Our First Show

Last Saturday we did our first show. I have done several shows as Sharon Crumbliss Art (fine abstract art), but this was our first show as Crumbliss Art featuring our combined woodworking and painting talents. It was a small show at a local church. The venue was lovely and the organizers was accommodating and easy to work with. Unfortunately, the weather was miserable. It was terribly cold, rainy, and generally dreary all day. Yes, we have dreary days in Florida, not often, but we do have them. The weather kept the crowd very small and we only sold one item. Now, you might consider this to be a complete loss. I, however, like to look at the positive side. What, you say, could be positive about sitting all day in a church fellowship hall while making only one sale? I’m so glad you asked.

Shows can be quite stressful with all the preshow prep, show setup, meeting potential customers and navigating the personalities of other vendors. Since this was a small show, the stress was much less, and it proved to be a great opportunity to fine tune our packing, transport, and setup procedures. We met some new fans, made a few new friends, and found some interesting gift ideas.

Now for the best part. There was food! Not just any food; church lady food. If you’re not from the south, let me tell you, church lady food is legendary. Church ladies have been honing their craft and perfecting their recipes since childhood. Many of them learned to cook at the knee of their grandmother. I had a pumpkin crème cake that was so delicious it will live on in my memory for many years to come.

In life, most things are out of our control. We can only control our actions and reactions. We can choose to grumble, or look for the silver lining. I like to look for the silver lining. And when there doesn’t seem to be a silver lining, well, there’s always church lady food.