Jerry and I decided a few years ago that it was ok to slow down on the jewelry business and doing shows - and that was before COVID hit and messed up everything.
To be truthful, we were tired, especially me. Shows are incredibly active situations. You have to pack the car, you have to unload everything, set everything up, and then tear it down again at the end of the day. You stand in place alot, walk alot to bathrooms food etc. You have to be "on" 100% of the time for the customers. You sit alot in crappy chairs.
I don't mean to say I don't enjoy shows but they take alot out of me, and I just don't have as much to give as I used to.
The last few years before COVID, doing shows would wear me out. I would be fatigued for a few days after, especially for 2-3 day shows that we have to drive to. We would have to get a hotel for multiple day shows, and honestly I would eat supper and then keel over in bed. I would be so tired I couldn't move. It seemed like I would always get sick after a specially hard working show. My asthma control was worse, and that was causing problems at my day job. Honestly I worried that something was wrong with me. Yeah, I"m getting older, but should it hit me so hard?
I was right to be worried.
Turns out, I have a serious health condition that got diagnosed just last year. One of the major side effects is fatigue. It's not like I was a poster of health anyway, with all my other issues.
I to sum it up, I need to take care of myself better. It's not just eating better, exercise, sleep, etc.
I need to pace myself. I am trying to accept that I'll never do everything that I want to, it's just not physically possible anymore. I doubt Jerry and I will ever do more than 1 days shows going forward, and I'm not sure we will travel much for shows either.
I need to avoid stress as well. Stress isn't good for anyone, but it can be downright deadly to me now.
Farmer's Markets are perfect for that. With set up and take down, it's only a 7 hour commitment.
I get to choose what days I"m available, so I can space them out as well. Farmer's Market picks only from those days for my slots. Even if they give me every slot I ask for, it won't be more than I can handle.
We do well selling at Farmer's Market. It's about 4 miles away, so no long trips are involved.
I have to get up really early in the morning, but we are done and home by 1pm. I can take a nap if I need too. And Jerry and I have the rest of the weekend to do stuff, like game days or just relax.
While I love and enjoy my many years of doing Farmer's Market, I'm so very grateful that we have them now! I'm getting more limited in what I can do, but i can still do them!
I love making my jewelry, I adore selling it to the right person and making their day as well as mine! And Farmer's Market will allow me to keep doing that, hopefully for years to come.
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