(Before I begin an actual post, I just want to point out that the fact that so many people mistakenly say “worldwind” when they mean “whirlwind” makes veins pop out on my forehead, and may eventually result in my death from aneurysm.  So if I do pop a vessel and kick it, please honestly list my cause of death.  Maybe it will help people learn the word.)

Thursday, the charming and witty Stephanie Pearl-McPhee gave a reading nearby, so a bunch of us met up for some big knitterly fun.  I saw Noreen and Jayme as soon as I showed up, and soon ran into Mapgirl, Elizabeth, Lu, Nicole, Lynn, and a whole bunch of other wonderful folks.  We snaked through the stacks waiting for our line tickets and knitting, and a bunch of wonderful folks asked me about my knitting bag and about the blanket, so I was blushing like mad.  Knitters really are very kind.

And then Stephanie gave her reading, which was really more of an extemporaneous comedy act.

I don’t know if you can get the sense from this little photo how many knitters came out, but there were hundreds.

Then there was a signing, and I was caught pushing sheep-themed beer on a known Canadian.  I won’t bother to deny it.  Jayme, Mapgirl and I ended up going out for some food and hanging out for an hour or two.

Friday, morning, I needed to be available for a worker to come by and set up our new tv/web/phone cables, so I decided to start experimenting with the pumpkin muffins.  I used this recipe as my jumping-off point.  Take one was passable, but not quite good enough:

Take two got some additional spices, including cinnamon sugar on top and many more spiced pumpkin seeds.

They’re still not ideal, but Etaine suggested something brilliant, so take three will be even better.

Next, I headed out for the Watermelon Park Festival to meet up with the Celts.  I couldn’t swing the whole weekend this year, but I had to make it to the park to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops.  I knew they would be amazing because Brooke and the gang vouched for them, both as red hot musicians and as wonderful people.   So I could not wait for their show to start.  But I had to wait for their show to start.  So, you know, beer, guffawing, force-feeding muffins and pumpkin seeds to my friends, etc.  Somehow, we got Jer to not only put on Aes’s pink cowboy hat but to let me photograph him.

I think banjo-picking makes a young man particularly confident.  When we were young, weren’t teen-aged boys jerks?  Because Jeremy is really wonderful, as is another friend’s son Dominick.  Maybe their parents won the kid lottery . . . Anyway, you can’t really tell from the photo, but there’s a river right behind where we set up, so in addition to amazing music, good friends, and lovely weather, we had fishing and swimming right there.

The Chocolate Drops took the stage at dusk.

My photos are all terrible, but we had a great time.  Most of us were dancing through their whole set, and Nessa, Rona, and Lily learned several new traditional dance steps and moves.  Nessa officially wants to be dipped all of the time.  I personally can only dip even a beanpole of a girl 30 or 40 times before my shoulder attacks me back, so I may need a dipping minion.  We also gave some serious thought to monthly dance classes for several of the Celts who want to learn some clogging steps and figures from me.  Just the thought makes me giddy.

I had to head home Friday night to retreat from allergens (very bad symptoms right now).  Saturday was taken up primarily by knitting (proof soon), setting up our new DVR, and dinner with Bodwin and Ruadhan.  Sunday, more knitting, some gardening, and roast pork burritos.  All told, I feel like I’ve had two weekends right in a row.

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