed out day during the period she was working on her Ph.D (not in crafts!). I was pleased to have the opportunity to tell her how much I -- and many others I knew -- enjoyed and used the magazine.

(One of the things I didn't know about many of these shows is that they are produced in a studio in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. I have family in Beachwood, and I think a studio visit may be in the offing!)

I didn't have time to do the other crafts -- making a tea towel -- those were very cool and I was sorry it was getting so late; make a lanyard (been there, done that) and decorate a cookie with cool tips. That looked fun!

I should mention that there were other hospitality suites and I was pleased to meet Mike Leonard, whom you may know from "The Today Show" and who has a series on PBS about his road journeys with his parents. I saw some of the shorter reports on Today, so I'm looking forward to the show. He autographed books, as did a most interesting fellow whose name I can't recall but has a series on cosmology, religion and thought. His book is pretty thick and I wish I could remember the name of it. I think it will be a good one, not a quick read, but a thoughtful one. And Scott Huston of "Play Piano in a Flash" was there, too.

The last day was made up of a couple of workshops and a trip home (with a stop at Trader Joe's -- hooray!)

Ah, but what did you do on the other evenings, Jeanie?

Now those were fun, but had nothing to do with the conference. I was staying with my very good friends Linda and Larry. I had a great time on one night enjoying playtime with their adorable grandchildren who are 3 and 5, and more cute and fun than one could imagine!

The next night we had a lovely dinner before the suites. Then Larry took me on a city tour of Columbus' Victorian Village, German Village and the Ohio State campus. They were gracious, wonderful hosts and it couldn't have been more fun. (I have to add that Lin is totally the Spirit of Christmas. She's been getting things put away and I took this picture because it made me feel good -- how nice to have a "holding" area -- between the display place and the storage spot!)

I'll be back to shorter posts next week! But thanks for listening!