The second weekend in August is a big deal here in scenic East Nashville. The lowly tomato in all its forms is celebrated directly in art (painted and photographic images, jewelry, clothing, on and on), tomatoes in food, seeds. Then from this base this huge festival now has all sorts of other offerings. Pet adoption, driveway sealing, other foods, food trucks, services like Friends of Shelby Park, banks, and more all have stuck it out in this heat.

A huge black dog with a thick fur coat could have been the poster child for hot and uncomfortable. There are lots of other fur babies on long strings being lead about. Our species is not in danger of extinction. There were numerous double strollers, single backpacks. And, of course, huge numbers of tattoos, music blaring,

knots of people of all sorts.

My three granddaughters have sold lemonade in front of our house for many years. The youngest, now nine, was there in diapers. I am cowardly about these events...I don't have the chutzpah to offer my services of lemonade, krispy treats, water, and whatever else is available this year. They, however, are fearless, for this money is theirs and none of them have other income. The world is filled with temptation.

The youngest always buys junk food at the earliest opportunity. The middle saves for a bit until she finds something she really wants, or had in mind an investment. The oldest is in a makeup and hair dyeing stage, so my bet is for this to be her investment.

They impress me. I lived on a farm and never had any money to spend or any way to earn it.

Today I walked by all the booths on my way to turn in the Theft by finding: diaries (1977-2002) of David Sedaris. The title comes from the contrast of theft by burglary and the theft of finding an object and not returning it to the owner. David's diaries go from his life as working in an orchard as a transient to world traveler and bon vivant.

I would love to sit and speak with Sedaris as well as random people I passed today. Sedaris would have made it a point to overhear something peculiar. Alas, I hustled through and only got sucked in to buy one item, a gift. Facing a move will curb the enthusiasm for acquiring more goods.