Submitted by: Jane Jesseau, Corner Brook     Betty’s rug had a raw beginning!  She bought raw wool from Melvin Payne of Cox’s Cove in the Bay of Islands 25 years ago, in 1999.   Soon afterwards,  Betty and her daughter, Zonya, went on holiday to PEI in July of that year. She took the wool with her, to have it cleaned, carded, spun and dyed.  On arrival at MacAusland's Woolen Mill, they had hoped to arrange a tour. And to carry out the process of getting her wool ready to hook a rug.  However, it was lunch-time and the workers were all leaving the mill. Closing for the day. So as not to disappoint her Mom, Zonya spoke up saying “You mean to tell me, we came all the way from Newfoundland to tour your mill, and you are closing?”  With that, the owner, who was within earshot, offered to give them a tour. They hit the Woolen Mill Jackpot!   Well…  they got a tour beyond their expectations.  The owner took all kinds of time to answer their questions.  He took them to places in the mill that were not on the regular tours.  They finished up in the owner’s office, where choices of colors were made. Resulting in two very happy visitors!   Not long afterwards, Betty’s wool was shipped to her back home in Cox’s Cove. Subsequently her rug got its beginning at a Killdevil Rug School, at Lomond in beautiful Gros Morne National Park.  She was a “Day Camper” during her first year at Rug School, arriving early in the morning.  She was staying with Zonya in nearby Glenburnie, about a 20-minute drive away. At the end of a long day of instruction, Zonya was back to pick her Mom up.  Betty had signed up for Joan Foster’s Beginner Course - and she loved it! She bought a pattern from Joan. However, she didn’t start working at the mat until sometime later. She soon realized that she had chosen a very challenging project. A mat that would eventually take her a very long time to complete. It lay unfinished for a good many years.   Betty was used to hard work, and knew the value of completing any task that she tackled.  Previously she had sent raw wool to the woolen mill at Millville in the Codroy Valley many years earlier.   Before she started to hook rugs, she had sewed, and knit socks. She still does that to this day.  She sells these items at local outlets.  When Betty retired she started hooking with the Marbelous Mat Makers in Corner Brook.  She was encouraged and supported, especially when she decided to get back to work on this rug.  The dimensions are 36” x 24”, a large project for any rug hooker.  When it came to finishing the rug, her fellow rug hooker, Jane Fudge offered to complete the edging for her. A process called whipping. For which Betty is thankful. This completes a lengthy project that took many years to complete. Congratulations to the oldest active member of the Marbelous Mat Makers.   In chatting to Betty for this article, she expressed joy in receiving her 10-year Guild Pin and the Guild Newsletter, just the day before.  When she was asked if she had a place in mind for her finished rug, she replied,  “I can’t wait to get it down in front of my fireplace!’