Hello Jeannelou!
Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know about Roseanne Brown and my 
latest adventure in "As the Shoppers Yearn" <
We're "Equal Opportunity Shoppers" <  and have been on the hunt for 
some things for a lady in Sweden.  So far it's a bust but we certainly have 
been having fun! <
Actually we had a great time! <  We started out to go to "Graham,
Washington" and got there just fine but the shop that used to be a Ben
Franklins had little or NOTHING for cross stitching anymore.  Soooo....
I remembered that Tami Cool mentioned to me that there was a Ben Franklins 
over in "Bonnie Lake, Washington"  That's part way up the road to Mt. 
Rainier, soooooo......
We decided to "cut across country" so to speak.  We were winding along these 
roads and enjoying the scenery and it was pretty neat!  We finally came to a 
road where we needed to turn right or left.  Roseanne decided to turn right. 
OK,  now, my DH tells me I am part bird dog, and I hadn't had a chance to 
look at a map yet and get oriented, but it seemed like it might be the wrong 
way to me. <
We went down the road a little and Roseanne says, ok, lets turn right again. 
She did and we did and all of a sudden I look over to her and say,  "Why does 
my little blonde brain feel like it is going in circles????"  She says, 
naaah! We're going the right way!
Well all of a sudden things start looking REAL familiar to me!  Then I saw 
the same shed filled with fire wood from floor to ceiling and wall to wall 
that I had seen about 20 minutes earlier.  Then we went past the same man who 
was putting up a new mail box in front of his house that we had seen about 20 
minutes earlier.  We waved, he waved and LAUGHED at us.   OOOOoooooppps!
Needless to say we got back to the road and turned LEFT. <  This managed 
to take us up a little higher in the mountain.   Then the road narrowed down 
to a single lane bridge with construction going on.  Then we got into traffic 
with a lot of truck hauling logs.  Ohhhhh Gooodie! <
Finally we got to a road that looked like it would head us into "Orting, 
Washington".  It did.  Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to civilization so 
we could find the highway that would take us to Bonney Lake. <  We got 
there and went into the Ben Franklins.  It was definitely worth the trip!
We got to look at all sorts of Cross-Stitching for Christmas, and although I
didn't buy any of that stuff, I did find tatting needles.  I've been using a
doll sculpting needle, but I've been wanting to purchase a REAL tatting 
needle.
They had them separate or three sizes in a package, and with or without 
instruction books or just the instruction books alone.  I'm definitely going 
to go back and pick up the other two sizes of needles and the instruction 
books.   I love needle tatting it is so much easier and faster than shuttle 
tatting for  me and doesn't seem to hurt my hands as much. <
I didn't find the Japan Gold #5 from Kreinik that I was wanting, however, and 
we didn't find the "Glissin Gloss" that we wanted to find for Annica, but we 
plan on another road trip on Saturday to continue the hunt.  Besides that, 
Roseanne is teaching me where all the good shops are <  Then when I am 
able to start driving again, I'll be able to go out on my own! <
Anyway to get to the point of the story, Jeannelou!  Would you be interested 
in one of the beginning needle tatting books they have there???  I think it 
was aroun $10.00  I'd have to go back and look again, and I plan on going 
back to look!  Mainly because I want to learn some of the advanced needle 
tatting stuff. <  They have the real needles as well.  I paid $3.40 for 
one needle. 
The only other place I've found them wanted to sell all the books and needles 
at once for a HUGE price.  I like being able to pick it up a piece at a time. 
Let us know! <
Let's Get Stitchin'!
Anne McReary
mcreary@oz.net
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