Withdrawing for a while...

It is sad for me to write this blog. Last year, I decided to take time away from my jewelry business to work in a position which guaranteed my pay, my health insurance and stability.

I worked at this job near my home from mid-March 2019 through January 2020. My idea for 2020 was to make a comeback to my jewelry full-time. I put in my notice at the end of December 2019 and my official end date was January 4, 2020. This would allow me full-time access to assure that I was ready once again to tackle the art shows once again.

In early February, my car was packed and ready to go. My boyfriend and I drove down through Washington, Oregon, California and finally arriving in Arizona. My first show was in Tubac, about 40 miles north of the Mexican border. This was my 5th time in Tubac, one of my very favorite shows. The first show of the season for me. Escaping the dreary Pacific Northwest winters to arrive in a sunny and warm environment. This year, I did escape the cold and gray Pacific Northwest, but what I was not prepared for was the extremely COLD temperatures in the deserts of the Southwest.

The weather cooperated for a few days but the winds and the cold made it extremely difficult to conduct business in an outdoor setting. On our last day, Sunday, the winds began to kick up so much where artists started taking down their tents early. We received a message from the show producers that we were allowed to tear-down early; something that never happens. This spring Tubac show was not the best but I did have a great time, staying about 40 miles east in a small village called Arivaca. I walked in the rain during the thunderstorms and saw beautiful rainbows.

After the Tubac show, we had 10 free days in Arizona. I had always wanted to visit Page, Arizona where Antelope Canyon is located. We drove north, stopping first at Biosphere 2, in a rainstorm. We continued north and stayed in Globe one night. The next day, we traveled further north and stayed in Chinle, on the Navajo reservation. The temperatures dropped down into freezing and our first room was freezing and the power shut off after 1 hour. We were moved to another room.

The next day, we woke up to a beautiful, clear and cold day. We drove to Canyon de Chelley and had the park almost to ourselves. Dramatic vistas. We continued our drive north and ended up in Bluff, Utah, which is a few miles from the northern border of Arizona. We drove out to the Valley of the Gods and were not disappointed but awe-struck by the natural beauty. The next day, on our way to Page, we drove through Monument Valley, but at this point, neither one of us was feeling well, so we left quicker than expected and headed west towards Page. I had a horrible fever and was freezing. I snuggled up and under extra blankets, wearing wool socks, long johns, pants, hat and gloves and still shivered. The next morning, I woke up and found that half my face was swollen…..again.

Before I left for my trip, just 7 days prior, I had oral surgery. My face swelled, I was on pain pills and antibiotics. Told by my doctor not to lift anything too heavy and to take it slow and steady. After a Google search of a dentist in Page on a Sunday, I was advised by him to go to the Emergency Hospital, which I did. We spent several hours at the hospital and the MRI showed that it looked like I had a high impact blow to my left cheek. I explained that I had had oral surgery and this was perhaps an infection. I was administered IV anti-biotics and given another round of oral anti-biotics. The swelling, thankfully, went down quickly.

Although, one of the only places I really wanted to visit was in Page, Arizona: Antelope Canyon, I decided not to go, even though I was only a few miles away. My health was too important and I wanted to make sure nothing would jeopardize my situation again. I figured, Antelope Canyon will be here and has been here for thousands and thousands of years. I return to Arizona annually. I will return.

We left Page and drove into Sedona before sunset. My favorite place in Arizona. We spent two nights and left on late in the morning so I could set up for my second show in Arizona, Fountain Hills.

Since this blog is getting so long, I will keep this short. I didn’t do well, at all. The weather was against us again. It was pouring rain on Saturday. I did drive to the festival, but 95% of the other vendors had not shown up and their tents were closed. I decided to leave as well.

The next day, my car broke down on our way to the last day of the show. Luckily, some “angels” came to our rescue. Because of all the junk in the back of my car, the couple who picked us up thought we had children in the back of the car, and knew that we needed help. They drove us to the show, 5 miles up the road, and business was back to normal. My boyfriend was able to call a mobile car mechanic and they were able to fix my car while I was able to stay the entire time at the show.

Another 1,500 miles home through Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and finally home.

10 days later, I left again for two more shows, Scottsdale & Tempe. By this time, the Coronavirus was in the news quite a bit. I was wondering if the show would go on, but nothing indicated they would cancel. I drove another 1,500 miles down the same way again in gorgeous weather except for some wicked storms in the deserts of Nevada. I arrived in Scottsdale at 4:30 on Thursday evening to setup. It didn’t seem like many artists had set up. I thought they would set up early on Friday morning. I walked past where my booth was and saw broken concrete and a big mess. 5 minutes later, I learned that the show had just been cancelled. I was in total shock and really didn’t know what to do.

I need to conclude this blog by saying that I drove home after 3 days in Phoenix, self-isolating, but also visiting two museums.

I will continue to make my jewelry but as of today, I have only one more tentative upcoming show in August: Coupeville Arts Festival.

April 18, 2020