Weekend Wanderings

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

I know I did. Even though it rained pretty much non-stop. 

On Sunday morning it slacked off a little, though, and the sun even came out for a bit, so after teaching four-year-old sunday school (which is a riot! We love it.), Jake and I headed over to Festival in the Park.

First things first, lunch. 

There were all kinds of delicious fair type foods to choose from - gyros and funnel cakes and giant turkey legs and kettle corn, mmm mmm. 

I indulged.

And there were all kinds of people out, too -  mingling, sitting on blankets in the grass, enjoying the live music, playing around with the clowns (or running from them and avoiding the clowns at all cost, whichever), riding the ferris wheel, waiting in a line full of moms with strollers for the pony rides, and ambling booth to booth, taking a look at all the different arts and crafts that vendors had on display.

The arts and crafts booths are always mine and Jake's favorite part. We love seeing all the incredible creativity people have in coming up with their wares, from jewelry to woodwork to pottery and fine art. It's such a fun atmosphere, and most of the artisans are more than happy to talk with you and explain their process, their inspiration, funny little personal stories behind this piece or that. I always leave with a smile on my face.

Here were some of my favorites this year:

(At least, these are the few who's names I've managed to remember!)

The fine art photography of L.A. Brown,

The mixed media paintings and illustration of Yvonne Miller,

The leather and felt do-dads of Once Again Sam,

And for all you dog owners out there, you simply must check out Tree Parlor!

There were so many more wonderful artists and crafters there, I wish I could remember them all. But alas, just as Jake and I were rounding our way back to the first booths where we had started, the bottom dropped out of the sky. We're talking torrential downpour. Flash flooding type stuff. And somewhere amidst the mayhem Jake and I got separated and I ended up taking shelter under a giant oak tree. There was an elderly black gentleman who'd likewise sought refuge under this tree and we kind of squinted at one another through all the rain pouring down our faces and laughed at ourselves and swapped stories and watched the black ants that were inches from our faces travel up and down the trunk of the tree, seemingly unfazed by the giant raindrops. And then after a while I decided there was no indication that the rain was going to let up any time soon, so I said my goodbyes to the man and went sprinting several blocks in the tremendous pouring of rain to the lot where we'd parked, and sure enough, I was reunited with Jake at the car and all was well.

We went home and got dry and made coffee and caught the end of the Panthers' game with the cat sprawled out over both of our laps and the rain beating at the sliding glass door and... I have to say... it was a perfect Sunday.