Hoffman Estates Celtic Fest 2013

Scottish Thistle Pendant for me.

Back from another full day! Seems our days have been and will continue to be fairly busy for the duration of the summer, with the OYAN Summer Workshop in June, the filming of Blades of Honor, and the picking season soon starting on the VanLaar Fruit Farm soon, as well. On top of that all the writing I need to do..... Yeah.

Anyway. Today was the Celtic Fest. It was most enjoyable, actually; held in a Sears Centre about an hour away from where we live. The centre itself was large, but the event, while not neglected, certainly, wasn't super packed, either. We listened to some great Celtic music, got to see a whole bunch of kilts, and listen to random bagpipe music, as well. Rosie and I both got something from the pewter merchant I mentioned in my previous post. I'd been eyeing that Scottish Thistle pendant last time, and the Celtic Knot one caught Rosie's eye. She's always liked rubies. We both had a difficult time deciding what to get.... She found three different pendants she liked, and I had to choose which Scottish Thistle design -- out of three designs there -- I liked the best. We observed, deliberated, conferred, left, and came back again, deliberated a little more, and finally made our choice. Needless to say, the vendors were amused.



Celtic Knot Pendant for Rosie.

One of my other little brothers has been waiting all week since last week to meet this merchant. See, he's somewhat of a strategist and history buff, so when we told him that this merchant had little pewter Revolutionary War figures, he became rather excited. Though he interrogated myself and my Mother thoroughly as to the quality and minute aesthetic detail of these little figurines, neither she nor I had paid much attention to them beyond the fact that they were there and we knew my brother would like them. So he had to wait all week to get to see them himself. A dozen for ten bucks; quite the deal! He has been using the figures since he got them, and is very pleased. He had found a set of ten figures for $25 in another historical merchandise magazine, but Sheldon Pewter obviously gave a much better deal.

All in all, we had a wonderful time. Listening to Celtic music, purchasing some great trinkets, and hanging out with the family, which is always fun. I'll conclude with this video I took of a band playing a really fun reel. I only took a few videos because Pippin and I spent the rest of the time dancing together in the hall. Celtic music simply must be danced to, there's no two ways about it.

If anyone of you who enjoys Celtic things lives in IL around Chicago, do consider going to next year's Celtic Fest. Admission is completely free, there are games for the kids, you can listen to great music, bagpipes, and learn how to play cricket. Now how many of you out there, honestly, have wondered how on Earth cricket is played? I've been watching British telly shows and movies all my life, and I still don't know exactly how it works. My brothers went down to the arena to play about a bit, and they say they've got some of the rules down, so I'm going to have them explain it to me as best they can. It's all baseball over here at my house.

Well, I'm off to bed now. Have to be up early tomorrow to be at church for choir on time. Everyone have a blessed weekend, you hear?

Dia duit,
~Penny

P.S.
At least some of you will be glad to hear that, since I've completed the script for Blades of Honor (did I forget to mention that....?), I will now have time to do a couple more segments of For the Greatest Good. Keep an eye out for them!