WE HAD A GREAT WEEKEND AT TROYFEST!!

WOW!! What a weekend!! We arrived in Troy on Friday night, reunited with friends, and set up our tent..Set up was pretty uneventful..just nice and leisurely..Went to the hotel..which was a little ways down the road, because I forgot to make hotel reservations until 2 days before the art show! Turned out to be a blessing because it was FANTASTIC..the people at the hotel were AWESOME!! You can just rarely go wrong with Hampton Inns!! Anyway...

Saturday morning we hung our art..and waited for the show to start..and the BOTTOM FELL OUT..Goodness..It was a huge downpour..our tent got about a foot of water in it..the city workers had to come out (in the rain), and unclogged the drainage thingie..but, the rain left..the booth floor dried out, and all was right in our world!!

We went on to have a STELLAR show..Troyfest is truly one of my FAVORITE shows to do each year. The artist are simply treated like ROYALTY...There is so much friendliness, and love in this show. The people that put it on are the BEST!! It was a fantastic Saturday..and after the rain..it went very well..until almost the end, when ANOTHER HUGE thunderstorm got us..and this one threw us for a loop..Several tents were damaged..and the Troyfest staff worked hard out in the storm to help the artist. Chuck and I zipped up our tent, and at one point, I was holding the center and hanging onto the bars over my head so that it would not blow away..We were lucky..we had 2 pieces damaged..and they are repairable..but, it was bad..We finally made it out of the tent, and to our van. After that..I went back and got one of my friends...she had been in her tent through the whole storm..and we made it to the Awards dinner.

The Awards dinner was pork and chicken barbeque! It was delicious!! They had all kinds of good food..I only ate the meat..and stayed on my diet plan..so, I was happy!! Then the awards were announced! I won the prestigious JEAN LAKE FOLK ART AWARD, which came with $500!! What an amazing BLESSING!! I feel so unworthy..but, LOVED winning it!!

We went back to the hotel after the show..got a great night's rest, and went back to Troyfest on Sunday. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!! Sunny, bright, hot..and I LOVED it. It was never TOO hot..it was perfect!!

I came as close as I have ever come to having a SOLD out show..I had about 10 paintings left at the end of Troyfest!! Just a bunch of amazing people!!

My uncle came from Pensacola, FL to see us..That was a joy!! He is recently retired..and he was so happy, relaxed..and such a part of my inner heart. I love that he came!!

We went home on Sunday after a lot of hugs. Generally, I saw a lot of wonderful friends and family, had a great show (despite the rain), and won an award, stayed on my diet..lost 5 more pounds...ALL IN ALL...A PERFECT WEEKEND.

Our next stop is the GUMTREE FESTIVAL in TUPELO, MS!! I must work like I have never worked before..having 10 paintings is NOT near enough!!

Live Artfully!!