It’s been a busy busy travel day, but I’m happy to say there have been ALMOST no hiccups!
I left Greensboro around 11:30am --- I even saw Horace at his shoe shine booth and he said thanks for the post card, that it made his day. That really set my day off with a smile!
The plane was actually early getting into Chicago O’Hare, and it was a beautiful day to fly over lake Michigan --- I love that view as we are nearing the airport and you go over miles and miles of water and finally see the shore and all the buildings…flying over beaches and streets and cars….
I had enough of a layover to wander around, stretch my legs, get some lunch, find my gate…and off to Des Moines we went!
I met Joan as I came toward the baggage claim area, and as we waited for my luggage, things seemed to be right on schedule…
One quilt bag showed up, then my suitcase with my clothes….and……and…..we wait…..and….
No second quilt bag! ((!!!))
Off to the United baggage claim desk we go, to have the gal scan my bag claim checks --- and she said…”well…they’ve all been checked in! Are you sure you don’t have them?” NO! ONE IS MISSING! ((Can you hear the panic in my voice about this time? I’m thinking…okay…how do we do HALF a trunk show, and which bag was it that had the class samples in it?!))
She said…”Well…we show that they were all checked in at the same time.” So…it can’t walk away right? It has to be BACK there. She gets on her radio thing, leaves us and goes searching.
About 10 minutes later, this big guy comes carrying the bag, and having a hard time hauling it! LOL!! I’m sure he was wondering what the heck was IN it for one thing. It must have gotten one of the D rings hung up on the belt and it had fallen off in the back somewhere. So it wasn’t folded up the way I usually fly with them…it was full flat out.
BUT IT IS HERE! And huge sighs of relief from both Joan and I!
As soon as we were in the car I asked her where we could find a Culvers! I was in desperate need of a butter burger and a frozen custard at this point..and I was told that there would be one about 1/2 way to Storm Lake. Okay. Half way is about 85 miles. I can do that.
Miles and miles and miles and miles of farms…and BARNS! With QUILT BLOCKS on them! I am in heaven---it was really a beautiful peaceful drive, and the time flew by quickly.
We pulled into Culvers and I just had to take this photo..I was laughing so hard. You pull right up to…..
Our front bumper was just about TOUCHING this corn…LOL! You must be in Iowa if your Culver’s parking lot backs up to a CORN FIELD!
But the burger did not disappoint either, and I took this little ditty to GO!
Chocolate Almond..Oh Baby!!
((I’ll pay for it in the morning, because I’ve got to meet Amy and her mom at 6am to go power walk along the lake!))
So where am I? Buena Vista University!
This is the location for a Quilters weekend with the Iowa Quilt Guild! There will be two days of classes, and my lecture/trunk show tomorrow night. FUN!
We are staying in the dorms…..my dorm suite has 3 bedrooms, and I’ve got roomies in the other rooms! And….They are SEWING!!
I walked in to find my roomie all set up and ready to go:
As for me….it’s past 11pm East Coast time as I write this….6am is going to come early for that lake walk/jog ---and even if she sews all night, I doubt I’ll hear a thing!
OH, and this is fun……one of my flight attendants was SO interested in my hexagon project today, I showed her how to do it, and gave her links to english paper piecing and hexagon patchwork so she can start a project of her own! She said she needs a project when she travels and is tired of crosswords, paperback books and sudoku puzzles ;c) We might have another hexagon addict in the near future! ((I do what I can to promote quilt addiction wherever I go, thank you very much!!)) :cD
Night All!
I was worried something happened to your bag!!! I am so glad it was there!! On the road again. How many miles do you put on in a year?? Or even a month!!! Thank you so much for sharing your trips with me. You have taken me to places I will probably never see myself, but after a post from you, I feel like I've been there!! Thank-you Bonnie!! And have a good time making new friends!! Hope you slept well and that you had a great walk!!
ReplyDeleteI love that view of Chicago as you come into O'hare over the lake. Chicago has the most beautiful skyline of any city I know! The last time I got to see that view, my plane was landing just before dark, so it was gorgeous as the city was lighting up. I also love Culvers. The butter burgers are great and the ice cream is to die for. Well worth indulging once in a while. I grew up on a farm in central Illinois and I haven't seen corn like that in a while. I now live in New Mexico (and love it, too) and the vista is so much different. Enjoy your trip and the quilt workshops. Wish I could be there!
ReplyDeleteGlad you got your bag in one piece. Good for you for engaging the flight attendant. Might as well drag as many as you can into the world of hexi's
ReplyDeletehahaha, i have to tell you i'm in downstate illinois and our parking lot at work backs up to cornfields with more cornfields across the street, and i work in an office building! chicago is beautiful, isn't it? lake michigan is quite impressive, too, that's for sure. it's a cold lake to swim in! enjoy your stay and glad your bag was found.
ReplyDeleteI would have been climbing the walls about the bag so I am so glad it turned up!!! Hope we do indeed have another hexagon addict in the making!
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip!
Have fun! So happy to read that your bag did, indeed, arrive. Whew!! Butter burger? oh, my...
ReplyDeleteBeen to that Culver's in Fort Dodge many times (small field of corn right next to the parking). The campus has changed alot since I graduated, but the lake is as beautiful as ever. The dorms have greatly changed also over the years, much more private but community areas. The years I went, they were dredging the lake as it was quite shallow back then. Wish I was going. Robert, in northern Iowa.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you made it safely and your bags too. If you fly home through O'Hare, make sure you stop at Garrett's Popcorn stand. It's in the United terminal. Get the Chicago blend and you will be in heaven! The best popcorn in the world.
ReplyDeleteJeanne
You have probably given that stewardess a new and lifelong pastime that will give her hours of pleasure! Keep spreading the word Bonnie. Love it!
ReplyDeleteOh, my, how I wish I was in Storm Lake with you! Makes me homesick.
ReplyDeleteThe American airlines need to do what Japanese airlines do. When you claim your bags, you get in a line and they match up your baggage tag up to your stub and scan it, so suitcases have been accounted for. Accountability just isn't in this country. For a scary story, our US Airways flight was an hour delayed, had landed 5 minutes before our next flight took off, got there with a minute to spare and denied entry. US Airways was holding all flights. Our connecting flight was delayed 30-45 minutes because they had to get our luggage on the flight they denied us entry for not being there 10 minutes earlier. We had to call family to pick up our luggage. My brother was able to walk into an airport, grab 4 suitcases and 2 car seats, and never be questioned by anyone!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Bonnie, Thanks so much for promoting quilting addiction. I love it when someone asks me about a project I'm working on in public. Like you I want as many stitchers as possible to keep this traditional craft alive. While you're in Iowa, ask whether you're near the Field of Dreams. We visited it years ago and had a blast. You know, if you build it...
ReplyDeleteWELCOME TO IOWA!!! wish, wish, wishing that I were there with you and the iowa quilt guild ladies in storm lake.... greenwithenvy. thank you for all that you share with the quilting world through your blog. I'm working on a smokey mountain star quilt from your patterns. I live south east of DesMoines in Oskaloosa. perhaps there will be a next time for me to catch you in iowa. make sure you get some sweet corn while you are here :) hope you have a wonderful time. janita
ReplyDeleteHave a great time in Iowa, Bonnie - I used to live in Nebraska and the cornfields remind me of that time :o) Glad you may have recruited another "hexie" addict - our group meets monthly at our local library and we've recruited several ladies from them seeing us working on our projects. Hope you'll be coming to central PA sometime soon -
ReplyDeleteJudie
Oh, what a sick feeling that must have been when that bag didn't show up!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of a Butter Burger, but my cholesterol went up just thinking about it.
Sounds like a great weekend. Can't wait to see pics of the classes.
Bonnie, so happy they found your bag! We have Culvers here in North Dakota. (hint hint)
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up in the Heart of Illinois having a parking lot backing up to a corn field sounds normal. Hope you have a great time with the Iowa quilters. You are making me homesick! Also glad you got your bags -- been there, done that too many times!
ReplyDeleteOn a road trip last spring I pulled over at a Calverts just because of all the times you've mentioned it! I had never been to one and I was not disappointed!
ReplyDeleteWell, tried all the tricks you suggested but can't comment with my google name with or without the box checked. So will see if this comes up this time.
ReplyDeleteI said... ah Culvers... frozen custard flavors of the day... the most heavenly treat there is. I'm originally from WI and miss the best!
Bonnie, I am glad you found your bag full of quilts, but I would be willing to be that at any given city or town you visit there would be more than enough "Bonnie-acs" with lots of quilts made from your quilt patterns they would be happy to supply you with to round out your trunk show. :)
ReplyDeleteA good friend of mine is a doctor in Storm Lake. I didn't know anyone else went there!
ReplyDeleteLove Culvers.
ReplyDeleteFavorite Flavor: Blue Moon
Grew up with that flavor and will still order it over chocolate anytime.
But tell them no sprinkles, that ruins it.
By the time I learned you were heading to Iowa, your classes were already full. Maybe I'll be fortunate and get to meet you on your next trip this way.
ReplyDeleteThe number of Iowa counties with active groups putting up barn quilts keeps growing and growing. They're put up by 4-H members, by quilt guild members, by Eagle scouts, by farmers who want to honor their quilting wives. I'm glad you got to see some.
And now I think I'll head to our local Culver's and get a scoop of Flavor of the Day in your honor. I hope it's Just Drummy, my favorite.
Thank you for keeping the quilting virus alive! Have a good time at your Storm Lake meeting weekend. I know it is hot in Iowa! Its not this hot all the time, really. Today, we actually had a breeze here in Ames (Iowa State University).
ReplyDeleteSo glad your bag was not lost, just not where it should have been.
ReplyDeleteKeep promoting the addiction...I do too whenever I get the chance. Did the flight attendant know you were famous??? That a quilt celebrity taught her those hexies???
You are the best.
There is a flight attendent gal in one of my "groups" and she does English Paper Piecing when she is "working" and has finished many of complex beautiful quilts.... great way to "kill" time.
ReplyDelete