Artists on the River

Well, Artists on the River ended up being Artists in the Curling Rink, because after weeks of drought it decided to rain. Buckets of it. A deluge. So that made the farmers happy, but I think many would-be visitors were deterred by the weather...or couldn't find our new location...because not a lot of people came through. A decent number, I suppose, for the size of the village, but I was hoping for more. Ah well, I sold some books, met some cool people, and had a good time. Some really talented people in the area, I'll have to say. Silversmiths, painters, potters, weavers, wood workers, and stained glass makers. And I met a musician who can play some mean Spanish guitar. He handed me his Deering banjo at one point and we had a fun impromptu jam session.

I can't tell you how many women looked at my crocheted Christmas ornaments and said "Oh, my mom/grandma used to make those!" Which by the end of the day had me feeling as old as their mothers/grandmothers. I'm glad I've kept some of the old traditions alive. I wish more of the younger women would pick up the torch.

I met one woman who makes beautiful wood furniture. There was a harvest table there that I could easily envision as an island in my kitchen. Maybe someday. It made me happy to see a woman doing these things. We all know about equality and women's capability yada yada, but it was great to see someone taking it to heart and putting it into action. She followed her unconventional bliss, and she's found what makes her happy. And she's very good at it.

I also met someone from the local county museum, who was interested in me teaching a workshop on writing family histories, which would be great to do.

All in all a fun day, and I'll do it again next year.