Results, Rest and Recovery!

ATTENTION:  PLEASE KEEP YOUR HANDS AND FEET AND PERSONAL ITEMS INSIDE THE VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES UNTIL THE RIDE COMES TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP.

Please excuse the beginning of this post...I just couldn't figure out another way to explain how I've been feeling these past few weeks!  Kind of a nervous, out of control feeling where my brain has run amok, trying to remember each and every last thing that needed to be done...and still falling short.  That's often life, I guess!  My friend M and I have been working very hard to prepare for our summer event at the Art de Cure CPO gallery (to benefit the CMTA,) and making sure each and every last detail was covered...so our reception last Friday could go off without a hitch.  And it pretty much did.  In fact, I would say it was a success!  After all, this was a light artist's reception, with no guarantee of attendance...and no guarantee there would be any sales.  Not only did we have quite a lot of people come, but we raised $246 for the CMTA's research program, dedicated to finding a treatment/cure for CMT.  And every little bit helps us reach our goal!

When I look back on all of it, we really didn't fall short on any details...in the end, everything was done and the night went smoothly.  We just hit a few roadblocks and fell in a few potholes along the way!  Which has led to this feeling that I'm stuck on a ride I can't control, in danger of losing a limb.  This has been building for weeks, though I'd have to say the feeling really took hold when I dragged myself out of bed early Friday morning...and as I was straightening the blankets, I dropped a REALLY heavy book I'd been reading on top of my left foot.  After screaming some curses I wasn't aware I knew, I hobbled to the bathroom...and 10 minutes later I was in my sweatpants, wolfing down breakfast so I could start preparing food for the evening's festivities.

Now let me pass on a little tip I learned, in the hopes that you will be spared the same problems in the future.  When you are hosting an event for charity, and have limited hours in which to finish all of the things that had to wait till the last minute (such as chopping vegetables and fruit,) don't tack on the lovely task of making Rice Krispie Treats.  Yummy?  Yes.  Easy to make??  NO WAY.  After I mixed and melted all of the ingredients and attempted to pour the results into a Pyrex dish, I realized something...you can easily end up stuck to your stove, with a spoon adhered to your face and Rice Krispie dust in your hair in a matter of minutes!  All of those happy 'Hallmark' type commercials where the smiling mother makes these treats with her two chubby-faced toddlers, spending a few hours bonding over toppings that the kids choose themselves, is a baldfaced LIE...believe me--there would be plenty of bonding going on, but it would be the type that required a hot bath and a box of soap to dissolve!

Eventually I detached myself from the stove and cleaned all the goo off my hands, and with my mother's help in cutting the results into squares, I made it to CPO...fully dressed in appropriate attire and ready to party!  Okay...to be honest, I got there without getting into an accident, hoping I would survive the next four hours and raise some money in the process.  And despite my exhaustion, not only did we raise money for our charity...I also sold my next painting, The Gathering, shown below.  Was it worth all the effort, the out of control feelings and the energy I lost?  I'm still not completely sure about that...but selling another painting certainly helped!  If you'd like to read M's story about preparing for this event (and all the craziness she went through,) check out her blog at: http://cmtnyus.wordpress.com/   I think you will agree that both of us worked really hard to make this gallery successful, and that we both desperately need a VACATION!  

And for those of you who wanted to come but couldn't, our art still stands until July 27th when we install our next gallery, Starry Night.  CPO is located at 149 South Lake Avenue, Albany, and is open to the public during office hours (M-F from 8-5pm).  Go check it out...there's a lot of beautiful art to look at, and it will be well worth the trip!