Song and Story Fest Bound

My destination for this leg of the journey was Camp Pine Lake in Eldora, Iowa.  I am a storyteller at Song and Story Fest.  I find it to be a week of goodness and joy.  Since this was my first Sunday not being a pastor, I planned to arise without an alarm to wake me.  I am staying in a hotel in Kearney, NE and someone had set the alarm clock in the room for 5:20 a.m.  I didn't even know I had an alarm in the room until it went off at the crack of dawn.  So much for my plan.  I was so rudely awaken that I couldn't go back to sleep.  

I was planning to pick up a friend at the Omaha Airport and drive her to Song and Story Fest.  Her plane was scheduled to arrive at 2:30 p.m. so I had some time to kill.  I was reading and writing when she texted me that her flight had been delayed and she couldn't possibly get a connecting flight. She told me she would figure out her own ride from Omaha and to go ahead.  So I hurriedly headed off for Iowa.

I made one stop along the way.  After locating the best pie in every state I would travel through, I decided to research the best ice cream in every state.  The best ice cream in Nebraska happened to be not far out of my way.  I decided to have ice cream for lunch at Coneflower Creamery.  It was a good decision.  I had Butter Brickle, Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip and Sun-ripened Strawberry ice cream.  The first two should not be missed!

When I hit Iowa I listened to the playlist of songs I had created.  My favorites were Iowa Stubbornness from Music Man and The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines.  Iowa is beautiful.  There are gentle rolling hills and lush greenness....and the clouds....oh how I love clouds.

I arrived at the Camp just before dinner.  I unpacked my car and tried to make my bunk bed with flat sheets.  I am so not a camper.  Running my extension cord to plug in all my needed electronics was dangerous.  Hiking to the bathroom is my least favorite thing to do. I must love Song and Story Fest.

After dinner we had campfire.  All campfires begin with children telling jokes.  At the opening campfire everyone introduces themselves.  There are around 70 people here.  Then every musician sings or plays a song.  Every storyteller tells a short story.  I told the story of a hateful voicemail left at the La Verne Church of the Brethren.  The theme for this year's Fest is Healing What Divides Us.  It felt like an appropriate story.  

Next on the schedule was a folk dance with live music.  The band of musicians was incredible.  I started out watching but my extroverted self felt the need to participate.  My 61 year old body reminded me that I wanted to sit back down and watch.  I was in bed and asleep on my "comfortable" bunk bed by 11 p.m.....after hiking to the bathroom to brush my teeth, of course.