beanfest 2008

Beanfest 2008 was -- at risk of a very bad pun -- quite a blast.

On Friday morning we awoke to the sounds of stage assembly, picnic table arranging and port-o-potty set up. By Friday afternoon, there was a main stage assembled beside our bedroom windows, a fry truck parked beside our porch, and rides set up at the end of our driveway. The picture below is Maia watching excitedly as the mini 'amusement park' took shape on our street.


The thing I enjoy most about Beanfest is the myriad of friends that come from far and near right to our doorstep once a year... literally. I can't say I got to engage in many lengthy conversations of depth (which I love) but it was 'a different kind of great' to enjoy a little bit of time with so many of the people in our lives.

Here's the mini tour by our house, for those of you who couldn't be here. (So sad for you.) You can't get any closer to the heart of the Zurich Bean Festival than this.




Last year, a train ride was set up on our street. Maia talked about that train for a whole year. She was a little disappointed to find out that the train hadn't returned this year, until she found out they had set up pony rides at the end of our next-door neighbour's driveway. Oh yes, ponies right next door. Guess what we'll be hearing about for the next year?


Here's the debrief with her dad right after her first pony ride. I love the wide-eyed, quiet processing that happens when she is first thinking about something new and exciting.



The Bean Festival is also starting to mean a weekend visit with our friend Adam from Ottawa, who I now refer to as "little brother". We just love this guy -- his presence, his sense of humour, his desire to follow God, his sincerity. Maia adores Adam and I think the reverse is true as well. This weekend he pulled out a painting she had sent him last year that he has been keeping in his journal all this time.

Here's Adam, freshly 'napkinned' and ready to take on his baked beans. (His hair got a little extra lift from the wind.)



I rather expected that Maia, being quite reserved about new people in general, would keep her distance from clowns. But boy, was I wrong.

An hour after this clown made her a bunny balloon, she returned quite boldly to ask him if he could please make something with "hands and legs and a head". He was kind enough to oblige.




As much as I enjoyed playing on the Beanfest stage the last two years, I was happy just to be 'mommy' this year and enjoy the music from a distance. (Well, not too much distance, of course.)

Our dear friends Kelly and Dave, and Glen (recording engineer and co-producer of my next album). did a set as Strawberry Mary.







And Maia danced.

And danced.

Danced with friends. Danced alone. This girl just loves to move to the music and I love that she feels the freedom to do just that. I think she and King David would get along just fine. (Don't worry, I haven't encouraged dancing in her underwear in the streets.)


And Eliana, you ask?

Well, when she wasn't smiling (which she does very easily these days)....


... she was sleeping. You've got to love how babies sleep through just about everything, even rock music in loudspeakers.


And now it's quiet again in Beantown. And to be quite honest, that's just fine too.