Spent the weekend in “Half Hot, Half Cold, Gets Dark Way Too Early, But Thankfully Not Snowing” Madison, Wisconsin. When I got there on Thursday, it was 72 glorious degrees outside – but at 4:00 in the afternoon it was already starting to get dark outside (and by 4:30 it was pitch black). It stayed in the 60s most of the way through setup on Friday. Then the wind machine turned on – and by Saturday morning, it was in the 20s and stayed there the rest of the weekend. But unlike last year, there was no snowstorm to scare off our customers and friends.
This was one of the highlights of my weekend. These sentries were protecting our friend Chris Mode’s booth, the product of the talented (and retired) mind of Denise Pernetti. This is my kind of art.
Here is another that’s even better – I looked up from setting up the booth on Friday and saw Jerry and Jane Stevens setting up their own booth. Hadn’t seen them in at least four or five years, since they gave up the show circuit to concentrate on Jane’s fight with cancer. She is doing well and they are back among us
My favorite t-shirt of the weekend – spotted during setup on Friday.
Spotted on the doors leading onto the convention floor . . .
One of those evenings that makes traveling worthwhile . . . when I first met Roy and Tyra Smith, their kids were all ten and under... now their daughter Kara has her own little family and lives in Madison. Made more memories with seven members of their family and introduced them to a favorite board game of mine. This is one of those great situations in life where you get to choose to be family . . .
I was greeted on Sunday morning by a mysterious Christmas Tree of Rolos. I am more of a Nestle chocolate person, but Rolos are pretty good and when splitting the promoter’s goody bag with my demo person, I kept the Rolos and she got the Kisses. But I ate mine during the day, so the origin of these was a mystery.
I accused a couple of friends of being the culprits before Jenny from The Hobby Home ‘fessed up. She had heard me when I was splitting the Rolos and Kisses, and decided the tree was a nice payback for the clipboard I loaned her to use during the show. I agree . . .
Show Promoter Ann Lee brought a photo album by on Sunday, and thought I might want to take a look. It had lots of pics from the first three years of the show, including this one taken 14 years ago when the vendors had a picnic on Saturday evening. I was deep into my walk down Memory Lane when I felt a tap on my shoulder . . .
. . . and saw our friend Zana Clark (Stamp Zia), who retired from the show circuit years ago and decided to stop in for a visit. It was great to see her.
Last pic, completely unrelated – taken last night as the sun set perfectly between a house and garage a block or so over from mine . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment