Day 3 - 204 -- Out and About

Major heat and wind arrived today. By the end of the work day, the wind was strong and a bit cooling. Earlier in the day it was like walking in a convection oven. A group from work sat on the deck at a local pub for our end of week debrief. Two of us then wandered through the local art fair, visiting with vendors and other acquaintances. It seemed to be reasonably busy, but some said the crowd was smaller than the first fair a couple of weeks ago (they are held every other week in July and August). Wonderful examples of creativity were everywhere -- painting, pottery, sculpture, photography, iron works, yarn work and so much more. Just lovely. The food vendors were varied, giving one a choice of snacks or meals. We chose two Indian currys - a paneer and a chana masala, each with great long grain rice. As we sat eating our dinners; we people watched and chatted with many other fair visitors. One visual juxtaposition was a cute tiny shih tzu and a lovely Irish wolfhound. It was almost comical to see these two in close proximity.

A community meeting place or event like the art fair can be delightful. Seeing people one knows and meeting new people can help to build community strength. Running into people you haven't seen for some time brings impromptu updates and insights into each others lives. One person I saw tonight laughed and noted we only 'see' each other in social media these days. Such community events bring many of us out of our routines to walk about and see something other than our usual four walled cells. Being out among others can be very refreshing, allowing the stresses of the day to melt away -- particularly in the heat of today <smile>.

Walking slowly among the stalls tonight made me think of a song that reflects this leisurely pace. If you are not familiar with the dance by the same name, there is a particularly good example of it in the movie Grease (danced to the tune Tears on my Pillow). Enjoy!

The Stroll -- The Diamonds