| Welcome Home My Florida! |
| Florida Folk Festival 2007 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| New Beginnings! |
| CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW! |
| CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW! |
| CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A LARGER IMAGE |
| MAXINE? IS THAT YOU? |
Dear Santa, Can I have one
of these?
of these?
| Little Willie Cowboy Puncher |
Cowboy Poetry
| It's called... RELAXATION... Remember it? |
Ok... he's not really lost...
He just looks that way! (A
friend of mine)
He just looks that way! (A
friend of mine)
They explained why you bring
chairs to this event! I was clueless!
chairs to this event! I was clueless!
EDITORIAL FOR THE FLORIDA FOLK FESTIVAL
Deborah Sheehy, Welcome Home My Florida.com
I normally don't write about the events I attend, but for this
festival, I couldn't help myself. I just had to take a moment to
gather my thoughts in writing as to what I experienced here.
This festival wasn't your typical crafting event... This
was a time for music... music of the past and of today
and of our future hopes. It took me a few hours actually
to 'get it'. The first time my friend and I sat down to
listen to some music, I began feeling irritated... I'm not
in to Blue Grass, or Folk music what so ever... so even
though my crossed leg bounced a mile a minute from
being somewhat board... I hung in there.
I was watching the musicians, the people and
listening to the poetry and wondering... why? How is it
that this type of Folk Festival can be so popular?
Where do these people come from? How can this
'world of music' be so dynamic in the lives of so many?
After about 4 hours of walking... talking to folks...
sitting... listening to it all, I began to see the picture. To
confirm my thoughts, I approached two women at the
Amphitheater and asked the elder of the two, "What
does it mean to you being here today?" She looked
straight into my eyes, then turned a bit without saying a
word. I felt as though she was caught off guard by the
question, but giving it a serious thought, she appeared
to go back into time in her mind and get a bit choked
up. I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was
as I suspected.
This festival is a step back into time... When men were
men and women were women and families were
connected. A time when a marriage between a man
and a woman was cherished and considered
something worth fighting to keep. A time when hard
work earned an honest dollar, when gardens were
grown to feed the family, when recipes didn't come
from a box. A time when you didn't have to be
concerned about someone stealing from you, or
wanting to hurt you. A time of contentment that is just
nearly impossible to find in the world today. A time for
loving your neighbor. A time that you could let your
children run and play without the fear of abduction. A
time for laughter.
It represented Florida, as it's time to take care of our
state, to preserve it's past, and to act responsibly in
controlling growth. It was about nature... to appreciate
God's creatures and to cherish the wonders of
Florida's Native scenery. A time to be grateful for our
Military and the sacrifices they and their families make.
A time we were grateful to God.
As we were exiting the festival, part of me didn't want to
leave. Today, for the first time in a very long time, I felt
peace. I had the glorious opportunity to go back in my
mind and remember life in the United States as it will
never be again. I'm so glad I was born at a time when
America was still America. A time when God was not
shut out. A time when wrong was wrong and right was
right. A time when most understood there are
absolutes in this world. A time when freedom rang for
all people, not just for the special elect. If I were tell you
the one thing I would never want to loose, it would be
my memories. They ring with shouts of joy, freedom,
expressions and love.
The day ended, but my memories will linger at least for
a short time. I'm thankful for that and I'm thankful to all
the hard work it took to put this festival together. May it
never change or die.
Deborah Sheehy
Welcome Home My Florida
Permission to use in it's entirety & with current links attached.
Deborah Sheehy, Welcome Home My Florida.com
I normally don't write about the events I attend, but for this
festival, I couldn't help myself. I just had to take a moment to
gather my thoughts in writing as to what I experienced here.
This festival wasn't your typical crafting event... This
was a time for music... music of the past and of today
and of our future hopes. It took me a few hours actually
to 'get it'. The first time my friend and I sat down to
listen to some music, I began feeling irritated... I'm not
in to Blue Grass, or Folk music what so ever... so even
though my crossed leg bounced a mile a minute from
being somewhat board... I hung in there.
I was watching the musicians, the people and
listening to the poetry and wondering... why? How is it
that this type of Folk Festival can be so popular?
Where do these people come from? How can this
'world of music' be so dynamic in the lives of so many?
After about 4 hours of walking... talking to folks...
sitting... listening to it all, I began to see the picture. To
confirm my thoughts, I approached two women at the
Amphitheater and asked the elder of the two, "What
does it mean to you being here today?" She looked
straight into my eyes, then turned a bit without saying a
word. I felt as though she was caught off guard by the
question, but giving it a serious thought, she appeared
to go back into time in her mind and get a bit choked
up. I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was
as I suspected.
This festival is a step back into time... When men were
men and women were women and families were
connected. A time when a marriage between a man
and a woman was cherished and considered
something worth fighting to keep. A time when hard
work earned an honest dollar, when gardens were
grown to feed the family, when recipes didn't come
from a box. A time when you didn't have to be
concerned about someone stealing from you, or
wanting to hurt you. A time of contentment that is just
nearly impossible to find in the world today. A time for
loving your neighbor. A time that you could let your
children run and play without the fear of abduction. A
time for laughter.
It represented Florida, as it's time to take care of our
state, to preserve it's past, and to act responsibly in
controlling growth. It was about nature... to appreciate
God's creatures and to cherish the wonders of
Florida's Native scenery. A time to be grateful for our
Military and the sacrifices they and their families make.
A time we were grateful to God.
As we were exiting the festival, part of me didn't want to
leave. Today, for the first time in a very long time, I felt
peace. I had the glorious opportunity to go back in my
mind and remember life in the United States as it will
never be again. I'm so glad I was born at a time when
America was still America. A time when God was not
shut out. A time when wrong was wrong and right was
right. A time when most understood there are
absolutes in this world. A time when freedom rang for
all people, not just for the special elect. If I were tell you
the one thing I would never want to loose, it would be
my memories. They ring with shouts of joy, freedom,
expressions and love.
The day ended, but my memories will linger at least for
a short time. I'm thankful for that and I'm thankful to all
the hard work it took to put this festival together. May it
never change or die.
Deborah Sheehy
Welcome Home My Florida
Permission to use in it's entirety & with current links attached.
Here it is again!
She caught it too!
She caught it too!
| Slide Show With Music Just For Fun! |
