A Visit from the Parents

Yep, that's right. The parental units (aka My Mom and My Dad) were in town a couple of weekends ago for a visit. And I, slow as I am to post recently, am just now writing about it.

It's not because we didn't have a great weekend. We did. Having family come visit is always great. (Yes, that was a not-so-subtle hint, family far and wide.) The reason I am slow posting is the same reason I have for being slow at doing just about everything the past couple of weeks.

Anyhow. Enough excuses. The Parents picked an action-packed weekend to visit good ol' L-Town. There was the farmer's market. The art festival. The balloon festival. A flea market. A wine festival. Can you believe L-Town has so many exciting summertime events? And that they're all on the same weekend--when The Parents just happened to come? How fortuitous.

Plus, there was plenty of golf. (Particularly for the menfolk, although My Mom and I squeezed in 18 even with our busy schedule.) And a trip to Mason City for a most delicious dinner. And a BBQ at the home of Conservative Parents too.

Now, unfortunately, I failed to take the camera with us on our outings to the wine festival, the art festival, the flea market, the farmer's market, and golfing. Basically, I didn't take my camera anywhere the entire weekend. How lame of me, I know. But I did take a few photos of the results of the weekend to share with you.

Random photos commence now.



This is my new mug. I purchased this mug at the art festival. I am actually drinking out of it right now. Isn't it lovely? I have a small collection of handmade mugs and this one is definitely my favorite now.



This is my other art festival purchase. It's a bird bath for my perennial garden. It perches on the ugly stump we couldn't get rid of. Isn't it cool? (Don't worry, that was a rhetorical question. I'll still think it's cool even if you don't.)



While we were in shopping mode, My Mom and I went to one of my favorite stores in L-Town, Three Roses, to finally spend some gift certificates Conservative Boy and I received for Christmas. And spend them we did. On a variety of decorative items, including this new piece of art for our living room wall. How about another angle?



And one more?



Isn't it cool? I thought so. Particularly since My Mom, master hanger that she is, was there to arrange it just so on the wall. I went to teach classes, came back, and voila. The white wine was open and everything was hung. That's what moms are for, right?



Last, but certainly not least, is this terrific bedroom chair (a Conservative Boy request—mainly so he has a place to pile up his shirts). I had been eyeballing it at a thrift store in L-Town for the longest time. Only it didn't look like this. The seat was quite dirty and the rest of it was a reddish color, all chipped and unhappy looking. But I showed it to My Mom and she agreed: It had potential. So much so, in fact, that she told me to buy it on the spot. And I did. And we went down the street and bought paint. And then, while I read for class, she refinished it. I did not ask her to. She wanted to. She can't sit still when there are things to be done. Because that's how My Mom is. And you people wonder where I got it from ...

Anyhow. I was forgetful and didn't take a "before," so all you get is the image above, which is the "after." It looks pretty good, and it will look even better when I find some new fabric for the seat.

So ends the random photos representing My Parents' visit to L-Town. Wasn't that fun?