When we first arrived at The Grand Hotel a week go, all you could see here was a field of green leaves.
Each and every day when I left the hotel to go for a walk, or go down to the Gatehouse for dinner, I’d look at these tulips, and every day there were just slight changes. Maybe the stems with tight buds were “just that much” taller over night. Maybe the buds grew fuller, not quite yet ready to open, but reaching for the sunlight through chilly spring Mackinac Island breezes.
Every day I’d wave at them, say hello, and add a word of encouragement – YOU CAN DO IT! You can bloom before I have to leave this wonderful place.
Overnight –tight green buds began to open to pink. I didn’t get to see them open all the way, but any day now this section will be vibrant with color.
How quickly things can change in just a week!
My last meal – breakfast!
I hope this photo is large enough for you to read the offerings. I swear I have gained at least 5 lbs and I feel like I could go a week without eating and be just fine. Being able to dine in a place like this just makes you feel SPECIAL. “Can I get you coffee or tea, M’lady?” Oh, my!
My horse drawn taxi was waiting for me at 10:15 in front of the hotel:
This taxi left just before mine and I caught the last “clip clop” in this short video.
I nearly had a mishap! Oh, it was SO COLD yesterday morning. I wrapped up in the wool blanket provided for me by the driver as my taxi was open-air, unlike the Grand taxi shown above. My cell phone was on my lap, and snuggled in the warmth of the wool blanket I had forgotten about my phone, and when I got out of the taxi at the docks, flinging the wool blanket to the side, my phone got buried in it and I didn’t realize it until 5 minutes later when looking for it.
Luckily there was a gentleman on a bicycle at the dock who went after the taxi, retrieved my phone and brought it back for me. Oh boy, that was a close one!
The day went a bit bumpier from there. After a 2 hour layover in Detroit, we boarded our flight to Atlanta, only to be held up by storms in the Atlanta area. They deplaned us. Waited about an hour, then re-planed us. When I got to Atlanta, I found that I didn’t miss my connection, it was ALSO delayed – another 2 1/2 hours.
This wouldn’t have been so bad….but I had mistakenly packed my hexie thread in my checked luggage with my sewing stuff because I used the thread on the 301 machine I borrowed from Gail! Yes, I had my thimble, but no thread! I did have my kindle…
I finally touched down in Greensboro at 12:45am this morning.
And the mess continues:
Pellston, MI airport has no xray machines for luggage. So they had to hand search each and EVERY SINGLE BAG. I keep TSA approved locks on the trunk show bags. I didn’t find out until reaching home that they never put my locks back on.
Or at least they didn’t put it on the ONE TRUNK SHOW BAG that did show up – the other one was still in Atlanta. Dealing with missing luggage past midnight is never a fun thing.
It wasn’t until I looked at the date this morning and realized that it is Friday the 13th that it dawned on me. It’s all a joke, and all will be okay!
Luggage will be delivered to my home address at some point today. I just wish it was my CLOTHES that were left in Atlanta, and not one of my trunk show bags.
This morning I am reflecting on the sounds of the waves lapping at the shores of Mackinac Island as I pull myself back into my own life.
There WILL be a nap this afternoon, count on it! And there will be something AWESOME to post this evening, just because!
This is a SHORT interim home for me – I head out to Plainfield, Illinois on Tuesday for a few fun days with the Pride of the Prairie Quilters. The hubster has a tennis tourney all weekend so Jeff and I might take Sadie up to the cabin for the weekend – I have that “H” project that needs to be finished and it is up there! At any rate, I’m just winging it today because my brain feels a bit scrambled.
Laundry is running, I’ve had my tea – one thing at a time, and all will fall back into place!
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
Spend a little time every day creating something beautiful!
Vintage grandmother's flower garden quilt shared by a student during the Needle Art seminar at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan this past week.
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!
16 comments:
ay caramba! the perfect storm...but this too shall pass and when you are rested, will be easier to handle....enjoy your time off!
Not getting the quilts has to be the most disconcerting. Hope your locks are returned. And glad that Michigan offered you a little warmer welcome this year than last time.
No matter how bad things may "feel" at the time, we can always be thankful things aren't worse. You made it home safely!
Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy a little rest!
Why or why do the videos not work for me....just a white box?
this waving-sea-blue went into my bag last week, for another healing project.
will pair it with shirtings, and some red =^)
enjoy the weekend before the next take off!
love from witmarsum,
irene
What a fine scrappy hexagon you found! I'm sorry about all your delays and hope that all the bags eventually come home. I love the quote for today. It's raining, so I can't work in the garden. I'm thinking that even cleaning out a room can be an exercise in creating beauty around me. It'll be raining again tomorrow and I can do a bunch of sewing in a cleaner house.
Feeling the same as I finally arrive home about midnight Alaska time. That's 4 am East coast time. Went right to bed; planning a nap later. So much funto be at the Grand Hotel this past week. Loved your classes.
What a day! So lucky to get your phone back, and glad you made it home safely. Hopefully all of your luggage will be there soon - better now than on the trip there, I guess! Have a great weekend!
Grand Hotel and the Island itself is on my 'only wish we could' list. BUT we did get to the Del Coronado in San Diego... that was a dream also. :)
I like what I see in the sewing photo from your room.
Have fun, drive safe and arrive home to a Sadie Jane welcome:)
JuieinTN
I love the daily Quote and quilt behind it. It's a day to LOOK for the GOOD! Hope for the Best! Let Jeff drive up to the cabin, LOL. Have a restful weekend. Sewing/Quilting is my stress reliever.
I had that kinda day Wednesday! It was horrible! I feel for you. Glad you're home. Relax.
All those quilts left behind -- somewhere in an unlocked duffle bag! OMG! Good thing you were exhausted or you might not have slept at all! I hope when your quilts do arrive back home -- they will -- they are dry and intact. TSA in Phoenix also had some snafu yesterday and could not x-ray bags, so most checked luggage ended up spending hours out on an asphalt parking lot in 100-plus degree sunshine until they were sorted into trucks to take them to other airports in Tucson or California for scanning before being loaded onto a plane to their scheduled destination. Yesterday was not a good day for baggage! So glad you made it home safe, if a bit frazzled. Rest!
I'm going to assume your quilts will return safely in their duffle. Maybe even already there. If not? I can't imagine a sole who would have more well documented quilts? Should they quibble you can whip out your blog, your books, and so on. But I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.
I envy your fabulous trip to the "SOMEWHERE IN TIME" hotel! :-) Friday the 13th means to me...sew 13 extra blocks and call it a good day!! p.s. can't wait for another quilt cam when you get some down time! Thanks for sharing your fun! ~Gina
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