The day dawned bright and sunny. The doors of the Barn opened at 10 to a steady stream of customers looking for just the right gifts for their family and friends. There was hot cider and coffee, muffins, bagels and cream cheese, cookies and my special meatballs.

Things were going along great. Happy shoppers were leaving with bags of treasures. As the show was winding down and I was chatting with a customer, my friend Sandy came over and crossed her hands in front of her throat. It took a minute but I finally grasped the fact that she was choking and wanted me to do the Heimlich Maneuver on her! I don’t know about you, but I have never had to do that before to anyone. She turned around and I made a fist, positioned my arms around her and gave two (what felt like) pretty good compressions. It wasn’t working! So I asked my daughter Maryanne who was sitting there writing people up if she knew how to do it. She said yes and started working on Sandy whose lips were getting bluer by the second. It was shocking to see how fast it happened! I started dialing 911 but at the same time I knew she wouldn’t make it till an EMT arrived. THANKFULLY, on the fifth compression, the meatball was dislodged! Her cheeks got pink and she was able to talk again. I have to say that Sandy and Maryanne never lost their cool and handled the whole thing with minimal drama. But it was quite scary.

The lesson I learned was don’t be afraid to squeeze hard and right up under the ribs. I encourage you to take a minute and review the correct way to give the Heimlick Maneuver.  I can tell you, as an eye witness, that it works! Maryanne says she learned this in Girl Scouts. 

The other thing I learned (again) is that life is so fragile. Every day is a gift and I am so thankful for my friend Sandy, my brave daughter Maryanne and all of the other amazing people that God has placed in my life.

Here’s a pic of Maryanne helping to count the money at the end of the day. So, whew, all’s well that ends well. Thanks to the great vendors for setting up and all who attended and supported the Barn Sale and we hope to see you again next year!

On Veteran’s Day weekend for the past 10 years, I have held the Barn Sale, a two day boutique featuring handmade crafts including iron work, wood, fabric, paper, glass, pottery, needle arts, jewelry, baked goods, (you name it- in ten years we have seen it all!) which is set up in the 100 year old barn located on our property. Each year’s offerings are slightly different and definitely always interesting! We have a very loyal and generous following and the show is enjoyed by vendors and shoppers alike. The atmosphere is relaxed as friends chat over steaming cider and cookies and kids run around playing in the leaves. We usually do a collection for our local food pantry and last year brought 26 full bags of groceries to the church.

I am not a summer person. The cool weather we’ve been having lately is so refreshing. And when it’s cold outside, it’s time for FLEECE! How they can make such a warm soft fabric from car tires is a mystery to me, but I love this stuff. It’s a dream to sew on and my favorite quality is the clean edges- no need to worry about fraying or threads sticking out anywhere. The last weekend in September for the past 8 years or so, my two sisters, me and Mom all converge in Saugerties, NY for the Garlic Festival where we sell our fleece wares. The burning question is always, “What can we make really quickly and sell at the show?” My contributions this year will be the camera case (pictured here) and laptop bags. My daughter recently purchased one of those adorable mini-laptops for when she’s on the ship and traveling and I had to measure it so I can whip up some cool covers to sell.

On another note, here are a few things to check out. One of our Barn Sale vendors, Teresa Balkin, (maker of beautiful soy candles) is opening her own shop! Opening Day is tomorrow from 11-5 at 12644 Chapel Road, Clifton, VA. Teresa says she will still be joining us on November 13 and 14th for the Barn Sale. Mark your calendars!

If you are looking for inspiring and fun demos, visit Where Creativity Knocks, a mother and daughter crafting duo who seek out new products and techniques and then share the fun with all. If you have 3-5 minutes and want to keep up with the latest trends and products, check out an episode or two! WCK has recently added a section called “Blogger’s Bonanza” where yours truly has been linked 🙂