Getting ready for Derby

A year ago Friday night and two months ago Friday I was walking up and down one of Louisville's two monthly art walks/trolley hops - Fat Friday - on the last Friday every month - on Frankfort Avenue, near our church, passing out brochures about church events - and this Friday - about UPSTARTS, the youth ministry fund raiser featuring art and plants and a proper English tea. Stephanie drove to connect with me and we had Middle Eastern dinner at Shirraz (while I continued to pass out UPSTARTS flyers). Many shops and galleries along Frankfort Avenue were open late for the hop (like the one that we went to two years ago at Railroad Square in Tallahassee and the one near my old apartment in Columbus), and we checked out a very few near the restaurant. We stopped in Miraposa Place, a program/center/studio/gallery for mentally challenged adults who are involved in art projects there. It's almost Derby week in Louisville - A week ago was Thunder, earlier this weekend was the marathan and the balloon events. Wednesday is the Great Balloon Race, Thursday is the Pegasus Parade, and Friday and Saturday are the horse races. So the artists at Miraposa have been developing some Derby images, above and below (the steamboat race's "Belle of Louisville"), plus other themes (the map below).

Across the street was Elizabeth's, mainly a hat store. We ran into Beth (below), a woman we knew from Weight Watchers, who sported a small hat.

She and the proprietress and others helped Stephanie try on hats small and large.

Eventually, Stephanie settled on a large hat.

Last year we went to two Derby-related parties, a Derby eve party - the celebrity gawking party where were dress up like celebrities, then go down to watch the arrival of real celebrities at the Barntstable Brown party. Then we went over on Derby day (and watched Big Brown and Eight Belles) at church friends' house. We haven't yet been invited to these or other parties, but now Stephanie is ready, with a new hat. (An important weather note: It's supposed to rain here almost everyday through Saturday, so probably on the boat race, parade, and the Oaks and Derby races.)

-- Perry