Ryan & I had a great time with our family in Virginia over the first weekend in August. I'm embarrassed because we were actually there WITH Greg & Kendi, our bro-and-sis-in-law, but I have no photographic proof of that... We enjoyed walking around the Virginia Highlands Festival in downtown Abingdon, VA, where Grandpa & Grandma Presley live. It was such a relief to my mountain-starved eyes to see the Blue Ridge! =D
The festival was wonderful!! I LOVE those sorts of things! Ryan, Greg, Kendi & I all share the same philosophy about them-- walk around slowly, look at everything, talk to the vendors-- in a word, peruse-- so it was fun. For the first time, I felt physically a difference being pregnant; the heat really got to me! When we were out walking around, it wasn't a big deal, even in the full sun, but under the tents where there wasn't much air circulating, whew! I would start to get light headed pretty fast.
We stocked up on "butters"-- pumpkin, and strawberry-rhubarb-- from an adorable round little man, who was a wonderful salesman because he was just so friendly and fun you just WANTED to buy from him. (hehe he teased Ryan and said he was in the "training phase" but that after a few more years of marriage, he'd be a real keeper) We also enjoyed several varieties of raw honey; I bought a few sticks to suck on during labor as I've heard they're a great energy boost in that endeavor. We got a really really cute photo print of a racoon... as well as all-natural soaps (the vendor, a former commercial chemist, gave us a free unscented one for the baby), and beautiful wooden cookingware. We chatted with local artists, authors and musicians, and met Grandpa's first cousin, who does really cool fitted-wood pieces of art.
Ryan & I both got a kick out of the hammered dulcimers and Appalachian dulcimers a man was selling; he'd made them himself... a former Lutheran pastor! The craftsmanship was beautiful, and they sounded so pretty! One day, I really would love to get me a lap harp or a dulcimer... I can dream!
Later in the evening, Grandma treated us young couples to tickets to see The Fantasticks, a musical which I'd never seen, but from which I had performed and seen performed selections. It was great!! The performance was at the Barter Theater, in their Barter II stage, which is small, and with the audience seated auditorium-style close around it. Like the Furman Playhouse stage. We thoroughly enjoyed it, even me and my restless legs.
Grandma, Grandpa & I had a blast sorting through old photos, and watching them trigger memories in Greg & Ryan. My summer project has been scrapbooking Ryan's life-- he now says I know more about his childhood than he does-- and this weekend gave me a lot more material with which to work. I can't wait to compare his baby & childhood pics with our daughter in a few months!! :)
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