Whenever I have a little discretionary time, there is a good chance I will be in my studio playing with clay. Years ago, when I was in college, I needed to take an art class to fulfill graduation requirements. Clay had always been a medium that interested me, so I registered for an Intro to Ceramics class. I had no idea how much I would enjoy the class. What started as a way to fulfill an art requirement, quickly became a passion. Now, being creative is a way of life. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to continue dabbling in clay after I graduated from college. Then, I guess life just got in the way. I’m sure that I could have made time for pottery, but I chose to focus on other aspects of life like my family and my career. About seven years ago, I had the opportunity to take a ceramics class at a local community center. I was once again hooked. Shookhill Pottery was born! Pottery became a wonderful outlet for me. At the center, I was able to connect with wonderful people who share my enthusiasm for ceramics. I will admit that my artwork was a little rough at first but I have enjoyed the process of relearning and challenging myself to improve. Last fall, for the first time ever, I hosted a pottery sale at our home. It was the first time that I sold any of my work. Until that point, I had been giving people pieces as gifts. With a lot of help from my sister, family and friends, the sale was a huge success. I was able to make a nice donation to TOYS FOR TOTS with a portion of the proceeds. Watching my daughter fill two shopping carts full of toys was an added bonus. A perfect start to the holiday season. This year, I plan on having the Shookhill Pottery sale again, hopefully in November. The actual format and date of the sale will depend on the status of the pandemic. It will most likely be a virtual sale. The proceeds will go towards The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for all of the support they have given my family this past year. I will communicate more about the sale in the beginning of November. Until then, I will keep playing in the mud and creating new pieces because being creative is a way of life I fully support.
September 11th…
Always remember… Today is September 11th – Never Forget. Never forget the heroes that put their own safety aside to help others. Never forget the sacrifices people made to do the right thing. Never forget the 3,000 people that lost their lives and the 25,000+ who suffered injuries. If you are old enough to remember September 11, 2001, you will know where you were on that tragic day when our country was attacked by terrorists. It’s been 19 years but I still remember that morning. My husband was flying a client to New York City. I was shopping in a craft store. When I heard the news, I set down my cart and walked out of the store to go and get my son from preschool. I prayed for the baby that I was expecting and tried to remain calm. I repeatedly called the flight coordinator at the charter company my husband was working for. All I heard was “all circuits are busy, please try your call again later”. I remember how thankful I was to hear his voice and know that he was safe. I remember that not everyone was as lucky as I was. I remember talking to my father about how he could see the World Trade Center burning and how he stood helpless from the roof of his New Jersey office as he watched the second tower fall. It is a day in our history that we can’t forget and need to remember. Today, I remember that it is Patriot Day. Today we pay tribute to all of the individuals that were injured and lost, the first-responders and the many who still work to protect our freedom. Today, September 11th, we remember.