The First Miracle of St Dino, Patron Saint of Authors

In the Catholic Church to become an actual official Saint you have to have performed two miracles. At least that's what a two minute look on Wikipedia tells me, so I'm pretty sure that's about as factual as you can get.

For a few years now I have had the intense pleasure of getting to know Dino, who all of us authors who know him, call the Patron Saint of Authors. I have literally seen a convention where at least half of all book sales went to that man. And that doesn't even start to factor in the billion other kindnesses he performs. This man found out my kiddo is a bit of a rock hound, so now every time I see him he has some amazing stones to give to her.

Well, I can now personally attest to a Miracle that this man has performed.

This blurry, looks like it was taken with a potato, photo is of my banner that I have at my booths. The larger red circle is drawn around a small Mothman plush that Dino gave me when he learned how much I love Mothman (have I mentioned how amazing he is?). It has a small clip, so I have taken to attaching it to my banner.

The smaller circle is drawn around the wingnut that holds my banner together. Without that wingnut to apply pressure, the cross bar isn't stable at all, and frankly this cheap(ish) stand I bought will pretty much collapse if a breeze any stronger than 'distant fart' hits it.

So imagine the scene: I have arrived at an event. It's outdoors. There is a breeze. But when I go to assemble my banner, the wingnut is missing. There is no way for me to jury rig any sort of replacement, not at this event. I have packed this whole shebang for nothing. I mentally kick myself for being so careless as I took it apart at the last event, and begin dreading my future trip to Tractor Supply. A sliver of sadness creeps into my soul.

But then, as I go to put it away I glance at the little Mothman. Who actually has tiny little magnets in each wing, so that it can cross them and close them. And there, clinging to the magnet:

My wingnut.

In this case literally.

It was a miracle, for which only one person could be held responsible:

Saint Dino.