Festival Begins!

 Our 65th Annual Persimmon Festival began last night!  A ball, a Candlelight tour in Spring Mill State Park, a road rally, a vesper service for the youth, all went on this weekend and that's just the beginning!  Tomorrow the rides will be set up, exhibits registered and tons of behind the scenes procedures shall begin.
But today, I was all about the Community Wide Yard Sale Event.
I scanned signs and looked for houses with cars wrapped around them as I walked the doggies early in the morning.  After scouting things out, I went home to collect Hubby, his cash and our beat up pick up truck, that we have just for this kind of day.

 And we did good.  Really, a turquoise and yellow tablecloth in very nice condition: .25.

 Shanango china cups: .10 ea.  Turquoise and olive green metal tray: .10  Round zippered patio tablecloth: 1.00 in original packaging.  A generous yard of  knit material perfect for my yoga top pattern: 1.00.  LOTS of little girl clothing for all my little grandgirls....

 Hall's Kitchenware Vintage bowl in my favorite blue with morning glories: .25.  (It's chipped but so am I)

And the piece de resistence: a hand-pieced fan quilt top, made from the most delicious vintage fabrics: 10.00!!


See?!


Pretty dang cool.....


May the rest of the week be so fun!!

Let the Festival Begin!

Almost without fail, the dropping of the persimmons indicate to our tiny town of Mitchell, that the festival will soon begin.  Nature signals the beginning of activity around here, but nothing beats the bright orange and neon green Yard Sale signs posted all over town, to get me in the mood for the commotion, the noise and smells that wakes up our sleepy little town.  This morning, on my Dog Walk, Miss Dixie was a bit more than peeved by the amount of 'people' in her domain.  The early Saturday morning, usually still and contained, was a riot in activity that overwhelmed my solitary little friend.  Since my grandog, Scout's, social skills are a bit....lacking, I had to make mental notes as to the Yard Sale stops once the pups were delivered back home.  I am used to the smattering of sales on a given weekend, but to have the buffet of choices this weekend, I was positively frothy.  And Good Sales They Were.  Youngest Son accompanied me as we enjoyed the pleasure of picking and choosing.  Garage Sale hosts were friendly and in the Festival Spirit.  Stopping to chat and share what other sales were offering, made for an enjoyable jaunt for my kindred son and I.  He bought some vintage tools and a picture frame.  I found a Cecil Golding oil painting, huge and goldenly yellow. More Fake Veggies for my little friends.  Why am I such a sucker for fake fruits/vegetables?  Cannot pass them by.YS found a working Underwood Typewriter in a case.  1.50.  I could see images of Jack Kerouac/Stephen King spinning in his visual brain as he paid for it.  I found Vivien two little chairs, sturdy and good.

And what about these amazing aprons?  I believe that someone made them for a church bazaar about 40 years ago, squirreled them away in a cedar chest and then developed dementia.  They have never been washed or used.  And the toaster. Heavy, durable but does it work?  With that styling, who cares?

Then there is the table.  Perfect size for an extraneous table that is ever so convenient to have around.  It doesn't have an owner yet.  I'll throw it to the kids and see who survives.  YS might want to put Jack the Typewriter on it.  A box of cookie cutters.  I make terrible rolled cookies but I love cookie cutters.  Maybe Eldest/Admin should have these for snow days with Miss Vivie.  The heavy, homemade box with decoupaged   flowers adorning it, is chock full of elderly recipes.

This is the abbreviated list of goodies obtained on this, the first day of the week long festival that we Mitchellites call 

The 64th Annual Persimmon Festival!www.persimmonfestival.org

Let the fun begin!!

Parade Protocol

First of all, you should probably get a bit of a nap in after lunch and before the parade at 2:00pm. If you can get one on the porch swing with Mr. Pat, then you're golden.
Make sure you find a grand spot for you, mama, Gracie and Nana. Make it under a tree for shade and by the curb so you don't miss the horses.
Keep your eyes peeled for characters; you just might see the one that you are dressing up like for Halloween this year!!
Some of your friends will be in the parade as well, so look sharp and wave vigorously.
Make sure you pace yourself. That nap can only be good for so much waving and giggling. Have a seat on the blankie that your own daddy had when he was a little boy. Sit facing the street so you don't miss the marching bands. If you sit with folded hands, people are really impressed.
Make sure you ask mama and nana later how those great big men get into those teeny, teeny tiny cars. Wish that you had one like it but settle for your two seater stroller for your trip back to Nana's.
Festival over for another year!

Friday Festival Finale

PETA should probably look away right now.
A small boy with a goldfish won in a game too late at night.
A small boy with a deep seated need to 'pet' the goldfish in his temporary home.
I informed the dad that my bets were on making it to the highway.
Knowing his son better than me, he bet on making it to their parking space.
The Friday Night Frenzy after having one night pretty much canceled.
Huge crowds. Lots of cars and the obligatory mud everywhere. Wow.
I would like to tell you that the photo below is someone from the festival.
However, this is Eldest Son's way of entertaining himself while we do the dishes after a wonderful supper of Mustard Crusted Pork Loin, Mixed Squash Bake, Spinach Salad and brownies. We always chocolate when Lovely Wife is coming for dinner. It's just what we do......We are pleased to say that Eldest Son's earring is Lovely Wife's bracelet even though we did think it quite fetching on ES's ear......Carnival games. Lovely Wife would not let any us touch anything.
Probably wise.....

Sewing today involved finishing a beret, making place mats for aforementioned dinner tonight out of vintage towels that are too fragile for towel use but are spending retirement as place mats and cutting out a patchworky type of tote bag for an order of five that I have......

Cooking, baking, sewing, little rain, Eldest Son and Lovely Wife for supper AND Persimmon Ice Cream at the Festival after....

What a good day it was....

Miserable.

Rainy all day.
Not Festival Weather.
Poor little ol kiddos.
No rides for the third night of their three night ride bracelets. Perhaps tomorrow night, when the weather is cloudless, (she says with cheerful optimism) they will be able to use their now useless bracelets.
I made one attempt to go to the Commercial Tent this evening seeing that I won a drawing! I believe I should be the owner of stainless steel scrubbies from Stanley Products. That is, if the Stanley Lady would have been at her booth tonight. I trudged down, in the rain, pants rolled up against the deep, deep puddles and fought my sturdy royal blue hooky umbrella against the winds, only to find the dear lady had closed up shop and stayed in her comfy dry home. All the other vendors were there. The only dark spot was the Stanley Home Products booth. Will I now have to actually purchase the Wonder Scrubbers, that have over 50 yes 50 uses?......I'll let you know... Second Son accompanied me to The Methodist for a hearty lunch of pork tenderloin (sorry Baby Girl), dressing, gravy, cole slaw, dinner roll, green beans and the most sinful Chocolate Fudge Walnut Cake. I should have taken a photo. Way beautiful and scrumptious. However, Second Son and I made fast work of it even after the bounty we had just consumed. And we do have to mention, seeing most of Mitchell there. Lots of good company....Writer Friend Joyce, Neighbor Michele and Her Friend Jean and their delightful children. Poet Georgia was there as well. She will be 90 in November. A sharper more humorous woman would be hard to find. And on and on the names go....A perfect Methodist Lunch with Second Son and company.
We took the time to look at all their crafts for sale. After all, where were we going in the downpour? To buy Barbie cupcakes for Second Son's birthday friend, but that's beside the point.
See the bread pictured above? Just a sampling of their lovely baked goods.....

And quilters and seamstresses as well....I could tell their stock was a bit diminished from Tuesday when I visited with Crazy Dee Friend

And here is the Special photographed for those that cannot read..Sorry for the blurriness; I had just consumed my weight in Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake.....Makes one fuzzy....

So I came home and attacked this Rainy Day with a useful vengeance. I finished Faithful Friend's new bag! She received a Birdie Sling last month but found a need to own another Mama's Collection Bag...What a good friend! I'd make her one every week if she wanted me to; she's just that good of a friend.....

The fabric was yummy, the lining silky, the handle comfy and the embellishment, strong.....Good, good purse....

Enjoy Faithful Friend!!

Queen Contest Night...

....and I didn't go.

Did go to lunch at The Baptist with Lovely Wife's Mama...We particularly like to go to The Baptists for their Turkey luncheon with the Cranberry Jello. LWM LOVES cranberries and made a pitiful attempt to hi jack mine; you must get up pretty early to snatch food away from this ol' lady......Seen it all... Also at The Baptists is the Craft Show, showcasing all the entries to the famed Persimmon Festival Craft Contest. The winner for us this year was a skein of yarn made of cat fur. Who knew? With one long haired cat and another one dying, I could have made a killing in cat yarn. Bald cats, but a new market......I did graciously offer to make a cat scarf for Sweet Sharon, a dear friend who happens to have a rather strong 'dislike' of the feline varieties...She did not find that humorous.....LWM and I enjoyed the turkey AND the cat fur this year.....
Pictured above is a secret. Faithful Friend has ordered a new bag. She gave me ideas and requirements but left the rest to me.....This fabric, from Danville Indiana, is SOOOOO soft and luxurious....Amazing upholstery fabric....If I had a sofa made of this I would become an avowed Couch Potato....It is such a joy to sew for friends; you just want it to be the best so it stretches creativity and skill....Spent a joyful afternoon playing with the design and 'reading' Alan Alda's book, 'Never Stuff Your Dog'.......A surprise visit from the 2G's and their Mama and my afternoon was made, even if My Dear Grant had to find out that Nana has a Time Out Chair and a timer....Ah, reality.....

So after my full day, I transmogrified Mondays tacos into Wednesday's chili. A quick supper for hubby and I before we head north to Wednesday night church. We are on Part Two of a twelve part series, so the Queen of the Persimmon Festival had to be crowned without us.....

When I got home, I took Dixie on a walk and saw a forlorn miss walking the muddy streets of Mitchell, trying desperately not to get her fancy frock wet and trying to cope without a crown on her head.....I really wanted a photo but just could not do it to the poor girl....

Ah, reality.....

It's Just Too Fun...

Yah-HOO!!!!!
It's what I kept thinking every time every time I finished an aspect of this special order Western Theme bag!
Absolutely a hoot to make. I found this all wool table runner in the bottom of one of Pauline's craft boxes at the auction this month. It looked like it had never been used. I laundered it carefully and was about to put it into the garage sale last Saturday, when I remembered my special order Western Theme purse! Too perfect! I had the embellishment for years; it was part of my button collection forever ago. It had no fastener, so it never got used, just admired...Then I found an odd Napoleon type medallion in my heavy metal collection of embellishments for the weighted flaps I put on my purses. It fit perfectly inside the western embellishment, got hot glued in and sewed on with the medallion's hooky thing!
Don't you love it when things fall into place like that??
I had found this wonderful horsey fabric at my local Ben Franklin and just kinda fell in love with it. Have no idea why and even hubby looked at me strangely when I bought it. Perfect lining for a western theme purse, right? Did I mention that I had bought this before I had the order? Spooky, but cool!!

And I got it all done so that Hubby and I could check out the Festival on the first night of bracelets..(special 3 day prices for unlimited riding)...We checked out the commercial tent and signed up for all they had, especially the $500 gas card.....! Just felt like taking it all in! Checked out Manny the Greek's menu for future reference....Gyro's and baklava....! Yay!

And then the walk home....Admiring the thin sliver of moon in the overcast sky.....

*sigh*

We Interrupt The Festival With A Sewing Update...

Thanks to my crafting blogging 'friends', I learned how to make cloth labels for my bags!
I read a blog from two years ago about buying the iron on paper for the computer and then ironing the images/words onto twill tape.
Two years pass and now they make paper backed twill fabric! You simply (it better be!) make a Word document or whatever image program you have and put the paper/fabric in the printer! A few other little steps and you are ready to put a custom label in your sewing project!
I got absolutely giddy making these yesterday so I thought it was worthy of interrupting the Festival coverage...... And because of the label success, I decided to use up the rest of a rainy Sunday evening to make the top that goes to my yoga pants pattern! I believe that older women should only wear 3/4 length sleeves and tops that keep you modest with the cleavage. No one wants to see it after a certain age. Well, few anyway. Anyhoo, the thought of being able to sew my own 'uniform' top and to keep from the frustration of looking high and low for fuller knit, 3/4 length sleeve top with a reasonable length that is somewhat flattering, took me a sewing thrill that was very pleasing.....
Good to have sewing success.....

And now back to the festival.......

As you can see, the Methodist ladies (and gentlemen I'll have you know) are hosting their Puddin Pan Bazaar again this year. Good, good, homemade food (their noodles and pork tenderloin are re known) and little homemade items to sell, make for a yummy lunch or early dinner....

And there is the Art Show at the library. Lawrence County has an inordinate number of artists. I love seeing the entries each year and voting on my faves. There is a Photo Contest as well. It appears that I will be chairing it next year....More to come on that as the year progresses.....!

Yes. It was raining while the carnival workers set up early Sunday.

But do not fear! The skies cleared up midday today and the official start of the festivities went off under sunny (albeit humid) skies promptly at 5:00pm.

I know because it was 5:05 when I heard, from my sewing room, the first squeals of mock terror from the Zipper Ride......
Fun Stuff....

Tick, Tick, Tick....

Saturday night, Dixie and I took in the sights downtown..
This is the Commercial Tent. Full of businesses eager to share with consumers just what they do. And hand out lots of things. Sacks worth. Saturday night, it was just a huge tent in the middle of 7th street, approximately 200 steps from my home... Here's the tent that will host suppers from churches to a few non profits. Lasagna, ham and beans, fish all specials that will have to taken advantage of this week. My particular favorite is Ham and Bean Night. Corn bread and persimmon pudding. With gospel music on stage. Don't particularly like any of it normally, but for some bizarre reason, I love it the week of Persimmon Festival...I told you it is fascinatingly weird.....

The Main Stage. Right on Main Street. All week.

It will host a Lip Sync contest, Queen contest, Gospel singers, a flash from the past band. And I can hear all of it from my front porch. Did I mention I can also hear all the squeals of delight and false fear from the rides? Funny.

And this is one early bird. Right next to Bren and Jerry's, a carport that had some plywood added, an air conditioner, several doors and called a 'Trading Post'. Jerry's handmade signs are a hoot. There is one currently that says, 'Save a business; buy more here'. Other slogans have been photographed by me as well. I must add that I have purchased several things from Bren and Jerry's and have not been disappointed. Maybe I'll help him stay in business....

Tomorrow it starts in full swing.....

Off to rest up for the week!!!!!

And It Begins...

It starts on Friday night...
Signs start to proliferate throughout the town and you believe that you might see a record number of sales for the Community Garage Sale Weekend. Traditionally, the weekend before the Festival begins...
Don't panic! You're planning for Lily's first overnight so the weekend will go on without your involvement....
And yet..... Okay Lily! What should we do for the Yard Sale that you can be a part of? Hows about making Apple Cinnamon muffins for those eager first comers that surely must have zoomed out of the house before eating breakfast...And cookies! We should have lots of cookies! Should we actually cook the dough?
Waiting for the rush.....
All that wheeling and dealing has left us hungry! Good thing the 2G's Papa is here to help and makes us a yummy lunch...Lily was to go home earlier, but we all were having just too much fun....Gracie loves Lily (and lunch) so she gets to use her two new teeth!!
So much to sell yet so much sold!! Yippee!!
Is it dangerous to not put a limit to a sale...? I do believe we may keep it going on the whole week! Good time to visit, meet new people and enjoy the great Persimmony weather!

Mitchell Indiana, the third week in September....

Gotta love it!!

Calm Before the Storm....

So. Things look quietly calm.
For now.
Starting Sunday, this little town of 5000 becomes a carnival.
Literally.
It boasts the second largest parade in the state.
For a solid week, contests, rides, fair food infiltrate this tiny town on a really big scale.
And school is still in session. For years, the statewide ISTEP evaluation tests, were done the same week. Imagine the scores of children over done by late nights at the carnival and overdosing of overprocessed, sugary treats. Craziness.
And I've been a part of this insanity for most of the years that I've lived here, in one way or another. Guilty as charged.

For the following week, I doubt if I get in my sewing room much, but you betcha I will be documenting all the little nuances and interesting sights and sounds. Every year I am amazed that all this goes on just a little over a block away from my home. Oddly curious and magnetically drawn to it, I still am trying to figure out my love of it. Craziness.

Persimmon Festival.
persimmonfestival.org
Persimmon Capital of the World (really?)
My new hometown.....