August is exhausting for me. I have 17 days of shows in 17 days plus three set ups and load outs to deal with, making it a 19 day test of will and stamina.
I am sitting here in my favorite chair after a long hot shower and the fragrance of pepperberry sits lightly on my skin. I am watching the living room grow brighter and then dimmer as the sun peeks in and out from the clouds. For me it is the end of summer. I am already thinking Christmas displays, ordering supplies, and finalizing a show schedule. But for a moment I am reflecting on how blessed I have been the first half of this year.
Dad being in the shop has opened doors to a world I knew existed but wasn't sure how to reach. The farm markets have been a success and the craft shows he has done have all been good as well. We have been blessed with good weather and only one truly lousy show all season. He has streamlined the workshop, kept it going, kept it clean, and kept me on track.
We have had our moments, those moments where the boss/employee and father/daughter relationships overlap for better or for worse. I am still learning how to be a good boss, I am still learning how to be a good daughter, and some days are better than others. But it is easier now than it was, there is a quiet understanding of what needs to be done, and when we need to push each other through the difficult days.
These 19 days of August in retrospect were utterly amazing. I have such wonderful, caring, trustworthy, honorable customers that my days were filled with soapy love in both the form of words and sales. I met three great artisans that I think will remain friends forever now. One experienced her first craft show ever, another is traveling far and wide to sell her wares, and yet another is raising a family filled with love, spirituality, and hope. Talking with and watching these three ladies taught me so much about myself, where I want to go with myself, and where I came from, that I really consider their touch in my life a changing experience.
The shows themselves were secondary this year. Musikfest was its usual self, with long hours, hot dry weather mixed with periods of rain, and my overall love/hate feeling about it. It is a music festival that happens to have a crafts area, we are secondary to the festival, it would go on without us, and that is the overall vibe of the event for me. It is something to survive, to endure, and only the friendly faces of my customers (and so many that have become my friends) that keeps me going day after day. I feed off their energy like a vampire, I need it to survive.
The summer festival at Mulhenberg Hospital is a dying show. Each year it gets less and less crafters, and fewer and fewer buyers. It is a vicious cycle. I for one will not be back next year. It was not worth missing the farm markets for the event. I had fun the two days I was there because I shopped the white elephant sale and the book sale, ate great food, and played bingo, all while dad manned the booth.
And Folk Fest... ahhh Folk Fest. My favorite show of the year. I had a great spot, high and dry, easy to find, and the weather wasn't too bad either. It was my second most successful fest ever. I love the people, the energy, the family atmosphere. I noticed it is becoming a little more commercial, I just hope it doesn't loose its charm along the way. And they take such great care of their crafters, that show leaves me rejuvenated and happy to do festivals. I wish that one was ten days and Musikfest was three :)
The hard month is over, it is all downhill from here. Sure I am busy with shows and inventory and orders, but the hours are not as long, I get to eat better food, and sleep more than I got to this month. Next thing I know it will be January and I will be sitting on a beach somewhere knitting some socks, napping the afternoon away, and pondering what is in store for next year.
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