JAN 7th brought an email - Cherry Creek

I was accepted into Cherry Creek Arts Festival for the 20th anniversary show this July. I have done this show once before in 1997 and ever since have had some reason not to reapply. For the first few years after the show i was gunshy because it was sucha huge show, huge production, and very expensive to participate in - etc. Then i spent the early 2000's enjoying my 4th of julys with my family in Iowa. Always nice to choose rest and relaxation over an all consuming art show in the middle of the summer. But - since taking my show on the road to Kansas City in September multiple times - i felt like it was time to stay home and try to get into Cherry Creek. So many people apply and the judges change every year so you never know if you will get it to any show you apply to. I was shocked when the email came with my exceptance. I instantly started crying.... it was a cry like i have never had before. After i took a second to compose myself - - to try to explain to John why in the world i was crying the best i could explain was that I am 20% happy, 30% honored and 50% screwed. This now means WORK. I have a small inventory always for the shops/galleries that carry my work - but nothing like what i will need for this show. I have since made some big lists of TO DO's and a calendar of how i am going to get it all done. Important numbers include - 19 more weeks of school (2.5 hours each day to work without paying a sitter) and then 22 more weeks until the show.