This year, the spring flowers have an extra special meaning here in Asheville after Hurricane Helene. Every new green shoot that pokes up through the bare soil stirs my heart as it whispers, "Nature is healing."  In the middle of the dusty brown remnants of the flood and the fallen and broken trees, there are grasses, flowers, and baby plants stretching up toward the sun. 

In my soul, a unique new feeling emerges. That of being held. I have landed at a new studio. It is full of sunlight and warm people who have made me feel so welcome. As my ragged and bruised spirit landed there, unsure, I was delighted to find some of the warmest people I've met in Asheville, making me feel welcome. Lending me what I lacked as I hobbled through my routine of making a few pots. I was like a dog whose owner had moved their bowl- every time looking for this tool or that. But it was never long until I could ask or someone offered exactly what I needed to feel at home. My own nerves, like bare roots, began to relax and unfurl. 

In addition to my being new to this studio, five of my friends from Second Story Potters and The Village Potters, whose studios were also flooded by the storm, have come to Odyssey with me. We are all new, together. And we have a special exhibit that is up at our studio at Odyssey Gallery through the end of March.

In the meantime, we all get EXTRA SPECIAL NEWS! Sarah Wells Rolland and The Village Potters are reviving! They are building a new space above the floodplain. And they will have rental spaces similar to the one I was in at Second Story Potters! My plan is to return to that deep and rich community, and all of the special firings that light my heart on fire ❤️‍🔥- raku, gas reduction firings, and wood and soda ash. They hope to have the space ready by this summer. 

Please join me in celebrating all of this goodness! 
How? 
Visit your local flowers. Share a smile with a friend. Wake and look toward the sunrise. 

And… Let us send you some fresh, light and fluffy lotion that's bursting with fresh essential oils (or delightfully unscented). 

Let us send you something made with our very own hands that is designed and created to nourish yours. 

We are honored to live this life. Let spring remind us of that. And let it remind us of how lucky we are to be together in it. 

We all need a dose of hope right now. Let's be that hope, and share that hope.
Thank you for being here with us.

Always, in ❤️ with life and grateful for you 🥰...
Cara