Best of Both Worlds

I just had a real weekend! Here's what happened:

1. On Friday, The Magician had a soccer scrimage and The Star made dinner while I finished up the dress she designed and (mostly) sewed.

2. On Saturday we headed to Portland, where The Artist bought some casting material at Georgies and visited with an artist he met back in April. Then we parked on the east side of the river and rode the MAX to downtown Portland. We shopped the farmer's market and went to the annual Zine Symposium. The free workshop we were going to take was cancelled, but there were more than 100 tables of zines, postcards, posters and all other manner of DIY publishing. Great to see people actually doing something--even if a lot of it was mediocre.

3. That night was the artist reception for the Fiber Arts Festival at the gallery. I wore my new slinky black dress ($12.50 at Target) and my Wonder-woman inspired crown and bracelets that I made for myself. Many compliments that helped me feel less weird about wearing a tiara without a parade. My friend Tina was waffling about going to another opening in SE Portland, so I offered to drive. The party featured 80s dance tunes (my favorite!) and was hosted by P-Town Press. This second trip across the river may have been well worth it: one of the other artists thought my crown and cuffs were "radical" and is interested in a commission.

4. Our newly transplanted Kansas friends took The Artist and our offspring on a hike to Wahclella Falls yesterday, so I had a blissful day to myself. Not having had enough DIY goodness, I drove to Portland AGAIN and went to the Crafty Wonderland. The quality of the crafts was excellent, though I was happy to see that no one was making fun pillowcases or fabric treasure boxes. Someday I might actually get enough stock to have a table at a show like that. After the Wonderland, I spent a few hours hanging in the gallery with Maureen, a painter who is just polishing the 5th draft of her "very naughty" novel. I can't wait to read it!

5. Last night after splurging on some pizza from a pizzaria, The Artist and I walked down to Xokdee, our favorite lounge, to grab a drink with Karen, our favorite bartender. I love being able to walk from our house to somewhere fun. And downtown Vancouver is definately fun--art galleries, a big park with music and festivals, the farmers market, a movie theatre. It does remind me a lot of downtown Lawrence. The rest of Vancouver, however, is a lot like Topeka.

The downside of a busy weekend is feeling like you never got to rest. But it was well worth it to seek out cheap activities and spend time with family and friends. Sometimes a month goes by without our ever getting to Portland, so it was good to remind ourselves that we have the best of both worlds: a friendly, artsy small-town neighborhood where people are starting to know us and, just across the bridge, a thriving city with diverse cultural opportunities and tax-free shopping.