Blog

This week we were at the Amish Acres 50th Anniversary Arts & Crafts show. This morning Jacki Bilsborrow and I chatted about the fair. This is not a review of the fair ... or even a full coverage of the events. As Jacki and I were chatting, it occurred to me that our conversation would make a nice blog posting about the "other" payback we get from arts & crafts shows. Money is not the only value we receive from our participation--perhaps the greatest payback is to have our work "touch others and to be touched in return."

The transcript of our conversation is pasted below.  

  LOIS ANDERSON

I'd like red dot bumper sticker

  JACKI BILSBORROW

Lois, this is Jacki Bilsborrow. I am in here doing some work for Connie. I will pass all this on to her, ok?

  LOIS ANDERSON

Great.

Thank you very much.

  JACKI

I can't see that she will mind.

  LOIS

Jack...has anyone told you that you look just like Connie in the picture? LOL :-)

  JACKI

LOL, no, you are the first.

  LOIS

Have a wonderful day! :-)

 JACKI

You, too.

Enjoy this cooler weather.

  LOIS

Amen to that.

It was hotter than Hades at Amish Acres this week.

  JACKI

Hades in Amish country? Is that possible, lol.

  LOIS

Trust me ... they were dropping like flies.

  JACKI

I have had enough with all the heat. The Artists or the shoppers?

   LOIS

Both

  JACKI

Was that in Pennsylvania?

  LOIS

We lost several artists

No, Nappanee, Indiana

  JACKI

OH, I wanted to go to that one! I missed it!

  LOIS

One of the top 100 shows in the Nation and one of the top 100 Sunshine shows.  www.amishacres.com

  JACKI

Darn! I have been so busy I am missing all the shows.

  LOIS

No rest for the weary

  JACKI

That is true.

How were your sales?

  LOIS

Some days (90 + heat) not so good ... some days (70-78 degrees) very good

I do Religious Jewelry and Rosaries

  JACKI

That is good, at least you had some good times there.

Oh, I bet people like that.

  LOIS

Yes, and some very touching times from stories that were shared with me.

  JACKI

Oh I bet!

  LOIS

One girl who purchased a Pro-Life rosary was telling me that is very much a pro-life supporter.

Her mother was with her and said, "She was adopted."

I said, "Your birth mother loved you very much to carry you to term"

The girl said, "That is why I am buying this rosary."

With that the adoptive mother said,

  JACKI

And that is an unselfish act! Too many girls won't do that.

  LOIS

"Yes, I thank God for that birth mother ... or I would not have my beautiful daughter." She was crying.

Another lady came to tell me that her sister purchased one of my rosaries last year and then became ill will cancer.

   JACKI

Wow, you must really hear all kinds of stories.

  LOIS

Her sister said that the lady "Darlene" always had my rosary with her and was comforted by it."

Now the lady who was telling the story told me that now she has the rosary and it is hanging on a picture of her sister.

  JACKI

Your booth must become a sort of confessional.

  LOIS

Yes, I often have been told that I have a mission and not a sales booth.

  JACKI

I can see that.

  LOIS

I can think of no greater honor than to have my work touch people and have them comforted by it.

 JACKI

Do the Amish get out and attend the art show?

  LOIS

Yes, the entire families and they are LARGE families.

  JACKI

Your work does that probably way more than any other artist.

Yes they are.

  LOIS

Of course, they do not DO human images, but they look anyway.

  JACKI

I knew that.

Well, I wish I would have gotten to that show.

  LOIS

They are always so sweet and kind. At least the ones I have talked with.

I just had a thought, Jack. Would you mind if I posted our conversation as a blog to share with others?

  JACKI

Will you take it off so that it doesn't look like Connie was speaking?

  LOIS

Sure! LOL

  JACKI

And make me a Jacki, not a Jack. I do have some people shorten my name to Jack and it doesn't bother me at all.

lol

  LOIS

I'll change the name to Jacki

  JACKI

It is easy to miss the i

Sure, I will look for your blog.

  LOIS

Can I leave the picture of Connie so that my comment about about you looking like her makes sense?

  JACKI

I guess so, she probably wouldn't mind. People know she has people who work for her. I usually work under my own name but when I give out awards I do that under Connie's name.

  LOIS                                           

Cool. Thank you. I am off to blog.

  JACKI

If I talk to anyone under her name I always tell them I am not her.

Ok, have fun.