The Mid-Atlantic Art & Rubber Stamp Festival.
Evo's Show/People Report
October 21 & 22, 2000 - Richmond, VA
Sponsored by Heirloom Productions
3900 Cherokee Lane
Newport, OR 97365
Fax/Voice(541)574-8000

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Heyyy, folks... we LUV the Richmond show! Not only do we get to see a spectacular fall leaf show, (which we miss seeing in Florida except for the popcorn tree by our driveway and a few other sights wayyyyy later in the year), but we get to see the leaf changes "in slow motion" as we travel north by car, and ... the rubber stamp show itself is good, too! What more could we ask for. :}>

As we drove north from Ocala, we began to see the leaf changes. A miracle of nature, for sure. Florida, still green ... Georgia, giving us a hint of wonders to come ... SC, more of a hint and absolutely wonderful wildflowers in bloom by the way-side of I-95 (keep your green-thumb up, Mr Evo... this is what your wildflowers should grow to be) ... North Carolina, more hints of leaf changes, and then Virginia... oh my. Trees in their most splendiforous! (Is that a word? If not... it should be.)

The Richmond show is a relatively small show... this was only its second year. This year's attendance by stampers was probably about the same as last year's... around 1200 stampers. Maybe more, not sure. We went to this show last year and knew it was a "keeper". And, you didn't disappoint us this year. You came, you saw, and you bought, but ... most important, you let us know you were there and shared with us your smiles. You took time to visit with us and let us know you were there.

Mr Evo and I arrived home late this afternoon from the show. "His Highness" is sleeping, but I couldn't go to bed before doing "my show/people report".

DanDee Services was at the show. Mr Evo and I have known Dan and Dee for several years now. When they were coming to Florida, they would let us know, and we would meet them at the Dinner Bell in Fruitland Park to eat giant prawns and other delicacies... one of our favorite small-town-little-known-best-local-restaurant-places.

My posts on shows are usually up-beat. This one is too, but in a different way. At the show in Greenville, SC... Dee was there and told me Dan had passed on. I was stunned. I knew she had told me in email in June that he had cancer and had been fighting it for several years, but I truly didn't know he had lost that battle.

Dee and Dan had 2 shows scheduled before he died ... Greenville and Richmond. Dan couldn't be at either of these, but Dee and Dan's sister were. Dee told me in Richmond that the scheduling of these shows was one of her salvations... how she could cope with Dan's not being there. He truly loved rubberstamping and wished he had listened to her wanting to be in the shows much earlier.

I believe Dan was at both the SC and VA show with Dee. And, this weekend, I saw it in Dee's face. She knew this, too.

Dan was a very gentle person. I loved both him and Dee the minute I saw them. Dee has never announced to the rubber stamping world that Dan was ill or is now gone ... that's not her way. So, I want you all to know that he is "gone" but isn't. Dan's gentleness will live on in Dee and their beautiful ethnic stamps. Dee... I love you and feel privileged to have shared giant prawns, wonderful visits, and Greenville & Richmond shows with you. And, I hope to see you at many, many more shows.

Thank you, Kriz and Bill and Jana for your help in our booth! You were fantastic! Special, special thanks to Bill, who passed up an air show to come to the Richmond show! Whoa! :{<>

And, there' s soooo much more I could report on, but I really want this show/people report to be a moment of your getting to know a little about Dan and Dee, fellow stampers. Mr Evo and I are richer for having done that, and I want you to be, too.

Ellen :}> Evo