Slow down, Festival ahead

Today, on my way to the Festival Site, I passed a sign that says "Slow Down, Festival ahead". Typically, when I pass this sign, I'm hurrying to the site to help with one of many tasks that need to be completed before the festival starts. Today I read the sign and decided I should pay attention to the words. We need to slow down in our life, we go too fast, and never really take time to enjoy the day or truly experience our life as it goes whizzing by. Maybe our life is a "festival" and the sign is just good advice for our day to day events. Definitely something to think about when we are hurrying through our day.

Festival Feeling

For the past five years, I have taken a week of vacation before the festival. I find it very difficult to focus on anything other than the Festival at this time, and my co-workers grow very tired of my endless chatter discussing what is going on with the Festival. My waking moments during this week are all about what to take there, what`s going on there, who is there, how can I help there, and generally just not wanting to miss any part of the moment.

It`s a wonderful place to be - watching a farmer`s field turn into a festival site. You can hear the chatter of volunteers in the hospitality area where dishes are being washed, food is being prepared, and some folks are actually taking a moment to stop and rest. Up at the barn stage, more volunteers are scurrying about tidying and getting ready for the sound system to be moved in, people are setting up their tents on the hill, the lawnmower is buzzing around, and on and on. All are working with a smile on their face, and you can see the excited anticipation in their faces - we all know what we are doing, and are so happy to be preparing it for the community to enjoy.

Today, I'm heading into town to pick up food supplies to make mac & cheese and vegetarian shepherd's pie for the folk festival volunteers. This is the first time I've tackled this task, but as I have learned over the past five years, nothing is impossible. I've seen a farmer's field turn into a Folk Festival that has been loved and enjoyed by everyone. And that is one of the magical lessons learned by everyone who has volunteered or attended the Shelter Valley Folk Festival.

Bats!!!

Apparently, we have a bat in our house. It was bothering my little sheltie dog, Cotter, while he was trying to sleep last night. I haven't yet seen the little fellow, but you can be sure if I do, he won't be long for the world.

Tonight, my cat, Tangles was running around, jumping up on tables, etc. and then I noticed what she was so interested in. Our little bat was clinging to the wall above the stove. Trying not to freak out by the fact that this little creature was in our house, I put on a ball cap (didn't want him in my hair!), grabbed a flat strainer and a coat (to cover him when he got on the floor), got on the chair and tried to swat him.

I missed, so he was flying about in the kitchen, the dog barking, the cat running all over the place. He landed on the kitchen overhead lamp, so I took aim, swatted him, he fell to the ground, and I dropped the coat on him. Internally I was freaking; externally I was calm!

Glad that episode is over.. hope he didn't bring a little friend in to visit!

day of rest

sunday is supposed to be the day of rest, but my mind is not taking heed. it's overbooked -thinking about all that things to be done this week before the SVFF, and the thought that i want to savor the experience and not rush through the days.
yesterday i visited the site, volunteers were buzzing around like bees, pulling bins of supplies that had been stored since last September, putting up tents in the artisan village, digging and moving dirt, etc, etc. the feeling was upbeat and inspiring.
i absolutely love it! will take today to feed my soul with a family gathering, and then off to the site, to see my SVFF family and soak up the energy of the site - 5 sleeps before "showtime"!