So it’s been a little while since I’ve made an update here and I truly do apologize. I’m really good at pottery and sadly not so great at blogging (yet). A new year resolution of mine however is to become a more consistent blogger for this journey and what a journey it has become lately!
I am very sad to report that there hasn’t been much happening in the studio beyond dreaming of beautiful pots and fabulous functional pieces. The little studio has weathered a lot lately and is in desperate aid.
On my husband and I’s 3rd wedding anniversary, nature gifted us a tremendous wind storm which brought down an enormous branch on the roof of the studio, taking out some powerlines with it. Our block and a few others were without power for a while and then it took weeks to clear not only the tree sized branch from the roof, but all of the tree debris that had fallen in our yard and our neighbor’s yards. Hard to get into the studio when the forest canopy has decided to relocate itself to ground level.
Next came the now famous Snowmaggedon of 2024, where our city received over 4ft of snow in a single night and then continued to get pummeled by the power of winter. We tunneled our way of the snow and ice, but sadly the access to the studio has been limited. This winter has been as beautiful as it has been brutal, a situation not made easier by the failing of the thermocouple in the wall mounted heater for the studio. This situation is often why I typically close the studio down during winter months because it is a hardship that I am willing to endure for myself, but not willing to subject others to as they could be injured by the cold and icy conditions; such as the failure of the heater leading to the bursting of the water pipes in a recent very brutal cold snap.
Despite the flooding, the cold, the clean up of branches still yet to be had–we persist. My husband, ever my rock throughout this, continues to assess, build and rebuild where and when he can. My children plead to get back to their own miniature wheels. And I continue to fill my sketchbook with designs, both for clay and for the print shop in the hopes that this business will flourish this year. We persist and we ask only that you persist with us. Don’t give up hope in these dark and cold Winter months. Find the beauty within the ice cold crystals that fall delicately, and at times angrily, from the sky. Recognize the grace and resilience in the signs of the coming Spring.
If you’re a follower of our studio on Tiktok then you’ve seen some of the challenges we have faced. We invite you to like and give us some support there while you can, we know that platform may not be around for long, but we love the community we have built there. We will explore where to continue posting content in the coming weeks, until then stay tuned and join our subscribers to stay up to date with us!