Mountain gods

It is always a joy, pleasure and something I look forward to when I go to the Sacramento Mountains in New Mexico. That old saying that if you could bottle the air you could make a million sure applies to how I feel about the atmosphere there. Something about the altitude, the smell of the ponderosa pines, and the coolness refreshes my soul. If I am feeling sad or worried those emotions give way as soon as I hit the outskirts of Ruidoso, a magical place. The crafts show I did Labor Day weekend is not usually a big money maker for myself and partner Jan but any excuse to go to the mountains will do. This year was a surprise, a pleasant surprise, as we did very well and better than the last two years we have been there. This was definitely a bonus for us.

We stay with old and dear friends who have a delightful home there. John and Robyn are always welcoming and generous to a fault. Our show ran from Saturday to Monday. On Saturday night John made home-made green chile chicken enchiladas and Robyn invited other friends to join us that evening. We had a killer dinner waiting for us after the show Saturday which included wine from friend Karen, green chile cheese casserole from friends Linda and Bill and my pomegranate salsa. WoW! says it all.

Many of the vendors at the show are there year after year and have become friends. Jan and I enjoy catching up with their lives and the show circuit with them. All of these folks have a great sense of humor and patience up the yingyang developed from years of dealing with all kinds of show situations like bad weather, bad promotions, bad turnouts, etc. We have a regular spot at this show as do many of the others but ours is under the only tree in the parking lot of the Senior Center where the event is held. Pitching our tent is like coming home. The Ruidoso Downs (that's a little burb outside the little burb of Ruidoso) Auxiliary made up of dedicated volunteers who use the gate fee and vendor fees to raise money for scholarships for kids there. The couple that have been the mainstay of the auxiliary are leaving next year to be near their grandchildren. That is certainly understandable but they will be sorely missed as those two have made this show homey and most certainly friendly. I hope their replacements are as organized and gracious as they have been. We will see...

One of the neatest things about doing these shows is the people that come into your tent and relate to what you are creating. We met an incredible woman that had raised four girls in NYC and was vacationing with them in Ruidoso (hey, I told you it was a great place!). She was originally from Jamaica and had the sing-song accent of that country intact. One of her daughters was an artist and gave us a brochure of her beautiful art. Her mother was full of wisdom and eccentricities. She embraced life with a fervor and gusto. Her children were beautiful, in appearance and demeanor. Plus, they loved our stuff and all of them bought pieces to take back home to New York. She gave us a big hug and blessing when she left (they came two days in a row to the show) and good feelings all around.

Like I said earlier, this was a great show for us this year but since I have another big show starting Friday, I am going to be busy trying to fill holes in my inventory that I certainly didn't expect. That is the catch...You want to sell everything in your booth but that means you have to go back to the studio and work your butt off to get ready for the next event. I am happy to work at something that is a passion for me. How fortunate can one be? Hah! Ten shows left in this year then a break in January. I think I will be ready for a break by then.