Which Wins? Hanging Out vs. Chores

We usually head to the beach for the Labor Day weekend, but this year, we're staying home. And I thought I'd get some housework done. You know, the kind you reserve for long weekends - paint something, clean somewhere, unclutter some stuff. Then it kinda hit me that this was the last weekend we have no plans to do anything for a long while.  We have an event on the calendar for every weekend for at least the next 2 months - and that's before we even have all the sports schedules in hand. So I decided to goof off instead and hang out with the kids.

Yeah, moms - we've got to give ourselves permission sometimes to set aside the got-to-do chores and the projects to spend some free time with the family.  The laundry and cluttered basement will be there next week; the free weekend won't.

Yesterday I flipped through the newspaper - I'm one of the dinosaurs who still subscribes to the real paper newspaper that gets thrown on the driveway in the wee hours of the morning - and found a local art show. That was it - close to home, no admission, pretty pictures. Who's with me?  I only had two takers, but off we went.  And it was nice. We looked at the work by local artists, made our own critiques, the kind people make at museums and art shows which basically fall into three categories: "wow, that's really good," "I think I could do that myself," and "really, they're calling that art?"  It was inspiring though - my kids have been talking about the next painting their going to make and sell for a couple hundred dollars (wouldn't that be nice?)  And then we stopped for cupcakes - it's not a day out without something sweet.

Today's newspaper perusal came up with the Renaissance Festival. I haven't been since high school and figured 20+ years was a good amount of time between visits.  Three folks to go along with me for this one. Off we went to enjoy smoked turkey legs and sword-fighting. My daughter, who has studied Romeo & Juliet I think every year of middle school and deems herself an almost-expert, complained that the women were not dressed in authentic Renaissance attire. The women of that period would've been dressed much more conservatively, not in mini-skirts, bare shoulders, and jingle bell waist scarves - which her sister bought and shook her hips to jingle the rest of the evening; I probably should send a warning to the teacher for Tuesday morning. The women instead were more reminiscent of flirty pirates, gypsies, and folks just looking for an excuse to wear corsets and low cut blouses.  But, really, is the Renaissance Festival really about authenticity or fun, because we also ate ice cream cannollis, frozen lemonade, and Nutella strawberry crepes and I got a henna tattoo. I've never read any of that in Shakespeare.

Sword-fighting demonstration at the Renaissance Festival

Who knew strawberry Nutella crepes were among Shakespeare's culinary options?

Dressed in their Renaissance finest.

Tomorrow? We'll see what the newspaper holds. And if we can get the whole family to like what I find.


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