Yesterday my wife went down into the basement to clear out a little bit of clutter and straighten and organize it. She wanted to start making sure that she had everything in its proper place before the holiday season sneaks up on us. She found several boxes of holiday cards that she brought upstairs to check out. She wanted to make sure that there weren’t any nasty surprises (like mouse nests!) inside the boxes.
Well, the cards seemed to be fine, but all of the envelopes had apparently sealed themselves shut. So now my wife is thinking about using those cards for crafts and buying some new cards.
I remember when I was a teenager, I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. My parents bought me an inexpensive acoustic guitar for a Christmas present, along with music lessons at a neaby music academy. I was thrilled to no end! My enthusiasm for learning how to play the guitar waned quickly though, when the first six lessons were all about learning how to Read Music. They said that you had to learn how to read music before you could do anything else. I think perhaps the worst part is that I already knew how to read music because I had played the piano for years, yet they held me back and made me take classes to learn things that I already knew.
I was impatient and dropped out of those classes after only about eight weeks. When they finally let me actually put my hands on my guitar they were making me play songs that I had no interest in learning. What fun is that? I wanted to learn how to play fun songs, not be a serious concert artist! I think that is one of the problems with a lot of educational programs. They don’t pique any interest in pursuing the goal. Very dry and boring and tedious.
This is the time of year when I like to go to the many different County Fairs, State Fairs, and Street Festivals. There is always great music to hear, and good food to eat! Not to mention all of the great exhibits to look at. I enjoy going into the fairgrounds exhibit buildings to get out of the hot sun, and take my time going from booth to booth. Many times I’ll see some high-end trade show carpet or logo mats being used in the exhibit buildings. They really help to make the displays really stand out!
Outside, the vendors that are on the main walkway of the fairground are smart enough to use a logo canopy to protect their wares while promoting their business. I enjoy seeing all of the different shapes and designs. I think that the variety helps to make the atmosphere of the event more festive, and the vendors more professional. And I especially appreciate it when they put a covering over the areas where the picnic tables are, so the patrons can enjoy their food while out of the elements.