Windy Day

My friend in Texas said I should start a blog, and since I had an interesting day, this will be the day I start it.

I was up till three am; been having trouble getting to sleep. Bindi became restless around 11 am, and I forced myself out of bed to take her out for a walk. Otherwise I would have slept all day, even though I had planned to visit a craft fair today. She's a blessing in that way, forcing me to get my butt out of the sack when I don't really want to.

We drove to Madison and found a few tents on the green, the others scared off by the possible bad weather promised by the margins of a southern hurricane. We strolled around anyway since it was only barely sprinkling, and Bindi yearned after all the other dogs in the area, seeking the companionship of her own species. Who can blame her?

I was pleased to find my friend Trudi set up with her whimsical collection of handmade and painted "Critters," small stuffed animals with delightful graphics drawn in with precision and great artistry. We chatted about the garden and how we miss Olafs, and I bought a small mousie. Bindi had her eye on a black and tan long haired Corgi, so we walked over and met Jake Daniels and his human Kim. Jake's father was Jack, ha ha. These two canines seemed to be experiencing love at first sight, playing enthusiastically with no growling or barking, and it was clear we had to set up a play date. Kim lives nearby, we exchanged phone numbers, and best of all, Kim turned me on to the possibility of taking Bindi to a local nursing home to visit the residents there. This has been in my mind for a while, but I was sure a dog had to be "certified" in order to do these visits, but apparently not for this particular facility. She introduced me to the woman in charge of doggie visits, who also happened to be there, and hopefully something will be set up in the near future. Bindi would be perfect for this -- she is friendly, affectionate, and loves to sit on peoples' laps.

Another crafter there named Adam was selling very unusual handmade jewelry, made from epoxy clay, stones, and leather. He was a gentle soul, said he was apprenticing with a Brazilian man, and his work was quite unique. I was taken by a "chakra wand," a small piece of branch with two quartz crystals attached to either end, and a line of stones down the center which relate to the chakras of the body. It's a healing instrument, and he sold it to me for nine dollars, all I had, even though it was supposed to be ten. A deal in anyone's book.

At another booth, I was admiring someone's funky crocheted bags when I looked up and saw Maureen, a buddy from the union. We yelled and hugged, and the crafter turned out to be her daughter's friend. Maureen looked wonderful, healthy and vital. She had lost a lot of weight and retired from her union job, and seemed happier than I'd ever known her to be. I must go talk with her about how she lost the weight. She said it was through Weight Watchers, because her health was so bad, and she just had to.

More errands, then homeward bound to do some yard work, play with the pup, and then get in out of the damp. Friends coming over tomorrow afternoon for a potluck supper and hanging about.