I took this photo 11 September 2003 at the TVA&I Fair in Knoxville, TN. I love going to the fair-- the people,the rides (this was the Pharaoh's Fury ride), the sounds and colors and, of course, the food. My favorite FAVORITE fair food is Cotton Candy.

I love cotton candy. I have since I was a kid. And not just because it's all sugary, either. My real reason for loving cotton candy is a bit more complicated that just that.

First off, imagine me as a very imaginative child. Shouldn't be too hard to do for those that know me. . . Next, remember that my Daddy has always been in construction. For as long as I can remember I've known the difference between a Phillips and a Straight, wanted to play with the Skil saw, hammered a nail relatively straight and been told to avoid insulation.

I trusted my Daddy, so when he told me that insulation, so fluffy and pink, was actually ground up glass (okay, so he said "fiberglass" but what's important is how I remember it) and would itch me to death if I got into, I believed him. Didn't make it any less interesting. . . Matter of a fact, made it a LOT more fascinating. Once or twice I did the touch-and-snatch-hand-away, just dying to know what insulation felt like. From those brief encounters with it, I decided that it felt just like cotton candy.

Back to the imaginative part. . . If I couldn't touch real insulation, I could at least pretend! And so I did. Every time I got a bag of pretty, fluffy, pink cotton candy, it was INSULATION. And I, brave and magical child could not only TOUCH it, I could EAT it too. Gave cotton candy a greater thrill than it would for any other kid, I'll bet!

Shortly after this photo was taken, I bought a huge bag of insulation and spent the rest of the week enjoying it and the memories. Now, it's your turn. Go get some Cotton Candy, pretend it's insulation and see how fun it is!

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