2008

Even while the Clay Club is pondering topics such as "What are your plans for the next year", I have been thinking about how far I have come since last year.

Now that we're here, going on 8 months, I am quite proud of my accomplishments. It really isn't all that hard to get back on the horse. In 6 weeks I had made enough work to fill my behemoth kiln. My throwing skills suffered during the 10 months that my studio was packed up, especially since I am not much of a disciplined thrower anyway, but I did manage a couple of larger pieces.

I've begun to network and meet other potters and locals. A few years back, I joined a pottery group in Charlotte but it never felt right, so I quit when my year's membership was up. The Clay Club here, as well as the local folks I met during the Studio Tour, have made me feel right at home. I'm a firm believer in following the flow of the Universe, and although this road was long and bumpy, I truly feel that we are in the right place.

Of course there are two significant challenges we face. One being that the downer economy has put Jay's self-employment plans on the slow track. The other is the education system in this county. Although I briefly considered home-schooling, we've decided that it is just not something that would work for us. I am going to have to settle for working within the system. Thankfully, both kids are old enough to have a good foundation and as long as we can keep them motivated through elementary school, they'll do just fine.

Besides the move, 2008 included Jay's motorcycle trip, me getting tattooed, Allison's first time at sleepover camp, the kids and I driving to Montana and back, Jay and I installing a leach field, inadvertently beginning the basement demo in search of the sourse of the horrible smell (which turned out to be a dead rabbit outside in the window well), and me learning to blog. Give me some time and I'll get better at this.

So as the new year begins, our house is still somewhat of a ruin: the basement needs gutting, the downstairs bathroom is a fright, and we still don't seem to have a place for everything, unless you count on top of everything else. It is frustrating at times, but those are the times I gaze out my front window to see only the glorious mountains (today covered in snow!), or search for my kids only to find them playing in the woods, or stand in my studio and with my arms outstretched unable to touch a wall or knock anything over.

Life is so good and so real and I am so grateful for all of it.