Back to reality

This years Elwood Glass Festival is drawing to a close. My 4 yr old is glad to be getting 'her' park back, and I am glad for a few more reasons. I love the festival, don't get me wrong. There has, in fact, been only 1 year of my 34 so far I ever missed it...granted I spent the majority of those years, including this one, living in a house literal steps from it, but that's beside the point. I love sitting in the "Busybo" in our front yard and people watching, then spending time with friends who drop in to sit along with me. I love seeing people I only seem to run into during the festival. I love the parade. I love finding that one booth at the festival that has something new I love. I love the Optimist fruit drink, elephant ears, and my new favorite...chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. I love that this year there were wood carving and blacksmithing demonstrations, very cool. I love that there are bus tours to take people to some of the great businesses in this town like Spencer's Lapidary, New Day Meadery, Venus Chocolate, The Opera House, and of course the glass factories, St Clair and Prestige. But, as usual, by the last day I am ready for it all to go. I want to not have to put up a barricade so that people will not park in my driveway and block us in. I am tired of people with loud cars/motorcycles pulling out of the elementary school lot across the street late at night and waking up the baby. I am tired of our yard being a trash can, a short-cut, a hang-out for people who were kicked out of the park when they closed down for the night. I am tired of watching the Praise Puppets again and again as they slaughter classic rock into cheesy Christian songs(I Wanna Rock and Roll all Night was fine with the original lyrics k, thanks) and getting the stink-eye from the other parents when they notice my pentacle. I want to be able to sit on the 'Busybo' at night and it be quiet enough to hear the fountain across the yard gurgle. I will miss it when it is gone, and I will start to get excited about it about mid-July next year...but I am ready for my small town peace and quiet again. H.W.