Polar Festival

Welcome to my Polar Queen realm! Glad you could stop by. A lot of fun is to be had in Bloglandia today if you know where to look. Yet another awesome event is being sponsored by eb over at Be... Dream... Play... a Polar Festival! Do stop by the main party page and see what it's all about, if you are arriving here from another path! I thought for this gathering I'd share some photos with you that I took last weekend while I was out with Ian, my son the Polar Prince! It just so happened that while he was in town from college, he wanted to go the the Apple Store to purchase the computer he has been saving up for. As luck would have it, an Ice Sculpting event was being held there at Legacy Village at the same time. After he made his purchases (connie.stop.thinking.about.iphone!) we went out to take a look. We were able to catch Aaron from Broadview Heights, Ohio's Elegant Ice Creations in the middle of creating a sculpture. What an amazing process. To start with an indiscriminant block of ice and then using a chain saw, drills, and grinders to quickly form the beautiful piece was a sight to behold. And it was completed so quickly. My son is a sculptor, currently working with a large block of marble. He just stood there shaking his head..... "Do you know how long it takes me to do that same thing with marble? Days! After I chisel, I have to go over and over the same area with progressively finer grit to get the same effect. Although....my sculpture might still be around in a few thousand years." Well said, son! It is kind of like when we are trying to carve ourselves into the people we want to become. If it is too easy, although pretty, the results probably won't last. One thing that is similar though, is that it can be pretty messy when the work is in process and the pieces are flying. Hard work does pay off. The other fun thing I noticed - once the carving was done and the polishing began, do you know what tool he used? A blow torch! An apt demonstration that fire does indeed add clarity! I knew I picked a good word! I am so very glad that I could share this with my son. He's a good boy.... and he even let his nerdy mom take his picture through the ice kids without making a fuss. We had a wonderful day together (even though it did also include the dentist - sorry son) we shared many things and he read me some of the poetry he's been working on. We talked about how we are so much alike and the ways we are different. I am so very proud of him and the man he has become. I am always sure to tell him that I love him every time we speak, but I must remember to tell him that I'm proud of him next time too. Anyone you need to tell how you feel? So I'm glad you could visit me here on the North Coast. While you are here, I'd love for you to stop by my post for ONE world - ONE heart and join the give away. Enjoy the rest of the festival!