I'm back.....

Whew...I've been buried under paperwork since the Jamboree ended plus I was physically and mentally exhausted. However, I'm almost back to normal (my normal, not anyone elses) and I'm ready to talk about it. Coming off of the Delaware Guild retreat we were a little tired, but set up for the Jamboree to come so that made it a tiny bit easier. We always close the hotel after the Delaware Guild retreat (not because of anything they did but to ready us for the Jamboree), however as we were about to breath and lock the doors Fran C. arrived early for the Jamboree. Unfortunately, we have to close for our own mental state to get ready, so Fran decided to go to another hotel and come back on Wednesday when we reopened. Debbie L. & Phyllis Y. came down on Tuesday to spend some time with Stasi B. before she left for home so we already had Jamboree attendees on site on Tuesday. Debbie and Phyllis come down a lot to it's like 'old home week' when they are on site. We have little retreats and stitch with them, well Sara does I'm usually home sleeping. Anyway, we worked all week getting food prepared. Sara was in charge of hors d'oevres and I was in charge of the lasagna dinner. I made so many pans of lasagna I don't care if I ever see it again, and the pasta salad...well I've had enough of that as well. It didn't help that all Wednesday night I was elbow deep in pasta only to find that I hadn't prepared enough so I went back to the store, bought more ingredients and started all day again on Thursday which is why I made the faux pas of "not picking up Jane Timmer from the airport." Yes, I said it, it was my fault, I left a designer standing at the airport so long that the security people at the airport asked her is she had missed her flight. She finally called the shop and when Debbie L. & Phyllis, who were standing there and heard the call, found out what I did they offered to go pick her up. When Sara called me at Food Lion and asked if I had the flight information on Jane, I knew I was knee deep in %$#@. I was so embarrassed, can you imagine inviting someone to your house, and then leaving them stranded. I just knew I was going to catch hell from Jane, but when I finally saw her and admitted that it was my mistake she was so gracious and kind and said it was alright (which we all know it wasn't but I'm grateful she didn't have any hard feeling towards me.) Anyway, that was the start of the Jamboree and as my mother always said, "a bad beginning makes for a great ending." And folks, it was the best. While we were hopping all weekend, it was such fun. Several stitchers arrived Thursday night and the drinking..oops, I meant networking began. In the lobby everyone met, had some wine, and talked needlework. And they brought food as well, Jody King brought her wonderful "honey bun cakes" and her potato chip cookies..., Pat Eaton brought her delicious pumpkin breads (9 loaves) for everyone to have some plus she brought rice krispie bars. Kay Owens, Judy Brunclik, Sue Quigg all brought the most delicious cookies to share with everyone and thankfully Sue let me keep the tins which I love to have at Christmas. Carol Reither brought pizzelles which reminds me of my dad as he loved them and Cynthia Radley brought me a gorgeous plate of cookies piled high and topped off with the cutest shortbread mold...a hornbook. While I didn't share that particular plate with anyone at Jamboree, I did share it with my home stitchers when we had our Stitch 'n Bitch on Tuesday following the weekend. I've also gone on their website to look at all the hornbook molds....www.houseonthehill.com...will take you there...it's amazing. There was plenty of show and tell with many of the ladies allowing me to display them all weekend in the shop: Jackie Janosky bringing her Stitcher's Treasure box smalls (Jeannette Douglas designs), Stacie Stinson and her mother Caroline, including M Designs "Christmas" and several Elizabeth Designs blue ribbon winners. Phyllis Yurack brought her "Bethlehem" from Imaginating that was striking, as well as the "Raven" by Cross Eyed Cricket and an On The Bay piece. Debbie Liming brought the first piece designed by Crescent Colours, "All in a Moon," Candi Whitehead brought in M Designs "Halloween Tree" and her mother Linda Wimbrow brought in Little House "Snowflakes", so we had quite a display in the shop and some of the stitchers brought show and tell and I'm not sure what anyone brought except Jean Crockett who brought in "Red Thread Series" by Bent Creek, beautifully framed ...good to see it finished...(I started it and that's about all I can say). Anyway, we had a great time during the weekend and the weather for both events was gorgeous...simply gorgeous...sunny and warm..bordering on hot...and we had several new stitchers attend. Remember the Fran I spoke of at the beginning of the blog...she turned out to be the designer behind "Legacy", and also in attendance was Patty Yergey who is the designer behind "Samplers Revisited," so we were hopping with designers. And the classes, oh my they were wonderful. Everyone loved the classes because they were taught new techniques (new to them) on putting smalls together. Lauren designed the cutest pillow for a miniature adirondack(included in kit) chair with a nautical theme along with the Md. State Flag done on a lumbar pillow for the mini chair. The ladies were stitching this long after the class ended so I know most of them will have this finished in no time. Jane Timmer did a nautical hanging pocket which was so perfect and continued with the nautical theme we love since we live on the beach. Several of the stitchers were also stitching away on her piece in the lobby after class. And Eileen taught different stitches, blackwork, pulled work, etc., on two smalls which rounded out the weekend perfectly. In fact, the stitchers all requested all 3 of these ladies back, and many requested a weekend with Jane teaching her 2 day notebook course. Which, by the way, I have contacted Jane and she is available so I will be setting this up for spring. I also intend to have all three join us again if they can, for another Jamboree. I managed to get my exchange gift with Theresa Wood's done...I took the design off of Shepherd's Bush "Sail Away" and put the scene on the top of a box, lined the inside of the box with "When this you see remember me" along with the date and OCSJ. I stitched her initial and a motif on the bottom of the box along with an over one scissor fob (the sailboat from the scene) and a girl holding a spy glass was on the front of the needlebook. The biggest thing for me was in the finishing which as we all know I hate doing. But I completed it by end of day on Saturday and exchanged with her that night. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of my pieces for you, but I do have her pieces to me to show. Which I will do upon my return from the Moss Creek Retreat...O.K., I'm on the darn phone with IRS so you can only imagine the fire coming out of every pore in my body...I'm multitasking like crazy so I can get out of here before midnight. Anyway, I've received notices periodically from IRS regarding what they feel I owe regarding a 940 form from 1998. Yes, I said 1998. I have sent them copies of every form from 1998, numerous times, think it is straight and in a couple of years get the same letter. I've been playing this game for several years but lately it's been coming more frequently. In August I sent them the forms yet again, along with letters from April 2008 and 2007 letters. The first of October I got a letter saying they were looking into the situation and would let me know. A couple of days letter I got a letter of intent to levy the assets. So today, I thought it might be prudent to call them. You can imagine the response I've gotten. Paul answers asking me if I'm having a nice day. Now really, if I'm calling IRS you can bet it is not a great day for me...or I dare say anyone else. So I tell Paul what my problem is...after answering 15 questions to verify I'm actually who I say I am...and he looks into the problem and says "What forms were you sending?" To which I replied, "Every form I fill out, not only federal but the state forms as well, just so you can verify the same figures are being reported." To which he says, "there is the problem." We aren't saying you didn't pay your Federal taxes...we are saying the State of Maryland shows you didn't pay your state taxes for 1998. So then I ask, "wouldn't the State of Maryland have been contacting me regarding lack of payment if I hadn't paid them? And why are you contacting me for State money?" Now it's not like IRS isn't confused enough, now they are monitoring the State...now wonder our government is so slow. Anyway, he informs me that I have to get recertification from the State showing that I've paid the 1998 taxes. And then he says, we have monies of yours which we don't know what to do with from 2006 (I notice they never contacted me on this) which shows it is suppose to be put toward the 943 form which is agricultural, are you a farm? I said no, that can't be...I make quarterly payments to PNC and they must have processed it incorrectly and that should have gone on Form 941. Well, for some reason that didn't work for him so he kept saying "you need to let us know what we are to do with that money." I kept saying put it into the fica account to which he replied, you need to let us know what to do with that money...to which I wanted to reply, "shove it up your butt...however, I could use the $1000 so I remained silent and said, "Look, I can only deal with the first issue since there is an intent to levy...I'll deal with that money issue later." Then I call the State of Maryland (oh, yea, my day just gets better and better) and I go through the whole explanation with her and you could have knocked me over when she said, "So you need a recertification letter?" Yes, I said, exactly, by the way, if I owed the State money would they not have contacted me? To which she said, if they felt you owed it they would. So while this is complete absolution...I do think we're getting close. While I was on the phone with IRS they did mention they didn't get my 2007 940 form and I should send that along. This is the first I've heard of this....perhaps I'll be hearing about that in 2017. Anyway, I've got to run and start coping all my IRS forms so they don't levy my ass...etts....so I'm ending here and of course tomorrow I head off to Hilton Head for my Moss Creek retreat with Sara so wish me a Bon Voyage and I'll let you know when I return what a grand old time we had. Have a great weekend and keep those needles moving.