Vashon Strawberry Festival 2013

We went to the Strawberry Festival several times over the course of the weekend.

 We went on Friday evening while the booths were still being set up.  Though there were no booths we mostly just went to ride some rides.  Though I think the rides were pretty lame I can't help but wonder if this is just what happens when you are an adult.  Carnival rides just aren't as cool as your memory captures.   Nonetheless, J had a great time! The beer garden was open, the music was great, and the locals were out!  For the several hours on Friday there were familiar faces everywhere!

Before the parade we went to the Kiwanis Pancake breakfast! The pancakes were good, the community was awesome. People were chatty.  Seriously it was a lovely little small town event.

We walked in the Children's Parade with Creative Preschool. (we love J's preschool!).  Then after we walked we stopped at the end of the route and watched the rest of the parade.  It was fun! Very fun.  Actually walking in the parade gave us a good sense of everything that was going on.

After the parade we had hoped to peruse the booths and stuff.  But it was so so so crowded.  Lesson learned! We won't do that again.

Later that evening we went back with some guests who had arrived and walked around and J rode some more rides.  It was fun.

Finally, on Saturday night S and I went up to the music in the streets. It was fun to walk the streets at night, to dance in the street, and to enjoy.  It is such an intimate thing with one's town to dance in the streets.  The relationship with place changes when you have used it as a dancefloor!

All in all, this festival only contributes to our love for this Island. We had fun!  And it was just enough for our family!

Strawberry Festival! 2013

The strawberry festival is this weekend and the Island is pumped.  It's the talk of the water taxi, the ferry, even the Island AM emergency broadcast system has warnings about the ferry schedule and road closures!

We couldn't have much of an event this year- but next year- and subsequent years- we hope to invite people to come over and camp in our yard and enjoy the festivities with us! We want to turn it into a holiday for our family. We shall see....

Anyway, this is our  first festival as Islanders. We came out last year and that was when we officially decided to move here, or rather, that was when we hurried the process.  We are excited to walk in the parade with J's preschool and to ride some rides, eat some carnival food, and in general enjoy the Island community.

If you are looking for information on the strawberry festival the best place to get it is from the Beachcomber insert (Beachcomber is the Island newspaper).  The newspapers are sold all around town-  but also on the ferries and at the end of the North-End pier.  Here is good online information from the Vashon Chamber of Commerce. Here are some reviews on Yelp.

There is an awesome line up of events, music, food, parade and some fun stuff. Oh, and we gotta remember to bring our canned goods- cheaper tickets for rides apparently!

Hope to see you there!

Vashon's Thrift store: Granny's Attic

The Vashon thriftstore, aka Granny's, is open three days a week.  It's a charitable organization so all the profit they make goes to various (I think now) non-profits on the Island.  Cool deal!  We have, at all times, a box of stuff to go to Granny's that is slowly filling. When it gets full I drop it off (drop off is 7 days a week).

I bought all of Miriam's birthday presents there.
We bought an adorable dollhouse there and then remodeled it.
We have purchased dishes, some jewelry etc.
The great thing about Granny's is that almost everything there is super super cheap.

Today I went there to drop stuff off and it was right after 10, when it opens, and it was crazy. People were parked way back in overflow parking, the line was super long, and frankly it was a mad house.  It wasn't unfriendly but it was nuts.

On one hand I sort of get the frantic-ness of Granny's. Stuff is cheap, there aren't more of whatever you are getting, some things area  real "steal." On the other hand it feels to me like a cycle, sure I'll buy this now but eventually it'll make it's way back to here.

I think the best way to shop this place is to go in with a general "idea" of what you want.  Things like, "kids toys for the airplane, or  if you have a specific like a new coffee table that's great but not "urgent"

Anyway, here are some photos of a couple of things we've gotten at Granny's.

Should you move to Vashon...

I have become facebook connected through a mutual friend to a family that is moving to Seattle.  They are considering a move to Vashon.  He asked me a general "thoughts on moving to Vashon..." question. Here's my answer...

"So should you live here or not? That I cannot say. Here's the advice I usually give people- Come and stay here for a week or two and then decide. Last year after my youngest daughter was born my Sister came and stayed with us- we were living in Seattle at the time- anyway we stayed on Vashon for 7 days. Sean commuted, and through that we decided we could do it- I also grew up in a small town and though I love Seattle I was overwhelmed with how to raise a child in a city. We were living in a great albeit rough neighborhood and I simply was overwhelmed by negotiating relationships between race, class, drug dealers, neighbors etc. It didn't feel good. That, and we were entering the land of preschools and schools and the chaos of that- and we wanted the simply life- we didn't want to buy into the BS that goes with that and the copious amounts of decisions that await us at every turn...so quite frankly we chose something simpler. Fewer schools, 1 option to get off the Island, 2 grocery stores, etc. We just chose the simple life.  At times the "waiting for the ferry life" or the "slightly more expensive groceries life" or the "people know your business life." but that is also "simple".

The commute?  I love it. It is hard in the winter- don't get me wrong. And, we live on the north end so once we get to the ferry we are pretty much home. Phew. But my partner and  I also commute together some days which I love. For me, the morning time is my prayer, reflection, quiet time. Being on the water every day is such a gift. I seriously love love love it. My 3 year old is a beach comber- hunting for sea anemones and starfish, the is into barnacles, and seaweed---she knows many different types. That is awesome. She is also a shy kid- an introvert like both of us- and we feel like her withdrawn nature is not as strong as it is in Seattle with all the people and buildings- on Vashon she knows where she is!

So those are my thoughts= all jumbled together. But here I what I offer- when you get here- if you don't land on Vashon we are ready to have you over! Please hop the ferry we would love to welcome you, talk about the Island.  .  .

Vashon Heat

90 degrees.
What is your beach of choice?

It is the begining of July and summer is here in the PNW.
Glorious summer.

The Island is hopping. The weekends fill it with day-trippers and I think almost anyone who owns a vacation home on this rock is probably filling it with family and friends.  So that grocery store is crowded, restaurants

sometimes even require a wait, and in general things are hoppin.

Different feel.