vandalia

every Memorial Day weekend for the last 38 years, Vandalia has taken over WV's capital. Vandalia is a gathering to celebrate WV's appalachian heritage....amazing musicians, pickers, and dancers gather to play...whether it is on a big stage or under a tree on the capital lawn.  there is good food, amazing music, and even more amazing people.

brian took me to vandalia when we were dating, and it has sort of become a tradition for us. we took Will today with nana and pawpaw. Will loved it. we absolutely love it.  however, it always puts me in a bit of a pickle.

i grew up clogging....mountain dancing...from grade school into high school. i went to clogging workshops with my friend sarah. i wore a crinoline (for real). i really loved it and was pretty good at it...but i get SO embarrassed to do this in front of people these days. this is a problem, because my husband thinks it's awesome (really).  you know how some people can blow milk out of their nose and that is their cool party trick? i am brian's party trick. he'll pull up "rocky top" on his phone and prod me to get my feet shufflin...as my face turns blood red. i can't ever get too mad at him...he really thinks it is cool. so every year at vandalia, as the old folks in their overalls and clogging shoes gather on the dance floor, he is dying for me to get out there.

this year i caved to the pressure...sort of. brian got out there with me and we did some square dancing/clogging. but we had no idea what we were doing. so i danced with fred, and brian danced with maxine. they knew what they were doing and didn't want us screwing everything up. unfortunately, there is video evidence. that's ok. Positive evidence that my husband has danced with three women that were not me  ;-)

 

and maybe i'm missing my calling. because afterward, a world champion clogger (easily 75?) gave me his card and asked if i would join his dance troop.