Traditions, Traditions

Sorry to have been away for a few days. I’ve been really busy with annual traditions the last few weeks.

I know…for most people, the tradition-packed part of the year is the last six weeks…between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. And those weeks are busy for us as well, throwing in my birthday, my wife’s, and my father-in-law. (Talk about getting the short end of the stick every year when it comes to presents…”Oh, here’s your birthday and Christmas present together.”)

What is it about traditions that lead to such satisfaction? Is doing something familiar year-after-year release some sort of endorphins in the brain that head to the pleasure center? Is it that comfort knowing that some things never change? Is it the pleasure of passing traditions on to your offspring?

Maybe some blogger who understands brain chemistry and emotions can explain it to me so day.

Anyway, the Teale family finds the late July-August period packed with traditions as well.

In late July, it’s always the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, just south of Des Moines. The site of dozens of hot air balloons moving across the sky on a summer night is both beautiful and peaceful.

From Indianola, we quickly move to some small town events, whether it is the fair in my wife’s hometown (Washington Missouri Town and Country Fair) to eat wonderful waffle ice cream sandwiches, to the free sweet corn at the Adel Iowa Sweet Corn Festival, and so on. Events we try to hit every year so we are ready for the granddaddy of them all…the Iowa State Fair.

Not a tradition

Chocolate-covered bacon…….

Chocolate-covered frozen smore - definitely a tradition

To things such as seeing the biggest boar, biggest bull, doing our $1.50 spin art from the Altoona Lions Club, seeing the winner of the ugliest cake contest, and more food served on a stick that you can, well…serve on a stick at.

It’s just things that we love doing every year, and things that never really change all that much….and that’s why we like them.