August 4, 2008- Musikfest Day 4

I started out the morning at the doctor’s. 875 milligrams of amoxicillin twice a day for the next ten days. Here is hoping the collective 17,500 milligrams get the job done and get me back on my feet.

K opened the show for me. She is such a trooper. After a busy morning at the dentist, she came right over and rescued me! She stayed with me till about 7 so I really got to rest my voice quite a bit. By the end of the night, it almost sounded better, rather than worse for once.

The weather was beautiful. The crowds were pretty big for a Monday, and sales were brisk. Better than usual I think. But then again I don’t keep track till the end (to compare year to year). It gets too stressful to compare day by day.

There are a lot of people not doing well and are very unhappy about it. Some blame the economy, some blame competition, some blame their booth location. Crafters are funny- we as a whole rarely ever look at it as the fact we are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or that our product isn’t popular in this particular location, or that our booth display is ragged and needs a face lift.

I know slow sales can be blamed on many things- weather is one of my favorites to blame, but really, they should mostly be blamed on the artist, starting with a bad choice of show and sometimes on the economy of the nation or a particular region where the show is located. But honestly I think we hide behind blaming other things when we don’t know or are too lazy to do something about something we actually have some control of.

August 3, 2008- Musikfest Day 3

Well they say you get sicker and sicker before you get better… hope this is the bottom of the barrel. I can’t stop coughing and still no vice. Tomorrow is a trip to the doctors.

The show was pretty good today, there were a lot of people and sales were brisk and consistent. Only one jerk- a lady I asked not to smoke in my tent and she told me I should just go home if I was too sick to smell her smoke. People never cease to amaze me!

Other than that I have to say the day was just plum uneventful. It is funny though, how sometimes when you don’t clarify a statement it can get you into trouble. C said he was coming over after finishing a load of laundry (I assumed this meant about 30 minutes) and when it was 2 hours later and he hadn’t left yet… well… see what I mean…I should have asked for exactly what time he planned on coming over to help me, instead I just stewed when it got later and later… whoops….

But he was wonderful. He cleaned up my shop a whole bunch, and that was a huge help! He always does a much better job than I do.

On to tomorrow! Three down, 7 to go!

August 2, 208, Musikfest Day 2

I don’t consider myself an overly religious person, but…dear Lord, please help me... I am sick... I am getting sicker. I have pumped up my body with every herbal supplement, immunity booster, and over the counter drug that I can think of, or have been given by friends. My voice is toast, my nose is stuffed, and there is heaviness in my chest that is starting to scare me a little. I am starting to hack and cough now, and it physically pains me to do so… It is only day two- 8 more to go...

Yesterday sales were better than I thought. I don’t count my sales till I get home for the night and the day felt really slow, but when I got home it was better than I expected. The weather was wonderful and you could really see people enjoying the day- especially the afternoon out with friends and family.

I got three wash cloths knit and got to meet another Ravelry member (and one on Friday too!) I ordered an new cash register- mine suddenly died the night before- hopefully I will get it here before the end of the show.

It is hard, I am praying for the afternoons to be quiet so I can save energy and recuperate, but my comrades, the other artisans need the people and the sales, so I feel guilty about my wishes…but I also need the money, the sales myself… so it is all a double edges sword…

But I have to tell you, my customers are the BEST. I have gotten more suggestions on what to take to get better ,and everyone telling me to stop talking, to be quiet and to get better. I can so feel the love. And the compliments I have gotten so far, my repeat customers are so sweet! And I have to say that I know the economy is tough right now, the fact that you are choosing to spend your hard earned money on something that I make, that I love, is not lost on me. Every sale is meaningful, really. It is because if the people here at a local festival like this that I want to be there, I want to fight through this cold, I want to see everyone and experience the days. Any other show and I would probably be home sick in bed…

August 1, 2008 Musikfest Day 1

I was wrong.. So I have started day 1 with no voice. And a stuffed up nose- which thanks to my neti pot is no longer stuffed, just running. K is coming over to the show at 3 (it starts at 5) to open up and to be my voice for the day.

I tried staying home as late as I could to get some sleep and rest, but I was restless and bored. So in the early afternoon I took a trip to a local store, looking for a few things I need and then wandered my way over to the show. I opened the tent so that the air could get in and cool it off some and then went and looked around and visited with other crafters- mostly hanging out in silence since my voice was going more and more.

I was really surprised to see how many other crafters were not there and didn’t even start to show up until 3 to set up. Although I believe that cars were to be out of the field by 4 or 4:30 a few were still there after 5. One new crafter actually duct taped a hand written cardboard sign to their booth advertising their prices. Luckily this didn’t stay up for long- it was so unprofessional. Overall there are a few things I am very disappointed with already- we will have to see in the next 9 days if my intuition is correct- and that in general this isn’t the best show this year in terms of quality of crafters.

K came over before the show started and really tried to talk for me as much as possible. But no matter how hard she tried I was getting too many detailed questions that I needed to answer. After diner C and dad came to visit too. By the end of the night my voice was shot and I was beat. Sales were pretty good for the first night and the crowd was there, just not buying yet. It was busy enough that the trek to the bathrooms was tough, and it has been a few years since that has happened.

July 31, 2008- Musikfest Day 0- Set up

Well, although I tried, I failed and I caught a cold right before this things starts. I like to blame others in these instances, so I would like to think C brought it home with him from his last business trip, or that K sent it from Sweden on some tainted stitch markers she sent me…but it is something going around- C has it, S has it, I have it, and it seems to know little geographic limits, as my friends tell me a similar bug has invaded Alaska and Sweden as well.

So set up was a little challenging. I learned that when your nose is stuffed, your throat hurts and it is 90+ degrees outside, getting excited and talking fast makes you feel faint…

K came over in the morning to help. We packed up the van with the tent and the first load of stuff and we headed over to the site. It was easy to set up, there was barely anyone there but us. We took a few breaks letting the cool water of the stream cool our feet. Once the van was empty we headed back to the house and packed the second load. Then it was lunch time with a long break for me to recuperate, and some house cleaning up before S got here to say with us for the week. In the afternoon we went back, and finished set up- the soap got put out, I installed the electricity, and it was finished…

S followed me home and we chatted, showered, and went to dinner when C arrived. I slowly lost my voice and thought it would be back in the morning...