Each fall since 2009, I've showcased and sold my books at craft shows and trade shows in Saskatchewan and other Prairie communities. That's 15 years of setting up tables, chairs, books, brochures, and posters in exhibition halls, schools, museums, hockey rinks, and more to sell the books I edit, publish, and sometimes write. And it's been great!
These venues enable me to meet customers and learn what they like about the books I create and what they want to see more of in future publications. I hear accolades about my writing and that of my authors, and it's heartwarming to talk to people who have bought our books and come back for more.
The organizers of these shows are awesome humans too, and a recent event in Carlyle, SK proved it once again.
Upon arrival, I was met by Nicole Currie, one of the organizers of the 38th annual Carlyle Homespun Craft & Quilt Show. Alongside Nicole was her young grandson, Kitt, who quickly endeared himself to me with his choice of T-shirt.
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| Nicole Currie, an organizer of Carlyle Homespun 2024 |
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| Nicole's grandson Kitt with his "red wings" T-shirt |
(The Detroit Red Wings was my late husband Al's favorite team, so any red wings that pop up since Al's death is a gentle sign of Al's spirit visiting us.)
Young Kitt then went on to endear himself to all the vendors by running from booth to booth as we were setting up our tables. Carrying a stack of sticky notes, Kitt enthusiastically told me, "You're working really hardly, so I want to give you three checkmarks. If you work really hard, you get 10."
That cracked me up!
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| Kitt handing out checkmarks to vendor Deana Driver of DriverWorks Ink, at Carlyle Homespun 2024 (Photo by Nicole Currie) |
He then went to another booth down the aisle, where the vendor asked for a star on his note as well.
"If he gets a star, I want a star!" I called out to Kitt, who immediately came running back to my booth. He carefully added a star - which is "really hard to draw" - to my sticky note. I asked him to write his name too. He complied.
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| 3 checkmarks and a star from Kitt |
How much fun is that?
Nicole informed her grandson, "When your dad was little, I bought some books from this lady and her husband. I asked your dad, 'Will you read them?' I said, 'If you read them, I will buy them."
So that adds another wonderful memory for me of why I do what I do with our Prairie stories.
Thanks, Nicole and Kitt for putting a smile on my face at my first craft show of the 2024 fall season!
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| DriverWorks Ink books booth at Carlyle Homespun 2024 |
