Start of the Indoor Craft Show Season

    Did my first indoor show since COVID came to town this past weekend. People were well-behaved, many were masked (this was in Augusta where it's still optional) but the numbers of attendees were down both days. Still, I'm happy to report this was a group in the mood to buy! I had the best show I've had in many years. So a hearty THANK YOU to all who came and purchased treasures from me.

    This coming weekend, the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, I will be at a show in Brewer. This is my second attempt to crack the Bangor area market so it's still an experiment. I felt I should do this show to support the United Maine Craftsmen organization. I have been a member since 2016 and this past August was elected vice president. It's great group of people and we are doing our best to keep the doors open at show venues around the state. We've had to make some adjustments due to the pandemic, the weather, construction at venues, etc. but we're a diverse and resourceful group, determined to do what is right for our members. 

                                            Booth at Augusta

    Anyway, the show this weekend requires me to rise at 4 am to be on the road by 5 to get to Brewer by 6:15, the start of set-up time. I need all 3+ hours these days to get my booth in order and as this is a new venue, I'm not sure how easy load in will be - considerations are always 1) stairs?; 2) how far I am from the door; 3) how far away from the door do I need to park? 4) how to fit my booth in the space allotted and not encroach on my neighbors. (My 2 favorite venues are the USM show in Gorham where I can drive right into the fieldhouse and park 3 feet from my space and the Augusta Civic Center where they usually have large flatbed hand trucks available for unloading, which means only 2-3 trips from the parking lot instead of 10-12 when I have to hand carry everything.) I'm doing a B & B exchange with our president - She stayed with us this past Saturday and has invited me to stay with her on Friday so it's only one trip up and back for me instead of 2. A win win!

    Watching a report on CNN about how the owner of TY Inc. has chartered a plane to bring Beanie Babies over from (China?) so we will have our pick of those little critters this holiday season. Takes me back to my days working at Mr. Paperback in the Shaw's Plaza in Waterville at the height of the BB craze. The tricks and lies people used to get their hands on the latest releases still amaze me. I divested myself of most of my few acquisitions years ago - donated to charity, given away, yard sale. No need to keep those any more. I never thought I'd get rich but I'm sure there are still people who think that way. Sigh.

Happy Halloween! Boo!

 Back from Roch-cha-cha. Reunion was fun. It's a testament to the SO's classmates that I have now attended 2 of their reunions while attending only 1 of my own! There are a great group of people and always good to see them. Happy to report the quilt shop came through and I purchased all 4 of the fabrics I wanted. Disappointed by the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, however. They seem to have fallen prey to the GenX intern model of display development so things did not flow quite as I had hoped. And they severely downsized the Women in Baseball exhibit and shoved it into a back corner. A real disappointment. 

   I finished a special order and shipped it off last week. And started 2 new wall wall hangings perfect for the holidays. Two weeks from today I'll be at the second day of the first inside show of my season. I'll be the one wearing a mask, even though I'm fully vaccinated plus boosterized as of last Sunday.

WARNING! OLD PERSON RANTS BELOW!

 We attended our first concert in months (years?) last night. We like to support our local venue when we can and this was only their second affair since COVID shut them down last year. It was a band from Boston that I had heard of but not heard and they were fine musicians and somewhat entertaining. Unfortunately, the experience was negatively impacted by some inconsiderate attendees who 1) stood at the side of the dance floor which placed them squarely in front of people seated at tables; 2) same people them relocated to the only narrow walkway to the restrooms; and 3) a different group at the back of the room who talked loudly over the final song of the first set, which was the Beatles Blackbird, done acoustically (as it should be) by the lead singer. I was about ready to get up and go give them my best Librarian SHUSH but thought better of it, given the times we are in. I just wonder why these people think it is okay to be so inconsiderate of their fellow concert-goers and, in the last case, the artist? Was it the alcohol? Was it a sense of entitlement? I'm stymied.

    And I witnessed something I've never seen in person but have seen evidence of on the Internet - one of the inconsiderate floor parkers seemed to think it was their right as a "fan" of the band to cozy up to the stage during the intermission, snag the set list from the leader singer's space and capture it on her phone. I guess that's what passes for fandom these days, but I just don't get it. 

 

October update

A few days after the Flaherty Show, we received word that the venue for Fall Festival, Smiling Hill Farm, had decided they were not willing to host a crowd the size of ours in less than 4 weeks time. Connie and Matt, the directors for Fall Festival, scurried around, chasing all kinds of suggestions and found a marvelous replacement venue, the Chick fields by the Gorham municipal offices. Flat, dry (despite a Friday of rain) and easy in and out. Most customers found us there and it was a sunny, breezy nice day. 

I had a customer early on who purchased a runner, then left it at another vendor's booth. Connie returned it to me and with a bit of Internet sleuthing (Thank you for all those library skills I gained in 16+ year!) I was able to connect with the customer, obtain her mailing address and return her runner that she thought was gone forever. Another satisfied customer! 

I've updated my website to add more holiday items and updated the inventory and really don't have much to add for the next show, the Augusta Arts & Crafts. An inside show again! Should be an adventure! And I'm looking forward to not having to deal with the elements! 

Off to Rochester this week for a high school reunion, postponed from 2020. David has a great group of friends who still reside in the area and it's always fun to catch up with them. And we're doing some fun stuff, too - a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. We haven't been in probably 30 years or so. About time to catch up with our respective favorite teams. I want to see all that Giants memorabilia! And there's a quilt shop in Rochester that I discovered on our last trip that has several fabrics I can't find here anymore listed on their website, so I'm hoping they are in stock for me to purchase. 

A Week Later & the Mud is Gone!

 So, last week's show at the hay field by Flaherty Farm in Scarborough was "interesting". I arrived on Thursday morning to assist in marking spaces and setting up parking. The tent rental people were just unloading and already had their box truck mired in the field. (It started raining Wednesday night and was still raining at this point, after a rainy July.) We measured off the parking and started staking and roping it when we realized the tent guys had driven their 4WD pickup to the back part of the field and were stuck back there. Yikes! The family member who lives next to the field tried to assist but their insurance would not allow him to grab a tractor to pull anyone out. They eventually had co-workers and the boss show up to help them finish and to assist in pushing the box truck out after several tries. The pickup was still in the field when we all left on Sunday. We finished the parking area and moved on to the tent that was set up. I broke for a little lunch and was pretty wet by then - from the thigh down to the top of my Bean Boots. I was thoroughly soaked from perspiration under my rain jacket and pretty wiped out. I wanted to stay and finish but the reinforcements had arrived by then so I took off and retreated to home to await the decision on the Friday day one of the show, which was eventually cancelled. Set up was pushed back until 6 am Saturday, not ideal but we all made it work...well, those of us who didn't woos out! Yes, it was muddy but the family made all kinds of hay available to soak up the excess moisture. Yes, it was hot and humid. Yes, there were not as many customers as in previous years. But we had fun seeing people again and most were respectful of distances and some even wore masks. Sunday was even better - drier, a tad cooler to start then much cooler when the sea breeze kicked in around noon. Not as many customers but my numbers were about the same both days so it was all good. But I'll bet the people who got stuck in the parking area weren't thinking it was all good, including the tow truck driver. (That was operator error as he forgot/didn't know he had to manually lock his front hubs!) 

    Spending the night down there with Rachel and Connie made all the difference in the world even with a less than restful sleep. But I didn't have to get up at dark thirty and leave to be there for the Annual meeting at 8 so it was good. In the continuing story of the stuck vehicles, the elderly security fellow did not follow Rachel's instructions and drove his car to the back and ended up stuck. (He was later pushed out by some sympathetic vendors.) And when it was all over, Connie and Matt were so kind to help me schlep my stuff across the field to my car. I opted not to follow the lead of those who ignored the direction not to drive across the mucky areas because that's who I am. (I was sure one board member was going to get stuck but she lucked out.)

    And I made it home and put my Saturday footwear in the sink to soak - but they were beyond salvation, mostly due to the smell. The Tevas I wore on Sunday didn't take as heavy a hit and area fine after a washing. Things are back in their appointed storage locations and I have plans of what to make next. And the stabilizer bars a purchased for my canopy work great for that purpose and for displaying my runners. I just need to put the pool noodles on the second one and I'll be windproof!

Highway Adventures

 I generally try to avoid the interstate, even though I live a mere half mile from it. Turn left out of my driveway, travel that half mile and jump right on!) I'm a backroads kind of person. But there are times I find the interstate is the most efficient way to get from point A to point B. Today point A was home and point B was Scarborough so I hit 95 and headed South. I made it to West Gardiner before anyone did anything truly remarkable - the driver of a petroleum tanker (one of those BIG ones!) passed me then cut back in front of me so quickly I had to brake heard to avoid being swept off onto the berm. A few choice words his way and he was down the road without a thought for me. When I left Scarborough this afternoon, I was about to get on the Turnpike and approaching the toll barrier a Telsa (with Mass. plates) cut in front of me (again too close for comfort) and ran through the EZPass lane ahead of me. As I got to the barrier I could see the message his passage elicited - something to the effect that he needed to contact the Customer Service center. I'm guessing he didn't have a transponder and will never pay a toll. 

And I saw a news story this past week that because of the shortage of truck drivers the people in charge are thinking of allowing 18 and 19 year olds to get commercial licenses to drive the big rigs. I have strong feelings about that idea. I'm not at all sure that most 18 or 19 year olds are mature enough to handle that driving assignment. I've never driven anything larger than a full size van but I'm confident that driving a big rig takes more skill than I possess and likely more decision-making ability than most 18 or 19 year olds possess.

 Still working on new items for the Flaherty show. I have new wall hangings completed, new pins (actually completed a couple of months ago but misplaced until now), and I have 3 runners and 2 sets of placemats ready for layering and quilting. My creative time and energy have been divided between my business and the business of running the United Maine Craftsmen organization. Our administrator position was a victim of the pandemic and it has fallen to the Board of Directors to carry on. I am on the Membership and Jury committee and we have been busy with outreach to former members, responding to inquiries from potential members, and keeping records straight. At times it's an all-consuming task but when I'm feeling overwhelmed I put it away and retreat to the studio. We are holding elections this year at Flaherty and I have agreed to run for vice president. We'll see how that works out!

I'm currently watching CNN and their coverage of that gazillionaire's space trip. I'm not sure how I feel about this. One the one hand, yes, science is great but on the other, I have a hard time believing that common folk like me will ever be able to afford these trips. And this particular person's idea of moving manufacturing to outer space to save the earth's atmosphere has me wondering what happens if we pollute space like we've polluted this planet? Won't that change the entire deal?

First Show in the Record Books

 So the first post-pandemic show is in the history book. The new canopy performed like the professional it was billed to be, even in some stiff breezes on Sunday. Of course, we had staked it down through the footpads and added an extra outrigger stake on each corner. There was some swaying but nothing to be alarmed about. Still, I have ordered some stabilizer bars for added security and in hopes they can function as additional display space and eliminate the need for the large, unwieldy black A-frame display I've been using for runners. Fingers crossed on that! I also think I have a solution for the drooping lap quilt display in the canopy - just need to go get the materials and have D. do a bit of woodworking to make it functional.

 The crowds were fairly well-behaved although at one point I had far too many people in my booth for my comfort. Fortunately they dispersed quickly. A few adults and children wearing masks but I knw there were unvaccinated children without, just by their ages. Sales were strong on Saturday -lots of hangings! Not so much on Sunday but that's the norm. Still, it was worth the trips. And I'm really looking forward to the Flaherty Show in about a month. I'm working on new hangings and will do more balsam trivets and pins and a few runners and placemats before. I'll have 2 solid days with no other responsibilities next week when D. is off to play golf in NH. 

 The hot weather that moved in over last weekend finally left on Thursday, leaving some destruction in Belgrade Lakes. Mostly trees down but apparently a real mess. It's been cool and rainy since but today is clear. Great sleeping weather and I've been playing catch up. 

 The SDNY finally yielded indictments to the Trump organization and its CFO this week. All relating to payroll tax fraud. These are not free perks, you jerks! They are taxable income and the fact that there is a second "smoking" spreadsheet only supports that. And having your leader claiming ignorance about the laws in a campaign-style rally over the weekend does not help the case.

 And the condo that partially collapsed in FL is now completely collapsed in a control demo last night. Makes it safer for the search and rescue forces and the neighborhood. There was some concern about pets who might have been left behind but they apparently scanned with thermal imaging and found nothing. Still over 120 missing souls. And another building evacuated as dangerous after inspection.

 Racing is marking time until the Saratoga and DelMar meets begin in a couple of weeks. Not surprised by the news that Charlatan, one of Baffert's poster horses, has been retired. And several of his have been transferred to other trainers and begun racing again. The CHRB did not do the sport any favors by timing their meetings and decisions to benefit him.