Saturday, September 10, 2011

That Festival Again

It's that time... Time for the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park!
And as we have over the years, my friend Traci and I met up to browse the arts and crafts and enjoy a rare visit together. Living on different sides of the ATL can seem so far apart...
No, not literally, but in reality? Life gets in the way, and don't we know how life changes once small people are in the picture.
So we welcomed a morning to catch up, and check out great art. Perhaps find a little treasure or two to smuggle home...
In an odd convergence of memory and place, I can recall just about every purchase that Traci and I have made at the Festival over the years. Passing by the vendors that return every year is like a sweet walk down a bumpy, tree-root-ridden memory lane.

T, you bought some dried flowers there, right? Look, those earrings again, I saw her at the Roswell show. Pottery in Internet Blue, that's still our favorite shade... Ohhh! It's those pendant necklaces, I have been looking at those for 3 years now... How many years have we seen that booth? Well, that must be the new thing - there are three booths with custom frames. What are these? Oh - vintage post office box safes. Hmm. Interesting. Wot? Is she doing hair using pipe cleaners? Huh? (That's affirmative.) Ohhh. these are always so beautiful, these birdhouses. The tinted tin roofs, and all the detail!

And on and on it goes, our running festival commentary interspersed with family happenings and exclamations of delight at some newly spotted treasure. Or some treasure that we have been eye-balling for awhile - glass-encased pendants anyone? Three years was long enough. It was time to take the plunge. A bird on one side and... a tree on the other! I was sunk.


I will have you around my neck, my pretty...
All the while, I offer my usual reasoning for a necklace or earring purchase: I wear them every day! With this short hair, I have to have a little decoration. I *only* have 4 tree pendants, and none of them are red...
It's a foregone conclusion, but we must pay homage to the tradition of demurring and declining. Somehow it makes the treasure that much sweeter.
Here's to sweet friends, little treasures and weekend festivals.
Happy weekend internetz...
And if you're local, stop by the festival. Pick up a vintage PO Box safe. Interesting, they certainly are. Selling quickly, they are not.

4 comments:

  1. Bethany! I love little festivals, and I think you have found the correct festival buddy...a fellow female, with Andy it's more like, "Keep walking Susan, you do NOT NEED {another} tree pendant!" :)
    Girls are more fun festival friends. :)
    Love your finds.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love having friends who can fall into a pattern like this. Because life does get in the way and if I have to explain that each of the few times I see you then it makes me even less motivated to make happen. It's awesome when you can meet up, even once a year, and start off where you left off last time. And wish you had seen each other sooner instead of feeling guilty that you haven't!
    Love the pendant! I am a sucker for any with a bird or tree so I would have needed to take that home too :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I SO enjoyed our time together, B! You and your way with words captured our time beautifully. Now to follow through on increasing our outings!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. it's wonderful that you share this experience each year with your friend. and that you recall what you purchased through the years! I love your bird pendant. until you mentioned the length of your hair, I've always thought it was short in your profile shot! happy day to you Bethany.

    ReplyDelete

Put it right here, babe!