What a great week-end! The dh was out of town and Girl and I just had a Girls Only fabuloso time even though we both missed him. Saturday was soccer games and ice cream on the way home and then dinner out. Sunday we went to the annual arts and crafts fair in our county. We go every year and this is the first time the dh hasn’t been with us.;( But we still had a good time.
It’s called Paulding Meadows and while it’s not actually in a meadow, it’s better still because it’s set beneath huge shade trees. It’s not paved so it’s a bit like strolling in the woods from booth to booth. Every year Girl and I buy a vegtable plate from the First United Methodist food booth. Black-eyed peas, sliced onion, sliced tomato, green beens, candied yams, cole slaw, cornbread, and a sweet tea. Yum. I’m not tempted by the fried pickles, apple dumplings, barbecue, or other food booths, I’m holding out for the vegtable plate. (*)
We ran into several friends and neighbors and that’s always part of the fun of going. But we also met some of the most awesome artists.
There was a sweetgrass basket weaver. She’s a third generation basket weaver. It was just incredible to watch her work. The patterns are all in her head. Have you ever smelled a sweetgrass basket? It’s aptly named. It’s made from marsh grasses found in the South Carolina lowlands. It’s also beautifully functional.
Then there was the woman who had wonderful, intricate beaded pieces. I asked her how she got started in the art form, what called her to it. She laughed and said, “I walked into an AA meeting one day and they said find something to do that you can’t do drunk or stoned.”
Loved the nice couple who had the cute woodworked signs that had dog and cat sayings on them. I liked their stuff, but the best draw at their booth was the sweet, big dog who was stretched out on a blanket with a fan blowing on him behind the booth. He reminded me so much of my dog that died several years ago. He was 14 and recovering from disc surgery and his “mama” told me all about and I thought it was too sweet. I knew these were people that brought something extra to their crafts — they knew what it was like to truly love an animal as a family member.
But my favorite was meeting Eddie. Eddie and I connected. Not only did I love his abstract art, he’s a fascinating person. He’s a self-taught artist who started painting at 70 after retiring from the coroporate world. We chatted for some time. It turns out that he’s also a Holocaust survivor from the Warsaw ghetto. We exchanged numbers and addresses and were on hug terms when I left his booth.
Then there was the guy sketching caricatures. I asked him how he got started. “I ordered a two-pack video when my wife told me my profit-margin was too low on airbrushing t-shirts.” :p For some reason, this struck me as hilariously funny.
Altogether, I’m feeling immeasurably richer having spent great time with Girl and having met so many talented, fascinating people…which is a good thing considering how much leaner my wallet is for the experience. 
