objects of desire

For the past two years my dear friend Jenn has held a ceramics sale at her house a few weeks prior to Christmas. There are four people who sell their wares. Jenn and Meghan have JaM, their line they do together. Dave and Isabelle each work solo.

Last year I went and helped Isabelle arrange her items and she gifted me a most wonderful mug. It fits perfectly in my hand and allows the easiest of drinking as the curve of the lip follows the curves of my mouth while I take a sip.

After she'd left that evening I pulled aside one of her amazing vases. It had been singing my name saying that I should give it to Jill and Mark. They love it as much as I knew they would.

This year we did not take our check book. It was a hard choice, but we've got a new budget and beautiful objects sometimes have to wait. I did not get to help set up this year, either.

Kev and I stopped by on Sunday. Things were not as plentiful as Saturday morning, when the sale started, but there were beautiful objects abound. I stopped in to chat with Isabelle as she worked on settling the money.

She asked if there were things I would be buying. I told her we'd just come to see what beautiful things they had all created this year, with the new mortgage we're not spending too much excess money. She looked at me squarely in the eye and told me to go pick something of hers out. I had already seen the object of my desire and shown Kev. He was a bit surprised that I did not bring any money to the sale.

The kindness overwhelmed me a bit. Here was this artist who wants to make money on the sale of her goods, giving me this glorious bowl. It was a salt firing, so all the speckles and color come from the salt. Every time I walk through the kitchen, I look at it and smile.

Of course I helped her load her tiny car with the work of hers that did not sell. It was the very least I could do to show my appreciation (aside from thanking her profusely and hugging her, which I did both many times).

The color of the mug is a little off. I took two photos, one with and one without flash. Obviously I had to jigger the flash photo a bit.

It is times like that night that make me remember the basic kindness of other humans (or at least the other humans I choose to surround myself with). It makes me thankful that I've got such amazing friends.