G’ville

Good grief. On our way north, I saw parts of Florida I hadn’t seen in years. Between construction on the turnpike and accidents (Kathy’s phone said 4), my GPS app Waze routed us along backroads hither and yon. A stop for a coke and to pee after one of the suggested side roads was closed, and we had to go even further afield. Finally, we got on I-75, slow but at least moving.

Originally planned as a visit to my dearest friend, coincidentally it was Gainesville Fine Art Association’s annual showcase weekend. After our dinner at the Top (gnocchi with pesto sauce for me), we stopped at the opening reception, met some of the artists who are Sally’s friends, and perused the map to decide on which studios we wanted to visit the next day.

Up at not o’dark hundred, followed by leisurely breakfast. First stop was a group of artists that rent studios at a Presbyterian church which no longer needs the rooms as Sunday school classes since the congregation doesn’t have any young people. The greying out of another religion. Watercolor, 2 quilt artists, glass mosaic (yes, I needed the flamingo in a smoked herring fillets can), oil painting. Next, the artist doing encaustic (wax coating) collage/painting we visited pre-pandemic, when she was just starting. I liked her cats with flowers. Last, a return to the printmaker specializing in reminiscent Florida: motels, campers, tubing. I must have been hungry, because the tubes looked like donuts to me. I took one of her 8 1/2” x 11”pages with leaves of all of the Florida oaks. Originally a poster sold as a local charity’s fundraiser, now each of the leaves are available individually as a 6” square print. Possible Tree Board gift. 

After church (youth group reporting on their work trip to Koinonia Farm in Americus, GA), I met Barton and Jen for lunch while Sally prepared for her afternoon concert at the Theater of Memory, one man’s whimsical collection that he now displays at a refurbished 1901 Florida house. Each room has a different theme: shells, passage of time, music, tea, writing, etc. This visit was consumed by the music, but I’ll be back so the curator can explain why he collected these specific objects and how he decided to display them. Way too much for just one turn.

Originally, we’d planned to tube down the Ichetucknee, however Sally’s recent MOHS surgery just didn’t seem healed enough. Better safe than sorry, especially with potential facial scars. Another laidback morning, then on the road, again with godawful traffic. After we oozed past an accident, the turnpike narrowed to one lane due to construction to widen it. Yes, I see the irony. A 2.5 hour trip grew to 3+ hours. But we made it in time for Kathy to pick up her car at our house to get on the road before driving home in rush hour. Yes, another irony.

A great girl’s weekend, to be repeated as soon as we 3 retired women have room in our schedules.