Brave New World Exhibit at the World Trade Center in Baltimore

Brave New World art exhibit by Tracey Grumbach at the World Trade Center in Baltimore

The following press release was just sent to local Maryland news outlets and I am pretty excited about this opportunity!

 

BALTIMORE, MD−August 20, 2019−Harford County artist, Tracey Grumbach, is currently showing 46 pieces of digital art in a solo art exhibit titled “Brave New World” at the World Trade Center in Baltimore.  The show runs through September 13, 2019.

This is the largest collection of Mrs. Grumbach’s work shown to date and features work from several of her latest series including Faceless, The Beauty Myth, and Growth Mindset, which examine human nature and the influences of the technical age on the human psyche.

Tracey Grumbach states, “This collection of art is my victory call because it was created over a period of several years out of a need to express myself during my battle with Chronic Lyme Disease. I felt silenced, not only from the effects of aphasia, which was caused by the disease damaging the language section of my brain, but also by the doctors and hospitals who didn’t believe I was suffering in such a severe way. Art was my way of reconnecting with a world that I didn’t trust anymore, thus the title of the exhibit, Brave New World.”

Mrs. Grumbach’s artistic practice is focused on combining traditional collage with photography and digital art, creating a unique look that each of the other disciplines can’t achieve on their own.

Mrs. Grumbach will also show her art in New York City at the prestigious LymeMIND Conference on October 19, 2019.

About Tracey Grumbach (www.nineacresdesigns.com)

Tracey Grumbach teaches art and photography classes at Harford Community College.  Her artwork has been seen in venues throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania, and has been published in national and international publications. She is also a member of Harford Artists’ Association. 

Tracey Grumbach in front of the Brave New World art exhibit at the World Trade Center in Baltimore

If you happen to swing by the exhibit, take a picture of yourself in front of the art and send it to me to be entered for a chance to win a free print!

I am so thankful to God for these opportunities to get my art and my story out into the world. 

New Show Opening At Arts By the Bay Gallery on February 2!

I am pleased to announce that I will have five never-before-seen-in-print pieces matted, framed, and available for purchase at the new art show opening on Friday, February 2, 2018 at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace. The opening reception is that night from 7PM-9PM. Come on out and meet the artists of the gallery and be among the first to see the new art!

If you have any interest in purchasing any of the five pieces shown here, please contact me ASAP using the "Email Me" section of the side bar. Now is the time to speak up if you want the opportunity to purchase these Limited Edition (ONLY 1 of EACH WILL EVER BE PRINTED) art pieces prior to framing. Please use the name of the piece in your correspondence so I can give you accurate details on size and price.

Love is So Short-Forgetting Is So Long

True Harvest of My Daily Life

Duplicity

Time's Relentless Melt

The Herd

Hope to see you Friday, February 2, 2018 from 7PM-9PM!

Original Art by Tracey Grumbach for Sale

In addition to the 5 framed pieces I will have hanging in the Sizzling Summer Art Exhibition at Arts By the Bay, I will also be adding three new unframed originals to the print bins. The following will be available for sale-

Chicago- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Chicago

Limited Edition 1/1

12" x  8" matted to 14" x 11"

John Wright Store and Restaurant- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

John Wright Store and Restaurant

Limited Edition 1/1

12” x  8” matted to 14” x 11”

Belle Farm- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Belle Farm

Limited Edition 1/1

12” x  8” matted to 14” x 11”

Remember, most of my digital art pieces are one of a kind and will only be printed one time, so if you are interested in any of these, please let me know ASAP before they are gone!

These pieces will be available starting Wednesday, June 28th. The opening reception will be held on Friday, June 30th from 7PM-9PM. I will be working that evening, so stop in and see me while checking out the amazing art displayed at Arts By the Bay Gallery.

Hope your Saturday is going well!

Hugs!

Sizzling Summer Art Show at Arts By the Bay Gallery

There are only a few days left to check out my Featured Artist Exhibit at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace! The current show will be taken down on Saturday night, so please, if you wanted to see the exhibit, head out there today, tomorrow, or Saturday morning. It has been such a wonderful experience to show my work as a cohesive collection and I will be forever thankful. I am also so humbled by how many pieces I sold, which was way over my expectation! I am happy to announce we raised over $1,600 for NatCapLyme Association! Thank you!

The new show opening will be Friday, May 30. Stop in that night to see the new show and to say hello since I will be working the Opening Reception shift. The reception is from 7PM-9PM and I'd love to see you there.  I will have the following 5 pieces hanging-

The Ritual

The Ritual
Digital Art
Limited Edition- Only one will ever be printed
Framed Size 13"x16"

Single Rose Bud

Single Rose Bud
Photography
Open Edition
Framed Size- 33" x 23"

Through the Looking Glass

Through The Looking Glass
Digital Art
Limited Edition- Only 1 will ever be printed
Framed size-15" x 15"

That Spring Walk We Took

That Spring Walk We Took
Digital Art
Limited Edition- Only 1 will ever be printed
Framed Size- 13" x 16"

I'll Leave the Window Open For You

I'll Leave the Window Open For You
Digital Art
Limited Edition- Only 1 will ever be printed
Framed Size- 19" x 24"


And I will be replenishing my unframed prints with fresh choices as well! So be sure to stop in starting Friday night, May 30th! Here are details of the opening reception:

Have a blessed day! xo

Art Without Boundaries- Juried Art Show Coming in July

I am so excited to announce that my artwork has been chosen to be displayed in the juried art show, Art Without Boundaries, presented by the Harford County Cultural Arts Board and the Harford County Commission on Disabilities. This art show is to celebrate that art is for everyone, both its creation and its enjoyment. The show will run the month of July and can be seen in two libraries in Harford County, Bel Air Library and Havre de Grace Library. The galleries will be open during normal operating hours. (M-Th 10 -8 and F & Sat 10 – 5)

The two pieces that were accepted were Guitar For Sale, one of my very favorite black and white street photography images. Shortly after taking this image I was rushed to the hospital with what at the time they thought was a stroke. Turns out, I discovered after years of doctors and tests, the symptoms I displayed that evening in New York was due to Lyme Disease and co-infections, not a stroke.

Guitar For Sale- Photograhy by Tracey Grumbach

The second piece that was accepted and will be displayed is this self portrait I did during a Chronic Lyme Disease flair up. It is titled Beautiful Beyond Description-Self Portrait of an Artist Ravaged By Lyme Disease.

Beautiful Beyond Description-Self Portrait of an Artist Ravaged By Lyme Disease

 

 

 

I don't know which piece will be in which library, but please be sure to check out the art galleries in both libraries for all the entries! I am sure they will all be compelling. Both pieces are for sale, so please contact me if you are interested in purchasing them! Thank you to the jury members of the Harford County Cultural Arts Board for honoring my work.

xo

The Day Still Dawns- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Despite the gloom
Despite the pain
Despite the rain
Despite the chill
Despite the exhaustion
Despite the grumpiness...
The day still dawns

and the show will go on.

Despite my disappointment in the weather and despite my horrible sore throat, the Ticked Off- Lyme Disease Awareness Event will still happen tonight from 6-9PM at Arts By the Bay Gallery and it will be fabulous!

Stop in for your chance to:

1.  See amazing art by a variety of local artists.
2.  See my art and hear my story about my journey through Lyme Disease.
3.  Take a bite out of Lyme by participating in our Lyme Disease Challenge.
4.  Pick up a coloring book and a bracelet making kit for your kids.
5.  Enter to win a fabulous prize basket filled with amazing art donated by local artists.
6.  Mingle with lots of art lovers and Lyme Warriors.
7.  Gain more knowledge about Lyme Disease and how to prevent it!
8.  Much more!

I will see you all tonight! Be sure to stop and introduce yourself and say hello!

 May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month...Would you be so kind as to make a small donation to the non-profit organization I am passionate about, NatCapLyme Association, who raises money for Lyme Disease education, legislation, research, and patient support? I would very much appreciate it! In order to keep tabs on how much money we raise, please follow these directions to make a donation.

1.  Go to NatCapLyme.org's donation page.
2.  Click on Fundraising Event in the tab section.
3.  In the Select Event for Fundraising dropdown menu choose the bottom one...Arts By the Bay Gallery Ticked Off Lyme Disease Awareness Event.
4.  Fill out the rest of the form and submit!

Thanks so much for any help you could give. This really is a great organization. I attend the support meetings of my local chapter and they are champions of getting the word out in Harford County and beyond.


xo

Spring Show Opening at Arts By the Bay Gallery

Today is the day! The spring show is opening tonight at Arts By the Bay Gallery. I am so honored to be the Featured Artist and am looking forward to seeing everyone tonight! The reception is from 7-9PM!  Stop in to see 32 pieces of my art hanging with more prints available in a print bin! Hope to see you there! ***Please do not confuse this with the Ticked Off Lyme Disease Awareness Event that is happening on May 5th. ;)

Have a fabulous and beautiful weekend.

xo

Ticked Off! May 5th Lyme Disease Awareness Event at Arts By the Bay Gallery

After having about a week off from blogging and spending some quality time with my mother, I am slowly getting back into the swing of things! Over the past week the advertising for the upcoming Ticked Off- Lyme Disease Awareness Event at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace has come out! I will be displaying three walls of art, matted prints, and the published articles I have written.  A portion of the proceeds from my art in the month of May will benefit our local chapter of NatCapLyme! In addition, I will be collecting straight donations (you don't have to buy art), both online and in person at the gallery. When the online portion is set up, I will post a link to the donation site. We so desperately need to get out accurate information to the public about this debilitating and dangerous disease! I will be sharing my story and discussing how art has helped me through some of my most difficult times.

I am thrilled to share these fliers with you and personally invite each and every one of you to come out May 5th from 6-9PM! It is going to be lots of fun! It is also First Friday celebration in Havre de Grace the same evening, so after you stop in to the gallery you can take part in all of the other festivities and activities throughout the main street area.

You can check the Upcoming Events tab for the calendar that lists all of events coming up this spring!

Everyone on the east coast...be safe during this blizzard!

xo

I Was a Great Reader of Fairy Tales- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

About this image: A passed over 2010 image of a local bed and breakfast in my archives got a breath of new life in this digital art piece. I loved the fairy tale castle feel to the structure and would have killed someone to live there and own it myself. Just kidding. I really wouldn't kill someone. Ever. Unless it was self defense, of course. But, I digress. On a plane ride to Florida this weekend, I had plenty of time to use my digital skills to translate this old picture into what I consider a beautiful creation of my imagination. Fairy tales...I am living my own fairy tale because I choose to see the magic in each day of my life.

Speaking of fairy tales, I am proud to say my oldest daughter had a very successful trip college hunting in Florida this weekend and has made a commitment to go to Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL to study Film Production. She will be moving there in August to start writing the fairy tale beginning of her own life. I can not be more proud of my kids. My oldest son is back at college seeking a business degree while working at a local restaurant and my twins are working hard in homeschool. I am the luckiest mom in the world.

I hope to see you at the art show opening Friday night from 5-8PM in Oxford, PA!  I can't wait to see everyone! Stop in, see the art, and let's chat about my pieces. See the flyer below:

Also, mark your calendars NOW for a new art show opening soon at Arts By the Bay Gallery on Friday, February 3 from 7-9PM!  I will be there with 5 pieces hanging and I will be working the desk, so stop in and see me!

I hope you have an amazing Wednesday and spread a little magic dust of your own today.

Oxford Art Alliance "Through Your Looking Glass" Art Show

I am so excited to announce that I will be showing three pieces of art in a new art show at Oxford Art Alliance gallery in Oxford, Pennsylvania. The show is themed "Through Your Looking Glass" and features art that involves windows. The show opening reception is Friday, January 20th from 5PM-8PM. I will be at the opening reception with bells on (not literally with bells on) and am excited to meet new artists and the patrons who frequent this gallery!

One of the images that will be showing is Through the Looking Glass...a digital painting I did of a circular window overlooking Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri.  There will be only one print of this image made and it will be on display and for sale at this show. It is 10x10 inches matted and framed in a 12x12 inch frame!

Another piece that will be showing is I'll Leave the Window Open For You. This is also a digital painting. It features a private residence in Bar Harbor, Maine. You can read more about this image by clicking through the link on the title of the piece. There will also only be one print only of this piece offered. It is 10 x 13 inches and matted to a 16 x 20 inch frame.

The third piece that will be showing in the Oxford Art Alliance gallery is There Are Joys that Long to Be Ours. This is a digital collage created from a photograph I took while sitting in my car at a stop light one day. I added elements, painted a bit, added textures, and ended up with this piece. There will only be one of these ever printed and it is 8 x 8 inches matted to a 12 x 12 inch frame.

Showing in this gallery is special to my heart because I did not seek out this opportunity. A wonderful fellow artist, Anita Bower, saw my work at Arts By the Bay gallery in Havre de Grace and invited me to participate. To have another artist see my work and seek it out makes my heart soar and I am thrilled to meet her in person very soon.

I hope you all have time to come out on Friday, January 20th for the opening show reception of "Through Your Looking Glass" at Oxford Art Alliance to see me me and the other artists! It will be a good time. I will be adding the information about this show in the Upcoming Events section of my blog.

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

xo

5 Art Pieces to Be Shown at Arts By the Bay Gallery

The winter show for Arts By the Bay Gallery is approaching quickly. The opening reception will be Friday, November 18th from 7PM-9PM. I will have the following 5 framed pieces hanging:

Snowy Ridge Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

For the Inactive Windmills- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

See No Evil- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Nature's Prayer- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Tattooed- Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach

Please head out the 18th to see these pieces in person! I look forward to seeing everyone. I am hoping to make it to the reception, although I will be leaving early the next morning for St. Louis to be with my extended family during this difficult time. So, things may change at the last minute. Even if I am not there, my work will be!

Four Pillars- Tracey Grumbach Artwork On Display at Havre de Grace Library

Four Pillars- digital artwork by Tracey Grumbach

I am really excited and proud to announce that my artwork, Four Pillars, was chosen as one of 13 pieces of art juried into an exhibition to be held at the new Havre de Grace Library in Harford County. There were 77 entries for this show and only 13 of those were selected, so I feel very, very honored.

The theme of the exhibition is "My Havre de Grace" and will be hanging from October 29, 2016 through December 7, 2016. You can see all the artwork during regular library hours between these dates. I am looking forward to attending the reception on Friday, October 28 to meet and greet the other artists.  I am checking on whether this reception is open to the public and if it is, I will be notifying you in a future post. I'd love all my friends and family to come!

If you are familiar with Havre de Grace, then you know exactly where these pillars are.  They run right next to the train bridge that crosses over the water. For me, these pillars represent our connection to the past, a visible sign that even past events in our lives can still rise from the depths of our consciousness and be an imposing figure in the landscape of our present lives. Major events such as contracting Lyme Disease (twice now) and my father's passing, still play a significant role in the landscape of my personal present, their lessons and emotions written into the very fiber of my cells. I am grateful for that, though, because I am a very different person than I was before these things happened. I have come so far and learned so much since then. Sometimes these ground shaking events must occur for us to achieve significant personal and spiritual growth.

I hope you all have a blessed Thursday! I know mine will be. I get to homeschool my children and continue working on some new art pieces. What could be better than that?

xo

Digital Art by Tracey Grumbach to Hang at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace

Please stop in today at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace from 3PM-7PM to see me and the 5 new pieces that will be hanging in the Autumn Aura Art show. I will be removing my current pieces and replacing them with the following five pieces. I'd love to chat with you about these 5 pieces, what they mean to me, and how my fight with Chronic Lyme Disease has influenced these art pieces and my art in general.

Baltimore

I Am Reborn

My Significant Other Right Now is Myself

Now Autumn Fire Burns

When We Drove By the Farm in Autumn

The opening reception for the Autumn Aura Art Show will be Friday, August 26, 2016 from 7PM-9PM. There will be refreshments, and a cash bar. My dear friend, Douglas Williams, is the featured artist for this show and his work is amazing! If you can't stop in today at Arts By the Bay Gallery, then mark your calendar for next Friday! Hope to see you soon.

Like a Beacon Through the Storm

I am truly shocked and humbled by the turnout to the opening reception for my show at The Gallery at 122 Main last night. The weather was horrid...torrential downpour, cold, windy, flooding...just flat out nasty. I had resigned myself to the fact that many people would not come out; afterall, I didn't even want to travel and be out in that mess and it was my show! During the day, I received many messages and texts saying people were canceling because of the weather. Heck, even Havre de Grace cancelled their First Friday celebrations due to the weather. The Darlington Apple Festival was cancelled. There wasn't much hope for a good show.

And then 5PM rolled around. I stood with my twins in the gallery, freezing cold in my dress and sandals (Clearly I did not consider the weather when packing my dress for the evening. I had been at Homeschool Co-Op since 9AM that morning teaching 2 high school photography classes, so had packed my clothes to change for the gallery event.) The owners of the gallery were there and no one else. The foot traffic was nil. It was pouring. This was not going to be good.

Slowly, ever so slowly, rain-soaked people started showing up. One and two at a time, people marched into the gallery with smiles on their faces and warmness in their hearts. First, one of my photography pieces sold to another photographer I had the pleasure of meeting. Next, a print sold. Then, my husband's co-workers showed up carrying a surprise in an envelope for me...a $500 donation to the National Capital Lyme Disease Association. I began crying. Such generosity just struck me to my core. Then another donation was received from another co-worker. Just as a set of dominos tumbles into the next, so did the hours...people coming in and buying art, discussing the art with me, meeting and greeting the Harford Lyme Advocate representative at the informational table. My kids proudly wore Lyme disease stickers and greeted all the guests with hugs and reminders that everyone needs to check for ticks.

It was such a pleasure to have this opportunity. I met so many wonderful photographers and artists, other local gallery owners that stopped in to greet me (and to buy art!) and local art lovers from Cecil and Harford County. I met a couple who shared their very personal health related story with me and in turn bought one of my largest pieces in support of my Lyme journey and Lyme disease research.

It was such an emotional night for me. In the stormy weather, all of these people...friends, family, and strangers alike, were a beacon of light for me, drawing me closer and closer to the satisfied, filled-to-the-rim feeling of success. To me success is not defined by how many pieces of work I sold or how much money was raised, but success of getting the word about Lyme out to the public, meeting so many new kind, artistic souls, and gathering with friends and family celebrating my determination to speak out and bring light to this terrible problem.

I can't thank The Gallery at 122 Main owners (Carol, Ki, and Paula), Kimie Rankin, Dawn Bayer, Holly Hood, all the people at KWM, Janet from Harford Lyme Advocates, my family (immediate and extended), the people of Elkton, and all the other guests for making this night one of the best of my life. I am truly thankful beyond measure. None of this could have happened without all of you.

Here's to continued success the rest of the month. If you were unable to make last night, please try to stop into the gallery during the month of October to see the remaining pieces of art and to pick up a brochure on Lyme disease. There might even be another mini-reception planned for sometime before the end of the month...we'll see.

Stay warm, dry, and with love in your heart. Thank you again.

xo

Bring on the Floods...I've Already Accomplished My Goals

As the time edges closer to tomorrow's opening reception for my October show at The Gallery at 122 Main, I am both excited and humbled. When I started this journey, I had no idea how I could pull it off, how my work would be received, or if it would even remotely accomplish my two main goals...getting my digital artwork out into the world and bringing more awareness to Chronic Lyme Disease. Now, as I am about 12 hours away from the beginning of the reception, I know in my heart that no matter how it ultimately pans out in the end, my two goals have already been accomplished in a way that I could not have predicted.

First, my goal of getting my digital artwork out there...Yes, I have shown in galleries before, but it has always been my photography. I've even had my photos published in magazines. But, this is the first time I will be showing and offering for sale my digital collage paintings, a goal I set for myself about a year ago when I first dabbled in this art form. After much encouragement, I decided it was time to put it out into the world in a physical form rather than just a digital format on a blog and website. I was so thrilled when my giclee original prints came in from the printer and I saw my work for the first time on a medium other than a computer screen. There is something about seeing a digital creation printed on delicious Somerset Velvet art archival paper that can't be represented on screen.

No matter what happens, I have achieved my first goal...getting over my fear of presenting my work to the world. Between this solo show and the magazine article coming out November 1, I have jumped the first hurdle into the world of sharing my work with others.

Secondly, I could not have predicted that even before the opening of the show, I would be successful at getting the word out about Lyme and educating others about this terrible disease. Ever since the news article came out in the Cecil Whig, people have been contacting me and wishing me luck on the show, telling me their Lyme disease stories and thanking me for speaking out on the subject. To hear these other stories of fellow Lyme sufferers is a humbling experience. There are so many people suffering in silence and fear that it just breaks my heart. In order to bring about change, we have to stand together and make NOISE. That is what I wanted to do and that is exactly what is happening, thanks to the media picking up on my story!

So, despite the weather being horrible, despite me being sick all week, and despite a hurricane possibly bearing down on the east coast, I have already accomplished my two main goals! Thank you to all the moving pieces that made this possible...The Gallery at 122 Main, The Cecil Whig, Artful Blogging, my dear friend K (who got the ball rolling and believed in me), and all my friends and family who have spread the word about this event and have supported me in so many ways to make this happen. I am truly thankful and awed by your hearts and kindness.

Now...let's make this show a success!  See you tomorrow night, even if I have to row myself there in a boat!

Please Join Me...

...in fighting the epidemic of Lyme Disease by coming out this Friday, October 2 from 5-8 PM at The Gallery at 122 Main in Elkton, Maryland. I will be celebrating the opening of my digital art and photography exhibition that night and would love to see you there! A representative of the National Capital Lyme Disease Association will be on hand to answer questions and help raise awareness of this horrible disease that took two and half years for me to be diagnosed with. I still have long term effects today and am fighting everyday to get back to normal.

A percentage of the sales from my art will be donated back, both by me and the gallery hosting the event, to the National Capital Lyme Disease Association. I hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful week, y'all! xo

The Week Whizzed By

Glen Rock, PA

This past week flew by but in its hurry, I was still able to savor some really joyful moments despite the chaos. Last Sunday I celebrated my 43rd birthday. I am not much on birthdays anymore, as I assume most people my age aren't, but for me this one held significance. It was a marker in my journey, a mile marker along the highway of healing I have been on for the past 13 months. I have one full year of Lyme treatment under my belt and while I have a long way to go, I am so thankful for where I am. Some days it is difficult to see it because the pain and exhaustion is still so great, but when I have a cause to pause and look over the past year, I am thankful for how far I've come. If this week occurred one year ago, I never would have been able to accomplish half of what I was able to accomplish this year.

I spent the day celebrating with my family. It started with a delicious breakfast at one of my favorite restaurants where they now offer gluten free pancakes! Then, home to open gifts and do what I love to do on Sunday...watch football. Even the Raven's losing couldn't dampen my birthday mood. That evening my husband cooked a delicious dinner and surprised me with a wonderful homemade dessert. He made a strawberry shortcake that meets my dietary needs...gluten and dairy free, created from a delicious vanilla cake with organic strawberries on top and whipped coconut cream on top. It was divine.

The week following my birthday flew by as I homeschooled my twins during the day and then in the evening I worked each night finalizing my inventory list for my upcoming solo show, matted and framed the pieces, and edited the real estate shoots I completed over the week. Each night I would collapse into bed, exhausted but happy and proud with the day's accomplishments.

Friday was our first day at homeschool co-op where my twins take 4 classes with other homeschooled students their age and I teach 2 high school photography classes to 23 students. I also assist in two other classes, an art class for elementary students and a sign language class for the same age group. I was a bit nervous; very reminiscent of the night before school started back in the days when I was a classroom teacher. The nerves are good, keeping me on my toes, and it is more of a nervous excitement more than anything else. Joining this co-op was out of my normal realm of what I do. I tend to be very shy although I force myself to not appear that way. It takes a lot of energy for me to push myself into a group of about 40 women and appear calm and collected and sociable. But, at the end of the day, the twins were over-the-moon happy and I felt relieved and accomplished that my high school pupils were willing, kind, and excited for the upcoming year-long class.

Last night I collapsed into bed, completely spent from the week and yet, here I am, up and ready early Saturday morning, preparing to head out to deliver my artwork to the gallery for hanging. While I am there, a reporter is due to meet me and interview me for a local newspaper article. All of this is so surreal to me and uncomfortable. I prefer to be home, quiet, and private, so despite being tired, the smile will come out and I will do what I have to make this show the best it can be. I want it to succeed so that we can bring awareness to Chronic Lyme Disease and raise money for research, education, advocacy, and support.

Just when I think everything is wrapped up and things can calm down, I will have a house full of guests coming tomorrow, something else that I am uncomfortable with. In the future I can tell you all the exciting things going on here tomorrow, but for now, it has to be a contractual secret, so I can't say anything more other than the stress and rigor continues! Once the opening reception is over this coming Friday, I will be so thankful for the lull that will be present. I am in desperate need of rest and relaxation...something I am very much looking forward to in mid-October.

For now, have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next week. May you be blessed in the upcoming week and find happiness each day.  xo