Pumpkins are fun

I have been so lame about updating. Most of my computer time is spent posting antique postcards on eBay. Postcard collecting is apparently a HUGE hobby. I really enjoy looking at postcards from a different time and place. Most of the cards I post are from the early 1900's. It is neat to see pictures of what the world was like back then. Almost every main street has similar mom&pop drug stores and department stores. Its hard to imagine America pre-corperation explosion. The neatest part about the postcards are some of the messages people write. Most of what people wrote were vague or nothing more than a "Hello" but I have seen some pretty neat stuff. There was one woman who wrote a letter (it took up over 3 postcards, but all I had were those 3) to a man she had never met in person. They wrote back and forth and she was commenting on his picture and how she would like to meet him. This was in 1909 or something mind you. Another woman commented on how you could get a gallon jar of apricots in Chicago for 50cents and you could use them to make pies or jam, and her aunt bought 3 jars! Seems kind of silly, but buying a jar of peaches in the store was a new thing. My uncle had even seen one with a civil war camp and a man had written that he had stayed there during the war. He kept that one.

Over the weekend we really enjoyed the Folk Festival in Richmond. It was perfect weather and I fell in love with a band called Vishten which is considered acadian music. I learned that acadian music is French Canadian, Celtic-Cajun music. Whatever it is I love it. Being that I am 1/4 Irish and 1/4 French Canadian (yeah I am a mutt) it seemed like the perfect music mix for me. They had a violin (which I am dying to learn) and even did a little bit of Irish dance (another thing I want to learn). Vishten truly speaks to the Irish in me and connects me to my heritage... something most Americans are disconnected from.

I also saw my good friend Devon after the festival at Cafe Gutenburg... a delightful (and somewhat snobby) Cafe in Richmond with delectable lattes and tasty wines. Who could ask for more?

Sunday we enjoyed a trip to a not-overly commercialized pumpkin patch in the middle of nowhere. Anastasia was more interested in the straw than the pumpkins and we got her (I mean us) a pumpkin. Then we enjoyed the Bonfire at the Hatke's. Anastasia was in her element (as was I) outside beside a blazing fire. Bonfires in autumn are sublime. The hospitality was awesome. Life is good.