'Midwest Show' Bound...

It's sounds like, I may be doing the Wonderful 'Midwest Show', right here, at my own back door. I have been invited, by the promoter's over the years, to do this Awesome Show, but it's only 7 minutes from my store, and is quite a busy weekend, between Vendors and customers travelling through, to shop the show. I received the call this morning, from my show partner, Mark... His 'real job' is an Auto Glass Installer, he owns his own business, and keeps incredibly busy, travelling all over the country, replacing windows, on site. He does the Midwest Show, twice a year, alone, because I need to stay at the Store. He began our conversation, by saying, " I did a really stupid thing, last night, I was moving about 500 pounds of windshields, on the rack, and they starting falling, and somehow, his hand got in between them and some steel, pinning it, the glass shattered, and several large fragments nearly went through his hand...{from the back side, no less...} It appears there is no nerve damage, nor did he hit a blood vessel. He won't go to the doctor, like us, no health insurance, and this would be a 1000.00, or more. He cleaned it well, and took butterfly bandages, and cinched the wounds up. I have treated many animals, with similar cuts, and gave him my advice...GO TO THE DOCTOR!!! I'm hoping he will at least get a shot of antibiotics, and have it examined. In the mean time, he's out of work, and doesn't feel he'll be able to tackle the show, at the end of the month....and asked me if I would consider taking his booth... I told him, I will help him, he will need the income, and we can share. You may think he will be healed up by then, what people don't understand, is, when you do a show, it takes several days, if not weeks, to get a load together, fixing, cleaning, or even hunting the cool stuff down...not to mention, loading and unloading...and then setting an elaborate booth, climbing, putting up walls, drilling, and lugging... Show's are a huge undertaking... I told him to call my husband, John, and ask him if he could help him with his windshield work...John is a Body Man, and has replaced a lot of glass, I'm sure he will help any way he can. I will see if my daughter, Liz, can mind the Store, while I'm at the Show. And start putting myself in Show Gear!!! A little over 2 weeks, isn't much time... If you have never attended the Midwest Show, you must. It is truly the best show, in this area, and reminds me of a smaller version of 'Heart of Country', in Nashville, TN. I always go early in the morning, and shop it, before I open the store, it is such a treat to see the most wonderful Antiques, and Dealers from around the country. The 'Collector's Eye', is a Sister Show, to the Midwest Show, and has a very diverse group of dealers, in the adjoining building. They are only a one day shows, but truly a must see! People from all over the country come to shop these shows, and keep coming back, year after year! I'll be posting the Show details, later, on my calender of events... 'til next time, Barb C.