Each year in mid September, Warrenville host Art on the Prairie. It's a lovely 2 day art and craft show which I participate in and enjoy thoroughly.
On Sunday morning, this year, before it was opened to the public, I was walking the circle and looking at all the booths full of lovely creations. My booth was filled with lovely creations too, but that was because of a dear friends wonderful wood working talents. What I was able to create this year for this show filled one table, and most of it was sold on Saturday. That was the good news, the bad news is this, had it not been for my friend, come that Sunday morning, I would have had only 1 not even half filled table of handcrafts to sell. I cried.
For years I have danced with three lovers, my family, my art and my job working with seniors in an adult day care setting. There was a time when (the theme song of baby boomers) I could work all day, come home take care of the kids, the hubby, the house etc. and at 10:30pm. when all was done and the house fell quite, I went to my art and I created well into the wee hours of the morning. There was a time when, four hours of sleep was all I needed, and sometimes even less. My natural alarm clock is set at 5 am. no matter what. So to do several shows a year was not a problem.
In time the kids grew-up and move into their lives and my dear hubby died and for me? Well a funny thing happened during my 70th year on this beautiful planet. I still get up at five but now I need to go to bed by 9! This meant no creating on work days. Thankfully I work only 3 days a week. Thursdays are chore and shopping day. Sunday is family day, leaving only Friday and Saturday and vacation days for creating. I still do four shows a year and my booth is filled with what I make with my own hands, no buy sell.
So it was, on that beautiful early fall morning, that I decided it was time to retire. It took a few days to work up the courage to break the news, but I did. My last dance with this love will be December of this year.
Things are a changing...I baked cupcakes for my neighbor and I decorated the outside of my home for Halloween, the first time ever! There are no words to describe what its been like since I spoke those words out loud, "I'm retiring." Yes, things are a changing, and I think I'm really going to enjoy the change!