Fun Day!

"Do you want to go to an Arts and Craft fair at the park?" our son Trevor asked us Saturday, the last day of our visit. Turns out it was Texas Day, and several artisans and crafters had their goods for sale. We wandered under the beautiful, tall shade trees, also accompanied by son Mark and his wife, Rhonda, drinking incredible homemade lemonade, worth every bit of the $5 price!

"This is the park where Julie used to bring the day camp kids to swim," Trevor reminded me.  Our daughter had had a summer job with the YMCA during her college years there. (She told me that part of her training had been to write a practice letter to parents that their child had died that day!  No doubt a device to insure vigilance for the kids' safety!)

The fair was nice, but a little tame, I thought, with offerings of homemade soaps, local art work, tool demonstrations, etc.  Then Trevor suggested going  into the Chautauqua building--a huge octagonal structure in the center of the park that I was curious about. The moment I stepped inside, I was excited! Here was the mother lode of craft fairs! Besides that, rich, melodic, musical notes permeated the atmosphere!

Antiques and collectibles of every description were on display, bringing expressions of surprise and fascination by the ladies of our group, especially. I lost track of Howard, and I spied him sitting on one of several church pews in front of a stage filled with an amazing sight.  An old-fashioned band and singers in country attire were performing beautiful music on guitars, violins, banjos and even a jawbone and rib bone!

I sat down with my husband and joined in in what I thought was "When the Roll is Called up Yonder," but he told me it was something different.  I think one could sing almost any song with the music and it would fit!  Things were a little pricey, but very nostalgic and entertaining.  Nothing took my eye enough to buy it until we were walking out the door--an artistic watering can that would look cute on my front porch, and reasonable, too.

Looking at a flyer afterwards, I found that a Chautauqua was a name for old-time summer gatherings for political, religious, or entertainment purposes, usually held near creeks or lakes, originating from Lake Chautauqua, New York in 1874. This particular one is the only known original Chautauqua building surviving in Texas.  And it was spectacular!  Restored in 1975 and revived in 2000, it is in use once again for special events.

My surprise and delight on going into the awesome building made me think of the treasures that heaven holds. Like the park, what we enjoy in our beautiful world, and it is beautiful, will seem hum-drum and dull compared to the glories that await!  The sparkling water there will not be a rustic creek where kids could drown, but a crystal, clear river running through the City of God.  There won't be a need for a summer revival, though I'm sure it will feel like one. And the music will be indescribable, when the roll is called up yonder!