Let Me Tell You a Story

In all the years I've been teaching at Stampaway I've looked forward to the party at Connie's house on Saturday night. All the vendors and instructors gather in different rooms on the first floor of her home and chat about the show, the crowds, the classes, the trends as we see them, and of course we enjoy decadent desserts. I admit I miss the key lime pie, which was always my favorite, but the carrot cake that replaced it is none too shabby either.

This is Connie's thank you to each of us for participating in her show each year. She awards prizes to the vendors for friendliest booth, best costume, best demo, etc and we all cheer and applaud.

She also provides entertainment for us each year, which ranks right up there with that dining room table laden with cakes, pies & pastries. I've had my caricature done twice over the years, been mesmerized by a magician two years in a row that still has me stumped, and had my palm read this year by the same lady who read it about 5 years ago.

Now this isn't fortune telling. She makes no predictions. Instead she speaks softly of what she sees when I place my hands before her, both palms down and palms up. Both readings mentioned my independence, the evidence of two important relationships (not marriages she stressed), and my high expectations for myself and others. She told me I hold everyone to the same high expectations I set for myself, which leads to disappointment. Boy she sure got that right! And I hadn't thought about that trait since she mentioned it 5 years earlier. Shame on me. But looking back over the week in Ohio she really hit that nail on the head.

There was another big surprise in what she didn't say this time. In my first reading she said she saw laughter; that I was surrounded by it and people wanted to be near me to be a part of it. I smiled widely at the time because it was so very true. This year there was no mention of laughter. I admit it was a very stressful week for me and while I laughed a lot, there was a lot of anguish and tension. There's also the thought that as the remodel continues at home 5 months after it began there's been laughter this year, but perhaps not as much.

The biggest surprise was something new. She saw writing in my life. Said that I was good at writing...entertaining...and that while this didn't necessarily mean I'd be published she thought I should most definitely keep multiple journals.

And that made me think of this blog of course. Every once in a while someone will email a note about my blog...telling me something rang true for them or brought back memories of their own. And when I tell stories and everyone's laughing, someone will say I should be writing these funny things down for a future book.

So another big thank you to Connie for the entertainment this year that went very well with my carrot cake, cheese cubes and grapes. The entire evening was simply delightful.