In your Easter Bonnet ...

OK -- You have all heard me sing the praises of local farmers markets. I love the fact that the Freight House Farmers Market is so community-oriented. Its just not a place to buy tomatoes but a place to learn, a place to connect with friends and a great family place with lots of activities.

Easter weekend was no exception!! The market board organized a bonnet parade for kids, three Easter egg hunts with great goodie bags for every child, a petting zoo and a bonnet contest for vendors.

I had been asked to man the petting zoo. Tough task! Took me all of two seconds to reply. YES!!! YES!!! A thousand times, YES!!! Any opportunity to play with fuzzy things!!!!!! Bunnies and chicks and a lamb. Yea ..... I was game!!!!! I love having people touch and feel animals they never have touched before! So many were shocked at the feel of the wool on the Southdown Baby Doll lamb, AnnaBelle. And the size and the softness of the angora rabbits. Let alone getting to hold a bunny!!! And after all, you are no bunny till some bunny loves you!!!! (ok ok -- its corny --but it was Easter!!!)

So I'm going along fat, dumb and happy ......... and then I got the email on Thursday. "Clink, you need a bonnet." Yikes!!! So the glue gun springs into action and I came up with this....... Another view. Yes -- the wine bottle has its purpose. It was vital after 5 hours of kids and animals!!!!








Honey wasn't certain about it. Isn't it a little over the top???? But I am a flower farmer so it had to have flowers, flowers, and more flowers!!

I was sooooo not over the top!!!! A few pictures of the Easter chapeaus!!!! We have millinery geniuses!! First is Joe --- this was probably the most creative there. It was a working greenhouse!! Yea -- with soil and live plants and everything!! And in the back is a pinwheel that would spin in the breeze. Too much fun!!!!! In the baskets -- tiny carrots and cabbage and lettuces!! All hand-made of clay by Joe.

Next -- are two of the most creative women that I know and the driving force behind all the great activities at the market. These gals oooooze ideas and creativity and customer service. Love them!!!!
Darcy and Jen. Jen is known as the "pot lady". She was the winner of the contest. Her hat weighed 3-1/2lbs!!!! Jen paints clay pots and glassware. Neat stuff. Darcy's hat is incredible!!! Unfortunately, my photo doesn't show the entire ensemble!! Shoes, belt, earrings and jewelry and the dress!!!!!! Just an explosion of Easter pink and yellow!!! So So Cute!!!!

And speaking of cute, cute, cute.............. this is the kind of thing I got to see all day!!!!!Three adorable little girls sitting on a bale of hay, holding bunnies. The middle one is Mazie ..... one of my favorite flower customers!!!! I'm pretty certain Mazie would take both of those bunnies home. She really loved them!!

It was a great day!! A lot of fun!!! We made lots of memories that day for lots of people. And isn't that what life is all about??? But .................. at the end of the day, I was ready for this!!!