It was the laughter that caught my attention. While working in the "Painting for a Cause" tent, I could see the colorful quilts blowing in the breeze by the side of Zenobia’s old home place. And on the front lawn, Janell and members of the Pleasant Valley Church were frying chicken for festival goers. And on the front porch, a couple of teachers from Bossier were enjoying their chicken while watching the traffic go by. It was the smell of fried chicken, the sound of the laughter and the buzzing of the cooks that made my heart swell and I could feel the grin on my face take over.
It was our 18th arts festival and the 12th one to be held on our four acre Farm. The crowd size was perfect. …any more and the experience would have been different for everyone. People were busy painting on the outdoor mural, kids were under the tents making faces out of clay and the music coming from the big talent tent reminded you that it was all about the kids.
Having chaired the festival every year since its inception, there was something different about this year. Every little detail had been addressed. From the thoughtful placement of the colorful quilts to the whimsical tin flowers scattered around the yard…the entire place was a piece of art. It was my dream festival. Everything that had played out in my head was played out in real life…for the first time. There were no regrets, no complaints, no last minute worries, no forgotten tasks. The board members and the volunteers who had dedicated their time and talent were now seeing the fruits of their labor, too. My only hope was that they were experiencing what I was experiencing….pure satisfaction. Pure joy. The perfect day!
We created a beautiful scene with real elements and real people on April 28th and it was truly a masterpiece!
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