Please plan to attend the annual Guild Retreat. Once again we will head out to Freedom Tree Village at the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, Illinois for a long weekend of clay and companionship with your fellow Guild members and polymer clay enthusiasts.

Never been to our retreat before? Here's a taste of what's you can look forward to. When you arrive you will be greeted with a fantastic goodie bag, assembled this year by Cathy, Susan, and Sandy. The Hawkins Hospitality Center houses a spacious communal workroom, allowing us to spend as much time as possible playing with clay. Wooded areas with hiking paths are just outside the Hospitality Center, and we often spot wild turkeys, deer, and other forest dwellers while we are working.

Delicious meals are served in the dining room adjacent to our workroom, allowing a brief but needed respite from the clay. When you're tired, the lodges are only a few steps away. Each lodge is equipped with six bedrooms and a spacious living room. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and thermostat. We will have a TV with VCR/DVD player in one of the living rooms to see videos from our library, much of which will be toted to the retreat for your use.

For more information and photos of the LOMC facilities, see their Web site, and see the photo section of our Yahoo Group.