The Lavender Festival and moments of magic

La Chola, James, and I arrived in Ojai mid-morning and before we even got to the festival we stopped at the Plaza Pantry for a real English Breakfast. We were hungry and the prices were immensely reasonable. We didn't learn the name of the proprietress but she was from Dover. She served us a breakfast of eggs, crumpet, tomatoes, and English bacon. And then we shopped for imports from Britain. If you are a fan of plum pudding, Scottish porage, Vegimite, or English teacups, this was the place! What a sweet treat it was to feel as if we had traveled a couple of continents away.

Once at the Festival we were greeted by more variations on lavender than most of us would quickly imagine. Tea towels, wreaths, earrings and necklaces, sachets, oils, butters, lotions, ribbons, hard-to-define gew gaws, and best of all, especially on a hot day, lavender/lemon sorbet. It felt like being at the Renaissance Fair. Lots of folks primarily there to sell their wares with the occasional person obviously enamored of or immensely well versed in the properties/qualities of lavender. It was apparent that working with lavender was magical for them.

La Chola and I decided to try our hands at weaving a lavender wand. I was immediately reminded that my temperament is better set for admiring handcrafts than doing them. I finished the wand and unlike a real crafter was glad that I was done rather than looked forward to the next opportunity to do another.

Perhaps the best of the day for me was driving home with other musicians while listening to music from around the world: being surrounded by the aroma of lavender from the wands didn't hurt. Hearing bluegrass sung in Czech, sones in Amharic, and lively conversation about all sorts of topics was the most magical part of the day. I'm ready for another trip sometime soon. Don't wait for me to make a wand for you.

James Grimes - Lavender wand