The Fair is still in session and I'm home in bed, sick and exhausted. Once again, the Fair got the best of me.
I tried to stay on top of the dirt, food, running, camping, socializing...
But here I am, down for the count.
I could really use a pep talk. And some Pepto.
There's something missing from The Fair this year. Criticism is largely absent, and it's wonderful!
My childhood Fair experiences were filled with "not enough." The animals weren't clean enough. I didn't stay in the cow barn long enough.
This generation of Fair officials and parents seems stretched for time but generous with smiles and encouragement.
I wonder if we haven't sacrificed in the quality of our exhibits some. The wire for banners hasn't yet been strung and it's already Day 4. There's mud on the barn floor. The basket raffle was canceled.
It is, I'll admit, painful to lower my standards
But if the tradeoff is less stress and more joy, I'm in. People seem to be socializing more. The children are caring and cooperative toward one another.
It's a softer place to land. A more casual Fair.
Sometimes I don't understand why it takes me so long to do something, like taking the little boys to the barber. Maybe it's the way they whine when I suggest a haircut.
OK, so they don't just whine. They get ugly faces and stomp their feet too.
This has been the case since last July, when Greg The Barber was tragically hit by a car while riding his motorcycle. He survived, but after months of surgeries and therapy, he still has limited use of his hands and legs.
He hired a young man to mind his shop. We hadn't visited since the accident.
Finally, yesterday, we met Jonathan The Barber.
The shop looks different. The walls are painted red and there is a Bible verse posted to the mirror. A desk stands where there used to be chairs.
Still, there are hunting magazines in the racks and the famous "Joe DiMaggio sat here" barber's chair spins, lifts, and lowers.
Jonathan is quiet. He wears flashy, comfortable sneakers that fit his athletic build. He is going to the Ukraine for two weeks in a missions trip.
The older men don't seem to know what to make of him. The shop lacks the chatter of town gossip and tool talk.
Jonathan doesn't do haircuts as fast as Greg, but my boys sure looked handsome after he worked on them! Was it the hair or the happy faces?!
Tips on choosing a barber from Make Your Home Awesome. http://www.makeyourhomeawesome.com/finding-a-barber/
In the "good old days" we used to host a 4th of July get together at our cottage. We enjoyed spending the weekend by the lake, watching the neighbors set off fireworks and the community parade.
Still, there was considerable work to do in terms of packing, cooking, and cleaning, especially when the children were very small or the group of company grew large.
I called it the 4th if July Fatigue. Some years, I felt as if I couldn't move after running between cottages, worried about water safety and guest comfort.
This year we hosted five, then six guests at our home throughout the long weekend. I cleaned four bedrooms and the living room from top to bottom to prepare for the visit...windows, linens, walls...
We still had to go to our jobs, see teens off to a youth retreat, and take care of the farm through flooding rains.
I felt, once again, The 4th of July Fatigue.
Thankfully, there is time and space for recovery, with two whole weeks until the Fair.
And, we felt very blessed by the visits. One cousin wrote, "can't wait until next year." It is, I suppose, the tradition.
