Happy Holidays – 2014

 

Greetings to you and yours this holiday season! As the year comes to a close, we hope this note finds that you are content and in high spirits. This past year has seen more renovations to our country home as well a few big changes. Of course, things are still busy and a little hectic at times (nothing new there), but we are still having fun.

One of the big changes was acquiring another dog. After losing Tucker we were very sad, but Duchess was downright despondent. Right before Christmas 2013 we found Brodie, a small brown AmStaff-mix, and decided to give him a try. At first Duchess ignored him, but his charm must have done its trick because now they are thick as thieves and are rarely separate from one another. We find it amusing that every dirty trick that Duchess used to play on Tucker, Brodie now does to Duchess in spades. From stealing toys to hogging the dog bed, we think Brodie’s middle name must be ‘Karma’.

In the spring we returned to our mission of truly making this house our home, and decided to spruce up the walls in several rooms (which had not been painted since purchasing the house), as well as do ‘something’ about the wall between the dining room and living room. After consulting with the contractors, we decided to just do away the wall entirely. The open floor plan has really changed the character of the house and allows for much better light and air flow. And somehow in the construction fervor, we gave the hallway bathroom a makeover as well.

Prancing Pony Pottery was back at the Virginia Renaissance Faire (aka VARF) with a bigger and better booth.  There were also shows in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and of course, Virginia. Anna got to do her first Raku firing in the spring with Terry Tessem, and we helped out in Terry’s shop at the Maryland Renaissance Festival again this fall. The studio business is growing slowly. Hopefully 2015 will see online shopping active on the studio’s website.

This fall marked a big change for Gregory with a new job in November. The best part is that he is working mostly from home. No more long hours spent in the car commuting, less wear and tear on Gregory, and as a bonus, we get to have lunch together on most days.

 

Best wishes for a cheerful holiday season & a fantastic New Year!