Going to the Faire

Last Sunday I went to the Mayfaire Fenaissance Festival with both daughters, my son-in-law, and my granddaughter. Bridget is only four months old, so it was her first Festival. We want to make sure she gets a rich cultural education!

It was a beautiful sunny day. We arrived about an hour after the faire opened, and people dressed in period costumes greeted us, acting in character. Even the parking lot attendants were entertaining! There were games, shows, booths, and lots of food.

Festivals like this are fun, but they come from a desire to escape the busy, goal-oriented lives we live. It's a return to simpler times. Of course nothing would make me want to give up a lot of my modern conveniences, especially my internet! But at a renaissance festival it's fun to listen to the music, (less complex) watch the games (the rules are easy) and stroll about with the most pressing decision being "What's for dinner?"

Being an avid reader and writer, I enjoy the festivals because my thoughts turn to tales about the knights in armor and the fair damsels. It’s a great place to stir my imagination. Granted, in my stories the armor looks a bit different, and the hoop skirts give way to kimonos. But the ideas of chivalry and justice are universal. The hero always wins the hand of the fair maiden, and the villain always loses. No matter the language, or the culture, everyone understands the idea of “Happily Ever After.”

On this holiday weekend, my hope is that the sacrifices of our young men and women in the service of their country result in a “Happily Ever After” for our world.

What Would They See?

It's mid-May, and the school year is winding down. This is the time of year for concerts and outdoor sports events. Last week I went to see Scottie's orchestra concert, and next week Gabe's band concert is coming up. Abby has been busy with her soccer and softball games. I love to attend these things. It's a wonderful thrill to see what the kids have been working hard on. I firmly believe it's important that kids get involved in extra-curricular activities in order to become well-rounded.

I was once busy with extra-curricular activities. I was fortunate that my parents supported everything I did and were always there to cheer me on. It makes me wonder: if the kids and grandkids were to come to see me perform something now, what would they see me do? I haven't played any of my instruments lately, so if they were to attend a concert, they would be sadly disappointed. I am not athletic by any stretch of the imagination. I have spent most of my free time sewing and writing. I've completed several quilt tops, but other people finish the quilts, so it would be a show of incomplete projects. I haven't completed any writing projects, so I wouldn't have anything to offer for a book signing, even if I were to go with self-publishing.

I recently read a blog post with the mantra "Just Finish It". I've been polishing and polishing, but maybe I need to just put some things out here and seeing how they are accepted. I need to have something to show the world what I've been up to. And I don't want my output to be a whole bunch of unfinished projects.

So this week, I am going to finish something, and put it out for people to see. I’m not sure yet exactly WHAT that something will be, but I’ll let you know next week!

Another Daily Goal

On Monday afternoon I had my annual "meds check" appointment to make sure my meds were doing what they should. The allergy medication seems to be doing its job - I've had a super winter and spring. My blood pressure was high, but that could be because the cuff didn't work the first time. Or it could be because I've gained weight since last year. Which brings me to another health issue. Last year I had to go on a diet because my liver function numbers were off. I discovered I have fatty liver disease, and my liver was working too hard because of all the fat deposits in my liver. So I had to cut back on the fat. I lost twenty pounds and the numbers went back to normal.

Unfortunately I didn't keep the twenty pounds off. I love to eat, and the foods I REALLY love to eat aren't conducive to keeping weight down. So I need to start over again. Next week I go in for more blood tests to see the actual damage my weight gain has caused. I'm not looking forward to it. Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why can't I be happy with an apple instead of a big slice of cake?

There's got to be an answer somewhere. Last year I was scared enough to take the weight off to get things fixed. But apparently I wasn't scared enough to continue to eat right. It's kinda like getting my car fixed in order to drive it in a drag race. Stupid.

Maybe I need to add an eating goal to my daily list. Five daily goals sounds like stretching it, but I'll try anything for a week. There are some days when I can’t do four of them. But if I don’t put things in writing, often nothing gets done. So here we go:

1. Write 750 words

2. Do something creative for at least an hour

3. Clean or organize for at least a half hour

4. Walk a mile

5. Limit myself to one small treat per day

Not much, but it's a start.

Happy Mother's Day

This mother's Day we will have four generations celebrating together. Four generations of first-born daughters, each of us making our mark in our own way.

Mom was the eldest of five children. She survived the Second World War, and later married a Japanese-American soldier and moved to America. I was her eldest, arriving before my two brothers. I became the first to graduate from college, the first to marry a non-Japanese, and later became the first working mom in the family. Mandy was my first-born. She is a world-traveler, and a first-class school psychologist. And now her first-born, Bridget, is here to begin another generation of strong women.

What's in store for her? Her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother are all eager to find out.