Oh Happy Day

A busy bee… This weekend, which may I add, is quickly approaching, could very well be one of my busiest ones in months. While penciling in a weekend cup of coffee with my neighbor, who just returned from the hospital after a fall in her garden, next weekend’s itinerary caught my eye…followed by a surge of concern, of course. I had forgotten that I scheduled a lunch date for Saturday, a window-shopping trip along Main Street in Northport and a bridge game that evening. Not to mention, the sticker my mechanic placed on my windshield is warning that it’s about time to change the old Buick’s oil. In an attempt to squeeze every errand and activity in, I flipped to the next day, only to find that my Sunday is even busier. After last year’s Sheep to Shawl Festival, I promised myself that I would spend a good hour or so with the Huntington Historical Society May 4.

Feeling sheepish… With the petting zoo, pony rides, traditional music and craft demonstrations- especially the craft demonstrations- I’m more than certain that I must allot at least two hours of my Sunday to the Sheep to Shawl Festival. Now, if I can make that happen, that’s another matter. Anyways, I hear the festivities are set to begin at noon and will run until 4 p.m. I also hear that there will be fresh bread from the beehive oven and sheep shearing. Yes, sheep shearing right here in Huntington. What I’m personally looking forward to the most however, is the custom shawls. I’m sure I’ll find myself taking home one too many shawls than needed, and I know that as soon as I get home I’ll teeter on a fit as I try to squeeze them into the closet alongside all the other shawls that haven’t seen the light of day since I first bought them.

A tulipy tight spot… After my fill of shawls Sunday, I’ll find my way down Main Street until I reach Heckscher Park and stumble upon a sea of tulips and playful children. The Tulip Festival, now in its eighth year, thanks to Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, has quite the line-up from tasty snacks to entertaining performances. While I have to keep myself from indulging in the snacks, I can however take in as much free entertainment as I’d like. Oh darn! Looking over the entertainment line-up, I’ve found that I just may have to rework my Sheep to Shawl hours, because the Chapin Rainbow Stage featuring Chip Bryant’s “Listening with Your Eyes” (12– 12:45 p.m.), a vaudevillian in the tradition of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, runs extremely close to the first sheep shearing session at the Historical Society. No use fretting now, we all know that either way I’ll find manage to balance tulips and sheep this Sunday.

Heyyy… While I have my planner open, I suppose now is the best time to scribble in Henry Winkler’s appearance at the Book Revue on May 10. Far from his days of playing the Fonz on “Happy Days”, Henry is teaching children that they can overcome any obstacle and they can do it with a smile and a laugh. Henry, now a children’s author, has series entitled “Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever”where the protagonist Hank has a story quite similar to Henry’s own experiences growing up as an undiagnosed dyslexic. I’ve yet to get my hands on a copy of his writings, but my grandniece says Hank is a hoot and a half. I must say, no matter how old Henry gets he’s going to continue winning over hearts, now isn’t he ladies?