Evo's Show/People Report
The Texas Art & Rubber Stamp Festival
Aug 3 & 4, 2002 - Grapevine, TX
Sponsored by Heirloom Productions

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Heyyyyyyyy, Folks...

We went, we saw, we enjoyed and almost saved a bat! :}>

Day One, Thursday afternoon:
Mr Evo & I flew from the Tampa airport into the DFW airport with not one adverse incident to report. Checked into the Summerfield Suites in Irving, TX just in time to check into our suite and enjoy the "social hour" in the main lobby. Most of the "socialites" at the social were dressed in coat & tie or dresses, stockings & high heels.

Mr Evo & I were dressed in "none of the above". We're from Florida, you know, and we're rubber stampers. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe no respectable rubber stamper ever wears a tie or high heels when they're seriously stamping and definitely not in the middle of summer! ;}>

Turns out most of the socializers were trainees for a pharmaceutical company that had been in training all week. Not rubber stampers, for real, but fun to watch and talk to.

Halfway through the social, Mr Evo looked up and kept looking up. He nudged me, pointed up, and waited patiently for my reaction.

I looked up at the one-story-high-many-gabled-skylight and after much deliberation, asked ... "Soooooo, whadda ya think that is, a bat hanging upside down?"

He nodded, and I asked ... "Soooo how do you think he got there? Flew in through a door?"

He nodded and I asked ... "Sooo, do you think anyone else has seen it?"

He shook his head and I asked ... (since half the room by now had seen us looking up discussing what was hanging from the back wall in the many-gabled skylight and was looking up and wondering, too) "Soooo, do you think I should ask the front desk if they know about it?"

He nodded, so I started making my way to the front desk.

Being the tactful person that I truly try to be but sometimes fail, I thought about how I should approach the nice young man behind the front desk about the possibility of a bat hanging upside down in his establishment's many-gabled skylight.

And being the spontaneous person that I always fight against being in delicate situations, I whispered to the nice young man behind the front desk the only way I knew how to ask the question ... "Do you have bats in your belfry?"

He, being the nice young man he was flinched not an iota and responded ... "I beg your pardon?"

I, being the persistent person that I can sometimes be, asked again ... "Do you have bats in your belfry?"

He answered with admirable diplomacy ... "I truly hope not!"

I asked ... "Would you like to double check? I can show you where to look."

He adventurously effused ... "Lead me on!"

I did, he saw and he asked ... "Why do you think that's a bat? Couldn't it be a lizard?"

I answered ... "Have you ever seen a lizard with ears?"

He looked around at everyone and promised that after we all left, he would throw something up there to see "it" move and then would know what it was. I made him promise not to hurt the creature but set it free, and he promised.

Day Two, Friday:
Complimentary Breakfast in the lobby. Breakfast was wonderful! "Bat" still there ... no change in position.

Arrived at the Grapevine Convention Center to set up our booth at Noon. Shannon G arrived around 3 pm to help and immediately declared ... "I arrived too early! You're not finished yet!"

Had dinner with Susan and Rose Mary and her son Sam of AAS and Shannon and Donna J (also from the area) at Joe's Crab Shack and pigged out on wonderful food and company.

Day Three, Saturday:
Complimentary Breakfast in the lobby. Breakfast was wonderful! Biscuits and Sausage Gravy was the main attraction for Mr Evo & I, being the southerners we are. "Bat" still there ... no change in position.

The show opened at 10 am, and you stampers were there! You came from TX, LA, OK and other areas, and it was sooooo good to see you. Many of you always come to the show in January and made the effort to make it to this new show in August, also. Some of you couldn't make it to the show in January but were here for this one. Many of you (I know all this, because I asked you in my demo-class at noon) had never been to a rubber stamping show before. Many of you were seasoned stampers, and many of you were newbies. You all made our day busy and interesting!

Mr Evo & I joined Amy & Pat & daughter Ashley of Amy's Magic for dinner and, once again, enjoyed their company. We first met Amy & Pat at a show in Buffalo, NY, some years back and try to get together for at least one dinner at the shows we're both attending.

Day Four, Sunday:
Complimentary breakfast in the lobby. Breakfast was wonderful! No biscuits and gravy, but we forgive you! "Bat" still there... no change in position.

The show on Sunday started at 10 am and was over at 4. As always, Sunday's are more laid back at the shows and easier for stampers to actually get up-close and involved with the demo's and exhibitors. Mr Evo & I love the two-day shows for this reason.

At this point, I must tell you about our wonderful helpers! Janet D M of Plano had volunteered to help us but wasn't sure she could hold out all weekend (she's having some back problems), so she enlisted some helpers. I know this, because Eileen of Heirloom found me Saturday morning and said she had two stampers that were there "to help Janet". Said helpers were Angela and Elizabeth and help they did! Thanks to both of you for all that you did! Janet's daughter Lisa was also on hand both Sat afternoon & Sunday, and Janet's husband Mike showed up Sunday to help us pack up, too.

Shannon G not only helped us finish setting up on Friday (remember she was late ... or early... depending on your viewpoint) but also worked all of Saturday and most of Sunday, too.

I cannot even begin to express how much Mr Evo & I both appreciate the help we found not only at this show but every show we attend. I've said it hundreds of times but can never say it enough: "We couldn't do the shows without you." Thank you! And Shannon??????? We even have finally forgiven you for needing a tad of time off Sunday morning to shop. ;}>

Day Five, Monday:
Complimentary Breakfast in the lobby. Breakfast was wonderful! "Bat" still there... no change in position.

Arrived home in FL tonight at 7:15 pm. And, after lengthy discussion and deliberation on our trip home, Mr Evo & I have decided maybe said "Bat" is actually some exposed wiring that only looks like a bat. Maybe the only "bat in the belfry" is in our own personal belfries? Nawwwwww ... can't be true. Or can it? :{<>

Don't forget the first show ever in Rockford, IL this coming weekend! We'll be there and hope to see a lot of you there too!

Ellen :}> Evo (examining her own personal belfry and promising to do her best to save any bat found there)