Wordless Wednesday

Things To See

It bums me out when people say they don't like the fair.  Don't like the fair?  What's not to like?  Nine out of ten times the hater will say they don't like the crowds.  Well, yes, every day at the fair there are thousands of people.

The thing is, they're all there for the same reason, which makes them a very friendly crowd.  We're all just walking around, laughing at each others' funny t-shirts and admiring what that stranger is eating over there or wondering where that other person got that pheasant hat.  And you know what?  You can even walk right up to them and ask, "what's that you're eating, " or "where did you get that pheasant hat?"  They'll tell you proudly and willingly.  Really, they're all very nice. 

Some things at the fair just tell it like it is.

There are some things that make you laugh like a little 4th grader because it sounds like a naughty word.

There are giant slides

and mini donuts.

You might see something that reminds you of your grandpa

or your ex-sister-in-law.

And there are thrills for all ages.

The State Fair just gives me goosebumps.  See you there tonight!

Mr. Bubble

When I was a kid there was a product on the market called Mr. Bubble.  The commercials on TV were so merry and entertaining I thought Mr. Bubble was the be all end all to bathtime fun.  Of course at my house a bubble bath involved a squirt of dish soap because Mr. Bubble, well that was just too extravagant for the likes of us.   I had no idea, but Mr. Bubble was born a half century ago just like me.

To celebrate, Mr. Bubble is sharing his glory at the Minnesota State Fair with a giant bubble machine where kids can wallow in the clean goodness of Mr.  Bubble.  We're not talking Lawrence Welk bubbles, we're talking gobs and gobs of sudsy bubbles.  The kids love it!

I was tempted to jump in on the fun just to experience the ultimate in bubble goodness I had missed out on as a kid.  Watching the kids at the fair frolic around in the suds was just as entertaining and saved my hairdo to boot. 

Mr. Bubble.  Makes getting clean almost as much fun as getting dirty. 

Dashing Off

I can't talk now, I'm going to the fair.  See you next week!

It's A Grand Night

The Minnesota State Fair is here!

For generations my family has been freakishly fanatical about fairs and carnivals.  Diggy even worked for a carnival for a short stint ~ a giant lumbering above the small children he would tell them "you cry, you don't ride."  And there's my dad has worked at the Minnesota State Fair for over 45 years. 

I've been going to the State Fair for as long as I can remember.  One year when I was quite young I wasn't feeling very well.  It broke my heart because I couldn't go on any spinny fun rides for fear I would hurl up the meager bites of Peters Wieners we had for lunch.  My grampa took me for a ride on the Sky Ride so I wouldn't have to leave the fair ride-free. 

One thing I used to dream about when I became a budding young lady was going to the fair with a boy.  We could go on the rides and he could try to win a stuffed animal for me to take home.  Best of all we could walk around holding hands.  Tres romantique!  Those dreams did eventually come true and they were as marvelous as I imagined. 

Now when Husby and I go to the fair we don't go on too many rides nor does he try to impress me with his hank-a-pank prowess.  But we do walk around holding hands, and now and then we take a little ride through Ye Olde Mill...the tunnel of love.

There's romance in the air at the fair.  After a long day of walking around, eating too much, and experiencing general sensory overload the sun goes down and the lights go up.  The glow of the carnival is as flattering to a girl as candlight.  And when you're walking around hand-in-hand with that guy you dreamed about the thousands of people surrounding you seem to be mere props in a scene made especially for you two.

I'll never stop seeing the fair through the eyes of a young girl, and my heart will always beat a little faster when I'm holding hands in the midst of it all.

Wordless Wednesday

The Rut

Guess what? I'm in a rut.  Hey, that rhymes!  Perhaps poetry is the answer to getting out of my rut.  Or not.

A long series of bad practices has put me in a place I really don't like.  It resembles hell.  The day job has really taken a toll on me, my crafty business is at a plateau, and my social life is practically nonexistent.  I am the poster child of the phrase "life is what happens when you're making other plans."  I'm missing out on it physically, mentally, and emotionally.

So what is one to do?  I have a few ideas of how to break free of the mundane tedium of my life.  Feel free to try any of these yourself if you've been feeling trapped in a rut too.

1) Turn off the TV.  OK, this isn't something I have a big problem with; I'm just saying that a lot of things happen while we're glued to the TV. 

2) Get more exercise.  Endorphins are all the rage and you'd do well to get yourself some.  I'm going to.

3) Revisit an activity you once enjoyed but no longer perform.  For me it will be cooking and other homekeeping tasks.  My inner June Cleaver is taking a nap and I'm determined to wake her up.

4) Have date day/night.  You can do this if you're single, coupled, or an entire family.  Get out of your shell and see the world.  By that I mean perusing antique stores, going to the zoo, spending the day at the beach.  Dates should be a regular thing and not a fluke in your schedule.  For now I'm going to have a date twice a month.  Dates should also be done outside the home.  The point is to shake things up a little and to take a break from your regular scenery.

Being in a rut is pretty bad, but once you've discovered you're in one it's actually quite exciting to think of ways to climb out.  I'm looking forward to participating in some new activities and to hone some rusty skills back into shape. 

If you're in a rut, what are you going to do to make your life less rutty?  Hopefully that hell-like feeling will dissipate in no time at all.