Happy Mother's Day!

I am TERRIBLE at remembering "important" dates. I always have been. Thankfully, my family is used to it, so if a box arrives a week early or a week late of a birthday they know I still love them. I've tried tricks like writing it down on a calendar, setting it up as a recurring item in electornic calendars, setting reminders, setting multiple reminders...and, yet, I still suck at it.

So when I get an idea for Christmas, or a birthday, or maybe even Mother's Day (a holiday I *never* remember--sorry Mom), I act on that idea.

On my way back to the Bay Area from Quartzsite, I found a few Harvest Hosts to stop at along the way. My back couldn't tolerate more than about three hours at a time, so what other people consider about a day's drive was going to take me four to five days.

On the final leg, I stopped at a little winery near Merced that had cute picutres on their HH profile. Since it was a Monday, I was just feeling lucky that I found a winery stop that was actually open. So after I settled Ava and grabbed my journals and phone, I walked toward the winery to hang out for a bit to be polite to my hosts and have a change of scenery.

Problem # 1:  they were setting up for a small vendor fair. I am a sucker for event fairs that specifically highlight and support local artisans and artists.

Problem # 2:  drinking and decision-making are not necessarily good bedfellows.

Although, problem # 2 didn't really come into play this time. A few of the vendors were already set up, with a few more arriving and getting wares arranged. I passed a few jewerly makers--nothing especially special--at least, nothing I couldn't pass up. Oooooooo, homemade soaps and lotions (smiles politely and keeps walking). There was a table that folks were arriving to with chocolate-dipped, caramel-covered, baked and jellied everything. I could also pass on that. But then I got around the front of the building and there was a glass artist. She had these beautiful little suncatchers with bees or geometric shapes (which I'm totally partial to), a small vase of "flowers" on stems, and various small ornaments. And it stuck in my brain.

So after a glass or two of wine, I went back out, got a card, asked about a custom design, and called mom to let her know she'd be getting a Mother's Day gift a few months early. She just laughed at me and said, "Okay."