Happy Monday, dear reader. On this cool, dreary morning, everyone in my house found it challenging to get up and start the week. We had a busy weekend. Looking at the calendar, every weekend now through Halloween is a busy one. The Bean and I crossed off the first of fifty fun things on my birthday activities list yesterday. One down, forty-nine more to go.
We traveled to Pittsburgh to check out Ikea, go out to lunch, and attend the Bitchcraft Fair. My Bean makes everything fun. We meandered through the isles of Ikea, with The Bean pointing out her love of the “boho aesthetic.” I don’t think I used the word aesthetic when I was thirteen. Although Ikea isn’t really my kind of furniture, The Bean had fun, and we were happy we went.
We then went to Station Square to have lunch at The Hard Rock Café. My little buddy was hungry for nachos, so we walked past The Melting Pot, Texas de Brazil, and Tupelos to eat nachos at The Hard Rock Café. Sigh, a sophisticated, exotic palate she does not have; nor a taste for adventurous cuisine, so nachos it was. Despite our mundane lunch choice, we enjoyed a good burger and nachos, as well as live music and good company. Hanging out with my girl is like hanging out with a lifelong best friend. I love that kid.
After lunch, we made our way to the convention center. I was ill-prepared for the popularity of Bitchcraft. As we approached the venue, we saw the queue curling from the doors all the way around the corner of the convention center. Sigh, I should have purchased tickets in advance. However, the line moved quickly, and soon we were inside, looking at a sea of humans in various stages of costume. I also was not prepared for the crowd, but there were a lot of interesting sights to see if you enjoy people-watching.
I forget how enjoyable events can be when one is not peddling one’s wares and is a spectator. I anticipated more Halloween-themed items but saw a variety of Wiccan-based items and witch-themed merchandise. Although this was not my thing, we enjoyed watching the crowd and talking with the vendors. My big purchase for the day was a black drawing salve for GramBarb. My bean bought candles, a ring, and a tiara. She had buyer’s remorse with the tiara, but her randomness and whimsy made me smile.
Going out of my comfort zone makes me tired. Between city driving, sensory overload from throngs of people, and my daughter’s boundless energy, I was exhausted but in a good way. At this point, I’m not sure I have the stamina for fifty fun things. Mind you, dear reader, leaving my farm is often out of the norm for me. However, doing new things, seeing new places, and spending time with my favorite people are good for me. At least, this is what I am telling myself as I ice my arthritic toe, curse my cute, stylish ankle boots for not being sneakers, and repeatedly rub CBD pain cream on my hands. Doing fifty fun things seems to be emphasizing the fact that I am fifty and not fun.
I hope, dear reader, you had a fun weekend too. The Bibbed Wonder and I will spend the week preparing for our last Ligonier Country Market of the year. This Saturday is your last chance if you haven’t made it to the market. We will host our Fall at the Farm event on Saturday, October 22nd, and then we will be at The Ligonier Country Market Holiday Market on November 5th. This will close our live, in-person shows for the year. Then dear reader, we will focus on our holiday line-up and online specials. Please stay tuned; we have some great specials and product bundles coming out.
Have a wonderful week, and remember to stay safe, be smart, go out of your comfort zone, and keep washing your hands.