I think all potters use egg crates. The outside box that contains those foam one
dozen cartons. All those lovely
Rubbermaid and Sterlite containers weren’t on the market in the 1980’s, and we
had to be creative. I used trash cans on
wheels, all the handwoven shirts, jackets and rugs neatly folded inside.
Stuff from our trash cans
The tragic events of 9/11 occurred at the height of the show
season. Almost as one artists came to
the decision to fulfill their commitment to their public and put up their
booths those next, awful months. It was
so strange; everyone carrying on and carrying such a burden. My first show after that day was in Saratoga
Springs, very near to New York City. As
I approached town traffic stopped.
Apparently there had been a fresh threat and all cars were being
searched. I had no problem pulling the
lids off the totes in my van. My memory
of that show is the hushed grounds with an overflow crowd of stunned people
intent on doing what they would be doing in any event. And the crystal blue sky with no contrails.
The very next week after that my show was in Madison,
Indiana. The police were visible
everywhere and one told those of us in the check in line to be very aware of
our surroundings and the people around us, and please report anything
unusual. When he left we laughed. Would it be unusual if a potter switched from
egg crates to banana boxes? We knew we
wouldn’t be finding anything to report.
When I arrived at my usual booth I was setting up next to
the same metal smiths I was always by.
We chatted as we stacked our containers and started our set up. Several hours later they were putting on the
final touches and brought out the five gallon can of water to fill and start a
metal fountain. I laughed aloud and
Margie said yes, they decided last week they needed to stop having two five
gallon red gasoline containers full of water behind their booth, and had
invested in regulation blue water containers.
It is sad now that every time a large group of people get together we have to call in the security teams and investigate every little thing.
ReplyDeleteThere was so much weirdness in those weeks and months following 9/11. Future generations will never fully understand what a sock in the stomach it was to our entire country. There was a co-worker in my office who became obsessed with all the police and fire fighters who died. She worried constantly about more bombings of national landmarks. Thank heaven there hasn't been any follow-up to that horrible day!
ReplyDeleteinteresting joanne
DeleteAnd sadly I have read recently that many of the rescue workers are developing cancer. So unfair.
ReplyDeleteLife changing events. So aptly named. They really do change our lives. I remember those dark days after 9/11. I've never felt so vulnerable. And all I could do was think about the people who died. And their families.
ReplyDeleteBut I love that story about the two red gas cans. Probably a good move, considering the climate! I wonder how many times they had to open up for the investigators . . .
I was at a campground associated with a craft show i did on 9/11 when the news came in on my 1 1/2 inch tv screen...i got a call from joanne, about 30 miles away asking if i had my rifle with me? I said , "yes". She said "You are civil air patrol. don't let anything invade our air space." I assured her that my 22 caliper would take care of any enemy aircraft. how silly, scared and isolated we felt to know that something so horrific has happened in the USA. Things would never be the same again...and that remains true..
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