Sunshine On My Shoulder Makes Me Happy

We woke up Saturday morning to the most glorious weather.

The sun was beaming through the window sheers, bathing the whole house with much needed sunshine and inviting us to spend the day outdoors. We accepted the invitation and decided to head on over to our local arts market in the morning, and then make a detour to the library, before ending with a relaxing visit to the park.

As I was getting everything organized, I started wondering what was taking Isabel so long. After calling her a couple of times (and hearing muffled replies as answers) I entered her bedroom to discover a tableau of stuffed animals arranged in a curious manner. [Think Gulliver's Travels meets The Queen Mother.] When I asked her what was going on with Lulu, she patiently explained that Lulu (the chair, as opposed to - thankfully - the cat) was now all ready for her wedding. (Huh???) Apparently, unbeknownst to me, Isabel has been preoccupied with the upcoming wedding we will be attending this Saturday. (It will be Isabel's first.)

BTW, I love the attentive attendants, as well as how she has the chair dressed in satin blankets and burbing cloths for a gown and veil.

Well, we finally made it out the door and arrived at the market. The walk to this place is incredible; the energy palpable. After a two month winter break, the market was packed and as exciting as ever... soulful live music, fresh breezes blowing in across the river, people of all ages mingling alongside pottery, herbs, fresh bread, magicians, belly dancers, animal adoptions and freshly harvested produce. I tell you... this place is a total sensory experience. We bought strawberries, listened to music, pet dogs, talked to friends and enjoyed not being constained by time.

Arranging monogrammed pocket mirrors to spell her name

After an hour or so, we swung by the library to drop off some books and get some others and then drove on over to the park. I must say... this park is a hidden jewel. It is situated on the river, adjacent to an old drawbridge. It has a swing/slide area, beautiful expanses of grass (just perfect for laying a blanket on and reading), sail boats, docks, ducks, and even a small beach area.

It was the perfect end...

... to a perfect day.

For more photos from people far more talented at photography than me,

pop on over to Lisa's blog at:

Happy St. Patrick's Day