Belfast Recap

 It was a challenging weekend weather-wise in Belfast. Friday set-up day was pleasant. we were in and out in an hour. Special thanks to my "roady" for the assistance. (The only part of set up outdoors that I cannot manage on my own is the final step of pushing the canopy frame up to the highest/widest level. It's just not possible with only one person. After that, I'm good on my own but it all goes faster with more than one.

    Saturday dawned misty and cool - and got cooler and wetter as the day progressed. Never a full out rain but enough to tamp down the crowd that showed up early in the day. And a bit of a breeze off the bay that made it uncomfortable to be outdoors. I was so happy to pack up inventory and button up for the day at 4:00 and head home. 

    Sunday started misty and light rain at my house but the roads were dry in Waterville when I met Betty. We headed off and arrived at a cool and slightly foggy Belfast. The weather cleared and was partly cloudy to partly sunny the rest of the day. After the early forecast for showers by 4 faded to no rain although I hit one light shower not he way home.

    It was another "okay" weekend in Belfast. I covered my expenses plus so it puts me in a strange place to decide whether I continue next year. we'll see. I had some good conversations, managed to add on a set of placemats to a runner sale, and received lots of compliments. And on Sunday I found this in the bowl with my business cards:

    For anyone who is not from Maine, here is the backstory on the Duck of Joy in Belfast:

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/community/joy-the-duck-returns-to-belfast-harbor-community/97-e49b5b4c-489b-4e69-a8a4-00b7dfc021e2

So, whoever is responsible for my gift, thank you. You have, indeed, brought me joy!

 Other notes about the weekend: 

 - There was the usual parade of dogs, although noticeable was the lack of vendor dogs. And unlike previous years, I did not hear one fight break out. Good boys all!

 - Lots of ink, man buns, Birkenstocks, Crocs, and no end to the interesting fashion choices. People watching is one of my favorite activities and craft shows are almost as good as a trip to the mall.

 - A sign of the economy was the noted lack purchases by people. Lots of people, few bags - I think people are being a bit cautious with their discretionary income. 

Getting Ready for That First Show of the Season

 Have spent the past week (another rainy cool one!) finishing up projects that will (hopefully) sell this coming weekend. The weather forecast is icky - 70's-80's and rain/thunder both days - so it will be a challenge. But who knows? I keep staying hopeful.

 "Someone" got indicted and arraigned in Florida recently - we can only hope it results in a well-deserved guilty plea. Teflon Donnie has been allowed to roam free for far too long. Most of his former advisers and cabinet members have turned against him and even some members of his family have attempted to distance themselves (looking at you, Ivanka Kushner). If it weren't so unsettling for the country it would be a great movie. And no doubt we'll see that film in the future. No thanks, I lived it!

 This year's Belmont was a real fee-good story - small stable woman trainer wins with $35K horse. And the jockey was Javier Castellano, who won the Derby. His Derby mount, Mage, was not entered after a hard fought third place in the Preakness. A bit of synchronicity - the owner of the winner, Arcangelo, is Blue Rose Farm and the woman who creates the incredible flower blankets for the winners of the major races chose blue roses for this year's accent to the traditional white carnations. How cool?

 

Crazy News!!!

 1) The PGA reversed course and is now in partnership with the Saudi-backed LIV tour. After all the acrimony when high-profile players defected last year it seems that having a LIV tour player win the Players Championship 2 weeks ago at Oakdale in Rochester NY pushed the envelope a little too much. I really feel for the players who remained with the PGA because they did not want the Saudi blood money because now they will be forced to accept it. I suspect there may be a move to create yet another tour in the future as there was some very strong opposition to the LIV tour and I cannot anticipate those players just going along. Stay tuned.

 2) Holy crowded field, Batman! How many people are running for the GOP nomination for President? Latest are Chris Christie (yesterday) and Mike Pence (this morning), announcing in front of "God ad his family". Okay, Mike! Good luck with that. Not impressed with any of them, but love that Christie seems to delight in poking the bear that is Trump, especially now that Trump seems somewhat preoccupied with all his legal woes and only replies on social media.

 3) I heard back from the Pfaff customer service with the curt reply that there is not a single hole needle plate available for my new machine. No mention of if it's in the works or not. Sigh. At least I still have the older machine I can free motion on. And the replaced foot has been put to use already - 2 runner tops and 2 sets of placemat tops finished. More to go. And I need to update my website before the Belfast show the end of the month.

 4) The little craft show yielded 2 prospects so it was worth my time. We'll see if they apply. And I checked out the Brewer show this past Saturday. No prospects but had a good visit with Connie in the wind and cold. And it was good to just get on the road by myself for a bit. 

 5) The afore mentioned wind and cold were the result of a low pressure system that has been stalled off the coast for days and will remain there for several more. Highs in the 50's, bands of showers, and wind. I'm not complaining as the alternative of 80s is not my cup of tea. And the system seems to be blocking the intense smoke from the wildfires in Ontario - the pictures and reports from New York are incredible. Finger Lakes racetrack cancelled their card after a race or two yesterday because it just was not healthy for horse or man. People are describing it as if their next door neighbors are having a campfire so it must be intense.

 6) The debt limit fiasco finally got settled. Compromise was the key but, of course, now the MAGAs are derailing other legislation in protest and are making noise about recalling their speaker because of it. Cue the Rolling Stones for those folks! 

Happy Pfaff!

Thursday's trip South to get the elder Pfaff patched up was a success. Tyler at the Sewing Machine Exchange is a wizard! He even clued me in to what kind of screw driver to buy so I can access the innards on my own, not that I will be doing that anytime soon, as I hope I have learned my lesson. And while I was there he had in stock a foot I have needed since I broke mine in the replace-the-light-bulb fiasco. So it was a good trip. The bad news was that he said Pfaff has not yet made a single-hole needle plate for my new machine, so I wrote their customer service to inquire about plans for that. Seems rather ingenuous to advertise that machine as a quilting machine if you can't/won't provide the option of that essential accessory.

 I also made stops at Jillson's in Sabattus for my herb and flower plants for my containers. I showed there in their Christmas on the Farm event for several years but a change in their schedule to accommodate COVID put the show at odds with the UMC Augusta show so I had to drop out. I also stopped at Stevens in Monmouth for a couple of things Jillson's did not have (lettuce and lemon verbena). and my final stop was at Whippersnapper's in Manchester to fill in on several watercolor batiks I needed to complement some fabrics I already own and want to start using. It was a totally successful trip. The fabric is all washed and dried, ready for use.

 Later today I will be scouting a local show for potential UMC members. I don't have high hopes but you never know where your next great artisan can be found. (I always say at shows "You never know who your next great customer will be."). Unfortunately the postcards we ordered to drum up members have not arrived so I will just be collecting business cards and contact info.

Then it's home to paint the deck railing. Tomorrow I have to create the wreath for Sidney's Memorial Day celebration after which I hope to dive into that fabric that's calling my name. Monday I finish up the wreath and attend the celebration and come home and relax.

DeSantis/Tina/Preakness Day

 Working backwards - DeSantis's campaign launch was the disaster I expected, given his partnership with the current CEO of the blue bird site, Elon Musk. My growing dissatisfaction with Twitter has led to fewer and fewer visits. Yet, I have not found the content I crave on any of the many sites that have attempted to take its place. I try to stay on the "Following" side but sometimes I get flipped to the "For You" crazy-ass side and OMG - what algorithm are these people using to choose my content? What makes them think I want to see the MAGAs trashing ______ (insert any Democrat here)? But, some of the people I "follow" do not show up in the "Following" feed any more, only in the bat-shit crazy side. But back to De Santis - not my cup of tea - his new laws in the past year in Florida are only designed to woo the MAGAs away from their dear leader. I seriously doubt he will be able to woo anyone who found Trump too extreme as he seems to be placing himself even farther to the right.

 Ah, Tina Turner. What to say? This one hurts, even though I would not call myself a fan. I liked many of her songs and videos and I truly admired her for leaving the abuse that was Ike and reinventing herself into a force to reckon with in the music world, as well as a style icon.

 And, Preakness Day saw the silver-haired super trainer from the West in Baltimore with a number of horses. Sadly, he left Baltimore with one less than when he arrived, having lost Havnameltdown in an undercard race. The crocodile tears did not convince people of his regret as he could not even say the horse's name! And yet, he was all smiles when he took the big prize at the end of the day. To say Horseracing Twitter was not happy is an understatement. On the scene reports were of a very muted atmosphere, almost as if the crowd had witnessed a disaster, which in a way, they did. My hope is that the implementation of the HISA rules will allow all Bob's bad behavior to catch up to him. Yet, he will be on site for the Belmont. The Derby winner, Mage, will not - long rest and point towards the Travers. The only good feels for the weekend were a couple of victories for one of the good guy trainers, Graham Motion. 

 Quilting wise, I have been accepted for all shows on my schedule this year, including 2 new ones. I'm down to 6 shows as last year's 9 was too many. I've eliminated all but one 1-day affair. When I'm by myself, which I am most of the time, one days are hard, especially if they are not in my area. Early start, rushed set up, a day selling (hopefully), and a rush to pack up and drive home - too long a day as I age. I have my fingers crossed that the 2 new shows will make up for the decrease by being profitable. And I hope that one of the shows I've done for years actually happens, as applications are way down this year. And with that, it's time to get dressed and take off for Portland to get the older Pfaff looked at to solve the light bulb problem. Wish me luck!

 

Above is a graphic illustration of what occurred in New Hampshire last evening. It is beyond my comprehension why ANY news network (especially CNN) would feel the need to give a narcissist like the former president an hour of airtime to repeat the lies and grievances we've all heard for the past 2 years. Lies, lies, lies! He was combative, disrespectful and generally a real pig to the moderator. He called her "nasty", a term he has used previously to denigrate women. He lied about his most recent court battles, saying he had never met E. Jean Carroll. He lied about the call to the Georgia Secretary of State, saying he never asked for him to find votes - And yes, we've all heard the tape! 

I am seriously reconsidering my viewership of CNN. I think the new management has taken the network in an unsavory direction, despite some decisions I agree with. What has irked me of late is all the changes to schedules and partnerships. Some anchors I respected and trusted have been relegated to unfathomable time slots. It seems as if management is throwing jello at the wall to see what sticks. I've seen that movie in some of my working career stops and it's not pretty and doesn't hold up as a strategy.

My observation here and in other areas of the world is that as education has become more of a business than a respected profession, the entire world has suffered. Our values have changed to reflect this and we have ended up with leaders who are all about the Benjamins and know nothing about how to be truly great leaders. The truly great leaders out there do not want to go into politics because of the divisive nature of that world. And who can blame them? If you really care about the world and making positive change, how would you feel to find yourself in the House, seated across the aisle from a Marjorie Taylor Greene or a Lauren Bobert or a George Santos? These are not serious people looking to make positive changes in our country. They are there just for what they can get out of their time and titles. And where does that come from? The top dog in their political party, who has only ever been in politics for his own gain.  

COVID update + Kentucky Derby

 So I finally tested negative last Saturday and Monday so I'm considering the COVID baddies to have moved out of our house. It's nice to be back to normal here at home - no more worrying about someone else's germs and watching where I go and what I touch, especially in the kitchen. 

The Derby was yesterday and, as usual, not without controversy. Four horses had been euthanized for various reasons in the days before the big day, two from trainer Saffie Joseph's barn, which led Churchill Downs to suspend him and scratch all his entered horses, including one in the Derby. Another 2 were euthanized on Oaks Day. But the big one came Saturday morning, when the Kentucky state veterinarians examined Forte, the favorite, and determined that he would be scratched due to apparent lameness. He had been fighting a bruise and Pletcher had reshod him that morning, Apparently the switch from 3/4 shoe to full shoe was not accepted. Horseplayers all over social media were complaining, including one who opined that Mage's win warranted an asterisk because he had lost to Forte twice before. The man just doesn't understand that these are living, breathing animals, who do not turn in the same performance every time they enter the starting gate. 

The feel good part about Mage for me was that jockey Javier Castellano finally got his Derby win. Plus, there was  a photo of Jose Ortiz and another jockey carrying one of Mage's ownership group over to the winners circle celebration because her wheelchair wasn't able to negotiate the terrain. What sportsmanship! And the first person on the ground to congratulate Javier? Todd Pletcher.

In the preliminary races on Oaks day, Caravel won her race and is headed to Ascot next. Not a fan of her trainer (Cox) but love the horse. Sad that she didn't find success with Graham Motion. And that she was sold twice. But it is the business.