Wednesday weather worries.

I'm sorry for the long post and lack of pretty photos, but right now my heart is heavy.

Last week at this time, I was pretty crazy trying to get everything ready for my market on Saturday. I had to work hard, but I got it all done and I thought for sure that this week would be so much easier--I would just have to restock a few of the handmade items that sold and price a few more items that I didn't take with me last week. Most of the hard work would be done already so I could relax a bit.

However, I find myself in somewhat the opposite situation. I am trying to restock a few things (banners, 2 crow boxes, paper lollies) and make something new (with the 600 striped paper straws that FINALLY showed up from China today). There are new things that have me stressed and worried this week:

Porter was sick on Sunday and Monday. He seems better now but for a while on Monday night I was terrified that he might have strep throat. Porter and Maren are most likely going to have to spend all of Saturday at my friend's house, as my mom and I run the booth and The Mister goes out of town that morning. Obviously, I can't let my sick kid go to somebody's house, and I can't bring him with me to the market either. He seemed just fine yesterday so I'm praying that will hold out. I don't care if everybody comes down with the flu on Saturday evening, I just need them to hold out being healthy until 5 p.m.

The Mister still does not know his status for Saturday, whether he is going out of town for training or not. I don't want him to leave for 2.5 weeks and it would help me out greatly on Saturday if he gets to stay, but at the same time he needs to get started on this particular training so now's as good a time as any. Hopefully by later today he will know for sure one way or the other. I just need to know what to expect so I can plan accordingly.

And the biggest worry of all--the weather. I have been watching the weather forecast daily since last Monday, to check the weather for last week's market. Luckily it turned out to be a completely gorgeous autumn-in-Colorado day--blue skies, abundant warm sunshine. Perfect day for going to an outdoor market.

The forecast for this coming Sunday is dismal. Disastrous. Catastrophic for an outdoor market where I'm selling a bunch of things made of paper. As of last night, Saturday's forecast high was 47 degrees with a possible rain/snow mix in the morning. I am scheduled to load in at the market at 6:45 a.m. Last  night I was sick to my stomach and in tears at this new forecast. Quite simply, this is the worst-case scenario. If the weather is terrible, I will have to figure out some way to add walls to my tent, which will just make setting up all the more complicated. And if the weather is this bad, it probably won't matter if I have walls anyway because who in their right mind is going to go out and shop at an outdoor market in that kind of weather?

I have mentioned before, but doing this particular market has been a dream of mine since May 2011. I went to the market for the very first time, fell in love, and literally called my mom while I was driving home to tell her that I wanted to be a vendor there. Last year for various reasons, I couldn't get in. I waited patiently until August of this year when I could apply for the 2012 October market--I specifically wanted to do this one because I knew I wanted to make Halloween items.

The show is juried and I was on pins and needles for two weeks waiting to hear if I got in or not, and when I finally got the email that I made it, I might have even shed a few tears of joy. This is something I have wanted so bad for more than a year. I have worked my rear off for a month and a half (I'm talking 4+ hours of crafting per day, when I have little kids at home and training for a triathlon at the same time). You can probably understand why I feel completely devastated at the idea that my dream and goal is going to be destroyed by something I can't control: the weather.

Quite frankly, it has taken the wind out of my sails. I feel like there's no reason to even continue making things this week because I can't put it out if it's raining and snowing, and who's going to come buy it in that kind of weather? I feel like I might as well just quit now and I am so, so very disappointed. I realize that I could just list everything on Etsy but that is a ton of additional work and time and expense. They were expecting 5000 shoppers at this market. I simply cannot get exposure like that on Etsy.

Friends, I need your help. If you believe in the positive thinking and the power of prayer, would you offer one (or 10) for me? Pray that the weather in Denver will improve for Saturday. I'm not asking for it to be 85 and sunny (like it was in 2011). At this point, I'd be thrilled with 60. Or even 55 is sounding fantastic. Just as long as it isn't raining or snowing, and if we could get some sunshine, that would be an extra lovely bonus but I'm not pushing my luck.

I still want to post about my market last Saturday but that was a wonderful experience and I didn't want to taint that post with all of this doom and gloom.