Recently, I learned that a friend had died. Els Van Baarle was a respected fiber artist and teacher. Some years ago, we visited Els in her little village south of Rotterdam. The last line of her written directions read "My house is the one across from the windmill." It’s a stately windmill, built in the 1790s. It still works, put into service mainly for special occasions these days. I marveled at the views of the windmill from the old wavy glass windows of her front room. We had a delightful visit. I left with a clearer picture of where her signature colors and designs originated. For the rest of my life, windmills will remind me of Els in her quiet village home.