Going into it, I definitely knew my limit. My "secret" amount was the $500 that I had saved back from cashing in my change for the last 4 months as well as my after school tutoring money. I told my good friend Mike that if I even thought of going over that amount he was to do something about it! Kind of glad he didn't have to now. :) Looking back, I realize that $500 wouldn't have taken me very far on most of those works of art and beauty. But I was able to bid on two other things and win them. The wonderful thing was that I used less than half of the money that I had saved for the occasion, meaning that I not only came home with two items from the quilt sale, I was returning with more than half of the money that I had allotted. The two items that I bid on and won are shown below.
The top piece is a comforter that will fit a twin size bed. It was made by Doris Weber during something called the "Comforter Blitz of 2012". Not sure what that refers to but it sounds pretty serious to me! The bottom one is a table topper that was made by an Emporia woman, Beth Krehbiel Hanschu. Its name is "Village Square". I love both pieces and was glad to finally fulfill Item #3 from the Miller Bucket List, "to bid on and buy a quilt from the MCC sale in April". Even though it was a comforter and not a quilt, I'm still quite satisfied and the morning was spent having lots of fun watching what others were interested in buying.
It was actually quite entertaining to watch all the people who had come to participate in the auction. There was a gentleman sitting behind me who was a successful bidder on 3 quilts. In fact, he was the top bidder for a beautiful one that I saw right before leaving. His bid of $8,200 was the top one and at one point in time, I toyed with the idea of asking him if he'd like to buy one for me. LOL, but nah, I wouldn't do that.
Having never really been to the quilt auction before, I wasn't even sure what to expect. As I had hoped earlier, it actually was an entertaining time. The auctioneers did a great job and they knew what to do in order to try and get a higher bid. Several times during the 90 minutes I was there, quilts went well over the $1,000 mark and each time a quilt was won, the spectators in the audience would send up a hearty round of applause. At the end of the bidding on the quilt that went for over $8,000 several in the crowd rose to their feet with shouts, whistling and clapping. The bottom line was this, every item in that quilt auction, heck every single, solitary thing on that fairgrounds yesterday was donated, with love, from a person who truly believed that was what they were supposed to do in this life. Proceeds from yesterday's activities will be used to help people both here at home and throughout the world. I'm glad that I finally got to take a small part in it. "Miller Bucket List Item #3 can now be "checked off".
Although I am thankful to have purchased what I did, I don't believe that buying a quilt was the only thing that God had in mind for me as I made that trek to the Kansas State Fairgrounds. I met a very nice lady who lives in the far western Kansas town of Satanta and the 90-minute time that we shared together was truly a blessing to both of us yesterday.
As we took our seats on the front row of the auction Saturday morning, an elderly woman made her way to the seat next to my friend Mike. We exchanged pleasantries..."Good morning. How are you?" but said little more to one another. After a few moments, I noticed her gazing at the tattoo on my right leg. It's the one that I did in memory of the man from Missouri who donated the bone material that I got in "old lefty". After a while, she spoke up with a question for me.
"Excuse me, may I ask you if the "Mo." stands for Missouri?" she asked.
Before I answered her, I thought a moment about the tattoo. I remembered the reason that I got it in the first place. I had done it back in mid-December, just prior to the third and LAST surgery that "old lefty" needed. My mind had been made up to do it but I refused to put a "permanent" marking on my leg that didn't serve some type of very meaningful purpose. And I vowed then and there that if having the tattoo could spark some meaningful and informational conversations about the need for organ and tissue donation, then I was going to do it.
Her name was Mary and with the kindest of eyes, she listened to me explain the story of my accident and how Dr. Chan and his team at the Kansas Orthopaedic Center had put my "Humpty Dumpty" arm back together again. I told her about shattering the radius and how the only way to get even a part of my wrist's normal usage back again, was to graft in the bone material of a donor. When I finished telling her, I noticed the most endearing look come over her face. This time it was Mary's turn to tell me a story.
Nearly 16 years ago now, Mary's son had been killed in an auto accident. What would be horrible enough to lose your child, another person died there as well~Mary's best friend. The cars that each were driving collided with one another in one of those "infamous" wide-open intersections that rural Kansas, especially western Kansas are noted for.
She explained to me that it was her son's wish to have been an organ donor upon his death, but because they were located in such a rural area, now 16 years ago, that the closest organ procurement team was in faraway Wichita. Because it would have been impossible to do anything like donating major organs (heart, lungs, liver) they decided to do the next best thing. They gave the gift of their son's eyes and bone. And when she had finished telling me the story, I knew there was another reason....maybe even far better than attempting to buy a quilt, that I had come there that day.
Last night's first trip to my "safe room AKA as fraidy hole" gave me some time to think about the day's events. When I headed down there, the only things that I took with me were my laptop and my purse. And had I not been given the luxury of a half hour's notice, I probably wouldn't have taken those two things either. I couldn't think of one possession that I needed down there, even the "coveted" comforter. I pulled out my phone to let someone know that I'd gone to the basement and that I was ok. Several friends and family messaged me back and forth to keep me posted as to what was going on outside and that I should "stay put!" I thank them all for the connection to the world outside my home on Abilene Avenue.
And to my dear nephew Brian Dwyer, living in faraway Florida, I say a special thanks. You reminded me of what I already knew but had been quick to forget. The goal for any person, no matter whether in a tornado warning, a harried trip on a busy freeway, while fighting an illness, or just surviving this sometimes crazy life...."JUST BE THERE TOMORROW!" It's tomorrow Brian...Your Aunt Peggy made it and so did you!
Prayers for all of the people affected by the weather in the last 24 hours....yet with even all the destruction and loss, Sunday the 15th of April in the year 2012 is still the greatest of days to be alive!
Having never really been to the quilt auction before, I wasn't even sure what to expect. As I had hoped earlier, it actually was an entertaining time. The auctioneers did a great job and they knew what to do in order to try and get a higher bid. Several times during the 90 minutes I was there, quilts went well over the $1,000 mark and each time a quilt was won, the spectators in the audience would send up a hearty round of applause. At the end of the bidding on the quilt that went for over $8,000 several in the crowd rose to their feet with shouts, whistling and clapping. The bottom line was this, every item in that quilt auction, heck every single, solitary thing on that fairgrounds yesterday was donated, with love, from a person who truly believed that was what they were supposed to do in this life. Proceeds from yesterday's activities will be used to help people both here at home and throughout the world. I'm glad that I finally got to take a small part in it. "Miller Bucket List Item #3 can now be "checked off".
Although I am thankful to have purchased what I did, I don't believe that buying a quilt was the only thing that God had in mind for me as I made that trek to the Kansas State Fairgrounds. I met a very nice lady who lives in the far western Kansas town of Satanta and the 90-minute time that we shared together was truly a blessing to both of us yesterday.
As we took our seats on the front row of the auction Saturday morning, an elderly woman made her way to the seat next to my friend Mike. We exchanged pleasantries..."Good morning. How are you?" but said little more to one another. After a few moments, I noticed her gazing at the tattoo on my right leg. It's the one that I did in memory of the man from Missouri who donated the bone material that I got in "old lefty". After a while, she spoke up with a question for me.
"Excuse me, may I ask you if the "Mo." stands for Missouri?" she asked.
Before I answered her, I thought a moment about the tattoo. I remembered the reason that I got it in the first place. I had done it back in mid-December, just prior to the third and LAST surgery that "old lefty" needed. My mind had been made up to do it but I refused to put a "permanent" marking on my leg that didn't serve some type of very meaningful purpose. And I vowed then and there that if having the tattoo could spark some meaningful and informational conversations about the need for organ and tissue donation, then I was going to do it.
Her name was Mary and with the kindest of eyes, she listened to me explain the story of my accident and how Dr. Chan and his team at the Kansas Orthopaedic Center had put my "Humpty Dumpty" arm back together again. I told her about shattering the radius and how the only way to get even a part of my wrist's normal usage back again, was to graft in the bone material of a donor. When I finished telling her, I noticed the most endearing look come over her face. This time it was Mary's turn to tell me a story.
Nearly 16 years ago now, Mary's son had been killed in an auto accident. What would be horrible enough to lose your child, another person died there as well~Mary's best friend. The cars that each were driving collided with one another in one of those "infamous" wide-open intersections that rural Kansas, especially western Kansas are noted for.
She explained to me that it was her son's wish to have been an organ donor upon his death, but because they were located in such a rural area, now 16 years ago, that the closest organ procurement team was in faraway Wichita. Because it would have been impossible to do anything like donating major organs (heart, lungs, liver) they decided to do the next best thing. They gave the gift of their son's eyes and bone. And when she had finished telling me the story, I knew there was another reason....maybe even far better than attempting to buy a quilt, that I had come there that day.
Last night's first trip to my "safe room AKA as fraidy hole" gave me some time to think about the day's events. When I headed down there, the only things that I took with me were my laptop and my purse. And had I not been given the luxury of a half hour's notice, I probably wouldn't have taken those two things either. I couldn't think of one possession that I needed down there, even the "coveted" comforter. I pulled out my phone to let someone know that I'd gone to the basement and that I was ok. Several friends and family messaged me back and forth to keep me posted as to what was going on outside and that I should "stay put!" I thank them all for the connection to the world outside my home on Abilene Avenue.
And to my dear nephew Brian Dwyer, living in faraway Florida, I say a special thanks. You reminded me of what I already knew but had been quick to forget. The goal for any person, no matter whether in a tornado warning, a harried trip on a busy freeway, while fighting an illness, or just surviving this sometimes crazy life...."JUST BE THERE TOMORROW!" It's tomorrow Brian...Your Aunt Peggy made it and so did you!
Prayers for all of the people affected by the weather in the last 24 hours....yet with even all the destruction and loss, Sunday the 15th of April in the year 2012 is still the greatest of days to be alive!
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