Peach State Festival and NSN Board Meeting

I feel like sometimes I write more about things that I'm thinking than things that I'm doing, so here is the busy weekend I just had:

Last Thursday night, the Peach State Storytelling Festival began with Stories on the Edge of Night, which I attended and thoroughly enjoyed. John watched the kids and I got home late.

On Friday, I went straight from work to the festival where we had our Bard's Feast / Southern Order of Storytellers membership meeting. As a member of the board I gave a presentation on membership, then I volunteered at the ticket table until the evening concert.

At the end of the night I went home late again, where John and the kids were already asleep, and my sister was settling in to our playroom/guest room.

Saturday morning my sister and I were both up early. She was off to a 5K in Atlanta (the reason she stayed the night) and I was just off to run. Horatio had ended up in her bed that night after John and I had both failed to hear him and she couldn't get him back to sleep. I chose not to increase my milage on my long run this week because of all the other stuff going on, so I did just over 6 1/2 miles again.

I got back home to Virginia saying "I don't want to go to storytelling!" But I talked her into it and took her to the festival with me, getting breakfast on the way. She went to the first family-friendly session of stories with Sugar and Mikey, and Aunt 'Manda back from her race, while I took another volunteer shift.

After that we ate lunch and then John met me in the parking lot to pick up Virginia. He also wanted to give me a chance to squeeze Horatio, but he asked for Amanda instead. I guess that's what happens after you spend the night cuddling.

I got to see my mom perform and then I led my oral immersion workshop, ate dinner, and performed. I got home late again, when everyone else was asleep.

On Sunday morning I got up at 3:30. My mom met me at 4 and accompanied me to Jonesboro, TN where I caught the tail end of the National Storytelling Network board meeting. I've just been appointed to the board and really didn't want to miss the entire first meeting. We spent the night in Tennessee and drove home Monday.

John and I picked up the kids from daycare together Monday afternoon and took the car through a carwash to get all the road salt off. Virginia thought it was awesome, but Horatio kept saying, "Done!" I asked if he was worried and he said, "Worry!"

It was a long and exhausting few days during which I didn't see my kids nearly enough. But the storytelling lifestyle is not always so intense. And it is always worthwhile. I love everyone I meet through storytelling. They are my people and this is my world.