I was hit with such a longing for Michigan yesterday, it was almost painful in its intensity.

I took the Divine to the Medieval Fair. It's a huge get up with hundreds of tents set out on the grassy field in the biggest park in the area. In the tents are mostly vendors and and hundreds of people dressed up in Medieval attire. I could try to go into more detail about the Fair itself, but I'd likely not do it justice. The Divine rode an elephant, a camel, a donkey and then this very primitive swing ride that I'd never adequately describe (just for kids) that was great!! Of course, we had fair food and she got her face painted quite elaborately. Every single thing and person has a medieval theme.

Anyway, I was surrounded by tents on this grassy, dirt field, with hundreds of hot, sweaty people (not in an odorous way) and I could take deep breaths and SWEAR that I was in the crafts area at Michigan. At one point, in one area, I was inhaling deeply over and over - I probably looked like someone doing yoga standing straight up. And then, the zenith of the afternoon, I went to one section and heard it ... drumming. I turned a corner and there they were - beautiful, marvelous drums for sale and several people drumming over to the side. Someone gave me a very elementary lesson on drumming and I was in heaven.

I stood near that tent for so long, breathing in the smells, soaking up the atmosphere, listening to the drums - I was filled, for just a moment, with such a sense of peace. I know no-one could ever understand that if they had not been to Michigan but it really was amazing. For a little while yesterday, with the expectation of August washing over me, all seemed right with the world.

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