Our state fair? Well, it’s a great state fair. 😀
The Iowa State Fair began yesterday and will continue through the 18th. It is the most successful outing we’ve had with Bryon’s mother. She is not a difficult woman at all, but our interests our for the most part divergent, so I know she’s tolerating our efforts at entertaining her, and we get bored with some of her more quiet pursuits. This is a nice compromise. All of us like the fabric arts building, for example.
One thing we learned last year, the first year we took her, is that there is a limit to an 88-year old woman’s endurance, so this year we are going to sit more and sight see less. Our first stop will be Old Pioneer Hall for the old time fiddle contest. That’s what she wants to see, and last year we didn’t get it because it’s early at 10 a.m.
SO we will be up tomorrow morning at 4:30, off to pick her up, and then off to the Old Pioneer Hall to get our seats. And I will have a couple of packages of Kleenex.
My grandfather Kenneth Schaff, who my younger brother is named after, was once offered a chance at a Nashville recording contract. Being from my family, he chose not to chance success, and he spent his life managing a gas station and drinking his liver away. But oh my goodness, the man could play the fiddle. He was state of Iowa champion in whatever his division was almost every year, and grand champion of the fair at least 5 times. The State Fair was where my grandparents were happiest, camping out in their ancient camper that attached to the back of their ancient pick up, listening to music, playing music with all their friends, and I loved to see members of my family happy, as that was not our usual state.
Granddad wanted his sons to play the fiddle, but none of them had his kind of talent. My dad was a drummer in a band Granddad had for a while, but the four brothers were a flop with any kind of stringed instrument, so the next generation was looked at. My family is a patriarchy, so grandson after grandson was ill suited. Meanwhile, I played the baritone and trombone in honor bands all over the state, another granddaughter grew up to be an excellent pianist and a music teacher, and two more were celebrated vocalists. We Schaff women were more like Granddad.
I tried starting the fiddle when I was sixteen, but by that time I played two instruments well, and wasn’t interested in the screechy sounds I was making, so I moved on…to a short flirtation with the piano.
Still, good bluegrass music touches my heart, and I always feel that the place my grandfather is most likely to be is Pioneer Hall at the State Fair. His house has been torn down, and why on earth would a man who likes to party hang out in a graveyard? No, his spirit is tapping its toe there every year, and I know that, so I bring the Kleenex, just in case.
