Evo's Show/People Report
The Texas Art & Rubber Stamp Festival
July 15 & 16, 2000 - Live Oak, TX
Sponsored by Heirloom Productions
3900 NW Cheokee Lane
Newport OR 97365
Fax/Voice(541)574-8000

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Heyyy, Folks...

Live Oak, Tx! If you weren't there, you missed a good show With fantastic vendors and stampers, too, you know!

OK, I know those of you who have followed my show reports over the years know that my and Mr Evo's trips in the early years were rarely normal. As they've gotten more normal, I'm totally embarrassed when I have nothing out of the ordinary to report.

Soooo, I get to correct that this trip! Well, sorta. Our "lift-off" out of Tampa was great! Especially great since we left early early in the morning from home (5:30 am), and we got to escape the face-to-face revelation to Cevo when she arrived at work that, er, um... "The potty is broke. Go to McDonald's if you have to 'go'. " We left that note on the computer and the offending potty, just in case she missed either note. Needless to say, she didn't take this news well, but ... well... by then, we were in Texas. :}>

Kudos to Kaye Lynne and Jerry for once again meeting us Thursday at the airport and offering their wonderful big-as-Texas-friendship, help and hearts! They've been there all 3 years that we've done this show, and we can't thank them enough. And, this is the second year they insisted we use Jerry's mini-van during our stay. Whoa. Way above and beyond the call of duty.

Friday morning, the sun rose on a beautiful, perfect day! Well, er, um, that is, it was a perfect day until Mr Evo left the lights on Jerry's van in the "on" position after a quick trip to a nearby shopping strip. :{/ (Yep, confession time, Jerry). Our saviors that day were the hotel maintenance man... who had the jumper cables... and Eileen Larson, who had just arrived at the hotel from the airport and had a car ready and raring to jump us off! We all made it to the convention center in time for set-up with minutes to spare!

Kathy English, (a fantastic lady with a beautiful smile!), arrived ... and also Kaye Lynne and Jerry... to do the "set-up" thing and no one got upset that I kept moving things around, after they had "situated" them. Heyyyy, that's my job. If I couldn't move and re-move stuff, I wouldn't have anything to do, don't you know.

Mr Evo and I went to eat that night at Farmer John's. Yeah, I know the real name is "The Hungry Farmer", but I can never remember that the first go-around. Best liver and onions I have ever put in my mouth! They have lots of other stuff, but ... trust me... even if you hate liver and onions, you would love it at Farmer John's.

A note here... Heirloom IS Pat and Eileen Larson. They are the ones that make these shows possible for all of us. At any show you will see one or both of them, flying around, doing their thing ... except at this one. Pat had to stay in Oregon this particular weekend with herniated disks ... Eileen flew into San Antonio by herself to "man" the show.

Friday night... snoozing away... we received a phone call from Pat, asking if we would mind checking on Eileen who was having some stomach problems. Now, Mr Evo will tell you if you ask... (please don't!)... that that call was a welcome thing to him. He had been trying to tune out my snores and get some real sleep. By the time we got to Eileen's room and she was feeling better, both Mr Evo and I returned to bed and slept like "logs". Which is a good thing for Mr Evo. I was still probably making the sounds of "sawn logs", but we also know anyone "sleeping like a log" can't hear the sawing. :}>

Saturday's sun rose upon a fantastic show! Only 17 vendors at this show, but let me tell you, Folks, we were good! And you stampers were even better! There are super-positive things to be said about a "small" show. We got to meet you, and you could actually get into booths to see what we had to offer! :{<> I like that about a show.

Thanks to Lisa Nixon for volunteering to help us on Saturday. There you were, all smiles and eagerness early Saturday morning, to help us out in the booth. Our first meeting physically, our first chance to get to know you. And get to know you we did. Your first real outing since gall-bladder surgery. Your first rubberstamp show since losing your best rubber stamping buddy a couple of weeks before. Whoa. Two giant steps for you to take that weekend. We love you for letting us be a part of that.

I owe apologies to all of you that attended my demo/class Sunday afternoon. I wasn't there. Mr Evo was, and he tried valiantly to take my place, but according to him, he managed to run most of you off really fast! On second, thought, I don't apologize! I just wish I had been there to see him! Did he sing for you? Bet he didn't. Did he tell jokes about Evo? Bet he didn't. Did he fasten the tiny microphone on his collar, button the top button so you could hear him, and make you promise at the end of class to make sure he unbuttoned the top button so he wouldn't walk around the rest of the day looking like a dork???? Bet he didn't. My fault. I've never taught him how to give a successful demo. :{/ And, Mr Evo, I apologize to you. Remedial class starts today!

Well, Folks, what happened was... Eileen decided to misbehave again Saturday night and let her abdomen start hurting again! :{<> She's tough. She's stubborn. (Trust me, she would take that as a compliment). But even Eileen had to finally give in and let me get her to a hospital at 4:30 Sunday morning.

She and I both thought she would get a miracle pill to cure the "tummy thing", and we would be back at the show Sunday afternoon. Not to be ... was a tad more serious than either of us wanted to believe. A "kink" in the lower abdomen so to speak. Not a fun thing. Cevo had that once as a teenager. Not to be explained... just happened. Only a miracle saved her from surgery. I'm praying for that same miracle for Eileen.

At this point in time, Eileen is still in the hospital in San Antonio. Her mother flew in from California Sunday night to be with her, so I did indeed leave with Dale for Florida, Monday, as planned. I've talked with Eileen both Tuesday and yesterday, and she's doing great! The doctor told her to walk some Tuesday ... she thinks she may have done about 60 laps around the 5th floor that day. That's Eileen. I didn't ask her how many she did yesterday ... it would have made me tooooo tired just thinking about it. (Evo doesn't do laps... can you tell?)

Orchids to Lisa for returning to help in our booth Sunday! When she originally asked Saturday if we'd like her to help again, we had no idea how much we would indeed need her! And Orchids to Kathy who also helped Sunday and stayed late to help pack up (even after I told her we didn't need her to stay), because she didn't want Lisa bending and over-doing, and I wasn't there to help! Stampers care, yes they do.

And Orchids to all of you stampers who made this show so wonderful for us. We met soooo many of you! And super-big Orchids to Jerry and Kaye Lynne Ingold. You're unbelievable, yes, you are.

Well, this is turning into a saga, so I'm gonna have to skip some really good stuff. I'd continue, but while I think "saga" is tolerable ... I know "epic" is totally Un-Acceptable. Thank you, Cevo, for teaching me that word in an Orlando restaurant recently. See how fast I learn???

Ellen :}> Evo

And now, the "rest" of the story on the Live Oak show... the part I left out when my Live Oak "saga" was about to turn into an "epic".

Sunday Morning... I dashed back to the hotel room to let Mr Evo know what was going on at the hospital with Eileen and to make sure he left early enough for the show to open the convention hall at 9:00. He went downstairs with our "infamous red money box" and was to bring me back something I needed from the car. I felt a tad guilty that he would have to walk back up the 3 flights of outside stairs, so I thought... "I'll meet him half-way". (Elevator was out... you had to take the stairs) I had to leave the door to the room a-jar, 'cause I didn't have a key! I had lost mine...(actually, I think Mr Evo borrowed it and lost it) ... should be ok... I would be in full view of the door (I had left my fanny-pack on the bed).

As I walked to the stairs, a young lady with shirt and shorts on a hanger passed me. Just as I was about to hit the stairs, I looked back, and... she had walked into our room!!!! :{<> I ran! In fact, I probably ran faster than I've run in the last 10 years and caught the door just as she was closing it. (Remember... I didn't have a key!) She peeked around the door, and I said... "Wrong Room?" And she said... "Yes! You have the wrong room." I said, "No, you have the wrong room!" She turned and looked at the room and said... "Sorry!" Horrible timing for a room mix-up... wouldn't happen again in a million years.

By this time, Mr Evo had hit the 3rd floor from the stairs. He gave me the "stuff" I needed from the car, and I watched him descend the 3 floors to... geez... the red box with $250 worth of show change on the pavement beside the open door to the car. Yes, we're both certifiable. Otherwise, how could we justify all of this! :{<>

The upside is... I talked with Eileen of Heirloom tonight. She's at home and doing great and will be in Pennsauken for the show. Pat is mobile! He'll have surgery on the herniated disks Tuesday after the show and will be OK!

Know what I like about stampers? Everything.

Know what I like about all of you that have read this to the end? Everything.

Ellen :}> Evo