Centerfest, Soccer, Laser Tag and Birthday Party

Loved getting up this morning to go watch soccer. Something about the fall and seeing Mary Kathryn and her friends play the great game. While interacting with MJ was its normal trying experience, I enjoyed watching MK make a goal and Drew scavenging for goodies around the Riverside baseball field (he found two baseballs and about a dozen other items "of interest). Then she was off to the lake with the team, leaving Drew and I to our own devices.

Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch and went to Centerfest, Durham's arts festival, to enjoy the weather and to see what we might find inspiring. And we certainly did. While the jewelry did not strike me as it normally does, and the pottery was largely pedestrian, the other visual areas were wonderful. There were some great painters, particularly some strong abstract portraits with the kind of dimensionality that one rarely finds in these kinds of settings. But one artist really struck me.

This gentleman named Patrick Walsh does these very unique and alluring photomosaics that stopped us cold. As I looked at each one, I was drawn into the creative process and thinking of how they would have been "put together" and how he chose his subjects. Walking through the space, and finding other folks who struck me, I kept coming back to Mr. Walsh's art, and so I left with a piece that I was proud to bring home and hang on my wall.

While walking around, Drew began to get very tired, so he sat by a tree, and began to draw, and rest, and "recharge his batteries." When I came back to get him, he had created his own art out of bark. He also made his own glue out of berries and sap. It was something that was unexpected and intimidating -- a reminder of how great this boy's spirit and abilities are...

This evening, Drew and I did some laser tag -- we won -- and then to a friend's birthday party. It was a fun day. My favorite moment was Drew's humility in asking that we go play laser tag -- that he feared he was being selfish in asking for that time. When I assured him that I was looking forward to the time, and if it was something that was not fitting within our plans, our available time or even my own interest, I would have talked to him about it. But I was glad he asked, and that he didn't expect it -- he asked, and was sincerely appreciative of the time we could do that together.

A fun day, particularly with Drew, and I have tylenol in my body, and my eyes are heavy. It is a good feeling...