Good Lelystad

I suddenly got a bee in my bonnet about getting out more often.

Just a quick bit of history: I live in the capital city of our Province. Our province came into being in 1986, a few years after they drained the sea to create it. In a round about way I live at the bottom of the sea. Because the only man-made structures older than 1950 are the shipwrecks that dot the landscape, everything is new. This extends to our festivals. No "100th" annual events here. We are still in single digits in most cases. Many of these festivals are held in the coastal area of town- which just so happens to be where I live. I am, literally, 4 minutes by bike to the heart of the action.

And living so close, I decided we better take advantage of that fact and actually attend these annual events. Whatever they are. Thus the bee in my bonnet and the dragging of the family to random fairs and shows. So far the dragging of the family to these events has been easy- they happen to be in our current set of likes. Last weekend was the first "used boat" market and show. This past weekend it was for the first "Good Lelystad" Earth Friendly Fair.

There were many displays and booths on buying or building energy efficiency homes, and how to improve your current home's efficiency rating. We got the scoop on solar panels for flat top roofs and radiant wall heat. They had a few electric cars on display. I told my husband I wanted one. Not because it was green, but because the interior's buttons looked like a video game controller.

But my daughter decided the greenest car on display was the wooden cut out, and just had to demonstrate its "use".

Our local second hand store was there having kids decoupage the heck out of anything and everything, showing that even ratty-tatty old items can be fresh and pretty again, and include the kids in the creation process. There were some organic food booths...

.... and of course a carrot forest. Everyone knows you can't have an earth fair without a carrot forest.

I did nickname it the "hanging gardens of beta-carotene" but no one seemed to think my little joke was funny. Not even after I said it a dozen or so times.

The husband sampled the organic wines and since being pregnant means I can't drink, I wandered over to the alternative garden section. Where I found a pocket garden display. It's on my list for Mother's Day. I know I am a black-thumb and the only thing I can successfully grow is mold on the mystery meat at the back of the fridge. But pockets! Surely I can grow things if I had pockets!