OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

As I returned to my home in Willmar after spending several hours covering an event in Minneota last Thursday, a longtime buddy of mine called to see what I was up to.
He informed me that he had stopped at my house but I wasn't home and he figured I had gone to Minneota for a story or an event.
It took approximately 15 minutes for him to stop laughing when I told him where I had been.
"I was taking photos and talking to some ladies at a quilt show," I said, quickly realizing he would not take the response seriously.
After he finished his chuckling, he asked me again where I had been. Again, I told him but he still figured I was just kidding.
When he did finally realize that I was telling the truth, he asked me if I was going to an opera or a tea party the next day. All through the conversation he kept coming up with events I would be attending next, including a crocheting show, Lamaze class, a class on makeup application and on and on.
I must admit that when I decided to make the trip to Minneota, I wasn't exactly expecting to have an exciting experience. I figured that listening to people talk about making quilts would be right up there with watching Jell-O harden for me.
Sometimes, though, in this profession, I've had to attend some uninteresting events or interview some people for an uneventful story.
Many of the ladies in town that told me they would be presenting a quilt at the event are some of the nicest people I've had the pleasure of getting to know, so I figured it wouldn't be all bad to attend. I can sit and visit with them or their spouses in between taking some photos.
As I looked around the room, I noticed that I was the lone male, which made me think right away that I'd better think of a lie to tell my buddy in case he calls to ask what I was up to today.
The Quilt Show & Tell, as I referred to it, was sponsored by the Society of the Preservation of Minneota's Heritage (SPMH). It was held in the historic Opera Hall upstairs in the building that now houses the public library. I enjoy any time I get to spend in the Opera Hall.
Some of those attending the event brought in one or more quilts made by themselves or someone else. They were to give a brief presentation about who made the quilt, how old it was, what significance it held to that person, and so on.
With pen and notepad at the ready, I figured I would jot down a couple of the quilt stories that were told and include them in my article about the quilt show. I would also snap a few photos and then ride off into the sunset.
One by one, the women brought a quilt to the stage where Val Buysse and Linette Nelson held each one up so those in attendance could see the finished project as they listened to the history about it.
To my surprise, the first few presenter's stories were interesting so I jotted down some notes and figured I would spend the rest of the time eating Dodie Derynck's square sugar cookies that were frosted to look like little quilts. They looked too good to eat, but I managed somehow.
The quilt stories continued to be compelling to my ears. I listened to some touching stories about quilts that were made to comfort those battling cancer. I heard some memorable stories about quilts made from the clothing of family members no longer with us. I heard stories of the many hours it takes to put together these pieced-together coverings.
When the final presentation was complete, I was a little sad that it was over. Being a lover of history, this ended up being right up my alley.
It's hard for me to imagine the patience, time and effort that people have to make a quilt. The finished product of every one of these 22 quilts that were shown was beautiful. I would have taken any one of them home with me if I could have.
What turned out to be an expected uneventful hour left me wishing there were more quilts and stories.
Of course, the cookies didn't hurt anything either.