Time for the Faire

 This year, we were able to go to the fair with both the Blacks and Floyd and Heather joining us. 

This Dapper gentleman brought a fun steampunk vibe.

We met a unicorn!

Devon is showing off his ranger skills.

    We stopped to talk to some coin makers. They were fun. Grace traded a trinket for a coin, and Lizzy bought one.

    Then we learned about King Henry VIII's wives from the appocathery. She focused on their childbearing. It was interesting, and she was quite delightful.

Here's a accordion player balancing a mop!

We met the soda knight.

    This sweet fawn was ecstatic to be asked for her picture. She was radiant. Emily and Henry tried their hand at swordplay. Henry kept hitting the poor man's shins, but to be fair, that's what he could reach the best.

I saw Malcom Reynalds, from Firefly.

The sweet girl who gave us water also gave us some ice for free. Teddy found this fun-shaped piece.

    After a bit, we got some lunch, hot dogs for the kids, a loaded potato for Daniel, and some bangers and mash for me. We found some benches in the sun and waited for the joust to begin. I found the Blacks across the way, but they decided to stay there. Heather and Floyd found a seat in the shade. Which was a better idea. I was quite faint after our hour in the heat. Teddy didn't want to eat his hot dog, and Daniel figured out a solution. He helped Teddy put his hot dog on his wand, and he happily ate it after that. 

These lovely ladies told us all about lady spies in France. 

Grace was knighted.

    Henry met a friend and they had a sword fight, until a worker told them that the King had stated that there was to be no fighting on the stage. They quickly moved off. 

    We left soon after, as the kids were tired. Teddy had a great time. Next year, I should make him a jester outfit. He had a knack for making jests.

A Few Surprises

     This month's FoE CRAFT exchange nearly passed me by; I missed the sign-ups and was only notified when I saw that they had to be delayed. I quickly emailed the organizers, pleading for a chance to join in. They were ever so gracious and assigned me a partner. The theme this time was mythological/fictional creatures and beings. My partner sent my gift off almost immediately, as she knew what she wanted to do. I mulled for quite a while before deciding on what I wanted to do. She sent me these beautiful nesting dragon eggs and accompanying dragon. 

    I decided to paint a unicorn, but I had never attempted this before, so I went looking for help. I found this lovely lady who does paint and sip sessions on YouTube. I watched her video and, armed with her shared techniques, I made my own version. I am quite proud of it. I doused it in glitter, so it is hard to grasp its true brilliance. Here is the video I used. I think I will watch her other ones as she was quite  informative and went at a good clip, which I found enjoyable. I love watching Bob Ross, but he goes too fast for me to copy.

    As you can see, I varied a bit, but I really enjoyed painting it. It took me about 3 days of walking away and coming back to it til I was satisfied. In the end, I was loath to part with it, but I know it will brighten my partner's wall and I hope her days as well.

Charles found this butterfly on our windowsill in this incredible balancing act.

    Charles and Ari attended Homecoming this year. Ari went with a group of friends, and Charles went to join a group of friends. He didn't dance, but she did. She finally got to wear the dress she got for prom. I had to shorten it and put in a modesty panel, which went in easier than I thought it would. 

A Chance Encounter

     Daniel and I went to my Jane Austen Society of North America local chapter's Box Hill picnic. It was held at a member's house, and we arrived early to help set up. Her husband had already set everything up, and they had bent over backwards to make sure everything was perfect. Many came in period dress. We didn't, as we had to leave early for a play.

    They have a fairly large pond and we fed the fish: koi and catfish, as well as turtles. The catfish was like a vacuum cleaner the way it went after those food pellets!

I spied a cardinal!

    Our hostess had hinted at a reenactment that might occur. I thought she meant her husband, but she had her son come be "wet Darcy". He was hilarious and almost apologetic at showing up rather less than formally. 

    They tried to recreate the scene, but it was a shoddy attempt. I tried to feed them the lines, but it was hopeless. 

It was hilarious, though.

    We had to leave shortly after to make our showing of The Color Purple that the Rep was putting on. I had purchased tickets before the picnic was announced, but I was glad to be able to attend for a bit. 

Eli Sherlock did the set design, and it worked really well.

    Neither Daniel nor I had seen this musical before. I knew it was sad, but I was not prepared for the absolute heartbreak that awaited us. It was devastating and hopeful, but also I weep for all those who experience the horror that this world can dump on people. The cycle of abuses that scar and perpetuate is incredible to witness. 

    I asked Daniel how he liked the play on our drive home. He replied that it was well done and that he hates that it's a story that has to be told. Not because of it in itself, but that these things still happen and need to be said. That we live in such a world that people are taken advantage of and treated abominably. I agree. Every character in the play had suffered in some way, and they reacted differently to that suffering, but most did what the world expects. 

    Here is an interview with some of the cast. They focus on the love aspect, which it is about love, understanding what love is and what it can be, but to me, the resilience of the characters was the real takeaway.

Fun With Grandparents

     While the kids were at school, my parents, Teddy, and I got to play. First, I took them to Burr Oak for a small hike. We went in the morning, so it was still nice. I suggested we do our walk first, and then, when it would be hotter, head into the visitor center. They were amenable to my plan, so we proceeded straight through the visitor center to the trail outside. 

    I really liked these delicate flowers.

     Papa played us a tune with Teddy's help on the zylophone.

    The wind made the trees sing; it was of particular interest to Mom; she had never heard trees sound like that before. They kind of crackle a bit. I hadn't noticed the difference before. Perhaps I have been here too long. Teddy introduced Papa to Smokey the Bear. 

    Later, back at home, Papa asked if I had a baked good to snack on. I had made breakfast brownies the day before, but they were all eaten. I had some butter softening on the counter for a few days, as I had promised the kids that I would make cookies, but hadn't done it yet, so I proceeded to make some.  I also had some leftover ice cream cups that they made good use of. 

I think he liked them.

    One of the places Dad wanted to visit was Adam-ondi-Ahman. Since Far West is on the way, we planned to visit both. We packed a lunch and headed out after changing our clothes from Church. 

The boys decided to renew their acorn collections; they scoured the ground for worthy applicants.

Obligatory spiny tree picture.

    We made good use of the picnic tables. There is a little general store nearby that sells ice cream, but since it was Sunday, we brought our own.

    We saw a few frogs, several butterflies, and stink bugs. After a bathroom break, we headed down a dusty dirt and rock road, kicking up such a layer of dust that soon Dad's car was obscured. It was a modern-day pillar of smoke leading my parents on. Luckily, we soon met pavement again, allowing the dust to subside. Eventually, we made it to our next destination. Mom was remembering our trip to the mounds in Illinois and confusing them with Adam-ondi-Ahman because the last time we did these, we headed from one to the other and had a lovely talk with a lady at the mounds about Adam-ondi-Ahman. 

Mom kept looking for the mounds; luckily, we figured out the confusion. 

     It was quite warm by this time, so we drove up to the other viewpoint and then headed home, where Dad serenaded us. Listening to Dad play is my happy place.

 On Monday, we took a tour of Daniel's work. We were allowed to go into the control center, and then Daniel jumped into the car to give us a drive-through tour. It was fun.

    We returned home, and Dad helped me make some lemon scones. My parents went to Ireland in May, and Dad became quite fond of scones. He was not fond of zesting. After finishing the scones, he scoured the internet for a better solution. He didn't find a viable one. His scones, however, were delicious! We had a lovely afternoon tea.

    The next day, we went to President Truman's library. I had never been to a presidential library before, and I had no idea what to expect. I was blown away. They had thought of everything. Teddy and I had a scavenger hunt to do, and there were plenty of interactive things to keep his attention. 

This is the eternal flame. President Truman and his wife are buried in the courtyard.

    This tiny crane was made from a victim of our bombing of Japan. She made hundreds of these tiny cranes, her's is on the dias, it's so delicate yet such a showing of resilience. 

    You could spend a week here; there is so much to see and do. We were getting tired and hungry, so we left to find a late lunch. We stopped at Cracker Barrel. We had stopped there the day before, looking for Hydrox cookies; they sell them, but were out. This time we stayed to eat. I also found some fun Christmas ornaments for my nieces and nephews.

    Look at the lady in the window, she was absolutely tickled to watch Teddy play.   The next day, we went in search of elk and bison. The elk were out, but the bison were hiding. 

I then took my parents to help me find a gun at Frontier Justice. As I am turning 45 this year, I felt it was high time I had one. A pretty one, not to use so much as to keep, if that makes sense. I own several swords, daggers, and even a trisectional staff. I don't use them, I just think they are pretty. I realize this is ridiculous, but what can I say? I like shiny things. Unfortunately, they didn't have anything that struck my fancy, but the lady was very knowledgeable and nice. But I will need to do some more research. Both of my parents are competent shots and know their way around a gun. I appreciated their insight.

    For dinner, we made sushi. The crab I had had gone bad, so I ran to the corner store for more and missed getting a picture of them rolling, but I did get a picture before we consumed them.

It was a lovely visit, and I am looking forward to their next visit!