To the Shores of Okojobi -

People make the world go round.

And I have to share with you the story of a new friend I made yesterday!  This is Joyce.

It’s not easy to get to this corner of Iowa from Anywhere, especially when flying out of Greensboro, NC.  My flights were full, but everything went swimmingly with no delays, even IF i did have to get up at 3:15am to leave the house by 4:00am to board a flight at 4:45am that left for Atlanta at 5:20.  This was Ordinary travel for me.

From Atlanta it was a flight to Minneapolis and that is where the extraordinary began.

I’m boarded on the plan in Minneapolis, the boarding door is soon to be closing which means things need to be turned off or switched to airplane mode.

Just before switching off, a facebook message pops up.

Joyce became my Quilt Angel!

I had never met Joyce before.  She simply knows me from the blog and social media.  She read yesterday’s post about my worry in managing the luggage to the rental car with no carts and she came running.

She lives an easy 7 miles from the Sioux Falls airport, saw a need and answered it.  These are the moments that stop me in my tracks.  The kindness of others produces a ripple effect that simply makes the world a better place.  I hope to be able to return the favor to someone else at sometime!

And may you all have a Joyce who comes to your aid when you most need it!

She met me down in the baggage claim, helped me retrieve my luggage and sat with it like a mother hen while I got the rental car stuff taken care of. (I’m driving a big red Jeep Patriot! fun!)

Thank you, Joyce!

I asked the rental car agent what they would do if they were me with this luggage and no luggage carts (Oh, and it’s lightly raining at this point) and was told to go to the check in counter and explain it to a gate agent.  They went to the back, got me one of the big Delta carts, we got my luggage to the car, returned the cart, and Joyce went off to take care of her other errands while I made a beeline for Iowa.

Little things mean so much!  I can’t thank her enough.  What a chance encounter!  And it just reemphasizes to me how when we look for the little miracles, we find them EVERYWHERE.

Now – let’s go out and be someone else's miracle!

Our retreat center!

The Lodge at Lakeshore Center at Okoboji!

Quilters arriving and setting up!

That window is awesome!

It overlooks the lake!

Beautiful even in rain.

Looking back up at the retreaters setting up inside!

There is some Allietare assembly going on!

And vintage machine love and chat!

Now look at this photo ---Do you see the woman’s foot on the pedal in the manual?  She is wearing stiletto pumps!  The photo actually shows you how to rest the heel of your shoe on the special divot spot at the lip of the pedal – it has a heel rest for pumps.  SERIOUSLY?  Women really did sew with their high heels on?  Oh, 1950s, you crack me up!

My little string blocks!

I even have a loaner machine to do some simple string piecing on.  I’m in between travel projects since I finished the QOV auction quilt (I’ve got it with me to bind) so I’m doing some little half light half dark string blocks to play with.  We will see what they become.

It didn’t take much before tiredness overtook me and off to bed I went, leaving busy stitchers behind in the sewing area.

It’s a good thing.  If I stayed up any later I would have missed this:

Sunrise on Lake Okoboji!

This was so amazing, I threw on my clothes and went right down to the lake shore to catch the glory of it all:

Let the world awaken!

We’ve got quilting to do!

I even took a short little clip so you can hear the birds and see the water ripple:

Today is an easy day – the other half of the retreaters that didn’t come for an early start yesterday will be arriving to day at 11am.  Our workshop starts at 1pm. It’s a Strip Twist Day followed by a lecture tonight in town.

And I hear the quilty chatter beginning outside my room and down the hall, so I’m going to go join them!

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

This quote seems perfect for today after yesterday’s three flight journey!

4 patch X quilt from my book MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders shared by a student during workshops in Michigan.

Have a great Thursday, Everyone!

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