Hello Cuties! I am home! I hope all of you are well, sewing or embroidering. This was a trip I will always remember and maybe, most of our travelers will too.

We had just arrived the night before in Tennessee. The first day of excursions over into North Carolina, my niece received an urgent call from home.
I had to walk and walk to help locate all the group and get each one to go back to the bus early.We had to cut the day short and go back to our hotel, to arrange a flight home for her. She didn't want people to know about the details of the situation, but she had to tell them something, so just apologized and said it was an emergency and urgent that she fly home.
Thank goodness all but about five, were our regular people and they knew something had to be terribly wrong for her to leave them, as she had never done that before. She told them she was leaving them in capable hands (mine!) and thank goodness we requested Tracy our driver.
Tracy has driven us before, on the Florida and Missouri trips. Our husbands said, the first time they saw Tracy arrive at our pickup, if she could drive half as good forward, as she could backing the bus, we had nothing to worry about.
Well it's a good thing I pay attention to how Eraine handles things or without that knowledge and God's help, I never could have done it.
This is the first trip I ever remember that she did not do a detailed itinerary, so I had to figure all the timing of each place and where we went, during the day. She had told me where to go, but not when or what order, just so long as we were back for our dinner and show times each night.
Then on way home and calling hotel, making sure all rooms were ready and all cards were named for the rooms, call telling restaurants I was coming in and estimate time of arrival, with 45 people and a driver, and asking could they handle us. Not to mention, finding exits off the interstate to stop for bathroom breaks. Whew!
The travelers bought a card and all signed it thanking me for taking over, but I told them I couldn't have done it without our good driver and their help.
You know God has a hand in all our lives but I really felt Him working here.
My niece was so upset, there was no asking me to take over, I just assumed responsibility. There was no question if I could do it, I had to do it with God's help.
Also, when we had to go back that day early, our people went to their rooms while the driver Tracy, Eraine my niece, hotel manager Michelle and myself sat down at a table together to make plans for Eraine's flight.
Our group later took up a collection to give in a card for the manager because of her help.
When Eraine went to her room to get some paperwork the manager asked me if it was a death in our family. I said no, but I told her the circumstance.
Michelle said she had to welcome another bus group coming in, but after a split second,she said she was going to assign another clerk to welcome them. She said Eraine was not paying a Uber or renting a car to drive in the shape she was in. Michelle would drive her to the airport in Knoxville, which I believe was 35 miles away. Wasn't that extremely nice of her?
So when I told my travelers, Michelle would take no pay or even gas money, they decided to give her a card and a hefty donation for going above and beyond her duty. I told you we had good people traveling with us!
Eraine called me and said if I needed ANYTHING to just let Michelle know and she would help me. Thank goodness I didn't have to ask.
The morning we left the Black Fox Lodge, Michelle asked about Eraine and her family, then gave me a huge goodbye hug. Said she would be calling Eraine to check on her. Now how many hotel staff do you know that does what Michelle did? I told her to show her boss the card we gave her and tell him why. She was a godsend, as it cost Eraine a pretty price, for a one way flight home and she was in no shape to drive herself. I couldn't drive her, as I had to see about escorting the group. Our driver couldn't take her, because she was driving us to our destinations. Michelle was an angel.
Well, like I said earlier, I am home and so are the 45 others. Most all hugged me by and thank me for taking over, as they knew I had never done this alone before. They said Eraine could not have done better which did make me feel good but I'm sure they were mostly being nice.
So, I don't have any photos yet, but when I do, I want to show you the Christmas show at the Smoky Mountain Opry. It was AWESOME ! That's their words but I totally agreed.
Toogie

ps-Mrs Lillian now you know why I didn't call you a second time. I was BUSY-lol