Friday, September 29, 2017

A Happy Place

It's fair to say, the Vista Viking Festival is one of our happy places. I thought this was our third year attending, but after looking through old posts, I discovered we've been four times, now. I love that it's a small venue, yet packed with worthwhile features, entertainment, and engaging exhibits. We always learn something new, and leave inspired to make more, like a Viking tent.
















Our first visit, 2014~

Back, again, in 2015~

Last year~


With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.

Monday, September 25, 2017

The First Day

The first day of Autumn was a happy whirr!

My trunk... (Again!) The timothy hay is for our goats, but I still haven't unloaded that, and yesterday I admitted to William, "I may leave this in here until December, because it looks so rustic and picturesque when I buy a pumpkin, and smells so sweet." Well, since it's not at all practical to drive all over town with a hay bale, I thought I could content myself with one last gaze at this farm-stand scene.

I have set a lot in store for Autumn, and the first day did not disappoint.

Our Breakfast Club met... here we are, Maria, Natalie, Janece, Paul, and Amira, waiting for Geoff.









Next up: flower crown making, and a picnic. About that picnic... it was so easy, and so gratifying, I am planning another as soon as possible. I texted friends about meeting at the park. Maria and I put our lunches into a basket and added a tablecloth, then off we went. It was simple, and good. We were in the shade of trees, in the company of friends, listening to birds, observing the subtle changes in colors and light. More picnics! More trees, and friends, and happy sighs.

The first crown I made went to Amira, in honor of her thirteenth birthday. Cairo helped. And the second crown went to Belinda, who founded our Moms' Night Out tradition, twenty-one years ago! Goodness, these milestones, and passages... another sigh, and thankfulness that we have these friends, these memories, and cycles, that we can enjoy our times together.

Mums, and moms, sunset, and dinner...

Karen, and Janice

Belinda, and Karen plating B's homemade pasta.

I love this happy whirr...

Vera, Maria, Karen, B, Jola, Yanina, Natalie, and Anne~

Janice and Maria taught me about Airdrop, the Apple app that lets us share pictures, and that's how I got this gem! Janice is holding the camera, and Linda is in Italy... (one of the few acceptable excuses for missing a MNO. *wink*)

Oh. I am *sighing,* again... over the generosity of friends, good food, simple plans, gazing into tree canopies, bringing home pumpkins, little girls growing up, and all the ways we can sustain our joy, make it grow, and share it.

With Infinity More Monkeys, a picture a day.