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Judging show was like a vacation

October 9, 2007 12:35 am

EARLIER in the sum- mer, I got a phone call from a woman I did not know asking me to be a student judge for the Garden Club of Virginia Rose Show.

At first I thought, "Are you kidding, I don't have time for that!"

Then she mentioned that a party was being held for the judges and that they would send me a list of inns to call for a room.

I suddenly had visions of staying in an inn all by myself and going to a party held in my honor, in the middle of a school week. How decadent!

I told the nice lady to sign me up and that's how I ended up in a gorgeous room in Urbanna last week.

Now, normally, for me, Tuesdays involve swimming car pools, football practice, homework and somehow coming up with something to eat that's acceptable to most of my family.

However, on this Tuesday evening, I spent a leisurely hour propped up on the many fabulous pillows on the pristine bed thumbing through some of the nifty magazines thoughtfully provided by the inn. My husband kindly took care of all the kid stuff.

When it was time to get ready for dinner, I only had to worry about making sure I was presentable. There was none of the perennial "go find a collared shirt" or "make sure you put the dog away" business.

A little bus came to pick up me and some other judges who were staying at my inn.

These were no ordinary judges either. Several of them were from the American Rose Society and got to wear spiffy medals with their party clothes.

The bus whisked us to the headmaster's house at Christchurch School in Christchurch. Lights twinkled on a tent set up for the party.

I felt like Cinderella as I got to talk "big people" talk and didn't have to worry about inhaling my food before someone got bored. Best of all, the ladies of the Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula, sponsors of the Rose Show, are great cooks.

I tried everything that was edible in my sight, justifying it by thinking there are no calories in food someone else has prepared.

It was great! And at the end of the night, the little bus came and picked me up and delivered me back to my delightful little room free of dogs, loud televisions, and ringing telephones. (AT&T apparently does not feel the need to build cell phone towers there.)

The next morning, I woke up late and still had time to exercise and have a shower and put on makeup. This would be a considerable accomplishment on even one of my best normal days!

Then I meandered down to the dining room where the man, yes, I said man, who helps run the inn made everyone's breakfast. This was no Special K bar. We had fruit and yogurt with homemade granola. Next, we were presented with waffles from scratch, bacon and blueberry coffee cake.

Again, no calories.

The semi-professional judges at breakfast asked me I if I was nervous since I was about to judge my first rose show.

I truthfully answered "A little" as I suddenly realized that I had forgotten about actually judging the Rose Show as I was enjoying the relaxing part of getting away so much.

I eventually did get around to judging the beautiful arrangements entered in the show and I felt a little guilty just enjoying myself during the day during the week.

That feeling quickly dissipated a few hours later when I drove back to Fredericksburg and walked into my house.

The stray black lab I have been sheltering wanted to chew and lay on my couch simultaneously. My son was having trouble signing on to some special Web site his math teacher has.

I later found out it was because he was trying to sign on with the user name "Bill Gates" and since his teacher had no Bill Gates enrolled in her class, she was rejecting him from the group.

Sigh! I wonder where that little bus is and if south Stafford is on its route.

For more information about the Garden Club of Virginia Rose Show, go to gcvirginia.org.